| Val followed Ren into his room, his towel wrapped around his waist while her own towel wrapped around her body. She carried both of their wet clothes and her robe in her arms, setting them down in a basket near the closet before she waited for him. He pulled on his shorts, pulling them up under his towel before he removed it and tossed it into the basket. She reached into her shopping bag and pulled out her new night gown, looking at Ren as he turned around before she let her towel drop to the floor. Val slipped into the nightgown, watching him look away from her while she changed before she approached him, taking his hand in her own. She sat down on the bed, pulling him down next to her. Val closed her eyes, pressing her back into his chest while she guided his arms around her. He let his hands rest on her waist while she placed her own onto his leg, smiling. Slowly, she slid her hand up his leg, looking down at her hand until it stopped upon a furry arm. Blinking, she followed the arm with her eyes as she noticed Irai hugging Ren's waist tightly. Val looked up at his grin, shrugging once before he released his hold on her to pet the catgirl. The elf sighed, giving him a little bit of room as he moved to the center of the bed, letting the catgirl return to sleep with her head resting on his shoulder. Val crawled onto the bed, laying down on the opposite side of where the catgirl rested. She rested her head onto his shoulder, looking at the sleeping Irai for a moment before she looked up at Ren. The elf slid one arm under him, resting her other on his chest. She felt his hand slide up and down her back slowly, occasionally feeling his fingers trace some of the runes on her body. "Val..." "Yes?" "I don't wish to do this, but... I need to think about getting more slaves. I don't like it, but even with those I got, it's just too much work for them." "Ren... may I say something?" "Of course." "I hate slavery... not to say that you would not treat those slaves you got well, but when I think about all the others..." "I agree with you there. I do not want to have slaves, but..." He glanced at Irai for a moment. "I want to take care of those around me." Val smiled. "Alright, I'll go with you." "Thanks." She looked up at him one last time, pulling herself closer to him. She carressesd his check with his hand, smiling while he closed his eyes. Val slid her hand down his neck back to his chest, gazing at it with a mild curiousity as she traced her fingers along his scars. Slowly, she closed her eyes, smiling to herself. "Good night, Ren." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Val adjusted her cloak, making sure it completely covered all but her neck and head as she led Ren through the city streets. She watched him take in the city with some curiousity on his face, his hands in his pants pockets as she turn down another street, a few blocks away from the slave auction. Val slowed down, keeping pace with him as she walked next to him. "M'lord, may I ask something?" Ren looked away from the buildings. "Yeah." "Why don't you move into a smaller building so you would not need slaves?" "I've thought about it too... and I think staying in the mansion would be better." He smiled. "I've made many enemies in high places, so it would be safer for me to stay in that mansion. Also, when I think about who I have as slaves... Some of them like working under me, and who am I to tell them not to? Others... just don't have a choice. It would be working at the mansion, or poverty on the streets. That is why I'm giving them a choice." "M'lord is very considerate in that way. No one else would pay for a slave and then allow them to walk free without having to return the favor." "And hopefully not many will take advantage of that. Otherwise I'd probably have to at least make them work off what I paid before they could go." Val turned down another street as the large auction house came into view. The arch and pillars decorating the front reached up to the roof that covered the two-storey building. People moved into and out of the building, some in chains, while soldiers watched over the crowds for anything suspicious. She closed her eyes for a moment, hiding her runes with an illusion before she reached out of her cloak and took Ren by the head as she passed under the arch and into the auction house. "This way, m'lord. Most of those sold in the lower auctions are people in debt or people who have committed crimes, and those, I must say, will most likely take advantage of m'lord's kindness without a second thought." Val located a nearby staircase, ascending to the second floor as she was stopped at the top of the staircase by the two guards posted there. One of them began to question why she was here, only to pause when he saw Ren behind her. The two guards looked at each other for a moment before they opened up the way, letting the two continue on. "M'lord must have a good reputation with the guards." "Eh....." Ren looked away for a moment. "It probably has something to do with the Arena." "None the less, m'lord is still given the respect he deserves." He shook his head for a moment. "I would prefer not to earn people's respect by how well I fight." Val bowed her head slightly. "Sorry if I have hurt you, m'lord." "It's okay, you haven't offended me in any way with your words." She lead Ren to the door leading to the auction, where they were both stopped by one of the officials of the building. He scanned over Val with his eyes, judging her based off of her looks before his eyes turned to Ren. Recognizing the young man, the official bowed in respect to Ren, who returned the bow with as much respect. "Greetings sir. Might you be here for the auction today?" "Yes I am." "Well I am terribly sorry sir, but the room is empty right now. One of the slave traders is about to show off his latest catch, but I must speak honest when I say we're all in doubt of his word." Val took her place next to Ren. "May I speak freely and ask who this trader is, m'lord?" The official grinned. "I believe you already have spoken freely. He calls himself Khan the Great, but everyone knows him as Hank the Hopeless." She grinned. "I know of him. He couldn't catch a crippled person without the help of someone else, or at least that is what I have heard." "So his reputation is well known! If you two would be so willing to join me, I would lead you to the front of the crowd so you can see this show without any problems." Ren nodded. "Thank you for your invitation..." The official smiled. "Call me Taden. You are Lord Aswald, are you not?" "You are correct, but you can call me Ren. The title 'Lord' really isn't mine yet." The official bowed slightly. "As you wish. This way please." Val followed behind Ren as the two followed the official through a side door and down a set of winding steps, keeping her eyes sharp for anything suspicious. At the bottom of the stairs, Taden opened the door, allowing both Ren and Val to pass through the doorway before they continued. She found herself in the slave stables, disgust rising inside of her as she noted that the large stalls each corresponded to a different slave master. Taden looked back at Val for a moment. "The auction house handles all of the sales of the slaves. The slave drivers all bring their catches down here to where we keep them. While the slave drivers collect most of the sales, we keep a small amount of the sale as a payment for doing business through us." Ren looked around at the stables. "It must take a lot of people to maintain this as well." "Aye, but it is not easy. Maintaining peace is not easy, nor is maintaining the stalls. In any case, we should be close to our destination now. Val looked ahead, noticing the crowd ahead. She noticed the mix of slaves and masters in the crowd, seeing how some of the masters kept their slaves collared while other slaves served as errand runners and scribes for their masters. Taden was greeted by some of the masters as he drew close to the crowd. A path opened up for the official as Val and Ren followed behind, eyes all focused on Ren for a moment. A slight uneasiness creeped up her spine as some of the eyes stared at her lord, but the moment passed before their eyes returned to the skinny man standing on a stool in front of the crowd. "Come one, come all and see the greatest catch you'll ever see in your life." Taden stepped up for a moment. "You mean you actually caught something?" The crowd errupted into a laughter as even Val could not hold back a slight chuckle, yet the unlucky slave master remained undaunted. "I have a rare catch for all of you. From deep within the Forest of the Moon, I bring to you the wolf people that few have ever seen, much less had the luck of catching." One of the voices from the crowd shouted out. "Hurry up and show us!" With a snap of his fingers, a slave train of mostly men began to appear, all of the slaves looking human. One of Val's runes began to shine as she held her cloak closed, hiding the rune from those around her. She felt the aura of magic from the train as the rest of the crowd stood dumbfounded by the size of the train. She moved closer to Ren, her eyes on his own eyes as he stood there, shocked by the slave train. One of the slaves looked up for a moment, his eyes meeting Ren's as Val watched the staring match. Before she could react, the slave jumped at Ren, tackling him to the ground as the slave grabbed her lord's neck. As he pulled back with his free arm, the slave behind the attacker grabbed the attacker's arm, holding him back. "This is all your fault! If you hadn't shown up, we would not be like this! This is your doing, and because of it, she has to suffer! Why!?! If only you had not... If only you had stayed..." The attacker broke down into a sob, his tears falling onto Ren as the slaves in front and behind the attacker on the train pulled him away, a shameful look on their faces. Val helped her lord to his feet, helping him brush himself off as the last of the train entered the stable. The skinny slave driver hopped off his stool, stopping short in front of Ren. "I'm terribly sorry about that, good sir, and I hope that does not hurt any future business with me. I will make sure he is punished properly." Ren looked up at the skinny man. "It hasn't hurt my business with you at all. In fact if you want to meet with me tonight, right here, we may talk business, but... do not hurt that slave. I don't pay for damaged goods." The crowd opened up for Ren as he began to leave, Val following behind him. The two were out of sight from the crowd before Ren came to a stop, looking back from where he came. "Val... as an assassin, you had to do some night strikes, did you not?" "Yes, m'lord. Why do you ask?" Ren smiled at her. "I think I'll plan on some fun for tonight." |