Elaria tried to engage Joseph in some mild conversation, but it did not take long for her to realize that he was only responding out of politeness and gratitude for the favor of the drive, so she fell silent. The butler did not mean to be rude, it was just that he was steeling himself for the horrid things he was about to see. When they were about five minutes out from the convention ballroom that was hosting the event, the passenger spoke up again.
“The slave entrance, of course. And I'll have some of Master Alexi's purchases riding back with us, so be prepared for that. The kind of slaves that our Master prefers are usually not happy with the arrangement, but I try to only sedate them as an absolute last resort,” he instructed, unsure of how much his lovely driver had been briefed.
“Thanks for the warning,” the fire drake replied, remembering just how furious she had been during and after her own auction. She had not actually done much to resist, but the temptation had certainly been there.
“Thank you for the drive,” Joseph replied. It was only a few more minutes before they pulled up to the slave's entrance. Elaria stepped out and opened the door, meeting Joseph's eyes as he stepped out with a silent look of concern and sympathy for his task. But she said nothing, as was the custom in public. Quickly, she drove off to where the other slaves parked and waited for their masters, for she had no desire to stay around this place any longer than necessary.
Joseph sighed almost imperceptibly as a strode in, careful to look neither too submissive nor too confident. He was quickly patted down and scanned for any weapons and given his wristband when he found none.
“Cause any problems whatsoever, and this band can completely immobilize you. Your master will be fined for any damages,” a bored guard warned. No one asked the vampire to sign anything to that effect; many slaves could not read, and none could legally sign a contract anyway. The contract promising that Joseph was trustworthy had already been signed between Alexi and the company hosting the auction.
“I understand, sir,” the slave replied respectfully. With a nod, he was given a program and sent on to the main hall. Many patrons, dressed in suits, gowns, and other high class finery, stood around mingling. Unsurprisingly, Joseph had little desire to speak with any of them. He was here strictly for business, and frankly, conversations were dangerous for him, and for Alexi's reputation. It would take only the slightest perceived insult for one of the humans to have him arrested. Even acting too much like an equal could be seen as “dangerous arrogance.” Fortunately, most patrons were not so cruel as to cause such a scene without good cause, but there were always a few bad apples in the crowd. Any slave appearing without his or her master had to be on constant guard in their behavior, just to avoid such jerks.
He had almost reached the double doors to the exhibition hall where the pre-auction viewing was being held when an older man who was smoking a thick cigar called out to him.
“Slave, refill my scotch!” he said as Joseph passed, holding out his drink. Rather than pointing out that there were about a dozen serving slaves around the room, and that he had no obligation to serve anyone besides his own master, he simply smiled and took the glass. It was far easier to just do as he was asked than to argue.
“Of course, sir. Right away,” Joseph replied, taking the glass over to the open bar.
“Scotch please, Ballantine's I think,” he ordered. The red-haired slave woman working the bar, whose race even Joseph didn't recognize in her human form, glanced down at his band.
“I can't serve you alcohol, sir. You're... like me.” The color of the wristband indicated he was not here with a master, and therefore could not be getting a drink for his owner.
“I … I know. This is for someone else. One of the guests thought I was with the help. And it was easier not to argue.” He nodded in the general direction of the man, who seemed to be dominating a group's conversation, much to the irritation of the others. It was clear that he had already had one too many. The slavegirl looked back to Joseph.
“Alright,” was all she said, before filling the drink. An understanding crossed their eyes just for a moment as she handed it to the vampire. Slaves had to help each other, especially in this environment.
“Thank you,” he answered, bowing slightly as he met her eyes. He walked back to the older man and handed him the drink with a bow.
“Good lad. It's always nice to see a young non-human who knows his place,” the elder commented. It was only Joseph's long years of service that prevented him from rolling his eyes. Right, because I'm only over ten times your age, he thought. The condescension made that tiny, burgeoning rebellious part of him want to hurl. “Who is your master?” the older man was asking.
“Master Alexi Vandros, CEO of EleCon Industries,” the perfect butler replied politely, wishing he was literally anywhere else at the moment.
“Sent him regards from Sir Wesley Azaran,” he replied. The Azaran family was an insanely wealthy lordship even older than the Vandros wealth. Though, no one quite knew how they maintained their lifestyle. Their investment books were, unsurprisingly, closed to the public.
“Of course, Sir. I shall,” Joseph replied, bowing as he left the group. Finally, he made it into the exhibition hall and entered. There were hundreds of slaves here, in various states of clothing and restraint. He passed the first few, able to glance and see that glassed-over look in their eyes that indicated one or more of the hard breaking methods used across the races. He did stop at a few booths to observe some of the more rebellious-looking slaves, some who seemed to have not lost hope. But he only said a few brief words to the slavers in question. So few of the salesmen knew exactly what to do with a slave as a buyer. They were so accustomed to seeing magicals as merchandise that talking to one as a customer seemed as strange as discussing the sale of your car with another car. It just made no sense. But this confusion could give Joseph an advantage at times, and, though he would rarely admit it, he enjoyed seeing those slimy pigs just a tad flustered.