Daedalus had a presence about him that drew Kelski whether she wanted to admit it or not. When he was talking metal, everything about her was focused on him. So when he leaned down to her, she wasn’t surprised by the motion because his whole body told her he was going to. What shocked her was that he kissed her. She’d assumed he was going to whisper something in her ear, which had happened a lot to her. Kisses never happened. The Kelvic stared at him in shock a heartbeat, before her eyes drifted closed and she leaned into the man momentarily. Kelski had been given to a lot of men in her first year to pay debts she had nothing to do with, but none of them had kissed her. Her young life had been filled with violence and pain, not whatever this was Daedalus was doing. It wasn’t unpleasant, forceful, or even hesitant. And the Kelvic had no idea what to do or say… so she stood there quietly and enjoyed it.
Across the room, Darvin frowned.
When Daedalus released her lips and straightened, the lesson continued. The Kelvic blinked, licked her lips in surprise, and nodded to his dialog. She had to force to pull her mind back into the lesson and away from the man. Everything about him was distracting her, and now the taste of him on her tongue caused her to shiver a moment. Gods…
He patiently answered every one of her questions. He didn’t give the answers in any order, but in the way he presented the material he made sure to cover all the thoughts she’d had. Kelski tried to follow him, glancing at Darvin momentarily, reading the anger on his face. She worried suddenly, knowing there were rules serving Jaren, rules that Darvin enforced.
The eldest Dagwood’s words brought her focus back to him. Quenching? Hardening? She didn’t know what that was, but didn’t trust herself to speak. Her eyes darted to the crucible on the fire, checking it, knowing it was heating nicely, and that Daedalus had said no stirring required. She noted that he said she could skim the impurities off, and that she should have molds ready for the overages.
Kelski nodded, staying with him, focusing again… letting her heartbeat calm down. She was glad to know the sand would hold its shape if mixed right. And she noted his instructions to learn to carve. She was already doing that, but it was a thing that went slowly because like he’d pointed out, jewelers wax, the special low temperature stuff, was hard to come by and expensive.
Then Daedalus left her. Gwen needed him for something and Darvin moved in as Daedalus and Gwen disappeared into the sales shop proper. Kelski started to offer him a smile when the expression froze on her face. He clamped his hand on the Kelvics chin and forced her face up to look at him. “Slut. I saw that. You let no man touch you but your Master and the men he gives leave to use you.” He hissed, his anger tangible. He shoved her roughly into the nearest work table and shook his head.
“Jaren left instructions for all kinds of contingencies if you were disobedient, or if you disgraced him in any way…” He said, petting her tangle of black and white ombre curls before he ran his hand down her body and gripped her ass. “He even showed you once what would happen.” He said, releasing her abruptly and walking into the room with the two Vinos.
He winked at the Vino’s as he walked past them as they gathered at the shop counter to handle the transactions. Then he went straight to the racks of branding irons and plucked out one that had the eight-pointed star of the Sun’s Birth.
“He makes good quality items, doesn’t he?” Darvin said to both Vinos after they’d introduced themselves to Daedalus on his way back into the workroom. He made sure Kelski saw what he had in his hands and then shoved the eight-pointed star end into what appeared to Darvin as a part of the forge that would heat the iron but not the red-hot part of it that would melt it and destroy it completely.
Kelski was standing there, her face white as snow – whiter than its normal pale coloring – as Darvin babysat the iron and Daedalus resumed his lesson again. She tried to follow what he was saying, but her steel grey eyes kept glancing at Darvin, who routinely pulled the iron out of the coals, checking for it to heat.
Daedalus kept talking as Kelski quietly began to shake. Sweat beaded on her forehead and she reached up to brush her hand across her eyes to clear the liquid. She took a step away from Daedalus, glancing towards the doorway to the shop and to the freedom beyond, and then her eyes met Darvin’s as he pulled the iron out once more, this time it was red hot.
“It will be worse if you run.” Darvin said softly, menacingly, as he approached.
Kelski froze again, knowing Darvin was right. If she wasn’t wearing the collar, it would have been a different story, but being trapped as a human wasn’t conducive to escapes and survival on her own in Sunberth. Truth be told, Darvin had taken her about enough that she knew how well she had it, even if it was a prison and even if she was a slave.
Darvin offered Daedalus a smile. “Been wanting one of these. I assume you stand by your product and won’t mind me testing it out.” He said gently but with an air of menace about his voice. “You see, Jaren doesn’t like his slaves stepping out on him, letting strangers kiss them. It leads too often to independent thinking and attachments we don’t want, especially with unbonded Kelvics.” Darvin glanced at Kelski, the red-hot iron in his hand.
“Take down those pants Kelski, and lean over that counter. I think I’ll let the smith here test this iron out on you since he was the one that took a kiss without asking. And if he doesn’t want to bother to do it, I’ll just let Jaren know the Dagwoods at Dagwood Metal have issues with the Sun’s Birth Gang … issues with respecting their slaves. If he does it… lesson learned. And no need to say anything to Jaren at all. It’s not like he’s going to see it anyhow… he barely looks at you.” Darvin smiled, it was a mean smile, as he walked up to Daedalus and offered him the brand by the cool handle. “See that its done well… I don’t want her having ideas about you and thinking good thoughts about you, even though you’re bothering to teach an animal something she doesn’t need to learn.” The Guardian said, smiling slightly. “Then I’ll pay your little sister for the iron and take it and my charge home. Lessons, for today I think, are over.” He added, waiting to see what Kelski would do.
The Kelvic’s face had lost all expression. All sign of life simply drained out of her in that moment as she buried everything she felt in that moment deeply inside herself. It served her no purpose here. Fighting Darvin wasn’t something she was willing to do at the moment because it wasn’t strategically a good thing to do. And she liked this family. She really did. It wasn’t that she knew them at all, but she liked the IDEA of them… of such a thing existing.
Her hands rose of her own accord and she unclasped the belt that held the oversized boys pants up around her hips. She slid them down, baring her body from the knees to her waist as she slowly turned around and bent over the nearest workbench to her. She let the pants fall to the floor as she reached out and dig her hard black nails into top of the bench. The smooth curve of her white rump was bared to both men.
Darvin gestured. “Test it someplace on the curve of her ass or hip… where the skin is tougher.” He said, reaching out to stroke Kelski’s backside. The Kelvic closed her eyes, not knowing what the smith was going to do… how he would react. She knew Darvin’s threat wasn’t empty. If Daedalus didn’t play Darvin’s little game, there would be consequences.
Across the room, Darvin frowned.
When Daedalus released her lips and straightened, the lesson continued. The Kelvic blinked, licked her lips in surprise, and nodded to his dialog. She had to force to pull her mind back into the lesson and away from the man. Everything about him was distracting her, and now the taste of him on her tongue caused her to shiver a moment. Gods…
He patiently answered every one of her questions. He didn’t give the answers in any order, but in the way he presented the material he made sure to cover all the thoughts she’d had. Kelski tried to follow him, glancing at Darvin momentarily, reading the anger on his face. She worried suddenly, knowing there were rules serving Jaren, rules that Darvin enforced.
The eldest Dagwood’s words brought her focus back to him. Quenching? Hardening? She didn’t know what that was, but didn’t trust herself to speak. Her eyes darted to the crucible on the fire, checking it, knowing it was heating nicely, and that Daedalus had said no stirring required. She noted that he said she could skim the impurities off, and that she should have molds ready for the overages.
Kelski nodded, staying with him, focusing again… letting her heartbeat calm down. She was glad to know the sand would hold its shape if mixed right. And she noted his instructions to learn to carve. She was already doing that, but it was a thing that went slowly because like he’d pointed out, jewelers wax, the special low temperature stuff, was hard to come by and expensive.
Then Daedalus left her. Gwen needed him for something and Darvin moved in as Daedalus and Gwen disappeared into the sales shop proper. Kelski started to offer him a smile when the expression froze on her face. He clamped his hand on the Kelvics chin and forced her face up to look at him. “Slut. I saw that. You let no man touch you but your Master and the men he gives leave to use you.” He hissed, his anger tangible. He shoved her roughly into the nearest work table and shook his head.
“Jaren left instructions for all kinds of contingencies if you were disobedient, or if you disgraced him in any way…” He said, petting her tangle of black and white ombre curls before he ran his hand down her body and gripped her ass. “He even showed you once what would happen.” He said, releasing her abruptly and walking into the room with the two Vinos.
He winked at the Vino’s as he walked past them as they gathered at the shop counter to handle the transactions. Then he went straight to the racks of branding irons and plucked out one that had the eight-pointed star of the Sun’s Birth.
“He makes good quality items, doesn’t he?” Darvin said to both Vinos after they’d introduced themselves to Daedalus on his way back into the workroom. He made sure Kelski saw what he had in his hands and then shoved the eight-pointed star end into what appeared to Darvin as a part of the forge that would heat the iron but not the red-hot part of it that would melt it and destroy it completely.
Kelski was standing there, her face white as snow – whiter than its normal pale coloring – as Darvin babysat the iron and Daedalus resumed his lesson again. She tried to follow what he was saying, but her steel grey eyes kept glancing at Darvin, who routinely pulled the iron out of the coals, checking for it to heat.
Daedalus kept talking as Kelski quietly began to shake. Sweat beaded on her forehead and she reached up to brush her hand across her eyes to clear the liquid. She took a step away from Daedalus, glancing towards the doorway to the shop and to the freedom beyond, and then her eyes met Darvin’s as he pulled the iron out once more, this time it was red hot.
“It will be worse if you run.” Darvin said softly, menacingly, as he approached.
Kelski froze again, knowing Darvin was right. If she wasn’t wearing the collar, it would have been a different story, but being trapped as a human wasn’t conducive to escapes and survival on her own in Sunberth. Truth be told, Darvin had taken her about enough that she knew how well she had it, even if it was a prison and even if she was a slave.
Darvin offered Daedalus a smile. “Been wanting one of these. I assume you stand by your product and won’t mind me testing it out.” He said gently but with an air of menace about his voice. “You see, Jaren doesn’t like his slaves stepping out on him, letting strangers kiss them. It leads too often to independent thinking and attachments we don’t want, especially with unbonded Kelvics.” Darvin glanced at Kelski, the red-hot iron in his hand.
“Take down those pants Kelski, and lean over that counter. I think I’ll let the smith here test this iron out on you since he was the one that took a kiss without asking. And if he doesn’t want to bother to do it, I’ll just let Jaren know the Dagwoods at Dagwood Metal have issues with the Sun’s Birth Gang … issues with respecting their slaves. If he does it… lesson learned. And no need to say anything to Jaren at all. It’s not like he’s going to see it anyhow… he barely looks at you.” Darvin smiled, it was a mean smile, as he walked up to Daedalus and offered him the brand by the cool handle. “See that its done well… I don’t want her having ideas about you and thinking good thoughts about you, even though you’re bothering to teach an animal something she doesn’t need to learn.” The Guardian said, smiling slightly. “Then I’ll pay your little sister for the iron and take it and my charge home. Lessons, for today I think, are over.” He added, waiting to see what Kelski would do.
The Kelvic’s face had lost all expression. All sign of life simply drained out of her in that moment as she buried everything she felt in that moment deeply inside herself. It served her no purpose here. Fighting Darvin wasn’t something she was willing to do at the moment because it wasn’t strategically a good thing to do. And she liked this family. She really did. It wasn’t that she knew them at all, but she liked the IDEA of them… of such a thing existing.
Her hands rose of her own accord and she unclasped the belt that held the oversized boys pants up around her hips. She slid them down, baring her body from the knees to her waist as she slowly turned around and bent over the nearest workbench to her. She let the pants fall to the floor as she reached out and dig her hard black nails into top of the bench. The smooth curve of her white rump was bared to both men.
Darvin gestured. “Test it someplace on the curve of her ass or hip… where the skin is tougher.” He said, reaching out to stroke Kelski’s backside. The Kelvic closed her eyes, not knowing what the smith was going to do… how he would react. She knew Darvin’s threat wasn’t empty. If Daedalus didn’t play Darvin’s little game, there would be consequences.
