Jessica was simply listening around the city, somehow she was able to hear things that were quite far from her and actually focus on them. While Septimius was worried aout the shops something got her attention... not for good... "Vampire... farm?....what in the hell..." she asked to herself as she kept paying attention to what they were saying, judging for what everyone was talking Jessica could deduct what was happening "They're selling human beings?... so these filthy vampires can suck their blood whenever they want?!" she thought. But before doing anything, she decided to ask for others to back her up, there were many vampires around. Jessica took Septimius and Ravin by the arm and said "The vampires over there are selling humans as if they were cows, and apparently they'll suck their blood whenever they want, we gotta do something!!!! these creatures and not worse than the savage ones".

Ravin jumped as Jess seized his arm.

"But what? If we make ourselves known we'll have the whole city on us! As much as it pains me, we can't do anything without raising the alarm of the entire populace!"

"Walking away unannounced?" Septimius spluttered, "Excuse me but I did state that I was heading to the market. And how dare you accuse me of not caring about the safety of others!" His eyes glowed with anger, reflexively charging mana. His right hand ached and he flexed it to relax it but it burned. "I will place my life on forfeit to keep everyone here safe." He swept his hand in the direction of the group and sparks flew from his finger tips but he didn't notice in his anger. "I failed once to save someone." He pushed Ravin in the chest. "And I will never forget it. The failure will haunt me forever. But I won't ever let it happen again." He jabbed him again. "So don't you ever accuse me of not caring about others."

He wiped tears out of his eyes and prepared to walk away but Jessica grabbed him by the arm to stop him. He was expecting her to be angry or concerned about his outburst but rather she was focused on what seemed to be a slave auction. Except the truth was much more menacing. Human were being sold as livestock to the highest bidder, condemned to a future of being fed on for the rest of their lives.

He tried to pull Jessica back, agreeing with Ravin. "Jessica we're in a city filled with vampires, if you get in a fight who knows what might happen! You have to hold it and bear with it just this once!" He tried to reason with her, "If we get caught now, we might fail our mission and never save Rae-Ala. And if that happens then you won't be able to save anyone. You have to let this happen." Suddenly he felt like a hypocrite after yelling at Ravin that he would never leave someone behind. He bit his lips and desperation shone in his eyes but he had made a declaration, and he couldn't turn back on it. "So Jessica," he sighed and his expression became more determined, "what's the plan?"

Noticing that Liss was moving through the crowd Marcus decided to follow. He didn't wish to see her get hurt again, especially with all km these fine folk around. He didn't know yet if they were friends or enemies. Or frienemies.

Approaching Liss Marcus wrapped his hands around her waist as he stepped up behind her smiling, "what say you, sir? Can my lady name him?"

He would of course have to break the news to Liss later if they end up winning the man thay she cannot keep it forever. Maybe he would make up a story about how it went chasing carriages down the freeway again and never came home. One thing was certain, it wasn't going to be allowed to sit at the table!

The auctioneer was prepared to sell the human to another vampire male at the corner for 70, before another woman came to the front, putting up 100 for the human male that was simply staring at the ground. He blinked and looked at the girl, chuckling to himself. He had that same curious look on his face, as did the other vampires. It was as if they were...examining her closely.

"Well then," He chimed, breaking free from the trance, "I have 100. Do I hear 110?"

"115," A voice called out, and as Liss looked it was an elder looking vampire, who had two other humans on a leash behind him, "I need more workers. These two are going to be drained soon."

Ravin looked at Septimius as if he had struck him across the face.

"Last time I checked, it was courtesy to say literally ANYTHING before walking away. Something like 'Does anyone want to come with me?' Or 'I'm going to the market now!' But no, you said something about a jerkin and then trounced right off. And don't you dare touch me with ill intent, boy. I have no words for someone so caught up in their own chapter that they refuse to be part of the larger story!"

His voice switched

"You know nothing of loss until you are cast into the void and crawl your way back, only to find that everything has changed, but no one even remembers you. I made this body to kill all those who stand in my path to paradise. Pray you don't wander onto it"

"Ravin we can't just leave them!, what if one of them was me?, or Marcus? Would you leave them behind? Or if it was you wouldn't you want someone to save you from them?... we gotta do something" she heard Septimius' words and smiled, she thought for a few seconds and continued "Ok... first, we should get the others, I don't knoe if we should interfer directly or jusr sneak in and see where do they take them, if we follow one one if the slaves it may leave us to the farm where gosh knows who many people are there. Let's go get the others and think on somethi---" her speech got interrupted by a familiar voice that apparently wanted to buy.... the human...?. Jessica turned her head slowly towards her voice and said so only Septimius and Ravin could hear "Lissette?.... what the hell is she doing" she shook her head and said to the other 2 "Or we could just improvise..." she pointed at Liss and began to make her way towards her.

"I... Said that I need to go to the market." The two stopped to leave Marcus, Lissette, and Jessica to handle the problem as the two continued their argument. "And by your definition that is me saying something before I walked away." He was slightly shocked by the change in voice and the ominous message but it was far from deterring him. "I do not want to fight you Ravin, nor did I ever intend to. However I shall not stand this opinion you have of me that I am some child that is absorbed in his own world." He breathed heavily, "I concede that you may have had a more traumatizing past than me and I admit I would never want something like that happening to me either... but Ravin do not spite me with your elderly talk or council me with petty false accusations."

Marcus almost took a step back ass liss puffed up. "Trust me, pal, I've seen her when she gets angry. Two hundred is a fair price don't you think?"

Marcus couldn't help but to laugh aft the idea in his hed. What would she call him? Frank!

Marcus could practically hear jessica coming towards them, he turned around before she could speak and said, "trust me, it's aft roundly part of the plan." Turning back with Liss he told the auctioneer again, "come on then, two hundred!"

"I do not spite you, I simply remind you of what is and what isn't. " and with that, he followed after Jess. He was done with that conversation, and did not wish to pursue it further. Now he was interested in what Jess was doing. She had left without disclosing her plan to either of them

What is and what isn't? What does that mean? Perplexed, Septimius walked away from the four, deciding not to accompany Ravin. He walked up to the man and answered his question, stating simply, "I need some clothing. Robes to be exact. Something full length and comfortable."

Jessica got close enough until she was behind Marcus, she grabed his arm tightly and whispered to him "What the hell are you both doing, we can't get their attention like that, stop playing games!".

"I mean serioously?, they're gonna buy the whole lot of humans as well and act like it's a game?" she ate her own words to not cause more trouble nor draw more attention to them. She didn't have a good feeling about the whole situation...

Desmond remembered why this place was so useful for his master. The human farming in Ravenholt. The stitcher stuck close to Otael and Fluffy, the rest went on their ways but Desmond stared at the surroundings. Ghan kept close watch and was always just beside his master.

The memories of the dead he carried was all too clear but those of which he killed himself were buried in his thoughts until now. One memory of the past was very clear though, his very first murder as Creese's assistant.

[spoiler=]
"Now, now, Desmond," Creese said cheerfully. "This is the best part!"

His gangly master had a live person strapped on his bench, leather straps and metal cuffs. One of the procedures had been done already by the master himself, the boring of four holes into the subject's skull and several more on the torso, arms and legs.

"We will require the body to be perfectly preserved while we continue our other works!" He said with a flourish. "Now, boy, grab the hoses just above you!"

Desmond, only five when this occurred, jumped from his small height and grabbed the hose. Unfortunately, he slipped and crashed onto a table of casks.

"You imbecile!" Creese steamed as he charged towards Desmond and slammed the back of his fist to the child's face. "Those liquids were more worth than five of your lives put together!"

"Sorry, mas-"

"Don't you sorry me, street urchin! You're lucky I took you in!" Creese said harshly. "Now get that hose and place it in!"

Desmond reluctantly stood up and plugged the hose into the living body and saw that the human was staring back at him, tears flowing down from his eyes. They whispered to set him free.

"That's just one! Get the rest!" His master demanded. Desmond followed. As soon as the tubes were in place, Creese pushed his assistant back and moved towards the lever.

"Watch Desmond! You mustn't turn away!"

For a moment, Desmond followed but when the liquid flowed from the tubes, down to the living human, everything went gruesome. The black liquid itself was viscous and thick and the pumps were forcing every ounce of it into the body. The victim screamed in pain.

"Desmond, silence that incessant screaming, we forgot to stitch the bastard's mouth!" The master yelled then pointed to the table. "We've got some cloth just below the table, get it and plug that sound!"

Desmond looked to his master in horror but Creese glared back. The child assistant scurried to the bottom of the table, blood and black liquid poured down from the table and onto Desmond's face. His breathing intensified as he slowly stood to face the victim's squirming body.

"Quickly! I feel my ears bursting!" Creese ordered. "Do it now before I turn YOU into my next specimen!"

Desmond felt the fear rise up and mustered enough strength to force the cloth into the man's mouth. What remained of the screaming were muffled sounds of death. For a brief moment, the victim locked eyes with the child, black liquid spilled from every opening possible. The assistant was about to flee when Creese stopped him, held his head steady and forced him to watch further.

"Don't worry, don't let the spastic moaning bother you. It will soon become music to your ears!"
[/spoiler]

The memory was burned into his skull. A first he can never forget.

Maybe he was just as traumatized as Otael with this place and that he was just better at hiding it. He looked around and found Septimius. Better be with more people than less in Ravenholt. I'm sure Otael would agree.

"Come on, big guy," Desmond said. "Let's go with our friend."