How Do You Like Them Apples?!

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The caravan moved like a serpent, jostling across the holes in the road as it moved towards the Great City of Essryn.  As with most slave trains, the cages housed quite a number of wares to sell, except the last car remained seemingly vacant.

That was until Ayden groaned.
He had just been looking for a good time, and figured by the massive headache he had sustained, perhaps he had found it. Lapping at his dry mouth, his lips cracked as he moved to rise and paused at the sound of chains rattling at his movements and the suddenly lurching of the cart.

Raising his hands up, he squinted his eyes and began to examine the metal bond around his wrists lifting up his right hand, then is left, the chains attached to them jingling as he did so. THe sight made him tilt his head. He wasn't sure what sort of good time he must've had last night, but he supposed chains could be rather kinky.

That's when the caravan lurched to a halt, and Ayden was thrown forward, crashing onto the ground, crashing onto his face.
The dust settled around him, causing him to cough before he planted his hands to the floor and lifte dhis head, the chains around his neck dangling beneath him as he linked and lifted his fingers to trace around the metal around his neck.

Yes... very kinky.. and if he didn't know better..
He blinked, peering through the messy curtain of his blonde hair towards the cracks of hot light pouring in from the desert sun outside his cage.

Cage..

Right.
That was extra kinky.  As was the fact he was chained up wearing nothing but his pants.
He gave a flick to the metal at his neck before turning around, noticing a man with a spear beside him giving him a nasty look.

"EEYAH! EEYAH!"the man barked, prodding his spear into the cage. Ayden simply tilted his head the other way, examining the man and his foreign words. He knew the desert tongue could be different but the way this man spoke, it sounded like he was speaking through marbles.

That's when the man thrust the spear towards Ayden, the end of it bristling with electricity as it suddenly jolted him, sending the man back onto his face. Ayden groaned as his lungs inhaled the dust at the bottom of his cage.

He needed a cigarette.

The cries of the man continued, wallowing around him like a soured cat as Ayden pushed his head up, trying to peer after the man, but soon found his face met with the brunt end of the spear-
and all went dark.



By the time he woke up again, his head ache had doubled and the sounds of the city were alive and thriving around him. Blinking, he rose just as the caravan passed through the gates, barely able to stand as his cage was rocked about and the people of the city began to stare- bearing up at the strange desert man with tanned skin, dust covering his body and face and ratty blonde hair.

He was a handsome catch, and some of the woman cried out with appreciation as the slavers rolled into town.
Ayden was never a humble man, and his smile grew as the ladies approval beckoned.
Yes.. perhaps he was heading towards a very good time.
It was only then the caravan halted a second time, and Ayden found his footing lost again, but this time he caught himself against the side of the cage, his shadow casting over a nearby pile of apples from the fruit vendor.
Smirking, he reached an arm through the bar and picked one up, only to have the slaver come by with his spear and smacked him across the forearm, causing him to lose his grip, the apple tumbling out into the open road.


"You cause too much trouble, desert t'ief. You no eat for your insolence?"
Ayden raised his head as the slaver spoke to him. The slaver only rattled his spear against the bars.
"We'll cover you for now. You up for sale this afternoon." the slaver cackled, rubbing his dry fingers together, "Pretty boy brings pretty price."
Ayden raised his brows as the man hocked back and spat at him, leaving Ayden to wipe his cheek.
"But for now, you're too tantalizing of a ware. We hide your good face for now, pretty boy!" the man laughed, his hawk like nose wrinkling as he gave a cry out, snapping out his whip. "Cover d'a slave! Do not delay! HASHUCK! HASHUCK!' and snapped the whip into the air- ad suddenly Ayden's world was covered in hot darkness, and with a creak and lurched, the caravan pulled onward into town.

[Vincent]

Not far from where the slave caravan's procession slowly wound its way to the market, a man and a woman met for the second time in their lives. They greeted each other warmly as though they were old friends, their manner and dress inconspicuous. "The raven takes wing. " The man said, smiling as the pair embraced briefly.

"And my pockets feel lighter," The woman remarked with a chuckle as they parted. "It is good to see you, old friend."

The man nodded, " It is , indeed. I'm surprised you showed up."
The woman shrugged lightly, " A little bird told me there was to be a special occasion this afternoon. I thought I'd come see it for myself." She smirked, her dark eyes twinkling with mischief.

The man laughed. He was older than she by a considerable number of years, small and frail with age but his voice was quite powerful for his size and doubly merry. He slapped a weathered dark hand over her shoulder and laughed, " Still up to the same old, eh? Well, my dear. You're in for quite a treat! "

The woman grinned broadly,  " Oh? What do you have?"

The man laughed and shook his head, laughing and holding out his hand expectantly towards her. "Oh no you don't, miss. You know the rules."   

The woman smirked and slipped a knife concealed cleverly within the breast region her skimpy outfit. She cut a coin purse tied to the sash that held the outfit together and pressed it into his hand. "I think you'll find the payment more than satisfactory."
The man pulled open the pouch and emptied the diamonds into his palms. He tried not to look so surprised. " You're feeling very generous today, aren't you?"

The woman stood in front of him, blocking view of the contents in his hand from any curious eyes, " You might want to put that away, " She cautioned gently, slipping her knife back to its place of concealment in a swift, but subtle manner. Her movements were so naturally practiced, much like the flow of water.

Nodding, he licked his lips and hastily poured the diamonds back into the bag.
"Inside. " He told her simply and gestured for her to follow him. Wordlessly , she did.
Once indoors and in private they both relaxed, "What are you after this time, Rajini?"
The woman named Rajini cast her gaze about the room, " I was informed that Sufjan would be making a special appearance today to make a rather substantial purchase. I don't suppose you'd happen to know anything about that, would you Aarif? " Now she looked at him inquiringly.

Aarif licked his lips and nodded, " Your source is accurate. He will indeed be present here in the market. From what I've heard, he is looking to purchase some new playthings this afternoon."

Rajini's expression was one of contempt and her tone dripped of it equally, " That pig. I shouldn't be surprised. Don't suppose you'd know where the bastard is staying tonight?"
Aarif smirked, "You know that I do. He is to be a guest of the Shah tonight. He claims to have an extravagant gift.  A large golden mirror from Serendipity. Very beautiful design encrusted with emeralds, sapphires, diamonds even. "

"That would make a lovely edition to my collection. "

Aarif's expression turned to one of dread, "Please tell me that you're not considering what I think you are?"

Rajini winked at him, "Very well, my lips are sealed!"

"Rajini! You can't! The ...palace? The Shah!? You-"

Laughing , the woman leaned forward and planted a kiss on his cheek. " You worry too much, friend. You also forget who you're talking to."

"But it's just a mirror! It's hardly wor-"

Again, Rajini did laugh. It was a beautiful, musical sound, " You think I want some silly old mirror? "

Dumbfounded, Aarif could only stare at her. Yes, he had thought so!
"Come now, you know me better!"

"But there is something else that interests you. I must know what is so important that you would come here at such risk."

Rajini turned away and walked out , " I'll tell you later. I promise!"

~
She wove through the bustling crowd like a dancer, with perfect fluidity and balance. Never once bumping into rush of women passing by with baskets and bowls resting atop their heads and children playing chase . She narrowly avoided a man hastily pushing his hand cart towards a fruit stall, "Excuse me, Miss!" He bellowed and Rajini politely , quickly sidestepped out of his path, snatching one of the fruits from the cart as he passed her and his back was turned. She meandered towards the center of the market where the slave caravan had come to a stop and the slavers were herding their wares out of their cages, one by one to stand before an eager crowd of potential buyers.

Rajini kept her distance from it all , her eyes scanning the crowd for Sufjan whom was not hard to miss. He was the tallest one and always dressed the most garishly out of any of the lords and his snakelike visage boasted a rather long and twisted little goat's beard.

To Rajini's pleasure, Sufjan was indeed present. Perfect. She paused to take a bite of the fruit though as she looked down she noticed its shiny red surface and scowled. Of all the things she could have stolen, she had to go and pick the one fruit she hated most. She tossed the apple over her shoulder with a snort and folded her arms over her chest as the first slave was brought before the crowd of overprivledged, chauvinistic, drooling imbeciles.
The first slave was just a girl. Seeing her brought back painful memories. She'd only been a girl herself and she was sure she'd been just as vulnerable and afraid as this child looked now as she could do little more than stand there and be bid on. 

One by one the slaves were sold off. Several went to Sufjan and the final one she couldn't see for by the time it came for him to be sold, quite a crowd had gathered and tall men had moved in front of her, blocking her view. No matter. She could still see Sufjan and it looked as though he were going to win the final bid...

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The Grand Collosium, or something of it's name, though absurd, was bustling with many people shouting excitedly from the stands. Even though it was only  a slave selling day, the commoners were allowed to watch for free. And although there was rarely ever blood, it was still some fun past time for them to do - so those that could walk away from their duties in the market or mines for a few hours, came to find seats and stared down as the slaves were all collected and lined up in procession to be auctioned off.

It was also not very large, for it consumed most of the town center. 

A few hours later, Ayden finally found himself plucked from his cage. Stumbling about as the slaver pushed him forward, he heard the hawk-nosed man shout, "EEYAH! EEYAH!" and prodded the man forward.  As he moved out into the streets, his form stepping out intot he sunlight, he heard the crowd around them grow silent as they all stared at the man drawn towards the center.

He was tall with blonde hair, dark brown eyes that nearly consumed the white, and an easy appeasing face-

Oh yes, Ayden Bane was not only a handsome ware to be sold, but he was tall and muscular, having a finally chiseled body that only looked all the more enticing now that he was in chains.  It was here, as the crowd suddenly grew into an explosion of life that Ayden raised his head, half squinting at the sun beating down upon the crowd.

The bidding began at 100 gold, which, Ayden had to make a face. Clearly he was worth more than that, but as the bidding continued, it appeared to be turning into a frenzy when one man suddenly stepped forward and upped the price.

"Five thousand gold for the blonde haired slave."
The man was Sufjan, and he had his eyes distinctively set upon Ayden Bane.


It was here the crowd went silent as Ayden raised his head, brown eyes piercing towards the gentleman who had raised the stakes.
The slaver who had brought in Ayden, named Ke'ale, smacked the wooden hammer and declared
"And d'is blonde hair, ruffian slave SOLD, for five t'ousand gold!"


Five thousand was quite a lot for a slave, and Ayden had to wonder why such a price? As he was pushed down from the wooden platform and back towards his slavery, into an iron locked cell as he was chained to the wall, then locked within.
Turning around, he moved forward, the chains growing taunt before he made it towards the bars and gripped them, staring down at Ke'ale, the slaver.

"So do you really t'ink d'at man will pay you five t'ousand gold?" Ayden had to asked, voice cool as the slaver returned his question with a laugh.
"Of course, slave. D'at man is very rich." he pinched his fingers together, as if rubbing money between his fingers, then lowered it back down to his side. "You bring in hefty price. D'at man likes his slaves pretty. You pretty. He happy. He make high price." Ke'ale laughed, a dry, piggish laugh as he patted Ayden upon the shoulder. "But do not fret my slave, you will be very well taken care of. D'at man does well wit' his men slaves."  and the devilish laughter echoed down the hall as he left, leaving Ayden alone again in his cell, eyes remaining upon Ke'ale's disappearing form before he closed the heavy door shut.

[Vincent]

Five thousand, Rajini thought. She had not fetched such a price and children were quite valuable since they were young and easier to condition than an adult. Though Rajini had not been initially purchased for companionship purposes. Such a generous offer for one slave made Rajini curious now. Sufjan, while very wealthy, had never spent this much on a mere slave. At least, not to her knowledge and she was fairly well-informed about the lifestyles of the rich and famous (ooc: do you see what I did there?) .

This slave , whoever it was, must have been a living work of art. She would have liked to see him for herself, but the crowd was pushy and far more eager about such things than she and so she moved away where she could observe Sufjan at a more comfortable distance.
Sufjan moved forward gracefully to claim his prize and as he did so, the crowd parted for him as though he were a King or the Messiah. Some of the more lowly merchants offered him sugar-coated words and congratulatory remarks, complimenting his tastes and his affluence as well. Their pathetic attempts at flattery fell upon deaf ears , however, as the merchant lord was so enthusiastic about his newest treasure.

The merchant slipped into the slaver's compound with payment in hand which Ke'ale accepted with much delight and as the greedy little toad counted his coins with such , Sufjan found his way to Ayden's cell. Sufjan was an elder man, taller and thinner, snake-like though not quite so unattractive. His features were sharp, sinister and intelligent and he possibly could have had an impressive harem had he been less affluent.

His dark eyes combed over Ayden, his sight absorbing every contour of naked muscle. His expression was cold, indifferent and even his eyes did not obviously reveal his interest or appreciation for the male form. For Sufjan was private about his darker, taboo interests. People knew he had an interest in men, but they merely thought the merchant a collector. They were right. Sufjan did love to lavish his own estate (which was more like a palace) with only the finest things. This included the finest looking servants, the finest looking slaves and even the finest looking dirt.

"You are satisfied, my lord?" Kae'ale inquired hopefully.

Nodding, Sufjan turned his back on Ayden, "I am. Where did you find this man? He doesn't appear to be Essyrni."

Ooc: I'll let you do the honors of telling the story. 

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If Ke'ale had a mustche, he'd be twirling it.

"He's as much from Essryn as you or I, I assure you d'at. D'ough I t'ink you recognize his foreign stock, no?" Ke'ale flashed a smile of dark, rotted teeth that blended in beautifully with the dark scruff on his dark skin.  "We found him drunk. Free game if you ask me. Passed out after 'aving a very good time."

It was only at the mention of this part of the story Ayden flashed a foxish grin at the memory.

"And 'is face was covered in sand and dirt. He's filt'y now, but we can scrub 'im down real good. Stinky like an animal, built like one, too." He drew his electric spear across the cage, though the power was off, so it's wooden body merely played musically off the bars.  "But it's d'at face we knew could fetch a fair price. So we took him anyways, despite being asleep in donkey piss and shit." Ke'ale laughed, snorting through his hooked nose and spat into the dirt.
"Do you want to inspect 'im as we wash, yeah?" the man cocked his head to the side much like a chicken, his skinny neck sticking out from beneath the drawn robes of his shirt.  "'D'ere is no fee to watch your goods get cleaned."


Ayden remained silent, watching as Ke'ale, the slaver, presented his story.
So he got drunk and passed out in donkey shit?
And now he was here? Interesting...
Ayden seemed unphased, cool eyes going from Ke'ale to Sufjan.

[Vincent]

Ooc: Amusing that I'm roleplaying a minor npc! Ah well!

Ic:

"Indeed?" Sufjan's voice was deep and soft much like a cat's purr. He quirked a perfectly groomed brow at the filthy little slaver. Though he had to give the little rat credit for knowing a good buy when he saw one, he was utterly repulsed by Ke'ale in every way. The man was filthy, uneducated and really only good for buying slaves from. Had he no uses at all, Sufjan would have had a mind to gut this greasy pig where he stood just for the crime of being so unsightly! Those teeth! They were rotten, black and yellow and broken in many places and some were missing completely! Sufjan tried not to stare.

"You were always the clever opportunist, " Sufjan smirked. That was about the only good thing he could say about the slaver, "If you continue to acquire stock of this caliber, I fear you'll run my business into the ground. " He even smiled like a snake, with smooth and deceptive charm. Unlike Ke'ale, his teeth were nearly flawless.White, straight and all accounted for.

Now he walked with the shorter man, turning back to the cell where Ayden was held. "So he is a fresh catch, is he? Then I am to assume he isn't trained?" It hardly mattered to Sufjan. He preferred his boys spirited. It was much more interesting then!

He nodded, agreeing to a cleaning. He detested dirty slaves. His were always clean and handsomely outfitted and groomed because they were his slaves and everything he owned had to be as refined and handsome as he. Anything beneath his level was simply not worth keeping! "Yes, he is rather slovenly. He could do with a good wash." Sufjan drew away, his face crinkling with marginal disgust at Ke'ale's spitting. Hopefully, Ke'ale was not in charge of cleaning or Sufjan may as well have done it himself!

[visualspice]

Ke'ale gave a snort, spitting again as he drew out his keys.

"No you worry. I get him very clean!"
Ke'ale grabbed Ayden's chains, striking the spear across the air before him and shouted.
"EEYAH! EEYAH! Slave, you come here and you get washed! Your new master does not want to look at such filth." and the man sneered at Ayden's body, then yanked the chain and moved to take him away.
Ayden only obeyed, slipping a cool glance back towards Sufjan before he was shoved into another room.
The whip was held high, chains locked into place.

"EEYA! EEYA!" the man cracked the whip, then kicked Ayden's head down so his nose was nearly smashed into the floor.
"Keep still now. We water you down, yes?" and with a snap of his fingers, he called to his other slaves as they all clambered together and brought in a few cold buckets, that of which they tossed over Ayden's dirty form. The buckets did little to erase the dust as it dribbled from the tip of his hair, his tongue moving to lap across it. After all, it had been sometime before Ayden had something to drink.


However, it seemed Sufjan was unhappy with the cleaning.
"Do you clean all of your slaves these way? Bring in the soap and clothe. Scrub him down and remove his pants. I need to inspect the wares."

Hesitating, Ke'ale cracked a smile.
"Eeeyah! As you wish!" he turned and barked the orders, and Ayden was stripped down and naked, and more buckets were brought in again, and as his slaves worked to scrub him, Sufjan took notice of Ayden, a cold smile gracing his lips before he walked away.

"I hope this is to your satisfaction." Ke'ale stated. He would humble anyone for five thousand gold.
"I bet his pretty face will make many men and ladies swoon. He will be a fine addition to your lot." He bowed gracefully, then handed over the chains.
"Shall we escort him to your caravan or would you like to have d'a honors?" and Ke'ale presented him with the most rat like grin.

[Vincent]

ooc: Time jump!

And forgive me if this isn't terribly detailed or lengthy. I'm tired tonight.

ic:

Sufjan's home was, quite literally, a palace. Large and luxurious, his abode might have made most kings appear to be impoverished! It was also quite heavily guarded with guards stationed around nearly every corner, standing tall and alert for the first sign of trouble.

Sufjan wasted little time having his new slaves escorted inside by the guards where they were introduced to their cages that were more like rather lavish little bedrooms. "I hope you find your arrangements suitable. " Sufjan told his slaves, "I cannot attend to you tonight, but tomorrow morning your training shall proceed." His eyes lingered almost hungrily on Ayden.  Now it was a little more apparent what Ke'ale meant when he'd said that Sufjan liked men!

He gave Ayden's rear a pat before having the guard force him into his cell and lock him in. Then, he was gone.

There was little else to do for the next couple of hours aside from listen to the soft crying of the female slaves in the adjacent cells. The crying stopped however when Rajini appeared, quite unexpectedly, coming through one of the windows. She didn't get a good look at each of the slaves but smirked and pressed a finger to her lips, indicating for them to be quiet. They were more than happy to oblige her, each one hoping that the strange thieving woman might set them free.

Rajini moved quietly towards the guard standing at the end of the cell block with his back to her. He never sensed her coming up behind him until she had his arms locked around his throat, choking the air from him. She found herself not caring whether he lived or died as he collapsed to the floor.

She made a quick scan of the room. Seeing it was clear, she now made her way over to get a better look at the slaves Sufjan was keeping. They were all quite attractive and this did not surprise her, but when her eyes settled on the very last one Rajini did a double-take.

She shook her head , blinked a few times and looked at the man again. He had not changed. Her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. It was exactly who she thought! There was no mistaking it.

ooc: Have fun!

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OOC: No worries, not all posts can be of magnificent lengths XD

IC:

Taken away, Ayden himself pleasantly surprised to be escorted to a massive palace that put a Sultan's harem to shame (and he had snuck into a harem or two in his time!).  His grin went wide, seeming impervious, indifferent to the fate that loomed before him in sin and luxury.

'Hell, for five t'ousand, I t'ink I did pretty good," Ayden commented to himself, rather cheerfully as his eyes continued to examine the place and as he was ushered down the plush carpet of a great hall, he put his hands out, fingers running across a great tapestry and the beads of an exotic lamp.
It was met by the sharp end of a stick to his fingers, the hand of which Ayden retracted sharply as he raised his squinty eyes up to and smirked at the slave master wagging the stick.
"Touch nothing." the tall man warned.

Ayden merely cocked his head, smirking as he asked, "Hey, you got a cigarette?"

The man glared at him before gesturing sharply.
"Keep moving, slave."


Ayden only shrugged and stepped onward.
"It was w'ort' askin'."

The newer slaves were kept in the lower, more cooler regions of the estate. ANd down the sandstone steps they went and then taken to their own cells. Some shared, but others did not, as Ayden was left to his own room. He let his eyes flicker about, pacing for a time around the small confines of his cell before stretching out and residing himself to idly staring off towards the back wall.

So he hadn't seen her coming, except for the sudden hushing of tears and the creeping shape of her shadow that grew and stretched across the back wall.  Blinking, he turned around.
ANd it was her face he hadn't expected to see after all this time....
What, how many years had it been? Enough to seal his throat into a nasty, pale and puffed scar.
Even still, any emotions stirred in jeweled sparklings within his brown eyes as an easy grin stretched across his lips.
"Hey, Raj," he said casually, tipping back his head as blonde hair spilled away from his eyes.

[Vincent]

Rajini closed her eyes briefly and shook her head. He was the only male slave purchased and she couldn't even fathom what made anyone think he was even that attractive looking. "Five thousand, eh? " She opened her eyes again and went over to the guard, feeling him up for the keys. She found it and returned to where she had stood before, her dark eyes sweeping once over all the cells. "Sufjan must be insane." There was really no other explanation she could honestly think of.

She went to work unlocking each cell , "Out the window, " she told them, "the way should be clear for a couple minutes. " Each woman thanked her before making their escape. Now she came at last to Ayden's cell with key in hand, " Now, what to do with you, I wonder?" It was pretty amusing to see him locked up. Perhaps she should leave him there!

However, she was curious, " How did you even get yourself caught? " This was Ayden Bane, son of one of the most infamous thieves that once terrified the Moraki Desert. "Losing your edge, are you?"There was humor in her tone. 

[visualspice]

"Five t'ousand," Ayden repeated, the smile on his lips remaining wide. "I t'ink he got a good deal." As Rajini moved away, he tilted his head curiously, listening to her unlocking the other slaves as his fingers itched, drawing to his lips as if he had  cigarette, then stopped and looked down at his hands, which were shaking due to the lack of nicotine in his blood.
He lowered them only when she approached and his smile returned, eyes dancing as he looked at her and basked in her shadow with coy affection.

At her question of what to do with him, he answered her simply. "I could 'tink of a lot of t'ings." And slowly he rose to his feet, still smiling the same grin he always wore as he leaned against the wall. He still had the chains around his throat and wrists, unlike the other slaves. As he moved, they jingled.

He stood tall now, even taller than Rajini, who was an impressive height for a lady and approached the front of the cell, pressing his forehead against the bars as dark shadows cast over his eyes from the loose cut of his blonde hair.

"Do you want t' hear d' story?" he inquired, the easy grin still gracing his lips.  "It could make for good small talk if you'd ra'dder we wait and I treat you to a nice dinner in town to catch up. D'ough, that would require," and he lifted his wrists, the chains jingling. "A bit of effort if d' lady standin' before me were to oblige. I might even t'row in a treat." He would of winked, but the sparkle in his eyes told her enough about his intentions.

"And I'm a man of my word. I could offer much t' a woman like you." But then he pointed right at his lips and said. "D'ough I could make good on my payment now. Some say my lips are like tastin' ambrosia, food of d'a Gods." And he kept his finger pointed there to make his point, his eyes ever warm and playful, his composure- calm and collected as usual. "I t'ink it might be fair. Five t'ousand gold of freedom right on d'ese lips." Then he pressed forward still, gripping the bars as his normal grin stretched even more.
"And did I mention I missed you, Raj?" Really, he couldn't remember. The last time he was gurgling blood from his throat.

[Vincent]

Rajini laughed, " You would think so." By the sands was he ever arrogant! She scowled, noticing his eyes were giving her a good look over. She was used to men giving her such looks and she only shook her head.

"Oh really?" Rajini smirked, having a pretty fair idea of what he was thinking. "Well, keep it to yourself unless you'd rather that I leave you in here to keep Sufjan company tonight."

She snorted at the idea of dinner with him, " You should know by now that I'm a busy girl. I've got plans, Ayden. And you aren't part of them." She finished flatly and there was a somewhat dangerous edge in her tone. Really? The nerve he had talking to her like that! If he wasn't behind bars, she'd beat the camel shit out of him.

However, she calmed herself and flashed him a mischievous smile, " But I'm sure Sufjan would just love to take you up on that offer."

If he wanted out of that cage he was going to have to do a lot better than that.
 

[visualspice]

"But it wouldn' be as much fun unless it was you," Ayden pressed at her remark regarding Sufjan. "An besides, d'at ain't d' kind of way I like t' swing. Five t'ousand gold or not." he shrugged.  "But if you let me out, I could be your slave." He leered her, tilting his head charming against the jail cell bars. He even gave a subtle pout of his lips. He knew how to work his body. Too bad the effects would be lost on a woman like Rajini.
"D'eh already got me in chains and I'd be a willing participant." He lifted them up to show her what he meant, and again, the chains jingled musically between them. "It would only be fair, assuming you can get me out of d'is mess wit' d'is Sufjan.  I don't t'ink I want t' know why he paid d'at much money for me, and I'd ra'dder be at d' disposal of a girl I like, ra'dder d'en a man who'd use me like an expensive whore."  The he turned to her, smirking as he leaned against the bars again, pressing his face out as much as he could so he could look more closely into her eyes.
"I promise t' make it wort' your while, Raj. I ain't got much t' lose, except every't'ing and you'd have my word. And you could even have my key." he gestured over towards the wall where it hung, then his blue eyes met to her.
"T'ink about d' possibilities a woman could do w'it a slave like me."
And his stretch grew to where he showed off his teeth, seeming very happy with his idea.

[Vincent]

Some women would have been impressed. Rajini was not. She took a step back, her expression somewhat disgusted though she contained her anger well. If there was one thing this man knew how to do was push her buttons. All the wrong ones! Except a couple because then he'd be most certainly dead!

She bit her tongue and held her temper, convinced that he was doing this to her on purpose. Maybe it tickled him to make her mad because he seemed so very good at doing it. And she loathed herself for not just slitting his throat and silencing his insolent tongue for good. Were it not for the apples...she'd murder him and not lose any sleep over it!

"I'm not a woman, not a child," Rajini reminded him. A girl was the naive type who'd giggle at Ayden's words and find him irresistible. Rajini was far past the stage of being impressed that easily!

"I am going to regret this, " She unlocked his cell door but not his cuffs. "You're free. Get  out of my sight. " Even if she didn't like the man, he wasn't the worst and not deserving of having a night with Sufjan.

[visualspice]

Ayden smiled, much like a cat, the grin nearly reaching his ears as his grey-blue eyes sparkled.
He only took a step forward, putting out his wrists.
"Why don't you take whats been offered, Raj? I like d' idea of playin' your slave. And I would owe you d' favor. You jus' h've to take me by d' leash and I'll obey your every command. I bet even you could find use for a man like me. I could do many t'ings you'd find useful." Again, there was a slight purse to his lips as he lifted his chin, eyes sparkling even more playful than before.

[Vincent]

She regretted her decision already!

Rajini resisted the urge to roll her eyes,  " You've nothing to offer me, " she told him flatly, "please, just go away."

Was he really pleased to see her or was it just an act to lead her into some false sense of security? Surely he resented her for near having killed him and humiliating him before his former colleagues?  This affair would have been so much easier on her if he'd spat in her face. Then she'd just leave him there and be on her merry way!

Much to her displeasure, when she moved away she found him following her like a baby duckling. "Stop following me!"  She snapped at him , but then she gave up. It was her fault, she knew. She should have left him where he was. "Fine. If you're so eager to be useful to me, then unlock yourself, " she tossed him the key and then went over to the guard, claiming his scimitar. "I'm here for something specific. Your task is to watch my back for trouble. Think you can handle that? "

If he thought that she was going to play into his little slave fantasy, then he may as well keep dreaming! But she wasn't a fool either. If he was being honest about wanting to repay her, then she'd take advantage. It made this job easier for her.

[visualspice]

Ayden only smiled at her comment following her until she seemed to cave. It seemed a bit too easy and when she tossed him the key, he smirked.

"But d'is is d' elusive Ayden Bane, offerin' t' be your slave at every beck and call," he pressed, still remaining in his chains, key held in his fist as he followed after her and claimed a weapon.
"And as your slave, I'd be held t' my obligation t' see you find t' t'ing you are after. D'ough I can watch your back..." and oh, how he ever liked the view as his blue eyes roamed over her sweet ass.  "I can 'andle d'at perfectly." his grin suddenly became more smug.

[Vincent]

"Elusive and yet you wound up here. So how did that rat Ke'ale manage to catch you? "  She moved toward the end of the room and peeked down the hall. The way was clear, but it wouldn't be for long.

"Probably dead drunk somewhere with your pants down," She wouldn't have been surprised had that been the case. This man liked his drink and never could keep his pants on for very long. A lot of men, she found, were like that.

She glanced over her shoulder at him and narrowed her eyes dangerously, " I didn't mean watch my back in the literal sense." She knew exactly what he was watching and she didn't approve. He could stare all he wanted when the task was finished , but she didn't want him screwing things up because he was too busy being male.

"What I'm looking for will either be in his treasury or in his room. I'm hoping it isn't the latter or that'll be next to impossible. We'll hit the treasury first." She slid down the hall, stepping soundlessly and carefully. At the end of the hall, they encountered a guard who was rounding the corner. Rajini lifted the scimitar and brought the heavy hilt down on his skull before it could register in his mind that there were thieves roaming Sufjan's estate.

They turned into another hall where two more guards were waiting. Rajini retreated , flattening herself against the wall and then turning to look at Ayden. She whispered, " Two ahead. They're in the way."  The treasury was just beyond the next hall, down some stairs. And she imagined that there'd be guards down there as well as traps. She'd never been foolish enough to raid Sufjan's estate before so she had no idea what was in store. "I take one, you take the other. On three.

One....

two...

three!"

She moved around the corner and quickly entered the next hall, charging the nearest guard and, grabbing a fistful of hair, she smashed his head brutally against the wall.  He might have been dead when he fell, but she didn't care. None of the men working for Sufjan were honorable.


ooc: Leaving the other one to you!

[visualspice]

Ayden flashed some teeth when she made a jab at his own mantra.
"It was probably wort' it." Ayden admitted. "If d' story was d'ere to tell you, i would. But it seems d'at d'ere was so much fun to be 'ad d'at night, I forgot what it was."
Ayden kept his grin smug and followed close behind her, eyes on the prize, and whens he commented, he only looked up and flashed her some more teeth.

As she they pressed onward, he , still in his chains, key still in his hand... he listened intently on her plan.
"So what is 'dis 'ting?" she kept going on about it, he was curious. Though if she was serious to keep him around...
"And you can tell me. I'll keep d'ese chains on. D'at what if you don't like what I'm doin', you can just pull on it and punish me. I won't mind." Again, his eyes could of winked.
But they did not.

"SO how priceless is d'is t'ing anyways d'at you'd risk also stealin' d' fifty t'ousand gold slave? I take it d'ere is a lot involved 'ere or else you would 'ave left me rot back in d'at cage." He studied her and then as they pressed to the hallway, he noted the guard on ahead.
Though as she rushed towards her target- he remained slow and merely strolled on up to him- so when Rajini was taking her man down, Ayden had barely made it to his as the ma gave a short holler before the chains linked to Ayden suddenly went around the man's throat, and Ayden held them there untilt he man was blue it he face and wilted within his grasp.

Letting the man drop, Ayden walked casually away.

"So about d'em questions.."s he said with a smirk, hoping she'd oblige as they walked down the hall, pausing just outside the doors.
"Lady first." He gave her a most suave grin and gestured for her to move forward with a motion of his arms.

[Vincent]

Rajini shook her head at the casual manner in which Ayden dispatched his guard. These fools must have gone soft. Sufjan wasn't robbed often enough! "Show off." He was just lucky and she wasn't going to be impressed!

"My sources say it's a full-length body mirror made of gold and encrusted with emeralds, sapphires ,rubies, diamonds even. Before you even ask me why I'd want that, I don't. There's something either on the mirror or in it-a clue I need in order to find something else that will help me locate a map that will lead me to a key that will unlock the vault of the thing I'm actually after." Was that not a mouthful or what?

She smirked, " And how, exactly, does my 'stealing' you suddenly elevate your value from five thousand to fifty? You think far too highly of yourself. "

She paused to eye him with a small measure of suspicion. Ayden being a gentleman? He probably just wanted another excuse to stare at her backside more. She frowned at him, but assumed the lead once more, continuing down the hall and descending a flight of shallow steps.At the base of those steps was a lavishly decorated hallway complete with tapestries spun of golden thread and ornate suits of armor that appeared to be of the most superior dwarven craftsmanship. "Is that mithril?" Rajini shook her head. Despite the rarity of such a thing in her country, she would resist that temptation!

For it wasn't as valuable as the thing she was after. But she hesitated to continue down the hall because it was empty. No guards. No obvious dangers and at the far end of the hall waited the enormous double doors guarded by a heavy combination lock.

"I don't like this. It seems too easy, " She muttered , taking a cautious step forward.
That single step triggered something though as the floor section beneath her stepping foot sunk down like a button pressed. Moments later, a section of the wall beside her opened up, a stone snake's head slithering forth from concealment, spraying a wave of fire towards her!

Ooc: If this makes no sense, too bad!