Closed New Beginnings (Sayana)

[Nephti]

25th Fall 515
The mistress had over-estimated her abilities, again, and had tried to get her to cook breakfast for her. The young girl couldn't refuse her mistress' wishes, and so had struggled to do anything, in the end choosing to cook some eggs. That hadn't gone well, and now the kitchen was covered in shells and spilt yolk, the mistress was still hungry and dissatisfied with her burnt meal and Nephti had to fix that all.

The Eypharian stared at the mess, wondering where to start. Food first, she presumed, as the mistress would only get hungrier and grumpier with time. She had long given up with trying to cook anything decent, so took a knife, some bread and some ham, slicing the two into thin slices and combining them with a little butter, the simplest thing she could think to do. This she quickly piled onto a plate and brought it out to the dining room, where the woman sat talking with her young son, the boy Nephti had been bought to care for.

At the slave's arrival, the woman spun round, glaring at her when noticing the meal. Her heavily made up eyes were hard and cold, but softened when she turned back to her son, who was playing happily with a wooden horse and knight. Nephti kept her head low as she placed the plate down, apologizing for being unable to serve her properly.

"At least pour me some wine, so I can forget your trouble," she sighed, gesturing towards the wine cabinet, from which Nephti pulled out a glass and flask, pouring it steadily. "We'll get you a buyer, soon enough." The girl sighed, knowing what her fate was to be. The cards had told her that she would leave this place, but not how, and because of the threat of her running away, the mistress had decided to sell her. Better lose a slave, especially an incompetent one, than give hope to the others.

But that was exactly what Nephti had been hoping to do. So many lacked faith, and she just wanted to encourage it. The girl herself knew the power of hope, and bore the mark of the goddess herself, but others didn't, and she needed to show them.

Unfortunately, she couldn't run away, and her fate was to be sold.

The slave disappeared into the kitchen again, pulling out her cards to reassure herself. One card was all that was needed. Closing her eyes and concentrating hard, she shuffled, cutting the deck and shifting it until the card that would tell her her future lay on top. Gently, she pulled it out, placing it face up on the worktop. Death.

But death didn't mean death itself, not often. Death meant endings, but also new beginnings. Renewal of a better life. So it would be today she left her mistress, and today she started a new chapter in her story, one better than before. She hoped so. But that was what the cards had said, and so that was what was to happen. She had faith in the cards, just as she had faith in hope.

Cleaning up the eggs was bearable after that. Nephti thought of what new things the end would bring her. It would still be tough, she knew, but maybe better. Maybe she would meet new people. Maybe she would learn new things. Maybe she would one day be able to reach her home again. Nephti didn't rely on maybes though. She relied on hope.

[Sayana]

Motherhood. It was something she had desired so strongly, yet now she was having second thoughts on it. For the first little while it had been a complete delight. The little babe would smile and be curious at all sorts of things. He took well to the breast feeding and loved being taken here and there. Yet the restless nights began to catch up on her. It wasn’t uncommon for Sayana to be woken up once each night, and sometimes even twice. Timothy helped. He helped quite a bit actually, but it still wore on her. And now that her days were filled with work she often returned to the Cubaciuos Inn physically exhausted and in no shape to care for the little Andreas. Of course, it didn’t help that she sometimes had her own excursions but she had to live a little, right?

Last night’s intensive wailing, battering and even biting at her various healing injuries was the last straw. She had to get a caretaker or some sort of nanny. When she went into work at the Crook that morning, Sayana asked around to the various actors as to whether they might have time to look after a baby. Even just some of the time. Most shook their heads but when she pressed further as to if they might know someone who would be willing, a few of them paused to think. One man provided the name ‘Madam Stardust’. Apparently she was born well off and might have a couple of servants working for her.

Sayana mentally noted his directions as to how to find her and waited anxiously to be finished work for the day. At last she was able to track this woman down. After asking for directions a couple of times, the Eypharian found herself face to face with a lady who practically blinded Sayana with the glittering illusions cast she had about herself. It didn’t take long to learn that none of her ‘servants’ were available, however, Madam Stardust did give her another lead. “A dear friend of mine recently got the word out that she’s looking to… ahem, get rid of one of her hired hands. But she sounds pretty desperate. Usually those types aren’t good for business, if you know what I mean. But I can tell you where you could find her.”

Sayana thanked the lady graciously for the information and set off for her new destination. Several blinks later she finally got rid of the dazzling display of light and could actually see the cobblestone pathway clearly. As she made her way through some of the wealthier neighborhoods of Alvadas, it was curious to see how homes looked. Instead of lavish and manicured gardens, there statues that looked impossibly balanced and fountains with the water falling upwards instead of down. One house had trees that were all different colours including pink and pastel blue. Another had a pond with a continuous whirlpool spinning in the middle. And yet another had faces seemingly carved into the various walls and doors, yet whenever she glanced back at them they seemed to change expression.

When she arrived at the gate, the house almost looked normal. Almost. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it but perhaps looking at so many incredible illusions within the city made it harder to pick out the ‘unordinary’ when it was becoming so common. It was certainly through illusions that the wealthy liked to show their status. Frankly, she would much prefer someone at her beck and call fanning her, doing this and that, rubbing her down with lotions… It was only in that moment did she suddenly realize that she was mere steps away from that dream. If she did in fact find someone, they could surely do more than just look after Andreas. She had always wanted something like a personal attendant but her family hadn’t the coin, or more like her father was too stingy on the coin to pay for a proper slave. New excitement lighted her face as she approached the front door in a more regal and graceful manner.

As she knocked on the door, a flock of brightly coloured birds took flight and began chirping away. They wove in and out amongst each other and eventually spelled out the word ‘Welcome’. “Subtle,” Sayana remarked quietly to herself. When the door opened the man who greeted her looked well-dressed but acted in a subservient way. “My name is Sayana and I’m here to make inquiries about a hire, or purchase, be it as it may.” She introduced formally. She was glad of her formal red outfit, despite the fact it was a little revealing. Still, her set of long sleeves covered up some of the cuts on her arms. At her side, as always, were a set of four daggers. Two small throwing daggers and two longer ones.

She was led into a sitting room of sorts and saw a well-dressed woman getting ready for breakfast. Wait, was it morning or was it evening? Sayana hesitated for a moment in confusion but fortunately the lady used the opportunity to greet the Eypharian. “Welcome welcome. You’re here to make a purchase? I think she’s just your type.” Spoke the lady of the house. “Nephti, we have a visitor. Make this young lady comfortable and tell her about the services you provide.”

Sayana took a seat, but when Nephti came into view she was momentarily startled that the slave in question was of her own race. She quickly regained her composure, not wanting to subtly suggest she might go easy on the girl, but certainly eyed her with curiosity and interest.

[Nephti]

There was a call from the other room, and the slave girl rose reluctantly, spotting a patch of egg yolk on her clothing. Scrubbing at it hard, she emerged into the room, until she realised that her mistress had a guest, and stopped it, one hand moving to cover it as casually as she could. Her mouth gaped a little on realising that it was another Eypharian, another of the glorious race that she was. She had six arms too, not the four arms of the lower race.

But Nephti wasn’t in a position to think this, especially due to her mistress’s request that she told her about the services she could provide. That could only mean one thing - this Eypharian was planning to buy her.

Quickly, she regained composure, hurrying to fetch a wine glass from the cupboard and pour the guest some of it. Then she stopped, unsure whether she would like some. She left the glass half-filled, enough so the woman would have it to drink, but not too much to seem like she would be wasting it.

“Is there anything else I can provide?” she added quickly, after a strict glance from her current mistress. Her head stayed low, a sign of respect, but she didn’t cower from the women, like she had when she had first been sold to this mistress. Then, she had been a scared little girl who didn’t want to be hurt. Now, she had hope.

One of her hands moved to the other, tapping the glowing vortex on it gently. Simply the thought of its power gave her strength, and she suddenly grew in confidence. Her mistress had told her to tell this Eypharian what services she could provide. Nephti would do her best to impress her, in hope of an even better life with her. This family wasn’t bad, but they weren’t the best. It wasn’t freedom, but she wouldn’t be getting that.

“I was initially bought to work here as general help around the house, which I can do for you too, but I specialize in child care.” She scooped up the young boy on the floor, holding up as if it was proof, “I helped to raise this little boy. I also have skills in cosmetology.” But that was obviously by the light kohl around her eyes. Was there anything else? She knew a little with a rapier, but that wouldn’t make her appealing, would it? Besides, it was something she had kept hidden from the majority of her masters. Hypnotism joined the hidden skills, something they themselves had to work out. It usually scared them, so she never made the mistake of mentioning it.

“And I fortune tell.” If she hadn’t mentioned it, her mistress would have. It wasn’t a big secret anyway .

[Sayana]

“The wine will do,” Sayana replied simply at the slave’s offer to make her feel welcomed. She took the glass elegantly in one of her high hands falling back into old habits of social etiquette. High hands for things of refinement and for interacting with superiors. Low hands for the dirty work or addressing those below you. She took a dainty sip of the deep red liquid and looked over the girl. She was indeed a girl, quite young, but certainly capable of work. Sayana herself had begun working at about that age or earlier. The girl was dressed in rather simple clothes but she had done her face up pretty with khol. Sayana was somewhat surprised that her owner would have bothered to provide the makeup but perhaps they appreciated a good looking slave.

When Nephti brought one hand to another, the slight movement drew Sayana’s eye and she caught sight of a something, some kind of mark upon the Eypharian’s hand. She’d have to inquire about that later. If it was some sort of brand of another owner, it would have to be removed.

With another sip of wine, Sayana listened to the slave’s introduction. It was good wine and it reminded her that she ought to buy the good stuff more often. But with Tim and Andreas and her work, such fineries had been the last thing on her mind.

“So you cook, clean, take care of kids and do a little face paint,” Sayana responded and casually ignored Nephti’s last ‘asset’. She hadn’t really met a fortune teller and she was skeptical of such abilities. She’d rather create her own fortune with actions. However, the other aspects of the slave were certainly appealing. Despite having to go from one person to the next, she had found someone, for sale, with just the kind of ability she needed: caring for children. A faint smile formed on her lips but she quickly subdued it as she turned to the mistress of the house.

“What led to her dismissal? She didn’t harm the boy, did she?” Sayana asked and then glanced to the girl. There was an uncomfortable pause from the owner. “Well?” She pressed. The mistress flushed with a bit of embarrassment. “She predicted, with her fortune telling, that she would no longer be with us in the near future,” the mistress explained. “We thought it would be a good time to sell her.”

Even though the owner avoided mentioning the idea of Nephti escaping, it wasn’t too hard to guess that it was the primary reason for the sale. And the desperate sale at that. Either the slave was smart and had a plan, or she predicted that she would be sold if she revealed such a prediction. It was an ironic sort of loop.

“Nephti, I do believe I caught your name correctly, I would like to test your obedience,” Sayana explained as she set the wine down and got to her feet. “Your previous owner seems to have some issues with your loyalty whereas you’ll find that I have no tolerance for that sort of thing.”

“As a demonstration of good faith and obedience, I’d like you to stand in front of this wall with your right middle hand out and the others at your side.” As Sayana instructed such, she gestured to an empty bit of wall. “For the first season or so, you won’t need to use that hand within my service.” Her voice was so calm that it was almost chilling, and in the next tick she drew her two throwing daggers in her high hands. She stood a few paces away from the wall. It would be an easy throw at a stationary object. Or presumably stationary. She watched for signs of fear or whether the slave might go against her instruction.

There was a bit of protest from the owner in which Sayana calmed with a wave of an arm. “If she flinches, she’ll be yours to sell unscathed. If she obeys, I certainly have enough coin to buy her.” The owner didn’t entirely seem happy with her property at stake like that, but she reluctantly held her tongue after Sayana’s explanation.

Sayana took a careful look at Nephti’s right mid hand and held her two daggers at the ready with her left foot slightly in front of her right. Then she made a show at drawing back her left high hand in preparation to throw. However, as she began to throw the left dagger, she turned it into a feint and instead followed up with a throw of her right dagger. With the smooth practice of her right hand the blade sunk into the wall an inch from Nephti’s ear. Apart from slight ringing of metal, the girl was otherwise left unscathed.

[Nephti]

The Eypharian listed what Nephti had listed, and it seemed like she liked what she heard. But Nephti was no expert, and what she could be mistaking for approval could be complete disapproval. What she didn't like, however, was how the woman completely ignored her fortune telling. Whether she believed it or not, fortune telling was a powerful art: you only had to look at Nephti and the events of today to see what it could do. It didn't matter though, what her prospective new mistress thought of it, as Nephti would continue to practice it.

There came a silence when the woman asked why Nephti was being dismissed. She suggested harming the boy. Nephti's eyes widened in alarm with that suggestion, in complete disbelief. The young slave girl would never harm the child, no matter what she thought about their parents. They were complete innocents, and adorable. Simply having the boy in her life made it bearable. She would never even think of harming it.

Her mistress replied rather embarrassed, and Sayana didn't seem happy. She rose, demanding that Nephti prove her loyalty to her. The girl was obedient, more obediant that before, and had only read the cards. It was not her who had planned an escape, or to be sold, but the cards which had seen it like that. But here the other woman was demanding that she show faith, loyalty and obedience to a stranger. That was how slavery worked, and Nephti had to bear with it.

Her request, however, seemed impossible. She was required to stand by a wall, with her middle hand out, and not flinch. The other Eypharian pulled out two knives and Nephti found her heart rise, and from the expression of the mistress, she didn't like it either. The woman reassured her that her slave would remain unscathed, but previously she had mentioned that Nephti wouldn't need to use that hand. Would she be hit, or not?

The Eypharian resisted the urge to say anything, not wanting to appear rude and disobedient, but she felt like this task would require a lot of willpower. She had no idea about the woman's throwing skills, and didn't know whether to trust her or not. But she had to, so she did.

The woman feigned throwing one dagger, before throwing the other, and Nephti couldn't help closing her eyes, but fought with all her strength to stay in that position. If she moved, it was only very slightly, if it was something at all. With her eyes dead shut, she muttered a quick prayer to her goddess. "Priskil keep me safe." Hope helped her through.

There was a slight ringing noise in her ear, and the thud as the knife landed beside her, and she let out a sigh of relief, thanking Priskil as she pulled out the dagger, handing it to the woman before it could be mistaken as attack. "I hope I did what you wanted."

[Sayana]

Sayana noticed the Eypharian girl close her eyes a moment before the dagger was released. Good. There was fear and no hint of defiance. It would save her a lot of trouble in the long run. The slave had also obeyed despite the imminent injury that would have resulted in it. She was brave but also knew her place and chose wisely.

“Very good,” Sayana spoke with a nod of her head as she took the offered dagger in one of her low hands. “Come. Sit at my feet while we sort out the transaction.” Sayana sheathed the daggers and returned to her chair from before. She took another sip of wine and turned her focus to the mistress of the house.

“Madam, you have a young and strong slave, and also obedient. She appears to only have a few skills but what she does have is useful to me. She’s an Eypharian, so I’ll raise my offer a little. However, you are anxious to get rid of her so as a result I’ll have to account for such risks that I am taking on. Thus, I will offer four hundred gold mizas for the slave.” Sayana’s assessment was smoothly given as she highlighted various aspects that would raise or lower the value of the slave.

“Four hundred? I paid far more to purchase her initially.” The mistress replied with a shocked and somewhat accusing tone of voice. “You are desperate, are you not?” Sayana repeated mildly. “Six hundred,” the mistress stated firmly. “Five hundred,” the Eypharian countered. “Five fifty.”

At this point Sayana paused to think. The owner wasn’t budging very much on the price and she really didn’t want to blow her budget needlessly. Then her eyes fell upon Nephti’s bear neck. “Does she have a collar? Or cuffs? Or any other security features?” Sayana asked curiously. “Ah yes, if you’d like to buy those too…” The mistress waved down another servant or slave and in a couple of chimes Nephti’s various ‘belongings’ were brought in. The most prominent items were a smooth steel collar with a thin chain that could be attached, three sets of iron manacles, a key fitted to the collar and manacles, and a beautiful curved scimitar.

Sayana looked at the blade curiously and the owner clarified, “It apparently belonged to her once and was part of the deal. It’s one of those desert swords but I’ve never found a use for it.” Sayana looked over the items once more and gave a slow nod. “I’ll give you five hundred fifty if the deal also includes these items,” she finally stated. There was a pause from the owner and then she nodded. “Deal.”

Coins were counted and exchanged and Sayana beckoned Nephti over so that she could attach the collar around her neck. The lock clicked into place and she smiled at the result. It was more of a formality than anything else since Nephti didn’t seem the type to run away, but one could never be truly certain. Sayana strapped the scimitar to her belt along with her other blades and stood up while holding the thin chain attached to the collar. “It was a pleasure doing business with you,” she spoke with a smile to the mistress of the house. Then to Nephti she instructed, “Carry the cuffs and other things and we’ll be off.”

As they stepped out the door, Sayana began to explain the basics to her new slave. “You’ll address me as Mistress or Mistress Sayana. Madam will also do. In accordance to Ahnatep custom, you may buy yourself freedom if you manage to acquire enough money. Often I’ve seen it at ten times the purchase price but I’ll be generous and make it only five times. Let’s say five hundred times five… That would be twenty five hundred gold mizas for your freedom.”

When they reached the street Sayana suddenly realized that she had seen some sort of mark on one of the slave’s hands. As they rounded a corner she stopped and faced the girl. “You had some sort of mark on one of your hands. I’d like you to show it to me.”

OOCFeel free to add any other belongings to the pile (like maybe black khol or anything else she might sort of own).

[Nephti]

Nephti felt awkward about the request, never having to sit before. Most owners had required her to stand patiently in the background, but she followed the order anyway, kneeling beside her. Her actions had pleased the woman, and for that she was glad, as it meant the chance of her being bought a lot higher. Perhaps it was too soon to judge the Eypharian, but by being the same race as Nephti, the girl trusted her to be a better owner more. It just felt more right than serving the ordinary humans.

She felt a little bit of pride rise up in her as the woman complimented her, calling her strong and obedient. She talked more about the price, haggling with her current mistress. Nephti listened curiously, wondering how much she would be worth. The buyer wouldn't list the real price, as she would want the lowest price possible, and her mistress the highest, but it gave her a rough idea.

The thing was, whatever price was name, Nephti would view it as high. She only had a few possessions, and a few coins to her name, so everything seemed expensive. The woman requested her possessions to be brought it - the manacles and collar that had come with her, and the backpack that contained her few meager possessions. There were the beauty items the mistress had let her keep for wanting a pretty slave to work for her, and the cloak she wore on the colder days. Her tarot cards rested firmly in under her robes, and she wore the jewellery - the few bangles, the armband and the earrings. Her most prized possession hung round her neck, tucked hidden behind her clothing: the necklace her mother had given her, a simple glass pendant scattered with colour.

If her mistress decided to claim any possessions for herself, Nephti wouldn't complain, but for the necklace and cards. She wouldn't be happy, but everything else was the things she could lose.

The mistress paid up, coins clinking as they passed from one woman to the other, and ordered Nephti to gather the things as she put on the collar. It felt strange and restricting, after so long of not needing to wear it. She would need to get the new mistress to trust her enough to let her free, from time to time anyway. She hated being chained like an animal the most out of being a slave. It was so demeaning and cruel.

Her new mistress was called Sayana, but she would never refer to her as that. Mistress, or possibly Madam, but never by her name. That was how slavery worked. Sayana explained how she could buy her freedom, if she managed to somehow earn two thousand five hundred gold mizas. It filled her with a little more hope than before, this offer to free herself, but that quantity was more than she had ever know. When her life as a slave began, that was. Perhaps before that, she would have had the money to buy herself back three times over.

After a while of walking, the manacles and possessions slung across her back, Sayana stopped her, asking about the gnosis on her hand. Nephti straightened with the thought of it. It was her mark from her gnosis. Displaying it proudly, she spoke in a mix of Arumenic and common, believing that as an Eypharian, Sayana would understand.

"It is the mark of my goddess," she said in common, before shifting to Arumenic, "Priskil, goddess of hope and light, and my friend, marked me, blessing me with hope and strength. A gnosis mark, it is called, and she gave it to me for having hope even when the light was weakest."

Nephti stopped for a second, switching back to common and planning out the sentence as she often had to do. "What will my duties be?" she asked, switching the subject. It was something that interested her, and while not exactly the best time to ask, she wanted to get that knowledge out of the way.

[Sayana]

Sayana looked curiously at the hand and the mark upon it. It was striking, one could say radiant. It took her a moment to catch all the words in Arumenic but she was surprised at how such a lowly slave could have attracted the attention of a goddess. At first she eyed it with envy. Why had a goddess chosen to mark this girl, yet no god or goddess had ever come to her? But she then settled on the fact that she had gone through life without any help from a god or goddess and had done so well without such aid. She was strong enough not to need such things.

Outwardly, the Eypharian tried to keep her expression neutral. Yet since she was conflicted on what to make of it, she simply did not comment any further. When Nephti switched back to common, she was glad. Despite growing up in Ahnatep, she always had a preference for the more worldly language, perhaps due to being the daughter of a trader.

“Your primary duty will be to care for my son Andreas,” Sayana replied also in common. “He is but a babe of about two seasons.” Despite stating that the baby was hers, any true mother would have known the precise age of her child. “You’ll also assist Timothy in any way that he needs you. He’s twelve or thirteen, about your age, but you’ll treat him with the most respect. He’s been helping me look after little Andreas. And lastly, you’ll attend on me in between looking after Andreas. You’ll do my face pretty for every day occurrences and also for performances. Assist with baths, perfumes, creams, and massages. Keep the place clean and help with cooking, if you can cook that is.”

Her list started to grow as she thought of the various things Nephti could help with. She had always dreamed of owning her own slave and had many times thought of what she would have the slave do. And now that it was a reality, it was almost a little overwhelming calling all the shots, but in a good way.

“However, there is still one place, or person rather, that we must visit before I take you back to the Inn I am staying at.” She hoped that she might be able to find the hunter she had met not too long ago. If she could thoroughly convince her new slave that there would be little hope in planning an escape, then things would probably be simpler for both of them. She tried to call upon her more primal thoughts and look for hints of wildness that might lead her to the Wolf’s Den.

Meanwhile she asked, “So how’d you manage to get caught up as a slave? Your Arumenic sounds like it’s from Ahnatep. Run into money problems, or couldn’t get a job?” There weren’t many Eypharians that were slaves in Ahnatep. But they did exist. Often is was something related to money, and if they couldn’t pay their way with a job then it was up to their owner to look after them and provide for them. There was always a way out if they did manage to become financially independent but they had to prove it through buying their freedom.

[Nephti]

Sayana chose to speak in common, a language unnatural to Nephti, who preferred the language of their people. It was more elegant and natural sounding, and she didn't have to think about the words as she did with common, trying to figure out what Sayana was saying. She would have to care for a young boy, Andreas, who was about two seasons old. Wondering about why she had been so vague about the age, she thought about the babe. Would he be Eypharian, or mixed? Who was the father?

Sayana went on to mention another boy, Timothy, who's age was even vaguer. Twelve or thirteen, about her age. While her initial guess would be that he was Sayana's son, this lack of information made it appear that he wasn't. So who was he, and why were they together? She had mentioned him looking after Andreas, so perhaps he was a slave or servant hired to do such a thing. Nephti doubted it. It didn't seem quite right.

Finally, she was told of her tasks around the house, the usual assisting with beauty and such, with cooking and cleaning if she could manage. Nephti doubted it, but assumed she would be made to try anyway, so didn't comment on it.

Sayana looked curiously at the hand and the mark upon it. It was striking, one could say radiant. It took her a moment to catch all the words in Arumenic but she was surprised at how such a lowly slave could have attracted the attention of a goddess. At first she eyed it with envy. Why had a goddess chosen to mark this girl, yet no god or goddess had ever come to her? But she then settled on the fact that she had gone through life without any help from a god or goddess and had done so well without such aid. She was strong enough not to need such things.

Outwardly, the Eypharian tried to keep her expression neutral. Yet since she was conflicted on what to make of it, she simply did not comment any further. When Nephti switched back to common, she was glad. Despite growing up in Ahnatep, she always had a preference for the more worldly language, perhaps due to being the daughter of a trader.

“Your primary duty will be to care for my son Andreas,” Sayana replied also in common. “He is but a babe of about two seasons.” Despite stating that the baby was hers, any true mother would have known the precise age of her child. “You’ll also assist Timothy in any way that he needs you. He’s twelve or thirteen, about your age, but you’ll treat him with the most respect. He’s been helping me look after little Andreas. And lastly, you’ll attend on me in between looking after Andreas. You’ll do my face pretty for every day occurrences and also for performances. Assist with baths, perfumes, creams, and massages. Keep the place clean and help with cooking, if you can cook that is.”

Her list started to grow as she thought of the various things Nephti could help with. She had always dreamed of owning her own slave and had many times thought of what she would have the slave do. And now that it was a reality, it was almost a little overwhelming calling all the shots, but in a good way.

“However, there is still one place, or person rather, that we must visit before I take you back to the Inn I am staying at.” Nephti felt herself tense with this, and moved a pair of hands to each other, fiddling with her fingers. Was this person that they were to visit going to, in some way, affect Nephti? Perhaps Sayana hoped to brand her, as some slave owners did. Nephti had had the luck that her previous masters and mistresses didn't, but Sayana was a new one. Or maybe she had something worse in stall. Nephti shook away the bad thoughts, hoping that it would simply be another task Sayana had to do that day.

Meanwhile, her mistress asked her about why she came into the position of slavery. This was a delicate subject with Nephti, but it was rude to refuse an answer. "I was the payment of a debt my father owed," she said simply, not knowing much more about it. She had been young and naive then, and had simply demanded too much, or so she believed. The dhani who had captured her had made it clear that she was there due to money problems; specifically, he didn't say, but Nephti knew of her previously demanding natures. It was, in some way, her fault that she was a slave, but she didn't mention this. It was in the past, and she had changed. Her hand moved to the gnosis mark again, smiling. Changed for the worse, but also for the better.

[Sayana]

As they talked, Sayana led the way down a side street with thick evergreen trees lining the cobblestone. Every now and then she spotted scratch marks upon the bark and smiled. Even though the streets seemed to come and go as they pleased, she was starting to feel more comfortable finding her way around.

So the girl had been a payment for a debt her father owed. There were times in which Sayana had wished for different parents, but at least they had never sold her. She wondered how old Nephti was when she had first come into slavery, but she chose not to voice the question.

They were now very much out of the grand neighborhood of Nephti’s previous owner. The city now looked rustic with smaller wooden houses. Tucked in behind, Sayana spotted a formation of rocks. Aha! The Wolf’s Cave. “I’d like you to stay behind me but stick close. And don’t speak unless I or my friend addresses you. Understood?”

The Eypharian led the way into the common room of the inn. There were tables and chairs here and there. Some had rugs of fur on top of them and there was a large fire along one wall. Sayana scanned the room in search of her friend. There were some kelvics in a corner and a couple of slender and frail looking people with pasty white skin. There was someone at a table all hooded up but it didn’t look like her hunter friend was here. Her heart sank and she gave a soft sigh. She’d have to find another way. She gestured to the door and led Nephti back out.

However, just as they began to leave, the hooded man stepped out of the tavern and spoke up. “You might be a little more careful showing up here in future. Were you looking for me?” Sayana turned at his voice and then recognized him despite the change in clothing. “Yes. Shall we walk then?” The Eypharian replied and gestured down the street. After his nod, Sayana started up again, “I wanted to ask you a favour. Or a potential job offer if you’d prefer it phrased like that. How good are you at hunting, and tracking?” “It’s my job. I do it every day. I better be good to have lasted this long.” He replied in an offhand manner

“How hard would it be to track down her?” Sayana asked as she gestured to Nephti. The hunter frowned for a moment. “Planning on losing her?” He asked in a joking manner. “Well, I wouldn’t want her to try to ‘escape’ and find herself attacked by animals or zith while in the wilds.” He glanced at the manacles held by Nephti and nodded. “Never been too fond of the concept of slavery but for the right money I’ll do it. But I’ll only track in the wilds. I don’t do the city tracking. And I won’t do anything if she leaves by boat.” The hunter replied.

“Not to worry, we’ll be visiting the docks tomorrow in regards to that,” Sayana spoke confidently. “And don’t forget to take a good look at her.” The hunter gazed at Sayana’s new slave. Sayana wasn’t sure what aspects he was taking note of but eventually he nodded. “Is that all?” “Yes,” she answered simply and soon he was off, returning to the inn.

Sayana reached into her pocket to feel for her key to the Cubacious Inn. For a moment she closed her eyes concentrating on the slight pull. “This way,” she said simply as she headed in the direction of the more ‘civilized’ inn. “I think it was quite fitting that you should meet the person who would hunt you down should you choose to escape,” Sayana spoke mildly despite the nature of her words. “However, my city tracker is already lined up so you won’t be meeting him, unless you plan on trying something…” The second statement wasn’t entirely true, but she did know someone who she could ask, and who was pretty good. Best leave some things as surprises.

It was only about fifteen more chimes till the block-like appearance of the inn came into view. “Aha, here we are. Let’s see if Tim and Andreas are here for you to meet.” When they made it to her room, she opened the door with a click of the key to see who was inside.