Chapter 6

Erhan

Erhan sauntered into the auction house. He knew his elaborate disguise was working well; several other noble-looking visitors greeted him with a friendly nod.

He smugly smiled to himself. The disguise was impeccable, and he was pleased his choice of clothing paid off so well.

He moved through the crowd with the demeanor of an eager, wealthy outsider. He knew if he wanted to succeed at his mission, he had to look like the bastards around him.

Slowly slithering around as if he had all the time in the world, he studied the faces of the auctioneers. He would make a point of chasing down every last one of them when the time came.

This building was relatively unfamiliar to him and his team, but they were all experts at improvisation, so their plan would go off without a hitch, no matter what.

He tugged at his robes in frustration, remembering his earlier attempt at infiltrating the auction. Somehow, despite his best efforts, he still managed to alert the auctioneers, and they immediately took off, postponing their rescue attempt for days as he and his team ascertained the new location.

This auction was in a remote area, far less accessible than the city he’d studied with his team before taking action.

He looked around. It seemed like the guards were more alert too, which would make things more difficult once he and his team struck.

Erhan took a position near the front of the stage where the auction items and slaves would be paraded. His team was fanned out behind him, each in a strategic position, ready to attack at his command.

The stage lit up with different colors, illuminated from behind, and a tall auctioneer stepped to the center. After a brief speech, he announced that bidding would begin, the first items coming from raided treasuries from all over the galaxy.

This didn’t interest him in the least, but it was time to establish his faux nouveau riche persona, so Erhan feigned excitement.

He began to bid with calculated nonchalance, throwing large sums at trivial items and acting disappointed if he lost a bidding. The other participants murmured among each other, discussing Erhan and his very generous purse.

Once again, he smiled smugly to himself. His plan was falling neatly into place.

The auction drew on, anticipation in the room mounting. Erhan and all the other visitors knew that the auctioneers were saving the “best” for last. The live merchandise would soon be put on stage for these shameless animals to bid upon.

He pretended to watch the current bidding on a large, oval-shaped silver object from a planet he’d never heard of. In reality, he was keenly observing his surroundings, taking mental notes of all the guards, the exits, and any potential threats.

His ability to quickly size up a situation and craft effective strategies on the spot made him the favored military man he’d become. He had already formed a few backup plans should things go wrong when he decided to strike at the auctioneers. There were three exits, and he had a plan on how to make the most of each of them should the situation demand it.

He was only faintly aware of a new item being auctioned, but when he heard the words “demon heart,” he focused on the stage once more.

“Surely not…” he murmured to himself, his arms crossed in front of him.

The crowd cheered.

A demon heart was on auction and the bids were going increasingly higher. Apparently, it was in high demand in these crowds.

Erhan lost interest once more, going over his plan for the umpteenth time in his head. He had to ensure everything went smoothly or the entire operation could be a bust.

The auctioneer watched as the final item was wheeled off the stage before he dramatically cleared his throat.

Finally, the moment Ehran had been waiting for had arrived.

He straightened his back, unease spreading through his body, causing him to feel slightly stiff.

The auctioneer smiled mischievously. “My dear bidders and esteemed patrons, it is time for something a little more… exciting.” He looked over the crowd with a big grin. “We are about to start taking bids on our most illicit items. Many of you have been waiting days for this.”

The crowd came to life, now much more excited than just a few moments ago.

“Let us begin!” The auctioneer clapped his many hands, and the lighting changed to a deep red, bathing the stage in dramatic ambiance.

Erhan could feel the atmosphere become more electric as six human females were herded on stage.

They stood awkwardly, clearly afraid, as every pair of eyes in the crowd studied them.

He noticed that one of the women, a feisty-looking one with light brown shoulder-length, curly hair glared into the crowd. She was beautiful, her skin soft-looking and pale against the harsh red lights. Even her scowl of fury couldn’t hide the delicate features underneath. He found himself drawn to her above all others.

Eyebrows raised, he shook his head. He was willing to bet she’d get a high price. The men here loved a bit of challenge from their slaves, at least initially. He had heard that “breaking” slaves was almost like a sport for them.

Erhan glanced around him, disgusted by the ravenous gazes of those transfixed by the poor females.

He covertly glanced around, making eye contact with his team members. Every one of them silently told him what he wanted to know. They were ready and waiting for his command to attack. The bidding started, and Erhan was almost surprised by the ludicrous amounts bidders were offering for the females.

They looked like hungry animals eyeing their prey, and in a sense, they were exactly that.

A shiver of revulsion ran down his spine. He could not stand these wealthy, selfish bastards who wanted to control other beings.

Tension in the room reached a fever pitch, and Erhan sensed it was the right moment to launch the operation.

Desperate bids were screamed out, and a bidder was ready to rush to the stage in an attempt to win one of the females for himself.

Erhan gave the imperceptible signal, and his well-rehearsed plan sprang into action.

His warriors, once shrouded as bystanders, revealed themselves with impressively swift precision. They disarmed the surprised guards and managed to create a perfect distraction for Erhan.

He leaped into the fray, his movements a blur to anyone who tried to watch. He unsheathed his sword without a sound and cut through the mayhem with deadly accuracy.

The auction dissolved into pure chaos, the once-orderly procession of greed now nothing but a battleground for justice and freedom.

Erhan laughed as he cut through the guards and auctioneers, reveling in the fear and surprise in their eyes.

“You expected me, and I still managed to catch you by surprise!” He gloated as he slashed open the chest of a guard.

Another approached him from behind, but he smelled him from a mile away, and his counterattack was precise and deadly.

He gave the guard’s head a final stomp and looked around, searching for more of them. He had counted at least a dozen and knew more were behind the scenes.

Erhan spotted more of his foes near one of the exits. He rushed in their direction, his determination to take them out fueling his attack.

The auctioneers ran back and desperately hid behind the guards, shaking with fear.

“What do you think you’re doing? You won’t get away with this!” a burly guard yelled at Erhan before raising a massive axe, intending to embed it in his head.

Erhan was too quick, and he darted out of the way, twisting his body and slashing the guard’s neck with one precise movement.

Clutching at the wound, the guard fell to the ground. Erhan swiped him in the ribs and brought down his sword once more, this time nearly cutting the guard’s head off.

The auctioneers screamed in fear and shock, scrambling to get away from their serpentine attacker. He hissed at them, chasing them down and slithering in front of them with awe-inspiring speed. They froze in their tracks, eyes wide. One of them lifted his hands in surrender and gave Erhan a submissive smile. This didn’t go down well with him, and he lashed out, cutting both of them at once.

“Did you show mercy to the humans you kidnapped and planned to sell here tonight?”

He slashed again, now slicing open the throat of one auctioneer while the other grabbed their arm, screaming.

“I didn’t think so.” With that, he ended the second auctioneer’s life with a flick of his powerful wrist.

He glanced back at the crowd and saw that his team was having as much success as he was. He grinned, his tongue flicking excitedly. So far, everything was going according to plan.

Perfect.