HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOKUBA!
Lace Kyoko- Upset about his teeth? Haha- I guess I see where you are coming from. I don't want my characters to have ugly teeth. And I hope you like the chapter!
Havelock Vetinari- Thanks! I wouldn't have considered this "believable," you know, with monsters and all, but I get what you mean.
Pk Love Omega- Kisara is a freak. So that is understandable. Thanks for the review!
TheUn-POP-ableBubble- How I hate typing your username. I love the Slaver/Mokuba interactions too. Now, that clash that you were looking forward to Kisara and the Trap Master's face off. Well . . . It will come. . . And Hey! You commented on my blog and I was lame and forgot to respond. . . (Expect a message)
ZQuill- I figured that Seto would be most upset about the possibility of never being able to escape. Stalker, bipolar, unpredictable. . . all good descriptions. So, yeah, I talk about the scratch a lot. I mention it one more time in this chapter – but you may like what I say about it. You guessed that the Slaver would have a hard time, just know, it won't be as easy as it may seem. (That's me trying not to give out spoilers)
AyaseFanGirl- I did think about whether or not that would break the deal. But the terms are very specific. As long is Mokuba is there, with Seto and safe, then Seto can't leave. No Mokuba, no deal.
Ardikani4- Yup! That's exactly what is going on. And then I hope you like this chapter, because I certainly rewrote it a lot.
Author's Note: There is a new poll on my profile! Take the time to vote!
Slaver
I moved quietly down the street. A green flash caught my eye, but it was no human. A fairy perhaps? The sun still hung above the earth letting me know that the Dark species and their allies were not the figures I saw around every turn. None of the forms had been human today. It mattered little. My slaving centers were overflowing with the creatures. I needed no more humans at the present.
Thinking of the humans reminded me that soon, I would own two. It had been quite some time since I had any in my possession. The last several slaves had not been satisfactory and had to be done away with. After the failures, I had all but given up on finding more permanent workers. The two boys would be an excellent investment. Any extra effort it would take to acquire them was well worth the end result.
The dragon's home stood tall above my head. The light from the Sun glinted off the windows, eliminating any possible shadows that might dare to form. No one lingered around the base for fear of the dragons living above. I was well aware of the few smaller ones who chose to occupy the interior of the building. Yet they were small enough to never be considered a threat.
I tilted my ear towards the sky to try to hear sounds from the roof. After their slave's poor attempt at escape, I knew that at least one of the dragons would be with the boy. It was my hope that there would only be one with whom I would have to deal. The fewer dragons, the simpler it would be to steal the boy. My plan could work with all three, but it was not preferable.
Irritating noises filled my ears. Birds that had yet to be plucked from the sky and with them the flapping of wings. Footsteps skittered across the ground which were faint as they were far off. The wind that rushed down the side of the building, carrying along with it the sounds from the roof. The voices were muffled. Yet, even though I could not distinguish between words, three distinctive tones were apparent: two male, one female.
I smirked. If the boy was speaking, then he had not been too severely injured. He might still be in working condition. I needed the older to be able to follow commands, as my child was only required for his clever tongue. If any work was to be done in my home, then he would hat least have to be capable of walking.
Placing a hand atop my hat, I jumped. The windows soared by, or rather, I by them. I smiled at my fast moving reflection.
The scene on the roof came to me as great amusement. The boy sat with his legs stretched before him. He winced in pain as Kisara held his bare back against her body. Deep purple splotches spread out from his side. The boy's hair stuck to his face, coated in the blood that had come from the many cuts and scratches on his face.
"Stop moving!" Kisara shouted as she wrapped her arms tighter around her companion.
"If you would stop pressing on my ribs, then I could be still!" He answered.
Griggle sat next to the pair, trying to get his paw on the boy's chest. The little healer was a cousin of mine, so I knew what little patience he had dealing with human children.
"Kisara, let Griggle work with the slave," Krin stated as he noticed my arrival. The leader of the local Light species approached me.
A part of me believed that the boy told the dragons that I had been behind taking him to the Dark species. But once I saw the physical condition the boy was in, my suspicion had been confirmed. He would not have brought that up overnight. The injuries he had sustained provided the distraction I needed.
"Slaver, as you can see, we have our boy back. Your services are no longer necessary," Krin stated.
At that time, a groan slipped from the boy's mouth and Krin flinched. Interesting. Although Krin quickly regained his typical, stern expression, he had let it fall long enough. I saw what he had been trying to hide. He cared about his slave. The weak human had gotten to him.
"So I heard." I paused to look over at the boy again, nearly laughing at his struggle to pull out of Kisara's hold. I redirected to Krin once I was certain that my next words were truthful. "However, I must speak with the child about certain events that transpired yesterday."
"He is busy," Krin stated. His near-white eyes sized me up, searching for deception. The dragons all had the ability to read lies, but their power did not apply to half-truths. As long as I spoke only the truthful portions of my real plan, Krin would never be able to tell.
"I have the time," I answered.
Krin's annoyance was plastered across his features, "Very well."
I smiled at him and walked over to sit in front of the others on the roof. Krin sat beside me.
Griggle still attempted to heal the broken rib, but Kisara refused to pull her hands back. The boy tried to push hands out of the way so my cousin could work, but Kisara was determined.
"You're hurting him!" She exclaimed.
"Kisara," the slave gasped out. "It has to hurt. He is repositioning my bones that you broke."
"He is supposed to be making you better!"
"If you would let go, I would be better by now," the boy said and again pulled at the slender hands around his body. Kisara's hands stayed where they were.
Griggle grunted impatiently. I too grew agitated at the delay. I needed to get moving, but having the boy healed would be very helpful. He would be much easier to transport if I did not have to carry him.
The boy leaned his head back to where their eyes met. He lifted a hand and placed it on top of Kisara's arm. "Please Kisara. The longer you prevent him from healing me, the longer I'm in pain. Please let go for just a few minutes."
Next to me, Krin rolled his eyes. I understood his irritation. The boy had obviously learned exactly how to play Kisara. His soft words were being forced out through clenched teeth. To Kisara, he probably just appeared to be hurting. To observers, he was faking. The hand on Kisara's arm moved up to her cheek and he slid his fingers slowly across it.
When her hands dropped from their grip, I turned to her brother. "Where is Kara?"
"She is making arrangements for us to leave the city," Krin said, still watching his slave and sister interact.
"You are leaving the city?" I questioned with mock ignorance. He should have no idea that I was partially behind the plan to force them out.
"Yes. Certain matters have come to our attention and require our leave," Krin explained.
His expression shifted, but not in a way I expected. He had been tricked, thus anger or annoyance should have appeared within his features. Yet I saw nothing of the sort. The faintest traces of a smile creeped onto his lips. Amusement should be the last emotion displayed in his situation.
While I tried to decide what it was on his mind, Griggle had gotten around to healing the boy. He began with the boy's chest, and I watched the purple bruise shrink until only his pale skin remained.
Although he was being healed, the boy still gritted his teeth together in pain. I would imagine the process to be painful. The bones that had been broken were shifting back to their regular location. The movement would be just as painful as the bone breaking originally.
"Oh, just stop it!" Kisara shouted as she went back to pulling her companion away from the healer.
"Kisara, let go!" The boy shouted. I blamed his outburst on the painful haze that must have filled his head.
"He isn't making you better!" She demanded.
"He was, until you stopped him!"
"But-"
"Kisara!" Krin shouted.
Both Kisara and the slave turned at Krin's voice. It was the first time the boy really seemed to note my arrival. Confusion shone on his features. He knew what I had done. He must have been wondering what could be important enough to provoke my return.
Yet he raised no questions. What could he say? I knew where his brother was. If he mentioned what I had done to the dragons, then he might lose the only chance he had of finding him.
"Just let him work," Krin said.
Kisara scooted away from the boy. Though she did not move far, the space between the two allowed Griggle the room he needed.
The boy stopped the questioning glare towards me so that Griggle could work on his face.
"Is talking to Seto really so important?" Krin asked.
"It is. Certain events yesterday do not quite add up. He may have information concerning what truly occurred," I answered smoothly.
"That is why you are here?" Kisara asked, finally listening to our conversation.
"How is that your job?" Krin asked.
"I am making it my job. The kidnapping of other's slaves falls into my hands," I said with a smile. He would not understand what I really meant by the statement.
A sharp inhale drew my attention. The boy's eyes were closed and his mouth hung slightly open. As he exhaled, the open wounds covering his skin healed. Even the familiar cut across his cheek closed, vanishing instantly.
He could not hide the relieved expression as his fingers traced over the flawless skin. He tilted his head into a nod directed at Griggle. The boy could show gratitude.
"Seto! You are beautiful!" Kisara shouted as she once more threw her arms around his neck. The force of her pouncing on him knocked the boy backwards.
"Oh please, re-injure him," Krin muttered.
I got to my feet. "Now would you grant me a moment with the boy?"
Kisara pouted. "Why is that even important?"
"It will only be a few minutes."
The boy leaned up, gently edging out of Kisara's hold. It took several assuring words and smiles to calm her down enough that he could slide away. Once he finally was clear of her, the boy got to his feet.
I moved over to stand next to him. He wanted to say something, but his curiosity took over. He had to know.
"Come with me," I ordered. When the slave did not respond immediately, I grabbed onto his neck and dragged him across the roof so that we had some manner of privacy.
"Where is he?" The boy asked. His voice was quiet and he turned his head at an angle so that the dragons could not see his face.
"Chained to the floor with Kuriboh. I have a request for you."
"A request?" He asked, shaking his head in shock over my first comment.
"More of an order actually. I am simply informing you that you will be coming with me."
"What more could you want from me?" He questioned.
"It is not what I want from you, but what I want from your brother."
The boy frowned. "And what do you want from Mokuba?" He asked quietly. His chest stopped rising and falling while he awaited my answer.
"I want him."
I must have raised my voice slightly, as he turned back to glance at the dragons. Neither had been paying attention to our conversation. Kisara had pinned Griggle against her, hugging him tightly. Krin shook his head while he watched.
"Then why are you here?"
"I made a deal with your brother. To get him, I have to bring you along as well. Ready to be my slave, boy?"
He did not say anything. His lips parted, but no words came out. I watched as his eyes looked anywhere by my direction.
"Have you finished?" Krin called out. Without waiting for an answer, he came to stand next to his slave. The boy had yet to so much as note Krin's presence.
"I will soon have everything I need," I said with a bright smile. Stepping away, I adjusted my hat. Four seconds and I would be ready for the next step.
"Now I shall be going. I have to meet up with the Magician and his troops to discuss housing his slave while they are all marching. I am now late to my job as a glorified babysitter," I said casually.
"While they march?" Krin asked.
I played it off with the wave of a hand. "Yes. They have been mobilizing all morning."
Kisara dropped Griggle. I claimed her complete attention with my words. Of course, they should both be able to tell that something was wrong. Technically, the Dark troops had not mobilized, yet. That was the next step of my plan. If all played out perfectly, then my words were truth. Because of that, they would not be able to truly distinguish between truth and lie.
"Where?" Krin asked. Strange, I had assumed the first question would have been "Why?"
"At the square across town. It is the only location large enough to hold them all."
I turned around to send Krin a straight stare. Since I was of a neutral race, I should not be helping either the Light or the Dark. But since I mentioned my next stop in passing, it would not seem as if I was giving privileged information away. Now all I would have to do was pretend to let Krin force the facts out of me.
"They are moving out during the day?" Krin pressed. Of course that would bother him since the Dark was not supposed to be out during the day. If they were mobilizing now, it would mean something big.
"Yes, and I really should be going. I do not have much longer to delay," I said as I walked towards the edge of the roof. I had peaked their curiosity.
"Wait for a moment," Krin said. He left his slave to stand with his sister. They spoke to each other in hushed voices, standing very close to each other so that their words would be impossible to make out.
While they spoke, I looked back over to the boy. His mouth still hung open, but he stared at me. The thoughts in his head read across his face. He could tell what I was doing, however, he chose not to say anything about it. He wanted to see his brother. He would play along.
"We have to go see what they are doing," Krin said, turning away from Kisara.
"We can't leave Seto," Kisara insisted.
I did not volunteer to stay. In order for everything to come across perfectly, they needed to ask me. Time was an important factor. Not only did I need them to leave quickly, I also needed them to stay gone as long as possible. If they got suspicious, that risked their returning too quickly. The longer they took, the more of a head start I would have.
"Could you stay with Seto?" Krin asked.
I shook my head. "As I said, I must go to the Magician to deal with his slave. I am afraid I do not have the time for yours as well." Then I continued to walk away.
"So you would rather help the Dark than us?" Krin questioned.
I paused, as if that was a difficult decision. If I let him believe that he caught me off guard, this might go even better than I had originally planned.
"Of course not. I simply already had arrangements set in place."
"Then stay here. We won't be out that long," Krin said.
"Very well," I said with a defeated tone. I could not help looking over at the boy. He smirked as his head shook slowly. He obviously was impressed that I had tricked his previous owners so easily. He was right on that account.
"Then I can go get Mokuba while we are out!" Kisara exclaimed.
I froze. That was something that I did not consider when making my plan. Why would she need to get Mokuba? Unless she had made the same plan with her companion. Then it could be a race. Winning would simply take a slight adjustment to my original plan.
I did not look in the direction of the slave. He might be giving away parts of my plot just by the look in his eye. I would not let him risk my accomplishment.
Krin and Kisara both transformed into their true forms simultaneously. I tilted my head away so that the light would have a lesser effect on my eyes. Out of all those I knew, the dragons certainly made the biggest show out of shifting shapes.
Kisara brought her head down to the boy's face and nuzzled her much larger head against his own. The boy held his hands up defensively to try to push her away. It surprised me that he managed to play Kisara so easily. It was clear that he had no interest in the dragon; he only humored her to remain living.
When the dragons were out of view, I glanced to the slave. "Now we go."
He gestured to Griggle. In return, I smiled down at my cousin. "He will not say a word to them. After all, they are unable to speak his language. Even if he wished to tell them, a translator would be necessary."
I extended a hand, as he would have to hold onto me for the jump to the ground. However, he searched around for something before coming to me. He only stopped when he found his discarded clothing. He quickly pulled on his shirt and coat while I tapped my foot impatiently.
Once he was dressed, he walked over to me slowly. I could see the hesitation in his eyes when he came close enough for me to grab. I smiled at him, but it was not a smile of reassurance. It was a victory smile.
He took my hand and allowed me to lead him to the edge of the roof. I then gave him the same instructions that I had given to his brother. "Do not let your feet touch the ground. It might help if you stand on top of my own. Stay close and do your best not to move around."
The boy did as he was told. He snarled when I pulled him closer to me, but he did not voice his opinions. He would see his brother soon, a sure motive behind his cooperation.
"Hold on," I ordered, then stepped off the edge. Although the boy wanted to be as far away from me as possible, he held on tighter while we fell. The height was no problem for me, but the boy stiffened up and refused to move. Instead of looking around as I usually did, I watched the boy's eyes squeeze closed. I smiled as he stopped breathing. Perhaps both of these boys could prove adequate amusement.
Nearly the second my feet contacted the ground, the boy jumped back. Color returned to his face as he started to breathe again.
"Move," I said. I gave him no time to recover from the rapid descent. If I was to get to his brother before Kisara, then I needed to make a slight change to my plan. Because the slave was not the boy I wanted, I had to go after his brother now. There was no time to take the boy I had to my home. He would have to be stored somewhere.
While I debated over where to keep him, we walked in the direction of the Dark headquarters. I had sent Krin and Kisara across town in the opposite direction, so I had no fear of encountering them. Convenient, as now I only had to focus on choosing someone to watch over my new slave.
When we passed by an old hotel, I realized exactly who could hold onto the boy.
"Stop walking and follow me," I said. The boy, who had been directly beside me, did as instructed. He had no idea as to what he was walking into. That thought made me smile.
I chose not to knock as I entered. The move was a dangerous one. However, the occupants of the hotel had fast reflexes. The boy and I would be safe.
A purple and yellow blur sped past us. The slave stepped closer to me to avoid being hit by one of my cousins as a second blur passed him. I stopped walking and waited to be recognized. It took a while, but the blurs eventually came to a halt.
"What-" the slave whispered. He had finally seen who shared the room with us.
Around twenty Venom Snakes lived in the abandoned building. The lobby was just barely big enough to hold the twenty of them, and that gave the impression that they were much larger than they actually were. Yet, there was nothing small about them.
One of the snakes slid forward to hiss, Yes? in my face.
"Would you mind holding onto my slave for me? I need to run an errand," I explained.
The boy turned to me in horror. "You can't be serious."
But before he even finished his sentence, a tail began to twirl up his leg. He shook it off and took several steps back, only to bump into another snake. Only a few more seconds passed before he was surrounded by them all.
Be quick.
I nodded to the snake. "I will not be gone long," I said, then spun around to leave. I smiled as I closed the door. The gradually narrowing image of the boy being pressed against the wall by swarm of snakes amused me greatly.
But it now was time for more urgent matters. I might have distracted Kisara with my stunt, but how long that would last was a mystery. At any moment she might return to the rooftop and discover her companion to be missing. Surely Krin would be able to piece together my plan.
With the first boy in storage, I was ready to progress on to breaking out my child. He would prove to be more difficult to capture, as his chains would have to be unlocked. Doing so took time, even for me. I found myself hoping that the Dark was as gullible as the dragons.
I had purposely chosen a location to store the slave that was near to the Dark camp. I needed to remove any time between then and entering the headquarters. If I moved quickly enough, I might be able to have the Dark drop in on Krin and Kisara while they waited at the square.
I chose a dramatic entrance. If I acted as though I had just discovered startling news, then I would have a better chance of convincing the Dark to leave.
"Magician!" I shouted, running through the room of zombies. I called out again once in the hallway and while doing so, I allowed my smile to fall. "Magician!"
"What now, Slaver?" He asked, stepping out of his room. I knew that he would be there, as he always was, but I kept up the illusion of haste.
"The Light beasts are calling together!"
The Magician's eyes opened slightly wider. "What?"
"They are assembling their troops and preparing for travel," I said, pausing to lean on the wall and feign catching my breath. This was the only time at which the Magician had seen me in such a state. He would be forced to take it seriously.
"Where? Where are they all?"
Our loud voices had drawn a crowd. How very perfect. The more who heard me now the better. Any loyal Dark member would instantly chase after Light creatures that posed a threat. And the more Dark creatures that I could get out of the building, the easier it would be to break out my child.
"At the square across town. They have been there all morning."
Red stepped out from behind the Magician. The two exchanged a look, then Red began to shout out instructions to those surrounding them. The immediate reaction was impressive. That was one factor that the Dark dominated over the Light in regards to. Their bond was much stronger and unified than the Light. The Light tended to stay separate, traveling in smaller groups. That fact let me know that the Magician would take any larger group as a threat.
"Gather a band. Even if this isn't a army forming, we will need to check on it," Red called out. He moved through the groups of zombies, demons, and ghouls. As they began to assemble, I moved over to the Magician to pretend to offer my help.
"Do you need me to do anything?"
The Magician shook his head. "If you came along, it might trigger a war. Stay neutral as long as you can."
I nodded. "I can do that. You might want to go quickly before they have the time to assemble completely."
"Get together!" Red shouted.
The Dark members moved rapidly. Not another minute passed before they had all organized and moved into some form of a line. I did a quick count over the bodies. Over four dozen of the Dark stood in the main room and the hallway. If all standing in the row left, then that would not leave many left in their headquarters.
"Head out now! We are moving in a three-eight formation to the square across town. Time is crucial!" The Magician called out while he walked up and down the line. His fingers tapped along the side of the staff he always carried. Whether he was nervous or excited, either worked for me. In a matter of moments, he would be gone, and with him, most all of his troops.
I stayed in the hallway until the last of the line exited the front door. Even once that happened, I waited a moment for safety, then continued down the hall. One more turn and I would have reached my destination.
When I walked through the doorway to the my child's room, another dilemma appeared before my eyes. Kuriboh sat next to him, trying desperately to gain his attention. The furry creature poked at my child's cheek repeatedly, but my boy's head remained turned in the opposite direction.
I cleared my throat and waited. Kuriboh and my boy turned at the same time to see who had entered.
"Good afternoon. Kuriboh, did you not hear that all your brethren just left?" I asked, hoping he would chose to follow them out.
He growled. If he had heard their leave, then he had no interest in following.
My child stared up at me. His mouth was barely cracked open, most likely to keep the cut from healing together once more. Since it sat open, he appeared incredibly curious as to what was happening. It was more likely that he wanted to know how I would handle his former owner.
My plan for Kuriboh was incredibly simple. I moved over to the corner of the room where the Magician stored the furniture that used to be in the office.
"The dragons are setting up an attack. It is quite a big deal to the Magician," I said casually as I sifted through the items. I wrapped my hand around a small lamp, and I took a step backwards, never turning to face the others in the room. The lamp stayed close to my chest to keep them from catching onto my plan. This was not the exact method that I had wanted to go with. If I could have chosen, it would have involved Kuriboh being absent upon my arrival. Yet, I would have to deal with the situation as it was. I had to leave a witness.
Killing Kuriboh certainly crossed my mind. I could make it seem as though a Light creature or an ally entered in and killed him, taking my child with them. If there was not a witness, I would get away clean.
But in the off chance that I was caught, then I would have to take some precautions now. Killing him would be certain death if I was found out. It would be considered treason if a member from a neutral force killed any member of the upcoming war. Krin might even kill me for interfering.
So the weak ball of fur would be allowed to live. And with that, he would know what happened. As soon as the boys were both locked in my possession, then leaving town would have to be my next step. Certainly I could find another city to take up occupation in. I could make this work.
Taking another step back, I angled down my face so I could see my child's feet just behind me. Once I knew I was close enough, I turned around.
"I am taking the boy," I stated.
Kuriboh growled and flew into the air, stopping at eye level. He hovered a few feet away.
"Will you let me take him, or shall I force you?"
I gave Kuriboh no opportunity to respond. My child seemed to know what I was about to do. I watched as he closed his eyes tightly and turned his face away. He wanted to avoid the shattered pieces of the lamp from injuring him further.
Simultaneously, Kuriboh and I lunged at each other. He with his claws bared, and I with my lamp. Just as we were about to make contact, I dove to the side to have a better angle at the back of his head. Then swinging the lamp as hard as I could manage while in midair, I hit the lamp against him, and it broke apart into hundreds of pieces.
Kuriboh fell to the floor. I landed on the other side of my child, so I was not close enough to see if the creature was unconscious. My boy beside me looked over to his prior owner and examined him to the best of his ability. We both wanted to know if that had worked.
"Were you trying to kill him?" My child asked quietly.
"No, just leave him unconscious long enough for us to safely leave," I answered while I stood back up. I wanted to start unlocking the chains around my boy's arms, legs, neck, and waist, but first I had to make sure that Kuriboh was not going to wake up during the process.
I walked over to him. His small body rose and fell steadily with deep breaths. He made no other movements.
But for good measure, I kicked him sharply where the lamp had hit.
"He's out. Now will you get these off me?"
I smiled as I pulled the key out of my pocket. I had picked up a habit long ago of only using locks that I held two sets of keys to. The chains that held my child were of the same sort. While the Magician had one key, I left him unaware that I kept a second.
"How very convenient," my boy muttered. I set to work on the chains around his upper half first. With his foot broken, transporting him would be difficult. And once the chains were removed, he might attempt to move, further harming himself. Thus, I decided it to be safer to wait to take the chain holding his broken foot off.
He watched me while I unlocked the chains near his head. I myself did not look down at him. If I paused to stare, then I would become distracted and lose valuable time. Since my original plan had been altered, I now had to go back for his brother once I was done with my boy. Time was slipping by me too quickly for any delays.
He rolled his head around when the band from around it was placed to the side. His hands remained where they were while I moved down to take the one away from his waist.
When that band was removed, he tried to sit up. I had to stop him and lay him back down.
"Do not move just yet."
"Well hurry," he said.
I smiled. Even if I took off all the chains, he could not go anywhere. He was operating on my time. From what I knew of the boy, he was only interested in seeing his brother as soon as he could. I chose not to tell him
that once we were out, he would still have time to wait.
The last chain circled his broken ankle. He closed his eyes as my hands descended on top of it, then he pulled his hands up to his face and buried his head in his arms. This would hurt him greatly.
"Try not to make any sound. There might still be people inside the building, and I would hate to have to fight them off as well."
Nodding underneath his pile of arms, my child caught his breath, waiting for the sudden burst of pain. When it finally hit him, his reaction was visible. Fingers clenched into his hair, a slight groan slipped between his lips, and he made the mistake of pulling at his leg to try to get away from me. All that managed was to cause him more pain.
He was free of the bonds, which only left the problem of getting him out.
"So now can I sit up?" He mumbled, still hiding his face.
"Are you capable of doing so?" I questioned.
He let his hands slide away from his face. When his features were revealed, I could see that he had been holding back tears. He pushed himself up with a red face. His eyes remained squeezed closed. I never understood why humans closed their eyes when they were in pain. It accomplished nothing. Was closing one's eyes even necessary?
"I am going to have to carry you out. Try to stay quiet and not to over react."
"Over react? And what might that include? My ankle is shattered," he said. His breath was coming out in short gasp-like spurts. I knew that his every movement was sending jolts through his body. He did not say anything of the sort. All he did was bite down on his still parted lips.
I placed a hand behind his back and lightly put the other underneath his legs. There was going to be no way to carry him without his leg dangling down, so he would simply have to deal with the pain for a while longer. I would do my best to assist him though.
I slowly raised up to a full standing position. My child leaned into me so that I could feel his chest rising and falling. And with that, I felt every time his pain increased. He inhaled quickly any time his ankle swayed even the slightest. We were in for a difficult journey back to my home.
I peeked out the doorway to make sure that no one stood in the hallways. Smell lingered in the air from the Dark troops who had just marched out. The odor was not strong, and it was fading away. No one had come anywhere near since the troops left. I decided that it was safe to go.
I wanted to move faster, but my child resisted the action. "Please don't do that," he whispered.
"We must get out of here now if you do not wish to get caught. You want to see your brother, do you not?" I said without slowing my pace.
He did not answer. But after I exited the building, I glanced down and noted that he lost control of his tears.
I had dealt with many children in my time in this world, all of whom spent their time sobbing or cowering in fear from all of my kind. Crying was nothing new to me. But although I had grown accustomed to it, the act irritated me generally. Such a display of weakness left no traces of pity in my thoughts, only the sudden desperation to kill the children. But I could do no such thing, as they were my career.
My child crying did not bother me. The only noises that he made were his breaths. He did not sob; he did not beg for me to release him. His tears were purely caused by his pain, and that he was dealing with quietly, within himself. He made almost a noble effort not to react.
The streets were nearly abandoned. Most everyone had to have gone to the square on the other end of town. My rumor had drawn the crowd, much more than I had expected. Oh, whatever was happening over there had to be interesting. It was the type of thing that I would like to watch. More than that, it was the type of thing that I loved to cause. Just knowing that it was of my doing was an enjoyable thought.
I passed by the building where my child's older brother currently was trapped. I considered getting him then, but I did not trust him with his brother out of bonds. If I took my eye off of him for even a moment, then he might decide to try something. Coming back would be a necessary trip.
I stumbled at one point during the trip. The movement was very slight, almost unnoticeable, but the beginning of a scream came from my child. He had to slam his hand over his mouth to cover it up. He impressed me with the effort he put into obeying my order. That was how I knew he would make a good slave.
When I had come into this world, I chose a home on the very edges of the city. Most of those who came through the portal along with me gravitated towards the center of the city. So around the borders, there was less noise. That made the area much less interesting, but much quieter.
"The suburbs?" My boy asked as he let his head fall slightly to the side in order to get a better look at our surroundings.
I did not know what he meant, so I walked forward to my house. It stood in a line with dozens of other matching houses. Most of them were abandoned.
My door was never locked. Until today, I had no enemies. From now until I left the city, I would have to change that habit. But this time, it was convenient. With my boy filling up my arms, I would not have been able to get out a key. I nearly had to put him down just to twist the knob, but he reached out a hand to open it.
"Hurry and put me down," he said.
I chuckled and made a point of bumping into the doorway as I walked through. He shot a glare at me as he gritted his teeth together. I was certain that my action had caused him some manner of discomfort, but I just found his reactions amusing.
I had set up a room for my two new slaves after making the deal yesterday. I chose the smallest of rooms in the house, and put all they would need inside. So that was where I carried my boy. That door stood open so I could walk in without any barriers.
There was just one mattress on the floor, so I gently laid my child atop it. He leaned his head up to examine his new room.
"You really went all out," he said before dropping his head back down. He winced when the mattress reacted to his movement, and in turn, his ankle.
"Did I miss any necessities?" I questioned, knowing that I had not.
"A mattress and a pile of clothing? And don't think I didn't see the chains on the floor right there."
I looked in the direction he was pointing to the chains at the head of the mattress. "When I am here, you will not have to be chained. Those are only for the times in which I am absent," I explained.
"Where is Seto?" He asked.
"I am going to pick him up now."
I reached over to grab one of the chains, which I connected to my boy's wrist.
"I can't even walk. What is the point with this?" He asked, shaking his arm to show that to which he referred.
"Some humans can withstand great amounts of pain in order to overcome an obstacle. It is merely a precaution."
I stood up and smiled down at the human I had stolen. My interactions with him had been some of the more enjoyable times I had experienced in this world, and now, they would come far more often.
"Stay here," I ordered.
"As opposed to what?"
I smiled and took my leave. My child would be fine in the short time I would be away. I had no reason to even think twice about leaving him alone.
The streets were still near to empty when I went back out on them. Perhaps the event across town still held their attention. Or better yet, perhaps it had set the war into motion. Whatever drew all the creatures away, I worked perfectly to my advantage.
I stared up at the Sun, still bright in the sky above. With so many Dark troops out at such an hour, something had to be stirring. It was all that I could do not to run over and see how things were unfolding. Had Krin and Kisara discovered their slave to be missing? Did the Magician march over to the square only to find it empty? When would Kuriboh finally wake up?
My curiosity was pricked, but I could do nothing to ease some of it. The best I could hope for was to hear what happened from a relative in the coming days.
I did not knock when I walked back into the old hotel. The snakes knew that I would be returning.
I could not hold back the small chuckle that came from my mouth. The snakes had taken my request to hold onto the boy literally.
His back and one arm were the only parts of him touching the ground. Several different snakes had coiled their tails around his legs, head, and an arm, and had lifted those parts into the air. The slave was trying to fight them off, but any time he moved, the tail around his neck would tighten.
"Thank you for taking such good care of him," I said to all the snakes in the room. Once I had spoken, the tails began to withdraw from around the boy's body.
The Venom Snakes dropped him back to the ground at the same time. His hand immediately lifted up to hold the back of his head, but he made no sound. I was glad he and his brother were similar in that regard.
I walked over to my new slave and pulled him to his feet. He kept silent, but the expression in his eyes was murderous. It nearly caused me to laugh again.
The snake I had spoken to earlier nodded as the boy and I left.
I kept the slave close to me as we walked. I did not trust that the streets would remain empty for very long. Someone might recognize him, after all, he did previously belong to the three most powerful creatures in the city. It would not be long before he would be searched for.
"Venom Snakes?" He asked.
"My cousins," I stated.
"Yeah, I saw the resemblance," he muttered. The rest of the walk to my home was silent until we reached the rows of matching houses. The slave reacted in the same manner as his brother. "You live in the suburbs?" And yet again, I chose not to respond.
We walked into my home and I locked the door for the first time. The slave moved to the center of the room and looked around. His eyes lingered on several blood stains that discolored the floor and furniture in various places.
"Where is Mokuba?" He asked.
"Back this way," I answered.
Like the previous time, I had left the door standing open. So the moment the slave could see inside, he ran forward to my child.
"Seto!" My boy shouted. He did his best to hug his brother, but since he laid on the floor and could not move, it did not go very smoothly. The older boy got down on his knees and leaned down to close the distance, but when they touched, my boy gasped.
"You're hurt," the slave said. He reached out a hand as if he was going to examine his brother's ankle, but held back.
I had no interest in watching the two boys reunite, so I closed the door and locked it from the outside. I would return shortly, once all of the boring events had passed. For now, I was please with the though that I owned them both. My plan had gone almost perfectly. And now, the real entertainment could begin.
Sorry for the delay! You all should try to write a scene from the Slaver's POV. Has anyone tried writing a scene without contractions? Let me tell you, it is difficult. Hopefully this came across as a different POV than Seto or Mokuba.
Check out my blog for my thoughts on this chapter, and some information about the next chapter. Follow me on Twitter. . . AIM is LendingDreams. . . and so forth. Anyone who reads these notes knows all that by now.
Hope you enjoyed it!