Despite the loss of his brother, Tarkama continued to expand his empire.
There was a brief rebellion, but it was quickly extinguished. Jessica was soon forgotten by most, and Tarkama and his four children carried on with little to no resistance.
Jessica had delivered 3 other children before her untimely demise.
all were human, like Tarkama. The eldest was Richard, with his raven black hair and piercing green eyes. He seemed calm and polite...until one envoked his wrath. Then, he was wild and ferociously deadly.
the middle child was Elais, platium blonde with glinting gray eyes (his only resemblence to his late mother). He seemed to relish the fact he was a male, and quickly developed a small collection of female slaves, or 'Rav's' as he called them.
The youngest was Krisica, her hair was long and, like Richards, black with glittering emerald eyes. she seemed to take great care of her appearance, and demanded her small collection of male slaves bring her constant gifts and attend to her every whim.
The fourth child, although rarely mentioned, was still there as well.
Tristina mariee veganstroth quietly scrubbed the main hall on her hands and knees. Glancing around, she shifted from her hands and knees to sitting on her legs.
wiping the sweat from her brow, Tristina tugged at the thin golden collar with the sparrows egg sized red stone.
She had had the collar as long as she could remember. As long as she remained calm, the collar was just that. a collar. When she lost control, however...
Tristina shook her head, forcing such thoughts and memories out of her mind. "You are slaves. Nothing more. Nothing less." Tarkama's constant refrain echoed in her mind. "Focus on this and you will be fine." straightening up, the snow white quesa glanced over the freshly scrubbed floor and smiled at her reflection.
her silvery tangled hair laid haphazardly around her face and shoulders, while her deep gray eyes peered out from a pleath of silvery bangs that curved to one side.
Nothing seemed out of place or different, at least not according to Tristina. If one were to look into her eyes, however, one might say differently. Tristina's deep gray eyes, instead of being bright and lucid, were clouded with a slight film. Tristina didnt think anything of it, all the the slaves eyes were like hers.
Having bright, clear, limpid eyes was a luxury for only Tarkama, the guards, and Tarkama's proper children.
"*Sparky!*" Tristina looked up at her nickname, startled from her thoughts. Behind her, a deep brownish red hedgehog jogged towards her.
his brown tunic had been ripped at one shoulder long ago, and was frayed around his chest, arms, and just past his waist.
He spoke in a coded language called Kesun, or slave language. The slaves had few secrets to keep from the guards, but speaking in a code seemed to connect them to eachother in a way Tarkama could never (or had never bothered to) understand.
In a way, the language almost made them...family.
"*Master wants to see you. He's already sent the captain to find you.*" Tristina frowned at this. Finding Tarkama before the captain of the guard found her was crucial to avoiding a lashing...or at least staying on Tarkama's good side.
"*Thanks Bolts. did you see which direction the captain left?*" Tristina asked, bowing her head as Bolts shook his.
"*it doesnt matter. I'll head there now. meet you back at the cages.*" Bolts nodded, gave a weak smile, then took off back down the hall as Tristina took an adjacent hall.
She barely noticed the familiar black marble flooring of the hallways as she ran, nor the exquisite shifting wall carvings and crown molding.
Tristina ignored the sensation that the walls were watching her, she knew quite well that Veganstroth Manor itself spied on its enslave occupants constantly.
She knew thats why most attempts at escape went awry. How could one expect to escape when the walls themselves told Tarkama one was escaping?
jogging down the black marble staircase, Tristina skidded on the slick flooring (catching herself with her hands) and continued running past the stairs.
Tristina skidded slight as she turned down another hall, and finally stopped outside a double doored archway with exquisite gold carved handles.
taking a moment to catch her breath, Tristina raised a bony fist and knocked.
"Enter!" a regal voice boomed, which caused Tristina to fold her sensitve ears back...and even caused small ripple lines to appear in the wall.
Tristina quietly pushed open the door and stepped into the office while closing the door behind her. It was a habit she developed when she was a child...and one she immidately regretted.
Sitting beside Tarkama's desk in a overly large chair was a large man with a wirey tangled mustache and beard. his eyes at first frightened Tristina. they were dark and mysterious, but they had a warmth Tristina had never seen before.
"Tristina, This is-" '
"Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts" said the man, approaching Tristina.
Tristina backed away, trembling. the man stopped, and Tristina could see his mouth beneath his wirey mustache and beard shifted into a frown. "I'm not gonna hur'cha."
Slowly, Tristina's ears lifted from the back of her head. something about this man's gruff voice reminded Tristina of another voice she had heard long ago.
Stepping forward, she gingerly felt the welts and scratches on his rough hands and the dirt beneath his nails. "Cookie", she whispered looking up at Hagrid.
"I'm afraid I dont have any cookies." Hagrid chuckled.
"She is probably referring to a fellow slave who passed away a year ago." said Tarkama humorlessly.
"I dont approve of this 'loan', Mr. Hagrid." Tarkama plowed on.
Tristina lowered her gaze as a faint black aura began to form around Tarkama. "I have expressed my...concerns...to Dumbledore." Tarkama continued, glancing at the slave in question as Tristina winced and rubbed a black encircled 'V' on her left hand. "Tristina is extremely dangerous..."
"I don' have time for your fairy tales, Tarkama. Dumbledore paid yeh yer money and gave yeh his reasons." Hagrid growled. "As of now, Tristina belongs to Dumbledore, not you."
Tarkama snarled at this, but slowly smiled. "For now." He said, letting them leave.
As they walked, Tristina stayed close to Hagrid as the guards passed by them.
"*Sparky, whats...*" Bolts eyes traveled up to Hagrid.
"*Loan. Dumbledore. See you later.*" Tristina called, smiling as Bolts stared at the two of them.
"I understand you may not know whats happenin', Tristina." said Hagrid as they walked. "But it's going ter be okay. you'll see." "S-Sparky comprende" said Tristina, replacing the english phrases she didnt know with Kesun. She smiled up at him and took his hand.
"Hagrid?" Tristina asked, gently tugging Hagrids hand to get him to stop. Hagrid looked back at the quesa as she looked up at him.
"Mastero Dumbledore...Nice?" she asked, looking up. a soft, gentle smile spread across Hagrids wild beard and mustache, and his eyes twinkled as he dropped to one knee. "Yeh've nothing to fear from Dumbledore." He said softly, cupping her cheek with one of his dustbin sized hands. "I promise I wont let anything hurt yeh." Tristina nodded as a full blown grin spread across her muzzle.
"Now c'mon." said Hagrid straighting up. "Theres two people who really want to meet yeh."