AN: My own laptop feels great. Sorry that this chapter is so long, but it was great that I could make a cliffie. I like those things.
Warnings: Disorganized POV, buuuuut Rafiel semi-nude. That's about it. Some subtle sexual stuff, but that's about it. Enjoy.
I got reviews! I am so happy. :D I really like this. I hope more of you readers share your feelings as well. They are a huge part of the writing process (they continue the writing process, if I do say so myself!)
Meteorite
Januff came back more than two hours later, having had decided to get started on the fake documents for Reyson, an expensive process if done right. It cost a good deal of money to persuade a dealer to stage a nonexistent private auction, and then have his friends attest as witnesses to the whole plan, too. It wasn't that they were afraid they were going to get caught- such people with no affiliations only worried about interfering too much with any one gang's plans- but it didn't mean they should miss the chance to suck all the dough they could from the situation. All in all, it was a good three hundred grand for the counterfeit pedigrees and bribery. Januff had worse deals. Like when he afterward bought a few clothes for Reyson. The shopkeeper wasn't their personal tailor, and thus charged ridiculous prices for the few shirts and jeans he wanted.
On coming back, he found Tibarn talking on the phone to Hatari's Boss Nailah, rubbing his face now and again in weariness. He told her that he doesn't know if he'll be able to handle himself. Reyson, he told her, was no where near like Rafiel or Leanne. Tibarn believed in a little resistance, of course, but Reyson seemed the type to have to be beaten into submission, the type Tibarn knew too well would have to be set free in Goldoa.
"Except," Nailah's irritated deep voice spoke, "That is no longer an option. Can you believe it?"
"Oh, I had forgotten that. Who did you hear it from?"
"Rafiel heard it when getting groceries and came back and told me."
"Are you saying," Tibarn said in a mock shocked voice, "that you left him out alone? My goodness, I thought he was just too delicate to be let outdoors in the harsh sunlight, the blowing winds, the rough sidewalk-"
"That's enough, you annoying man. He was heavily guarded and went into the best part of town."
"Would you let him here unguarded with the best man in town?" Tibarn asked naughtily.
Nailah laughed, "Do you count me as a guard?"
Their laughing put Januff in a better mood and he went to check on Reyson, presumably in Tibarn's main room. The door was slightly ajar, so the Hawk slipped through noiselessly, placing the clothes on Tibarn's large bed. Of course, Reyson couldn't hear him. The heron, now awake from a short much-needed nap, was inspecting the television remote with intense curiosity, turning it which and and that, and then finally switching it over to the back to fiddle with the removable back. Upon taking it off, he shook out the batteries. Januff tried, surprisingly successfully, not to laugh when Reyson pressed one of the batteries into his mouth, grimacing at the taste.
That was the final bit of info he got from those artifacts, so he put them back in the stick and pressed on the back, following the pictures. Reyson found that the soft pads could be pushed deeply, like little levers, and the wand would light up. It seemed like a child's toy, with no other purpose than for entertainment for the easily pleased. But it made him curious that all the pads had different words or symbols, so he went through the tedious task of pressing each one. When he got to the off-centered POWER lever, a small high-pitched sound reached his ears along with voices, and a flickering of lights flickered across the floor. Reyson looked up to see that the black box holding the black mirror was doing the magic.
On the television, Januff saw that Reyson had inadvertently turned to one of the... saucier channels of their cable providor. Two sub-human ravens, both female, kissed and caressed each other with knowing hands, throwing expertly timed glances towards the camera as it zoomed to various parts of their bodies. When the two began to explore each other more deeply, the heron turned off the television.
What in the world was that? Reyson continued his exploration of the buttons- that's what they felt like- and realized soon that none of the others could do magic with the black box. He pressed the POWER button again, warily. He was surprised that the scene had changed, to a colorful scene of various impossibly shaped characters. This was more innocuous than before, for there were children laughing in the background. The foremost character would ask a question, looking around in confusion, the children in the background would giggle and tell him the correct answer. But Reyson wondered... How did they get there? He touched the picture to find out, only to bump into a flexible membrane that distorted the piece of picture he pressed. He began sliding his fingers over the shield, misshaping the characters. They didn't seem to mind at all.
"Tibarn's going to kill you if he sees you messing up his plasma screen like that," Januff said, but Reyson was so absorbed in his discovery he didn't notice. He took up the remote again and, as if realizing that pressing the buttons would change the channels, began doing just that. Nearly all the channels were available, and Reyson would cock his head at those that showed up blank, or ones that went to a channel he previously went to. Soon he found the channel button.
That button didn't need the aid of the others, and Reyson didn't have to wait for the black box to figure out the wand. Automatically it went to other pictures. Some were obviously drawn, but others had real creatures. One picture only showed animals- a hawk capturing a mouse in the wilderness. Soon he got back to the saucy channels, all of which worked perfectly.
Januff felt his boss come up behind him. He whispered to him, "You don't have all the movie channels, but you have these."
Tibarn merely cleared his throat.
At that familiar voice, Reyson discovered his audience. He was just about to happily relay his findings before realizing that the wand and box wouldn't be new to them. But he was also very curious, yet loathe to show it. It would be almost like accepting his abhorrent fate; might as well surrender his life to Future Tibarn without another struggle. He will not do that, for as long as possible, he will not give in, even if he were to be beaten a thousand times. Still, he was so curious. Instead of sitting there dumb, he gave Tibarn a scowl then, pointing at the box, asked Januff, "What's that?"
The look was not lost on either Hawk, but Tibarn held his tongue when Januff answered sheepishly, "It's what we call pornography."
"The box is called pornography?"
"No, no, the box is a television. It's one of the devices we use to watch pornography." Januff got to the floor next to Reyson and saw that the heron had found one of Tibarn's robes, and it loosely fell away from him to reveal a pink nipple. Too loudly, he continued, "This is a remote. It changes what you see, called channels.. Let's get out of these channels....Aaaand....This one is the animal channel, here's the news, some cartoons, some drama..."
"What are the channels for?"
"So you can find something you want to watch."
"What are cartoons?"
"Drawn movies..."
"What's a movie?"
As Januff went through Reyson's length of questions, which became more and more specific and more and more beyond Januff's means to reply, Tibarn took this opportunity to get closer to Reyson, inching towards him. Tibarn and he were about to go on a trip, to Nailah's, and Tibarn wished to prepare him to see someone like himself, someone who was quite happy where he was. Of course, Tibarn wouldn't be too unhappy beneath Nailah, but if he valued his wings connected to his back, he will never say so. The boss would have called the heron from the doorway, but he was sure that Reyson would have ignored him or gone off to the bathroom to hide or something. Finally, he was just behind Januff, and Reyson suddenly recognized he was there.
"I have no idea how satellite waves connect to television screens," Januff confessed, his brain feeling fried from the questions. He recognized Reyson's apprehensive look, catching his hands before he could fall backwards away from Tibarn. "Hey, don't be afraid. He won't hurt you."
"You would not say that if you were here earlier," Reyson growled. "Unhand me."
Tibarn tried to keep his mind straight as Reyson struggled, loosening more of his robe from himself so that expanses of smoothly scarred flesh appeared. He reached around Januff, blocking the television and took Reyson by the forearms, ignoring the sudden spark of fear in Reyson's green eyes. But then the robe fell open, and the pale skin flushed. Suddenly, he looked so vulnerable. He pulled him up and closer.
The unmistakeable look of lust faced Reyson, and he wasn't sure what to do. What he wanted was to hit Tibarn as hard as possible but, despite his internal promise, he feared how much it would hurt for the hawk to hit him back. His cheekbone still smarted from earlier. If the man did anything more than look, he compromised, he was going to kick him- Goddess, if he was kicked back...
"Boss, you want some time alone?" Januff asked, respectfully, though wishing that Tibarn would not take this opportunity to get physical with the heron.
"No.." It was an absentmindedly reply, what the Boss's better conscience answered, but his body wouldn't answer to let go- or even set Reyson back on his feet. So then his conscience made it known the dark purple bruise on Reyson's left cheek, and now the beginning of tears in his eyes. Soon, he gained control of himself, and what he wanted in the first place. "Get dressed, Reyson. We're going to Nailah's." He let him go reluctantly; a few sexual organs twisted in sexual frustration
"The Wolf woman? Is Rafiel with her?" Reyson asked immediately, becoming suspicious when Tibarn looked away to pick up some clothes off the bed, a brown vest and a pair of rough-looking blue pants. After a bit of quiet from both hawks, ignoring the way Tibarn tried to distract him by putting on his clothes, he went further, "Is Rafiel,"- The vest pulled over his head, a little too big-"her-I can put those on myself!" He pulled on the loose undergarment while Tibarn pulled the leash and collar from the inside of his vest. Next were the pants, which weren't as rough as he believed, but nothing like his robes.
The heron was now preoccupied with his clothing, putting on his boxers and jeans, then his socks and shoes, which Januff had seen the measurements accurately, and was fortunate to find a pair. Reyson scowled when Tibarn spread perfumed lotion over his face, neck, and arms; Januff brushed and tied back his hair. When they were finished, Reyson sat on the bed as they admired their handiwork.
"For two men, I think we did pretty well," Januff remarked, hunching over with a smirk.
"I agree." He smiled back at his subordinate. "Give me a minute. I want to talk to him." One eyebrow answered him, and Januff left. Suspicious eyes burned holes in his back, so he turned around, settling on his knees in front of Reyson, whose eyes were narrow, face guarded. It went to stone when Tibarn took his hands.
The hands were warm, massaging. This made Reyson only more wary, at the same time battling the butterflies flying around his stomach. He wanted to tell them to stop, this man trying to butter him up was not the real Tibarn. He was a man who would hit his face for a bastard like Ashnard.
"I'm sorry for hitting you."
Oh, hell. The stupid insects fluttered happily.
"You must not provoke me. I'm immune to human medicine that could help me control my temper."
What was Tibarn saying?
"I would like to ask, since you seem to know a lot of people in this time, if you know a man named Izuka?" From the heron's sour face, he got his answer.
"I never seen him personally, but the old you had killed him in my time. I heard a lot about the wretched creature."
"Oh, yes, he's wretched, and one of Ashnard's most gifted henchmen. Now, I'm not sure if you know what this means to you, but he made me, and had me for quite a few years, Feral-"
The look on his face showed how much that surprised him. Tibarn felt the boy's heartbeat skip at the word; fear predominately took its hold over his entire body. Tibarn quickly stood up, backing away with his hands up.
"Don't worry. Rafiel-yes, Nailah's slave- got me into better shape. But there are certain triggers I wish to avoid; some I can't, like... You. I like you, Reyson. Honestly, it is very physical at the moment,"-He was rambling, but the heron had started to sweat anxiously-"but we could make something out of it, since I have to have you... permanently.."
"Why?" His own mouth was too dry to say anything more.
"It's this stupid thing Ashnard is pressuring the rest of us gang lords to do, or else face a war. We have to find sub- um, pets. And we are to keep them forever, or until Ashnard dies or something. The deadline is in a few days, so I've decided on you, Reyson."
"Why not Ulki or Januff!?" cried Reyson. He truly feared for his life now.
"Well, because, to me, they aren't all that attractive. And they're not approved to be pets; they're too strong, too knowledgeable of the world already. But those like you, who come from the past somehow and drop here far into the future, those that fall in the Gaps of time, it's easy, well, to control you. You know nothing."
"I'm lost. I've... lost..."
Tibarn risked a step forward, then took the clammy hands again. "There's little chance that I will hurt you ever again as long as you don't excite my wrath, Reyson."
"But... Your... Uhm...Other trigger.." Reyson trailed off nervously.
"To be honest, I did not bring you here just so I can help you assimilate into society as my pet. There are things I want from you as well."
He had feared that much, just as much as Tibarn feared the question. But it was all out now.
"Set me free..."
"You want to be captured by someone else other than me?"
"Let me go back!" he screamed desperately, standing up before Tibarn with fierce eyes. However, the golden irises only made his heart drop, and Tibarn shook his head.
"No one has found a way for your kind to go back." And Tibarn, horrible creature he was, probably wouldn't have told him if such a backwards path did exist. The heron's face crumpled in grief, and the Boss begged, "Please, don't cry. I know it hurts, and that I'll probably never understand such a horrible circumstance, but does it ease your heart, just a small part of it, that you know some of the people here?"
Softly, so softly Tibarn could hardly hear, Reyson answered, "I'm glad... Just a little bit glad that all of you are here. But.. You all are so different... Everything is so different."
"It is. Wait- Ashnard was different?"
"No, the hellspawn is no different, nor Izuka or Oliver. It is you and the rest who are different."
"Well," Tibarn thought for a moment, "Are we really different? Or are we just following different paths than before?"
This struck Reyson quiet. Thought marked his features.
Tibarn felt he chipped the old stone and pressed his luck, "I know damn well I'm not your 'old Tibarn', but considering everything that has happened as I grew and as he grew, aren't we remarkably similar in any way?"
Much to Reyson's chagrin, he began to realize when Tibarn would lose his temper, barely reigning in his fury even in the presence of his brethren, often flying off when the matter could not be resolved soon enough or when it escalated past a point where he could control himself. Or when his excitement erode another's lack of desire, or another's fear, even if that other was the one to initiate the excitement in the first place. He remembered when Tibarn could get so worried and controlling that nothing but a Sleep could keep him from keeping another from harm. Now Reyson had been on that end of the stick, but never one to goad him so harshly, as the words he had said before, and never one as the object of his desires, though Reyson sincerely wished he could be.
All in all, he realized that this Tibarn, who probably didn't know laguz from beorc, wasn't all that different from Tibarn of the past- and Reyson could truly believe that if Tibarn was changed by some Feral poison, he would no doubt become ten times worse in his worse aspects, and minus all the worry.
"A little." That was such a flagrant lie, he heard Tibarn laugh.
"So sincere." Tibarn stood, and Reyson kept his face away.
Avoiding the amber eyes like this, Reyson noticed Tibarn's clothes, like his except he wore a green jacket over his brown shirt, and brown boots. He also still sheathed the small metal machines, whips, and knives. Unable to help himself, he hugged Tibarn around the waist, breathing in his earthy scent.
"Now, now, we have to go." By everything he lived for, Tibarn did not want to. "There's a meeting about Goldoa's plan for this weekend. We even have Crimea's Mercenaries coming."
"Mercenaries? I thought there was no war-"
"Oh, we just call Tellius's police that. It just seems that whenever there is a gang war, Crimea is all too willing to give their all to the police to stop the wars. Come." Tibarn took the leash, blatantly avoiding the hateful glare Reyson burned into his hand, and separated himself from the heron. Ulki was there filling Januff on the reason why they were going to Nailah's, as he had just Tibarn explain. They gathered some other guards- some sub-human, some regular-and went down to the garage.
While Reyson was busy admiring the lights coming on and off, or staring in amazement as cars passed on the streets all the way down below, Ulki gave Tibarn a look, then directed his gaze at the elevator. From earlier Gapped sub-humans, they've learned that the elevator was not something they liked. Some didn't like how it controlled their direction, others the way it moved, others the closed in spaced, others were extremely disposed to the glass container and being able to see everything that controlled the elevator. Tibarn only nodded, and they hurriedly shoved Reyson inside the elevator.
"What's this?"
"An elevator," Tibarn answered. "Don't look down."
Reyson didn't like it. The doors closed by themselves, and the four of them plus three guards were too much in this cramped space. Tibarn pressed a button, the lowest one, and the elevator began to move, showing each floor they passed. He looked up and saw the devices and ropes that held the contraption together. Then he went against Tibarn's wishes and looked down.
And saw the long way down. If this elevator were to malfunction, he would be trapped. If the ropes were to break, he would fall multiple levels to his doom. Tibarn took him by the shoulders, whispering, "Now, I told you not to look. Are you scared?"
"No, but I do have a feeling that this machine could stop working."
"It could, but it rarely does. Of the twenty years I've used this building, only once has it stopped, and the cables never broke."
"You promise?"
"Promise."
Reyson spent the rest of the ride staring straight ahead at nothingness, not thinking about the elevator or the moving floors, but he did feel the easing tension in his stomach when we got nearer and nearer to the ground floor. Finally, an unseen bell rung and they were in a gigantic, dark place filled with more foreign machines, these with wheels and windows like beorc carriers.
"These are cars. They ride around like carriages... without the animals. Here comes mine." Another bodyguard rode up in his limousine, handing over the driver's seat to Januff. The silent guards then left them. Tibarn and Reyson sat in the back while Ulki and Januff rode up front. Tibarn smiled when Reyson grabbed his hand when the car started, and squeezed back as the car moved.
"Why don't we just fly?" Reyson breathed nervously.
"Because, in this Tellius, there are many humans who would try to wound us if we fly. There are weapons worse than arrows that can reach us,"-he tapped his little metal machine- "and require half the amount of skill. This car would block most weapons' damage."
"And there are laws against it," Ulki added, "You wouldn't believe the number of sub-humans that would kidnap civilians and do... things to them."
Well, that was understandable.
"Plus, you ain't got wings, yet," Januff said. "I bet you don't want to be carried around by Boss forever, do you?"
Reyson then noticed the feeling of emptiness on his back. Funny, he thought he would be more sensitive if he ever lost his wings, at least, that was what he believed whenever he had thought about it. But it seemed so natural at the moment- and they would not have fit in the car. He wondered if they were gone forever, then remembered that Tibarn flew here. Somehow, there was a magical aspect to bringing out one's wings.
He saw other cars on the streets: some different colors, others too small, others even larger than the one they were in, some whose frames were close to the ground, others with huge wheels, elevating the riders some as far as three feet from the ground. The streets were line in yellow and white dotted and undotted boundaries. Blinking lights stopped and moved cars, or slowed or hastened them. Each time Januff sped the car up at the yellow blinking lights, Tibarn would chide him on the ethics of the light. Reyson then asked them how to make the car go faster or slower, and they answered his questions cheerfully, even giving exhilarating examples on how fast the machine could go. Soon, they left the high buildings and came to small, neat, square villages, the houses more or less the same. Then the villages gave way to green plains of corn, in the middle of which were large houses. Those changed to voluptuous forests, where he saw a few deer. Here, there were less lights, then none at all, nor the red signs, and the street became just a dirt path, already overrun with wheel tracks of earlier cars. It was a short time before a mansion came into view, a mansion that could easily cover the amount of space of the village squares. The longer cars- the limos- and shorter cars, covered the driveways. When they.. parked, several guards dressed only in pants escorted them to the doors, then through the corridors to the main lobby, where Crimea's mercenaries-the only ones that were there at the moment- were waiting in the hall for Nailah and her gang to finish the arrangements for the rather hasty meeting. The lobby would lead to the living room area, which had been enlarged to a ballroom for a large amount of guests.
Reyson couldn't help but smile at the familiar strangers standing around. And it was an amusing rippling effect when one of them noticed him.
"Hello, Calill," he greeted. She wore holed stockings that looked like fishnets and a skirt so short he could see the roundness of her bottom. Her long-sleeved black shirt cut into a V down the middle of her chest, leaving very little to the imagination. Her lipsticked smile was just as familiar as anything else.
"What's a pretty thing like you doing with Tibarn?" she asked, pulling him away from said Boss. She couldn't help but roam her eyes appreciatively over his form- and such a pretty face. "Are you.. like Rafiel?"
"If you mean to ask if I'm a heron, then yes..." More people looked at him; Mia and Rhys smiled and waved.
"Anybody else look familiar to you? I noticed that you knew my name."
"Everyone is familiar." Not what they wore, of course. It seemed that no one had a set uniform. They all dressed alike, in terms of casualness. Only Tibarn's guards had any notion of being a group.
"But... Didn't you come here by some Gap from outside Tellius?" Calill asked, confused. She looked at Tibarn for an answer. By curiosity, everyone else looked at him as well.
Tibarn crossed his arms, shaking his hair from his eyes. "It seems we exist in his past, same name and bodies and everything. Well, except that sub-humans weren't kept as pets then, were they?"
"They aren't called sub-humans either. We say laguz, and human is offensive as well, instead its beorc," explained Reyson.
"What's your name, cutie?" This time this was Aimee, who had finished her heated discussion with Ike.
"Reyson."
"Guess there's no need for us to introduce ourselves, either," Calill muttered, then snapped to attention as she heard another car enter the driveway. "Someone else is here!"
"Why are you so excited?" Reyson noticed that, yes, everything was the same, including Soren's uptight attitude; his critical eyes were even narrower than he remembered. "Is it Gallia?"
"No," the blonde purred. "It's Naesala, looking delectable as always."
Naesala walked in, holding the leash to a raven Reyson remembered to be Vika. They both wore all black, Vika in a dress. With a wave, Vika leaned onto a wall, while Naesala let her go, leaving a group of guards between them, dressing in the traditional dark colors of Ravens. Tibarn shook hands with the Kilvas Boss, the Hawk boss gripping a bit longer and harder than was necessary, just a warning that he hadn't forgotten a particular deal that had gone wrong, and that he blamed Naesala completely. But this was neither the time nor the place. Still, the hard glare into each other's eyes was perceived by everyone there.
"Naesala," Reyson hissed.
"Who is he to you?" Tibarn asked, never taking his eyes off the-enemy-of-his-enemy.
"A traitor multiple times over."
"Who's this?" the Kilvas Boss asked, trying to change the uncomfortable atmosphere, and regretting the fact that he didn't bring anything but his special stone."Your pet?"
"His name's Reyson." Finally, Tibarn stopped his glare. "A heron. Like Leanne."
Naesala's face hardened; he turned his back on the other two birds and stood by his pet Vika, not saying another word.
Reyson would have asked what was wrong with Leanne- it did perturb him that she, as much as he would have disliked it, was not with Naesala- yet he knew it had to do with Naesala, and he didn't want the added stress, didn't need that extra stress when he could do nothing about it except build on a hate that would eat his heart out.
"Who's that?" Soren asked suddenly.
Calill watched out the window. "Crimea... But Elincia doesn't seem to have her pet anymore. Does she know the deadline is three days?"
Geoffrey and Lucia opened the door for her, Marcia and Bastian shuffled behind her, and several others gathered around. There were no anonymous guards in her troop, yet anyone would say that she was the best protected boss in Tellius. As soon as the others saw the surroundings safe, Ike made his way to her, asking where her pet had gone.
"I don't know," Elincia spoke sadly, as if confused. "The poor thing put me to sleep and managed to leave the headquarters. Maybe if I asked Ashnard very nicely, bribed him somehow, he wouldn't requir-"
"According to my resources, Daien is waiting for that exact sort of opportunity to wage an all-out war."
"Oh," sighed Elincia sadly. "I don't know what to do."
Ike smiled, pressing a hand to her shoulder. "That's what we're here to figure out."
"Ah!" Calill exclaimed.
Soren immediately demanded, once again, "Who is it?"
"Who invited Begnion?"
"If it's just Sanaki," Ike answered, "Then that's me. Anyone else must have caught wind of this meeting." Indeed it was Sanaki, with Tanith and Sigrun, all three migrating to Ike's side. Sanaki looked extremely irritated. "Only Gallia should be left. They're supposed to be sending Skrimir and the regular guards as representatives."
Soren quickly made himself scarce. Reyson couldn't see why; what he remembered from the past was that Skrimir was unusually excited about the beorc, but nothing further than that. But they had parted ways after the Goddess' War, so he wasn't exactly sure of the relationship between the two.
Before Skrimir arrived, Nailah had readied the ballroom for her guests and had her mainly sub-human guards guide them. The large room was filled to the brim mostly with an assortment of chairs decorated around a round table-wooden with several lacy placemats- with seven chairs, three of which had large pillows. Reyson eyed covetously a red and green diamond patterned chair, behind the round table, large and comfortable-looking from every angle, but Tibarn yanked his leash towards the table, to one of the chairs of the round table, one of the chairs with a pillow.
Tibarn heard Reyson hiss disdainfully but felt relieved that that was the worse the heron would do. Still, it was with little confidence he lead his pet to a seat. He set the pillow to the floor, carpeted with what seemed to be a rich, white lather rather than thread, and waited for Reyson to get comfortable before sitting down himself. Vika and Naesala took another seat almost directly across from them. With how high the table was, Reyson could see the other pet completely. She leaned her head in her master's lap. She seemed tired. Reyson had the glancing curiosity to know if she and Naesala had sex, before noticing a racket coming from the lobby.
Everyone turned their heads in that direction. It sounded like slamming doors (it was) and the sound should be made by Soren (it was) because he was the only one there, and many speculated that it had something to do with Skrimir (it did) or Gallia (it didn't) because Soren was so apprehensive of the gang's arrival. Several guards seemed to be trying to persuade Skrimir to leave Soren alone, with little success.
Little patters of angry feet resounded down the hall and Soren quickly made his way behind the group of chairs behind Ike. Upon noticing that Ike had an empty chair next to him, the other occupied by Sanaki, he demanded, "Naesala, Tibarn, one of you sit on Ike' s left side."
"Or what?" Naesala said impudently, settling even more comfortably in his chair.
"I don't know. Maybe TPD will find tons of cocaine in your cars in about fifteen minutes."
"You wouldn't."
Soren flipped out his phone and called the department. When he proceeded to relay details of his blackmailing plan, Tibarn gave Naesala a threatening glare and the Raven, most begrudgingly, went to seat himself on the other side of Ike, who pulled his face in exasperation. Vika lazily crawled under the table, taking her pillow with her.
Skrimir had, by the advice of his second-in-command Ranulf to give the beorc a minute, let Soren run off for exactly sixty seconds. After that helpful deed was done, he thundered down the hallway to the ballroom only to find Soren safely tucked between to groups, and Titania and Oscar. He scowled, taking a seat next to Tibarn, his other side occupied by Elincia, the one closest to the door, with Sanaki next to her. This left Nailah between Naesala and Tibarn. She arrived without Rafiel, looking more ruffled and unruly than ever in nothing but a sports bra and loose cotton shorts.
"What is this?" Sanaki protested, she herself wearing colorful robes, which Reyson believed should make her very warm.
Naesala answered, "She's PMSing," in a whisper.
"No, you sparrow, I'm in heat," Nailah told them blatantly, sitting herself Indian style on her chair.
"Where's Rafiel?" asked Elincia, hoping to steer the conversation further from where it was headed.
"Volug's rutting too. Since Rafiel was so earnest about it, he wanted to help out Volug like he does with me." She smiled. "They look cute together."
"So they're fucking now?" Skirmir asked.
"Where the hell's Boss Gallia?"
Ike leaned forward on the table, shaking his blue hair from his eyes. He had recently lost his bandanna. "Trying to talk some since into Boss Goldoa. Let's get to business."
"Please," Soren muttered.
"The first matter of order today: Ashnard's truce criterion. Three of you haven't fulfilled it. It doesn't matter if one of you is without one or all three, Daien wishes to start a war-"
"Then let them start it!" roared Skrimir excitedly, "We'll finish it!"
"Idiots shouldn't talk about such serious matters," Sanaki said softly. "You do realize that if we start a war, Lady Mayor Ashera will tear us all bits? And since we were the ones to not follow a perfectly easy request, Ashera would take Daien's side. In other words, whether we fight and win or not, probably not, Ashera will destroy us."
The lion laguz muttered something vulgar, obviously realizing these dangers anew, then asked, "If it is so easy, little human, why haven't you chosen a pet?"
"It has to be an eternal pet. It may be easy to get a pet, but to pick one of thousands to stand by you forever is nearly impossible. And you, you're young and have been allowed to take part in the truce instead of your uncle, what's keeping you?"
"I just thought... we should just go to war."
"Foolish."
Skrimir said something along the lines of 'annoying hag'. Then he looked around the table. "What had you meant three, Captain Ike? What about Phoenicis?"
Reyson cleared his throat, and Skrimir looked down on him for the first time. A pleased look overtook his face, then fury. He turned to the table abruptly. "How am I supposed to find some random sub-human that I couldn't crush?! There's no one like that in all of Tellius."
"Then maybe you should practice restraint, Prince Gallia," Elincia proposed softly.
"Restraint, my ass! There's no other sub-human worthy to be my pet. The only ones capable of defeating me would be my own uncle and Ranulf."
A quiet settled over the table at this exclamation. As if on cue, a group of well-groomed cooks, mostly female wolves, presented wine to those at the table. Two set off to the side, while the others headed back to the kitchen. Everyone sipped-except Skrimir, who drank his glass in one gulp before demanding another- their wine thoughtfully. Reyson looked back at Ranulf. Though he could never have had imagined himself some pet for anyone, he much less could think of Ranulf in the same situation. However, the cat seemed entirely at peace with the current flow of thinking. He and Lethe were having a serious conversation. Lethe's twin sister was not present, but Reyson heard the edges of her name several times. From the sound of it, Ranulf had already thought of a plan to if Skrimir never accepted a pet, and that was to give himself up as a pet. However, the absent twin would be upset, Lethe reasoned. Ranulf's mind was set, however, and he said that she would have to get over it.
"So how about it?" Ike asked, softly.
"It's a little bland, as is most human food," Skrimir told him.
"Not the wine, idiot." Soren scowled crossly. Skrimir only smiled at him. Soren's scowl deepened.
"Then what?"
Ike answered, before Soren could say something crass, "Ranulf being your pet."
"Never! A warrior as a pet! Not Ranulf! He's like a brother to me!"
"No need to yell. Look, Gallia's been doing a good job keeping most of its member a secret. I know from resources in Daien that they don't know about Ranulf even being a warrior."
Ranulf stood behind Skrimir, placing a hand on his shoulder, making that large frame jump involuntarily."Look, Skrimir, I know you're not the one to listen to reasonable advice, but no body wants a war. Ashera is still mad about that Serenes Massacre. That was only fifty years ago, and we're still getting rap about it from the whole damn country. Tellius has made a name for itself in crime."
"My subjects have paid for that fact," Sanaki whispered softly.
Skrimir shook his head stubbornly.
"Do you think you can pick someone in the next few days?" Ike hesitantly asked.
"Damn it all, human, I just told you that it would be impossible... Why must we talk like this and plan? Let's just-"
"WE JUST TOLD YOU!" several voices exclaimed at once, but Skrimir had set up a mental brick wall, shaking his head over and over, before standing and leaving abruptly. The large laguz said something about bathroom.
Ranulf silently sat on the carpet next to Skrimir's chair, wiping his face tiredly. Lethe, snarling curses at him, retrieved a collar and leash from her the backpack she carried with her, clipping the accessories around Ranulf's neck. She then quickly made a call, and, what with 'Lord' this and 'Lord' that, it was obvious she was talking to Caineghis, Boss of Gallia.
"So I was right about it..."
"Yes, sir. I can only say that we might as well go along as planned."
"True. Well, I must go."
"Any luck with Goldoa, sir?"
Caineghis barked, "As rigid as ever, the old bastard. But at least he'll speak to me tonight."
"We have to watch Skrimir tonight?! I-I-I mean...Will Skrimir come with you?"
"Let him occupy one of the other bosses. Let him learn how to... Do those things..."
Lethe smirked. "Understood, sir."
"Until later." Caineghis hung up.
Reyson saw the little talking device in Lethe hand and wondered how the gigantic Caineghis would be able to handle it. From the looks of it you would have to press tiny buttons on its surface in order to bring up the voice. One of the lion's fingers could easily press three of the buttons. Maybe someone pressed them for him.
"You had planned this?" Elincia wondered aloud.
Ranulf, blinking his amethyst and aquamarine-colored eyes, only nodded slowly before saying to her, "Now, what about you?"
The Lady Boss blushed momentarily, opening her mouth to answer, but only managed to let out a small squeak of a noise, her face becoming so red Sanaki pushed her small hand to her forehead.
"Oh, it's nothing... It's just that..." Elinicia drifted off again.
Lucia stood then. "I will tell them, Lady. Look, guys, around the time Ashnard brought up this stupid truce idea, Geoffry and Elincia got married-" Several surprised exclamations answered this, and several of the girls were affronted that they had missed such an event, and the fact that it was Geoffry and Elincia made it all the worse- every person interested in that sort of drama were waiting impatiently for those two to finally do something about each other. Lucia continued with a bittersweet smile,"Elincia explained her situation with Ashnard and was allowed a replacement for the truce. And so you can fully understand the reason behind this decision from such an obstinately heinous man as Ashnard, I will tell you that she traded-"
"Wait!" Elincia cried, desperately. "Not yet!"
"She traded," went on Lucia, loudly over her commander's voice, "a video of her honeymoon night. Geoffrey had the lewd idea to book one of Kilvas' infamous suites, knowing that a certain boss taped the rooms there, for various, and sometimes extrememly dangerous reasons." Lucia only looked out of the corner off to the side, but everyone knew that she was eying Geoffrey reproachfully. "And Geoffrey was the one to offer the trade instead of Elincia going along with the slightly less distasteful option of owning a pet." Lucia sat down again.
A silence.
"And now Sanaki,"Ike finally said, a small blush glancing his features.
"Agan, Captain, you're troubled for nothing. I been had Daien bribed. Or did you forget that I already had untold amounts of servants and sexual subjects bent under my will? Ashnard had wanted something else from me in the first place, obviously. And that was money."
Reyson found that unfair. He noticed- it could have been just coincidence- but the beorc members of the circle all had an excuse not to follow through with Daien's truce.
"Alright, second note. The Goldoa thing. My advisors don't believe that Caineghis can be swayed."
"You mean Soren," laughed Tibarn, only the second thing he's said all evening.
Soren snorted.
"What are we going to do about it?"
"What do you mean?" Nailah muttered. "Just let them run wild and find someplace."
"Daien will be there." Elincia frowned deeply. "And they're registered as pets. They can't just go someplace."
"Yes they could. Didn't say it was going to be easy. Wouldn't we be risking war with Daien by all of us using our energies to capture a few sub-humans?"
Naesala answered her smoothly, "From the way Ashnard was spreading the news, I believe it is all just a game for him. I don't think we should take it too seriously."
"So you're on my side?" asked Nailah skeptically.
"If you mean that I would like to stay out of it, then no. If you mean we should not be having a meeting in the middle of the damn day about it, then yes."
Nailah's spine suddenly went straight, her black ears flickering restlessly. Skrimir came back at that moment from hiding out in the lobby, hearing something as well. At their actions, the others immediately went on guard, some taking out guns and tomes at the same time. But from yet another door came Rafiel, gasping, with nothing on but a robe, a robe with no belt at that. He looked freshly washed, though a light glow of sweat had ruined pure cleanliness. His almost supernaturally angelic face was flushed and, upon finding out where he had accidentally wound up, reddened to an impossible ruby color. For a few seconds, he stood there in shock at the audience, not sure at all on what to do now. He knew that the doors on the other side would lead only to the lobby, and he didn't want to guess how many people were there already, though there was only the regular servants. The other doors he wasn't sure where they lead, and the large white doors where two female members stood lead to the kitchen, which lead to the freezers and... some other place...
"Rafiel!"
Rafiel jumped to attention, his loose robe fallling open. He was so flushed he didn't notice his exposure.
Nailah, loins stirring, didn't bother to correct him. No one else did either, following her example. It was her pet afterall.
"Yes, Mistress?"
"What's going on? You running around this place when you know how easily lost you are."
"I-I'm sorry. It's just that... Volug... He's in wolf form and I... I don't want to... I can't... He's chasing me... like that... So... I ran." Rafiel's barely coherent utterances brought a smile to the table, and Skrimir to join them there. For once, he caught on with the others and didn't say anything about Rafiel's pink erection swaying lightly as he moved.
"Damn that Volug, hm? While getting lost yourself, I think you lost him. But not for long." She turned back to the table without another word.
Rafiel stood there, bewildered. It was easy to see that he desperately needed Nailah's help to keep the rutting Volug away, at least until he gets out of wolf form, but Nailah (and a few others) were enjoying his discomfort.
Tibarn broke the humorous contemplation of sadistic bosses by asking Reyson, "Who was Rafiel to you back then?"
From his angle under the table, he could honestly see more of Rafiel than he ever thought he would see, or what was probably morally right to see and remember for the rest of eternity. But even his old brother felt different, remarkably different. At least before, their minds were so entertwined by genetics and natural inclinations he could scarcely realize his feeliings from Rafiel sometimes. Now, he was just as elusive as any other stranger... and seemed to fit the pet scheme extremely well.
"My brother. My sister was Leanne," he told them finally.
Again, the beings of the ballroom were full of surprise.
But nothing shocked them more than the shrieking howl that resounded from the lobby.
"Shit," spat Nailah.
"What is it?" many inquired.
"Ashnard."