The Rowan Tavern

[Rhindeer]

Kyras didn't release the boy even as he offered no resistance, and he didn't look back as they walked, though, inwardly, he hoped they were not followed. There were too many nosy people around here, and right now, he didn't want to fight. Oh, sure, he loved a good battle, but just like anything, sometimes he liked to do other things with his time or just wasn't in the mood. Now was one of those times. And besides...a fight with any of the people around here would be boring. The boy would jump to his defense before he even got a blow in himselfâ€"that had happened beforeâ€"and it didn't look like it would take much to dispatch any of the people here, with or without his litle pet.

When Kyras fought, he liked to fight, he liked a challenge. When it came to tormenting someone...well, he also liked a challenge thereâ€"though it didn't mean he would enjoy spilling blood any lessâ€"as well, and despite all his heated thoughts, now that he had the time to cool down, he really hoped the boy wouldn't break too easily. In fact, he hoped he wouln't break at all, at least not completely. He liked the boy's defiance, that little spark he possessed, liked that he fought against him, resisted him. It made things interesting for Kyras, and truth be told, it was for this reason alone that the demon would never actually relieve the boy of his tongue, though he would certainly threaten and perhaps even grow dangerously close to carrying out the act. A docile slave was a boring slave; a docile slave in Cerenai society was a slave without any purpose at all, a slave that was soon killed.

Cerenai loved a challenge, a fight, in every aspect of their lives. This was no different. And besides, Lenrizel didn't have to be tame for Kyras to get what he wanted out of him. Kyras could order him around just the same, and he'd have no choice but to obey. And he wouldn't have to worry about him running off again soon enough, anway.

It was, however, unfortunate for Lenrizel that all this was true, as it did indeed mean his life would be quite miserable. And Cerenai demons had extremely long lifespans. Kyras himself was a mere twenty-five years old, and for a Cerenai, that was young. Which meant all the more time for Kyras to exploit the boy's coveted abilities, and more time for the poor genie to suffer the brunt of all of Kyras' aggressions and...insecurities.

Before much longer, they had reached the slaver's block, and a few words from Kyras to one of the slavers sent him to retrieve the objects Kyras asked for. Before too long, the slaver returned, various collars looped over one arm, all different designs and colors. Kyras gave a smile, seemingly benign though his eyes were empty of any such kindness, and looked to Lenrizel.

"Well, which one would you like, boy? Speak up." He was not being the least bit kind in letting him pick his own collar; in fact, he was being openly cruel, just like in the past when he'd allowed a victim to choose by which method they wished to die.

[Anonymous]

Back in the tavern...
"Mmm, yes," said Sellion. He was starting to enjoy this, now being slightly sodden. "There is some truth in many children's stories. After all, who made up the stories in the first place? Take dragons for instance. I don't know if they exist, but if they don't, then they must have some basis in reality, right? Someone had to see something like a dragon. However, you're probably right about his being out of my league. I think I can take care of that, though. Heh, I do have some useful friends...and some of them may be able to take on a demon." Under his breath he mentioned something about "Ahriman" and "Azathoth."

[Anonymous]

"I've never heard of a childern's tale about a dragon, but I have seen a Half-Dragon." Jeral responds, noticing no one wants a drink right now. "Don't know where he got to, though." Jeral catches the names of two people, but doesn't know who they are, and doesn't care. "Friends that could take on a Daemon? Let me tell you, kid, it's not easy. They don't like to die, much less be banished."

[Anonymous]

"It is not a servant's place to say what he wants," Lenrizel said through clenched teeth, looking Kyras straight in the eye, his own eyes narrowing.  "He is to have no will but that of his master."  If there were a moment in all of time where someone meant the complete opposite of the feeling that should have been conveyed by such words, that was it.  "I will defer to your judgment, my lord."  Did ever two words drip with such venom?  "After all, what could one like myself possibly know of such matters?  You clearly have more experience."

[Rhindeer]

A grin flashed across Kyras' face, his white fangs flashing dangerously. He didn't seem at all upset by the boy's outburst, and instead just made a mental note of it. Indeed, the boy likely wouldn't be able to walk by the time Kyras was finished with him, and Kyras would enjoy every second of it. "You're right. I do know better. But I am a kind master, so I thought to give you this chance to use your own little brain for once. It makes me pleased to know you wish not to have this choice; you are a good slave indeed, boy, to know your place so well!" And then Kyras ruffled the boy's hair with his free hand, like one would pet the fur of a dog. Except his touch was rough, and he wasn't mindful of his claw-like nails as they raked through the boy's hair and against his scalp. "I do indeed have the experience, that is true, boy. And that is why you are turning out just so well."

Turning back to the slaver, he pointed out the plainest, most uncomfortable-looking collar he could spot, a brown leather collar that was sure to chaff the softer flesh of any wearer's throat. The boy would regret playing the fool and passing up this chance to choose his symbol of bondage. At the very least, he could have picked himself a good collar that wouldn't rub the flesh raw.

Funny thing was, Kyras doubted the boy would choose, anyway. He was simply toying with the slave, and he shook his head as he paid for the collar and accepted it, turning the rough material over in his hands. Ah, the wonders of mind games. The boy had his one chance to assert some aspect of control in his life by making a decisionâ€"a negative one at thatâ€"but he had passed it up, as Kyras expected, and would now suffer all the more for it.

Fun stuff.

The collar came with a sturdy chain leash, but Kyras only lifted the boy's chin and snapped the collar around his throat for now. "There. How does it fit? Too tight?" Kyras asked, sounding genuinely concerned. But he wasn't. He was only mocking the boy, and the collar was supposed to be uncomfortable.

[Anonymous]

Although countless centuries had taught him what could and unmistakably would come of such responses, somehow Lenrizel's true feelings frequently tended to outrun his expressions of propriety, as they did at this moment.  Oh, he knew from experience the many different kinds of punishment for a disobedient slave that had evolved during the world's existence, yet still he too often clung to the reactions he felt in his heart, whether they had been provoked by a sense of moral obligation to refuse an order for conscience's sake, or perhaps by what scraps of personal dignity he still had remaining after many masters' attempts at taking that from him, at breaking his spirit.

Maybe it was because he knew that no matter what was done, he would live through it, but that part of his existence also had a flip side: he would live through it, even the moments where most people would have succumbed all too willingly to the oblivion of unconsciousness or death.  And his lack of need for sleep did not help matters much, either...he couldn't even sleep if he wanted to.  No, it was part of the curse of his race to stand guard over all time, whether the world slept or walked about.  And it was also his curse to face his allotment in life anew with every possessor of that ring.  Such a little, tiny thing, to control the course of millennia.

Lenrizel then said something he didn't care whether Kyras understood or not: he cursed Kyras in his true native tongue, the one he had learned when in appearance and in years he was a young child.  Not the "curses" people said when half-drunk or that time had filled with meaningless profanities and expletives, but one where the speaker meant every single word and wished what he said upon the hearer.  Lenrizel knew that no one around here would understand what he was saying, except maybe Kyras himself, or one that was used to studying arcane linguistics, but even if they would have known, he'd have likely said the same, but would have had less opportunity of time if others had known the dark words.  

In the speech he had known since his earliest days, he released every drop of hatred he had been holding on to.  Better to get it out and over with all at once than to further delay the evincement of what he really thought of the demon.  Oh, how easily the obscure words came!  To the untrained ear or one that could not see Lenrizel's expression they might have even been called somewhat musical, spoken with such a unique accent.  At least for that small moment he felt free, though he knew what consequences he would bring upon himself.

[Rhindeer]

Crack!

As soon as the words left the boy's mouth, the back of Kyras' hand connected with Lenrizel's cheek hard enough to knock the boy off his feet. Kyras didn't understand the actual words, but he understood the tone well enough, and as much as he would enjoy punishing the boy later, and as much as he didn't want to make a public scene here with so many nosy people around, impulse kicked in. And besides...he had had enough of the boy addressing him in that tone in public, where he was supposed to be in control of the slave in all areas. A misbehaved slave did not reflect well on its master, and as much as he enjoyed Lenrizel's defiance, there was a time and a place for it. Now was neither the time nor place. Not really because he cared about what other's thought, but just because he rather enjoyed humiliating the boy in public.

And, impulse or not, it was still thoroughly satisfying.

Silently, Kyras snatched Lenrizel by his slave's collar and, similar to earlier, began to haul him along with him, not caring if he choked the boy a little here and there. He'd live. "I'm so sorry you had to hear that," he told the slaver as he left. "He's usually so well behaved. Looks like I'll just have to 'retrain' him. Good day."

Kyras had already let him get away with far too much in public today. Yes, playtime was officially over; they were going to head "home", and he was going to have his "fun".

[gyah, sucky post! >.<]

[Anonymous]

Lenrizel did indeed fall from the blow, and when Kyras grabbed the collar to drag him along again, he gagged at the strangling pressure against his throat until he could get to his feet once more.   How easy it would have been to have said I hate you at that moment, but that seemed too mild, especially after what he had said to merit being struck.  

He well knew what would likely happen to him when he and Kyras got home, and to be honest he dreaded it, but more so because it was at the hand of someone like Kyras.  True, he had been in the possession of heartless and cruel masters before who were intent on breaking his spirit so that he offered no obstruction to their evil schemes, and it had been akin to enduring hell itself to keep his sanity against their wickedness, but at least that was all most of them had been intent on doing: forcing him to their will, not utterly humiliating him in the process.  How many hundreds of years had it been since he had been summoned to a master like Kyras?  Too long ago, apparently, for here his fate had brought him again.  Well, this time, he would not let himself be humiliated without a fight.  Even he had some self respect left.  And even though he was aware of the certainty of consequences, he was going to hold on to what dignity he still had, even if it meant suffering more for his resistance to whatever evil Kyras had planned for the genie.  He could not let himself lose what made him who he was.

[Anonymous]

Elinsha had just recently gotten into town that evening after an evening of walking somewhat aimlessly in the forest. In her bag were several fresh pelts and some meat from a few rabbits she had encountered, and now it was time to sell them. Feeling lost in the town she wandered around looking at the signs and just generally feeling; well, apathetic sort of to the fact that she had no place to stay. She was a creature of the night anyway; she wouldn’t need to sleep for hours anyways even though she had gotten up earlier than usual to get here. Checking her face veil she pressed on, very well aware of the fact that she was a stranger among men.

The worn shoes on her feet made a cracking sound against the stones, but a sudden loud crack cause her to stop in her tracks. Turning her head in the direction of the sound she saw what appeared to be a young boy fallen to the ground and a man, presumably his master, standing over him. At first she was going to stay away but something caused her to change her mind and as if her feet had a mind all their own she was headed in their direction. For some reason acting the martyr sounded good at the moment, so she placed herself in the middle of it, between the master and slave.

The face veil had fallen away from her mouth and she hissed at the man, rabbit blood still dripping from her teeth. “What seems to be the problem?�

[Rhindeer]

Any satisfaction Kyras had gotten from slapping the boy quickly evaporated when yet another person decided to poke their nose where it didn't belong and attempt to get between he and his possession, and it took a great effort not to hiss in frustration. What was with these people? Then again, he had to remember that human culture was vastly different from Cerenai culture, and though he knew that, in this human village at least, slavery was legal, not that that really mattered; he'd do what he pleased anyway, but Cerenai weren't stupid, and survival was their main concern, and his kind were rare, now. If survival meant playing by another culture's rules to get what he wanted, he had no qualms about that.

Still...hrm. Legal or not, perhaps humans treated their slaves differently in public, and that was what was causing the uproar? If so, that seemed kind of stupid to Kyras. didn't humans know how effective public humiliation was? Probably, but it was probably nosy brats like the people he'd run across that discouraged the practice.

"You seem to be the problem," Kyras answered darkly, blunt as usual, his grip still unyeilding on his slave's collar even as the woman tried to move between them. But he held his ground easily, and would have otherwise gone around her and hope, for her own sake, that she wouldn't decide to tag along and make him do something she wouldn't like very much, but then his eyes took in the sight of blood dribbling from her teeth. Fangs?

And she had hissed.

Kyras paused in mid-step, and a flash of curiosity mixed and mingled with his mask of annoyance as he looked at her, loose blonde and black curls framing his youthful face. Yes, regardless of how lowly he viewed everyone else, referring to them as thugh to children, he was really no olderâ€"or perhaps not much olderâ€"than anyone here now, at a mere twenty-five at most. "What the hell are you?" he asked in his typical disinterested way. More just as if he expected an answer.

[Anonymous]

"I hope she is the problem," Lenrizel muttered half to himself, though he didn't seem to care who heard.   He cast a bitter glance at Kyras' ring, and wondered at what chance there was for this stranger to overpower Kyras.  More than anything he wished that he weren't obligated by his very existence to protect his master if at all possible.

[Rhindeer]

In response to Lenrizel's flapping tongue, Kyras simply gripped the excess part of the collar and squeezed it together a bit, thus tightening the collar around Lenrizel throat in the process, almost to the point of it bing a strangle-hold. At best, it would certainly make breathing rather uncomfortable and still any more defiant words. And if the boy dared speak anymore, he'd just tighten his hold even more. He knew good and well that he couldn't kill the boy, but he could certainly make his life miserable, and he had yet to meet a soul that didn't panic just a little from having their air supply shortened. It must be even worse for someone who couldn't die or even pass out.

Even with the option of unconsciousness, it was bad enough.

Kyras would know.

[evil short post! >.<]

[Anonymous]

“I am what I am,� she muttered as she fiddled with the veil around her face.

For a moment she had forgotten herself, Elinsha was not the type of person to get in others affairs. Maybe though, she figured, it had been the kill not that long ago that had set her on edge and still had her there or maybe it was seeing someone being attacked that had triggered something in her. Of course before she even rushed in she managed to figure out their relationship to one another but there was a tiny ray of hope that maybe she would be protecting someone from a fate that had befallen her. Immediately at the thought her hand reached up and touched her belly where the long scar was, hidden luckily in the darkness.

Then the boy made a stupid comment, perfect for pulling her out of her thoughts.

She rounded on him, “You’ll speak when spoken to,� she shouted before turning back around.

If the boy wasn’t going to be grateful for her saving him from probably what was to become a brutal beating then there was no point in her being kind to him. She saw the man tighten his grip on the boy’s collar, but this time she didn’t care, the stupid idiot deserved it. That’s probably why he had been slapped in the first place, for some stupid out of line comment that sent his master into anger; obviously this boy had not been trained at all.

“Obviously your boy has yet to be broken in, excuse me for the intrusion. I had figured that you were just attacking someone at random,� she folded her arms across her chest. She had always hated admitting she was wrong.

[Anonymous]

Lenrizel's heart sank at the Carpathian's words, but he tried not to let it show much on his face.  Had she not realized what he had meant, then?  Did she not know that he was reaching out toward the only hope he could think of at that moment?  Or that if she were indeed a problem to Kyras, that his days with such a horrid creature as the Cerenai were even more numbered?  He gagged again at the grip Kyras took on his collar; well, if he were going to explain himself, he'd better do it quickly or he would no longer be able to speak.  His words game in gasps.  "I am--a genie, and if you take that gold--ring--from his finger, you'll--"  At this point any mortal would have succumbed to the blackness of unconsciousness, but this was denied Lenrizel--yet it did not spare him the weakness, the throbbing pain, of what would have been felt through such an experience if full consciousness were retained.   He sank to his knees once again, bleary-eyed from the intense pressure, too weak in that moment deprived of oxygen to keep his footing.

[Rhindeer]

"Mm, I see," Kyras replied simply, not seeming upset that she didn't answer. It was a mere curiosity on his part; after all, she had fangs and a rather feral feel to her, so he couldn't help but wonder if she was one of those "vampires" he was sometimes compared to. It was namely when his own fangs were visible that he'd heard the whispered word, so he just figured that was probably the most important feature concerning the species.

What the woman did next took even Kyras by surprise. He had been expecting her, like the other bleeding hearts, to make some emotional speech against slavery, blah blah blah, he'd have to explain that he could give a rat's ass, and then she'd either back off, or persist in being a nuissance. So far, that had been his experience since reclaiming the runaway. But instead, she rounded on the boy and told him to behave. Kyras' two-toned eyes widened a few increments; it took a good deal to surprise him, but this did it. As did her following comments.

Well, in that case...Kyras could afford a little "niceness".

"Yes, apologies for his behavior. He's a fresh one and, no, not yet broken in. He will be soon enough though. Heâ€""

And that was when Lenrizel decided to speak, making Kyras hiss in anoyance. Immediately, the grip on his collar tightened enough to close the boy's airway completely, and he roughly heaved him up to his feet, holding his weak body up firmly and mercilessly. He would have never treated a mortal slave like this, for fear of killing his investment, but Lenrizel was no mortal, so it mattered not. It even made things better, because he didn't have to worry about getting a bit too rough. "He's growing delirious, I fear. Lack of oxygen will do that, but it is his own inability to save his breath that warrants that I teach him to," the demon explained calmly. "Still, I fear I must be going. This is about the third crude outburst he's had today, and, frankly, I've seen mongrels behave better than this whelp. He has to be...trained."

Finally, his oxygen-depriving grip relaxed, but instead of letting Lenrizel go to sink to the ground in all the weakness and light-headedness that choking must have brought, he stooped slightly and slung the boyâ€"who in reality was not much shorter than heâ€"over his shoulder like a sack of grain. At this point, he just wanted to get out of this village and get "home", and dragging Lenrizel around, no matter how amusing, would slow them down, especially if he was currently too weak to struggle along. Kyras was tired of distractions. And he couldn't say he was too fond of human habitat in general.

"You will be silent unless spoken to. Just like the lady said," Kyras told Lenrizel levely.

[gonna be gone 'til Monday or Tuesday! See ya guys!]

[Anonymous]

Lenrizel did not respond this time; he was too weak to have done so, and his breath still came in gasps as he tried to regain a normal breathing pattern.  He only moaned slightly once or twice from the headache of suddenly returning blood and oxygen.

[Anonymous]

Eve certaintly was surprised when she saw what was happening. Now, as she watched the slave go limp, she wish she had acted sooner. Of course, as a Guardian Angel, she would have been expected to step up sooner, but as a citizen of Earth, she was also expected to let some cruelties like slavery slip through the cracks.

The girl was now surprised when she heard the slave moan in pain. For sure he would be unconcious by now. Eve kept hidden across the clearing, but watched the scene intently. Her magic was powerful, but against a man who would act like that, she should probably wait until it was really necessary to fight.

She placed her hood on her head, and grabbed her staff that was leaning on a nearby wall and walked over to a quiet alley. The angel whispered a small spell in hopes of sending the slave a message that she was going to try and help.

[Anonymous]

Lenrizel received the message; it was as a cool breeze against his tormented spirit.  But he could not respond to it; though his powers were vast, they were at Kyras' mercy for the time being, and what little magic he had learned on his own was useless without enough strength to speak.  All he could do at that moment was allow himself to be carried.  After a while, though, when he actually heard his own vocal cords make a sound when he coughed, he whispered what little he could to let the kind soul know that he had heard, the few words of learned magic that he knew.

[Anonymous]

Elinsha caught the last part of what the slave had to say before his air supply was cut short. Quickly she glanced at the master’s hand to notice the ring but obviously she could do nothing at the moment, she’d have to play a waiting game if she wanted to help the boy out more. Her brow furrowed as she began to formulate a plan on the spot, obviously not a well thought out one or even one that was guaranteed to work, but it was a plan none the less and despite her natural behavior there was a tiny voice in the back of her mind telling her that she ought to just do something nice every now and then. Also that she needed friends.

“I’ve been known to train weasels like him, and I offer you my services for my rude outburst,� she said sweetly curtsying down low. “All it would cost you is a place to stay.�

Behind her veil she gave a toothy, yet pleasant smile. She hoped he’d take the bait; it’d give her a place to at least to stay the night and possibly get a good meal as well as hopefully help this boy out. Maybe, if she was even luckier, new clothes would be thrown into the deal if she could get that out of him. Of course all this would be possible if he didn’t suspect her.

“Oh,� she exclaimed remembering how her teeth had come out, “I of course promise not to harm any of your property, if you know what I mean.�

[Anonymous]

A response came. It was quiet and hard to decipher, but a response all the same. Eve was surprised though at the reply. She hadn't expected anything from her own message. Fortunately now though,  she knew that the slave must be magical in some way. But, magical being or not, Eve still wondered how the boy had survived such a choke.

The angel kept her mind busy as she walked away from the eye catching scene and toward the library. Some studying up couldn't do too much harm. Eve stopped in her tracks and turned around to look at the struggle one more time.  She raised her palm to the sky, where a small ball of light emerged from it. It floated off her hand, and closer to the slave and his master. The ball flew across the clearing undetected, only seen by Eve's eye. When she was gone researching, she didn't want to loose them. The angel turned away once more to head to the library.

Once there, Eve went strait to a section titled "Magical Creatures". Nothing interesting was there. Next she went to the "Slaves" section. For a while, it seemed useless. Only books about proper training methods and useful items. Then, finally she came across a book called 'The Rare and Unusual'. At first glance, Eve thought it just happened to be in the wrong place, but when she opened it, she found descriptions of all the magical creatures who could be enslaved. Almost immediatly, her mystery of the concious boy was solved.