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A life in chains

Prologue

The sounds of the city outside came from just a few narrow barred windows at the top of the basement walls, to small to stick anything through save water. The damp stale air of this basement prison was all to familiar to me, I'd spent the last seven years down here, enduring beating after beating, being starved and whipped by the grubby, greedy man who lived above.

Brant, that was his name, the man I had been sold to, a cruel and uncaring Slavemaster who lived in the arid sandstone city of Ludos. The creaking of floorboards above could always be heard, his footsteps pacing to and fro, among other sounds, mostly horse yelling. Still, everyday I would sit in that cramped poorly built cell; sitting in the mouldy filth and the rags I wore that may at one point have been a hessian sack. I would sit there staring up at that small tiny window, hoping that someone would buy me, take me away from this horrible cruelty.

There was an auction tomorrow, it'd be my seventh, nothing to brag about, if I wasn't sold tomorrow I would be chopped up into prime cut for some unsuspecting sap. Brant in his frustrations had taken to beating me in some attempt to fix whatever was keeping me from being sold, he was desperate to make a single coin from me, in anyway possible.

The sound of squeaky hinges and the heavy footsteps told me and the others down here that food was coming. Brant would appear with a bucket of stale bread, mouldy cheese and vegetable peels in one hand, cludgel in the other. I didn't flinch as a lump of hardtack struck my shoulder and fell to the ground, the others however would all mill around the bars, desperate for a single scrap of food.

my gaze fell upon the strange mark on my hand, wondering how and where I had gotten it, Father said it was just a birthmark. but it looked too precise for that, it was a circle split into two halves, more so a ring, with a line through the middle, kind of like a compass. there was a metallic clang as Brant dropped the bucket to the ground, followed by begging, protestest and crying. they soon descended into screams as the bald rotund man forcibly took his latest acquisition; a young woman with short red hair, upstairs to rape and have his way with.

Her screams and cries would be heard by everyone nearby, but no one would care, no one would help, there were no laws in this country, and yet I still had hope that someone would save me, but after so long I knew it was just a stupid dream now.

No one would come to rescue me.

Chapter one: Broken yet Hopeful

Aldoran was an arid landscape, a sunken coastal basin that stretched for miles and was prone to shallow daily flooding with crystal clear water. My Father had said it was once part of Volthume but had since been walled off after the War, now home to pirates, slavers and criminals of all likes. The cities here were all crude, made of sandstone and hardwood with drab heavy cloths, canvases and rugs. Ludos was no exception, built upon one of the man short plateau like shelves that poked up from the ground, usually just by a foot or two.

I stared off at the crowds as the cage I sat in was pulled down the streets, watching the untrusting faces pass me by, not a single person showing any care. Ludos was a horrible city, worse than most in Aldoran, here everyone had a knife up their sleeve and made coin of anything and anyone they could. It was a racist, violent and lawless place, muggings and murders occured daily, butcher stalls proudly showed the gutted and skinned corpses of various Advent, calling them 'exotic meats' while merchants sold their hides as luxury fabrics.

The sun was Harsh on my bronzed yet blistered skin as I was pulled from the cramped crude iron cage I sat within. My legs were numb and calloused, I could barely feel the wooden stairs as I climbed them before the slowly growing crowd. The others followed me, slow and broken, a few of them sobbing but no one ran, that sort of boldness always ended in a painful death.

I was hopeful however, the crowd today was big, dozens of keen faces all eyeing us up, none of them looked particularly kind however. Brant had barely stepped up on stage and opened his mouth before a beady eyed man in the back made the first bid.

“Forty gold pieces for the pretty lady at the end"! The gaunt faced man called out, Brant's eyes widening along with his greedy smile.

“Sold"! he bellowed in response, rubbing his greasy hands together as the burly men Brant kept as security quickly ushered the woman in question off stage. It still made me shudder to think just what would happen to both myself and the others up here with me, along with all the ones I'd watched in prior auctions.

The day wore on slowly and the crowds lessened with every Slave sold till I was the only one left, yet again.

'Please, someone, anyone make a bid…' I thought desperately to myself, my final string of hope quickly shriveling as tears stung my eyes. This was it, I was dead, I was going to be butchered and sold as meat, my organs most likely being sold off to black market apothecaries and doctors. My head drooped toward the ground, body slackening in defeat, Brant was already counting his profits from today, he was purposefully dragging the day out, desperate to make a single coin off me. I wanted to break down and cry, my legs were to numb and tired to try and run, and at this point Brant probably would have let me, but then I heard an exotic sounding voice.

“You there, what's your name"? someone asked, the voice having a calm and demanding tone whilst somehow being warm and friendly at the same time.

I was shocked when I looked up to see a massive Naga standing before me, its hide a vibrant mosaic of soft coral like colors with a soft creamy underbelly and bright opal eyes. I stared up at the huge reptile, stunned for a moment or two before opening my mouth to respond, before I could say anything however I was knocked to the ground. Stinging pain shot through the side of my head as I collapsed to the stage and remained there.

“Insolent little welp, you don't talk to the buyer you lousy cursed worm" Brant said scornfully, with an upturned lip, brandishing his favorite wooden cudgel. I watched from the corner of my eye as the serpent's formerly curious look now narrowed upon brant, more distasteful and annoyed.

“Is this one for sale"? the Naga asked, the tip of his tail twitching back and forth, I noticed as a trio of Vermian behind him as well, no doubt personal servants of some sort.

“That he is, fifty gold pieces, Sou only, none of that Advent crap" Brant said in return, his off clearly ridiculous, I wouldn't be worth even a fraction of that.

“Hmph fifty gold pieces, for a malnourished and beaten dog, please I'm not a fool" the Naga said, crossing his arms clearly displeased. Silently I prayed that I would walk away with him, Nagas took excellent care of their servants and slaves.

“Pay the price or fuck off worm" Brant spat as a response, bending down with some effort before retching me back onto my feet, harshly holding my arm. The Naga was clearly irritated now, something told me Brant was purposely trying to aggravate the serpent. Brant was the opportunist type, a rather sick minded one at that, willing to go to any length to make a profit.

“May I at least ask a few questions about him"? The Naga asked, Brants foot began to tap impatiently but with one smooth and alarmingly fast motion the greasy pot bellied man was smacked to the ground by the Nagas tail.

“Does he read or write"? The Naga added, now smiling smugly with self satisfaction, the Slaver hands quickly reaching for their swords but they hesitated as a low reptilian growl rose up from the Nagas servants. Brant however was furious, struggling to get back on his feet, mouthing off curses as he pulled the short sword on his belt from its sheath, aiming right for the Naga, swinging sword overhead.

The blade never landed however, the Nagas tail shooting out yet again, all it took was a single thick coil around brants neck and the rotund man was lifted clear off the ground as though he weighed nothing.

“This slave is coming with me, if you care for your health at all you'll scurry back to the hole you call home and stay there, otherwise I'll snap your neck right here" The serpent said, his voice carrying an unsettling warmth to it, as if he drew pleasure or joy from such a threat. Brant fell back to the stage with a heavy thud, his Slaver hands rushing to help him as the Naga simply turned and began to slither off down the street. He paused and looked back over his shoulder for a moment.

“Coming"? He asked, with a gulp I quickly followed the massive serpent, falling in step behind his entourage, my heart pounding and my body somehow having found strength. Behind me I could here more of Brants horse voiced cursing and shouting, I couldn't help but smile to myself at having watched him been thrown around so easily. Although the question of why a Naga would go to the trouble just for me now became stuck in my head as I followed the huge reptile as he went about browsing produce markets, picking up various roots, bulbs and spices. All the while humming a familiar tune that I had often heard haggard beggar women sing on the streets.

I didn't say anything however, it wasn't my place to speak without being addressed first, just one of the many things Brant had beaten into me year after year.

“So, can you read or write"? The Naga eventually asked me, his tone now warm and calm, I found myself blinking a few times, unsure of how to address my new Owner.

“Um...yes to both Sir." I said in response, trying not to mutter or speak to softly, forcing my voice to not tremble. Apparently my response was the cause of amusement for the trio of Vermian following the Naga, each of them wearing some sort of skirt like apparel I'd never seen before amidst other articles of clothing.

“Splendid, may I ask how you got that interesting mark on your hand?" The Naga asked, his head turning just a bit to look at me over his shoulder.

“Um...my Father told me it was just a birthmark Sir…" I replied, looking once more at the mark in question as the Serpent continued to paw through market stalls of fresh produce. He went quiet after that, and stayed that way as the day wore on.

My legs had begun to grow tired and heavy as the sun began to set, my arms now bearing a bag or two of various vegetables and grains. My jaw however would drop as I found myself standing before the Air docks, staring up at a huge private Zeppelin with teal coloured balloons and a regal looking insignia. My new Owner clearly appeared to be wealthy, I couldn't help but stumble as I was ushered aboard and once my arms had been relieved of their burden I collapse there on the floor of the open atrium.

“Mathias help Briar put away the food please, Tahl, be a dear and tend to our Guest here, he is in need of attention" The Naga said, stretching his arms out behind his head with a slight hiss, though I looked up at him confused.

“G-guest...I thought I was to be a Servant…"? I said, puzzled and curious, trying to stand but failing, my legs not having any strength left.

“Tsk Tsk, we will discuss that after your needs are tended to dear" He said in response, his hands coming down and grasping the cruel iron collar that hung so weightily from my neck. It was easily pried apart by the Serpent's strong limbs.

I watched as he slithered off, leaving me to follow a light blue colored Vermian off to what looked to be a bathhouse. the insulative aster flooring abruptly changing to hard wood lattices whereupon a dozen or so spacious wooden baths stood. Here I was stripped of my crusted rags and helped into a steaming hot bath of soapy water.

I'd forgotten what hot water felt like, I'd forgotten it's touch and its comfort. The Vermian didn't waste any time snatching up a sponge stone and getting to work on me. He didn't hesitate to run that coarse instrument over every inch of my body, and I didn't stop him. My wounds were cleaned thoroughly, the dirt and grime washed from my skin in layers, it having long ago been caked in the filth of Ludos. An hour went by of constant washing before the blisters and cysts were bled via needle point.

At the end of it all I stood there, my body feeling numb, dull and aching all over, my wounds pink and tender. Even the embrace of the towel I was handed was a luxury that I had never experienced, let alone the strange instrument I was handed afterward. The Vermian fellow looking at me as though I knew what it was or how to use it as he went about fetching some plain cotton clothing for me to wear.

Once dressed I was lead back to the atrium and then up a central flight of stairs to a set of towering carved wooden doors. The Nagas private chambers as I found out upon entry, a long spacious room with towering bookcases on one wall and heavy red curtains on the other. Timidly I seated myself on one of two curved stone lounges situated around an indented fire pit where I waited for my Owner.

'I wonder what's going to happen to me now…' I found myself thinking as I waited, looking around at the rooms features. It was a rather long room though not to wide, yet again the Naga was rather large in size. A moment or two later did I hear those huge wooden doors open once more, turning my head I saw the Naga, my new Owner, slithering forth. His nose was buried in a book of some sort and he carried a small wooden platter with some fresh smelling bread and cheese upon it. The food was set down in front of me and the Naga came to rest opposite the fire pit to me, his body draping itself over the stone lounge, those coils seemingly unending.

“So, what's your name" He asked me, his face bore a warm smile, curious eyes and an overall friendly aura, one that had me relaxing a bit.

“Kaiber Sir...Kaiber Clement" I responded, eyeing the food before me, I hadn't seen fresh bread in years, let alone cheese that wasn't caked with mold.

“Go ahead, It's made to be eaten Kaiber" he said motioning to the platter, hesitantly I reached out. There was also some odd green fruit thing sitting next to the bread and cheese, I avoided it, favoring the bread instead.

Cautiously I took up a knife and cut a thick slice of bread before adding some cheese to it and taking a bite. The flavours were nice... Taste; that was something else I'd near forgotten. The Naga seemed pleased to see me enjoying it, however. He himself took up the odd green fruit thing and cut a slice from it. "I shall drop you off in Mirodel's Lowlands on our way to Siricuse, a much nicer place than Aldoran. You should be able to nab a job at the stables or local tavern, make a life for yourself." He said, speaking softly, not making eye contact.

I found myself confused, I didn't know what to say or even if I should say anything, for the most part I sat there quietly. The Naga beckoning for one of his Servants to bring drink and more food whilst I nibbled away at the bread in my hand.

“I...I thought you wanted a Servant Sir...why are you freeing me…"? I found myself asking after a time had passed, the sun no setting casting long fiery shadows through the large window that was the back wall of the Nagas chambers.

“I'm sure you'd make a fine Servant Kaiber, I do have need of a scribe for some personal projects, but that's not my decision, I leave that up to you" he said, his gaze coming to meet mine, forcing a light gasp from me amidst heavy breaths, those huge opal eyes seemed to stare right through me.

“W-what if I want to stay…"? I asked timidly, freedom was enticing but after seven years it also scared me.

"If it's what you want. Some people disagree with our laws and ways, but one thing is for certain: We take good care of our people." he said with a warm tone of voice, motioning for his Vermian Servants to leave. I rubbed my arm as I stared at the floor. So much had been forcibly beaten from me, and at such a young age too... I didn't know how to take care of myself.

"Well, what would I do... if I stayed"? I asked nervously, glancing back up at the Naga who seemed to perk up at the question.

"Well; anything. There's plenty of jobs back In Mayoran that you could fill. You have the freedom of undergoing the educational training required to fill almost any job or role our communities have." He replied, smiling wide and cheerfully, patriotically even, his posture relaxing sleepily as he spoke.

"In fact, my cousin Lyris runs a weaver's mill near Kyos; it's a small Vermian-Nagan town; but the work is good. My cousin is always looking for good workers." He added with a yawn, his body arching up here and there as those jaws of his stretched wide and I caught a glimpse of some wicked looking teeth. By now the sun was barely peeking over the horizon, just an orange glow far off in the distance that held my gaze as I thought.

“What if I wanted to stay here… on the Airship…"? I asked casually, still feeling uncomfortable and unused to freedom. The Naga smiled softly, his eyes now looking heavy and tired.

"Well I'd be more than happy to welcome you to the Advent Sovereignty. I don't make many populated stops during my travels, and this one wasn't planned most certainly. But the onboard water tanks needed refilling, and repairs, so..." He trailed off after that leaving an awkward silence.

"If I stayed, would I be turned into one of them… A Vermian…"? I asked, as the very last streak of sunlight disappeared from view, leaving the world dark.

The Naga stood, or more accurately rose from his relaxed posture, coils slipping and sliding over one another as he stretched out with a tired smile.

“That's up to you Kaiber, I'm certain you'd make a lovely Ezala Khal, but you're free to make your own choices now." he said, turning and slithering up and over the stone lounge and headed to the back of the room, where his bed most certainly lay. Though he turned to look at me once more before noticing me to leave.

“I've had Logan prepare a bunk for you in the crew quarters, you should get some sleep, your body probably needs it, we'll talk tomorrow." And with that I stood and left, I slowly descended the stairs into the atrium, deep in thought, frightened and uncertain as I searched for the crew quarters.

I eventually found it after an hour of brainless wandering, it was now almost too dark to see anything, my thoughts disappeared instantly as my head hit the pillow, surprised that I even had one let alone sheets, sleep claimed me quickly that night.

Chapter Two: The choice

I was afforded a spare bunk. It was made for Vermians, so it was a little smaller than myself, but even then the cotton packed mattress and heavy silk sheets were comforts that only the wealthiest in Aldoran could afford. Although the Nagan economy was in a perfect state of equilibrium, fine goods were common, and common goods were essentially given away. I had to share the room with several identical bunks, all embedded into the walls in their own little nook of sorts. It even had a shelf for things to be placed upon, contained within, and some cupboards underneath for storage.

The first day aboard I spent mainly in the nagas private quarters, a huge room with bookshelves lining one wall, and heavy curtains the other. There was a tall viewing window as the far back wall and a large circular bed in the centre far end. I found it amusing to imagine such a massive creature trying to lie on a normal bed. However the features of the room interested me little; the view however was spectacular, watching Aldorans sandy landscapes simply scroll by far below was strangely absorbing. I'd been treated with a bowl of plain rice. I still wasn't used to warm fresh food, but rice, I'd never had that before. it was flavourless, but filling. The airship was peaceful and quiet, oddly so, save the faint hum of the huge static turbines that kept it afloat. It was just one of many modern scientific advances isolated to the Advent Sovereignty. I didn't know anything about that sort of stuff; I simply thought it was some sort of rune magic keeping us up in the air.

I spent most of my morning in those private quarters, a large long room in the middle of the second deck, that floor to ceiling viewing window for its far back wall. He lay draped over a semi circular couch, a fine looking one to that was made of solid stone and well-carved, before it was a neatly contained fire pit embedded two or three steps into the ground. I sat opposite to him, on a thick cushion seat on the ground,

“I hope you're feeling comfortable Kaiber, I know it's a little hard to adjust' he said speaking softly as always. His current state of undress had me feeling odd, he wasn't wearing anything but nothing was showing; I however simply couldn't tear my eyes away.

He was stunning, like a tapestry come to life, all those different colours, colours I'd never even seen before. It was distracting,

“...Kaiber"? I shook my head, bringing myself back to reality. While he was stunning he was also intimidating and not without that coldness in his eyes.

“Um... yes I'm comfortable sir I mean, sorry…" I stammered. He gave out an amused smile as his body shifted slightly.

“Please, call me Virgil, tis only fair you know my name" he said relaxing into a more comfortable position. I remained sullenly staring at the fire before me; I had dozens of questions. “

Why did you free me...?" I asked after a pause. Virgil's gaze quickly narrowed on me although warmly.

“Call it an act of a good Samaritan" he said with a soft smile, forked tongue flicking out at me, I very timidly returned the smile.

"You said you were going to buy me though... what changed you mind, surely not... Brants, insult alone"? I asked, forcing myself not to say the word master yet again. He gave out a chuckle, the first time I'd heard him do so.

“No It wasn't that, It was seeing you in such... condition, it was sickening" he said with a sigh as his head rolled back over the head of the couch.

There was a knock on the door from behind me, I turned to look at those two huge carved oak doors as Virgil beckoned the word “Enter" in a crisp clear voice. One of the doors was pulled back slightly, just enough for a taller Vermian to slip through. One coated in soft purple scales, defined with black markings around the borders of the pasty pale white skin that coated his underbelly and face. As he strode closer the features of his face became clearer, namely the single long scar up the right of his head. It crossed the right eye, leaving it milky and dead.

“Ah, Bastille, good morning to you dear. I trust you are well"? Virgil asked. The Vermian came to a stop a foot from the fireplace, standing rigid posed like a soldier, his garments where the same as I'd seen the others wearing. Some sort of skirt or dress, with a long seam in the front and back and long sides made of leather and silk trim. I could see cotton underneath, following in the leathers design somewhat.

“I am well Master, as are the others, happy and productive as usual' he said. His voice was more masculine than those of the others I'd heard but it still carried a noticeable feminine flare.

“Wonderful to hear, would you have Tahl bring some breakfast up for our guest please" The serpent said with a delighted hiss. Bastille turned to leave with a simple nod, but he paused a moment to give me a rather distasteful glare. I got the distinct feeling that he didn't like me. “...so, if I'm free, that means I can do whatever I want right…"? I asked Virgil, turning back to him slowly. He'd shifted once more, his tail having snaked across the floor to steal a book from its home upon one of the many tall shelves that lined one wall. He nodded none the less, “Well, you're still subject to law…" his wrist made a rotating notion in the air, “Nagan law specifically, whilst you're aboard my airship that is" he said, nose now buried in the book.

Anyone else in my position would either be so broken that they begged for the collar back, or would be lost in thoughts of fleeing to some far corner of the world and simply living, or perhaps some half and half. I on the other hand only wanted one thing.

“...I want to go back...and I want to kill Brant…" I said quietly as I stared at the fire. I simply stared at the crackling waves of flame that twitched ever so spastically. Virgil's eyes quickly narrowed in on me.

“...Revenge hm, It's not worth it if that's your driving force... trust me" he said, any warmth leaving his tone for something forlorn and pained. I could feel my fists clenching up with anger, something I hadn't felt in forever.

“So what, he's a monster, he deserves nothing more"! I yelled my head snapping up from the flames, forgetting my surroundings, more so who I was talking to. My next words caught in my throat however as my eyes came upon his mere inches from my own, suddenly I felt small. I hadn't realised just how huge a beast Virgil was, his head was as big as my torso and then some especially with that huge hood. His tongue darted out and I could feel the twin points of its fork against my skin.

“So that's how you survived hm, that fire, right there" he said softly, nearly whispering as those opal eyes tore into my soul. I couldn't move, couldn't talk, I felt paralysed somehow, for that moment the colours of his eyes seemed brighter, glowing almost.

Then I felt something against my back and those eyes freed me from their grasp, Virgil had slithered from one side of the circular couch to the other, to where I sat. His body now came to drape itself over and around me, his arm sliding into a comfortable rest along the top of the coach behind my head, his own head rising over me as he settled.

“In places like Aldoran, those who are forced or sold into slavery usual break, but you haven't, you're stronger than the pettiness of revenge Kaiber" he said, speaking in a tone unlike any other I'd heard of him. I gulped as my eyes wandered over the heavy coils now present all around me within arm's length.

“... He took so much from me though... how can I just let him go, how can I not do anything, how can I just go on"? I said, my body slumped as I gave out a sigh.

“You know you've the sort of fire that would suit a soldier well" Virgil mused with a soft smile.

I was about to say something when breakfast arrived by the hands of a familiar blue and white coloured Vermian with a chipper smile. He carried with him a wooden tray with some sort of toasted bread covered in syrup and some sliced fruits. Virgil gave the Vermian a playful scratch behind his long furrowed ears before sending him off and setting the tray aside, I watched as he left.

“...I didn't know the naga had soldiers, I thought you're people were... passive" I said as I looked back to the fire, lost in thought. Virgil chuckled handing me some of the fruit,

“We didn't, not long ago, but after so many wars directed at us advent... well, we just can't remain passive anymore…" he said with a weary sigh. I brought my gaze up to him, looking up at him as he gazed up at the ceiling once again.

“The Advent are closing the borders for good soon, restricting travel, the Humans... they've pushed us to far, Siricuse and Quarthwessen will be joining us, they're the only human allies we trust any more. We're building armies now, readying them to strike at places like Aldoran... Volthume... all we wanted to do was exist peacefully. Mankind is simply too greedy and selfish... there are exceptions though... like you, your good" Virgil continued, his voice becoming soft, tired almost.

“...In the cages sometimes Brant brought in Advent, Velkenfolk, Vermians, I even saw an Icarin once. They all tried to help the others, the broken ones who'd just given up, it never ended well for them…" I said quietly as those horrible memories came back to me, feeling drained for some reason.

There was a long silence, lasting hours, with the both of us eventually just laying out staring up at the ceiling. Virgil lay upon the floor and himself in typical serpent fashion and I lay upon the couch, with only crumbs left on the wooden breakfast tray now.

Neither of us really paid much attention to just how long we laid there till I broke the silence.

“I don't know much about the world... but I'd like to, I want to do good things, help people, so that no one has to go through what I did…" I muttered with a sigh, a moment later I felt the tip of Virgil's tail flick against my foot.

“And how are you going to go about doing that…"? He asked, closing his eyes. I didn't know what he had been thinking these last however many hours but I had been hard at thought on the decision of my life. Ultimately it came down to simply wanting to start over, anew somehow, wash away the last decade and see a more colourful world. I was free to make this choice unhindered by any outside factors.

“...By becoming a soldier..., If you'll have me as one... Master" I said soundly, contently. I heard a deep exhale from the naga, he didn't wear any smile or distasteful look, just a calm relaxed look.

“Utarazi riz namatara ess larazis tora naka kaiber" he hissed out in some odd language I didn't recognise, I hadn't a clue what it meant. All I knew was that by next week, I'd have scales instead of flesh, and a whole new life, and it made me smile softly as I lay there.

Chapter Three: Scales and Horns

Sleep was blissful. Deep and for once in too long a time, sound; unhindered by screams or sobbing or the pain of hunger or thoughts of suffering. No, this was something different. I tunnelled my nose forward into the thick pillow I held. My nose was now more rounded, as it was a snout... I could feel all the differences now as I stirred and woke. My vision was bathed in sunlight-saturated red blurriness, that of the heavy silk sheets that covered my now reptilian form. I didn't want to move; I felt as though I could lay here forever. In that moment of hazy morning bliss and comfort, I wondered exactly what I looked like now, as some things I could already feel as distinctly different. My tail for example; I could feel it lazily lying over the top of one of my legs. I could feel the sharp teeth that now filled my mouth and even the weight of my now-long and furrowed ears lying against the back of my head and shoulders.

I'd made the choice of my own accord with no outside factors; I wanted to do good, to kill people like Brant, to make sure what they did to me was never done to others. I wanted to learn how to fight so I could never be handed off like a sheep again.

The sounds of laughter and loud chatter brought me out of my sleepy state of being. I gave out a wide yawn and pushed myself up onto my knees, letting the covers slip from my scaled hide as I stretched my arms. My jaws came back together with a loud snapping sound and I felt a rumble flow up from my chest, bringing with it a smile. I hadn't felt this refreshed or strong in years and it felt good, satisfying. I sat there a moment, getting familiar with the movement of my ears, testing them: raising them, lowering and then turning them. I could direct my hearing now; pointing them back toward the bath hall I could hear the chatter far clearer. Turning them forward I could hear the boiling of a kettle... it was certainly going to take time to get used to.

Drawing a deep breath in through my teeth, I swung my legs out over the bunk and stood. I was a bit wobbly at first, my legs felt numb as if they were still asleep. I looked around for a mirror. I found one standing proudly between the bunks and once I gained a more sure footing, I gasped as I beheld myself in a more complete sense.

Soft ivory white skin rode up my underbelly from my groin, up all the way over my chest and coating the lower half of my face. It was bordered with rich shining red scales, and a vibrant teal covered the rest of me, stopping at my neck. My horns and claws were all the same white, and my eyes had turned red to match the border scales. It contrasted well with the bright scarlet cowl that coated my head and my ears faded off into white at the tips. If I peered close enough, I swore I could make out a pattern in the white skin of my belly. It left me stunned; there was nothing of my old self left, except the mark on my left wrist. It actually fit much better now that I had four fingers instead of five.

I inspected myself closer, testing my horns which curved outward, upward and then back at the tips. I gave my tail a few swishes, flexed my toes; of which I only had three per foot now, but they each bore a thick claw. Lastly I inspected my jaws closer, opening them wide, revealing pale grey gums and a forked tongue beside two neat rows of sharp teeth. I was most surprised with how natural it all felt, even the sheath I now bore in place of my former manhood felt as though I'd been born with it. However that one feature puzzled me more than any other. 'Where are my...' I started to think, but that train was derailed as Tahl strode in from the baths. I turned to give him a polite hello, but instantly tore my eyes skyward as I noticed his state of undress. He was far more than simply naked; I felt his tail brush against the inside of my thigh as he waltzed past with a snicker; sending a shiver up my spine.

"Morning Kaiber, good to see you awake and looking so stunning too!" He said with a chirp in his voice, it carried that feminine quality like all the others did, with nary a hint of masculinity in it.

"Morning..." I managed to mutter, afraid to look in his direction. I heard him snicker behind me again; more of a chuckle actually, before I felt his damp towel land over my head.

"You should go clean up with the others, take care of the morning business and such. Now, if you'll excuse me, the kitchen calls." He replied, brushing past me again and leaving down another hall at the opposite end of the room with a spring in his step.

I pulled the towel off with some effort as it got stuck on my horns before giving out a sigh and relaxing some.

'I hope nudity isn't a common thing around here...' I thought to myself as I looked around for a towel of my own. Upon finding none, I started down the hall to the baths nervously, only to find most of the tubs were occupied and the room clouded with a fine mist of warm steam. I took in a deep breath through my nose; which was nothing but to slits at the end of my muzzle and scanned the room.

There were two vacant bathtubs; I made my way over to one which was currently full of hot soapy water. The warmth of the water quickly shrugged off any lingering sleep as I sunk into it, my tail tucking itself neatly between my legs as I relaxed. My eyelids felt heavy as I laid there. I fished around in the tub for a sponge stone to wash myself with.

My searching was interrupted however as a light creamy brown Vermian helped himself into the same tub as me. I recognized him as one of the trio I had seen back in Ludos, even though the tub was big enough for two I felt a little uncomfortable. Especially when I felt his tail brush against my own; he gave me a calm smile.

"It's Kaiber, right? Good to see you up and about. You've been out for a score almost." He said, his voice carrying a more manly tone similar to Bastille.

"I've been out for six weeks!?" I blurted out in alarm, quickly clamping my hands over my muzzle as I heard my voice properly. My own voice was on the more feminine side, not outright so but the tone was there, subtly so.

"You'll get used to the girly voice eventually." He snickered at me, rolling his head back and closing his eyes as he let out a huff. I suddenly felt a knot in my stomach as I turned to look out the window. All I could see was the endless expanse of blue that was the ocean. I could be anywhere in the world right now and I hadn't a clue.

"So, who's who?" I asked quietly, trying not to worry too much on my thoughts. He simply waved at me lazily.

"You'll get introduced to everyone eventually, you already know Tahl, me and Mathias." He replied with a yawn. I looked around for the rusty red colored Vermian; Mathias; he too had been one of the three I'd seen before. I spotted him slumped back with his arms hung out over the sides of another tub. There was a bright pink and white Vermian sitting suspiciously in his lap. Both of them wore dumb smiles.

'...are they having sex? Right here in front of everyone...' I thought to myself with a raised brow.

My feeling of discomfort now official, I focused on simply washing off; or at least I tried to until I felt hot breath on my ears. I looked up to see the pink fellow from before standing over me nose to nose with a surly smile.

"You're hot..." He hissed through his teeth, planting his hands firmly on my shoulders before letting them slide down my chest as his head came down to rest over my shoulder.

"Neil, give Kaiber a day or two before you try to fuck him, will you?" said the brown Vermian currently sharing the tub with me.

"Aww, come on Briar, that's no fun. I bet he's big in the sheath." Neil said with a grin, his hands creeping down my body further. I didn't like Neil anymore; I wanted him to go away.

"Got to admit, he is quite pretty." Mathias chimed in, eliciting a playful growl of agreement from Neil.

"You're mine, boy..." Neil whispered into the nook of my neck as I felt his claws brush against my sheath. I desperately tried to sink further into the tub to avoid him, to no avail.

"Quit acting like some common street whore, or I'll start treating you like one." Said a familiar; military sounding voice which had Neil's hands retreat from me in an instant.

"I... I was only t-teasing, I d-didn't mean it... w-why are you so mean to me?" Neil stuttered, suddenly sounding like a scolded child before storming off in matching fashion; sobbing.

"Great. Thanks Bastille, you know there are eight of us now; why don't you pick on someone else for lord's sake?" Mathias growled as he quickly hurried off after Neil.

I shrank into the water not wanting to attract any more unwanted attention. Briar; still lazily lying back with his eyes closed, gave out a sigh.

"You'll get used to that to...Eventually." He yawned. Frowning, I went back to bathing although now with the uncomfortably cold stare of Bastille on the back of my neck.

It took me a while to figure out how to brush my teeth; another luxury I'd never had or seen before. The smell of spice hung in the air as I got dressed making my stomach growl loudly; I was loathed to find how comfortable those skirt things were. But it didn't bother me all too much as my nose led me down the far hall and into the kitchen. My claws clacked softly on the aster flooring, which felt slightly warm underfoot. Rich flavors of pork and things I was unfamiliar with taunted my nose. The kitchen reminded me of the Sinful Stallion, a bar in Ludos that I was familiar with. One big room, wide hall in the middle, long counter separating the stoves and pantry from the rest of the room. With the dining table being set to the adjacent side and dried spices hanging from the rafters in thick bundles. Everything had a polished wood finish to it and gave off a cosy atmosphere.

I noticed Neil and Mathias already seated next to one another nibbling at wooden bowls of food. Tahl was behind the counter, humming away rhythmically, tapping his claws on the floor as he tended to a large pan. Whatever he was cooking gave off a gamey scent. I was a little uncomfortable to see him wearing just a top though. He gave me a cheery smile as he spotted me and quickly loaded a bowl up with rice and some sort of thick sauce drenched meat with toasted leaves of some sort.

"Its boar with banana leaves. They're good for you." he said as I stared at it a little uncertainty, but the growling of my stomach had me muzzle deep in the delicious meal as soon as I sat down. I found that my tongue was longer than it appeared as I lapped every dot of sauce from the bowl with it while the others slowly meandered in and picked up their meals. Bastille came in last and took a seat right next to me; even his walking posture was military. He also didn't seem uncomfortable with nudity as he was wearing nothing, showing off all the faint scars on his shoulder and neck. I felt a little discomforted being this close to him; he didn't seem like a friendly person.

"So, Kaiber, how's it feel being Ezala Khal, hm?" Neil chirped; his shift in moods seemed to be rather frequent and drastic. I gave him a puzzled look, it was the second time I had heard those words and not known what they meant.

"Ezala... what?" I asked, my ears flickering as I tried to pin down the language they were using.

"Ezala Khal, its Burakian. It means prized worker." Bastille said, speaking up, his voice sounding a bit warmer than before. The only languages I knew of were Arash and grout, only one of which I knew well. But I'd never heard of Burakian before.

"Oh... well, it's different I guess, but welcome since I want to start over..." I replied with a shrug as I sat there fiddling with my fingers.

"Well, scales suit you better than skin and hair to be honest." Tahl chimed in as he joined us, sitting opposite me. Tahl struck me as that glass half full type, always cheerful and pleasant, something I could barely fake anymore; years of being forced to do so had taken its toll.

"I agree." I muttered quietly as the others all chattered away amongst themselves, with the exception of Tahl, who took shy glances at me and Bastille who turned to me as he ate.

"So, you want to become a soldier, huh?" He asked; his dead milky eye latched onto me somehow, sending a shiver down my spine. I simply nodded and gave him as serious a look as I could muster at that moment.

"Then grab some seconds. Can't train on an empty stomach." he said with a slight chuckle, or perhaps it was a smile. I couldn't tell since it was so faint. But I could swear his stature had lightened somewhat, which put me at ease. I gave him a smile back, my tail twitching in anticipation as I rose to refill my bowl. I knew the training was going to be long, grueling and painful but I didn't care.

I would never let myself be vulnerable again.

Chapter Four: Settling

Training began right after breakfast. I followed Bastille's nude form across the atrium to and enclosed space, similar to the bathroom. It was set up as large, open space with a square of sand in the middle, with long racks and cupboards lining the two inner walls. The outer two walls being glass, with the same curve as that the ones in the bathroom, giving a clear view of the ocean- which still mesmerised me.

"So, have you had any practice with arms before?" Bastille asked me as he strolled over to one of the racks and started sizing up some training weapons.

"Well, I've used a rusted old khopesh to cut grain with on my father's farm... before he sold me for food." I replied sullenly. Bastille grunted, not much of a response; he was more focused on pawing through the array of wooden swords and daggers.

"At least you were worth something, as I hear it most are simply taken or stolen." He said. His statement didn't help; thoughts and memories of that day began to play in my head, dragging me down as they always did. I didn't think of my family much anymore, they were probably dead, my father was stubborn. He wanted to work the land and make an honest living that would influence others to do the same; the crops never grew, though, and any harvests had been pitiful. Starved and desperate, he had sold me for grain to bake bread with.

"That doesn't make me feel any better, Bastille. There is no way to view slavery as anything other than evil and wrong." My spirits were already soured, I found myself kicking at the sand square with no thoughts to occupy or drive myself.

"And what do you think you are now? You're still a slave; you belong to the Nagan Empire now, same as the rest of us. The only difference being that they see us as people, not things. Unlike the humans we are treated with care and respect... Sure we might not be entirely equal with our nagan masters but we are treated equally enough." He stated warmly, scooping up two wooden swords and offering one to me. I took the blunt instrument and held it up, looking over it; it was plain, and heftier then I had expected.

"Is it really that different? I've heard stories but... The criers in Ludos only ever had foul things to say about the Advent nations." I asked while giving the wooden sword a lazy uncoordinated swing from side to side.

"It really is. Mayoran is a lively place, everyone has a job or a role, and no one gets flogged if they stumble. There's colour and life all over." He replied, sounding genuinely sincere. He even beamed a smile. It was more of a smirk, really, but it was welcome enough to put my thoughts at ease.

"So, I guess we should start training now"? I asked nervously. Bastille wasn't much taller than me, an inch or two at the most, but he obviously had experience. He shook his head and tossed some sort of garb at me.

"Put that on first. If you're going to be a soldier, you might as well dress accordingly." He remarked as he donned his own attire. It was another skirt-like article, which quickly had me frown.

"Must I wear a skirt? Aren't there any more manly attire I can wear"? I complained as I held mine up. Bastille gave me an unamused look.

"Firstly, what you're currently wearing is called a Frai; secondly, these are male clothes; traditional ones, the peak of Vermian fashion and uniform." He stated. With a displeased look I took the new garb. It was similar to the one I currently wore, just with an odd, fine metal mesh or plating in place of the silk and cloth trims atop the leatherwork. I wasn't given a top of any sort as I changed and took up the training sword.

"So what does everyone here on the airship do"? I asked as the two of us readied ourselves; I did my best to mimic Bastille's posture as he readied his sword.

"Tahl works in the kitchen; he's training Briar to assist him. Neil and Mathias work in laundry." He replied, taking a swift step forward and striking at me with a straight thrust. It was fast, I only just managed to dodge it with a sloppy back step.

"What about the other two"? I asked regaining balance as Bastille continued with a quick retract and an over armed slash.

"Logan and Luca; they work on cleaning, dusting, mopping, et cetera." Bastille said, his focus unwavering as I managed to intercept the attack. It was followed up directly with a sharp staff kick to my gut, which sent me to the ground, where my nose was met with the point of the training sword.

"You should shut up and focus. Ask questions later, Kaiber." He stated with a serious tone; Bastille was obviously the sort to take his role with intense seriousness. I gave out a sigh and hauled myself back up for another round, keeping my jaws clamped shut.

I came away from the training session limping, bruised, and with pale blue blood dripping from my jaw. Bastille had not been easy on me, yet I knew he had been holding back at the same time. It had hurt, but pain was something I was used to, and this pain felt different. It felt better, because I was learning to defend myself and not just being beaten because I'd looked someone in the eye. Tahl sat me down in the kitchen and had me bandaged and mended in moments with herbs and salves. I had a bath after a quick bite of bread and cheese, and then tentatively climbed the stairs to Virgil's quarters. I'd been told to visit him after training once I woke; the conversation was still fresh in my head, even though it had been six weeks.

Those towering carved wood doors were imposing, and I found myself hesitating to knock; fortunately the door parted before I could manage to muster the courage. I was met by Virgil's smooth, ivory-white underbelly mere inches from my nose. He seemed even larger than before and without clothes as usual. He smelt different to; there was this odd scent in the air, it smelled like the sea. I hadn't noticed it before, but then again my nose was more sensitive now and needless to say, his presence still intimidated me.

"Kaiber; how wonderful to see you awake, finally. And just look at you! Teal and bright scarlet, how rare." He said boisterously, with a warm smile. His statement made me think a little though as I looked down at myself.

"I guess I am brighter than the others. Well, except for Neil, I guess." I muttered, taking a moment before looking back up at the looming Naga.

"Oh, most definitely. Brighter colours are rare for your kind, especially when the pelt has three colours or more." He stated, his body moving aside to invite me in. I strode forth politely as possible, thanking him- unsure how I was supposed to address him, or even how the Nagan Empire's laws of slavery worked. Yet again, that's why I was here, to study; Virgil had said he would tutor me himself on the way to Mayoran.

“Have a seat Kaiber, being comfortable is key to study, you can't focus or absorb anything if you're uncomfortable" he said in that all too familiar smooth voice. I took to one of the lounges by the fire pit which was now gently smouldering.

I watched as Virgil combed the book shelves, hand on chin picking out a few tomes here and there.

"You can read, correct?" He asked. I nodded in reply with a sharp,"Yes sir.", as he slithered over to join me. He had only picked out three books, not too big either. The first was titled 'Simple Burakian', obviously a phrase book of some sort. The other two were bigger, labelled 'Ezala khal culture', and 'Sheoagath's Laws of slavery'. I was handed all three with a smile.

"Thought we would start with the simple things, take your time in reading them, and you can keep the phrase book in your bunk if you'd like." Virgil said warmly. I did just that, tucking a soft pillow under my head and cracking open the culture book first, aiming to familiarise myself with my new species. I had always loved reading; I learnt at a young age through patience, reading road signs, tavern names, and things alike. I was still unfamiliar with larger words, but I quickly became absorbed by the books offered to me. Sheoagaths laws of slavery in particular answered a lot of questions I had swimming around in my head, and even featured diagrams of the capital city of Mayoran. It put many of the fears I had to rest, reading those pages I became excited about it; I'd have access to the skills and opportunities that only the richest of scum in Aldoran could even comprehend.

I was roused sometime in the afternoon with a gentle caress across my shoulder; I'd fallen asleep whilst reading. My eyes cracked open to see Virgil smirking down at me, I felt embarrassed and quickly sat upright.

"Sorry sir, I didn't mean to fall asleep in your chambers"! I quickly blurted with that sleepy tone that came with waking. He shook his head lightly with that smirk still present, before yawning. The sight of those jaws stretching wide enough to swallow my head and shoulders sent a shiver up my tail.

"It's alright, Kaiber. Any book that can put you to sleep is a good book, in my opinion." he said tiredly as his jaws came back together. At that moment, the smell of food struck my nose and my stomach growled loudly.

"Go on, it's late. You'll miss dinner otherwise. Run along and sleep well, my dear." He said giving my cheek a caress with the tip of his tail as he slithered up over the couch toward his bed.

I made my way to the kitchen as quick as I could, not wanting to miss whatever delicious meal had been prepared. I was treated to roast duck, served alongside a risotto of creamy rice, chives and mushrooms. My jaw was agape at just how well-fed Nagan slaves were; this sort of meal was something I couldn't even dream about before. I only knew what risotto was because vendor stalls would serve it back in Ludos due to its ease of making. It was nothing like this though; I had to restrain myself from licking the plate clean after I was done, which I failed to prevent. Tahl was certainly talented, but I wondered about who he had been before this; unlike me, his transformation would have stripped his memories away, all of them.

I trudged off to the baths with a full stomach. I washed, and brushed my teeth- a practice I was still not used to- and then cleaned myself out in the lavatories before heading to bed. The first day of my new life was over. I felt heavy and went near limp as my head hit the pillow. My eyelids were like lead weights and I could barely keep them open. I was close to passing out when Tahl tapped my shoulder; he stood there by my bunk timidly holding his shoulder.

"Could I join you, Kaiber? I have nightmares when I sleep alone..." He said with a few long pauses. Without even thinking, I pulled the sheets back, muttering to myself as he slipped in under my arm and against me.

Back on my father's farm I'd had a sister, Orion; father had wanted another boy, but luck had betrayed him. She had suffered from nightmares too and had sought refuge from them with me so many times it had become ingrained, even through the several years of torture I had endured. Tahl's body I found to be warm. The feeling of scale on scale was pleasant, and his muzzle tickled my neck slightly as he settled. I knew he wasn't my sister but it was a comfort I had long forgotten, the only pleasant memory I still had after all these years. So I wasn't that bothered by the fact that I was sleeping nude with a guy. I was tired, comfortable and happy, and so I slipped away to my sleep, deep and blissful.

Chapter Five: Routine

Things swiftly settled into a routine, bath in the morning, breakfast then training, a bite for lunch then study, dinner then bed. It felt good; I wasn't waiting around for someone to want a refill of a foot stool. Slowly but surely I was getting used to everything, bathing became more relaxed; Briar always seemed to share my tub. Training was going poorly however; my skill with swords was showing. I could dodge and evade almost everything Bastille threw at me but when it came to striking back I was terrible. Today he decided to try something new.

“Here try these today" he said handing me a blunt pair of short daggers; they were much lighter then the training sword. I didn't bother asking why; Bastille didn't like talking during training so I simply took up a position and focused.

His opening strike was always a straight jab with an extended arm, I sidestepped it easily waiting patiently for the follow up. His arm drew back and readied for diagonal slash, I side stepped back in the other direction and for the first time I managed to land a blow; slashing across his stomach as I ducked under his arm. I followed with a jab on the backhand before I copped his elbow to my jaw; sending me once again sprawling to the ground.

I gave out a sigh into the sand as I felt his sword point on the back of my neck.

'Better, much better but still needs improvement" Bastille said with a smirk as he helped me up for round two. As per usual I came away from the session bruised and limping but so did Bastille this time. I'd managed a few good hits here and there and I carried a smug smile to the kitchen where Tahl was waiting with a bowl of porridge. I had become near addicted to the simple meal of oats and hot water which I happily dug into as Tahl tended to me. Neil however was beginning to irritate me, he constantly made uncomfortable sexual gestures and slurs at me in the baths and sometimes even during meals. Training and study where my only two sanctuaries and with training over for the day I climbed the steps to Virgil's quarters two at a time.

My studies were coming slowly as well, I diligently read the phrase book i'd been given every night but still struggled with most of the words. Other then that I was enjoying the private schooling Virgil was kindly providing. I quickly got comfortable on one of the fire pit sofas and took up a history book written by some nagan scholar. I'd already worked my way through the culture studies book and Sheoagaths laws of slavery too. I now had a much firmer grasp of what was expected of me and a somewhat clear understanding of the heritage I now belonged to as well.

“We should be docking in Caprii by tomorrow, isn't healthy to be aboard a Zeppelin for so long" Virgil said as he relaxed into the sofa opposite me. My ears bolted upright at the mention of Caprii.

“We're stopping at Caprii? Capital of Siricuse"? I asked over excitedly, my eyes lighting up. Virgil simply nodded as he lounged back and closed his eyes, his tail lighting a few scented candles with a long matchstick.

“I always visit during the Sulaco tournament races I haven't missed one in twenty years" he stated, dousing the matchstick in a small cup of sand before letting out a sigh.

I was ecstatic, as a boy I had dreamt of visiting the Isles of Siricuse, Siricuse was a vast archipelago of towering islands that jutted up from an enormous coral reef. It was the naval empire of the world and the single largest trade kingdom worldwide as well; at least that's what the books said. News that we would be landing in its capital by tomorrow had my heart racing faster than ever before.

I was barely able to focus on the book in front of me anymore; curiously I gazed over at the towering bookshelves lining the left wall.

“Sir, do you have any books with pictures of Siricuse in them"? I asked politely, forcing myself to contain my excitement.

“Pictures, hmm no sadly my library is self built, books I personally enjoy reading or keeping on hand; I prefer words more than Illustrations I'm afraid" he said dismissively as he laid there. My ears folded back in disappointment and I slumped a little, I could only imagine what the city looked like. I'd been told stories long ago but I could barely remember them now.

“I've always dreamt of seeing Siricuse..." I said with a sigh as I pulled another book over from the side stand and opened it. I didn't have the focus to read anymore; even the book's title seemed to just float apart before my eyes. I hung my head with another sigh,

“I can't focus now, I'm too excited" Virgil's eyes slid open and he looked at me with a soft smile. His coils began to slide over one another, creating a swirling mass of cool colours before they stopped and he beckoned me over with a finger. I drew a deep breath as I slipped from the sofa and walked around the fire pit as confidently as I could toward him.

His form was massive, it still shocked me just how enormous Virgil was and being at any close distance with him made me nervous. I stopped in front of him but he obviously wanted me even closer than that. One strong arm looped under my tail; sort of like the way a father picks up an infant. Next thing I knew I was lying amidst those coils, my back against his lower chest, consumed by his body. Thick coils of soft supple scale and muscle now lay lazily over my legs and tail and his arm lay over my chest. I could feel his heart beating against the back of my head and I was surprised at just how comfortable his body was.

“Sir"? I said tentatively and confused, but I was swiftly silenced as I felt his other hand on my shoulder, kneading into me, massaging. It felt good even better than a hot bath after training, I felt my eyelids grow heavy from it. My body relaxed into his and I could even hear purring from somewhere. It took me a moment to realise it was me who was purring; I could feel my chest and throat rumbling as I sank deeper into those comfortable coils and relaxed.

I woke some time later huddled up against Virgil's chest on my side; I was surprised at just how it felt. His scales weren't coarse or hard like crocodile scales, no his were soft and had a slick quality to them. I didn't know if all snakes were alike, Aldoran didn't have any native snakes; not anymore at least, the order of the Black Church had seen to their eradication years ago. I suppose my own scales had the same quality to them but I hadn't taken much notice, the skin I bore on my underbelly was the same as it had been before the transformation. Smooth, plain bronzed but plain, I ran my hand over myself; the border where skin became scaly felt distinctly different. There was a slight bump or rise then slick softness just like Virgil.

It was dark now, night time most likely, I slipped as gently as I could from Virgil's heavy coils, I had to fight hard to not simply got back to sleep. Once out I strode as quietly to the door as I could and slipped through it. The sight I got when I turned around however had my jaw slackened in awe.

Caprii, we'd made landfall whilst I slept It wasn't right there, still a few yards away but we were here. There were zeppelins by the dozen swarmed in the skies, all circling waiting to be cleared for docking. The city below was ablaze with colour, huge braziers lit with fire, paper candle lanterns floating up from all over. I made my way down the stairs slowly to the huge atrium window where I just stared. I was so absorbed by the view that I didn't even notice the dull yellow and mottled brown Vermian slip up beside me with a mug of something hot and savoury smelling.

“Pretty isn't it" they said, making me jump a little, I didn't recognise whoever they were but the tone of voice was unmistakably female.

“Um...who're you"? I asked as they turned to me and offered one of the mugs with a calm smile.

“Names Izzy, I work up in the cockpit with the flight crew, just came down to nab some grub, Tahl made an extra one for you, said he's going to bed soon; sent me to look for you" she said. I took the polished wooden mug and gazed back to the kitchen as I took a mouthful, it was spicy and rich some sort of stew or broth.

“I didn't know there were girls on board, are the rest of the flight crew women"? I asked curiously looking back out at the view.

“Mhm Me Luna and Simone, we have our own quarters up on the top deck, as well as a shower and what not, most Zeppelin pilots are women" she said with a snort, there was an interesting smell about her, something subtle but definitely female. I looked her over from the corner of my eye as I drank or ate whatever broth it was I'd been given. There were no defining features that sold her as a girl, no breasts, no wider hips or narrower waist, perhaps the smell was how they were differentiated.

“Whelp I better be getting back up to the others, Simone gets snappy when she's hungry, nice to meet you Kaiber" and with that Izzy turned on her heel and sauntered off. I watched the city below for a few more moments, finishing the meal in a mug before heading for the bathroom then making my way to bed.

Tahl was already there, curled up in my bunk clutching at the sheets, I gave out a sigh.

“This is gonna become a regular thing, huh Tahl"? I muttered to myself as I undressed, stowing my Frai in the laundry basket and slipping under the covers alongside him. I wrapped an arm around him and pulled him in closer; I didn't feel tired at all, my mind was racing with the thought of being in Caprii. I was too excited, even after my midday nap with Virgil. I'd seen a Siricuine before or Satarian as they were called, the native inhabitants of Siricuse. They looked mostly human but with deer like legs, antlers and fur in places like the chest and neck. Hooves instead of feet and those funny leaf like tails. I'd seen them a few times before in Ludos at the docks, though the ones I saw had been heavily armed. But tomorrow I'd see them up close and their city to, my head began to ache from the racing thoughts and excitement.

I laid there for what seemed like hours, staring at the wall or the roof of my bunk, trying to sleep, closing my eyes and counting sheep didn't help nether did all my tossing and turning. Eventually I gave up and slipped out of bed, leaving Tahl to hug and hold the sheets and pillows. I took a spare sheet from the linen and went back to the atrium.

I sat there on one of the long sofas that lined the windows and just watched the scene below, the landscape, the city and whatever celebrations were happening there. Eventually my eyes grew heavy and I laid down on the sofa, my headache faded as sleep claimed me finally but all I could dream about was tomorrow.

Chapter Six: Faces in the Crowd

The sound of cloven hooves on paved sandstone, the joyous chatter of a lively crowd, the air rich with exotic scents and the sound of music. So unfamiliar to me it had my head swimming from the moment I stepped off the Zeppelin. Caprii was like nothing I could have imagined. All the buildings were tall; made from some squared off quarry stone that was white and chalky, all painted over in soft reds, cool blues or warm greens. Tiled roofs and accentuated doorways and windows all set in a larger white brick of some sort. Everything was arched with wood finishes and greenery seemed to sprout from everywhere. The streets were grand, all paved in sandstone with cobblestone pathways, and winding quite alleys.

The street was swamped with street vendors, musicians and performers, till today I'd never even heard music, ever. We walked down the city's main street, toward something called the amphitheatre, Bastille and I clad in uniform. I wore a full set for the first time, sandals with plated grieves and Frai, a matching lightweight breast plate and bracers. Bastille wore a heavier set, pauldrons and chest plates, even tail coverings of some sort. Both of us clad in that odd plate like metal weave I was unfamiliar with. Virgil slithered along between us with the others following behind in casual Frais and simple jewellery. I had my pair of plain daggers, Bastille had his halberd, and the others all wore a short knife hidden away for good measure.

My eyes couldn't stay fixed on one thing for more than a second, here I was in a country I'd dreamed of for so long. It felt surreal, like a waking dream, my focus was brought crashing back to reality as I ran face first into something.

“Excuse me sir, sorry sir I wasn't watching where I was going" I muttered apologetically as I stumbled back. I'd run into an Antt Vedn, a sea guard, military of Siricuse. He turned his head and peered down at me, but simply smirked and ruffled the tuft of short hair between my horns. The diversity here was also something that surprised me; we rounded a corner and found ourselves in a market. Here I could see everything from Satarians and Vermian to men of Mirodel and even Deamons.

Before I could take in the breadth of the market before me; which stretched on in the open plaza like a maze almost. I was tapped on the shoulder, I looked up to see Virgil handing me a small purse, a coin purse.

“Sir"? I questioned with a puzzled look, back in Ludos if a Slave had been caught with even a single coin they were often killed on the spot.

“Can't go to the market without coin Kaiber" he said with a smile, waving the purse at me till I took it tentatively in hand and stowed it under my belt. With that everyone scattered like mice, disappearing into the thick crowds and I found myself alone, by Virgil's side.

And there I stayed, following him down one of the winding market isles as he slithered along, hands clasped behind his back humming away as his eyes keenly pawed over everything on display. Never having had coin of my own I didn't know exactly what to do in such a place, I hadn't a clue about the worth of coin.

Nonetheless I was far more distracted by the scent of exotic foods being grilled in vendor stalls and the street performers to care for buying anything. I was contemplating buying something from one of the food vendors nearby. Breakfast had been light and now with all these wonderful scents I found my stomach growling eagerly. I had my eyes on a vendor selling something called a kebab, meat yoghurt and cheese all cooked in a thin bread of some sort; I didn't know what yoghurt was. But before I could step forward my eyes spotted something behind the stall. Men clad in black garbs, silver sigil on the chest; Inquisitors of the Black Church. I quickly turned heel and made for the end of the markets; The Black Church was out of Rigel, a religious movement of men and after my experience of Aldorans 'religious' views I wanted nothing but to be as far from them as possible.

Tahl and Logan were waiting for everyone at the far end of the plaza, sitting on a long stone bench by the amphitheatre. Tahl had bargained for a small rack of spice jars and something else which he hid from me in childish fashion. Logan had bought a snazzy vest top, clearly one with a flair for fashion he was. I joined them objectless and stared out at the amphitheatre; it was nothing more than an indented third of a circle. Build right into the cliff face with lone stone benches and railings to prevent anyone falling off. A few meters off from it was another lower island set up as the starting marks for the races that were being set up whilst I sat there, waiting for the others. The grandeur of the whole city so far was giving me headaches as I tried to take it all in.

My mindless thoughts were shaken back as Tahl's touch brought reality back to me; he'd thrown some fabric over my shoulder with a snicker.

“Surprise"! He squeaked cheerfully in my ear; it was some sort of shoulder cloak, like the ones noble knights wore.

“I thought I'd get you a gift, to commemorate your transformation; to your new beginning" he added with a shyer tone as he stood there digging his foot into the pavement. My shoulders hunched in and my ears folded back; Tahl definitely liked me and I wasn't even doing anything to entice him. Thought the cloak was nice indeed, just my size; canvas on the outside soft cotton on the underlay, all a light chestnut brown. I inspected the clasps a tad closer before turning to thank him.

“You didn't have to fritter your coin away on me Tahl; surely you could have put it to better use..." I said with a weighted frown.

“Awe come on Kaiber It suits you, really accentuates your hide colours and besides we all know Tahl fancies you" Logan retorted with a sly snicker. I caught a glimpse of a blush on Tahl's face as he turned sharply to scowl at Logan who simply snickered more.

“Come on Tahl you don't hide it all that well" he added with a smile. I didn't realise it but I was blushing to, I could feel it but I was still uncertain of how to feel on the matter. I'd never really thought about that sort of thing; I'd been sold into slavery as a boy but I'd been freed as a man and know I forged my own path.

I sat there staring down at myself, there was a question forming in my head that I didn't know how to answer or even approach.

“Do I like women... or men..." the thought rattled around in my head loosely with the ever certain knowledge of Tahl's growing crush on me. From what I'd learned so far things such as public nudity, male on male intercourse or marriage and even casual sex were all legally permitted and some even encouraged. At least in Mayoran that is but still the thought had me more consumed then I would have liked.

The others slowly joined us one by one; Briar now sported a leather satchel bag, Luca had bought some sort of book. Neil and Mathias both sported matching horn rings as they exited the market. Bastille had haggled his way into a new round shield bearing the bust of a ram on its face.

“Master Virgil has said he's catching up with a friend in the Amphitheatre gardens, he told me to grab the lot of you and wait at the White Theatre Inn just over there" Bastille said, pointing to a grand and inviting tavern just a few yards away. The others all cheerfully headed off but I remained seated where I was.

“Not coming with us Kaiber"? He asked, I shook my head, “no I want to wait, see the dragons and all; never seen one before" I replied with a rather unenthusiastic tone. In reality all I wanted was some time alone with my thoughts and the fresh crisp air. Since I had awoken just a week ago I hadn't really thought about much, I'd been too consumed by training and study. My desire to become stronger, smarter all so I could never be tormented or sold ever again had clouded any thought of things besides my goals. In the back of my head revenge was still present; I wanted to see Brant dead by my hand. But now I was stuck with the realization that perhaps I had a friend, or more than one. Fourteen years old and never before had I had a friend; let alone a crush or any form of affection, the last I could remember of such things was that of my mother.

I had lost so much during those seven years under Brant's malicious heel and no matter how many times it dawned on me, it still came back seemingly bigger and more hollow than before. My thoughts were once again interrupted as a tall man in sharp casual formal wear stepped up beside me.

“Tis strange to see someone with such a glum look upon their face when in such a lively and colourful place, no"? He said, his voice sharp and piercing. I didn't look up at him or anything, just some kindly concerned stranger I thought.

“A troubled mind can sour the best of places I suppose..." I muttered back as a response; there was a pause and I heard the ticking of a pocket watch.

“I find that troubled minds are often the sort who over think the simplest of things; they worry and fret so much that they turn something with a simple answer, into something that twists and turns, till it's a tangle. My suggestion, If I may, stop overthinking things" he said confidently with a soft hum.

“I would also suggest you hurry inside, storms brewing, wouldn't want to be caught in it now would you" and with that I listened to the sound of his footsteps as they bled into the crowd. But what he'd said defiantly sat with me, all I'd originally been thinking about was weather I was one for women or men. Yet here I was dragging myself back to the thoughts of the life I wanted to forget. I cracked a smile, just a soft one as I gazed up at the sky's still blue and clear. So what if Tahl fancied me I certainly enjoyed his presence in bed at night; perhaps I could experiment with him, learn a thing or two. I shook my head with a silly grin as I turned to look for the stranger, aiming to thank him before he vanished entirely. But that never happened, I barely got to drink in the view of the market one more time; before I was blinded.

A wave of hot air struck my face accompanied by a blinding flash; for a moment I could see a man standing there in the centre of the short of empty plaza at the end of the market. Dressed in plain red robes; minimal and featureless with odd marks upon his face and some sort of porcelain cask in his hands. But in a blink he was gone, replaced by fire, shattered stone and body parts. And the next thing I knew was weightlessness and a stinging pain on my right side. My ears rang and all I could see as my eyes cleared was the blue of the sky above.

But then the screams and cries reached my ears and with a rushing sound I was pulled back to the earth and it all snapped to blackness save the faint ringing in my ears.

Chapter Seven: Brewing storms

I awoke with a dull ache all throughout, my ears rang and my head was bandaged along with my arm. Wherever I was however was safe, I wasn't outside lying limply in the amphitheatre. I could feel something cold and damp on my forehead, it's presence was somewhat relieving, but as my senses continued to return I grimaced from the sudden rush of muggy warmth all over my body; ot were as if I had been standing out in the sun all day and been burned. It was then that I could hear voices nearby through the ringing; my headache was amplified the longer it droned on, but I tried my best to eavesdrop upon the conversation through the throbbing within my head.

“It's just a fever, an allergic reaction to some of the medicine we administered, he'll be fine however. He should wake sometime today, you may question him then." someone said, the voice seemed to echo dully and for a moment my; eyes opened, only to see blurry colours before my overreach of effort returned me to my pained slumber.

I felt horrible, not emotionally in any sense, I was dizzy and off balance even though I was lying down; I could cold and excruciatingly hot at the same time, my mouth was dry. I'd had a fever before when I was younger and had managed to fight it off without medicine, but then again, I wasn't the same as back then anymore; I'd left all that behind. I didn't know how many hours of vomiting into a steel bucket passed by during my brief moments of feverish waking. Said bucket was emptied regularly by someone, and the water pitcher by my bed refilled. It felt like I'd been lying there for days, lost in the pitches of fever dreams.

My head hurt the most, everything else just fluctuated between being hot and cold but my head was in total agony, almost like something was clawing through my grey matter. It only grew worse as the hours ticked by, until I was writhing in agony; my throat was too parched to usher any sounds. But then I heard a familiar voice, aged and piercing, it uttered only two words as I felt something touch my forehead.

“Be gone" It rang out in my head suddenly, alleviating the pain, driving me into the black depths of unconsciousness. When I next awoke I felt better, the fever was gone as was the pain in my head but the uncomfortable heat and cold remained and I was still parched. I grasped at the side table for a cup of water that I could see from the corner of my eye. I downed the entire cup in a few gulps before a coughing fit struck me, I was still feeling dizzy and things were still blurry too, but I could at least make out a few things in the room like long white curtains that seemed to surround me.

“Is he awake yet" I heard a smooth yet exotic voice say, It was dusk and there were shadows cast through the curtains from the fading twilight.

“He's been in and out all day but I think he's settled now, he should wake tomorrow" replied a feminine voice.

“The Queen wants his statement; none of the other wounded saw anything and he was the closest to the blast" the exotic voice said sternly. Whoever was talking was with the Antt Vedn by the sounds of things.

“What's taking so long Vervain? I give you a day to take statements and yet I have to come down here myself during the night to do it myself " came a much richer feminine voice, the clip clop of cloven hooves on stone flooring echoed out as whoever spoke.

“The last witness has been unconscious all day Milady, please forgive me" Vervain stated, I heard more clopping of hooves as someone left.

“Well he's Vermian, is he not? What's recorded on his tag?" the woman said impatiently, a clear tone of irritation in her voice. I managed to sit up with some effort, still weak from the fever and I found myself panting; it was rather warm in here and it suddenly occurred to me that as a reptile I probably didn't have sweat glands.

“He doesn't have one Milady, we think he may be a mercenary from the equipment he bore." The statement struck my core with concern, did Virgil and the others not know what happened to me or where I was?

“I'm not a mercenary, I'm a soldier" I corrected, speaking up to the strangers behind the curtains in a coarse and dry voice. A second later a head popped in through the curtains, that of a woman's. She flung the curtain open, her posture relaxing; she was dressed rather scanty, a bright gold and sky blue sash top and some sort of odd looking skirt that left very little to the imagination.

“Oh splendid, you're awake and preferably in good health." She said, her tone becoming ever so slightly warmer, though still bearing the taint of indignation. There was a crown of ivory and silver atop her short filed horn nubs, her skin was a bronze colour and the short cut fur of her cervine legs were snowy white.

“I'm a tad thirsty but otherwise I think I'm alright Ma'am" I said as respectfully as I could with my dry raspy voice; the man outside, Vervain, had his hand at his swords pommel.

“Vervain, fetch some water" she said with a commanding tone, the taller dark haired Satarian quietly nodded and marched off with that ever present clip clop sound.

“Now, I know you're resting but I'd like to ask you a few questions" the woman added as she sat at the end of the bed I lay upon. It was only then that I realised I was naked under the thin sheets, my cloak and clothing were all gone.

“I'll try my best to answer any questions you have for me" I replied as I looked around, the features of the room kept becoming clear before going blurry again. I clutched my head and groaned as bile stung the back of my throat, although in a lesser quantity then before.

“You said you are a soldier, but you have no tag, you're not a deserter are you?" She asked with a cautious frown.

“No, I'm in training, I'm accompanying my master to the races, we passed through the market and he told me he was going to catch up with a friend. He said I could have free reign for the day" I told her as I fought back the urge to hurl yet again. Vervain returned at that moment with a pitcher of water that I downed as steadily as possible. Washing away that nauseous feeling as the room swayed slowly, the fever was gone but I still felt ill.

“And who is your Master? I'm sure he is quite worried about you, I can have a dispatch track him down and inform him of your situation?" she said, half questioning and half stating as she began relaxing and smiling warmly at me as she rifled through a nearby cabinet for something.

“His name is Virgil, he's a Naga, we came by Zeppelin from Aldoran" I replied as she mixed some sort of powder into the water and motioned for me to drink.

“Virgil.. Prince Virgil Loruk?" She questioned slowly causing me to nearly spit take the water, I broke into another coughing fit.

“Big white Naga, opal eyes, soft coral colours all down his back yes?" She added. Virgil had never told me his last name, or his title, or anything about him, I hadn't even thought to ask him of such things either.

“He didn't tell me he was a prince, no one did... I've been serving a Prince this whole time..?" I sat there, suddenly unaccompanied by the feeling of nausea; instead my mind was racing with my own actions toward him during my tutoring. I gulped as I sat there wide eyed; the woman burst into a fit of snickering and giggles.

“Advent Royalty doesn't act conventionally, we like to mingle with our citizens, act.. equal; have fun and what not" she said with a sly smirk. My ears pinned back as I realized the woman before me was most likely royalty to.

“Milady... Forgive my ignorance I didn't know..." I stammered, this only seemed to issue more giggles from her as I sat there scared, confused and nervous. I never thought I'd meet royalty in my life, certainly not whilst naked either.

“Relax, I'm not like those stuck up human Queens who act like 'Proper' ladies, with their huge ornate dresses and shining manners… urgh" she said waving her hand with a disgusted eye roll. I felt uncomfortable, I was sitting next to a Queen, bare nude with just a sheet and some bandages covering me, I didn't know how to feel or act.

“You know, you're kind of handsome" she said with a smirk; Vervain coughed awkwardly from behind her and her smirk turned to an irritated frown.

“Vervain I'm allowed to flirt with whomever I please, go find Virgil, check the air docks and leave me alone you prune" she snapped. He quickly marched off with a downtrodden look on his face, leaving me with the flirtatious Queen.

“Buzzkill... humph, did you see anything, before the explosion"? She said after a pause and a sigh. I scratched the back of my head with an awkward smile, glad she had changed the topic.

“Not really, I think I saw a man, red robe, some sort of face tattoo... He was holding a cask or urn or… Something, that's all I remember" I told her, still looking around for my clothes and equipment. The woman was looking off into the distance thoughtfully; it gave me time to come to grips with the now reeling thoughts of my own. Virgil had rescued me from Aldoran in my time of dire need; he'd freed me and given me the choice to completely start over with a better life. He'd been a prince the whole time, Tahl, Briar not even Bastille had told me, did they even know? Surely they did, they couldn't all be strangers picked up from horrible places, like me.

I didn't get to dwell on that thought for long as Vervain came hurrying back now with an entourage of armed soldiers.

“Milady there's been another attack at the library, I strongly suggest you go back to the Palace at once" he said with a harsh tone of urgency.

“Find out who is doing this Vervain, close the ports, Not a single boat or blimp is to leave here, I want these wack jobs caught right now!" She barked, her warmer tone of voice suddenly replaced with an authoritative urgency, it caused the poor man to recoil slightly in surprise, but nonetheless he nodded and hurried off with the other soldiers in tow.

“Your clothes and equipment are in the foot locker beneath the bed, do make yourself decent. If I know Virgil he'll be waiting at my Palace, he always comes to me if he loses something in Caprii." She ordered, her voice still sounding authoritative but I just nodded and pulled the sheets away to dress. I wasn't surprised when I caught her gazing at my groin and rump as I dressed; all I wanted was to find my Master.

I sheathed my daggers and slipped Tahl's gift over my left shoulder just as a trio of alarmingly heavily armoured Antt Vedn arrived to escort the Queen and I back to the Palace. I was still rather confused as to how in the Lord's sake I had gotten to where I had came to be.

The streets were all mostly empty, it was night time after all but the air was sweet with the scent of something and the breeze was a welcome relief.

“Hmm, you know Virgil may be sleeping at this late hour, you may just have to entertain me." the Queen said with a sly smile. I was most uncomfortable with how her mood shifted so suddenly, she certainly wasn't your typical woman; but I had no experience in such things, my mind flashed back to some of the rapes I had seen in Brant's basement; I'd seen little of it but it was all I knew about sex.

The Palace was at the centre of Caprii, it actually wasn't as grand as I had imagined it would be, it was just a single three storey building centred in the middle of four adjoining courtyards all lined with roofed corridors that were furnished with lounges and sleek water features.

“Milady, There is a Minister Falath of the Black Church waiting to speak with you inside, as well as Lady Veronica from Mirodel." said a slender Satarian with eye glasses and wearing nothing but a bare chested vest garb. I averted my eyes skyward as I saw him approach with a smile, the Queen groaning in further irritation while I found my mind suddenly swarmed with curiosities. I found it hard not to stare from the corner of my eye as those curiosities swam lazily around my head. Those curiosities didn't go unnoticed however as his cheeks flushed a light red. The Queen shot me a funny look to before her head slumped and her arms sagged.

“Urrrgh fine!" She exclaimed like a spoilt upper class child as she began to climb the stairs to the main building with resignation.

“Seht, take care of the lizard will you, make sure he doesn't wander off" she added, sounding truly agitated now. I didn't know if that had been an insult of some sort or not, was I a lizard, I knew I was a reptile but I was unsure on the exact terminology. I watched as she disappeared through an open archway at the top of the stairs and I sighed. Seven weeks ago I was in on a stage being sold; now I was walking around with Queens and nudists.

“Come, my dwellings are just on the other end of the west wing" Seht said with a smile, turning on the spot and clip clopping off with a hum. I followed him without saying anything; I was too busy being lost in my thoughts yet again. It hurt; I'd never had headaches until I'd woken anew, now they plagued me.

Seht's home was a simple two storey building built into the end of one of the courtyard wings. It was like all the others in Caprii, solid white stone with the window frames painted warm red and yellow. Inside was fairly similar, warm red carpets, purple and yellow tapestries and wood carved furniture all gave a cosy feel to the room as I entered.

“I have a spare room you can rest in for the night if you'd like" he said, strutting past me and pouring some crimson liquid from a clay pitcher into two wooden cups. I was handed one a moment later and looked at it suspiciously.

“It's rum, it'll help you relax, even a blind man can see you're tense" he remarked as he took a mouthful from his own cup. I'd never had alcohol before, not even the watered down ale in Ludos; Seht motioned for me to try some as he took another mouthful. It was warm even though it was cold, it tasted sweet, sickly so; but it was good. It certainly did the trick though, after only one cup I felt relaxed and my headache was quieter.

“I'm sorry for staring earlier; I think I'm just curious... I think" I muttered as I was poured a second cup. Seht seemed to find that amusing as he chuckled softly for a bit before sighing and sitting on a cushioned bench.

“It was nice that someone looked at me like that to be honest, serving Lana is... well you've seen her... I barely get time to visit the Troublesome Tail Inn anymore these days" he said exhaustedly; I raised a brow at the amusing name of the inn, imagining what sort of mind had come up with the name.

“I think the both of us could use some fun tonight though, I heard about the Market attack, I'm glad no one was seriously injured" he stated, standing again and coming right up to me. My Frai fell away effortlessly in his hands but I didn't stop him, I helped him; thunder boomed in the distance as I undressed with his guiding hands. Sure I was hesitant but the whole reason I had taken that elixir seven weeks ago was to start over and try new things.

The room was cosy the drink was good and the company was certainly confident. I didn't know if it was the rum or if it was just me, but I felt energised and there was this strange warmth in my loins. Looking down I saw scarlet flesh, slick with some clear fluid, swollen and throbbing like the beat of a drum and looking nothing like the manhood I had once possessed.

“So that's what it looks like." I said with a curious look of surprise, the cool night air stung at it pleasantly, causing it to twitch in response.

I tipped back my head and downed my second cup in a single gulp as Seht confidently brought a hand to my thigh.

“I've never fooled around with a Vermian before" he said as I pounced on him. We wrestled on the floor for a bit in playful intoxication before he came up to sit astride my hips as I lay on my back. The fur of his flank and thighs felt good against my hands and claws, the sensation of that thicker fur under his tail enveloping my reptilian member as he pushed down atop me. And then all at once fireworks exploded behind my eyes, my whole body arched and shivered and everything else melted away as my hips began to feverishly piston.

Chapter Eight: Rainy Days

For the second time that week I awoke in unfamiliar surroundings, although this time the pain afflicting me was that of a hangover. I was in a bed of some sort, sheets tossed and turned thoroughly like a salad. Thick heavy blankets hung off one side, unused and discarded and my head, my head felt as if someone was stepping on it. My lips had some faint sweet residue upon them and something stirred within my arms.

I propped myself up on an elbow to look around, my clothes were nowhere to be seen, there was an empty pitcher next to the bed and the sun cast narrow lines of light around the room. I felt tired, drained like I had been days without rest; there was a knocking sound from downstairs that caused my head to beat like a drum. With a groan I pulled myself up to sit at the edge of the bed; the room swayed wildly like a drunken flail. It only lasted for a moment before I shook it off and looked around and things began to seem a bit clearer.

The bedroom was on its own floor, simple and small with a wood carved bed, a dresser and two side tables. The banister of the staircase had another cushioned bench sat before it and everything was dressed in warm colours. There was a light moan from the bed; I looked back to see Seht, naked and aroused, sleeping with a blissful smile on his face as his body twisted under the haphazardly strewn sheets. I let out a huff through my nose, smiling as vague memories of last night came to surface with another knock.

I shook my head and stood with a stretch, jaws parting to usher a yawn before coming back together with a hollow snapping sound. I made my way downstairs slowly; it was one of those corner stair cases, solid and wooden. The room downstairs was a mess, my clothes were neatly tossed over an armchair, my daggers hung on a coat rack near the door. The room smelt heavily of rum and sex; there was a crusty splatter on one of the rugs that was clearly visible, I kicked at it with a smirk.

I opened the door at the third knock without bothering to dress; I was greeted with a plainly dressed woman with short red hair. She had a platter with her, two bowls of something that smelt spicy and a tall narrow glass bottle of blue liquid.

“Complements of the Queen" she said with a forced smile as I took the platter. The bowls still had steam coming from them and my stomach growled loudly as I licked my lips.

“Thank you" I replied, turning and closing the door with my tail as I sat the platter down on a side table. I loved how handy my tail was now, it made me realise just how disadvantaged humans were. there was a boom of thunder as I closed the door and a moment later I could smell the crisp scent of cool rain as it began to trickle down steadily outside.

Seht was awake now, coming down the stairs naked and at full mast, stretching his arms as he came down with a sleepy smile.

“Morning Kaiber" he said with a smooth and enticing tone; I grinned back at him as I took up one of the bowls the woman had dropped off. Last night had been purely impulsive, perhaps the rum had something to do with it but I didn't care, I'd loved every second of it.

“Morning Seht" I replied as I stirred the concoction in the bowl I held, I had no Idea what food it was. Seht gave the platter an odd look as I strode over to me; I felt his length against my thigh as he reached behind me and took up the other bowl.

“What's this, breakfast?" He asked seemingly surprised, my tail shivered as I felt that slickness and warmth on my scaled thigh.

“A servant dropped it off, said it was complements of the Queen" I replied, fighting hard to keep my hand from reaching down to squeeze that cervine manhood. Last night it was like a switch had been flipped in my head, like a locked door had suddenly been unlocked.

“Hm that's unusual, yet again Lana is entertaining some high profile guests; she must have arranged room service for the palace grounds" he said. Taking the bowl from my hand and pressing close; I shivered as I felt more of his fur and that warm slickness of his shaft haphazardly grinding into my hide.

“Thank you for last night... It's been a long time, I'm sorry if I came on rather strongly" he added as he turned and stepped away, I scooped up the other bowl and tentatively took a mouthful; whatever it was it was good.

“It was my first time, I probably jumped a little too quick myself; I had fun though. Definitely something I wanna do again" I said with a wide smile as the rain became heavier outside. Last night had been an eye opening experience, a total vanishing of all my inhibitions and conflictions, well what little inhibitions that remained at least, my body was different but my mind was the same as before. I still had the memories, but they were slowly being erased, freeing me from several years of mental damage.

“Mm well for your first performance I must say, I haven't had a ride that rough in years and boy did I love it" Seht said with a smirk as he sat at the small round table he had tucked into the corner of the den.

“What is this exactly?" I asked as I poked suspiciously at my own bowls contents with a silver fork. I'd never seen metal utensils before much less held them.

“It's called sea chilly, its noodles, crab, green peppers and a blend of spiced eels" he said with a smile as he downed another forkful. I raised a brow at the odd ingredients just as another knock came from the door. My cheeks still burnt from Seht's earlier comment as I turned to open it; I was surprised to see Mathias of all people standing there with a rather unamused look on his face.

“Mathias, what are you doing here?" I said, blinking in surprise; his eyes scrolled down my body and his unamused look somehow fell even further.

“We spend all of yesterday looking for you and here you are, screwing the Queen's Royal slut" he spat in displeasure as he glared past me. I followed his gaze to find Seht returning it with equal malice in his eyes.

“Mathias..." he said blandly, although clearly there was some sort of dislike between the two of them.

“Whore..." Mathias spat back with one of his ears flickering; Seht ushered a growl and retired to the back room muttering profanities under his breath.

“What crawled up your ass?" I said with my own irritated look; I watched as Mathias's lip began to curl as a boom of thunder echoed out and a bolt of lightning broke the dark grey skies.

“Master is entertaining Queen Lana for today and most of tomorrow morning, so enjoy fucking the spoilt whore back there why don't you..." he snarled before he stormed off toward the Palace's main building. I was rather taken aback by just how foul mouthed Mathias had been just now. I knew he was prone to bouts of anger; but I'd never had the displeasure of seeing him in such a state before.

I stood there for what seemed like a long time in the oddly pleasant cold of the rain before I closed the door.

“Do I want to know what that was all about?" I called out as I took up my bowl again and began to eat rather greedily before the meal went cold.

“We used to date back before Prince Virgil snatched him up here in Caprii, he was a waiter in a nearby tavern, 'The Trinity Tavern,' I dumped him because he got jealous. He made a huge scene at the races about me hanging out with 'some other guy,' That was the day he skipped town with Prince Virgil and the day I vowed never to date again... We never even had sex..." he said sullenly with wavering tones of agitated spite and dull sadness as he came out from the back room. He was dressed now, or at least what he called dressed, a simple white and blue vest top with no undershirt and some sort of bracelets.

“...How old is Mathias exactly?" I asked with a raised brow as I came and sat next to him at the table; finishing off my bowl.

“Last I knew? He's twenty-one; he always did prefer younger men though..." Seht said with a hollow sigh. His body slumping as his head careened skyward; I rolled my eyes and hooked a claw into his thigh and pulled him around to face me. His spirits lifted slightly as I pulled him atop my lap as well and gave his nose a kiss.

“So? Who cares, you're more fun anyways, Mathias is such a grump" I said with a smirk as Seht's cheeks flushed red and his ears folded back. He threw his arms around over my shoulders as well as his head and he sighed again.

“Thank you Kaiber... Lord's I wish I had a friend like you, It would make the hard days easy and the long days worth it..." he muttered as I held him there against me. The bare fur of his flank sent a shiver riding up my spine as I felt it against my own hide; my hands rested firmly on his lower back.

I held him there as the rain bucketed down outside; just sharing the feel of our bodies and their warmth. The events of last night still reeled in my head; I was itching to experience it again but this wasn't the time.

We stayed in the rest of the afternoon, sprawled out together in the bed upstairs simply talking, sharing stories and laughing. There wasn't really anything better to do with the rain outside belting down harder and harder as the day wore on. The crisp coolness of the air was extremely pleasant and the warmth of Seht's body against mine was more than welcome. By lunch we began to explore one another, hands and claws sliding over fur and scale; a much more sensual experience then the impulsive and intoxicated one from last night. I was more than certain I uttered noises I didn't think were possible, hisses and snarls among the moans and cries that any passerby would have been able to hear.

Needless to say, the afternoon disappeared quickly and left both of us in a drunken state of afterglow, sleepy and with an odd urge to cuddle under the sheets. During that blissful tiredness and mutual satisfaction I retreated to my thoughts. Memories of my younger human self came to surface, memories of me back on Father's farm. Memories of me thinking I'd become a successful land owner with a beautiful and docile wife and children of my own. With dragons ploughing the endless fields of dune stalker wheat and a big clean house filled with nice things.

I let out a sigh, my thumb idle caressing Seht's flank just under the tail; still slick with warm seed. I had been so naive back then, always walking around day dreaming of something better like children often did. Now here I was, tooth, tail and scale in bed with a male Satarian in the capital of Siricuse. I found myself smiling, things were better now just not in the way I had imagined. But if there was one thing that seven years of vile abuse and merciless beatings had taught me: Life was unpredictable.

Chapter Nine: The Calm

Our plans to stay in Caprii during the races had been put on hold due to the rain; it looked as though it would last for a while. I spent most of my time with Seht; the mundane everyday life was surprisingly comforting to me, simply going about boring daily chores whilst chatting with him; both of us casually in the nude or sometimes clothed when it was colder. Tahl and Logan made frequent visits as well, though thankfully Mathias didn't drop by.

What Virgil had said so many weeks ago about us Vermians being destructive or aggressive when bored were certainly true. During the periods of heavier rain Seht and Logan taught me the steps to a few traditional dances coupled with a few visits to a library just around the corner, thankfully the books were mostly in Grout; one of the more widespread languages, especially around Volthume and Aldoran; I knew Grout well.

During the sparse hours of lighter rainfall over the week I was with Bastille, he insisted on doing training exercises during various types of weather. So we spared once a day or so in a training yard opposite the Palace grounds. Even the rain felt different now, its coolness was pleasant, refreshing and absent of the cold bite it usually came with. Back in Aldoran the rain had always been heavy, diluted with sand and dirt, yet cold nonetheless; this was the first time in my life I'd seen proper rain.

Bastille and I circled each other, me with my two plain daggers and Bastille with shield and steel halberd in hand. well what I thought was a halberd at least, it was smaller than any I'd seen and the blade was odd, circular like a ring with a spear point at the top. Every hour of practice I grew stronger and lighter on my feet but I still had yet to so much as stagger Bastille. He no longer held back as he did the week prior; he always opened with the same motions though. The opening attack was always a straight jab; wether sword or polearm.

“So I take it Mathias is still in a foul mood?" I said as I side stepped, just narrowly avoiding the spear point of the halberd.

“Just ignore it" Bastille replied pulling his arm back and shoulder charging me with his shield. I met it head on this time, claws gripping the edges of the metal tightly as I dug my feet into the sand and growled.

“I would if he stopped giving me the death stare every time he sees me" I snapped back as Bastille kicked out at my leg. For the past few days Mathias had become rather aggressive toward me, talking behind my back, snarling foul names at me. I stepped to the side once again, shouldering his shield as my tail wrapped around his ankle and yanked back as hard as possible. With a shove to his shield he toppled over onto his back with a dull thud, I raised my own foot, seeking to bring it down atop his shield in order to pin him.

“Mathias has always been a jealous and envious one" He said rolling out from under me as my foot slammed down on the sand. In one fell move his legs and tail swept me off mine and planted my ass in the dirt just as he always did. I felt the butt of his Halberd shaft press sharply into my throat as he knelt there in victory once again.

“Getting better, a lot better" he commented with a smirk before helping me up. I gave out a sigh, letting the light rain wash me off.

“I'll beat you one day Bastille..." I replied, I was getting better; but looking around I began to wonder about testing myself against others. Bastille was currently the only sparring partner I had, unfortunately the only people close by were Neil, Mathias and Izzy most surprisingly. I waved to her with a smile, she waved back and I copped yet another look of disgust from Mathias and Neil as well this time.

My ears flicked the last few drops of water from my hide as we all retired to a small bar just down the street. It was a small building but it was cosy enough to shelter from the rain, which had begun to bucket down once again. Bastille, Izzy and I all shared a table whilst Neil and Mathias disappeared off somewhere else.

“What are you doing out here Izzy, you should be back aboard the Zeppelin" Bastille said questioningly. The mottled Vermian smiled cheekily as a waitress stopped at our table, serving tray in hand and loaded with empty pitchers and flagons.

“Pick your poison, Scale kin" she said, Bastille ordered some spiced Ale for the three of us before the waitress was called away by some other patrons.

“I asked Master Virgil if I could visit my parents while we were here in Caprii" she replied, stretching her arms back over her head with a yawn.

“I thought Humans weren't allowed within the United Advent Sovereignty's borders?" I questioned with a confused look which only ushered snickers and amused looks from Bastille and Izzy.

“Kaiber, Izzy was born Vermian, well hatched, not all of us are 'changed' like you. Besides, humans are allowed in Siricuse, they just need the right documentation" Bastille stated, my ears slapped against the back of my neck as I sat there feeling like an idiot. With the rain and Virgil being occupied by a flirtatious Queen; I hadn't had any tutoring over the last four to five days. I sighed; my head slumping into my arms upon the table, the week was only half over and boredom was clawing at me like a bratty child.

Izzy and Bastille quickly descended into chit chat, but I zoned out, the claws of my fingers scratched at the wooden table, idly stabbing at flies, watching the other patrons; one in particular had me intrigued. Some tall man shrouded in a longshore men's coat topped with a heavy dull red hood. He'd just arrived and now sat in the far back corner, I could feel this cold stare upon me and it was unsettling.

“I thought you and your parents were on, less than good terms with each other?" I heard Bastille ask, I wasn't paying much attention though. Our drinks were brought over at that moment two, three wide steel tankards of spicy smelling Ale.

“There still family, I was worried about them, what with all these attacks" Izzy replied with a worried tone of voice. I began to think about my own family, did they even know I was still alive? Did they even care? I quickly took up one of the tankards and proceeded to guzzle as much as I could to drown out those thoughts.

“Tahl and Logan were lucky they didn't get injured at that Library bombing" Bastille casually commented, causing me to nearly choke on my drink.

“Tahl was in the library during the attack! Why didn't anyone tell me?" I exclaimed, suddenly feeling worried myself. I hadn't really thought of Tahl much lately over the past few days. My head had been filled with thoughts of Seht instead; shame now mixed with my worry and my head slumped yet again.

“I would have thought Tahl had told you, aren't you two close?" Izzy asked, taking a few mouthfuls from her own drink.

“Well with Mathias trying to turn Tahl against Kaiber, he's been... distant" Bastille interjected, mumbling under his breath. Now there was anger, Mathias had been getting on my nerves ever since the start of the week.

“Mathias needs to grow the fuck up!" I growled, claws digging into the table, I was actually surprised to hear myself growling like an animal.

“I'm tired of his stupid little vendetta against me just because I'm getting along with one of his ex-partners, besides who ever said I liked Tahl in the first place" I added as I slumped back in the chair with crossed arms.

“Well since you've been absent lately, Tahl's kind of...moved on" Bastille said after a long awkward pause, his tone was softer than it'd ever been before; I only had to look him in the eye.

“...Tahl deserves someone stronger than me, someone with experience" I replied, feeling defeated; I let out a huff through my nose as I downed what was left of my drink.

“And you boys think us girls are hard to understand" Izzy commented with a snarky tone and a warm smile, it got a big of a chuckle out of the two of us before Bastille put on a serious expression.

“Us men are very complex creatures, thank you very much" he said, the three of us burst out laughing a moment later.

I didn't know if it was the Ale or not but I felt warmer, perhaps it was just the heat from the taverns fireplace. The afternoon wore on, with round after round of various Ales and eventually a hearty meal too, something called a 'Pie'. I was more than happy to dig into it, finding it rather tasty as a few dock workers broke out some instruments and flooded the bar with music and cheer. Then inevitably the gambling games were broken out, Liar's dice, bobstones and matchsticks along with card games and darts. I found myself best at darts, winning without even trying as I'd never played before.

But with all the cheer, song and drink there was still that unsettling feeling coming from the lone man sitting in the very back. He hadn't moved since he'd arrived, he hadn't ordered any drink or food either. I did my best to ignore the cold stare that came from under his darkened hood but it was always present no matter how much I drank. Another thing to surprise me was how well I could hold my liquor; Izzy was already drunk, singing merrily along with the workers and longshore men. Bastille was even a little uncoordinated after just three tankards yet here I was on my fifth barely feeling buzzed.

I had no idea what time of night it was, the cheer had died off somewhat but the bar was still festive nonetheless. People were mostly gathered around a Velkenfolk bard, a queerly dressed squirrel who was telling jokes and stories. I was listening lazily from my table, Bastille and Izzy had gone back to the Zeppelin; both singing poorly as they stumbled up the street together.

I was close to leaving for the night myself, already imagining the delightful comforts of Seht's bed. I tilted my head back and downed the last mouthful of my tankard; I sat there for a moment or two before I stood, the room swaying slightly.

I left a few coins behind on the table before I made for the door, slow and sleepy; the door swung open before I reached it. I paused on the spot as a group of Black Church Inquisitors entered; one of them scanned the room quickly, his eyes landing on me only a moment before stepping aside to let me leave.

I was no more than a single foot outside the door when my ears bolted upright. There was a voice, cold, empty, chanting almost like a whisper but I could hear it as clear as day. The cold night time air began to burn, sizzling like the heat of a furnace; I could feel it all down my back.

At once the chanting stopped and was replaced by a deafening boom; shredded splinters of wood flew past me as I was thrown to the floor. Smoke stung my nose, stinging pain assaulted the back of my body and my ears began to ring. Coughing and groaning I rolled over, the tavern no longer existed, it was simply a roaring ball of fire. The whole front of the building was blown clear open and through the flames and smoke all I could see was that man.

He sat right at the back, the hood and coat he had wore now burnt and tattered; I couldn't see a face however, just the glint of something obscured the hood.

Chapter Ten: The Sanguine Circle

The flames, the smoke, the smell of charred flesh, burnt hair and fur, none of it seemed to affect the man; he simply sat there still as a statue whilst I lay in the street, the stinging pain all over me now lessened as the rain began to pour down. I sat, stunned, staring into the gaping maw of that inferno, my eyes blurry with smoke and water, coughing and gagging as the burning stench flooded my nose. As the ringing in my ears died off I could hear booming sounds off in the distance, I looked up and down the street.

Explosions engulfed buildings one by one, the streets swarming with bare chested men clad in red robes, all chanting or fighting with the Antt Vedn. But it all seemed to be happening far away; I turned back to the roaring flames before me. I watched as the man rose; his movements were off somehow, they were to fluid, effortless. His arms pulled back behind him as he made slowly for me, his foot falls sounded like metal scraping on stone and there was some faint ticking sound, like the gears of a pocket watch.

The roof of the building groaned heavily, the rafters screaming as they finally gave out just as the man stepped out onto the street. Fire bellowed outward licking at the adjacent buildings; I scrambled backward across the street as he approached. I couldn't see his face; I couldn't see anything under that hood or between those tattered remnants of his long coat. Shadows jumped out from the flames, dancing across the street, shrouding the man before me almost as if beckoned to do so. Then I heard that voice, empty, dead; it was as if it came from something that didn't have a soul.

“Behold, the jewel of the sea, watch the land you Advent filth stole; burn, watch as we right the Gods greatest mistake" That voice caused a knot to form in my stomach, or perhaps it was the stench of burning flesh.

I scrambled to my feet, still backing away slowly, I unsheathed my daggers and swallowed; two weeks of training was all I had, all I had to prepare me for my first real fight, for this. Two measly plain daggers against whatever was under that charred coat; with my confidence absent I took up a stance and readied myself.

“How amusing, the mistake knows how to fight, does it? We'll see about that, now bow." At once my body seized up, I watched on helplessly as the man raised an arm toward me. It was clad in some sort of gauntlet from what I could make out; the fire glinting along its surface toward me. My lips trembled as I tried to fight whatever invisible force slowly pushed me to my knees and wrought the daggers from my hands.

“Yes that's it, kneel, bow to your executioner and beg." The words stung my ears, my jaws now locking up and moving of their own accord, forcing words through them against my will.

“Please...Kill...Me!" I was forced to stutter, I couldn't even form a single tear of my own volition; I was like a puppet on strings. The man tilted his head under the hood slightly, hesitating, pausing for some reason.

“...So you're the one..." I heard him mutter, I didn't know what he meant by it and I didn't care; I fought desperately against whatever power held me. I wanted this to stop; it was horrible; a thousand times worse than the torture I endured in Aldoran, a thousand times more insidious. The man pulled back his other arm, holding it out to his side as if waiting for someone to pass him something. Instead I watched as the shredded shrapnel of the former tavern arched through the air toward his hand. They all seemed to meld together and inch by inch a sword was formed; jagged, uneven edges, cruel and a grim visage.

“May your foetid blood salt the soil, you vile mistake of creation." I somehow managed to force my eyes closed; I waited.

The Man pulled back his arm, readying the point toward my chest; where I expected to feel agony I only felt a sharp jab. The sound of metal shattering like glass rang in my ears; confused I peeled open an eye. The Man stood there with nothing but the pommel left, he seemed at a loss, surprised and just as confused as me. The pommel was tossed aside with an Irritated grunt; it exploded into sand as it hit the street and his arm rocketed back toward me. His hand caught my neck and I was retched into the air effortlessly as if I weighed nothing to him. I could feel the cold metal against my hide now, the fire revealing the truth of the limb; not a gauntlet or armour but the very limb itself. Some sort of enchanted replacement perhaps; The Man was clearly versed in at least one school of magic.

His arm drew back, jerking me with it; at that moment the invisible strings that bound me fell away; I kicked and struggled. I brought my claws up to grip his hand, trying to pry it loose; my tail whipping back and forth trying to strike at him. Next thing I knew I was tumbling along the polished sandstone slated street a few dozen feet away. Sharp throbbing pain drove the breath from my lungs as I slumped there on my side, blood pooled in my jaws, poured from my nose, it tasted sour and only just faintly coppery, almost like a candy of some sort.

Slowly, agonisingly I forced myself up onto my feet; my right arm hung limp to my side, the slightest nudge or movement sent agony through it. I cradled it as gently as I could, the street swaying dizzily but the scene was still clear. The attack was failing, the robed men clad in red fell like flies; fires raged on here and there, controlled only by the rain. Through the dull throbbing pain that rattled around in my head I could hear the sound of gunfire and cannon fire.

Siricuse held the secret of their 'guns' under rather tight lock and key but their sound was distinct. With a stumble I looked up; Zeppelins now swarmed the skies, spotting and picking off the attackers one by one. I turned slowly, wincing and swallowing a thick glob of blood; the Man still stood there up the street, it was just the two of us now. Panicked, I looked around for an escape; I spotted a narrow side street between two houses and quickly made my way down it.

My breath came sharp and shallow; I knew he was following me, I could hear those heavy foot falls from somewhere behind me. The side streets were like a maze; they twisted and turned somehow looping back into one another with no clear sense of direction. It was like a whole other city hidden away inside Caprii; I soon found myself lost and afraid. I stumbled blindly down every turn I found, praying I would find my way back to somewhere familiar; as it would have it luck seemed to be against me.

I stumbled out of the maze only to find myself gazing out over the ocean and the reef; the shallow waters surface ablaze with glowing corals and fish. Painting a serine view that contrasted the chaos behind me. I was back out on the streets now, one of the ones that followed the curve of the cliffs that defined the edges of the island. I looked up and down the street, looking for someone or something to take sanctuary with. I saw nothing, not a soul and nowhere to hide.

“Just like you filth to turn tail and flee like the cowardly vermin you are." I turned on my heel; the Man stood there at the exit of the narrow alley I'd come from. The rain began to pour down now, heavier and heavier with thunder booming high above.

“Who are you...?" I asked as I backed away slowly; he didn't move, he just stood there slightly hunched over; staring from the shadows.

“I am the one whom shall purge the Advent from the world, I am the one who will reclaim the lands rightfully meant for man; I alone will usher in the Eden the Gods envisioned before your kind polluted it with your presence." He raised an arm slowly as he spoke; something began to form in the air before his hand, a bright ball of dark red flame.

“The gods intended the Advent to serve their greatest creation; Man, they made the mistake of allowing you filth free will. I shall right there mistake one soulless Advent scum at a time till the world is washed clean of your existence." I stumbled back further, coming to a stop against the stone railing at the edge of the street. The air began to scream around the growing ball of fire as it turned faster and grew brighter.

“Your history, your relics, your culture; All of it is a mistake, a vile affront to the purpose the Gods intended for you." I braced myself; claws gripping the short stone wall behind me tightly, readying myself to jump. I'd rather die of my own accord then be murdered by some sonorous madman.

“Be still, bow and accept your true place, be spared so we; The Sanguine Circle, may cleanse you of free will, cleanse you so you can assume your rightful purpose as the Gods intended." The ball in his palm now pulsed, it yearned to be released; I felt my lips peeling back, I heard myself snarling defiantly. I'd only just been given my freedom; no one would ever take it from me again.

“Fuck you!" I growled as I turned, vaulting the railing and the ledge beyond it, I hadn't actually looked over the edge until now. I gulped as I realised just how high up I was, the rocks below were a welcoming sight, I'd die quickly; at least I wouldn't suffer.

“Perish!" with that there was a thunderous boom, I felt searing heat against my body as the fireball detonated and sent me flying. I was flung well out and over the rocks below with a sharp screech; I now rushed toward the water. Deep in the back of my head I prayed there was something sharp or solid just under the water, something that would make quick and painless work of me. But all I could see was the moonlit darkness of the water below; somehow I managed to flip myself over so I faced the sky. My body curling up into a ball like shape as I took one last breath.

The water was freezing but deep, there was no sharp rocks, no coral no anything; the biting cold of the water and the agony that issued from my arm once again forced the breath from me. Desperately I thrashed and kicked; the sad thing was, no one had ever taught me to swim; my father's farm had been on the bank of a river yet I had never learned. My fingers broke the surface just barely as my lungs began to burn. The fire high above me was the only thing I could see; bubbles escaped from my jaws as I fought desperately. Darkness began to gnaw pleasantly at the corners of my eyes; I felt tired and heavy and I didn't even realise that I was already drowning until the bubbles stopped.

The last thing I saw as I hung there suspended calmly in the water was a blurry silhouette; something with huge wings and a long tail looming over me. I witnessed something break the water's surface and I felt my waist grasped tightly ; with that; I surrendered contently to the darkness.

Chapter Eleven: Snake Eyes

The sound of muffled voices was all I could hear, my mind consumed with boredom and irritation; here I was confined to my room like some grounded child. An analogy that was rather apt as I was indeed grounded, stuck here underground in the most bland capital city in the world. The attacks on Siricuse last week had sent all the Advent Sovereigns scurrying in panic and outrage. Perhaps most irritating however was the fact that I had lost not one, but three of my servants, including my most recently acquired one. Sure the trip to Ludos hadn't been planned but it had been quite profitable in my personal opinion.

Now I was stuck in my chambers and with nary a soul for companionship or entertainment, unless you count the lecturing of some old scholar who currently dissected a human brain before me. Again all I heard was muffled words that did little more than cement my boredom further and further. I eventually became agitated enough to shoo the poor old fool away and demand not to be bothered at all.

I tried my best to sleep, but with no breaze or airflow I just felt stuffy and uncomfortable, and when ones body is at minimum twenty to thirty feet long, stuffy becomes a mild problem. Unfortunately for me, my Mother had placed HiskVipers outside my room to keep me from leaving. I could hear them muttering away about mundane things that I had little interest in as I stared at the ceiling.

“Why are we standing guard here again?" one of them mumbled, I wasn't even allowed to have guests of my own request, part of the reason I avoided my home country so drastically, my Mother was a control freak.

“Because the Queen said to, the Prince isn't to leave his chambers under any circumstances." the second voice was a far more familiar one, Luus I think his name is, scrawny but good at chess and various other games of the likes.

“And just what are we going to do if he decides he wants to leave? He's like five times our size…nigh he could eat us if he wanted…" the first voice replied, obviously nervous, a new recruit most definitely.

“True, he could easily overpower the two of us, he is a SeaViper, our venom would be useless against him… aren't you glad murder and cannibalism are illegal hm?" Luus said with a condescending and almost insulting tone. The mutterings stopped after that but he wasn't wrong I could quite easily overpower the two of them, and with my ever increasing discomfort and boredom that's exactly what I did.

It didn't take much, one loop around the neck for each and no longer than a few seconds of pressure and the two of them were unconscious but unharmed. I left both of them on my bed in a compromising position just for amusement before I slithered away. For someone of my size and weight I always needed to restrain myself when it came to physical contact of any sort. I was a constrictor, just like any wild boa or python; though I was born of the sea, hatched in the shallows of a quiet beach, thus my colours and features.

One would think the Prince of his own nation would be easy to spot and yet I slithered down the grand and towering halls of Eiriden with nary a second glance from any of the citizens. Eiriden was technically two cities built atop one another. Eiriden was the name of the chasm, it ran deep from the base of Mount Klos, to the base of Mount Shea. Both Mountains were situated quite close to steep cliffside shorelines, hence it made a neat and natural wall of sorts. Dividing the southern, grassy valleys of Mayoran from the thick jungle plateaus of the north.

The chasm had a wide river running along its bottom, caves bored deep through the two mountains liking to the oceans allowed ships to make port safely with no threat of pirate attacks. Eiriden itself was built into the chasm face, as a whole it housed a good eight thousand Naga, all underground. It wasn't flashy or impressive, just efficient and smooth, all natural insulated and able to withstand any assault.

I however, hated it, there was no colour, no greenery, no passion. No, Ciseros was where all the passion had been poured into, Eiridens top layer. Slithering up ramp after ramp, bridge after bridge I finally reached that sprawling myriad of baked clay houses, painted in bright warm colours and bathed in sharp scents.

Ciseros was mainly an Ezala Khal'n settlement. The roads were worn sand, streets were narrow and winding, following the natural grain of the land with huge ashen fig trees providing shade here and there. Vines and creeping plants brough crisp greens to break up the chalk colours as did vibrant cloth market stalls.

Here people swiftly took notice of me as I slithered slow and leisurely down the winding streets, but even then I was lost more so in my own thoughts rather than basking in the liveliness of Ciseros. My thoughts over the last week had been consistent, rousing me from sleep or keeping me from it all together. I wanted simply to know my servants were alive, safe and well, wherever they may be, Kaiber in particular.

I left Ciseros behind after a good and leisurely while, making my way off into the dense and humid undergrowth of the jungle. I was headed to High Tower, to find Bastille and Tahl; as I heard the two where now living together. My mother wasn't going to be pleased about my absence but she wouldn't pursue me, she knew I would go to Bastille and that I would be safe there.

High Tower; and the small settlement of Kos just nearby, are Mayoran's premier military installation, a training ground and barracks for Ezala Khal and Naga alike. A times ago we wouldn't have needed an army, but now with our peoples trust toward human kind so corroded, we had little choice.

The settlement was that of a fort like structure, built atop a sprawling set of clustered plateaus. I slithered in the main gate with a calm smile. The smell of molten steel, treated leather and reptilian musk was thick in the air. The sound of metal clanging against metal, the shouting of instructions and the twangs of bowstrings. Even High Tower was more lively and interesting than Eiriden.

The fort structures and walls were all clay and stone, with huts and whatnot all neatly arranged as lodgings for the soldiers, the village was past the fort itself and more of the same. Creeping greenery, chalk paints, cloth, vibrant and lively, the typical Ezala Khal'n culture. I quietly found my way to the commanders lodgings, most of the soldiers were relaxed and polite, passing me by with waves and smiles, a bow or two.

The commander was inside the main fort building, a neat and tidy room lit with candles where a grey-blue almost ashy coloured Ezala Khal sat at a desk. Hands at his temples, head slung over a mountain of paperwork, and the sweet scent of juice permeating from his mug.

“If you're bringing me more paperwork you can go right back to whoever sent you and tell them to…" He cut himself off mid sentence as he looked up, his coppery eyes blinked slowly a few times before realising who I was. He immediately bolted upright and at attention, with a gulp.

“Prince Virgil!...f-forgive me for my absent mindedness I didn't know it was you…" he stuttered hastily, another thing I hated about being a Prince, people were always terrified to me.

“Relax Claudius, is Bastille around?" I asked, watching as his posture slackened with fatigue; his eyes had shadows hanging from them, ears droopy. He'd been overworking himself, that much was clear.

“Oh. Bastille? Um I believe hes at the archery yard training a new squad of Arbalastires, sir." he said in reply, seeming momentarily surprised that I knew his name. I took a brief glance at some of the paperwork strewn over his desk. Acquisition requests, stock lists of grain and provisions, orders of dark Iron and other metals, all a mess.

“Hmm, I'll have a messenger track down Alon, he'll get this mess in order whilst you sleep" I stated, Claudius rose a hand to protest or interject but he swiftly abandoned it, proceeding to nod instead.

“I...Yes Sir, thank you Sir." he said and with that marched slowly up the stairs to his chambers, his tail dragging behind him as he went. I flagged a messenger down quickly, it wasn't that hard, Military posts were required to have a staff of messengers on site at all times. After that was done I made my way through the fort grounds to the archery yard.

I kept to the shade of the open hall that followed along one side of the yard, watching Bastille from a respectable distance. He stood ridged, not formal but military, barking instructions to a group of untrained Ezala Khal. I recognised one or two of them but almost all struggled to pull back the sting of the heavy Arbalests; the warhammer of crossbows so to speak, range meets power with the affordability of mass production.

Bastille and I had been best of friends for years, our eggs had both been lain and hatched in the same year, though he was older by several weeks. He'd been born on the Khora islands, the last “free" tribe of Ezala Khal at the time, free no more of course. The rest of the world, despite our laws, Slavery to them such a word was associated with cruelty, abuse, neglect, but here it meant something entirely different. Here slavery meant an education, a job, three warm meals a day and a roof over your head, all for the price of freedom. A deal that a hundred people in any city of Mirodel would take in a heartbeat for the food alone.

Even we as the owners had rules we had to uphold, duty of care, no we couldn't beat or neglect our slaves. Any stumbles or miss steps were taken care off through a strict system. Those that broke the laws were sent to the mines for a week, stripped of all their comforts and privileges, it was effective if harsh. Public execution swiftly snuffed out any of the repeat offenders, though thankfully those were scarce.

I found my mind and thoughts wandering once more as I sat there upon my own coils watching Bastille. I was more consumed with the disappearance of Mathias and Neil now, Mathias had always been jealous and spiteful. No doubt he had snatched Neil up and absconded to some far corner to live “free" or some such. They would both be put to death if they ever returned, a royal pardon would save them, luckily they had my good favor or at least Neil did.

“Sir?" came a voice, breaking my trailing thoughts, Bastille stood before me now, done with his drills and instructing.

“Aren't you supposed to be confined to your chambers Sir?" he added, I blinked down at him a few times before letting out a sigh.

“Pft, yeah right, like that would ever last, I can't stand Eriden." I replied a little blandly. I didn't want to think about these sorts of things anymore, I wanted to have fun and relax.

“I'm sure you're mother is simply concerned for your safety Sir" Bastille yawned, his many chipped teeth showing clearly. He'd been through a lot, the both of us had, as children we we're the sort to wander. I couldn't count the amount of times me and Bastille had gotten lost in the jungle, I knew it was at least in the dozens.

“I'm perfectly capable of defending myself, I don't need to be grounded like an infant…" I replied, hissing slightly, irritated.

“Why don't you stay with me and Tahl tonight then Sir, i'm sure he will be ecstatic to see you again" He replied after a pause, cheerful smiling.

“That sounds rather nice to be honest, I heard you two are thinking about being mated?" I asked with a raised brow as we both started for the fort entrance slowly.

“Heh, we're getting our horn rings forged by Zalin as we speak, we both spent all week working and saving just to commission them" he said, his eyes bright and a spring in his step. Marriage, something I had never really thought about myself, I wasn't the type to commit to just one person.

“Have you heard from Logan or Luca at all?" I asked after giving his ear a scratch or two. I was happy for Bastille, finding true love isn't easy.

“Oh, last I heard they both work in a brothel all the way up in Osios, apparently they're making quite a nice profit" that statement surprised me, then again Logan and Luca both had an eye for fashion and showmanship, so becoming performers in a brothel wasn't all that surprising actually.

“And what of Briar? How is he doing?" I hadn't been able to keep tabs on all my servants since coming back home, Mother hadn't even let me receive messages or letters from them.

“He's been helpinging out at the Library in Ciseros as far as I know Sir" Bastille said with another yawn.

“You sound tired, and stop calling me Sir, you know you don't have to" he was about to reply but before he could a sunny yellow and brown Ezala Khal wearing a postal messengers uniform darted up to us. He looked exhausted, panting heavily and doubled over reking of sweat.

“Thank the lords I finally found you Sire… I've been trying to deliver this letter for the last few days, but the palace guards wouldn't let me in… please forgive me." he said through labored pants, digging into his small leather satchel to fish out an envelope.

“All's forgiven, go and rest now, drink and eat." I commanded as I took the letter, the poor messenger slumped and dawdled off, dragging his tail behind him with a polite thank you.

I rose a brow as I inspected the wax seal on the letter, it as black, bearing the sigil of the Black church of Rigel. Puzzled I swiftly opened it, straightening out the parchment inside and scanning over the cursive text. My eyes slowly widened, a smile forming on my scaled lips.

“Bastille, find Simone, get a crew together, I'm going to Rigel" I said, hints of excitement and relief in my voice.

“What's the letter say?" Bastille said looking up at me confused, I knew I wasn't allowed to leave the country, my Mother wouldn't allow it but I didn't care.

“Kaibers alive~"

Chapter twelve: The Breath Before the War

I was stuck in that moment, the water all around, cool and comforting. The lights high above me twinkling and dancing blurrily across the surface. Lungs heavy, empty of air but no longer burning, weightless as I just hung there. My head felt all fuzzy and numb, darkness just softly laying around the corners of my vision. That one moment, it just seemed to stretch on forever, peaceful, final, pleasant. Even though I could hear voices just behind me, or beside me, sharp and clear.

“He's in an unstable condition Sir, the Vestals got most of the shrapnel from his shoulder, but they say there's still some embedded, and dangerously close to his lung…"

I knew I was in hospital somewhere, I remember being pulled from the water by something, or someone, I remembered the attack, the Man. The lights dancing above me mimicked his hooded face, firelit and all, I couldn't tear my eyes away, I couldn't move, I as forced to stare up at it.

“We need a respirator! Quickly his lung has collapsed…"

Did I even want to be saved? Hanging here in this moment, whatever it was, was pleasant, I had nothing to live for anyways. My childhood had been torn from me, my family had sold me, my mind broken and body belted. I'd had the briefest of hopes when Virgil had saved me, I thought that was the beginning of a better life.

“He's going into shock!"

I didn't care anymore, I just wanted to die, I wanted it to all go away, everything, everyone, life had been nothing but cruel to me. Giving me a taste of freedom only to snatch it away was perhaps the cruelest thing of all.

“Nothing to live for hm? You don't actually believe that do you?~" came a new voice, direct and melodious, warm and calming. It came from behind me, I tried to look over my shoulder, but all I could manage was a slight tilt.

“Why do you sit here, in this moment, this memory, this prison? You can't decide if you want to die or live?" That voice, it seeped into my ears, bringing warmth with it, and motion, I felt my ears move slowly through the water, my fingers and tail twitch.

“My uncle chose you to be his acolyte, t'would be rude of me to usher your soul off to my warren early~" I felt something on my shoulder, a hand, but it was too soft, like silk, suddenly warmth pulsed violently throughout my body. The water seemed to part, and with a squeak I fumbled for something to hold before I fell sharply a foot or two. I landed hard on a sandy damp surface, uneven and smooth, I blinked rapidly a few times, I tried to breath but I couldn't suck anything in.

“Then again I cannot ignore pain, and you my dear Kaiber are full of it~" I suddenly realised I lay belly up at the foot of a short figure, a rabbit?

I blinked again, was I just hallucinating? Dieing? This couldn't be real yet here he was, plain as day. I gasped coarsely as I sat up and looked around, I was on the ocean floor, the water pushed back somehow to form a hollow dome. I stood, I felt light headed, something in my chest stung and kept me from gaining breath as I turned to meet this figure.

He was short, around my height, a rabbit, nude yet there was nothing actually there, his fur was an unsettling black that seemed to wither like smoke. His ear tips and tail where icy white as was his paws. Though most unsettling of all were the blood red eyes, void of pupil and feature. He seemed to crackle, embers and smoke wafted thickly from him as if he was the death of a fire.

“W-who are you?" I finally managed to croak, his reply didn't come instantly, he seemed to just stand there for the longest time, looking around before coming back to me.

“My name is Inle,what you Advent would call, the specter of Death~" he said, his voice was alarmingly disconnected, his jaw moved but the words seemed to have a delay.

“A-a-am I dead?" I choked out, taking a step back, he took a step forward, moving fluidly up to me, till my nose filled with the smell of woodsmoke. I watched as his writhing fur moved weightlessly with his motions, occasionally revealing bone, icey white and intricately carved.

“Not yet, but you're close to death, I can sense it. You want to let go but you want to fight, you're torn by your pain~" he said, there was no breath from him, just words, but his presence was calming, warm and oddly enough, friendly.

“I… I don't understand…" I said, finally finding my voice, my lungs still felt heavy and full, and now cold with that stinging, stabbing sensation.

“You have so much pain, so much anger, built up inside, you can't think clearly, so much so that instead of fighting for your life, you've trapped yourself here in your head~" He wasn't wrong, even over these last several weeks, every training lesson with Bastille ad been fueled with anger, pain. Every night spent with Thal had been full of pain, those two nights with Seht, though drunk had been fueled again by anger, the only breaks from that had been the wonder and excitement of Caprii and my studying with Virgil.

“...I don't know how to get rid of it…" I said, wincing as that pain in my chest grew, I could taste blood now, sugary yet bitter, like hard candy.

“You need to let go, you can't change the past Kaiber, but the past can ruin you if you hold onto it to long~" He stepped away from me now, walking of to the side, looking around as if he was seeing a different environment then the one I saw. I went to speak but agony shot through my chest and my breath vanished, becoming shallow and difficult.

“The world has life, Valor, Justice and Change, but it needs to learn Patience, something you know all too well~" again I tried to speak but the pain forced me to my knees, blood flooding my jaws and nose now, I was drowning in it. The warm and pleasant darkness began to gently consume my vision as I felt my strength failing me, I didn't want to die.

“It's not your time, Kaiber. Know that I await you patiently, but it is up to you whether you wish to see your tomorrows and what they hold~" With that I felt his paw upon my chest, his arm and head having somehow protruded from the ground under me, like vapor or mist, I gritted my teeth and managed to growl definitely before a brutal pulse sent me flying upward, back into the suspended water, back up toward the flames, the lights.

“Let. Go." those words rung faintly in my ears as my eyes flew open, my jaws slackened drawing in a sharp breath as I jolted awake with a cry. It hurt to breathe but it felt good, I could feel the warmth of my own body, though numb and aching. Everything was blurry for a few moments, voices and sounds, sounded distant and muffled.

Slowly it all came back to me, I lay in a simple bed, thin white sheets draped over me, with curtains to match surrounding me, the ceiling above was plain grey stone but there was an open window from which crisp sunlight poured through. I could hear birds chirping nearby, light chatter and some footsteps on stone, my nose picked up the aroma of horses and hay. Breathing slowly became easier, my body felt heavy and stiff from rest. My shoulder still aches softly but other than that I was alive. I sat there, just breathing, listening, smelling, thinking, thinking about Seht and Virgil, Bastille and Tahl, my friends.

Eventual I collapse back in the bed and stared up at the sunlight, watching the dust float gently through it with the wind, I smiled softly and closed my eyes with a relieved sigh.

Epilogue

A tall regal looking gentleman clad in plain red cloth, the fashion that of a toga top, paired with a heavier, almost armoured pair of pants, bearing black and silver markings strode confidently across one of the small garden courtyards of the grand cathedral ward. He bellowed for an older man in similar robes to wait for him.

“Minister Falath!" the man said with boisterous tones, the older gentleman turning and smiling to the man.

“Jordas, greetings, how are you?" the Minister said, his voice old and wise, the two gentlemen began to walk together in the shade of the flying buttresses and roofed pathways.

“Wonderful, thought concerned, i heard about the attack on Siricuse, have you heard from Queen Roasia?" Jordas asked, tucking a scroll under his arm and lighting a pipe which he offered to the Minister.

“No, she's called a council, we're awaiting invitation…" the Minister said with heavy tones as he took the pipe, giving it a few puffs as the two men rounded a corner and came to stop by a more open courtyard, lush and lavish with stone paths and green grass. Sitting upon a stone bench the Minister observed the Vermian whom had only recently awoken from hospital.

“So, he's awake, what now?" Jordas asked, as he took a knee on a similar bench and rested his folded arms upon it.

“I had a message sent to the Prince some week ago" the Minister replied, watching the reptile eat slowly, wincing now and then as he lifted the soup spoon to his muzzle.

“You think that's wise Minister, with the attack?" Jordas said, questioningly, the Minister looked to the man, turning to face him properly and dawning a serious look.

“Everyone knows war is on the horizon Jordas, if we as a race want to mend trust with the advent, we need to do all we can. The Prince will be staying here for some time after his arrival, the Queen as asked us to keep eyes on him." Minister Falath may have looked like some old feeble man but under those robes was the sacred body of a well traveled knight, his mind was that of the same.

“Speaking of visitors, Roderick has returned" Jordas said, breaking the silence after a moment, before nodding past the Minister, to the tall and broad man who approached.

“If you'll excuse me Minister, I'm due to meet with L'ies-Aral, good day, Minister, Roderick." Jordas added a moment later, before merrily marching off across the courtyard, toward the stables. Roderic was a knight, aged and gruff, a broad shouldered man with the body of a mountain, all clad in Black Church armour. Heavy plate metal, chainmail and leather with vibrant cloth and silks breaking up the draber colours.

“Minister! Greetings!" the knight bellowed, his voice valorous and loud, the Minister let out a huff as Roderic approached.

“Sir Roderic, I trust your trip to Aldoran was pleasant." Falath said, turning back to the grassy courtyard, surveying it keenly.

“Please, it's a cesspit, and unfortunately, we couldn't find any information on our person of interest, we couldn't even locate the family, the farm they lived in was just a smouldering pit of ash." the Knight answered, as he rolled his head, a loud crunching coming from him as bones crackled.

“That's of no matter now, we're more important issues to attend to…" Monister Falath said, the Knight's eyes lighting up with fire.

“Has there been word on Idrils killer? Have we found his location?" Roderic blurted out eagerly, his voice quivered with rage, just barely kept in check, the Minister sighed.

“Our Vestals in the capital of Dragonholme have spotted him…" He said, knowing all to well that Roderic would demand to be sent after the murderer.

“You have to send me with the Executioners! Please!" he bellowed desperately, fists clenching in his leather gauntlets.

“No! The high council wants you here" Faltah watched as the Knights face twisted into irritation, rage bubbling just under the surface as he punched a nearby pillar of stone, cursing in the crude dialect of the north.

“You are a Knight Roderic, not an assassin, not an executioner, you'd lose your Mark of Valor for pursuing vengeance. The council wants you here, to train your new Squire.." the Minister added, The Knight straightened somewhat with those words.

“Brandon?" he asked, once again the Knights face fell as the Minister notioned toward the Lizard off in the courtyard.

“You can't be serious!" Roderic growled, quite clearly beyond irritated, but there was nothing that could be done, the ministers hands were tied.

“The High Minister Orders it, my hands are tied Roderic… I know you don't like them, but they are our allies, which means we have to tolerate things we don't like." Roderic rubbed his temples slowly, as he stared at the ground, muttering under his breath once more in the crude northern language.

“Why me?" he asked with a sigh, looking up at the Minister once again, though his mind was already working, planning.

“Because you're our most renown Knight, you won't have to train him long, the Prince will be arriving within the week…" Minister Falath stated, turning to the Knight for a moment, the old man knew well what It was to be a young Knight in their prime, not wethered by war.

“Grin and bear it Roderic, things are going to get a lot messier soon, we cannot afford to lose favor with our allies." with that Falath strode off, leaving the Knight standing there, staring empty at the Lizard, thinking.