Solo Night is Day Pt. III

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This lazy agricultural settlement rests on the swampy shores of the Middle Suvan at the delta of The Kenash River. The River's slow moving bayou waters have bred a different sort of people - rugged, cultured, and somewhat violent. Sprawling plantations of tobacco and cotton grow on the outskirts of the swamp in the rich Cyphrus soils, while the city itself curls around the bayou and spawns decadence and sins of all sorts. Life is slower in Kenash, but the lack of pace is made up for in the excesses of food and flesh in a city where drinking, debauchery, gambling, slavery, and overbearing plantation families dominate the landscape.

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Night is Day Pt. III

Postby Lacerta on November 6th, 2013, 11:18 pm

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Fall 58th, 482 AV


Lacerta had been mildly surprised when a few more sailors dragged out three scraggly looking other people… so she hadn’t been their other captive. However, that made sense, considering despite how much she was worth… the pirates would need more than just the few thousand mizas she would produce. She eyed them for a moment, but was rudely shoved forward off the deck of the boat. Sighing irritably, she moved onwards, following the captain humbly as he led the small group off and into the city of Kenash.

After a short walk, with a few uninterested glances their way, they arrived at their destination. A low, red brick building stood before them, and quickly enough they were forced through the entrance. Inside it looked more like a theater than anything else, but… different. Mostly because the only person inside was a man, sitting on the stage, shuffling through a stack of papers. He glanced up as they entered, and as the group drew nearer, he pushed himself up. “Good morning… I assume you want a deal?” He was eyeing Lacerta in particular, probably because she was the most ‘valuable’ of the group. The other three – two women and a man – looked pretty ordinary, and seemingly didn’t require much attention.

“How did you get your hands on an Eth?” the man asked, whistling softly. At least she didn’t feel like she was being treated like cattle… yet. She stared at the man, probably a Dynasty, with blank eyes, trying to convey her utter contempt for his opinions. She did feel a little awkward, towering over the group by nearly a foot all round, but she was used to it by now. It was simply strange being above and below a person at the same times… physically and metaphorically. The dealer inspected the Ethaefal for several moments, circling, and the slow feeling of ‘animal’ started to grow. She didn’t move, feeling a little irritable and tense, instead simply glad he wasn’t touching her… she would have punched the man, tied wrists or no.

“Not telling” the captain replied smugly, standing with folded arms a little away from the other man. “Right. Fine.” As soon as the conversation had started, the dealer began throwing numbers around… high ones. Though she hadn’t felt like a slave at first… that feeling quickly disappeared and she scowled at their debate. However, they settled on a number within chimes, and after quickly debating the prices for the other three slaves… they were all sent off deeper into the building. The man himself herded them, though an armed man appeared out of nowhere, face a blunt mask. Lacerta barely glanced at him, however, instead focusing more on the area they were entering.

It wasn’t particularly fancy, but how could anyone expect that? It was hard, with rows of slaves… though a number of the spots were basically empty. Most of the residents ignored the quintet, and though the composer attempted to ignore them as well… it was hard. She wasn’t quite sure what to feel, but this felt wrong. Oh, so wrong. She didn’t want to be here, in the dark. She just didn’t like it at all. It was sorely tempting to stop in her tracks and stiffen, give herself time to think over this all, but knew that would be stupid… and make an annoying scene. Instead, she moved forward stubbornly, each step into the sunlight-less room paining her more and more. Why did it have to be so dark? Anything but dark. She’d had enough of that for a lifetime… even her lifetime.

She didn’t say anything, or move at all, when she was removed from her ropes and inserted into chains, feeling to stressed to do so. She hadn’t yet decided how she felt about this… but it wasn’t positive. She wasn’t yet angry as anyone other than Apus, but that had mostly boiled down to a simmering irritation. However, if that man turned up again… she didn’t know what she would do. She also didn’t know what other kind of hatred or irritation would grow over her time here, but knew it wouldn’t be good for her emotions. However, whatever she did… she was determined not to become Forsaken. She still believed in her goddess, and that was something these stupid Dynasties couldn’t take away from her.

She slowly settled down into her new spot, glad for the room, though she didn’t have the solitude of her first cell. There was an irritating chain around her ankle that clanked when she moved, so she attempted not to move that foot. Instead, she leaned against the one wall provided and crossed her arms, glaring at the world at hand. She was still… irritated, and tense. Closing her eyes, Lacerta attempted to calm herself. Breath. Think this over. When she was bought, and out of this slave market… she’d plan out something. She wasn’t going to stay here for the rest of her life, if it was the last thing she did. She’d rather die and return to Syna than stay here. Especially if she was derived of sunlight.

She sighed and forcefully relaxed all the tense muscles in her body. She had two days, then she’d be out of this place… from what the captain had said, at least. She didn’t want to think of the degrading feeling that standing on the stage and being auctioned off would feel like, but knew it wouldn’t be nice. The whole feeling of being property was still itching on her, but she was determined to ignore it. She was an Ethaefal for Syna’s sake… not just some piece of junk to be thrown around! This thought send an explosion of anger to fill the sailor, and she scrunched up her face in annoyance. However, she quickly caught and crushed the hatred, still wanting to stay calm…

As the chimes stretched on, boredom pushed more than it ever had before on the ship. She wished that she could simply pick up her flute and play, but was lacking the instrument. For a moment, she wished she could sing to herself… but felt self-conscious with all the other people around. Speaking would have been too tense, and awkward. She was in a room full of depressed, irritated, sad, all sorts of things people… still, it was tempting to hum to herself, just to pass the time, and push away the awkward silence. Or not silence. There was a soft weeping in the background that she just hadn’t noticed yet. Glancing over, Lacerta spotted one of the woman she’d come with crying to herself softly. She felt the intense need to help the woman… but didn’t want to say anything. But… should she help? She hadn’t quite figured things out herself, how could she do anything?
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Lacerta
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Night is Day Pt. III

Postby Lacerta on November 7th, 2013, 1:41 pm

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Fall 60th, 482 AV


Mere days after her first arrival, auction day came. The man who’d seemed in charge came around, giving all the slaves a last look. He stared particularily at Lacerta, staying there for several moments longer than normal. He seemed to muse on something, and she simply gazed back, emotionless… and tense. She knew that things would be happening now, and there would be a lot more to her life than sitting, chained, in this messy place. She’d probably have a chance to get outside, and see Syna’s light again… the past two days had been very, very draining on her, and she felt week and energy-less.

To her surprise, the slaver began speaking, asking questions. “That sun around your eye… is it a mark of Syna? I’m uncertain of that… Oh, and are you skilled in anything? It’ll all increase your value.” The Ethaefal was quite surprised by the investigation, and by the tone. It wasn’t an order… it felt more like simple questioning. She adjusted her position, raising an eyebrow. She was half tempted not to tell the man anything, and loose him more money. However… if she had to get back on her new owners in any way, she’d love to make them spend heaps of gold on her… just break their banks. Though she wasn’t quite sure how much that would take, for such wealthy families. “Yes, I am marked by Syna. I am a flutist, though I’m not very good at the instrument. I compose music, and I can sail quite well. Any other questions?” She snorted, feeling a little empowered by giving the information. Crossing her arms, she gave the man a look of pure contempt. Possibly not what she was feeling at the moment… but despite all her time, she still hadn’t figured that out yet.

The man raised both his eyebrows in response, before shaking his head. He quickly resumed his stern expression and stalked away, probably put off by the slight encounter. After all, she was a slave. She was supposed to be below him, not taking any sort of advantage. It felt good though… and the composer treasured that feeling, wanting to keep it with her over the auction. She’d need all the positivity she could get.

Soon after, more talking and noises could be heard, and the slaves were slowly led out, ten at a time. Lacerta herself was in the first group, probably for some economic reason… maybe to just make the show look good in advance. She was the third in line to be ‘announced’, and auctioned off… at least she didn’t have to go first. However, simply because of her appearance, most of the crowd’s eyes were on her. The horns made hiding literally impossible. She listened to the loud introductions of the first two – both Kelvics. One was a robust man, with a thick iron collar around his neck. He snarled at the crowd, and was quickly explained to have the animal form of a bear. He didn’t look entirely stable, but two of the families soon got into a bidding war over the big man. Once bought, he was led off stage and into another area to… wherever they were going. The next woman was also a Kelvic, tall and lithe, with steel in her eyes. She glared at the rest of the Dynasties, but flinched when the man in charge rested a hand on her. Not so strong after all. She didn’t have as much of a bidding competition, and, in fact, was bought by someone who looked without a family.

Then came herself. She was announced as “An Ethaefal of Syna, mortal form of a six armed Eypharian. Marked by Syna, flutist, skilled composer and sailor. Bidding starts at 1000 gold mizas!” The crowd quickly erupted into a roar, and numbers started coming in. Lacerta winced at this, partially because of the noise after so much quiet, and partially because of what they were saying. Numbers. Prices. For her. It soon enough calmed down, instead leaving three or four groups throwing out sums of mizas. It was rising quickly, as each Dynasty bartered to have the shining prize of the day. A show of their wealth. Her. She nearly scowled in distaste, but kept her features blank and emotionless. Calm. Keep calm. She felt more and more degraded, and began wincing slightly every time a number came out. She tried to remember the source of pride and dominance she’d had earlier, but it had all but disappeared. Instead she stood, cowering slightly like an animal, and waited for the people to deal with her life.

It had now lowered into two groups, one led by a strong, stern man, and the other by a vicious looking woman. If she had to choose, Lacerta would have chosen the former family, simply because the latter looked positively evil. Even though she didn’t believe in white and black things like that, this family seemed as close as it got. Finally, a sum was settled on, and the Eth was led away, feeling like she’d lost every inch of her self-esteem. That had not been fun at all. Annoyingly, the family she liked least had won, judging by their gloating grins. Great… just… great. She followed a man into a back room, where she found the other two slaves. However, instead of waiting like she’d expected, one of the younger men of that family came jogging in. “We want her. Now” he demanded, using all the authority he could manage. The seemingly head of the auction slipped in, and frowned at the younger man. “You want her Rajor? What about the branding – or tattooing, in this case.” The man – Rajor, apparently – snorted irritably, and held up an odd circle of metal. “She doesn’t want her face disfigured even by a tattoo. We’re putting this on.” Rajor shoved it into the guard’s hand, and ordered “Now.” The flustered man approached Lacerta, who stared in horror at the circle. She knew what it was… and didn’t like it. But considering the other two options, she knew it was the best. Nothing permanent….

The slaver grumbled for a moment, before stating “Fine. But hand over the money.” He motioned for the guard to collar the Eth, before focusing more on Rajor. The two exchanged quiet words and a very large sack of mizas, until the first man was finally happy. “Go,” he ordered, and pushed the Eth up and into Rajor. He grabbed her firmly by the arm and practically dragged her out, but Lacerta wasn’t focusing. She didn’t like the collar at all. It trapped her. She was stuck. Her neck… always around her neck. It didn’t feel right. She almost whimpered, but was determined not to show that kind of weakness. Instead, her eyes focused on where she was going, and tried to ignore the painful grip around her upper arm.
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Lacerta
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Night is Day Pt. III

Postby Lacerta on November 7th, 2013, 10:31 pm

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The man who led her through the crowd was rough and harsh, and his grip on Lacerta’s arm made her want to rip away. However, she knew that would end badly, so forced herself to ignore the irritation. Instead, she followed with an air of annoyance to a pair of armed men. She’d been un-chained on her way out, but the metal circlets hadn’t been as annoying as this collar. The taller man – who she’d dubbed ‘Rajor’ from the slaver’s name – handed her over to one of the guards, who kept a firm but more comfortable grip on her other arm. She knew her left bicep was going to bruise after this… but that would probably be the least of her marks, if she refused anything. On her first, brief visit, she’d come across a slave covered with bruises and cuts, and soon after another being viciously beaten. She’d left that day, not wanting to face the horrors this city provided.

She was slowly pushed through a calm, but actually quite pretty city… Kenash. The Eth stared at the buildings blankly, finding it funny how differently she viewed them compared to her time here as a freeborn. It was almost funny. Snorting lightly, she eyed a small wooden building on the edge of the main river… it seemed to be their destination. Entering, the trio quickly hired a small ferry-like boat and began moving down the river. Being in a swampy area like here was completely different from being on the open ocean… There were no waves, or tides. Just the slow movement of another slave moving them down the river. While she preferred the calm silence, finding it better to ignore her new ‘owner’ that way, talking brought her head jerking quickly around.

She caught Rajor speaking to her in a stern voice, and focused on him with narrowed eyes. She didn’t like this man, and didn’t feel like hearing anything he had to say. However, she had no ‘choice’ now, so that was that. As soon as she got out of here… well, she didn’t know what she would do. Hide in the swamp? She doubted it. “You are now property of the Rajor family, slave. I am Tressylrajor. We are going to the Smokesend plantation, where you will do your duties as a slave. Understand?” Lacerta wasn’t entirely sure what her ‘duties as a slave’ were, but hoped they didn’t include working on a farm. Maybe this family would be logical enough to realize that she wasn’t suited for such a job, and had other talents. Of course, they probably didn’t care much about that, but they wouldn’t want to was such a precious Ethaefal on such plain work. Her thoughts were quickly turning bitter at all these thoughts, and she let a small scowl touch her lips.

“Understand me slave?” Tressyl demanded, voice loud and intimidating. Surprised, she nodded instinctively, a little frightened. A humored snort from the Rajor brought another scowl to her features, but she quickly turned her head to hide it. Crossing her arms, she watched the water stream around their sides, frowning at a lilly pad that floated at the edge of the wide river. When she watched the world around them, the nature, the water… she almost forgot where she was. What she was, in the eyes of these people. She still hadn’t decided if she was actually going to think of herself as a slave yet. She knew other people saw her as a slave… but what was really important was what she thought. She didn’t care about other’s opinions, to be honest. She needed to deal with her own emotions, before poking at other’s. That she could focus on later, other than, of course, avoiding getting on the nerves of her new ‘masters’. She still had her dignity, and wasn’t planning on throwing it away just to suck up to someone important.

The silence made her more comfortable, and though she could see one of the guards to her side twitching as the bells passed, she was used to boredom. And if she was under Syna’s light… she was perfectly. Despite being the ‘slave’ here, she didn’t feel below anyone. They were all sitting on this boat, same position… except for this collar. She couldn’t get over it. Reaching up, the Eth tugged absently at the ring, as if hoping it would come off. They were probably just using a basic Kelvic collar, and though she couldn’t see it, it felt like metal. Her tugging turned to tapping, and her mind wandered more than it had in the previous days. She thought on Apus, again feeling that sharp burst of anger at his name. She thought over her new owners… as much as she despised the idea of being owned. It didn’t matter to her, she was still her own person, and wasn’t going to admit to being a slave out loud for a long time. Her mind also drifted over to what would happen in the future, but she quickly shoved that away, not wanting to plan anything for now. It would be too… awkward.

After bells and bells passed, the boat’s progress seemed to slow, and Lacerta glanced up from her deep thoughts. Gazing around, she found their group nearing a small wooden dock. The slave up top humbly stopped and hopped off the boat, allowing the quartet to step off. The composer glanced back at their ride, pausing in mid-step to watch the slave – only a boy, really – push off and begin heading back down the river they’d come from. They’d actually entered a small lake, with visible sides and one obvious exit. A sharp tug brought her back to her current situation, and she awkwardly stumbled after the three men, wondering what came next… Would she be given her job? Or just left to rot, and look pretty when they needed her. Again a hand raised to scratch her neck, but came across the annoying collar. This brought a feeling of bitter distaste, and she glanced around the plantation with obvious irritation.
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Lacerta
Daughter of Syna, past Eypharian
 
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Night is Day Pt. III

Postby Poppy on November 8th, 2013, 4:14 am

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...because you've EARNED it!

Lacerta :
+3 Observation
+1 Planning

Kenash: Auction Hall
Slave Inspections
Bring Treated Like Cattle
Religion Cannot be Taken Away
Staying Calm in Trying Times
Slave Auctions
Purchased by Rajor Dynasty
Collared as a Slave
Tressylrajor: Unpleasant Owner
Smokesend: Rajor Plantation


Notes: :
Nice little insight on how a freshly captured slave might see things. I like her spirit. :)


Please PM me with any questions, comments, or concerns!


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But pleasures are like poppies spread,
You seize the flower, its bloom is shed.
Tam o'Shanter, Robert Burns

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