Hopeless Night: Day 8

Word Count: 48,102

Summary of Events:
Chapter 15:
Georg left Geizenstadte to head back home, feeling badly that Magnus was sentenced to slavery. Magnus was collared and put away to wait for sale. Emma personally confronted Josepha and reconciled with her. Magnus was sold for 6,530 Marks at the slave market.
Part 3: Dusk
Chapter 16:
Magnus arrived at the rather squalid farm belonging to the father and son Herr Jagd Sr. and Jr. Emma — the next summer — was helping her mother weed the garden while Josepha courted an apprentice of Herr Reiter. Magnus was tasked with fixing some chips in the wall during the night and heard an argument between Herr and Frau Jagd Jr.

Excerpt of the Day:
"Crouching down low, Magnus found a place to sit where he wasn't on top of anyone, although he could tell that he was touching quite a few of them. He wasn't sure what to do, as he was sure that he couldn't sleep sitting up.
"What's your sentence?" a dry, rough voice asked.
"Temporary slavery," Magnus replied.
A rough bark sounded out. "Temporary? How could it possibly be temporary?"
"I was charged with murder," Magnus replied.
A disunion of gasps sounded like they almost sucked the air out of the building. He waited to hear the crash of the building falling down. Nothing happened.
"Murder is only worthy of the death sentence," a voice wheezed — a voice that sounded feminine — which chilled Magnus.
"Why aren't you dead?" a masculine voice asked.
"I wasn't convicted," Magnus replied.
"And why not?" the rough voice that began the conversation asked.
"Because, I'm not guilty," Magnus replied. "But they haven't found out who is, and because I am the one who looks the most like I ought to have done it, I was charged, and as they haven't reached a resolution I'm being put here while they try to come up with answers."
"Who tried you?" another person asked.
"His Majesty the Imperial King Frederick the eighteenth himself," Magnus replied.
The gasps sounded out again. Once again the building didn't fall down, although Magnus had a feeling that it could well collapse if these people continued to gasp at him and all of the things he was telling them.
"And he couldn't even find any answers," Magnus added.
"Do you know who it was?" a young masculine voice asked.
"No," Magnus replied. "I have no idea. But I am completely convinced that I didn't do it. Someone else took my arrow and fired it. I don't even know why. I am completely confounded about the whole thing."
"It's a shame you've come here," an old man's voice said. "It's a wretched shame that you should come to this scum hole. Was there no one else that thought you valuable?"
"Only as far as six thousand five hundred and twenty five Marks," Magnus relied.
Another chorus of gasps sounded out. This shed could well collapse before the night was out at the rate they were going.
"They were obviously desperate if they paid that much for you," the rough voice said.
"When are they not desperate?" another voice asked. "With they way they treat us and the fact that they're so blasted picky it's no wonder they're always looking for more bodies."
Magnus shuddered at their words. With what they were saying Magnus wondered if whoever owned the bidding number 3603 would've treated him any differently. He hoped they would've.
Of course it was no matter. Even if they would've treated him nicer, he was here, he was in this place of horrors, it seemed, and he was stuck here until they sold him, he was freed, or he died."

Jagd: yahghd'