Manu squatted in front of a stall that held various kinds of goods. The man was examining a dull light brown furry boot. The footwear still looked simple, sewn like the clothes of the tribesn he was in now.
anwhile, Kat stood hunched over next to him. I could see the seller, a man of dium build and green eyes, constantly glancing at the girl.
You've never seen a girl this attractive, sir?
"I'll take this and that, sir." Manu said, then pointed to a parka still placed on a mat of woven long leaves. The warm clothes also looked dull in color. "And I'd also like to buy an iron pot if you have one. How about 40 silvers?"
The seller flinched slightly and looked at the two garnts. "Are you sure you want to buy that one, sir? There are many in better condition."
"What matters is the function." Manu smiles. "How is it? Do you agree with that price?"
Well, we did have to save money. And my colony is not in the mood to impress other people with nice clothes.
"35 silver is enough!" The seller laughed. "Think of it as a discount because you guys made my day!"
Manu and Kat exchanged glances.
"Okay, then. Thank you very much, sir." Manu took out several pieces of silver and handed them to the seller.
"Are you guys done?" Jane ca to them carrying a dium-sized sack.
"Just a mont." Manu wrapped the things he bought into his own sack, then got up. "Okay, let's go."
"You bought those clothes to learn how to make them, right?" Jane asked as she and my two colonists had started to walk away.
"Well, at least I didn't go ho empty-handed." Manu shrugged.
We stopped because a small child was running fast past us. Other children were also seen running in various directions while a boy closed his eyes with both hands facing the wall of a house.
Ah, hide and seek, eh?
And then, I saw a man walking by, tapping two small wooden blocks against each other. The sound of that thing made all the children stop playing.
"Playti is over!" The man shouted.
Huh, isn't it too late yet? Probably still around 4 o'clock.
The children complained in a disappointed tone, but no one fought back at all.
"If anyone is stubborn and still playing, you will be locked up!" The man carrying the wooden block raised his voice.
Kat and Manu watched the annoyed-looking children return to their hos.
Jane smiled at the man. Instead, the man looked closely at Kat's body and whistled. Kat didn't respond, but the girl's face was a bit red, her body was bent slightly, and her left hand stroked her right arm. She clearly felt uncomfortable being watched like that.
Ugh. I looked at the seller in the distance, who was already collecting his wares. Need to buy so more modest clothes tomorrow for Kat, even though our money is limited?
"Don't mind him." Jane sighed. "The n here hardly ever see a woman's exposed body. They are forbidden to have sex outside of marriage. On the other hand, many young won have been taken away by our tribe leader. The chances of marriage are very slim. So when they see your body in clothes like that, they look like they're looking at gold.... Ah, it's not like I insulted your clothes. I'm sorry."
No wonder the man seed unable to hide his libido.
"Hey, how about tonight we run away from the house to play?" One of the boys who had been playing whispered to his friend. "I still want to play longer than this."
His friend snorted. "Then we'll be locked up in cages. I don't want to be locked up. They say it's not good."
Manu's brow imdiately furrowed. He walked over to Jane. "Is what he said true? Small children are also locked up? Isn't that the parents' business, it's up to them to scold or give punishnt?"
A bitter smile ford on Jane's face. "That's the rules of our tribe. They are all equal, whether it's a child, an adult, or even a very old person. If you break the rules, you will be brought before the higher ups to be judged, then punished."
I could see the look of disbelief on Manu's face. Even though Manu cos from a tribe that might be considered primitive, they still respect children's rights, huh?
"Well, if you don't mind, could you take us to the confinent place?" Manu grimaced. It was not his own request, but I commanded it. "I'm just courious.... It's okay if you don't want to or the rules here forbid it."
"It's okay. The cages are in a place where it's easy to see so others are afraid to make a mistake." Jane shrugged. "And our tribe leader also seems not to be hiding it from outsiders. Maybe he also wants to give them a ssage. If they break the rules too, they will still be locked up even if they are guests."
We turned at an intersection.
"Brace yourself. It'll sll great later." Jane sighed again.
Although Jane said the cage was in a visible place, we still walked so distance from the settlent, albeit still within the high fence surrounding the tribe.
What's with this feeling? Is it because I'm now in an uninhabited adow that everything seems eerie? This place has a very different atmosphere from the lively residential area.
After a few minutes of walking, Jane, Kat, and Manu covered their noses. I could also sll dirt mixed with urine in the distance, so I chose to turn off the slling feature.
Gradually, I saw two structures that were only slightly taller than a seated adult.
"Oh my god!" Manu hissed when he finally saw the iron cage. In addition to its short size, the space is also only about 4x4 ters. Even so, the cells were crowded with people. I even saw an old woman in a woman's cage and a small child crouched in a man's cage.
The cages were so full they couldn't stretch their legs out. Those people could only sit with bent legs, dirty bodies, and gloomy faces.
"In the past, this place was once fuller than now." Jane stopped her steps and gulped.
"Well, well, well. It was you, Jane." A man with his mouth and nose covered in a plant fiber cloth ca up to Jane. "Hmmm? Are they guests? Want to show them sothing, huh?"
"We were just taking a walk, Sam." Jane answered while still covering her nose.
Shit. I saw traces of human excreta, dry and wet, and pools of urine in the two cages.
"Hey, is that you, breast girl!?" A bald-headed man held the iron bars with both hands. Kat shuddered slightly at his creepy grin.
"Don't be rude to our guests, Reha." Jane warned.
Yes, he was also the one who brought Leva to my colony.
Reha then looked at Jane. "Jane, did you bring any food? I'm sick of those rotten leftovers!"
"Even if they bring food, you are not allowed to eat it." The guard nad Sam chuckled. "You should know that. This isn't your first rodeo here."
Reha just snorted.
The leader of this tribe is insane.
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