Spirits of the Earth

It started small. The dark clouds let go of a few drops of rain, each one sending a small ripple in the vast desert that was seemingly had the consistency of water. The ripples clashed, and a little more rain came. This time, faster. The ripples grew bigger, and more rain fell. The ground now rose up into huge waves, falling over themselves repeatedly. A little girl stood in the middle of it all, naked. Her black hair and dark skin made her bright red wings pop. Her head tilted up as she stared at the clouds. The rain didn't fall on her, but the giant waves were all heading inward toward her. They merged and reached their peak so that she was completely enveloped by them. Then the little girl blinked. The clouds vanished, the waves—no the sand—all was back to where it was supposed to be, and there was a rainbow over the little girl's head. Except it couldn't be a rainbow. There were no lines or colors—it was pitch black.

Nitya awoke with a start. Her blankets were thrown across the floor, her pillow halfway across the room. It looked as if she had battled her bed in her sleep. Her body covered in sweat and aching, Nitya knew she must have lost that battle. She sat up with a groan. It was her fifth time having that dream, all within a month. Every time she had it, she woke up in the same way. It wasn't a nightmare, it wasn't even a bad dream. But for some reason, she detested it.

After getting out of bed, Nitya hobbled over to the wardrobe. She scratched her naked back and flinched. Her upper back had been unreasonably sensitive lately, and she had no clue why. Nitya pulled a silk purple dress out—her favorite one. She slid it on and looked at herself in the mirror. She might feel sore and unladylike, but she looked gorgeous. The dress's low neckline and back would have been considered quite promiscuous elsewhere, but it was modest in Essyrn. She fluffed her soft curly hair with her hands before returning to the wardrobe. Grabbing a golden accessory that resembled a tiara, Nitya finally smiled. Dressing so nice and looking so pretty made up for her dream. It would be a good day, she was sure of it.

Nitya put on some sandals, grabbed her purse, and left the inn. The summer sun was hot, as always, and she loved it. She smiled as she walked, ignoring all the looks of admiration she was getting. It wasn't like she was going to look back anyway. She had been planning on doing some shopping, to splurge a little, but she hadn't made it a block before a sharp headache started pounding into her head.

In the slave markets.

Again.

Ka'lei was curled against his side, exhausted from a night of being forced to walk what felt like all over the city- twice- as their last master tried to find an acceptable place to sell them. Eventually, he'd settled on the seediest market Kai had ever seen and left.

Sighing, he wrapped his arm tighter around his sister and watched, motionless, as the sun began to peek over the tops of the surrounding buildings. Once it was officially "morning" he knew potential buyers would be coming.

This was always the worst part. The waiting, the worrying. A cruel master he could handle- not knowing if he'd be taken from his twin or not was pure torture.

AS if his thoughts had cued her, Ka'lei shifted and murmured in her sleep, feathers fluttering anxiously. He pulled her closer and wrapped his other arm around her, rubbing the spot between her wings soothingly. They'd managed to get this far together; surely that luck would hold out.

Nitya slammed her eyes shut to block out the light, hoping it would dull the pain. Instead, it got worse. By blocking out her vision, her hearing had gotten stronger—and the headache was caused by her hearing, though she didn't yet realize it. She opened her eyes and kept walking straight. Logic would have told her to go back to the inn, but she decided to look for some medication instead. This headache felt different than any headache she had before.

By the time she made it to the main market, the pain was almost intolerable. Luckily, she knew where the best apothecary was. Unluckily, before she reached the store, someone bumped into her, knocked her over, and stole her purse. "Shit," Nitya whispered under her breath. She had brought a lot of her money with her to go shopping, and she wanted it back. Uneasily standing back up, she started running after the thief. Every step it felt like her brain was crashing into her skull, but she kept running. Her experiences while traveling made her a good runner. Unfortunately, with a dress and a headache, she was not as good of a runner as a young girl.

Abruptly, Nitya stopped. She had no clue where she was, or even how long she had been running. There weren't many places of Essyrn she didn't know, but this was one of them. If the area didn't look so sketchy, she would have sat down somewhere or gone in a building. But her instinct told her not to.

No, not her instinct.

Run! A voice shouted at her. Escape! Another. Get out of here! Run! Disappear! Vanish! Run! More and more voices were joining in, until she couldn't tell what any of them were saying. Nitya brashly turned every which way, looking for the shouters. But all she could find were weary women and suspicious men. No one was talking to her; no one was talking to each other. She could see heads turning, starting to question what this well-dressed woman was doing here, spinning, and Nitya dropped her head down. She didn't want to make eye contact with anyone. She didn't want more voices.

And that was when it hit her. No one was actually shouting at her, it was all in her head. That must have been the cause of the headache too, in one way or another. Her eyes widened. She hadn't been looking at anyone. Why could she hear people? Why could she hear dozens of people? Was she going crazy? Or was there some mage messing in her head?

So, finally, she listened to the voices: she ran. Except instead of running back to where she came from—for she had no idea where that was—she accidentally ran closer and closer to the sketchiest slave market in Essyrn. The voices got louder.

"And here we have two rather exotic specimens..."

"I bet if I threw a rock from here I could kill him," Ka'lei grumbled, glaring at the auctioneer.

"You don't have a rock," Kai said mildly. Then, lifting his hands to create a pointed clinking of the chains binding their wrists, he added, "And how would you throw it anyhow?"

"I'd figure something out." His sister gritted her teeth as the man began praising Kai's strength and her "unusual beauty". "Gods, his voice is so annoying."

"Just try to behave for another hour or two, alright?" Kai begged, leaning subtly against her in an effort to give comfort without the people standing around the auction block really catching on. "The sooner we get this part over with, the sooner I can relax."

She snorted. "Relax? You've got to be fucking kidding me-"

"Is that four gold for the girl, sir?"

The twins froze. For the girl?

"No," Kai whispered, shaking his head. it felt like every nightmare he'd ever had was coming true. Please, someone else bid, he prayed silently, grabbing for Ka'lei's hand.

"Four gold, two silver for the girl."

No no no no no. Please.

Every once in a while, a word would pop out of the jumbled mess in her head. Die! said one. Kill! said another. They were getting vicious, and Nitya had no clue what to do except for run. "Stop," she whimpered quietly. "Stop stop stop stop stop." After a few minutes of running through empty roads, the streets started to get busier. She couldn't hear any of the people in the street—the voices in her head were so loud they were overwhelming her actual hearing. At first she was glad she found a busier area, that meant she was somewhere safer. She stopped running and looked around.

Then she realized just where she was. And it was not safer.

"Shit," Nitya repeated for the second time that morning. But this time, she couldn't even hear herself say it. She could feel the eyes on her, just like earlier. But not it wasn't out of admiration, respect, or even jealousy. It was out of greed. Men were ogling her for her body, women were ogling her for her clothes. She would have turned around and run back the way she came, but she knew this part of town. People would follow her. So she started walking into the marketplace, trying desperately not to make eye contact with anyone.

"Sold! Bring the girl down for the gentleman."

Two burly men, slaves themselves, moved forward to take Ka'lei's arms and drag her from the block. She shrieked and swung at one, the chains on her wrists and ankles hampering the blow, but she managed to land a solid hit to his face. He grunted and stumbled back and her wings flared out, beating wildly at the air-

The other man lunged forward, wrapping his arms around her middle to pin her wings to her sides. "No! Let me go, let me go!"

They started to pull her away, to the waiting merchant who had just bought her. And Kai- who had never fought back in his life, always kept his head down, quiet, submissive, obedient Kai- threw himself forward with a roar that probably grabbed the attention of most of the marketplace.

"No!" he shouted, lunging after his sister. Someone, he didn't bother turning to see who, grabbed the chains binding him and he fell to his knees. Still he struggled toward her, eyes fixing desperately on her new master. "Please," he begged, straining against the chains, "Please, you have to take me too-"

"Shut up!" Someone struck the back of his head, hard, and he groaned, seeing stars. "He doesn't have to do anything. Know your place, slave." Another hit, this time making his vision tunnel and he swayed, trying to get his feet under him only to receive another blow.

"Kai!" Fuzzily, he registered Ka'lei shouting. "Let go of me you son of a bitch! Kai! KAI!"

A piercing scream shot through Nitya's head, breaking apart every other voice that had been shouting at her and almost causing her to fall. Then there was silence. And then, slowly, she started to hear the actual sounds of the marketplace. Whoever had screamed had silenced her head and vanquished her headache.

When a boy screamed, Nitya couldn't help but look up toward the voice. She immediately regret it. The yeller was far away, and she swore she hadn't even looked in his eyes, but her magic proved otherwise. His pleas for help, for his sister, for freedom were not ignorable. She could hear the sharpness of his pain and, in it, she heard her own past cries for freedom. Except his calls were more desperate and lonely than hers. He had someone he was fighting for, a reason to live. She never did. She still didn't.

Nitya pushed herself forward in the crowd, crying. She wanted to save the girl, to help her, to protect her sister. Why were they taking her sister? They had always been together, they deserved to be bought together.

The auctioneer started trying to sell for the boy. Nitya didn't hear any of it.

If only she could buy her sister back. Ka'lei wasn't crying out anymore, she realized. They must have done something to her, knocked her out or gagged her! If she could auction too, if she could just bid higher than the last man, she could have her sister back. What had he bid? Four gold, four silvers?

"Five gold!" shouted out Nitya, now at the front of the crowd.

Astonishment spread across the crowd. Then, after a brief moment of silence, the auctioneer shouted, "Five gold for the boy!" The magic broke at the word 'boy'. That girl—Ka'lei—wasn't her sister. And the girl wasn't being auctioned anymore anyway, the boy was. She had just bought a slave for no reason.

Even worse, she didn't have the money for it. Nitya knew how this worked. She couldn't just leave, they would send some men after her immediately. But she also couldn't pay, her purse had been stolen. Could she manage to connive them? What would she be able to offer to withdraw her bid? Her dress, surely, even her crown was worth more than enough. But people in this part of town liked hard gold, not something that they would hope they could trade off.

As the daunting realization set in that the only thing she might be able to sell was her body, Nitya took a step backward.

"Sold to the lady in purple!"

The man behind her gave her a nudge toward the stage. He wanted to see the next, less expensive option. As Nitya stumbled forward, the heard clinging to her side. Looking down at her right, she saw her purse. She had it the entire time.

Kai was dazed, bleeding from a blow to the side of his head that had split skin, and utterly defeated.

Ka'lei was gone. They'd taken her away, he hadn't been able to see where. He'd only caught a glimpse of a gag being shoved in her mouth, a hand coming down across her face as she was dragged after her new master, fighting all the time.

Fighting. His sister was the fighter, not him. Always had been. He didn't even realize what was happening until one of the auctioneer's slaves jerked at the chains connected to his wrists, pulling him forward off the block and toward his new owner.

He moved woodenly, like a puppet, eyes glassy and head bowed. He didn't even bother looking up to see who had bought him. What did it matter?

Just because he didn't fight the way Ka'lei did didn't mean he'd lost his sense of will, of who and what he was. Yes, he'd been submissive before, accepted his lot in life and tried to make the best of it, but that was his life.

Now he was just broken.

Nitya spent most her money on buying the slave. She didn't know how she had her purse and, at this point, she didn't care. She gazed down at the boy, bowing before her, and sighed. She hadn't wanted a slave. She didn't believe in slavery. Having been a slave herself, even owning a slave felt hypocritical. But what else could she do? She couldn't let a Yoreiqi free, he would be recaptured immediately. Whether she liked it or not, now she had to take care of him. If she was going to have a slave, she better have a damn good one.

"Get up," Nitya demanded. "We're going shopping." Then, quieter, she added, "We'll talk more once we get out of here. This isn't a good place to be. Keep your eyes open, please, make sure no one follows us." She turned around and started walking back to the original market. She knew where she was now, had no more headache, and finally felt in control of herself. And, apparently, in control of him. Nitya sighed again.

"As you wish, milady," Kai said, tone flat, face expressionless. He managed to do as she said though, following her out of the market and scanning the area around them for anyone suspicious.

He felt as though he was watching himself walk and talk from somewhere deep inside his mind rather than conscious controlling his actions. He could feel the heat on his skin and feathers, the sheer fabric of his veil against his face, hear the people around them- but none of it felt quite real.

Although that could be attributed to the multiple blows he'd taken to the head, he supposed.

As soon as they were out of public eyes, Nitya stopped walking and turned toward him. She took a deep breath, pictured herself closing the door to her brain, and looked at him in the eyes. That imagery was the only way she knew how to shut out voices, and it only worked when she had a specific person to block out. In this case, it was him.

"First off, I am not 'milady,' I am a trader. A slightly less-wealthy-than-before trader. Secondly, since you are not to call my milady, or miss, or ma'am, or any other term, you shall call me by my real name. Nitya. And, lastly, as I am surely not going to call you slave or servant or anything else of the like, I find myself resigned to ask for your name." She paused. "And get that blank look off your face. Others have been through far worse situations, I can promise you that. At least Ka'lei is still alive. And in Essyrn. If you're lucky, maybe you'll be able to see her again."

He looked up at her. That was a lot of words for his still shocked brain to take in, but he thought he managed most of it.

"Yes, mi- Mistress Nitya." Hopefully she could live with that compromise, because he honestly wasn't sure he could break the habit of deferring to the person who owned him. "My name is Kai."

He was tempted to get angry, to tell her that yes, many people dealt with far worse every day. He knew that. But just because other people were suffering didn't make one person's pain any less valid- his sister was his world, and she'd been taken from him.

Regardless of what she said, he knew it was unlikely- nigh on impossible- that he would ever see Ka'lei again. And gods only knew what they would do to her.

So he simply nodded and murmured, "Forgive me, Mistress Nitya. I will try to do better." He should have protected her. Why couldn't he protect her?

Mistress was worse than milady, now she sounded like an old lady. Or a slut. "Kai," Nitya repeated slowly. "Simple enough. And I take back what I said before. If you feel the need to use some title, please use Miss."

Nitya turned around and started walking again. "I suppose we had better get to rules. Rule number one: please don't kill me. Rule number two: please don't kill yourself. Rule number three: please don't kill anyone else." She chuckled, although she was quite serious. Desperate people do desperate things, and slaves are often the most desperate of all. "You understand and agree so far?"

He nodded woodenly, falling into step behind her again. "Yes, Miss Nitya." Even if he'd wanted to, he didn't think he could work up the energy to go after her or anyone else.

Killing himself had a certain appeal that it never had before, and he noted that thought with vague interest. But he dismissed the idea quickly- if there was an afterlife, Ka'lei would somehow find him in it and kick his ass for taking the coward's way out.

Nitya couldn't tell if he was honestly agreeing or not. She had a growing suspicion that he would just agree with anything she said. Well, that answered a question she was planning on asking later. He had been a slave for many, many years and worked for at least one abusive owner.

"Rule number four: I will not hit, whip, or hurt you. If I do, you can do the same to me. Deal? What's your age, anyhow?"

That managed to get a reaction from him, if only for a moment. A bit of light entered his eyes and he blinked at her, startled. "Yes, Miss Nitya," he said again, but more slowly this time, considering.

Then the light was gone and he dropped his gaze again. "I'm seventeen, Miss Nitya. I'll be eighteen in a few months." Or just about. He and Ka'lei didn't remember their actual birthday, so they'd picked the day they'd last seen their mother to mark the occasion.

Nitya raised an eyebrow and turned her head around. "Seventeen?" she repeated. Well, he certainly looked that age. She had just assumed he was younger... men his age tended to sell well. She turned her head back forward. "I'm nineteen." She owned a man less than two years younger than her. She didn't know why his age bothered her, but it did.

"Magic?" she asked slowly, assuming no more explanation would be needed.

Kai shook his head. "No, Miss Nitya." He didn't really feel like he needed to offer anymore information, but from that same closed-off corner of his mind her heard himself say, "My wings do work though. That is, I can fly, Miss Nitya."

Some people assumed they were merely an exotic, decorative pair of appendages, but his wings actually could lift him in flight if given the chance. Not that he got it often- oh, right, maybe he should mention that.

"I probably can't for another few weeks though, until I molt again," he said, deadpan. "Our last master clipped our wings."

Nitya scrunched her nose in disgust. She knew people clipped wings, but preferred to try and forget that fact. "Rule number five: no running away. Rule number six: no flying away. If you're alone in here, I can't promise your safety. I am sure you know this, but people like having Yoreiqi on display. Which brings me to rule number seven: stay with me at all times when we are in public. In marketplaces, stay especially close."

Apparently she had been practically running in circles before, for they had already reached the main marketplace where she wanted to go to in the first place. "Next questions—what do you like to wear, and what is your size? You'll have to keep the veil, of course, but otherwise I see no need for you to dress in those drab clothes." She lowered her head down as they entered the crowd. "I'll buy you as much as you want today, as long as you keep it under three silver total. But unless you want to wear the same thing every day, I would recommend buying multiple outfits."

He stopped and just stared at her. Was she being serious?

Surprise had him blurting, "I- I don't really have a preference about clothes." After a moment he added, "And I don't know my...size. Big, I guess." He was rather tall and broad after all. He started to open his mouth, brow furrowed, then stopped. No, he shouldn't ask, just keep his head down-

You know what? No. To hell with it. All of that had really only been to protect Ka'lei anyway, what was the point now?

"Why are you doing this, Miss Nitya?" he asked bluntly.

Nitya turned around, realizing he had stopped, and laughed. "Your size is big?" She laughed again. "I suppose it was a stupid question, there's no way you could have known your size. But look around you. You are not 'big'. You are rather average here."

She smiled at him, finally feeling like she had accomplished something. "I am doing this because you ruined my splurging spree, in which I planned to buy at least five dresses but instead ended up buying a slave. If nothing else, I better have a stylish slave, no? I had a little cash left over and expect good sales tomorrow." This explanation barely scratched the truth of the situation. Nitya mostly wanted to break him out of his lifeless act and help out a fellow slave. As someone who grew up with practically nothing, she knew how good shopping felt. And to actually own something of your own brought a sense of pride.

"But assuming you have no clue where anything around here is, you'll have to give me a little more than that. Do you have a favorite color, at least? Otherwise, we can just go into the Fiddler's Fancy. They have some decent clothes there, it would give us somewhere to start."

"I...like green," he said automatically, still trying to work through everything she'd just said. Wait a second.

Indignation and a rather disproportionate rage suddenly bubbled up in his chest. "I ruined your shopping spree?" he said, voice soft but somehow very, very dangerous. "Forgive me, Miss Nitya, I had no idea. I am merely your lowly slave, I know my life could not possibly be worth five dresses."

Perhaps he was being unfair- she really hadn't done anything to him to warrant such anger, at least not yet- but he was alone, he was scared, he was hurting, and for the first time in his life he didn't have his sister beside him making cutting remarks and forcing him to play protective and stoic big brother.

He snapped. "You want a stylish slave? You want a mule to carry your shopping? You want a toy to whore around with? Fine. I don't care. But stop- stop acting like you give a damn! Just leave me alone!"

He didn't realize he was shouting until his voice suddenly cracked, throat sore.

Nitya had to admit that she was surprised at Kai's outbreak. She welcomed it, for anger was a good step toward healing. He had every right to be angry, and so far had seemed to be keeping it under wraps. But given how obediently he had been acting thus far, she thought it would be much longer before he'd speak up for himself.

Her words echoed his own in quietness and fierceness as she replied, "I want a slave that will not be looked down upon, scorned, or made fun of by everyone. I want that for myself, yes, because I am selfish and wish to keep my reputation high." Nitya's voice cracked as she continued, "But I also want that for you, because no one deserves to live that kind of life. Whether you want to be or not, you're stuck with me right now. If I leave you alone, you'll just be snatched up again—either by some bastards looking to make a profit out of slavery or by your own self." She took a deep breath and started walking again. She knew he would follow, he had to.

"You don't have to believe that I care, but you're getting clothes either way. And, just for the record, you're carrying your own shopping. I have nothing more I want to buy today." Nitya entered the Fiddler's Fancy, took a deep breath, and put on a big smile. "Hello Yirvick!"

That one outburst seemed to have really taken all he had left. Simply nodding tiredly, Kai followed her into the store.

He refrained from a "Forgive me, Miss Nitya," however, which was unlike him.

He supposed what she said made sense, if he gave it some thought. Warily, he decided to accept her given motives, at least until she proved otherwise. Silent, Kai moved to stand obediently at her elbow and waited to be given further instruction.

After a brief conversation with the store owner, Nitya turned to Kai and said, "Look around. See if there is anything you like. Yirvick here has agreed to alter any clothes you buy to fit for your wings. I'd do it myself, but he is much more qualified." She had helped Yirvick out a number of times by promoting his store to her clients, so he offered her discounts and favors in return. It was a relationship they both used to their advantage. Nitya considered him to be one of the best underrated sewers in the town, though his reputation was quickly growing thanks to her.

She looked through the dresses as Kai shopped. Nitya had a feeling he wouldn't appreciate him looking over his shoulder.

Kai hadn't been lying when he said he had no preference about clothing. He wandered aimlessly and picked out a few pieces that looked like they would fit, but he wasn't really paying attention honestly, he was more concerned about shoes- he couldn't deny it would be nice to not walk barefoot all over the city.

"Here, Miss Nitya," he murmured, returning to her with a small armful.

Nitya eyed the pile of clothes he had. It looked as if he had picked things up fairly randomly, but nothing stood out as being hideous. "Yirvick!" she called. "How much will this cost?" She gave him the money and he took the clothes to sew. "We'll be back shortly. I have a little more shopping to do—do you think you can get the sewing done within a half an hour? Thank you!"

She turned to Kai and asked, "What else do you want? There are two places I need to stop by before we leave, but you take priority right now."

He wanted his sister back. "Nothing, Miss Nitya," he said, looking down. "I will follow where you lead." He didn't relish the idea of treking all over the markets, but it wasn't really like he had much of a chioce in the matter.

Nitya was about to move on, to get her shopping done, but then she paused. "Look at me in my eyes and say that," she demanded. "Where were we? Rule number eight? I think so—rule number eight: no lying to me. What do you want?" That was what her power was for finding out, so she may as well use it.

Kai started. Forcing himself to meet her eyes, he said again, "Nothing-"

He stopped. A quiet breath, then he said in a softer tone, "Nothing you can give me, Miss Nitya. That is the truth." He dropped his eyes again and shifted uncomfortably, unused to meeting the gaze of a person who owned him.

She could hear it. He wanted his sister. Of course. Nitya sighed, she couldn't promise him that. But she would do what she could at the present moment. "Let's go," she said after a pause, lowering her head.

They went around the market for a short while before stopping at another store. An apothecary stood inside, surrounded by various plant based medicines. "Nitya?" the old lady asked in surprise. "I didn't know you were back in town!" She looked disapprovingly at the slave.

"Hello Jamie," Nitya replied with a smile, closing her mental door and looking at Jamie in the eyes. "I returned a few weeks ago. Haven't had a need to come in... until today. I had a terrible headache this morning, worse than my normal ones. Do you have anything extra potent? Ah, and this is Kai." She hesitated, then added, "Don't give me that look. I know you don't approve of the slave industry, and you know I don't either. There was a... situation of sorts, I somehow ended up with him. Do you have anything to help him?"

Jamie looked the boy over. "What do you need help with, young boy?"

Kai followed after her easily, keeping his head down as they walked. He glanced up just in time to catch the apothecary's disapproving look when they entered her shop before lowering his eyes again quickly, not sure what he'd done to offend her.

Then the two women started talking. Oh. She didn't like slavery. He supposed that normally would have made him relax a bit, but he was still feeling vague and distant.

It took him a moment to realize that she'd asked him a question. "Need help with...?" He looked from Nitya to this Jamie woman, puzzled. "Nothing, Mistress," he said quietly, nodding respectfully and dropping his eyes again."Though I thank you for your generosity-" He almost added an automatic to a slave then stopped himself. She probably wouldn't appreciate that. Neither of them would.

Nitya shook her head in frustration at Kai, "Now that is a lie, though by your face I doubt you realized it." She looked at Jamie. "He had his wings clipped. Anything to help with that? I would also like some sore cream, just to be safe." She had the feeling that he had likely been whipped and beat as well.

Jamie nodded and drifted off to grab some remedies. She went from shelf to shelf, picking up things here and there. Then she returned and gave Nitya a powder. "For your headaches, use it the same way you use your normal stuff. But be careful, this has the same risks. It numbs your pain, but it will numb your thinking too." Nitya raised an eyebrow. Jamie knew that was exactly what she wanted. "I am serious, Nitya. Too much of this is bad for you. And if you use too much and once, it will knock you out. This is not to be taken lightly... I wouldn't normally give it for something like a headache, but..." She trailed off.

Jamie sighed and handed Kai two different creams. "The pink one should help with your wings. I get cases like yours every once in a while, so I try and keep a low stock of this at all times. You're lucky though, this is my last one. It will be a while before I can make it again, so use it in small quantities. Once a day, when you wake up. The white one I have all the time, and I would recommend applying it generously to any sores." Her eyes glanced down. "I do not know if it will help your feet though, since sores will just keep forming."

Nitya looked at Kai's feet. Shoes. He didn't have shoes. How could she have not noticed such a thing? "I'll buy him shoes, Jamie," she said with a sigh. "And... can I have a meeting with you sometime?"

"A meeting? You have not asked for one of those in a while... Is it the headache?"

"No, something different. Probably not related, though I can't say for sure. How much is this?"

Jamie smiled. "Just take it all, my dear Nitya. A reward for your friendship." Nitya bowed to the old woman and left the store with Kai. Next they were headed to a small stall for shoes, and then another, larger stall for jewelry.

His wings? She could help with that?

Kai watched the two women interact, feeling dazed and more than a little lost. He took the creams she offered with a nod a murmured, "Thank you, Mistress."

He glanced up at Nitya when she said she'd buy him shoes. She'd already got him new clothes, he honestly hadn't expected anything else.

Well, he hadn't really expected anything from her but more orders and maybe pain. This woman was confusing. He trailed after her with a confused sort of frown as they made their way back through the market.

This time, Nitya picked out the shoes for Kai. She grabbed a nice leather pair that should last long, even when traveling. They head to the jewelry stall and she turned to him, keeping her eyes lowered, and asked, "Do you want to buy something for your sister?" She paused, unsure whether she was being insensitive or kind. "I cannot promise you will see her again. But if you do, you will have something to give her. If you don't, well, hopefully something physical to hold will help you cope."

He froze, heart clenching painfully. "I- something for..." His eyes flicked over the offered wares. Plenty of pretty baubles and other pieces of sparkle and shine.

A small, sad smile turned up the corners of his lips. "Ka'lei...she isn't much for jewelry." He looked up at her and said with real gratitude, "Thank you for offering, though. Miss Nitya."

"Not for jewelry?" Nitya repeated in astonishment. "What does she like then? I am sure we can find something. Buying clothes would be impractical, but maybe a little sculpture? There is a stall owned by a woodworker nearby, he carves all sorts of little animals."

Kai started to shake his head. "No, she doesn't really keep trinkets- we can't..." But- well, actually, now that she brought up animal carvings...

"Maybe." He shifted a bit, then bit the inside of his cheek as he looked at her face for a moment. "Perhaps...it wouldn't hurt to look, Miss Nitya?"

Nitya sported a huge smile. "No, Kai, I daresay it wouldn't hurt at all!" And thus she took off to the next destination, which wasn't too far away. The stall was covered in tiny animals, none more than a few inches big in any direction. There were crocodiles and peacocks and dragons and all sorts of animals. The owner was a crooked looking man with a slanted nose and thin lips.

He leaned over to Nitya and said, "These sculptures here are all handcrafted by me! I work my old hands to make every single one of these, no assistants or anything. And—now here what is truly special, beautiful lady—I enchant every single when I make them so that they cannot be broken! Not burned, not cut, nothing! So as long as you don't lose it, you shall have it forever!" He laughed, and Nitya rolled her eyes.

"I know all of this, Bagni. You tell me every time I walk by."

"The young lady knows me? What an honor! Oh, I knew I hadn't lost my charm in age."

Nitya glanced toward Kai and stated, "He may be a fool, but his skill cannot be denied. He isn't lying about the enchantment either. Do you see anything you like?"

He did. Nodding slowly, Kai moved forward and let two fingers brush over the back of a small horse figurine, carved sot he animal looked as though it was racing into a headwind, mane and tail blown back like a banner.

His sister loved horses. They didn't get the chance to be around the animals much, but she always seemed to light up when they did. Horses and dogs. He smiled a bit, eyes going soft.

Then he snapped away, putting his back to the stall and shaking his head. "It's lovely, Master," he murmured to the vendor. "But I can't." It would almost be worse, to have such a thing, a physical representation of the desperate hope to see Ka'lei again, and then have it never be fulfilled.

"You can't, but I can," Nitya declared, handing Bagni the money for the horse. "If you don't want it, then you don't have to accept it. But it is bought, and therefore it shall be kept. Whether it is in my hands or your hands is up to you." She picked up the horse and started walking back to the Fiddler's Fancy.

"Have a nice day, lovely Miss!" called out Bagni. She lifted her hand to say goodbye.

Nitya looked up at the sun and said, "We'll pick up the clothes now, and then head back to the inn to drop off everything. I want to talk to you more then, alright? And don't forget rule number eight."

He almost opened his mouth to protest the purchase, then thought better of it, simply accepting her words with a nod and a "Yes, Miss Nitya."

He followed her back to the clothing shop. His back stiffened a bit at the mention of talking more and he bit back a groan. Ducking his head to hide his expression, he murmured, "As you wish, Miss Nitya."

Nitya left the rest of the trip rest in silence. They picked up the clothes and walked back to her inn. She was surprised he hadn't asked why she didn't live in a house—after all, people didn't normally buy slaves when they don't even have a place to call home. But he stayed quiet, so she did too. They walked into her room and Nitya set the horse and powder on her desk.

"Clothes go in the wardrobe, you can put the creams on the desk if you would like." Nitya plopped down, sitting on the side of her bed. "Grab the chair, unless you want to sit next to me." She assumed he didn't.

Kai did as she said, taking his time to place the clothes in the wardrobe and the apothecary's creams on the desk, procrastinating this apparently inevitable talk of hers for as long as he could.

Finally, when he couldn't think of anything else to do, he sat warily on the edge of the chair, shoulders hunching and eyes flicking up to her face for only a moment before he dropped them to the floor.

Waiting.

"So," Nitya started, breaking the silence. It was obvious he did not want to talk, but a part of her actually felt amused by the situation. It wasn't a very amusing thing, she knew, for he was probably afraid of one thing or another. But she had never perceived herself as a scary woman. And, hopefully by the end of this, he would realize she wasn't scary at all. "Your name is Kai, you are seventeen but almost eighteen, and you like the color green. Clearly you are Yoreiqi, at least mostly, and I know you have a sister Ka'lei. You have no magic, which is likely to your advantage, and your last master was a bastard. This is what I know about you so far. Tell me more?" She asked with genuine curiosity, determined to learn just who she had bought.

He looked up at her, still not quite meeting her eyes but at least not looking at the floor. "Half," he said after a moment. "I'm half Yoreiqi. Our mother was from the mainland." He fell silent again, then offered slowly, "Our last master...wasn't the worst. Wasn't even too bad, all things considered. He clipped our wings so we couldn't run away, but..." He shrugged. It was hardly the first time that had happened.

"The one before him. She was worse. Had a temper and liked to hit. Two before her almost sold us to the fighting pits." Another shrug, and this time he managed to meet her eyes for longer than a few seconds. "What else do you want to know?"

Nitya opened her mouth and then closed it. She was just about to tell him that he wasn't defined by his masters, or his slave life, but she knew that wasn't completely true. She was just a shell before she found hope. She had spirit, yes, but nothing to live for. She just lived because she loved life.

"Four masters, at least. And you and your sister had remained together this whole time? What were you doing to get yourself sold over and over again?" Nitya pursued. Then she paused. "Rule number nine: you do not have to answer any questions you do not want to. But at least tell me, so I know when I am pushing your boundaries."

He smirked at that. "Thirteen masters, Miss Nitya," he corrected. "Fifteen in twelve years."

The question did make him stiffen, but he tried to force himself to relax and let out a sharp breath. "We didn't do anything," he muttered. A beat of silence, another huff. "I didn't do anything." He looked down.

"I'm a good slave, Miss Nitya. I don't fight, I don't complain, I'm strong and I work hard. I do what I'm told." Kai's lips twitched up a bit on one side. "Ka'lei is the fighter. I don't know how I managed to stay with her every time they got sick of her attitude, but I did. Guess our luck just ran out."

Nitya couldn't help it. She laughed. "Fifteen in twelve years?! I swear, you sister must have quite the attitude. It is a miracle you two stayed together for this long, I hope you are thankful for that." Her face grew a little solemn. "I am sure it is hard to be thankful for much, now, but appreciating what you have been able to have is better than moping all the time."

"How old is your sister? I get the feeling that she is younger than you, yes? But if you were just five when they took you... she must have been even younger. I can't decide whether it was spirit or stupidity that kept her fighting. Maybe both. I assume you have stayed docile to protect her though, correct?"

Kai shut down, sitting back in the chair and looking away from her. "Ka'lei is younger," he said tonelessly. "By about eight minutes. She's seventeen. We're twins."

Spirit and stupidity. Normally that would have made him laugh- it was almost verbatim what he frequently told the girl.

Nitya saw him close himself off again. She didn't know what to do, but she quietly responded, "I had eight siblings, all older. All girls." Why did she tell him that? She didn't like talking about her past. Especially that part of it.

Trying to mask her own pain with fake cheerfulness, she added, "I never had a twin though. Seems interesting. So... what skills do you have? I assume you've cleaned, every slave has, but what about cooking? Styling hair? Can you read or write?"

Eight siblings? He glanced at her, a little surprised she'd shared that. "Interesting," he repeated slowly. Well, he supposed it was that.

With a shrug, he gave her a slightly bitter smile and replied, "I'm a grunt, Miss Natya. I do hard labor, mostly, but yes, I can cook and clean a little. I can read, but not much, and my writing isn't usually legible." Yet another shrug.

Nitya's eyes widened. She was so surprised she almost looked at him in his eyes, but caught herself in time to lower her gaze. "You are actually able to read? Amazing." Who had taught him? A master seemed unlikely, though not impossible. It was more likely he learned from a fellow slave. Probably a foreigner who turned into a slave later on in their life.

"Have you ever traveled beyond Essyrn?"

He nodded. "A long time ago. Before we were slaves. I haven't left the city since we were brought here though." He didn't really remember much of his time before Essyrn- he remembered his mother, a little, and he remembered her starting to teach them her craft, and bits of the alphabet. But they'd been so young when the caravan was raided, it was all almost more like a dream than real memory.

Nitya looked at Kai with a frown. Traveling was one of the best things to do. She knew many slaves didn't get that opportunity, especially ones that had not proven their loyalty, but it still saddened her. "I am a traveler," she explained. "A traveling trader. I am planning on staying in Essyrn for a short while longer, however, I have not finished selling all of my things. There is no better place than here to trade, you know. Essyrn is the trading heart of the country! What a wonderful thing..." Despite her dislike of many aspects of the country, she still admired her birthplace.

"Is there anything else you would like to tell me?" asked Nitya. "Or do you have any questions for me? I suppose I'd answer just about anything, within reason, of course."

[OOC: Er...he was thinking the reading thing. Not sure how she figured that out lol]

"I have nothing else to say, Miss Nitya," Kai said evenly, shaking his head. "Nor any questions." He didn't need to know anything about her, only what she wanted from him.

"If that is all, what will my first task be, Miss Nitya?" he asked, flicking his eyes to her face and sitting up a bit straighter.

[OOC: OH i thought the comment about "a long time ago" was referring to her astonishment at him learning to read. my bad. i'll edit that post in a sec.]

"Your first task?" repeated Nitya. "Hmm... well, first, I expect you to put on the creams that Jamie gave you. Then, I expect you to change into some of your new clothes. How does that sound?" Nitya leaned over, took off her shoes, and then laid down on her bed. She was tired of sitting. Though, as she stared at the ceiling, she realized something. "I suppose I will need to get a new room. We will have to share, seeing as I cannot get you a room of your own. I hope that is alright."

"Whatever you wish, Miss Nitya," Kai said obediently. He looked at the creams with a bit of confusion though, standing and picking one up almost hesitantly.

"Ah- forgive my ignorance, Miss. Does this...go on my wings?" he asked eventually, looking at her. He hadn't quite understood the apothecary's instructions, but hadn't really wanted to ask questions.

Nitya didn't look over toward Kai, but instead spoke to the ceiling. "The pink on goes on your wings. Wherever they hurt, wherever they were clipped. The other one goes on any other sores—if you have any." Nitya scrunched her eyebrows and then sat up with a sigh. "Can you put it on your wings? Or is it too hard to reach?"

"No!" He flinched away from her, then took a breath and said more calmly, "No, I can manage. Thank you, Miss Nitya." He curved one wing around so he could see the shorn edges of his primaries and hesitantly dipped a finger into the pink concoction, dabbing it on the cut feathers.

"It might sting," warned Nitya, a little late. She laid back down and, after about a minute, said, "Do you know what is odd? I have grown accustomed to silence, I have lived many years in it. And yet this feels so damn uncomfortable. I am not much of a talker though, and I swear I will rant forever if you do not say anything. Do you know any stories?"

Kai gave her an odd look. The sting of the ointment was minimal, and he finished up with his wings quickly and replaced the small jar.

"I do not, Miss Niya," he said slowly, tilting his head at her. "Forgive me." A long moment of silence, then he sighed and murmured, "You should have bought my sister instead of me. She certainly wouldn't have been quiet."

Nitya closed her eyes. "I tried," she said slowly. "It... it's complicated. I was... in a different place, of sorts, when I bid, I thought I was bidding for her." She sighed. "Never mind, I must sound crazy. Just ignore that. But... I shouldn't say this, but I will. I'm glad I bought you and not your sister. And not because your sister is disobedient and I want a loyal slave or whatever you're probably thinking,  but because, from my point of view, you needed an escape more. Your sister hasn't given up on life. She might act foolish and seem like she has, but from what you have told me, she is far from surrendering. When I found you, it seemed as though you had given up on life. Your sister was your lifeline, but otherwise did you have a reason to live? You were a compliant slave, a smart slave, but a dead one. When you have given up on your own life, it doesn't matter if someone else kills you."

He stared at her. That was...more perceptive than he was comfortable with.

"So why bother with me?" he asked quietly. "Why do you care if one more slave gives up? Dies?"

Nitya opened her eyes and looked over at the wall, away from Kai. "Remember how I said you can tell me when I ask something you don't want to answer? Well, I'm holding the reverse true, too. I may tell you another day, when I know you better. But some things... some things I don't tend to share."

Kai shrugged, looking away in turn. "Fair enough," he murmured. Letting out a breath and running his hands through his hair, he asked quietly, "Is there anything else I can do for you, Miss Nitya?"

Remembering she'd told him to change clothes, he moved to the wardrobe to fish out his new garments, starting to strip out of the ratty vest and pants, uncaring if she was watching.

Nitya continued to stare at the wall, until eventually stating, "We're going out to lunch. What do you like to eat?" Then she sat up and put her shoes back on. Kai had just finished changing, so she grabbed her purse and headed toward the door.

A little startled by her sudden movements, Kai nevertheless fell into step behind her. "I'm not picky, Miss Nitya," he said evenly. After a moment, he added in a quieter voice, "Something...cool would be nice though." Essyrn had always been too hot for him, even having lived most of his life there.

"Something cool?" Nitya repeated as they went outside. "There's a cafe just down the street. Let's go there. They have some salads and I think a cold soup or two, though I can't say I'm positive. But they definitely have some lemonade!" She loved lemonade. "And iced tea, I think." Nitya walked down to the cafe, Pig's Brother, and sat at a table inside.

"Can you fight?" Nitya asked out of the blue while waiting for a waiter to come.

Kai hovered by the table, not quite willing to take a seat unless he was told to do so. He didn't really think Nitya would punish him for it if he did, at this point, but old habits were hard to break.

"Fight?" He blinked and looked at her, stomach dropping. Was she going to put him in the pits after all? Slowly, he nodded and made a rather noncommittal noise. "If I have to, Miss Nitya, yes."

"But you've never been trained?" she asked immediately. "Would you like to learn, or is fighting unappealing to you?" Nitya knew basics of fist fighting and swordsmanship, she had to as a traveler who preferred not to hire bodyguards when possible. But having someone else who could fight with her... it would be nice.

He swallowed, hard. "I- I've never been trained, no, Miss," he said, some real emotion finally creeping into his voice: fear. "Please, Miss Nitya," he said quietly, bowing his head, "I know I said I'm strong, but...I can't be a gladiator. I'm not a fighter, really."

It struck him then how lucky he and Ka'lei had really been, that her attitude had never gotten them thrown into the fighting pits. Was today going to be the day everything changed?

Nitya sighed and shook her head. She wished she could look into his eyes, and reassure him that that was not her plan for him, but it was too risky. "Sit down," she said. Just as she was about to continue, the waiter walked up.

"I'll have a lemonade, extra sweet please." Nitya told the young waiter. It wasn't custom for slaves to order their own food and drink, so she added, "Make that two, actually." She hoped he liked sugar.

The water left and Nitya looked down across the table. "I would never make you a gladiator. Anyone can tell, just by looking at you, that you wouldn't last one match. But even besides that, it is a cruel fate to be trapped within the colosseum. The fact that some people choose such a thing has always perplexed me. But, unfortunately, life is just a bigger, more complex colosseum. You must fight for your life daily, in one way or another, and can never fully trust anyone. Every skill you have can help you and, the sad reality is, being able to fight is one of the best skills out there. Remember what I told you? I am a traveler. I have encountered bandits, thugs, and general ruffians. If you are to travel with me, and, in your future, when you are to travel without me, you should learn how to fight."

Kai couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief at her assurance that she wouldn't be putting him in the Colosseum. "Thank you, Miss Nitya," he said quietly.

Glancing up at her, he listened to what she said and slowly nodded. She had a point. "I...think I understand, Miss. If you want me to learn to better defend myself, I will do my best."

A moment of silence, then he really couldn't help himself from asking: "What's lemonade?"

"A drink," Nitya replied simply. "It's normally sour, which I think tastes bad, so I add in a lot of sugar to make it sweet." The waiter returned with their two lemonades and Nitya asked for more time to order. "Try it, if you don't like it I will get you something else."

Warily, Kai lifted the glass and sniffed it, still hovering next tot he table. He hesitated, then sipped at it.

Blue eyes widened and he blinked, a little shiver running through his feathers the way it always did when he was startled, usually pleasantly. "It's good," he noted, looking at her. "It doesn't really taste like lemons at all." Which was what he'd expected, given what it was called.

Nitya laughed at how nervous Kai seemed to be before trying the lemonade. But he liked it, which she was glad of. She made lemonade whenever she could while traveling. "It tastes like lemons if you don't add much sugar," Nitya responded while wrinkling her nose. "But I have no clue who would want that."

She took a sip of her own lemonade, and smiled pleasantly. Sometimes they didn't add as much sugar as she liked, but they did this time. "So, what would you like to eat? A salad? A sandwich? Some soup?"

He blinked, taken aback every time she offered him something even though it was really becoming a common occurrence. He was used to bread and water, maybe tough old meat if he was lucky. He wasn't even sure when the last time he'd had a proper meal was.

"Um...I'm not sure," he mumbled after a moment. He didn't even remember what he liked- gods, that was sad. Ka'lei probably would have given him hell for that.

The thought sent a pang through him and he glanced away. "Just- whatever you have, I'll have the same thing, Miss Nitya. Thank you for your generosity."

Nitya ordered two chilled cucumber soups with bread on the side. Kai's constant thanking of her reminded her of when she had first become free and was truly treated well. She hadn't felt entitled to any love, respect, or kindness. Things that most people would consider normal had felt like blessings to her.

"Tell me, Kai, how would you describe yourself?" asked Nitya after a short while.

"Describe myself?" He tilted his head at her, frowning in confusion. "I've...already told you, Miss Nitya. I'm a good slave. I'm strong. I'm...quiet." Submissive was actually the word that came to mind, but even he didn't love admitting that out loud.

He shrugged, not quite sure what else she wanted him to say. Ka'lei probably would have had a few choice words for her, but he honestly couldn't come up with any better descriptions of himself. "Why?" he asked, brow furrowing at her, then added a belated, "Miss Nitya."

Nitya clicked her tongue and leaned over the table, closer to Kai. Quietly, so no one else and the cafe would hear, she said, "You see—that's the issue. You're defining yourself as a slave. You might be a slave, but is that who you are? I define myself as a traveling trader, but only because that is what I chose for myself. And I don't believe being a trader is all there is to me, either. I am a trader because of who I am and what I can do. But you are not a slave because of that. You are a slave because of unfortunate situations at unfortunate times."

She paused, leaned back, and took a sip of her lemonade. "That's why I asked. Don't you ever question who you really are?"

He considered her question for a long moment.

"No," he said eventually, shrugging. "This is...all I've been, Miss Nitya. At least that I can remember. It's all I'll ever be. What's the point in thinking deeper into it?" It just made it chafe more, the consideration of possibilities that couldn't be.

Nitya shook her head. "No, I reckon you are quite wrong. I have known you for a matter of hours, and can explain you in a more complex way than you have yourself. If nothing else, I had at least expected you to say you are a loving and caring brother who does all he can to protect his sister." She got quieter again, not wanting anyone to hear the somewhat controversial things she was saying. "And you ask why you should think deeper into it? That is easy—what if you are free someday? If all you know yourself as is a slave, how are you going to live?"

Kai just stared at her. "I mean no offense, Miss Nitya," he said slowly, quietly, "but why would I tell you what I truly thought of myself beyond being a slave? Of course I love my sister." In fact aside from a lifetime of slavery that bond was practically the only thing that defined him. "Why should I entertain a hope that is impossible? It only makes it hurt more."

Even that was saying too much, in his opinion- it was the same reason he hadn't wanted to buy the horse figurine. Hope only hurt, in his experience. He wasn't strong enough for hope.

Nitya paused, thinking over Kai's words. "Let me ask a different question, then. Based on your short time of knowing me, tell me who you think I am. And you can say whatever you want, however offensive, as long as you keep it quiet." She smiled. "I think I have made enough assumptions about you for you to feel comfortable telling me your assumptions about me, no? I won't punish you, you know that."

He hesitated. Sure she said she wouldn't punish him, but...well, then again, nothing she'd done up to this point made him think she'd be lying about that.

"I think you are- maybe- goodhearted," he said after a moment, voice quiet. "I think you really do mean well. I think that you think you understand my life better than you really do. I think-" he hesitated again, then rushed on, "I think you have too much sympathy for slaves to not have some experience with slavery yourself. Maybe a friend was taken, or perhaps one of your parents was one, I don't know."

He met her eyes for a long moment. "I think you are somehow both older and younger than your years." Though he really didn't know how old she was. "And I think you are trying to "save" me, but I don't know if you can." His eyes dropped and his cheeks heated. "Forgive me for being forward, Miss Nitya," he murmured.

Nitya laughed, much louder than she meant to. "Good," she said, still chuckling. "Stay outspoken. I certainly will, and you have every right to as well. You don't need to apologize though, apologies do little for me. If I was mad at you, I doubt a "forgive me" or a "sorry" would fix much. So speak, and speak bravely. Ah, around me, that is. I don't think either of us are foolish enough to say that a slave could be outspoken to most people in Essyrn, or any other slave nation."

The food came and Nitya continued talking. "I would agree with all you said—including the maybe you used in the beginning. I do mean well, though I am horribly selfish at the same time. I would say I think I understand you life better than I do, but the most I can do thus far to understand you is make assumptions. And I do have some experience with slavery myself, though we shall leave it at that." She paused. "My parents were not slaves though, I will say that. And although I cannot say I am 'both older and younger than my years' as you claim, you are not the first one to say that to me."

Nitya tried some of her soup—surprisingly good, she decided, given that she had never thought cucumbers had must taste. She thought a little more about the last thing he had said, that she was trying to save him. Was that true? Her original goal, thanks to how vividly he felt, was to save his sister. "I take back what I said earlier," Nitya stated slowly. "I don't agree with everything you said. I don't think I am trying to save you, as you claim. If anything, I am trying to take responsibility." And, she was starting to realize, maybe she was trying to save herself.

Kai hesitated for several long moments before finally sitting and, taking his cue from his new mistress, taking a few bites of the food as well.

"Responsibility?" he repeated, giving her a curious look. "For what? Miss Nitya."

"I bought you, didn't I?" asked Nitya. "You already heard my opinions on slavery. Do you honestly think it's my goal to use you or anything of the sort? But at this point, I can't just let you go. In Essyrn, in particular, you could pretty easily get brought back to the slave market. And gaining freedom elsewhere is pointless if you don't have a goal. Anyway, having an assistant for a little while doesn't seem too detrimental."

Though used to eating with a veil, Kai was nevertheless a little distracted with the task and it took him a moment to really register what she said. Frowning, he tilted his head and asked, genuinely curious, "I still don't understand that- if you dislike slavery so much, why buy a slave?" He took another bite, then added rather wryly, "And I'm not sure what good I'll be as an assistant, Miss Nitya. I can barely read- surely a trader's assistant should do bookkeeping and such?"

Nitya did not want to explain how she came about buying him. Either she would have to tell the truth, or at least most the truth, which would be followed by a very long and confusing explanation, or she would have to lie, which she was not in the mood to do. "I was in a peculiar situation," she finally replied. "And I do not need a reader. Rather, I just need someone to help me carry things around, set up my stall, talk to customers, deal with money—ah, when the customer would allow you to—, take down my stall, and possibly, when we are elsewhere, help me buy things to trade later on. I told you before that everyone needs multiple skills to survive, and that fighting was one of the most important. For me, trading is another. I doubt it would hurt for you to learn a little bit about it."

That...seemed like it took an awful lot skills he didn't have. Mainly talking to people. But he just nodded obediently and said, "As you wish, Miss Nitya." He'd do his best, like always, and hopefully that would be good enough for her.

After a moment, he ventured, "If I may ask- how much longer do you plan to stay in Essyrn, Miss Nitya?"

"A number of weeks, probably," Nitya responded. "Depends on how well things sell, and how long it takes me to find things to sell out of Essyrn. And the weather, of course. Do you like the soup?"

Nitya tried to figure out why he had asked that. Was he planning on looking for his sister? Did he want to stay? Or did he want to get out of the country, and out of slavery? Or perhaps he was just curious.

"Oh- um, yes, it's quite good. Thank you, Miss Nitya." He took another bite of the soup, not really hungry but eating because he knew he should accept food when it was offered.

A few weeks. That wasn't a lot of time, really. While he couldn't deny there was the beginning of a glimmer of excitement in him at the idea of leaving Essyrn, he didn't want to leave Ka'lei. Even if they weren't together, knowing they were at least in the same city offered a cold kind of comfort.

"I'm glad you like it, though I suppose I do not know if you're actually telling the truth," Nitya responded. "Is there any thing you would like to do after this? I have no idea what is going on in town, but I would assume there has to be some shows and music or other things." She normally spent most of her free mornings wandering around town, buying things or looking for potential costumers, and then spent her evenings in her room, reading about one thing or another. She wasn't used to having to entertain someone other than herself.

Kai shook his head. "No, Miss Nitya. I will accompany you wherever you wish, but I have no requests," he said with a shrug.

A small smiled flashed behind his veil for a moment and he added quietly, "I really do like the soup, Miss. I remember rule number eight: no lying."

Nitya drank the rest of her lemonade then, with a big smile, responded, "Ah yes, rule number eight. Well then, let me ask you this—if you did not like the soup, would you still have been eating it?" She had a feeling the answer would be no. "Or would you have told me without me asking?"

"I would have eaten it," Kai replied with a shrug. "Food is food, doesn't matter if I like how it tastes or not." A moment to think, then he added, "And no, I probably wouldn't have told you either way if you hadn't asked, Miss Nitya."

He gave a brief, slightly bitter smile. "A slave is not meant to have opinions."

"A slave of mine can have all the opinions they want," Nitya replied sharply. "And a slave will always have opinions, they are just taught to hide them. If you don't like how food tastes, I would much rather have you tell me. I will simply get you new food."

"Really, this is fine," Kai said quietly. "Honestly I'm just happy to have food at all."

He flushed a bit at sharing that- he hadn't actually meant to say that out loud- and ducked his head. Clearing his throat, he mumbled, "Where do you plan to go next, Miss Nitya?"

Nitya gazed at Kai. She knew, of course, that he had been more abused as a slave than she had been. She was bought to be a pretty trophy, so they didn't beat her and always fed her. Of course, that was in part because she, just like him, always behaved. But the fact that he felt grateful for food was more than she was expecting.

"I'm not sure, not yet," Nitya replied gently. "But maybe it is time to make the long trek back to Yoreiq."

"Back to Yoreiq?" He glanced up, surprised. "You've been there before, Miss Nitya?" Well, he supposed it made sense. Most traders worth their salt had been just about everywhere.

"Just once," Nitya explained. "When I first... left Essyrn, I had no idea where I was going. I just got on the first caravan that would take me, and that one happened to go toward the boats for Yoreiq. I found my way onto a boat and saw a couple of the islands. They were beautiful, and the people were the some of the kindest I have ever met." Her eyes sparkled as she continued, "I've been meaning to return for a number of years now. I would say that they were the people who saved me. And now, well, it seems like a good time to go back, no?"

Again, that tiny spark of excitement seemed to collide with the sinking of his heart. He nodded and forced a quick smile. "Of course, Miss Nitya. As you wish."

He couldn't deny he'd always been curious about his father's country, but... Yoreiq was so far. If he had any chance of seeing Ka'lei again, now it was only a fraction of what it might have been staying in Essyrn.

"I'm not saying that we're staying there forever. Essyrn is the base of my operations, I always return here. But I've visited almost every major city. If there is somewhere you want to go, and you stay with me, we'll likely go there sooner or later." Nitya finished the rest of her soup. "Do you still want more cold food? We could get some ice cream, if you'd like."

"I couldn't ask for more than you've given me," Kai murmured, ducking his head. The idea was appealing though, he had to admit.

"You can always ask for more, I won't give it if I don't want to—or can't," Nitya responded. "And after today, we'll be working. So if you want anything, now is the best time to ask for it.

The waiter came back around and Nitya paid for the food. "Are you done eating?"

Kai nodded. "Yes. Thank you, Miss Nitya." He stood and automatically moved around the table to stand behind her and pull out her chair.

Nitya let Kai pull out her chair, seeing no harm in such a small thing. "Well then, where to next..." They walked out of the cafe and she gazed up at the sun. "Oh!" Nitya said with a start. "I can't believe it, I almost forgot about Noontime. At this point, I suppose it is easiest just to return to the inn."

And so they did. Nitya checked out a new room and, with the help of Kai, moved all of their stuff. He would discover that she had an abundance of clothing, both male and female, as well as heavy boxes full of random trinkets. Nitya spent the remaining rest time reading, offering Kai the chance to do the same if he wanted.

They spent the rest of the day watching street musicians, some of whom Nitya tipped heavily, visiting random stores, and, of course, eventually eating dinner. Fish!

After dinner, the sun went down and was replaced by a shining moon in the glistening night. The two returned back to the new inn room, which was equipped with two beds, and Nitya set back to reading. A few minutes passed, before she quietly said, "You know, I haven't spent a whole day with someone else in years. It's odd, it really is."

Kai was thoroughly exhausted from their day, though not exactly in an unpleasant way. Rather than feeling simply drained, he felt...pleasantly tired, he decided after some consideration. As long as he didn't think too much about the morning, about Ka'lei-

This actually wasn't so bad.

Declining the offer to read, he instead found himself perched on the windowsill of their room, watching the moon rise. His mistress had been so absorbed in her book though that he was a bit startled when she suddenly spoke to him, and he answered without thinking.

"I haven't spent a day without my sister since we were born. It was strange for me too."

And just like that, any semblance of a good mood vanished. He snapped his mouth shut, wishing he hadn't said anything, and looked out the window again. "Forgive me, I shouldn't have said that." A moment of silence, then he murmured quietly, "If it weren't for- If things were different, it would have been a good day, Miss Nitya. I thank you for it."

Nitya closed her book at looked over at Kai. "No apologizing, remember? Life isn't perfect. I know I told you earlier that it is best to always focus on the good, but I suppose that isn't always true. As long as you normally keep a positive outlook, talking about the bad is healthy too." She sat up and moved to the side of her bed, resting her legs off its edge. "Well, that's what I've been told at least."

She sighed. She really didn't feel qualified to be saying this, for she never talked about her own pain. But something told her it was the right thing to do, so Nitya continued, "Tell me more about your sister."

He looked over at her, hunching his rather large frame to instinctively try to be smaller, though he wasn't quite sure why. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw moonlight caught the healing edges of his primaries and reminded himself that this woman really did seem to be trying to help him.

"What do you want to know?" he asked, looking out the window again.

"Anything," Nitya responded, and it was true. She wanted to learn more about Kai, and that urge had only grown stronger throughout the day. "I'll tell you about my sisters too, if that would make you feel more comfortable."

There wasn't much to share about them, though. She barely got to know any of them at all, except for the ones barely older than her.

Anything? "Well..." He shrugged. "She loves animals. Horses and dogs especially, but all animals." A small smile tugged at his lips. "I know it's her mouth that usually gets us in trouble, but she's funny. Most of the time she got us beat just for telling the truth and being a smartass about it." His voice softened and he continued to stare out the window as he murmured, "She's got our mother's hands- she loves to make things, carving, weaving, whatever. Just has a knack for it."

This hurt too much. There was a flicker of relief to talk about her, a warm glow at the fond memories, but the hurt was still too raw. He stopped talking, flicking his eyes in Nitya's direction. "You don't have to tell me about your family if you don't want to," he murmured, thinking that if she felt the way he did right now, she wouldn't be glad of it.

Nitya stared out the window from her bed as Kai talked. Now, more than ever, she didn't want to make eye contact with him. She wanted to hear what he was saying, but she was afraid of feeling it. She knew that the love with which he spoke was covered in sadness.

Oddly, Nitya found herself saying, "I'll talk." She had never wanted to talk about her siblings before, but now she felt the need. "I didn't know all of them well, especially the elder ones. There was Kaneesh, Yala, and Mani, they were the eldest." Those were the ones that disappeared before she was four. "I never knew them, not really, but I was told they were very protective and kind. Then there was Yeeva and Koi, they would play with me all the time when I was young. They were twins, and they had much straighter hair than the rest of us. Especially me." Nitya loved her curly hair with a passion, but she admired straight hair too. There was something so clean in comparison to her wild curls.

Sighting, she continued, "Anna used to read to me... I don't know how she learned to read, but she would. I would say she was the smartest. She probably taught herself. Then there were Yatvi and Ray, they were the closest to my age. Yatvi... had spirit. Not like your sister, none of us did. But she wanted to make something of herself." Yatvi used to talk about how she would be a concubine, but she would be such a good one she would get the man to make her his wife. If the sisters weren't so scared of their own fate, they may have laughed. Such stories weren't impossible, but they were not the norm. "Ray was timid. I think Ray would have given up on herself if Yatvi wasn't there. And then there's me... just me."

Kai listened quietly, not quite looking at her but not looking out the window either as she talked. "They sound lovely," he murmured. He didn't ask what had happened to them- it wasn't his business, if she'd wanted to tell him she would have.

His eyes flicked to her face for a moment, then back out the window. "It's getting late, Miss Nitya. Perhaps you should get some sleep," he suggested quietly.

"We, you mean," Nitya quickly corrected. "Perhaps we should get some sleep. And I believe you are correct." She stood up and walked to the wardrobe. "But first, I must change. Would you mind closing your eyes?" Unlike Kai, Nitya preferred her modesty. Having seen enough eyes lusting after her body, she had grown sensitive to male eyes.

"Of course." Kai shifted to put his back to her and turned his face toward the window, closing his eyes for good measure. "What time would you like to rise, Miss Nitya?" he asked. "I can make sure you wake up on time."

Nitya removed her golden hair accessory and slipped out of her purple gown. She returned it into the wardrobe before pulling on a thin white nightgown.

"I rise with the sun," Nitya replied softly. "Always have, and I reckon I always will. Traders need to set up their markets early, after all, to secure a spot. I should wake up just fine, but thank you for offering. Ah, you can turn around now by the way." Nitya walked back to her bed and pulled the blanket over her.

"Yes, Miss Nitya," he murmured, nodding and glancing over at her. He looked back to the moon, then to the empty bed. He wasn't tired, but if she wanted to be up at dawn and he was the one helping set up her stall...

He should probably get some rest. With a soft exhale he stood and and moved to the bed, shedding his shirt and folding it at the foot of the bed before sitting on the edge. "Um...good night?" he ventured, glancing over at his mistress.

"Goodnight, Kai," Nitya replied after yawning. She curled up and fell asleep immediately. It had been quite a hectic day. She slept soundly, murmuring every once in a while in her sleep, until her dream came back.

Dark clouds swarmed the sky, dripping. Nitya groaned in her sleep. The desert rippled with each drop of rain, each ripple hitting up against each other until the rain grew heavier. She started sporadically kicking. The ripples started growing and the rain kept pouring until there were waves, not ripples. She started swinging with her arms too, groaning a little louder. The little, naked, winged girl stood watching the clouds. Nitya flung the blankets off the bed with her thrashing. The giant waves heading toward the girl until they merged. Her previous moans turned into one quiet word: stop. The girl started to blink. "NO!" Nitya called out, throwing her pillow as hard as she could. The girl blinked. The desert returned to normal, except for the black rainbow over the girl's head. Nitya woke up with a start, sweating, sore, and surprised. She had never had the dreams two nights in a row before.

Having always been a light sleeper, Nitya's muttering and tossing and turning woke Kai fairly quickly. He glanced over at her bed a little groggily, wondering if he should chance waking her.

Then she threw the pillow and his eyes widened as he ducked just in time to avoid being nailed in the head. "Miss Niya!" he whisper-yelled, covering his head and arching his wings forward protectively, an instinct developed from years of having things thrown at his head.

It took him a moment to realize she'd been asleep when she threw the pillow, but she certainly wasn't anymore. Uncurling himself warily, he eyed her from his bed, wings fluttering in agitation. "Are- are you alright, Miss Nitya?"

"Shit," Nitya muttered, looking toward Kai. She had forgotten he was even there when she had waken up. Now she needed to give an explanation. "Bad dream," she just replied grumpily. That was a good enough explanation. "Sorry."

She looked out the window. It was still dark. "Sorry," she repeated. "You should go back to sleep." She should too, she knew, but Nitya had little faith in her ability to. Her body hurt—her back especially—and her mind was restless. This dream felt like bad luck. She'd have to see Jamie sooner than she expected. Sighing, Nitya reached over to her bed table and grabbed the matches. She lit one, and then promptly lit the candle on the bed table. "I hope this isn't too light," she said as she grabbed her book to read.

"No, no it's fine," Kai said slowly, still eyeing her a little warily. After a moment, he cleared his throat and cautiously lay back down on the bed. "Well...If you're sure you don't need anything, Miss Nitya... Good night." He closed his eyes, willing himself to go back to sleep.

Nitya spent the next couple hours laying on her side and reading her book. It wasn't a particularly interesting book (it spoke of common ways to increase an items price—for instance, dunk jewelry in oil before selling them to make them appear extra shiny), and she hoped it would put her to sleep. But the sun rose, and she was still awake. She closed her book with a sigh, then blew out the candle.

She grabbed a long piece of dark green cloth from her wardrobe. It wasn't anything yet, but after draping it and wrapping it and tying it around her body, it would become her outfit. Nitya looked over at Kai, who still seemed to be sleeping, and then turned away from him. She slipped off her nightgown and started wrapping herself with her loose fabric (starting from behind, so that Kai wouldn't see anything even if he did wake up). Nitya felt a little foolish for acting so modest, especially in Essyrn. In fact, she herself occasionally left her chest exposed in public. But traveling taught her to hide her body, especially when alone with a man.

After getting dressed, she tied her hair into a ponytail. Glancing into the small mirror on the desk, Nitya smiled. Her kohl was still in almost perfect condition. She grabbed a small, black piece of cloth and used it to clean up her eye makeup and remove the remains of all her other makeup.

Today, she was to be a boy. A fairly attractive boy, and almost passable—if it wasn't for her covering of her chest. Of course, not covering her chest would make her gender even more obvious. Nitya put on a bracelets and an anklet then moved over to Kai.

"Time to get up," she declared, not sure what to do if he didn't wake up.

Kai snapped awake and instantly bolted upright, cringing away from the voice and raising his wings and arms protectively. Still half asleep, all he was really aware of was the fact that someone had had to come wake him, which meant he'd probably overslept, which usually meant some form of punishment.

"Forgive me, it won't happen again-" he started quickly, automatically, reaching one arm out to cover Ka'lei, always asleep beside him. If he'd slept in that meant she had too.

Then his surroundings actually registered and he blinked, letting his arm drop and his wings fold slowly against his back. Ka'lei was gone. The woman speaking to him was his new, abnormally kind, owner. He blinked at her, then offered after a moment of dead silence, "Good...morning, Miss Nitya."

Nitya almost jumped when Kai sat up so quickly. Seemed like she didn't have to worry about him being a heavy sleeper, after all. "Yes, good morning Kai. And I'm not quite sure what won't happen again, unless you mean scaring the heavens out of me by sitting up so quickly." She paused. "I suppose that means if anyone ever comes to rob you in your sleep, they'll be in for a surprise."

Nitya turned around and went to put on her shoes. "I'm Sir Aytin today, just for the record. Men trade, not women. Not in Essyrn. You should get ready, we need to head out soon."

Deciding not to tell her that his immediate assumption had been that she was going to beat him, Kai nodded and climbed quickly- if less gracefully than he would have liked- out of bed. "Yes, Miss Nitya," he said, brushing at his clothes so they laid properly. That was getting ready, wasn't it?

Remembering that he actually had shoes to wear now, he bent and retrieved them from under the bed, slipping them on. Giving the way she was dressed a quick glance, he nodded to show he understood her ruse. "Yes, Sir Aytin," he said easily, standing and taking up a polite waiting position by the door.

Nitya glanced over at Kai. Well, it wasn't like he had enough clothes that it really mattered if he wore the same thing twice in a row. "Breakfast at the inn downstairs. Then we'll go set everything up."

Normally she had to pay to rent a cart to move all of her things, but with two of them, she shouldn't have to. Even if they couldn't carry it all at once, she could leave him at the stall while she went back to grab more. Someone set up nearby would make sure he was left alone, and he would make sure nothing was stolen.

Breakfast sounded absolutely divine, and for a brief instant he actually smiled. "I follow you, Sir Aytin," he said with a small bow at the waist, holding the door open for her.

Nitya walked downstairs and sat at a table, ordering both of them an egg scramble with peppers and, in traditional Essyrn fashion, onions. She also ordered two coffees, hers with sugar and milk, and Kai's black. If he didn't like it, she figured she could ask them to adjust it.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked, after ordering. "Oh, except... for my disturbance, I mean."

"I slept...better than I have in a long time, Sir Aytin," Kai responded after a moment. It was mostly true. Though he still felt Ka'lei's absence like the loss of a limb, the bed had been far more comfortable than he was used to, and he'd been allowed to get more than a couple hours of sleep at once.

He decided not to ask her about whatever it was that had woken her up. Nobody liked a nosy slave, no matter what his strange mistress claimed.

Nitya smiled. "I'm glad. We'll have a hard day of work ahead of us, and there won't be much time for breaks while the market is open. I'd recommend taking a nap at Noontime though. That's what I always do."

The coffee came and Nitya sipped hers lightly. "Of course, coffee should keep you awake until then even if the business doesn't. Let me know if it's too bitter."

Kai eyed the cup warily and sniffed at it, then wrinkled his nose at the strong scent. Takking a wary sip, he found he actually liked the taste. Bitter had never really bothered him. "It's fine like this, Sir Aytin," he said quietly. "Thank you."

He kept his head down as more people began to trickle downstairs from their rooms. It was a bit of a challenge to drink the coffee with his head bowed and a veil in the way, but he managed to sip at it.

"I don't understand how people can like so bitter a taste. Sweet things taste so much better," Nitya responded with a sigh. "I reckon I would only eat sweets if I could live that way." Alas, she could not.

"Do you have any questions about our plan for the day?"

"No, Sir Aytin. I believe I understand what I am to do," Kai said easily, taking another sip of the coffee. He was starting to feel more energetic. Much more energetic. His wings ruffled without him really noticing, feathers shifting and catching the light to show hints of blue and green in the black.

"That makes things nice and simple, then," Nitya said. A waitress brought their food over. Nitya smiled. It smelled and looked absolutely delectable. "Have you eaten eggs before?" she asked Kai before starting to eat.

"Once or twice, Sir Aytin," Kai said, waiting for a moment to see if she was going to give him permission to eat. Realizing she probably wouldn't think to do so, he hesitantly started in on the eggs.

"Have you cooked them yourself before?" Nitya responded after chewing. "If not, you'll be learning. One of the easiest things to make. And there's a ton you can do with them too, especially if you add in extra ingredients like these."

"I have to admit," she continued, "I'm not much of a cook myself. I should be, given how much I travel, but I can only make pretty basic things. And even those I can screw up." Nitya had a habit of leaving things over the fire for too long.

"No, I'm not much of a cook either," Kai replied. Shrugging, he added, "But of course, I am happy to learn if you wish me to do so, Sir Aytin."

He really doubted she'd want to actually eat anything he may make though. She seemed to prefer sweet things, and while he didn't cook often, he knew he preferred things with stronger flavor. Hence the bitter coffee.

Nitya's eyes lit up immediately. "Ah!" she exclaimed. "Why didn't I think of this earlier? I could have you actually taught how to cook, from someone who knows how! I bet there's a chef around here who would be willing to teach you if I paid them." She paused. "Or, at least a chef somewhere."

Kai flinched a little at her sudden exclamation, but relaxed quickly. He blinked at her for a moment, doubting that she wanted his input so much as an agreement, then said quietly, "Yes, Sir Aytin. Although if you want sweet foods an Essyrni chef may not be your best choice."

Actually, learning to cook didn't sound so bad. It certainly appealed to him more than learning to fight, although he understood that they were both necessities.

Nitya raised an eyebrow. "Can't you just add sugar to any recipe? Or some fruit?" It seemed a rather reasonable idea to her. "Plus, you could always learn here and then learn again elsewhere. Becoming well-versed in the different food cultures of the world might help you someday, who knows."

He highly doubted it- this woman seemed to mean well, but eventually something would happen and she'd get rid of him, then he'd be back in the slave markets and on to a new master. One who probably wouldn't care if he could create the delicacies of every major nation in the world.

But he just gave her a small smile and a nod. "Yes, M- Sir Aytin." He winced. Damnit, he'd been doing so well and now he slipped up. He couldn't do that.

It didn't really matter if Kai called her Miss, not yet. But she could tell he regretted it, and it would be best if it didn't happen later, so she teasingly responded, "You know you can call me Mister, I won't punish you for it. Sir just sounds so much more..."—she lifted up her chin and turned her head a little sideways, as the rich often did in their portraits—"noble."

He smiled a bit in spite of himself. "I'll remember that, in case I slip up," he murmured. Then, expression sobering, he added, "Not that I will, Sir Aytin." He put a little emphasis on the "Sir", almost teasing but not quite, seeing how far he could go.

Normally he would have been too wary to even test such boundaries, but with this new mistress, he figured he could probably get away with it.

"Oh no, definitely not. I would not expect you to make any error at all—but, if making a mistake is so tempting—I must profess that the title of 'Lord' has always appealed greatly to me." Nitya wasn't used to such fooling around, but she had found that in trying to lighten up the atmosphere for Kai all of yesterday and this morning, she had also improved her own mood considerably.

Kai quirked an eyebrow at that. "So you would permit me to call you Lord, but you objected to milady?" he pointed out mildly, eyes glinting a bit with the first real emotion they'd shown that wasn't anger.

Nitya huffed. "Why of course! What man would like to be called milady?" she responded immediately, with extra emphasis of disgust on the word milady and fake pretentiousness overall. "An insult, it is. Do you not know the rules of Essyrn? A woman who pretends she is a man can be respectable. A man who pretends he is a woman is foolish."

He nodded. He knew the rules. "Sometimes I think Ka'lei hated the restrictions of being a woman here almost more than being a slave," he said without thinking.

His mouth snapped shut. That was too forward, too personal, and made his heart ache suddenly all at once. He dropped his eyes and picked at the last few bites of his breakfast.

Nitya shook her head, sadly. "You don't understand. It's the two put together that is the worst." Slaves were often used, but female slaves were used in an especially degrading way. If being a concubine wasn't part of her having been a slave, Nitya didn't know if she would've felt such an urgent need to escape.

Kai stiffened. "I understand better than you may think," he said quietly. There were more than a few people in Essryn whose tastes leaned toward the "exotic", and he'd done his best to protect his sister from them. Any way he could.

Shoving those memories aside, he fixed his eyes on the table, hands clenching into fists without him realizing it.

Gods, he couldn't protect Ka'lei anymore. What was going to happen to his sister?

Nitya couldn't help it, she looked him directly in the eyes. She hadn't expected him to respond like that. Luckily, he was looking down, and she caught herself quickly enough to look away before they made eye contact. Despite years of training herself not to look at people's eyes, her instinct still told her to when she was surprised. Or wanting to understand people. For her, eyes really were the window to see people's emotions... and, like everyone, there was a part of her that wanted to know how people felt. But she didn't want to feel everyone's emotions herself, and thus she limited who she looked at and when she looked at people.

When people were in pain, she avoided their eyes at all costs. That's why she stayed away from most slaves and homeless people.

"I see," Nitya responded after a long pause. She didn't know how to break the mood. "Well, we should finish eating. Gotta head out soon." And so she quickly finished her eggs and bread and gulped down the coffee.

Relieved for the change in topic, Kai said quickly, "Yes, Sir Aytin," and hurried to finish his meal, standing and moving around to pull her chair out for her.

"What am I to do first?" he asked. "I'm afraid I've never been owned by a trader before, I'm not familiar with this process."

"I doubt most traders have enough money to buy a young slave," Nitya replied coyly. She was proud of her success, especially given that she started with nothing. She stood up and went to the counter to pay for breakfast.

"But remember the boxes in my room? We will carry those all to the same marketplace we went to yesterday. I normally sell there, it's the most busy in the city. The boxes will all stack so that we can make a stall out of them, it's quite convenient. I don't find the need to buy an actual stall to hall around, not with all the traveling I do." They started heading upstairs. "Just help me carry them all... if we're able, I'd love to do it all in one trip. I want the longer, rectangle one. That will be the base of the stall. Do you think you'll be able to carry it all the way to the market? We'll also bring two of the empty square boxes, and two of the full ones, but I can get those."

Kai nodded as he followed her, then realized she couldn't see because he was lagging behind her. "Yes, Sir Aytin, I can carry the box. And more, as long as I can get a grip on them."

He hadn't been trying to oversell himself the day before when he'd told her he was strong. He frowned a bit at her back. "Actually, Sir Aytin- shouldn't I carry all the boxes?" What was the point in having a slave if you didn't get him to do as much labor as possible?

Nitya laughed, shaking her head. "I told you—I want to do this in one trip. If you were able to carry all the boxes, which you may have the strength to do, I don't know yet, but if you were able to, how would you see? You saw the boxes before. They aren't huge, but if you stacked them all... well, let's just say I don't want you running into people, buildings, or just things in general. Both for your sake, my sake, and the sake of all the valuables in those boxes."

She paused. Although she didn't mind carrying things, they might get odd looks if her load looked as heavy as his. Some of the more egotistical Essyrni might even call out at them—well, him. "Actually... well, alright. I'll have you carry the large box and the two square empty ones on top of it. I'll carry the two full ones, though. Deal?"

Somehow that made him feel marginally better, put him a little more back in his comfort zone. "Yes, of course, Sir Aytin," he said, slipping around to get the door for her and holding it open with his head lowered automatically.

Nitya and Kai grabbed the boxes and brought them to the market. After barely finding a spot, they set up the stall. Nitya collected and trading all sorts of things, ranging from spices to jewelry to precious stones.

"Rules for trading. First off, look at customers in their eyes. And smile. And be nice. I would recommend not complimenting them unless they're a traveler, some Essyrni may take it offensively. If someone is upset, guide them to me. You do not know the prices of anything, so ask me how much something costs if someone wants to buy it. Or direct them to me. Keep your eyes on anyone who is touching wares though—they're allowed to, but make sure they don't steal it. As long as they know you're watching, they shouldn't." Nitya paused, thinking if there was anything she had forgotten. "Customers will barter. That is alright. The prices I set will be high enough to count for that—don't tell anyone who is willing to pay the full price that though. But if they want to barter more than a tiny amount off, let me know and I'll talk to them. Got all that?"

"Uh- y-yes, Sir Aytin," he stammered out, eyes widening. She expected him to take part in the trade? He'd thought he'd just be setting things up, maybe hauling bigger items around.

This was so far out of his comfort zone. But he just nodded and shuffled his feet a bit, for once glad of the veil that hid most of his expression.

Nitya wasn't convinced that Kai actually understood what she said, but she let it go. If he had questions, he would (hopefully) ask them.

"Watch the kids the closest. They steal the most often. Usually it's from food stalls, but sometimes they'll steal things to sell." Nitya wished she could give the kids money, but she had a stall to run. And once she gave one child money, they all would expect it.

"Yes, Sir Aytin." Hesitantly, he took up a position behind the makeshift stall, eyes flicking over the few people who were out and about so early. Other traders it seemed, mostly.

The morning started slow. Most of the 'customers' were just fellow merchants scoping out competition. But as townspeople started slowly coming in, Nitya got to work. Normally she waited for people to come to her stall and talk to her to start working her magic, but she wanted Kai to get some practice. And she wanted him to succeed in selling something.

Nitya gazed around, searching for people who were moving through stalls fairly quickly. They would glance around at the next stall, constantly searching for what they wanted. So long as they would glance at her, even for half a second, while she was looking at them, she could give Kai advice. Nitya found a target very quickly.

"Kai," Nitya said quietly. "You see that girl, a few stalls away? The one with the short black hair and peacock feather necklace? She'll likely come over here soon. Try selling her one of our hair accessories. Tell her that it will look beautiful on her, and that any man would swoon seeing her. If you're up for it, you can even make up a fake story about some other lady who bought it and was proposed to shortly after." Girls with one-sided loves were always the easiest to sell to. Their hearts were desperate and their brains were weak.

"What?" Kai looked at the girl she indicated, wide eyed. "Um, I don't-" He cut himself off and nodded sharply. "Y-yes, Sir Aytin," he mumbled, waiting with trepidation for the young woman to approach.

Gods, the Colosseum was almost starting to look good right about now.

Nitya shrugged. "If she leaves without buying, that's fine. But I'd rather you get your nerves out now."

Right on cue, the girl approached their stall.

Swallowing, hard, Kai dropped his eyes and gave a small nod to Nitya as the girl approached, standing with his hands clasped behind his back and his shoulders hunched submissively.

Maybe his mistress preferred her slave to be outspoken, but odds were this girl would expect him to not so much as look at her without permission. He did managed to glance up at her through his lashes, trying to judge what she seemed interested in, if anything at all.

Nitya nudged Kai with her elbow. Was he shy? Or nervous? She didn't know. Nitya looked at the girl. "I have to go through funds right now, so my slave will answer any questions. Please let me know if you need me, however." She was throwing him in the water.

The girl simply nodded, her eyes skimming the items.

Kai threw Nitya a desperate look when she essentially abandoned him, then quickly tried to pull himself together. Eyes fixed on the wares in front of him, he murmured with as much deference as he could manage, "D-does anything catch your eye, milady?"

Nitya quietly laughed to herself. Kai was so awkward, it reminded her of the first time she had tried to serve someone. She hadn't even gotten used to her power yet, so she talked straight to the ground. To this day, she still wasn't sure if the man didn't hear her or simply chose to ignore her.

The girl's eyes kept skipping around, quickly judging every item. "Mmm, not really..." she stated, starting to glance over at other stalls.

"W-well..." He cast around for something to say. Anything, at this point. "Perhaps this?" He gestured vaguely to one of the hair ornaments, remembering what Nitya had said. "I'm, um...it's sure to attract attention. N-not that you would need the help-"

His voice joked off and he looked to the ground with a sigh. Gods, just kill me now. "Forgive me, milday. I am unused to this work, and my mouth has run away with me attempting to serve such a lovely young lady as my first customer."

He wasn't trying to flatter or wheedle a sale out of her, at least not really. It was an instinctive reaction when he knew he'd messed up a task- compliment and show your humility, and you may get out of a beating.

Kai bowed his head. "I fear I am not worthy to serve you, milday." Please, please just let her move along and be done with it.

Nitya sighed. She was glad Kai had at least tried what she had said, but he was so far away from being successful. Luckily, the girl didn't look offended. Just... confused, uncomfortable, and wanting to get away. Nitya almost let her, but then she paused. She may as well show Kai how business was supposed to work.

Putting the money that she was pretending to count back into her purse, Nitya quickly stepped closer to the stall. "Excuse me, Miss. I'm afraid my slave here is not used to selling things yet." The girl looked at Nitya, but only because it would be rude to do otherwise. "You see, I have a gift of divination." That was a lie, but it sparked a little interest. "I have read my slave, and it seems he has a great future as a salesman." She laughed, and the girl hesitantly joined. "I know, it's hard to believe right now, but my powers have never been wrong."

"Never?" the girl repeated, hopefully. Nitya nodded. "Can you read me?"

"I already have," Nitya responded with a smile. "I can see that you are feeling unsatisfied with your love life. But do not worry! You have great success in love ahead of you—a young man, quite handsome." The girl smiled. She was lured in. "I saw other things as well, monetary stability, happiness, and the like... but there are multiple paths in the future, as I am sure you know. Unless some sort of intervention happens, everything I have stated will be true. But I also see that if you take extra care of your beauty for one month, your relationship progress will dramatically increase. Now, my wares are proven to be helpful, but, of course, you could buy anywhere..."

The young girl shook her head. She picked up the hair ornament that Kai had gestured to, and looked at Nitya. "How much would this cost me?"

"Three silvers."

The girl looked troubled for a moment. Then she shook her head, pulled out some coins, and handed them to Nitya. "I'll take it," she declared decisively and immediately put the accessory in her hair.

"I can see your luck improving already!" Nitya called out as the girl happily moved along to the next stall. She put the coins in her purse and then turned to Kai. "Learn anything?"

He watched with his head still half bowed, essentially trying to fade into the shade as much as he could.

At Nitya's question, Kair repressed a snort and muttered, "That you are quite adept at lying."

His eyes immediately widened, unable to believe he'd actually said that out loud, and he tried to backpedal. "I- I mean, that is- ahem..."

Nitya let out a loud laugh that caught the attention of at least half a dozen people nearby. "What makes you so sure I was lying?" she challenged with a glint in her eye. "Maybe I can see the future. Maybe that girl will have good luck with love soon, and maybe the item she just bought from me will help because it will give her confidence. And maybe I do know that you will become a great trader someday. In fact, maybe that was the very reason I bought you. To ensure that you would!"

Kai gave her an arch look, though the expression was somewhat dulled by his veil. "Uh-huh," he said dryly, "And then I'm going to be the next Shah."

He blinked. It seemed some of his sister's bite had rubbed off on him after all. Shaking his head, he looked away from her, out over the market. "I exist to serve, Sir Aytin," he said after a moment, "but please, for the sake of my sanity- don't make me do that again unless we've got no other choice."

That had been absolutely nerve wracking.

Nitya raised an eyebrow. "Slow down there, why so quick to dismiss what I'm saying?" She smirked. "Don't believe in magic?" She let his comment about existing to serve go. It wasn't true, but she wasn't going to argue it in such a public place while on business.

With a tone of seriousness she hadn't quite used yet, Nitya added, "And you will do it again, but not right away. I will give you time to put yourself together again. Once this market gets busy, however, you'll need to at least entertain customers until I'm busy. As long as you keep talking with them, they normally don't leave."

He bit back a groan and nodded. "Of course, Sir Aytin."

Just talking shouldn't be too bad, right? Sure, it wasn't exactly his strong suit, but he'd done a lot worse for much crueler masters than Nitya. He sort of felt he owed it to her to help her run the stall as best he could- not because he was her slave either, which was a little strange.