Chapter 1: The Mask of Pretense

His vision was so blurry he could barely see the grassy field ahead of him. In the sky the sun shone, and the birds flew, making tears come to his eyes. But why? He had no idea himself.

-A/Z-

The metallic taste on Slaine's tongue was thick and suffocating- so much that he felt himself almost vomit. His thin shoulders trembled as he tried to resist the urge, knowing that if he did vomit, he would most likely choke. The cloth in his mouth hindered him, his stomach was cramped, and the metallic taste in his mouth was getting stronger with each passing second.

"You must stop destroying the merchandise." Someone sighed above Slaine.

He gasped as he felt fingers curl into his hair and pull. He could barely struggle as his wrists were tied with thick rope, twisted painfully behind his back, and his entire being thrummed with pain. Everything was too bright, and he could just barely make out colors if he squinted.

The hand gripping his hair shook him, forcing his head back painfully, making him gasp in pain again.

"Look at it! This is a rare, one-of-a-kind creature, and you hit it with your damn car!"

"Hey, it's still alive, right?" Another voice sullenly muttered. Slaine sightless eyes drifted left, towards it.

"It's still breathing and has all of its limbs ..."

"Broken as fuck and dirty, that's what it is," The other person replied, and dropped Slaine. His shoulder hit the floor hard, and the pain in his arm numbed all else momentarily.

"Eh, it's just a half breed."

"Exactly! So it'll bounce back in a few days!" The second voice whispered giddily, and Slaine felt a hand press against his head, "If not, then we'll just sell it to some fancy rich people. They love devil children," the voice snorted "the sickos. They treat them like some sort of pet."

"It's a half breed Incubus, idiot," the first voice snapped, "They're not safe at all."

"Not our problem." said the other voice. Slaine could make out the faint outline of the man's shoulders as he shrugged. "Half breed Incubus are as dangerous as the pure ones, everyone knows that. If you get killed by one, then it's your own fault."

"...Well, put it in a cage or something. Hose it down too, now that I think about it- it's covered in blood and God knows what."

"Sure thing."

While Slaine was still trying to cope with the conversation he'd heard, he felt someone grab his ankle. He couldn't help the groan that escaped him as he was dragged over rough dirt that irritated his wounds. After what seemed like forever, he was grabbed his hair once again and pushed into something incredibly cold. He struggled to keep his eyes open at this point, and the urge to throw up was getting stronger by the second. Everything was still a flurry of wild colors, but he could make out a dark figure looming over him- not good. Then he heard the strange hissing noise.

"Shower time, you dirty shit."

Something cold hit him, startling a yelp out of him; reflex, as cold things hit him hard. He was too weak to fight back, and the cold was making his wounds flare up in pain. The relentless pressure was overwhelming and when it hit his face he finally realized - water. WATER.

It hurt. It hurt, it hurt hurt hurt hurt hurt hurt. His back arched upwards, a whimper surging from his lips.

"Fuck." the person whistles, and the water stops. Something heavy hit the ground.

Slaine heaved against his gag, nose full of water as the man approached him and crouched. A finger pulled against his gag, taking it out of his mouth and down where it rested on his neck. Slaine coughed out more water.

"You a sly one, I'll give it to ya. It musta felt good, huh?" the man laughs, and Slaine tried to get look at him.

Hatred. He hated him so much- the urge to jump up and sink his teeth into the man's flesh stirred within him. He could do it. He could tear his throat out and suck his soul and blood dry until there was nothing but skin and bones left- but the bonds around his wrists tense when he makes a sudden surge upwards. The man screamed when Slaine's sharp teeth snap in the air, just inches away from him.

Slaine slumped down to the ground with a thud, panting as his eyelids flutter against his will. He didn't remember much of what happens after that, but everything was spinning and the last thing he'd felt was pain as a boot slams into his stomach.

-A/Z-

Inaho hated this part of the city; the black market, where law didn't exist, everything was legalized, and everything was sold- including life. The place made him uncomfortable.

He walked past the stalls where young girls and boys sat all prettied up like cattle or gifts and a bunch of people were yelling their price out. Every sound rose in volume and his ears thrummed with the various voices.

He hated it.

However, a mission was still a mission. He continued his power walk through the market while attracting as little attention as possible. With his head bowed, hood up, hands in his pockets, and his rifle on full display, he's ready in case someone decided he looked like an easy target.

"For the price of seventy thousand, a young Selkie will provide service to-"

"A strong Oni half breed with the blood of a Mermaid! What an interesting mix! Let's start bidding at fifty thousand -!"

"-to Thirty thousand, a sea-devil!"

"Monster -Elemental for half the price if you buy with service-years"

"-an offer for a half breed Incubus!"

The last shout attracted Inaho's attention, so he slowed his pace and came to halt where he turned toward the large mass. There were many people watching the well-dressed man who stood over them with a charming smile. He reminded Inaho of fox, a very cruel one.

"That's right, my good buyer," Exclaimed the fox man, pointing behind him.

Inaho could not see, even as he rose to the tip of his toes, so he maneuvered his way closer, slipping between members of the crowd with a bit of elbowing, foot stomping, and quiet apologies.

"The purest half breed, a direct descendant of a pure Incubus and a pure Human. It's in a very good condition too!" Fox man increased his voice and angled a charming smile toward the crowd, "On the approximate of 17-18 years old, it has shown the charm and stamina of a fully matured Incubus, but combined with the tameness of a human! With the right training, it will be a perfect partner or friend to play with- at the right price, of course."

Inaho finally made his way to the front of the crowd, and felt something sour settle in the back of his throat at what he saw. Behind the fox-man was a boy; bound and gagged with a tight, almost painful looking metal collar around his neck. Thick chains connected from the collar to the floor, forcing him onto half-bent knees, making it impossible to fully straighten without strangling himself. He was one of the most pristine half breeds Inaho had ever seen- thin, soft looking, and with an androgynous face. His ears were elongated and pointy, and small wings framed his back. Behind him his tail was tightly coiled and trembling with subtle chills. But his eyes... the half breed's eyes- they were what most caught Inaho's attention.

"So let's start with a reasonable price, hm? Eighty thousand!"

The crowd immediately began to shout their prices, making the fox man increasingly excited as the prices surged sky-high. Inaho kept watching the half breed though, observing the boy who was looking at the crowd with a puzzled expression. Inaho felt himself stiffen.

Without a second thought Inaho moved forward, getting rid of anyone that got in his way, and to the edge of the platform. There were a few shocked shouts, and the fox-man turned to him quickly with a dark expression, mouth open to demand an explanation, when Inaho punch him firmly in the face. With a satisfying crunch, the fox man fell onto the stage with a cry, blood falling from his nose.

The half breed boy looked at him with wide, startled eyes as the crowd began to roar, some cheering, some shouting. Many people jumped onto platform to join the fight, along with the fox man's guards who surged onto the platform with their gleaming weapons. They headed toward him through the crowd, shouting, but Inaho was ticked off, and when that happens…..

-A/Z-

Slaine's legs were injured. They had walked for what felt like ages (to him anyway) and his feet were still in the process of healing. His new captor did not seem like he would stop anytime soon, but Slaine didn't dare to open his mouth.

The crowd that they had escaped from was long gone, as the majority had been beaten into submission by the very man who currently held his hand. His abductor had a dark bruise on his left cheek, but other than that sustained no injuries.

Suddenly his captor stopped, shoulders shaking slightly as he examined their surroundings, seemingly looking for someone- presumably pursuers. When he concluded that they were not being followed, he turned around and changed his grip on Slaine to something gentler as he relaxed with a quiet sigh, ducking his head.

"What a mess..." the man murmured softly, looking back up to face Slaine.

"Hey," he said, crouching slightly to meet Slaine's eye level. "Are you okay?"

Silence.

Slaine didn't know how to answer.

Should he make a run for it now? The grip on his hand was weak enough for him to pull away, but he was injured. And this man- Slaine had seen how powerful he was. He probably wouldn't be able to make it very far.

The thought made a sort of angry, powerless feeling rise within him, and he turned away, biting hard on the inside of his cheek. The man let go of him then, and rocked back and forth on his heels, looking stiff.

"I know I'm taking you and all, but I assure you I don't mean any harm. Do you have a home? A family?"

"..."

"Nothing?" The man tried, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck.

"..."

"Okay." He smiled thinly. "You must be tired, so how about you stay at my place for the night?"

"..."

Slaine just continued to stare at him, not uttering a sound.

"All right," he stood up, his hand held out, thin smile not faltering for a second. "I'm Inaho, Kaizuka Inaho. What's your name?"

Slaine stared at the offered hand before reaching out and clasping it, "Slaine."

There was nowhere else to go to. He knew how the world operated, and even though the man had nothing on him, he was certain that there was no escape. Slaine was weak, and Inaho was strong. His stomach felt like it had become a big knot when Inaho fingers curled around his.

"Slaine," the man repeats. His smile was thin, but kind. "Nice to meet you." Slaine's stomach twists into a knot as he and Inaho shake hands.

He hated it.

A/N Slaine is a half-demon here. His appearance is younger than his age (meaning, he looks like a kid. That fluffy kid-Slaine from the ending Season 2 sequence). Inaho is older in this fic, much older than the anime.

Disclaimer : I don't own A/Z

Beta-ed by Bell loves books