[P: Takai] The Rocky Terrains

Caged. The young huntress rested her weary head against the cool, ironed metal with an exasperated sigh -her body limp with exhaustion. Cold sweat dripped from her brow, the salt forcing her tired eyes to flutter closed. How she wished the day would end for the hot sun flared mercilessly down upon her as the cart bumped hard against the earthy hindrances found along the way. The young woman frowned slightly, fighting back curses, as her sensitive hands gripped the metallic bars in an effort to stabilize herself. Too long had she been in there, and far too many were the thoughts that ran through her head in unending wave of internal struggle and doubt. To have been told that she would have ever found herself in this situation, would have been laughable. After all, how would the daughter of Fallen Demon ever let herself be caught and caged by human traffickers? Artemis hit her head against the cage door. If only she knew where she was.


”Maria!!” The cries and rushing of feet echoed throughout the refurbished halls. ”You promised!” The enchantress stopped to smile at the young Artemis as she fast approached. Upon the Huntress's eyes was the spark of determination, something Maria liked to see. After all, what was there in a hunt if not the thrill of death and heart of determination? ”I assume you have prepared?” Maria asked with a hint of a smile. She knew the answer, but it was always courteous to ask. Artemis beamed as she parted the satchel. Maria nodded in approval. ”Did you ask your father?” At the question, Artemis winced, causing the enchantress to laugh. ”Go and ask Vik, then we'll go.” With a quick nod, Artemis fled towards her father and disappeared into the winding halls.

It was approaching noon when both the enchantress and the huntress were traveling the West Forest. Much had changed since Artemis's last visit, but she loved it all the same. Currently, their mission was to track down a Grimm that had made its way there and stop it before it entered the Forgotten Seas. ”Maria…” Artemis whispered, her voice laced with uncertainty. ”Are you sure we don't need Yuna?” Maria nodded and, with that, Artemis could only nod. After all, Maria knew what we was doing. With that, they crept throughout the brush silently until they reached the last known location of the beast. Interestingly enough, the great animal still lingered in the area, but, this time, it had company. Dozens of monsters loitered the area, feasting on the flesh of anything they had managed to obtain. This time, on a caravan.


The cage door suddenly rattled violently causing the young huntress to jerk up and rip her from her daydream. A raspy snarl escaped her lips. ”Get up!” The man in charge barked at her, banging once more against her cage, before he headed off to wake the rest of the women and children. ”UP! Or you will be punished!” Immediately, the people rose from their slumber and lifelessly rested themselves against the cages. Once all had risen, the traffickers gave a satisfied nod and began to open the cages. Obediently, all slowly got out and chains were placed upon their necks. Yet all Artemis could do was glare. "Any funny business and you die! Is that clear!" No one said a word as a heavy stillness filled the air. Tension and hatred was high, but none could do a thing. As if taking the silence as an approval, the traffickers herded them towards and open area and set up a platform. They discussed amongst themselves a few things and, once done, began to reel in customers. Thus, the sales had begun.

"Stop standing around, get to work. I want the stage set up before the sun hits noon," a tall burly Orc shouted to the group of men standing around several iron cages, [b]"I catch a single one of you lazing about, I'll skin you alive."[b] The retort of a whip echoed in the market clearing and a young orc cried out as a fresh cut bloomed red across his back. [b]"You're no exception Casen," the Orc shouted, "I see you messing with one of our pieces of merchandise again then I'll do worse than skin you." The younger looking orc glared at other before turning and lifting a stack of wood planks. The group worked quickly and soon a temporary platform lay in the middle of the Encampment's market area. "Come one, come all! We have new merchandise today and some that you don't want to miss out on," the large orc shouted those wandering the market place, "need a field hand to do hard work, or a maid to clean your house? We have someone for everyone. Place your bid and you can be going home with your very own slave."

The Orc's shouts and calls to come and look at the new slave stock was hardly necessary. The slave market was a monthly thing at the Traveler's Encampment. The wealthy coming from the other countries to purchase slaves outside the laws their countries held on such things. Where the Orc obtained his merchandise was only speculated. Some were sold to him, others traded and then there were the rumors that some were just unlucky enough to be caught alone by the Orc and his companions. To those that came to purchase, it didn't matter how the Orc got his merchandise, they only wanted to buy a slave to use for whatever purpose. "Alright lets bring up our first item for sale," the Orc shouted once a large enough crowd formed, "this one is a strong teen male, perfect for working fields or sending down into mines. We're starting him off at a 10,000 Ryo. Do I hear 10,000 Ryo?"

'What are we doing back here?' Takai stood at the edge of market, staring at staring into the crowd of beings as others, some of their own kind, were being auctioned off. 'We've been gone for 3 months, Dev. Is it so wrong to want to come back home once in a while?' 'We need to continue searching for my power. We've been awake for hundreds of years and still the blade possessing my power hasn't been found. Do you know how dangerous my power can be in the wrong hands?' 'Yes I am aware. You remind me every day that we need to search for your power.' The entire conversation was held entirely within his mind, his eyes staring blankly at the platform. 'Since you are so aware, why are we back here again?'

Inwardly Takai sighed, looking back at the platform to watch the next piece of merchandise being led up. 'We do have some obligations here you know? This country might not have a government of any kind but we're known, respected here. We need to show ourselves from time to time.' "Alright next up, we have a real treat for you all," the Orc shouted grabbing the orange hair of a young girl and swinging her to stand in front of him, "this sweet young thing is quite lovely, a perfect serving girl. She can even serve you in bed once you've got her trained." Murmurs broke through out the crowd as the girl was displayed before them. She was indeed attractive and Takai could see several of the wealthier clientele eagerly checking the funds they brought with them. "Lets start the bidding at 100,000 Ryo. Do I hear 100,000?" Immediately a hand went up into the air. The hand belonging to a being that Takai couldn't name, but looked to be covered with some kind of slime. "I have 100,000 Ryo, do I have 150,000?" Another hand shot up and then another.

'Fine, three days. That's all we're staying then we're going back out there to find my power.' "1,000,000 Ryo," Takai said, raising his hand as he walked closer to the platform. 'So you're not even paying attention to me anymore are you? Too busy trying to buy yourself a whore?' 'I'm paying attention, we leave in three days.' "I have a Million Ryo, do I hear 1.5 Million?" Another man raised his hand to increase the bid, soon followed by another. 'Why are you even spending your time doing this? You can buy a girl for the night for way less than a million, why would you want to buy.... Takai could feel the conscious residing within turn and look at the girl. Without doing it on his own, Takai raised his hand, "50,000,000 Ryo for the girl." The crowd was startled by the sudden jump in price, all the bidders suddenly going quiet. The Orc just stared at the Reaper for a long while until he finally continued the auction,"We have 50,000,000 Ryo, going once, going twice, Sold. Come around back to claim your property."

Takai was stunned himself. Dev had been able to take control of his body before, but normally at Takai's permission not all on his own before. He turned and started walking around the back of the platform as the girl was brought back down. 'What the hell was that about? 'Does it matter? You wanted to buy her anyways now she's yours. 'Yeah but I was just buying her so that the others wouldn't get her, what was your excuse for basically increasing the bid by 10x.' 'I'll explain later, just collect her and lets get going.' The younger orc from before walked up to Takai leading the girl by a chains attached to her wrists, "here is your property, where is the payment?"'This is not over Dev.' "Payment will be brought here in a few days," Takai said, signing a form he withdrew from his pocket and handing it over to the Orc. A displeased look crossed the Orc's face as he took the paper and looked down at the signature. "Sa-sa-sakage," the Orc's dark green face went suddenly pale as he looked at the paper, "yes, sir. Here is your girl." The orc placed the chain in his hands and made a hasty retreat back to the rest of the slavers.

Drowsiness began to spread over the young woman’s mind and body, causing her to stagger a few steps forward. Her shoulder’s slumped and her walk soon became short and slow due to the increasing heaviness of the chains. Artemis could feel her need of food and water rising, yet she could not keep herself from beginning to lose consciousness over the matter. She needed to get out, but, more importantly, she needed to survive. Almost immediately and in an ill-intended warning, a strong leathered whip rang loudly against the cool metallic table that stood just mere inches from her tired body and soul. ”Get back in line, girlie,” The Orc snarled at her in wild satisfaction and glee, ”Or I’ll take you myself!” He drew nearer, much so his foul stench could be felt centimeters from her exposed neck. Artemis immediately straightened her shoulders in an effort to move as far away from him as possible. With it came an involuntary shudder which caused the Orc to laugh maliciously. ”Casen, watch over these will you?” Once the Orc, Casen, came as instructed, the one in charge of her unit of slaves left briskly to watch over the rest.

"Stop standing around, get to work. The lead Orc barked as the team of relaxed and rowdy Orcs which immediately dispersed upon commands. ”I want the stage set up before the sun hits noon!" Work soon began to make its way into the Orcs’ minds as they rushed to grab the remaining pillars and planks. Yet, Casen refused to move as he had been too distracted in one slave in particular -Sarah. Unlike Artemis, Sarah was a tall, black haired woman with rounded, rosy cheeks. With the addition of her greyish-blue eyes, it caused her to look like a porcelain doll which, in turn, attracted the Orc. Casen had finally managed to grab the poor woman when another crack of the whip sounded, this time upon the Orc. "You're no exception Casen," The lead Orc shouted, "I see you messing with one of our pieces of merchandise again then I'll do worse than skin you." Casen growled, roughly released her, and stomped away out of sight. A sigh of relief escaped the enslaved people’s mind as they could relax once again. Everyone was safe, at least for now and the encampment was soon buzzing with activity once more.

Once the site had been completed for the occasion. The lead Orc stood atop the platform and began to his pitch. "Come one, come all! The Orc hollered in swelling pride and proud confidence. ”We have new merchandise today and some that you don't want to miss out on." Crowds of people started to fill the once empty land in front of the trading ring. This sparked a special, monetary glee within the Orc as he began to reel more people in. "Need a field hand to do hard work, or a maid to clean your house? We have someone for everyone! People drew closer and more Orcs came from behind the platform to help the lead Orc out. Gesturing towards his workers and the table set up, he went on. ”Place your bid and you can be going home with your very own slave." Once enough had crowded and pushed through, the Orc grinned a toothy grin, "Alright let’s bring up our first item for sale." With that, an unlucky slave was pushed forward.

Once the unfortunately Orc was pushed forward, chains and all, the lead Orc shouted once more in satisfaction of his worker’s first choice. Artemis bit her chapped lips as he could only watch from behind. To sell their own people for profit? It was a disgrace to mankind. "This one is a strong teen male, perfect for working fields or sending down into mines. We're starting him off at a 10,000 Ryo. Do I hear 10,000 Ryo?" The lines went on and on in an unbearably long length of time. So much so that in a time span of what spent on for centuries, her turn would come out. When the Orc began to approach, Artemis growled. She may have been in a horrible state of appearance and strength, but no way was she going to let some Orc touch her. Without a thought of hesitation, the young huntress lunged at the surprise Orc and bit him. The Orc yelped in pain and proceeded to slap her hard, leaving a red handprint across her cheek. Grabbing her hair, he dragged her towards the platform where hollers and whistles could be heard of those she passed by.

Taking the buzz that spread throughout the company into consideration, the lead Orc knew he had hit the jackpot. "Alright next up, we have a real treat for you all," He took over the transition of her towards to platform and dragged her up himself. Swinging the young huntress in front of him, he gave a sly grin. "This sweet young thing is quite lovely, a perfect serving girl.” There was a pause before he winked and addressed the crowd with newfound vigor. [color=white]”She can even serve you in bed once you've got her trained." Artemis’s eyes widened. A s-sex slave!? She immediately lashed against the chains, but the Orc had gripped the chains hard. Pulling her back as if she were a rabid animal, he went on. "Let’s start the bidding at 100,000 Ryo. Do I hear 100,000?" The huntress could only watch in horror as a wave of hands went up. "I have 100,000 Ryo, do I have 150,000?" Artemis closed her eyes, refusing to watch as her life was auctioned off. Was this where she would truly end up? After all she had been through and in such a timespan of life? She refused to allow it to happen and she vowed that she would be free once again. For, if anyone tried to touch her without her consent, it would be the worst time of their lives. She was born a goddess, but she was bred a killer nonetheless.

The price of her life rose, and she could not help but imagine for what horrible purpose she would be forced to live off of. To those that were in the bidding race for her, she knew that it would be for no good. It was until she heard that her price spiked one million did she snap her eyes open. Her gazed turned towards a young man, and her eyes narrowed in hate. Yet, her gaze towards him would move from person to person as they all were eager to push up the price -a gamble. Her body slumped as her will to fight were beginning to decrease. At least, for the moment. The murmurs of the crowd and the hustling of the prices were erased from her mind as she entered into meditation. She may not have seen much use for it years ago, but, now, she was grateful to have learned it from her father. Even if she had learned it against her own wishes and desires. Within the blank state of mind, she felt peace. Almost as if she had once again been granted passage to her home, her world -Pandora.



Artemis’s eyes snapped open and widened as, once again, the voice originated from the man who had spiked the prices to one million ryos. Her heart swelled in both pride and fear; pride for the amount, and fear out of the man who would turn out to be. A surge of energy rushed through Artemis’s veins. Fifty million? Fifty million Ryos?After all, she knew that the bid would close off with such a high amount. The huntress was not at all wrong, for the bidders drew quiet and any sound that had once occupied the slave ring turned deathly quiet. The lead Orc barely knew what had gone on that, once the trade ended, he was in a surreal state. Regardless, he pushed her back towards the tables and awaited the young man who had granted him the riches he longed after. The man drew near, and the transaction was finalized. Artemis glared in defiance at the black haired man and awaited for what he would do next.

"Coward," Takai scoffed under his breath as the Orc fled back to rest of the slavers, "I thought Durotan hired braver men than that scum." His attention shifted back to the girl he had just purchased and his cold eyes narrowed as he looked at her poor state. 'So what is so special about this girl that you felt that you could give away a massive amount of our fortune for her?' The cold eyes slowly scanned the girl from her chapped lips and dirt smudged face down her body to her feet. 'She might be attractive but I didn't think that mattered to the Grim Reaper himself, didn't know you could be horny.' Dev sneered at Takai's jabs, tempted to take control just to make Takai hit himself. 'Such paultry desires of the flesh hold no interest for a being such as myself. I had even know you humans felt lust the way you do till I was forced to inhabit your hormonal ridden body.' The thought that True Avatar of Death, The Grim Reaper himself was now forced to feel emotions. Dev "cleared his throat" and continued before Takai could burst into laughter. It was always a little eerie how Dev could read his thoughts unless he was actively trying to hide them.

'As I was saying before you went off on your mental tangent, I find this girl pecular due to the fact that she died but didn't die. For that reason I want to have her around so I can figure out how and why.' The being known and Dev moved within Takai, a feeling that wasn't actually a feeling, it was strange to describe but Takai could tell when Dev moved within him. The dark eyes flicked completely black for a second, no other color was left in them, not even the whites as Dev flowed past them, taking a look at the girl they had just purchased. The black only stayed for a second and then was gone before returning the back to the cold grayish eyes like before. "We have a good walk ahead of us till we get to my home," he pulled a waterskin from his pack and tossed at the girls feet, dropping the chain connected to the collar around her neck, "have some water and wash some of the dirt off, I want to get there before night falls."

He said no more as he adjusted the pack on his back and turned walking down the road, "I'm not going to pull you along and you're welcome to run if you want, but your dressed like a slave with a collar and all. If the Orcs don't recapture you, I'm sure one of the dozen other slavers around her will. I know a few of them would love to taste your goods before they sell you off." Takai just walked down the road towards the east where his home was hidden within a mountain. 'Oh a scare tactic, I like it,' Dev said sarcastically, moving within Takai against so a small black patch appeared on the back of his neck, looking at the girl again. The black patch was the same dark black that had covered his eyes and lasted only a second before disappearing. 'I figured it was would be easy to tell the truth and scare her than to force her to come along and have her fight me all the way.'

Once the transaction had been completed and the huntress passed down to the dark clad man, the Orc in charge of the purchase quickly fled the scene. ”Coward,” The black haired man scoffed as the Orc ran off to his team and to what, for him, seemed to be the security of the trader’s market. ”I thought Durotan hired braver men than that scum.” The huntress frowned slightly, but did not say a word as the scene took place before her. She simply watched the man closely, studying his every action and movement in order to get the sense of the kind of man her was. From what she had just witnessed, though, he was well known throughout the region and, without a doubt, held quite the reputation. A reputation that, judging by how fast the Orc had vanished, was not at all a good one. She sighed inwardly. It was just her luck to find herself at the hands of someone like him. Tall, dark, and handsome with a bad boy rep. The huntress glowered at the man as his attention turned towards her. She may be at his mercy, but that did not mean she had to like it one bit.

Artemis shifted her weight uncomfortably under his cold, hard gaze. It was not due to the fact that it felt like he was inspecting meat, but, on the contrary, his hardened gaze was full of judgement with a hint of what seemed to be brief moments of disgust. For a brief moment that would follow soon after, her eyes widened slightly as she peered curiously into the man's eyes as an all too familiar transition took place. In a fleeting moment of a mere second or two, the color of the man’s eyes shifted onyx black before reverting back towards its natural greyish tone. Her thoughts would soon revert to Pandora, her home. Was the man not a person, but an entity? The shift only occurred within the Fallen Demons and those of their lineage as far as she was concerned. Was he a member of any of their families and/or any of their chosen? It was unlikely as well as it was possible. Regardless, it was a question that she would not obtain the answer to anytime soon nor would she ask. "We have a good walk ahead of us till we get to my home," Artemis gave a slow, wary nod. At least the man had the decency to talk to her somewhat.

Her spirits rose when he pulled the canteen from his pack. Yet, he killed the nice points he had earned as soon as he had the nerve to toss the flask at her feet as he let her leash go. She badly fought the urge to hurt the horrible excuse of a man. Sure he had bought her, but that was no excuse to treat her as an animal. She'd find it laughable if he would try to to gain her trust in such a manner as well. She made sure to shoot him the most sarcastic of sweet smiles, followed by an exaggerated half-bow, half-curtsy that came soon after. The huntress needed the water, she wasn't an idiot, but she would definitely not be one to passively accept the treatment that had been granted to her. "Have some water and wash some of the dirt off." She gingerly picked up the flask and poured less than a handful of water onto her left hand. With it, she scrubbed her face and proceeded to complete the process a few times until she could feel the grime wear off. Refreshed, she took a small drink despite the urge to engulf herself within the pleasures of refined water"I want to get there before night falls." She shot him a glare and drank once more, before closing the waterskin tight.

The man said nothing more as he adjusted what he carried and turned his back towards her. "I'm not going to pull you along and you're welcome to run if you want, but you’re dressed like a slave with a collar and all.” The huntress blinked. Was this his way of dealing with her? ”If the Orcs don't recapture you, I'm sure one of the dozen other slavers around her will.” The huntress would have huffed in both amusement and arrogance from his manner of speaking and of stating the obvious, but she no longer had that right. "I know a few of them who would love to taste your goods before they sell you off." A murderous growl escaped her lips as Artemis's eyes narrowed in pure hate at the man before her, her Master. What the man said was true, but to put it that way was too much and way to soon. After all, how was she to know he was not after her body as well?

Yet, regardless of whether or not he had nitpicked and poked at her wounds, she would have gone with him. Not for his rugged looks or his obvious wealth, but by his behavior. The huntress found it odd as well as was somewhat intrigued concerning this man's intention for her. For, in truth, she had expected him to be even more vile and horrid than the men who had fought for the payment concerning the deed to her life. After all, regardless of wherever she would find herself in, who would pay fifty million ryos just to use her as an ordinary maid or, strangely yet, let them go? Artemis gingerly touched the blasted contraption around her neck. He expected her to walk in such a way? Her fingers softly grazed the bits of the rags she wore and sighed. As long as she wore the collar, she was far from free. With that in mind, when the man took a step, she mirrored him so that she soon would walk behind him. Far from him so that she would run if need be, and close enough so that she could hear his instructions if ever he had one. She was a huntress and regardless of the land she found herself inhabiting, she was confident in her skills to survive.

'Oh, clever girl. She not some normal nymph, she has some intelligence if not training.' Takai, tempted as he was, kept his eyes on the road ahead. The sharp senses he developed over the years of being assassin had given him hint of her intention to hold back, his ears picking up her steps when she'd finally began to walk. 'Yeah I caught that, she held back till she was a good distance away from me but still close enough to hear. You think she'll slowly fall back and make a run for it when she gets a chance?' 'I don't believe this girl will run, she seems like she's smart enough to know that collar around her neck will keep her from ever being free. 'Well at least it's good to know I won't have to go chasing after her. I would like to have a good meal and my own bed tonight.' 'Yes let's worry about your stomach and comfort more than finding my power. After all, we wouldn't want your ass to get bruised sleeping on the ground. No lets just sleeping in a nice bed and leave the Weapon and Full Power of the Grim Reaper to lie around so anyone can pick it up.' 'Very well, if you can tell me someplace to go looking for it right now we'll drop the girl off and head straight after it. However, last time I checked we've run out of leads, so how about we go home and go over our reports. Maybe we'll find out something that will give us a hint, if so we'll head out after the lead.'

It was a continual argument between the two. Dev always seemed to be in a rush for that weapon which Takai found funny that an unaging Immortal was in a hurry to do anything. A silent argument continued on over the miles they traveled, no sign of what was going on between the two save for the occassional gesture or shake of the head from Takai. Even with their debate over their next move, both Takai and Dev kept the girl following them on their minds. Paying attention to the sounds of her steps or watching her from the back of Takai's neck as Dev was inclined to do. All the while the trees passed by going from the lowland oaks, with large leaves that so often collected water till it dropped it's pool onto unsuspecting travelers, to the Evergreen with their sharp needles littering the ground. The air around them chilled as they climbed the gentle slope up a mountain. With in a few hours of travel they'd gone from the warmer climate in the lowlands close to Sanrin to a much more frigid weather near the mountains of Hyouden. Takai's own breath fogged the air before him and he could feel the gooseflesh rise along his bare forearms. Fully clothes as he was, Takai could feel the cold slowly seeping into his body. He could only imagine as it was for the girl behind him, dressed in the rags they gave to the slaves that did little more than cling to her curves in a vain attempt at some kind of modesty. It was luck that they weren't to much farther from his home.

Tree separated before them as they made a final turn on the forest path into a clearing the gave them both a clear view of the Mountain wall. There was the home of an Assassin, built directly from the rock face, a home virtually impossible to spot from a distance. The Orange glow from the setting sun highlighted the glass work built into the stone windows. It gave definition the hard edges of the house and softened the unsmoothed faces of each wall. This was home. For the first time in the hours of walking, Takai looked back at the girl he had purchased. "Welcome to your new home. There is no need for you to hang back any longer, if you run now you're more likely to freeze to death before you find any kind of civilization, he said, hitching the pack on his back higher as he turned and made his way towards the entrance, "I built my home up here exactly for that reason, I like my privacy and up here there isn't anyone within about a 3 hour walk and that's only if you know what way you're going." The final steps up to the house led to a single large black metal door, a door that looked as if it guarded the way into a treasure trove of such value that Kings would jump at the chance to obtain. The most unusual thing about this doo is that didn't have visible hinges, a handle or an obvious place to insert a normal key. In the very center there was only a small perfect circle, big enough to insert a metal rod or a finger. That was exactly what Takai did. He stepped towards the door and inserted the index finger on his right hand. Dev flowed from Takai's finger into the hidden mechanism all riddled like a maze throughout the door, triggering every tumbler and switch until at last the final one clicked into place. The whole process took about 15 seconds, a rather long time to open a door, but Takai was a little paranoid when it came to security. The door didn't swing open, it didn't rise or fall but instead split into pieces, each either sliding or roll to open a path large enough for a cart to fit through.

A rush of warm air flowed from the opening door with a man standing there as if he'd been waiting for them. Middled-aged with a receding hair line, the man was only about 5'10" with a little paunch showing through his shirt. "Master Takai, I'm so glad to see that you've returned to us once again in good health. Has your travels been fruitful?" "Go to see you, Tobias. Sadly all I found again was more false hope and some few more odds and ends that I need locked up." The pack slid from Takai's shoulder, his hand catching the strap and holding it out to the one called Tobias. Immediately the older gentleman grabbed the bad and placed it on his own shoulder. "Dinner is being prepared for you already and a hot bath is being prepared so you can wash the road from off of you," Tobias' eyes moved from his Master towards the girl behind him, his brown eyes giving the girl a once over before resting on her breasts. The look was only a moment, but it was clear what he was staring at before he turned back to Takai, "I see you've collected another slave for the household, shall I have this one prepared and sent to your room right after dinner?" Already heading down the main hall, Takai stopped in his tracks and raised an eyebrow, "stop that idiocy Tobias." Takai's eyes settled back on the girl as if he'd almost forgotten that she was there, [color=darkred]"Girl, follow us. You need to be properly cleaned before we get some food into you."[color=darkred]

The outside of the manor had made it look to be solid stone, cold and hostile. The inside however had a warm earth tone to it. Wood had been incorporated into the stone walls and floors to give it a very cozy feel. The glow of the fire crystals mined from Ryuujin gave both light and heat, adding to the homey feeling. "Tobias, I need all the reports from the informants brought to me, I want to go through them as soon as possible and gather together some more supplies I want to be heading out as soon as possible. Where there any incidents while I was away that I need to be aware of? "I've already gathered the information for you and will be brought to you with your dinner. As well another pack has been prepared and waiting for you in your room. There is nothing to report that would require your attention, Master Takai." Takai and Tobias conversed as they walked down the hall, taking a couple turns this way and that before entering a room with a solid oak door. Within the room were few fairly attractive young women, standing in wait around a tub full of hot water, steam rising from the surface, waiting for their master. "As on top of it as ever Tobias, I'm not sure what I would do without you," Takai patted Tobais' shoulder before turning to the women waiting for him and pointing at the girl he'd just purchased, [color=darkred]"See to her. Those clothes should be thrown out and she needs a good cleaning. Afterwards dressing in some appropriate clothes and get her ready to have dinner."/color] The women rushed to obey Takai's commands, immediately pulling the girl towards the tub while striping her out of her clothing.

Artemis walked silently and in pace behind the black haired man, making sure that she held her tongue. She did not wish to speak nor did the huntress want to give out any of her information to him. If the man would ask, the huntress would respond with a simple shake or nod of her head. If he did not speak, then she would do the same. It wasn't that she could not speak, but she hoped her silence would give the illusion of just that. For, in her mind, the less she spoke, the safer she was. After all, she was not sure where she was nor of what intent he had towards her. Furthermore, she found no need as she did not find it necessary nor crucial to divulge information to a man who played no role, besides slave Master, in her life. Plus, if she could find a way out, then she was sure she would stay long. The trek continued its slow pace and, so as the time went on, there was no conversation made between the two. This was perfectly fine for her, but it concerned her that she had obtained no new information of what this world was or what it held. No matter, she would have to stay optimistic and continue onwards in her journey. Artemis picked up her pace ever so slightly in a hope to see what lay ahead. To her grave disappointment, there was simply more open road. After quite the long trudge, the hot weather of the slave trading hub had begun to morph to that of an icy, wintery breeze. The land before had also undergone a change in itself as the time had passed. From a dusty, sweltering land to a frigid and rocky terrain, the ground began to appear at a low incline. Even the air had gone a distinctive change as the crisp, nature-y scent of the Evergreen trees had consumed the area for miles around. The huntress frowned slightly as she gave an involuntary shudder. What was this place and why were they there? Was this the place that housed 'home’? An inward smile warmed her ever so slightly. She could learn to like the place.

Artemis flexed her frigid fingers as she took in a deep breath of the land she would soon call home. Her breath crystallized and the cold seeped through her skin, but, within the forest, the huntress felt alive. It was home, wherever she went, and could now truly understand what Remix was trying to convey upon her travels. The young huntress closed her eyes shut as a small, slim smile crept upon her chapped lips. She did not open them as she continued to walk behind her new Master. After all, if she wanted to escape, then she had to regain what she had once had -her connection with Nature. Artemis bit her lips gently as she let her instincts take over -the call of Nature surging through her veins. It was faint, but she could feel it all the same. And so, for all the while they trudged on, she was memorizing the scents around her; her footing across the terrain, the direction in which they went, and the sound of everything and anything her ears would pick up on. Much time had passed and the merciless cold air had begun to take its unforgiving toll upon the poor Huntress as their treck through the dense, enriched forest continued. Her eyes fluttered open, only to discover that the sun had shifted and, thus, much time had passed. Throughout it all, she had tried to brave the freezing temperatures, at least in her case, for quite some time now but, after much struggle, she no longer could hold off from seeking a bit of warmth. Still, she tried to brave through it some more and so Artemis could only glare pointedly at the man before her, her eyes throwing daggers at him. It was only when she felt as if she would freeze to death, that Artemis would wrap an arm around herself in an attempt to stay warm, while the other pulled down the rags that had begun to flow along with the breeze.

The huntress hated this -the feeling of helplessness. She had grown up to be raised free and independent, seeking thrill in adventures throughout the unknown. Yet, now, she was forcibly held down and unable to move from the place and form she found herself in now. She glared once more at the man before her. It was then, in her state of anger, that she noticed something peculiar -the man was clearly talking to himself. It was not that she had heard the whispers of voices, but it was the way his body moved. The head of his shook to and fro and the smallest of gestures done unconsciously made it obvious that there was some kind of an inner conversation going. Artemis tilted her head in curiosity, the anger soon forgotten. Was this in correlation with the colors his eyes turned? Did he belong to the tribe and lineage she had been mercilessly ripped from? Regardless, she spoke no words as her eyes wandered through the forest of tall Oak and rich Evergreen. It was not a scenic view, but rather that of survival. Every rock, every break in the soil, and every tree, she made a note so as to one day use the knowledge to her advantage. Artemis knew the information was vital as she no longer had use of her abilities of a Fallen Demon. Artemis closed her eyes for a split moment before commanding her ability forth. It was then that her well-known silver hue etched itself across the stamp that marked her eyes -the tree of Life. It spread throughout her pupil into a form of a silvery mist as it glowed. For her, it was not a ability, but, rather, an activation of the lineage of what she once and still was -a Spirit-Bourne. Her eyes were the sole reminder, along with the tattoo she bore proudly upon her right shoulder, of the world she belonged to.

Rainwater dripped occasionally from the overgrown trees, but the young huntress was too busy scavenging the place around her to notice. Her keen silver eyes were searching deep within the forest in search of a little spark of anything that would confirm her connection to Pandora -the Spirit Realm. Her pace slowed and the tiny, fallen needles from the trees were beginning to make themselves known. Artemis winced from the pain, but she continued her watch. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary and so the young woman could only sigh. It was strange, as it was odd, that there were no spirits within the dense forest. Surely, at least one, would have shown themselves, but none ever did. Artemis frowned disappointedly as her eye shifted back to normal. It was worth a try, but she could only hope that they would come soon enough. After all, spirits were useful as guides and information gatherers. It was only a matter of how to get them to cooperate that proved to be tricky. Not long after, Artemis noticed that the man had slowed and had shifted in direction from the original course. She proceeded to do the same until she came to notice a small opening upon the mountain. The man looked back at her. "Welcome to your new home. So, this was home. ”There is no need for you to hang back any longer.” She gave him a slow nod, but stayed put. Not like she'd follow the advice anyways. ”If you run now, you're more likely to freeze to death before you find any kind of civilization,[/b] The huntress shrugged ever so slightly. She could take her chances, but, for now, she was only concerned in obtaining materials and information in order to make it through there alive. The Master adjusted his pack and turned from her. "I built my home up here exactly for that reason, I like my privacy and up here there isn't anyone within about a 3 hour walk and that's only if you know what way you're going." Her eyes lit up. Three hours? She could make it out in half the time, thanks to her previous training with the Enchantress. Especially, if she regained her connection with Nature as well.


Artemis payed close attention as he stepped towards the door and inserted an index finger within the gap. It took a few moments for it to activate itself and it riddled itself open from inside. The huntress nodded, impressed. It would be hard to get through the door, but she could, hopefully, manage some way out. As the mechanics worked themselves out, she stood studying the door for the quarter of a minute it took for it to be opened. It was made clear that the man truly liked, as well as enjoyed, his privacy and solitude. As soon as the door opened, a gush of warm wind escaped from the homey interior. Her eyes narrowed as she caught the silhouette of a man standing at attention within the entrance, almost as if he had calculated their arrival perfectly. The man was tall and clearly older, but he was definitely not as imposing as the man who had bought her. At least, from what she could tell at first glance. "Master Takai, I'm so glad to see that you've returned to us once again in good health.” Master? From the looks of it, he was clearly the butler. ”Has your travels been fruitful?" Artemis rolled her eyes at the scene. "Go to see you, Tobias.” So the man’s name was Tobias… ”Sadly all I found again was more false hope and some few more odds and ends that I need locked up." Artemis’s eyes immediately lit up as she turned her head to see what the Master was talking about. False hope? Odds? It was clear the man, Takai, was on a journey, but to what?

The pack slid from the man's shoulder, his hand catching the strap, and held it out towards the one called Tobias. Almost immediately, the older gentleman grabbed the bag and proceeded to place it on his own shoulder. "Dinner is being prepared for you already and a hot bath is being prepared so you can wash the road from off of you," Artemis rose an eyebrow in amusement. The butler then took a look at her, scanning and inspecting her closely. His hazel eyes roamed her before placing them upon her chest. Artemis's eyes narrowed menacingly, but the butler had long since looked away. "I see you've collected another slave for the household, shall I have this one prepared and sent to your room right after dinner?" The huntress winced at the mention of the word ‘slave’ as well as took a small, tiny step backwards when they mentioned the bedroom. Yet, thankfully, the Master stopped and refused the offer. "Stop that idiocy, Tobias." Artemis sighed with relief and, yet, a question arose within her mind. If she hadn’t been bought as a sex slave, then, what was her purpose? The Master's eyes then focused on her once more, before stating his instructions. "Girl, follow us. You need to be properly cleaned before we get some food into you." The huntress blinked and gave a slight nod. Maybe he wasn't such a jerk after all. With that, she followed both men through the winding hallways and beautiful corridors. It had an earthy feel to it, much like her previous home. No sooner had the thought passed her mind that her heart sank. How in Pandora would she get back? Much less, when?

As she walked, the huntress took special care to note the path they were taking. Yet, she could not help but be amazed at the beauty within the Master's home. If he, himself, had designed it, then she truly had to compliment his taste of interior designing. It was not often that a mix of Earth and Plants had been incorporated as a permanent theme. The more she saw, the more she fought the urge to brush her fingers against the wooden panels. If, and when she would obtain her abilities, she was sure to have it easier to make an escape. Much less, work there for the time being. Her occupied mind was sooo reawakened at the sound if the Master's voice. This caused the huntress to pay close attention, although she did not give a hint of warning that she was doing so. "Tobias, I need all the reports from the informants brought to me.” Informants? Whatever for? ”I want to go through them as soon as possible and gather together some more supplies.”[ So, he was in a hurry to leave, but why? ”I want to be heading out as soon as possible. Where there any incidents while I was away that I need to be aware of?[/b] Artemis continued to 'busy’ herself with her surroundings. "I've already gathered the information for you and will be brought to you with your dinner. As well another pack has been prepared and waiting for you in your room. There is nothing to report that would require your attention, Master Takai." Artemis scoffed, and, upon a moment of realization, immediately tried to play it off as a cough. She had made a mistake, and could only hope they bought her cover up. Whether they noticed or not, she would continue to walk behind them while they continued to talk between themselves. It was when they reached a certain door, that they would stop.

Artemis peered curiously in and blinked in amazement. The room was a bath room paradise with its beautiful oaken furnishing. Her eyes scanned all around until they settled on a group of beautiful women standing in wait. It was then, that another realization hit her. Did he not take a shower by himself? She looked him up and down before looking back at the women in pure amazement and hidden shock. Did he have no shame? "As on top of it as ever Tobias, I'm not sure what I would do without you," The Master patted the butler’s shoulder before turning to the women waiting for him. Yet, contrary to her previous belief, the Master of the house, Takai, turned to her offhandedly. "See to her.” As if to size her up, he continued. ”Those clothes should be thrown out and she needs a good cleaning. Afterwards dressing in some appropriate clothes and get her ready to have dinner."[color] Artemis blinked and, without being given time to react, was immediately seen to. With not a moment to lose or delay, the women immediately began to tear off the rags Artemis had on and pulled her towards the tub. Sure, the huntress was very grateful that she would be refreshed and clean, but, she was being put in display in front of the men? Her cheeks flushed red as her knees buckled and her arms are immediately placed across her chest. No way was she going to give them the privilege of seeing more than they should have. Regardless, the servants gave not a care in the world towards her as they pulled her towards the tub. In one fluid motion, Artemis entered and almost drowned herself in her hurry. The poor huntress closed her eyes shut as she was scrubbed clean and pampered. All the while, her thoughts were in the Master. He was definitely an inconsiderate bastard. Handsome, but still a horrible excuse for a man in her eyes.

Once she was scrubbed clean, the maids practically forced her out of the tub and delayed in presenting her with a towel. This caused the huntress to flush crimson in humiliation. This was definitely not something she enjoyed, nor would she wish to repeat again. Meanwhile, a couple of woman had gone to obtain clothing for her to put on so that she would be furnished for the meal she would be supposedly having with the Master. The others had dragged her to a nearby stool where her hair was, not so gently, pulled into an elegant bun and her makeup perfectly applied. They had murmured at her eyes, but left her alone as no questions were asked. When they placed their eyes upon her bare shoulder, though, their eyes widened tremendously. ”We need to remove that wretched thing,” One said to the others. All nodded in agreement, but Artemis forced her arm back. No way were they going to take it away from her. Much less hide what she so proudly displayed. The women tried to prod her once more, but Artemis's pointed glare caused them to shrink back. Finally, the women who had keft for attire had returned with some clothing and proceeded to place them upon her. Once done and set, she was spun and nodded at before being declared ready.

The female slaves busied themselves with with cleaning the newest addition, her clothes quickly picked up to be thrown out. Takai stroked his chin, thinking about something he had heard during his last travel, something troubling. "Tobias, did you hear anything through our informants about a the death of a Regen Sprite?" The gossip of the girls at the tub filled the silence, a silence that when a little long. Takai looked to his head of household trying to figure out why he didn't answer. Tobias stared straight towards the bathing slave, watching the other scrub her clean and rinsing the soap from her body. Takai snapped his fingers in front of Tobias' face, "Tobias?" The older butler shook his head quickly and looked towards Takai, his face ashamed, "I'm sorry Master, I was just making sure the slaves were doing a proper job. What was it that you had asked?" "Always making sure everyone is doing what they're doing the best job they can, but lets go some place else so we can talk without interruption." A gesture of the hand, Takai ushered both of them out of the room and down the hall. "Now I was asking about a Regen Sprite, I recently heard that one had been killed. Do you know how?" "I don't recall hearing of any such thing, though there might be something in the intel that was collected from your informants." "I see, well I'll read those over shortly and maybe I'll find something in there that will have what I'm looking for," again, Takai stroked his chin thinking things threw, [color]"I'm going to get clean myself and prepare for Dinner, make sure the girl is dressed in something nice and have her there as soon as the food is ready."[/color]

"Tobias, sir." A slave girl rushed out of the bathing room towards Tobias, stopping immediately the moment she saw Takai. "I'm sorry Master, I didn't mean to disrupt you," the girl bowed extremely low, a slight tremble in her voice and body. "No need to worry, just say what you need to say." "Yes Master," the girl stood up slowly, keeping her eyes downcast as she spoke, "the new girl has a mark on her shoulder that she refuses to let us remove. Sir Tobias told us he always wants all marking removed from any of the slaves so only Master's Mark would be on them." "I'll take care if Master Takai, I'll be sure that her mar-" Takai held up a hand to stop his Head of Household. 'Don't let them remove it, it might give me a hint to what is so odd about her. I would like to see the mark she bares.' "Leave the mark as it is. He looked at Tobias then turned to the slave girl, "In fact I want you to draw the mark if you can and bring me the drawing to me at dinner." The slave girl bowed and quickly scurried away to obey her Master's commands. "Sir, are you sure it wouldn't be better to just remove it so that someone else can't come and stake claim to your property." Takai just waved him off, "Has anyone in all the years you've been in my service ever come to lay claim to anyone of the slaves? Just leave the mark as it is, that is an order, Tobias. I'm going to get ready, just make sure the girl is ready for Dinner."


A large flame crystal sat within the hearth, lighting the large dinning room and keep the cold outside at bay with it warmth. A single long table sat in the center of the room, a deep cherry wood polished to a perfect sheen. Twelve seats sat around the Table, five on each side and one on either end. Each Chair was a high back with soft plush cushions that were as soft as one could get them. Only two settings had been placed on the table, one at the head where Takai now sat and the seat immediately to his right. Cleaned and refreshed from his travels, Takai sat and read through the intel that had been provided to him, looking for any hints of where he could go to find Death's Weapon and Power. Of course there were also the requests from nobles wishing for their enemies or rivals to be dealt with one way or another. It was all tedious work but it was necessary for him to continue on his other quests and duties assigned by the Devourer. Takai sighed as he set some of the papers down and rubbed his temples. 'I really wish that your weapon had just stayed with us so that we wouldn't have to go looking for it all over the world.' 'Well if you were better at finding thing then we wouldn't still be searching for it would we? 'Yes, yes, but lets talk about this another day,' Takai took a deep breath, smelling the delicious food, 'I'm starving and it smells like Zorkul out did himself today.

Throughout all of the scrubbing and grooming, Artemis refused to glance towards the Master and his lapdog. She knew they had not left for she could clearly hear Takai attempting to obtain information from his butler. Why they remained, she did not know, but she only wished they would disappear forever for all she cared. Artemis sighed and sank deeper into the tub. How she wanted to leave and regain the artifact she had lost. It was a heirloom passed down throughout generations, but, as to how she had lost it, she did not know much less knew where it had been misplaced. The maids yanked her back up and gave her sharp glares in warning as they continued their work. Yet, Artemis ignored them as she tried to recollect her thoughts. She could faintly remember hearing stories of Remix’s adventures in search of a similar artifact and how she would collect information from books. The young huntress had always found that bit odd, but, according to her dimension-hopping relative, the artifacts would disappear into a new substance as soon as the rift occurred. This prevented paradoxes from items coexisting in different times and space, but it made it all the much harder to regain them. Artemis winced as her arms were scrubbed red. Perhaps that was the cause of her missing artifact as well as most likely explained the reason her abilities did not kick in.

Artemis tensed as she was removed forcefully from the luxurious tub. Glancing upwards, she sighed with relief as she stared at the door where the two men had been although her cheeks burned crimson. Still, they were gone, much to her relief, and hopefully they would stay gone until everything had been readied. The huntress was later pushed onto a stool where the maids quickly began their work. They grabbed makeup palettes, brushes, among other things in order to completely transform her. While she was being prepped, two maids were sent to grab clothing to suit her for the dinner she was to have. When they check to see what color would look best, they peered into her aquamarine eyes and noticed the stamp she bore -the mark of Eden’s tree of Life. Immediately, murmurs arose all around as they decided upon what to do. Until, eventually, the one who appeared to be in charge of them stood up. ”Unless we wish Tobias to punish us, we better get working.” She pointed towards the Natural Colors palette. ”Soft colors. We’ll figure out the rest later.” Everyone in the room nodded and busied themselves within their appointed tasks. The murmurs that had once circulated through the room were now died out as utmost concentration was put forward. Once the makeup had been completed, they would then concentrate on the overall look of her figure.

The women inspected Artemis once more and twirled her, judging every pace she took. Yet, the huntress acted as gracefully as she could in order to avoid any mistreatment. After all, women were like the majestic lions. Yet, one wrong move and you could be eaten alive. Thankfully, her movement was accepted with a murmur of appreciation only to turn to that of rage once her guild emblem was spotted. When the maid in charge issued the order to remove it, Artemis backed away and confronted the order.  In anger at Artemis’s refusal to allow anyone to remove her proud Nox Animus tattoo, the maids in charge spoke up, ”Annabelle, go tell the Master of this one’s disobedience.” The order was clear, harsh, and crisp, leaving the unlucky slave no room to argue. The poor maid, Annabelle, trembled in fear, but nodded regardless. Artemis could only feel pity for the girl, but she would protect any emblem she had been marked with. It was her link to who she was and would protect it, even if it cost the huntress her life. The ‘head’ maid looked back to glare at the huntress. ”We don’t want to be punished because of you. So you better understand how things work here, got it?” With that and not a moment of further delay, Annabelle left in a hurry to see what could be done.

When Annabelle returned to the bath, she was unsure of what to do. The order she had received was peculiar and, as far as she knew, no other slave had been made an exception to any rule. So, when Claire commanded her to speak, the tongue-tied maid told them all exactly what she had been told and ordered to do. ”It’s the order I received…” Her eyes refusing to meet Claire’s. When the Head maid did not say a word of what she had been told, Annabelle continued, ”He wishes to obtain it during the dinner.” Immediately, all of the maids who had busied themselves with arranging Artemis to perfection stopped their tasks and stared at Artemis in mixtures of emotions. An unbearable silence rose up within the room, so much so that the huntress could hardly breathe. Finally, one of the maids spoke, Claire, ”So…” The others leaned forward in an effort to catch any word that would escape from the huntress’s lips. ”Who are you?” Artemis blinked in confusion and did not speak. She would refuse to speak, even to her fellow workers. When the maids came to note another refusal emanating from the huntress, they glared and proceeded to continue their work. And, Artemis, once more could somewhat relax to the pressures and hate she was slowly accumulating. Finally, the two maids who had gone to fetch clothing for the huntress came back with a beautiful snowy gown. From the looks of it, it was a turtle neck dress with a skirt that would seem to flow at floor length.

The maids gasped in amazement at the dress as it was presented towards them before looking back at Artemis with disatisfaction. ”This will do..” Claire said as she shooed the maids along. The dress was as white as snow, with designs of onyx blacked that outlined and supported the dress. Furthermore, the gown was long -much longer than Artemis would have expected. In truth, she would have expected something skimpier in an attempt by the staff to make her perform after the meal. So, once Artemis took one look at the dress, she fell in love with it. It was something out of a dream for her and so she eagerly allowed the staff to put the outfit together. The staff worked diligently in making sure everything was set to the utmost perfection and speed. Once they had done what was required, they took a step back to overlook their work. The dress fell just above her ankles so that they would gorgeously portray the onyx black, crucifix boots that accompanied it. The second skirt was placed just above her waist and clipped forward as to prevent it from falling. The only thing Artemis dislike, but accepted was how long of a cut the chest area had been set to. For the dress only covered the entirety of her neck as a halter, but the cut dipped as soon as it hit her collarbone down until it hit just above her belly button. The back, on the other hand, held a cut from her throat towards just slightly below her waist -the second skirt covering a slight portion of it.  

The leather belts that accompanied it helped keep the dress attached and comforted the huntress of the sturdiness of it. She was happy with it and regardless of its faults, she enjoyed the fluid motion of it all and how it showed off her guild mark even if the maids hated it with a passion. They presented her in front of a tall mirror in order to evaluate their work. Upon seeing herself for the first time in what felt like an eternity, Artemis smiled at herself as her fingers softly brushed her once bruised lips. They were now a glossy baby pink tone with a slightly darker eyeshadow which complimented it beautifully. The huntress then inspected her face as her fingers brushed her rosy cheeks. The dryness of her skin was now gone, replaced with softness she once had had before capture. Every knot in her hair and every split end had been effortlessly removed, giving her hair a shiny, lush glow. Artemis tugged gently at the curls she had been given in an effort to not destroy the messy, yet elegant bun she had been given. The maids had done an excellent job in restoring her youthfulness and removing any signs of the torture she had been through. For that, she was thankful. The only thing she hated from the overall look, though, was the collar she bore. But, unfortunately, she could do nothing about that.

With that, she only had one thing left to do and it was to thank the women who had worked hard to restore her appearance. For, despite them being clear that they did not like her one bit, they had given Artemis her life back. Even if it was only for one night and in the company of the man she hated. Artemis turned to thank them, but they all had just disappeared -save for the artist who was now waiting patiently for Artemis to react. The huntress blinked as she noticed the drawing tablet the maid, Annabelle, had that portrayed a professionally sketched replica of not only her guild tattoo, but of her eye as well. When the maid caught on to what Artemis was looking at, she immediately blushed and hid the contents of it. Artemi only gave a slight smile before wondering where it was she was to be taken. With that, Annabelle would then briskly walk towards the door and Artemis followed suit. They wove again through the winding hallways until they reached a richly decorated dining hall. The maid would then bow deeply as the room’s attention would be placed upon the two women. Artemis, on the other hand, did not move until Annabelle gestured the huntress to follow suit. The huntress would then sigh internally and give the Master her most graceful of curtsies. After all, she refused to bow and the curtsy would be an irony against the sarcastic one she had granted him not long hours ago.

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OOC: Picture of the dress

Cooking from the Kitchen filled the dinning hall with it's amazing aromas, forcing Takai's body to react with hunger. It had been so long since he had a good meal such as this that he was almost desperate enough to just walk into the Kitchen and start eating there. Zorkul, the Chef, would of course through Takai out. It was the agreement made when he came to Cook for Takai. The rest of the House it Takai's, but Kitchen belongs to Zorkul and no one, not even Takai, can tell him what to do inside his own Kitchen. A growl rumbled from Takai's stomach and he sighed. He was so hungry that he could no longer look at the reports, placing them into a neat stack off to the side. "Master," Tobias said, stepping quietly to Takai's left, "Your meal will be out in just a moment and the slave girl is on her way as well." Takai straightened up in the chair and looked towards the Kitchen door, hoping one of the slaves would be coming out of them any moment now. Steps from the hall drew Takai's attention from the kitchen and his stomach as he watched the slave girl Annabelle rush into the room followed just a few steps by another girl. It took Takai a second to recognize the girl even though he knew who she was. The change that a good cleaning made on her was staggering. It was easy to tell that she'd had a nice body, but with the washed skin and applied make up she was easily one of the most attractive girls in all Abraxas. Without any kind of thought behind the action, Takai stood up as Annabelle and the girl gave him respect in the forms of a bow and a curtsy.

"You definitely look much better cleaned up and dressed," he snapped to his senses before the curtsy and he gave her a wry smile. His eyes gave her a cursory glance, looking her up and down briefly, admiring how the dress looked on her, "come, have a seat girl. The food will be out in a moment." As if on cue, the Chef's two assistants wheeled out a cart laden with food. The doors swung open a second time and a tall Dragonborn stepped through. His scales shimmered gold in the light of the sun crystals, each individual scale strangely defined. "Master Takai, you're meal is ready." The Assassin turned towards the Dragonborn, who stood almost a foot taller than himself and gave him a slight bow, "Zorkul, you truly are a Master of the Kitchen, my stomach has been aching to taste one of your meals ever since I left." Zorkul offered his own deeper bow in return, "its a pleasure to serve you as always, Master Takai." A foolish grin on the Assassin's face as he laughed, "Hahaha, are we done with this stupid formality. I'm ready to eat already." The dragonborn returned the laugh with his own chuckle and grin, "of course, whom should I serve first. "Serve the girl first, I'm sure she's probably more starved for good food than myself," Takai settled himself back into his chair, "the rest of the house will be eating in the usual room." "Very well."

Tobias immediately moved from Takai's left and waved everyone out of the room, gesturing only for the newest slave girl to sit. Moving the chair back for her, Tobias eyes the girl, gazing with full appreciation and little attempt to hide his lust at her well endowed and exposed breasts."You shall sit here slave, at the Masters request." His head was turned away from Takai's view so he could neither see the grin on his face nor see how his eyes watcher body as she walked towards the table. "Oh Annabell, do you have the drawing for me?" The slave girl nearly tripped over her self when she was called by name but slowly turned around and walked back to Takai with her drawings in hand. "Here you go Master," she said, eyes down cast once more. "Thank you Annabelle, you're dismissed," he looked at the drawings in his hands studying them. "Wait!." He called out again and the young slave girl started to shake, "there are two drawings here, what is the second one?" The girl stuttered slightly as she spoke, "I-i-it's s-something in her e-eye." "Ah, I see. These are quite well done, Annabelle, you should be proud. Zorkul, can you make sure that Annabelle gets a special dessert with her dinner." "Of course, Takai."

As Annabelle led the huntress through the winding corridors, the scent of food began to make its way towards the two women leaving the Huntress's mind to flood with thoughts of food. The wonderful aromas of the food caused Artemis's mouth to water, yet she said nothing as she made a silent prayer in hopes of having her stomach remain quiet and not make a sound. She was definitely hungry, but she did not want to embarrass herself the minute she appeared before her new Master. When they had finally arrived to the place in which her appearance had been requested, she was gestured by the girl who had accompanied her to pay her respects to the man who had just purchased her. Yet, Artemis refused to move.

Upon seeing the two, the Master of the House stood up immediately in what the Huntress considered a form of greeting. Annabelle immediately bowed at him, trembling in fright and looked towards Artemis to do the same. When the poor maid looked at Artemis, she desperately ushered for her to do the same and, in hopes of not getting the girl in trouble, Artemis gave him an elegant curtsied. Sure he had bought her, but there was no way she was going to submit herself to him. She had pride, and that was something she was definitely not going to lose in herself. "You definitely look much better cleaned up and dressed," The Master commented and so the Huntress gave him a brief smile and another curtsy in thanks. He seemed to revert back to reality as he gave her a rather neutral smile and observatory glance before going back to etiquette. "Come, have a seat girl. The food will be out in a moment." It was then that the room filled with life.

Almost immediately after saying the words, servants of the mansion came from out of the kitchen, rolling a cart filled with an abundance of food. Her eyes brightened at the sight and widened slightly before reverting back to normal. When they had neared the table, the doors of the kitchen opened once more and a… man appeared next. This time, a large lizard man exited the doors, appearing very much familiar and at home within the room, as he made his way towards the Master. He gave a bow in respect, addressing the Master in equal regards. "Master Takai, you're meal is ready." Artemis watched curiously at the Master's expression, noticing a spark of friendliness emitting from his gestures as he turned and gave a bow. "Zorkul, you truly are a Master of the Kitchen. So the man was indeed the Head Chef. ”My stomach has been aching to taste one of your meals ever since I left." The Huntress rose an eyebrow. How long had the man been gone from his own house and why?

The chef, Zorkul, returned the Master's gesture in a form of a deeper bow. "It's a pleasure to serve you as always, Master Takai." It was then that the vibe the two had given off turned completely, as a wide smile appeared on the Master's face. His laugh caught Artemis by surprise, blinking back the thoughts that had started to form. Maybe, just maybe, this guy wasn't as much as a jerk as she thought he was. Then again, he had proved her wrong before. "Hahaha, are we done with this stupid formality. I'm ready to eat already." The dragon man laughed as well and grinned back, "Of course, whom should I serve first? Artemis was about to open her mouth to suggest the Master before realizing she was making a mistake. Yet, in a split second of her almost Kate reaction, the Master took the liberty to suggest her. "Serve the girl first, I'm sure she's probably more starved for good food than myself,"

The Huntress blinked back confusion as the man settled himself back in his chair. "The rest of the house will be eating in the usual room." The House? Usual room? What? So many questions she had, but she refused to utter a word. "Very well." Came the reply of the Chef as he began to prepare what was brought. Artemis shifted in her spot besides the Master and next to Annabelle. What was she to do now? Her silent question was soon answered when the lapdog of a Butler came forth to retrieve her. "You shall sit here slave, at the Master's request." Artemis fought back the urge to roll her eyes and, instead, opted to shift uncomfortably under the gaze of the lecherous butler. Oh, how she wanted to hit him full in the face with her clenched fist, but, seeing in the position she was in, that was definitely out of the question.

Still, she allowed him to direct her to her seat and, as he covered the view of the Master, she gave him a scowl while her pointed stare shot daggers towards him. Maybe she could not say anything, but she was definitely not going to sit back and relax under the stare of his perversion. The Butler soon left and she sat quietly in wait. She looked down at the fancy tableware in a hint of amusement and surprise. The silver utensils had been placed in a beautiful arrangement by the sides of the plates while the glass was left empty in the wake. She turned her gaze towards the Assassin, sizing him up. Was this a form of test? Clearly he did not act like a noble nor did he have the air of one, so, what exactly was he?

The Master seemed occupied for he summoned the maid, Annabelle, back to him "Oh Annabelle, do you have the drawing for me?" Artemis’s eyes snapped up to look at the Master then back at Annabelle. After a closer look, it was evident that the poor girl was shaking upon having heard her name. Yet, Annabelle mustered her strength and turned to address the Master, her eyes low to the ground. "Here you go Master," Was her only reply as she handed over the artwork. Turning back, she was about to leave the room when he called her once more. "There are two drawings here, what is the second one?" she cast her eyes down, stuttering in nervousness, "I-i-it's s-something in her e-eye." Now it was Artemis’s turn to narrow her eyes and scowl at the drawing pad that the Master had in his hands. Sure he had allowed her to keep her guild tattoo, but to pry? That wasn't something she liked.

Satisfied with the answer, the Master proceeded to compliment them before he dismissed her. "Ah, I see. These are quite well done, Annabelle, you should be proud The huntress raised an eyebrow in question. Sure she had seen Annabelle’s artistic talents, but to have the Master praise them? This was definitely something new. ”Zorkul, can you make sure that Annabelle gets a special dessert with her dinner." Artemis lowered her eyes and scowled at the food. "Of course, Takai."[/quote] Artemis gave a small sigh as she moved her gaze towards Takai. She tried to read his body language and expressions, coming up empty besides the fact that he seemed incredibly out of place within the luxurious environment. The Huntress sighed once more, being thankful that she had been instilled with the education of an aristocrat back in her homeland. Sure she had hated those lessons with a passion, preferring to instead travel the lands to her heart’s content, but they had ultimately earned their purpose. Natalia would have been proud.

Still, the huntress was curious as to why he had required drawings to be made for the tattoos he had allowed her to keep. What was the purpose of it and why not have just asked her immediately? He clearly owned her, but, then again, she would not have given him any answers as to what they were. She fought back the involuntary gesture of touching the wretched collar. It had started to hurt, but no way was she complaining. She moved her face to gaze at the rest of the table when she flinched automatically. Artemis slowly turned her head back towards the front of her, her hand reaching up to touch the side of her neck. The metallic contraption had cut her neck, as evident now with visible drops of blood now flowing down her neck. Still, she said nothing and made the effort to bear it. Sure the collar was rubbing her neck raw, but she had no say. Instead, she bit back the pain, smiled, and prepared to await for what came next.

'Do you recognize either of these symbols from anything, Dev?' 'Hmm, the one symbol looks familiar but I don't recognize the other one, never seen a tree silhouette like that.' Both symbols were very interesting, they drew in the Assassin as he studied them, drowning out the rest of the world around him. "Ahem," Zorkul cleared his throat, pointedly starting at Takai. It was enough to snap him out of his study of the drawings, his eyes immediately moving towards the Dragonborn. "Zorkul! Um, did you need something?" "Oh, nothing for myself, but my assistant is waiting to serve you, your meal." The first assistant to Zorkul stood at Takai's side, plate of food in hand just waiting for the assassin to clear the area of the drawings. The smell that had filled the room had suddenly come back to him, his stomach growling in protest. "That is," his stomach growled loudly, "probably a good idea." Shuffling the drawings together, he placed them on the seat opposite of the slave girl and left the assistant place the food down in front of him.

The food looked so good, Takai wanting to dive right in and sate his appetite. He held his hunger at bay for just a while longer only so that he could be polite. "Zorkul makes some good food, doesn't he girl." The smile that spread across his face was pleasant but not too sweet. "Girl, what is your name, I would prefer not to..." The crimson streak trickling down her neck caught his attention and stopped him mid sentence. "Hmm." The chair slid back across the floor as the assassin stood walking over to the slave girl. Pushing her head gently to the side, he inspected the collar on her neck. it was clear that it wasn't was the cause of her bleeding. "If this was hurting you, you should have said something girl." His thumb came up to the collar just as a tiny black blade punctured the skin, forcing blood to run down his digit. The style of collar that she wore required the blood of a non-collared person to be able to get it off. It was the most sophisticated collar around but it worked for slavers in general.

His blood smeared over the collar's clasp, the simple lock popping open and freeing her neck. "There we go," he said, grabbing a nice silk napkin from the table and wiping up the blood that had been slowly falling down her neck. The collar, no longer locked against her skin, was easy to remove and Takai held to his side as he cleaned her neck. "Tobias!" His voice was barely louder than his normal talking voice but within seconds Tobias came around the corner. "What can I do for you, Master." "The slave collar from the auction was cutting into her neck, can you grab one of the custom collars for her." "I"m sorry sir," Tobias bowed low, "we weren't aware that you'd be bringing a new slave home this soon, we currently don't have any on hand. We are several new ones to be ready to be soon, but that's still a week out." "Hmm, very well," he tossed the old collar to the Head Butler, "can you dispose of this and send one of your assistants to come clear and heal her wound?" "It will be done."

Retaking his seat, Takai looked back at the slave girl and gave her a gentle smile. "I'm sorry about that, they should have already remove that collar. You'll get a new one in a few days and that one is much softer and won't hurt." The 2nd Assistant to the head of household soon entered the room, pushing a small tray of medical supplies with him. The Assassin didn't bother to watch the man cleaning the slave's neck and patching the wound. His hunger taking over his curiosity as he dove into the plate of delicious foods. The Assistant worked quickly, placing a healing salve over the injury. The healing properties of the salve beginning to work immediately, skin already regrowing. With the cut taken care of, the assistant cleaned up the his supplies and began to push the cart away. Only if the assistant had struck immediately upon coming into the hall, while Takai was busy enjoying his meal. If only he had not made such a wide swing and basically announced his coming attack. Had he just been more patient, his attempt to kill Takai might have had at least a higher chance of success.

The wheels of the cart slowed ever so slightly, barely noticeable to anyone not intently listening. Takai noticed though. He looked up, about to inquire if the assistant needed to report anything when he saw the glint of metal. The next couple seconds all happened in slow motion for the assassin. The light reflecting off the side of the knife flashed as the Assistant pulled the knife out and did a backwards swing, the angle of the blade likely would have slammed against the assassin's chest. Takai saw it coming though. Rising from his seat the same instance that the assistant had drawn his dagger. Kicking the chair back with all his strength, clearing space around him for the fight. The Assistant was fast, far faster than Tobias had reported, fast enough that this might have still worked if it had someone else been his target. Takai ducked under the knife, knocking up the attack with his right arm as he struck out with his left.

Wood shattered against the fire place at the same moment Takai's hand punched into the man's lower back, right about where his kidney would be. 'Devour' Void energy lashed out devouring the man's flesh and muscle, a powerful force launching across the floor into the wall beside the door. The force of the impact shocked the man hard enough to knock the knife from his hands. This wasn't the end of Takai's attack. His once sly playful demeanor had completely vanished, replaced with a mask of perfect calm. There was no anger in his eyes, no hint of fury. It was just a cold calculating calm. The same ability that had send the assistant flying now launched Takai after the man, his entire blurring across the room. The assistant, already beginning to push himself off the wall, was slammed back against the hard wood. Takai's fingers wrapped themselves around the back of his neck, pressing his face into the splintered wood panel. 'DEVOUR' From the point of his fingers to the point of the thumb was instantly absorbed into the void. There was no gurgle, no last words. The assistant just went limp, sliding down against the wood, staining the floor in blood. The Assistant's head dropped forward, dangling only from his still attached esophagus, spinal column completely missing from his neck.