Ezra was quiet when Master Reis came down and opened the cage for him, rousing himself from his curled up position on the floor and slowly making his way toward the man who owned him. He kept his head down so his long hair covered his face, and said nothing when Reis told him they were to get cleaned up. It was probably for the best, anyway, as Master Reis seemed to very much like his quiet.<br/><br/>He kept up this silent state even as Ita helped him bathe, hardly looking at the girl at all as she manipulated his body and got him dressed in a simple tunic. Although Ezra still wasn't fond of clothing, he did not repeat his complaints from the day before. "Thank you, Miss Ita," was all Ezra sad as the servant girl tied up his tumbling, coiling tresses into a secure bun at the back of his head, using one of her own plain black ribbons to keep the hair in place. She returned the Asha to his master, and Reis led him outside where a horse and small carriage was waiting.<br/><br/>Ezra had only seen a horse one other time, when the sellers had ushered him through the darkness in order to get him to his master's home. The beast was strong and beautiful, and Ezra wanted to pet, but there didn't seem to be time for such frivolities. He instinctively climbed into the back of the carriage when Reis told him to, not presuming to think Reis would want him close, although most Asha owners kept their expensive pets on very short leashes. Ezra still didn't have a collar of any kind, and his connection to Reis would only be apparent via his distinctive clothing and him obediently following Reis at every turn.<br/><br/>His somber demeanor was momentarily lifted as the horse settled into a trot. Being in the carriage was strange, just like it had been the first time, but now Ezra was allowed to see the environment as it passed them by, not forced to sit wrapped up in darkness while he waited to be carted to his next destination. While Belmir lacked the explosive color of Tuloa, there was a rather refreshing feeling coming from the dense forests that made Ezra grin. The trees here weren't unhappy; they loved the overcast skies and the heavy rains that often fell over the Belmiran landscape. Although he did move around the back of the carriage to see as much as he could, he was careful not to lean too far over the edge, or to move without keeping his hands holding on tightly to some part of the carriage's frame. Reis often reminded him even while driving to be cautious lest he fall out and hurt himself again.<br/><br/>When they reached the market, Ezra's eyes were wide and curious, taking in the immense amount of people shuffling along through the various stalls, displays and sections. He nodded when Reis told him to stay quiet about his origins, and followed closely as they weaved quickly through the slave section. "I did not know people could own other people, Master?" Ezra probed, never once having heard of such a thing. "Why would you need humans when you have Asha?" Ezra, never having met another Asha other than the Tuloan variety, was still quite ignorant to his variety's special qualities. He assumed all Asha were intelligent, like him. No one had ever told him that Tuloan Asha were an anomaly, and other kinds were really only good as sexual toys and status symbols.<br/><br/>Ezra paused for a moment while he considered his master's question. "A male," he said finally, but he was unable to think of any other qualities that mattered to him. Asha naturally attached to their owners, regardless of gender, and would mate with anyone who showed interest as long as their masters approved. However even they had preferences of their own, and Ezra had found himself slightly more interested in interacting with males than females when he had still been growing on Tuloa.<br/><br/>The Asha could feel the salesman's eyes pass over him, admiring the translucent parts of Ezra's tunic where his musculature could be seen beneath the silky fabric. The keepers had always called Ezra the most beautiful of all the Asha on Tuloa, and the young Asha felt warm when the salesman complimented him, though he wished the words came from his master instead of the stranger.<br/><br/>The two men began to talk, and Ezra's attention wandered over to the collection of male and female Asha, all tethered up and sitting quietly with one another. There was one Asha that caught Ezra's eye, a tall, lean one with bright red hair and skin the color of the moon. Ezra had never seen one like that before. He smiled and walked toward the group, to the red haired male in particular.<br/><br/><i>"Ezra u'o shiaro,"</i>the Asha said, kneeling down onto the ground before the red haired one, admiring his sharp, harsh features and the deep pink color of his lips. These Asha looked human as well, just like Ezra, but their coloring was slightly different from his. They were pale, their physiques slight, and they all had deep blue eyes, darker than Ezra's gray.<br/><br/>The Belmiran Asha looked at him with narrowed eyes, but said nothing. Ezra frowned. He was speaking Tuloan, but of course they wouldn't understand that, would they? Perhaps they spoke Belmiran, as they were from here. "I am called Ezra. What is your name?"<br/><br/>Still, the Asha said nothing.<br/><br/><i>Maybe he is shy? </i>Ezra thought, and smiled once again, reaching out to touch the restrained Asha, so they could communicate through psychic connection. They wouldn't be able to talk, but they could feel one another's emotions.<br/><br/>When Ezra leaned forward, however, the Belmiran Asha snapped, hissing and snarling and swiping at Ezra's face viciously, slicing the skin of Ezra's smooth cheek with sharp nails. Ezra squealed and cried out, falling over backwards and scurrying to Reis' feet with his hand over his face, blood seeping through the gaps between his fingers. The rest of the salesman's Asha were in a frenzy now, all growling in Ezra's direction and spitting, clawing the air where he used to sit.<br/><br/>"Master," Ezra whined, looking up at Reis with watery eyes.