Lunaris resented the chains. Although he had technically been a slave of Serendipity for as long as he could remember, he had rarely been treated as such. Once his cohorts got past his appearance, most of them had taken a liking to the half-beast, and even amongst those who did not fancy him he possessed certain skills that commanded their respect. It was simply accepted that he was destined to become a Mageknight, maybe even Head Mage. But his current predicament was a... new condition. One he still wasn't used to. His inevitable fall from grace.
There was a knock at the door, and a moment later the door opened, revealing another of his Serenian companions. This one, however, had a friendly expression. One of his comrades from Kia's Court, they had studied astromancy together at the university, among other things, and they had been stationed together in the capitol city. The shorter, freckled man looked Lunaris up and down, and then grinned. "What do they want you to be, a concubine?" the man teased, but not unkindly. Lunaris arched an eyebrow quizzically at his friend. "No, the Essyrni do not permit their female Shahs to have harems..." Lunaris began, his voice trailing off as his friend waved dismissively.
"I know, I know, I'm just joking," the mage said and held out his hand. In his palm were several silver bracelets with protective runes etched into their surface. "May I?" he asked, gesturing at the half-beast's tale with his eyes. Lunaris nodded, his tail languidly uncurling from around his legs and extending within reach of his friend. His tail resembled that of the unicornus seen in faded tapestries. Almost catlike in its movements, resembling something between a lion and one of those desert horses that curl their tails up over their hindquarters to create a waterfall of hair.
The man placed a few of the bracelets on Lunaris' tail, and with a simple magical touch shrank them to size. In the same manner he placed one around the half-beast's bicep. "Just in case they throw you into one of those fighting pits like the abomination you are," the mage said with a wink. Lunaris rolled his eyes, but inwardly was grateful for the added protection. In truth he had no idea what they would do with him. Sure, the Serenians intended for him to be a gift, with his resemblance to their God, Fyarion, and the subsequent implication that he could defend the Shah against vampires. It was true that his abilities would make him a useful armed servant, but Lunaris highly doubted many Essyrni would trust a foreign slave to such a task.
There was another knock on the door. Essyrni delegates arrived to lead them to the Great Hall. In the distance there were drumbeats, but to the half-beast's ears the clicking of his own hooves on the polished floors drowned out all other sounds despite the fact that his steps were nearly inaudible to anyone else. Lunaris did his best to hide his amazement as they finally reached the source of the drumming. The festivities surpassed all expectations, they were beyond anything his imagination could have conjured, far grander than any of the fables that had enchanted him in his youth.
His silver eyes scanned the room, curious to see the Shah that he would serve. He'd heard she was young. But the throne was empty.
There was a knock at the door, and a moment later the door opened, revealing another of his Serenian companions. This one, however, had a friendly expression. One of his comrades from Kia's Court, they had studied astromancy together at the university, among other things, and they had been stationed together in the capitol city. The shorter, freckled man looked Lunaris up and down, and then grinned. "What do they want you to be, a concubine?" the man teased, but not unkindly. Lunaris arched an eyebrow quizzically at his friend. "No, the Essyrni do not permit their female Shahs to have harems..." Lunaris began, his voice trailing off as his friend waved dismissively.
"I know, I know, I'm just joking," the mage said and held out his hand. In his palm were several silver bracelets with protective runes etched into their surface. "May I?" he asked, gesturing at the half-beast's tale with his eyes. Lunaris nodded, his tail languidly uncurling from around his legs and extending within reach of his friend. His tail resembled that of the unicornus seen in faded tapestries. Almost catlike in its movements, resembling something between a lion and one of those desert horses that curl their tails up over their hindquarters to create a waterfall of hair.
The man placed a few of the bracelets on Lunaris' tail, and with a simple magical touch shrank them to size. In the same manner he placed one around the half-beast's bicep. "Just in case they throw you into one of those fighting pits like the abomination you are," the mage said with a wink. Lunaris rolled his eyes, but inwardly was grateful for the added protection. In truth he had no idea what they would do with him. Sure, the Serenians intended for him to be a gift, with his resemblance to their God, Fyarion, and the subsequent implication that he could defend the Shah against vampires. It was true that his abilities would make him a useful armed servant, but Lunaris highly doubted many Essyrni would trust a foreign slave to such a task.
There was another knock on the door. Essyrni delegates arrived to lead them to the Great Hall. In the distance there were drumbeats, but to the half-beast's ears the clicking of his own hooves on the polished floors drowned out all other sounds despite the fact that his steps were nearly inaudible to anyone else. Lunaris did his best to hide his amazement as they finally reached the source of the drumming. The festivities surpassed all expectations, they were beyond anything his imagination could have conjured, far grander than any of the fables that had enchanted him in his youth.
His silver eyes scanned the room, curious to see the Shah that he would serve. He'd heard she was young. But the throne was empty.