[The Slave Market] A New Home (Sevris)

[Cassidy Finch]

78th Summer, 512 Here we go again... Velvet brooded to herself as a thug of a man led her through the throng of people. Though the man had her wrists tied together by a sturdy rope whose end he held curled around one fist, he apparently felt it necessary to keep a firm grip on her upper right arm. It wasn't like she would run away; she could barely walk the distance from where she had been kept for the past few days to the market. Though Velvet was very displeased with all of this, she managed to keep her emotions from playing out on her face. To an onlooker, she would appear to be as docile as most slaves, albeit a little worse for wear. The young woman had tidied herself up as well as she could in the poor conditions she had been afforded, kept with several other slaves in a small cell. Thankfully, she and the other slaves had been provided with a washbasin to aid in cleaning up. Though the water was murky and tepid, she had eagerly used it to cleanse some of the filth from her skin. Her blonde hair, once matted with dirt and sweat, now hung down to her shoulders. It felt good not to feel that slick coating of grime that she had become accustomed to over the past few months. Velvet had been tempted to forgo the cleaning, but she knew that would only earn her a beating and possibly postpone her trip to the market, forcing her to stay another night in the filthy pen where she had been kept. Instead, she felt that it was better to just do as she was required and continue from there. Eventually, Velvet's keeper led her to a pole embedded in the floor of the market. He roughly shoved her up against it--like an animal, she thought with bitterness--and untied her wrists. Knowing it would be futile and foolish to struggle, she just bore the treatment and allowed a pair of manacles that were chained to the pole to be clamped onto her wrists. They held her arms at an odd angle, forcing them a bit higher than was strictly necessary. Velvet squirmed a bit to get marginally comfortable as her stoic keeper waited near her, arms folded menacingly across his chest. Waiting for a buyer, she thought. If she looked as terrible as she felt, Velvet knew they would be waiting for quite a while. Months of being held in a cramped cage had left her scrawny and weak, her cheeks drawn in a little as a sign of poor treatment and long days with little food. Despite this she still looked healthy enough to be able to work. She had been in excellent condition before she had been sold off and sent to Ravok, and she kept a small bit of that with her even still. The same could not be said for her clothing, however. The plain dress she wore was ragged and torn in a dozen places with patches sewn in several places. Had she been able to scrounge up the spare cloth, she would have been able to patch it up decently; unfortunately, she had only managed to slip a few bits of cloth away when she had mended her master's clothing. That left her with small holes in her dress everywhere from knee-level down to mid-calf. The dress had originally been floor-length, but she had over the years worn it down or used bits and pieces of it for various tasks or patching that required immediate attention. Velvet evaluated herself for a few more moments, wishing she'd thought to tie her hair back in a ponytail with a scrap of her dress or something. It was getting in her face and keeping her from clearly seeing the activity around her. With a sigh, she leaned against the pole and closed her eyes; the young woman had been up most of the night getting the tangles out of her hair. Even with the help of water it had been difficult to coax all the knots into something resembling straight hair. Velvet's eyes snapped open as she was jerked upright and out of her leaning position on the pole. The man had a hand around her arm and there was a harsh glare on his face as he released her, his warning clear. With a tiny sigh, Velvet stood patiently and waited.

[Sevris]

It wasn't exactly one of those days that made you feel as if you were alive. But it was a good enough day for Sevris to go outside and look for something to pique his interest. He had to take a break from the constant fighting he was doing against other Apprentices in Ebonstryfe. Though undefeated, it did not come without a price. A good day off is what he needed, this day would have to do.

He found himself in the market. People moving aside as they noticed who he was and who he was affiliated with. Sevris had gotten used to the treatment. Being a Lazarin was with its privileges, but also disadvantages. His eyes were looking around back and forward, after eating earlier he wasn't exactly looking for something to eat.

But something did pick up his attention. A woman who had been hoisted up for all to see, being mishandled by her handler. A slave obviously, but she was young and she was very pretty. He saw past all the grime and messiness of her attire. As all slaves usually look like, but a smarter person would have had them cleaned up and looking healthy.

People want a healthy investment. A slave is always an investment, and Sevris had a knack for looking into the right investments. He made his way towards them. Approaching the girl where she was held up by a pole. He had only been wearing a simple tunic, but recognition hinted into the eyes of her handler. "Remove her from her chains, for 30 GM, I'll have her." He removed a rather medium sized bag of gold mizas, proving he meant it.

[Cassidy Finch]

That was fast, Velvet thought as her keeper and the new man spoke. It had only been a few minutes since she had been chained, and she had been expecting to spend most of the day attached to this pole. Instead, it appeared as if she would be well away from it very soon. Don't get ahead of yourself, she admonished herself internally as she watched the exchange. Oddly, her handler looked a little worried. He kept glancing at the man like he was a dangerous animal. Despite this, his merchant's instincts compelled him to bargain with the big man. "Only thirty? Sir, this is a prime specimen! Surely forty would be a fairer price?" he said, his voice taking on a wheedling tone. Velvet couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes, she wasn't even worth thirty, most likely. The man was pushing his luck. Fortunately, it appeared as if her keeper did not notice Velvet's lapse. He kept his eyes on her potential buyer with a kind of worried intensity. While businessmen spoke, Velvet examined the new man. He was a big and obviously well-muscled, signs of being a fighter. That he had such money to throw around for a slave that wasn't worth much at all was an indication that he was very well-off, and Velvet was not sure whether that boded ill for her or not. From the stories she had heard, the young woman could easily believe that the man had some kind of evil purpose in store for her. Once, she'd heard that shopkeepers in Ravok strung up young children in their shops for decoration. If that were true, she shuddered to think of what this man was capable of. Again, Velvet admonished herself for her silliness. Surely this man wouldn't pay so much just to kill her. She sometimes wished that she were dead, but almost immediately realized that dying a slave would be a final defeat. Velvet could be a slave, but as long as she wasn't dead she still had a chance at freedom. The very thought stirred something in her and cracked her facade of docility that she kept up whenever anyone else was around. Her face twitched into a sneer and her right fist clenched for a moment before she could remember herself and quickly erase the expression from her face. What a fool she was, to show that kind of defiance now of all times! Hastily she lowered her eyes to the floor and studied her bare, mud-caked feet, praying to no god in particular that no one noticed her behavior.

OOCMy PC looked over yours in the thread, as you can see. Since you didn't have your PC's appearance described in his CS, I just had her notice the most likely things that Ebonstryfe training would suggest. If any of it's wrong, please let me know.

[Sevris]

Sevris smirked as the haggling began. It was always a common thing when haggling to buy something from a buyer. To start lower, that way when they eventually weed upwards to its original price you can probably cut it lower with some persuading. "35 GM take it or leave it." The handler scowled slightly, 35 gold pieces was a lot of cash anyways. It was certainly easier than to have to haggle someone else into buying a slave that wasn't even put on display right.

"Fine," the handler thought it was a good deal without pushing his luck, and so they made their transaction. He took the money and unshackled the girl, he was all that careful with her either. Which was starting to annoy Sevris, "Do be careful with my slave."

A simple request, but such a request could be a finely veiled threat. Anything associated with the Black Sun had to many ulterior motives. So he did just that, a forced gentleness was put into effect as he unshackled her from the pole and removed the rope on her straining her hands. The handler guided the young slave off of the platform and in front of Sevris.

He no longer needed anything else from the handler, and stood eying his new bought goods. Up close he still wasn't disappointed with his investment. She looked like she had a little bit of tear, probably overworked, or over-exerted. She'd be taken care of though, so that she could do her duties to Sevris. Looking into her eyes he said, "The name is Sevris Lazarin." Beckoning for her to follow him so that they could walk, he added, "What might yours be, and what can you do well actually. He tried to have an air of calmness between them. There would be different treatment for her, since she should be his personal slave.

[Cassidy Finch]

As she was led towards her new master, Velvet tried not to show her immense relief. It appeared as though he had not noticed her little outburst a few minutes previous and neither had her handler. He had even ordered her keeper not to be too rough with her; most likely because he didn't want her damaged, but it was still nice not to be manhandled for once. She was even more surprised when he had her fully unfettered. Most people would tie or chain her to them in some way so she could not escape in such a crowded place. Then again, Velvet was very much aware of her current weakness and her new master's large frame. With that in mind, the young slave had no thoughts of escape in her current state, tantalizing though it was to think of freedom. There would be another time to get away, she was sure. Velvet had not been branded by any of her previous masters, instead having had a collar affixed to her neck so she could be freely traded if need be. This meant that she would be much more easily able to escape, as opposed to the many difficulties she would face if she had to hide some symbol of ownership on her person. "The name is Sevris Lazarin. What might yours be, and what can you do well?" The man said to her as he gestured for her to follow him. She fell into step behind and slightly to the side of her master and her tension began to return. This man really wasn't safe to be around; the handler, a big man who seemed to have very little to fear, had looked more like a cowering slave than a free man as they spoke. Who knew what he could do to her? Velvet figured it didn't matter for now as she answered him in a docile tone, "I am Velvet, master." It was not until she spoke that she realized that she had used the nickname her previous master had forced upon her and not her given name. Well, it's too late to fix it, now, the young woman thought with a sigh. Quickly, Velvet picked up with her answer as she realized she had stopped speaking for a good five seconds. "I can...cook, clean, mend your clothes, and tend your garden," She said, hesitating a bit before the list came to memory. Velvet had been trained to answer that question promptly, but she had been so lost in her thoughts that it took her a moment to remember. Fortunately, she had at least remembered to neglect mentioning some of her more useless and unpleasant skills. As she followed along behind Sevris, she waited tensely for his response.

[Sevris]

They made their through the market, he had a destination in mind immediately after they began walking. But he heard what his new slave had to say. Cooking and keeping the place clean, and mending clothes. Sounded good enough to him, but he would have to work on some things as well. "Well Velvet, those are some nice skills to have. I would like to improve on those skills, but I would also like to work on some other things as well."

Turning the corner he lead her down the busy pathway. "You will be my personal slave. Meaning you will be attending to me till I release you. You are able to have some liberties, as long as your duties to me are taken care of. But first..." they stopped in front of a clothing stand, a man was selling nice looking clothes for reasonable prices.

A place where Sevris heard the deals were rather nice for Ebonstryfe. But he wasn't hear to buy something for himself, but rather for Velvet. "...we have to get you out of those clothes. They're beginning to become an eye sore." He bought her an average quality dress, white in color, for whenever she went out and cotton clothing to replace her shirt and pants. He handed the clothes for her to hold.

"Don't worry your going to make up for this, with a meal tonight." He winked at her and began making their way out of the market. "For now you'll be staying with me in my apartment. Whenever I do leave the city on Ebonstryfe business you will come with me. I will teach you how to fend for yourself another time. Being a slave doesn't mean you have to be extremely dull."

[Cassidy Finch]

"Well, Velvet, those are some nice skills to have. I would like to improve on those skills, but I would also like to work on some other things as well." Despite herself, Velvet was curious of what Sevris meant. Usually she was ordered to do what she already knew how to do, never to learn new things. This interested her, and she smiled a bit at the thought. Even if she was just a slave, she definitely enjoyed making herself better than she was; it gave her a better chance at finding some way to find freedom. Shaking herself out of her thoughts, the young woman weaved through the crowds after her master as he spoke, "You will be my personal slave, meaning you will be attending to me till I release you. You are able to have some liberties, as long as your duties to me are taken care of. But first..." He trailed off as they approached a clothing stand and he began looking through the clothes to find something. It wasn't uncommon for a master to want his slaves well-dressed, and one as apparently well-off as Sevris could afford it. "...we have to get you out of those clothes. They're beginning to become an eye sore." Sevris continued on, paying the merchant the price for a rather pretty dress and a shirt and trouser set. Velvet eyed the clothes with a smile as he handed them to her. As much as she hated to admit it, the man did have some sense when it came to buying clothes. The ones she had were not ornate or otherwise gaudy, but they were serviceable and in good condition, not to mention fairly pretty. A large step up from her patched and ragged dress. For no apparent reason the man added as they walked away, "Don't worry, you're going to make up for this, with a meal tonight." Then he winked at her, of all things! Her smile faded into an expression of vague confusion as she nodded dumbly. This confusion quickly fizzled away into worry and fear as Sevris said, "For now you'll be staying with me in my apartment. Whenever I do leave the city on Ebonstryfe business you will come with me. I will teach you how to fend for yourself another time. Being a slave doesn't mean you have to be extremely dull." At the mention of having to stay with the man, Velvet tensed up a little. That could of course mean he simply didn't have a full home, implying that he was not as wealthy as she had thought, or that he expected her to share his bed at night. She dearly hoped it was the former. Of course, even this worry could not compare to hearing that this man was a member of the Ebonstryfe! Her face went pale and she nearly dropped her new clothes as she stammered, "E-ebonstryfe?" Velvet had heard tales of the Ebonstryfe that made stories of Ravok itself seem tame by comparison. They were cruel, vicious murderers, and one now owned her!

[Sevris]

It really wasn't uncommon. For people to react in some sort of way upon hearing he was Ebonstryfe. Apart of an organization that is heavily protected by a powerful god. None other than Rhysol himself. Most of his families slaves were famously known throughout Ravok, unfortunately for an infamous reason. The Lazarin are usually very harsh to their slaves, having spread this common knowledge the slaves are treated with much respect, and are feared.

So Sevris wasn't all that surprised to see Velvet to stagger a bit over that type of information and exclaim fearfully upon hearing where his allegiance lied. It usually never boded well. The Apprentice lead his new acquaintance towards a bench that stood near the lake. He motioned for her to sit, but he would stand because he started to speak, "It is in my blood, to kill, to maim, to destroy. To give all my faith and devotion, to our true god and protector of this city. But our actions are well rewarded. So if you were to earn you freedom, what would you do with it?" His hands behind his back, eager to hear what she had say.

[Cassidy Finch]

While Velvet was still reeling from Sevris' revelation, her master turned his back on her and beckoned for her to follow him. By this time, Velvet's vague thoughts of escape had become very intricate--and obviously faulty--plans to get away from the dangerous man that now had possession of her. Fortunately, Velvet's better judgement convinced her to simply follow the man in a shocked silence. He led her to a nearby bench overlooking the Lake Ravok and gestured for her to sit down, which she did. Ordinarily this might have been considered unusual, her sitting while her master stood, but at the moment she was far too frightened and agitated to process that. All she knew was that she very much did not want to make this man angry if he were capable of half the things that were said about the Ebonstryfe. "It is in my blood to kill, to maim, to destroy; To give all my faith and devotion to our true god and protector of this city." Sevris began, his hands clasped behind his back as he watched her, "But our actions are well rewarded. So, if you were to earn your freedom, what would you do with it?" The whole time her master had been speaking, Velvet had grown more and more uncomfortable. All this talk of killing and death had her even more on edge as usual. Especially the mention of his god... Upon posing his question however, Velvet was completely taken by surprise. Why should he care what she would do if she were free? The woman opened her mouth to answer, and found herself lacking for words. She had never actually given any thought to exactly what she would do, she just knew it would be better than doing it because she was ordered to. After ten seconds or so of Velvet staring blankly at Sevris with her mouth gaping open like a fool, she spoke hesitantly, "Whatever I wished to, I suppose, master." Though Velvet's voice was meek and humble, the fire in her eyes indicated the passion that the idea held for her.

[Sevris]

"Whatever I wished to, I suppose, master." These were the words Sevris was looking for as he nodded at the answer. What he wanted to accomplish in his life was huge feat at that. He needed to know that if he had someone at his side, that they had just as much motivation to do more as he did.

"So you might get what I'm getting at here. Help me help you, by helping me. If you help me get to where I want to go, freedom is yours if you want it. However by then, you may be wanting to decline."

They were next to a store in which Sevris had steered them too. He went over to the buyer and bought a bedroll. A nice sized one he tied it to his pack so that he could carry it freehand. "This is will be your bed for the moment, do well for me and I'll see that you're better accommodated." He walked back to her and added, "Any questions?" He needed her to understand her position was a bit higher than other slaves. She was moreover a servant. He didn't need a slave. He needed a partner, to help him when all hope was lost.