[The Pavilion] The Runaway [Kamari]

[Rak'kena]

Day 74 of Spring, AV 511

Flaunt it, that's what Rak'kena did. He was muscular, tall, strong, four arms well tones, biceps were beautiful, and there wasn't a hint of clothing to cover him above the waist. There was only that silk cloth strapped around his waist and the sandals on his feet to keep him from being completely nude. Perhaps it wasn't a surprise that he was in public like this. He knew how he looked, he worked hard to make himself the way he was, it all had a purpose. Beauty, the Eypharians knew this so very well, was power amongst the opposing sex. Power, Rak'kena had so little of it, but had so much potential for so much power. Rak'kena stalked leisurely through the market of Ahnatep, the Pavilion. He didn't have much spare money, despite looking very wealthy with his silk kilt and several rings of silver on many of his fingers. It was all a visage, an illusion, a mask he wore to convince everyone he was what he wanted to be. It was the first step of becoming something, to act like it. His eyes stared hungrily over a particular stall where a young charming Eypharian girl was displaying dozens upon dozens of copper, silver, and gold jewelry. He wanted more for the sake of appearing like he was wealthier and more powerful than he was, but he would have to control himself, and he had such strong control. The Eypharian man sighed as he exchanged a few words, mostly false pleasantries and some weak excuse as to why he couldn't or wouldn't buy anything today (something along the lines of comparing prices) and moved away from the stall. Rak'kena was finding the day particularly difficult. He had no work as of yet, though had a few ideas he wanted to work towards, he had no target to abuse yet to progress his goals. No, he was stuck for the time being. Waiting, it was all he could do until opportunity arose. Patience wasn't much of his strong suit, but sometimes you didn't have to wait long.

[Kamari]

For the first time in her life, Kamari was grateful that she had something to veil her face. She felt like a demented sheep, staring at everything that walked by and at all the different sights that the market place had to offer. Feeling her jaw drop again, she quickly swept up the side of her shawl and held it against the side of her face as she clumsily tried to pin it up. Bright blue eyes grew wider with each and every breath as she continued to look around her. After a moment of foolish gawking at her surroundings, she turned her attention to the people around her and quickly looked down at her feet. A deep blush settled over her cheeks as she slowly looked up again. Is this really how people dress here? Or is this just how people dress when not in the desert? The multiple arms did not surprise her as much as she thought, having been prepared on the journey here what the Eypharian's looked like. What surprised her was the lack of proper clothing. Hearing snickering from behind her, she hunched her shoulders and turned to look at the trader whose family traveled here with her. "Are you sure you will be fine here, little lamb? If you are not careful you will become swallowed by this city, and we do not want that for you. Stay with us for a while, we will help you find your way" the deep voice of the Benshiran trader rumbled her bones and lightened her heart. Though she knew him for only a few short weeks he and his wife had taken her into their small caravan with open arms and hearts. "Thank you, Beres, I will think about it. I will come back tonight before the final bell of the day chimes and let you know. Are you sure, though? You and Sahima have done more than enough for me and I cannot bear to think that I will become a burden to you and your traveling family" she tilted her head back to look up into the man's deep blue eyes as she spoke, wanting to connect with him so he would know how thankful she was for his offer. "May Yahel bless you and your family, Beres, and may he bless your tent for abundance during your stay here" she bowed slightly before remembering that the large man's wife was quick to rap her on the head if the woman felt that Kamari was being too subservient. "I will be back within a few chimes of the bell, please do not worry for me. I will be fine". The man sighed and nodded, clasping the young girl hard enough on the shoulder to nearly drive her a foot into the ground. Turning around to face the street again, she let herself have one more moment of shock before squaring her shoulders and stepping into the traffic. She made it about ten steps before she began to look around in wonder again, eyes wide and veiled mouth open in amazement.

[Rak'kena]

Racists, sexists, slavers, swindlers. Eypharians saw themselves as a beautiful and superior race, but that didn't stop them from acting perfect amongst those that were foreign. In fact, quite inversely, they would often treat foreigners with disrespect. It wasn't rare to see young Benshiran girls dressed up and bid upon at the slave market. Rak'kena had often been there just to watch at those delicate small specimens shivering in their indignation and fear. Oh, how he wanted a slave, several slaves. Anyone of rank and class had slaves. Servants to massage the kinks out of your neck, woman who had no permission to guard their cunt if you so demanded it, young men doing physical labor for no pay except food in their mouths and fancy collars to mark their ownership. Rak'kena had a strange disgusting hunger for such a dominant control over someone like that, someone who owed you everything they had, and were. To take advantage of someone weak and relying on you, it was erotic. But here he was, a single man working towards an impossible cause. He knew if he was going to advance, he would need contacts, people he could trust, people he could take advantage of that would be too frightened to double cross him, too attached to abandon him, or too hungry to not do what he wanted. He knew he was a rare breed amongst humanoids, but amongst Eypharians he was a bit, not much, but a bit more common. Rak'kena turned his head as he heard voices. Arunemic, Eypharians were talking about a slave, a prospect. It was hushed, but as he just stepped past them he caught just a brief phrase of their message. They were planning on abducting somebody. Rak'kena hesitated for a moment. Here in Ahnatep, it would be frowned upon to capture and sell a brother or sister Eypharian, not to mention dangerous. Many were associated with the Houses of Four Winds, to take one of their own could be a death sentence without mercy or trial. But, a foreigner, such as a fresh, young, lost, and fragile looking Benshira, that was a different story, but it was this story. Rak'kena followed the gazed of these two Eypharian men, and sure enough they were setting their sights on a brand new target. Kamari was that target. Rak'kena wasted no time in changing his direction, following the two men, who were now swimming through the crowd towards this newcomer, ready to grab her and jump into an alleyway. Rak'kena honestly couldn't care less if that happened, except that he could in fact come out of this with something of his own. The two Eypharians grabbed the woman just as she was walking past an alleyway, and just as he saw it happening in his mind, they ducked inside. Luckily for for the woman, perhaps, Rak'kena had his sword at his hip. He followed after them, sword drawn and ready to spill blood for the sake of progressing his own desires. "Chupra! That's mine you sand drinking lizard. The Benshiran girl is property of me. Begone unless you want to die here." The two Eypharian men, thinking they were either unseen in their devious action or ignored entirely, were shocked to see this, one of their own kind was standing in their way. They were, however, unarmed, and seeing as Rak'kena very much had a blade on him, gave him the upper hand. "Come." It was Shiber, crude and heavily accented, but it was about all he knew. A few important words here and there, surely she was intelligent enough to realize that she was being rescued though. However, even the wisest of people couldn't claim to know his true intention. He had lied, claiming her as his slave to the other Eypharians, but he had intentions of making her owe him. The two men, not wanting to get poked needlessly, continued to back down the alleyway until they moved around the corner and vanished. Rak'kena sighed, almost wishing they had tried something. "This place is dangerous for your kind little woman. You should stick with me if you plan on living as a free person for long. Come, we aren't staying here." Rak'ena sheathed the gladius sword at his side and took a hold of Kamari's arm and led her back into the moving crowds, who weren't even ashamed to stare at Kamari as if she carried the plague. To even the peasants of the Eypharians, a Benshira was worth about as much as dirt.

[Kamari]

With her attention so focused on her surroundings, Kamari didn't notice the two Eypharians until it was too late. Feeling hands grasp her arms and tugging at her clothes, she could only gasp in surprise before she was drug into the alley. "Let go of me! Let go! Help!" she screamed and yelled as she tried to fight the men off, clawing at any flesh that she could find. Fear was the motivating factor at the moment, there was no anger at being grabbed or any other emotion but the fear that threatened to bind her limbs and drag her down into a deep sea of horrible possibilities. Tears rolled down her face as she fought, pushing at hands as she backed away only to have another set of hands grab her. What was happening? Were they going to rob her? She had nothing on her person, all of her valuables were with the trader and his family. What else could they want from her? Before her mind had a chance to wander down another path of horrors, she heard some one growl in an unfamiliar language. As the two men paused, she ripped herself away from them and backed into a wall. Shaking her head over and over again, she murmured questions and prayers to Yahel as she looked herself over. She wasn't hurt, at least not bad enough that she couldn't tend to it herself. Bruises would ring her arms by the morning light and her clothes would need some mending. She was alright, everything was fine. They were criminals, they had to be. Every city had them… She rationalized the attack as nothing more than outlaws thinking that she had something valuable on her person. Hearing Rak'kena, she nodded and moved closer to the four armed man. "Thank you. Thank you so much." A shaking hand lifted to try and put tangled waves into order, feet skipping every step to keep up with the man. Hearing the strange language, she looked up in surprise before shaking her head "I… I don't understand. What are you saying? Beres and Sahima didn't say anything about this. Wait, where are we going? Who are you? And…. Why are they looking at me like that?" she looked around in confusion, shoulders hunching under the disgusted stares. Why were they looking at her like that? Perhaps she looked shameful with her torn clothes and no shawl to cover her hair or face. Perhaps here her appearance was even more offending than back at her father's tent. He wasn't listening to her, he was speaking in his strange language and just hauling her along like a disobedient child. "Wait! Please, wait!" she yelled in common, tears pricking her eyes again as frustration danced into the horrible confusions of her other emotions. Gritting her teeth, she dug her heels into the ground and jerked her arm out of her grasp. With feet shoulder width apart and hands clenched into fists at her side, she looked up at the man with a mixture of anger and complete fear skittered across her pale face. "Please, what is going on? Where are we going?" she kept her voice calm, her common clear and every word enunciated. "Who are you?" she whispered, her bottom lip quivering as shock began to wear off and the events of the previous few minutes hit her hard[/color]

[Rak'kena]

Rak'kena allowed the Benshiran woman to tear herself away from him, he wasn't trying to restrain her, but guide her out of the area with haste. It was dangerous for her, and more dangerous for him now that he was risking his neck someone that may have connections with one of the Houses of Four Winds. He could already be marked for death for all he knew. He turned around, looking at her with confused glances, rather than anger or violence (though, he did wish to knock her out and drag her away, seeing as it would have been so much easier than to try and communicate with a foreigner), he smiled sweetly, but motioned ahead. His common was difficult, but he spoke it regardless. "Those men want to make slaves." He pointed a hand towards Kamari, telling that she was obviously their target. And hell, when you had two men with more arms than you can count trying to drag you away, your chances of resisting such a fate for incredibly small. Rak'kena took a step closer, lifting a hand to her eyes and he did what was almost too repulsive for him to do. He brushed away gently at those streams of moisture running down her cheeks, frustration, fear, she was to young to understand what was going to happen if he didn't help, or what was expected now that he did interfere. She wasn't used to Ahnatep, and she didn't quite understand just how different it was from Yahebah. "Those men come back maybe. I cannot be here, you should not too. Don't cry. Be strong." His words were kind, flowery, comforting rhetoric had its purposes. Rak'kena actually enjoyed her tears to be honest, it only fueled the motivation of his plan, his intentions. It hurt him to tell her to stop crying, since he quite literally enjoyed her pain, but he needed her to trust him first, and if saving her freedom wasn't enough for that, than so be it. "Have you family in Ahnatep? I can keep safe you, but cannot stay here now. Too dangerous, come please." Rak'kena offered his hand to her, this time opting to let her hold onto him, rather than the other way around since that obviously frightened her. Rak'kena's eyes picked up as he looked through the crowds, and sure enough, those two men were back, and they were searching around the area for something. Something like, maybe, a young Benshiran maiden in torn clothing and a look of distress about her. Rak'kena bit his lip, there was no reason to hide his worried expression. If he didn't move out, he could find a knife in his back and nothing but dust to fill his mouth. "Do not look, but they look for you. We must move away." Rak'kena then led the way, whether or not Kamari decided she would stick it out herself or trust the Eypharian that just saved her life.

[Kamari]

"Slaves? But.. But I'm free, I'm my own person. They can't just take me off the street, can they?" her mind followed Rak'kena's thoughts, her slender frame shaking at the thought of multiple hands grabbing at her with no way to escape. Why would people do that? She was free! They couldn't just grab her off the street and make her a slave, could they? Childhood stories of the Benshiran and Eypharian history hit her in the head like a flying rock. Of course they could take her off the streets and make her a slave, they wouldn't think twice about doing that to a young woman wandering the streets alone. She flinched as his hand came towards her, her head turning into her shoulder as if preparing for a blow. At the gentle touch and his kind words, she bit her quivering lip and nodded. Sniffing, she wiped at the tears on both cheeks and straightened her back, head lifting slightly as if silently defying the men who thought to take her. Inside her mind was babbling, her heart fluttering like a trapped bird and her stomach rolling angrily. "I have no family here, I traveled with Benshiran traders to the city. They have all of my possessions, including my horse. Would it be dangerous for me to retrieve it? Would they follow me back to their tent? I don't want to cause them trouble, they've been so kind to me that I could not bring trouble to their door" When Rak'kena offered his hand, she took a moment to study it before slowly reaching out and placing her hand in his. She should never have left home, the moment she was safe from the slavers she would go back to Beres and ask if he knew any Benshiran's traveling back towards the Burning Lands and pray that her family had not moved since she left. "What? They're looking for me?" fear hit her like a punch to the stomach, eyes growing wide as she did her best not to look around to find the men who were searching for her. Clenching her eyes tight to keep tears from falling, she dug her teeth into her lip and followed after the man who saved her life. Yahel, please forgive me for dishonoring my father. I will return as soon as I am safe and I will do whatever he asks of me

[Rak'kena]

Of course she came with someone, still, it wasn't family. She was paranoid of getting them hurt as well, naive girl. She didn't understand that she was fueling the worst of the Eypharian devils with ammunition. Still, he had to play it smart, play it cool, he had to detain her, but not against her will. He had to make her feel safe when she was around him, and always in danger when he wasn't there. It was going to be a tricky, difficult game, but that was why he was doing it. It was thrilling, like devious protagonist in a story doing everything right, but for the wrong reasons. She would thank him, someday, when she realized she would be much higher in this world by being his little pet, a trophy, than a Benshiran girl with her own family, or even a Benshiran slave being forced into sex and labor, unwarranted beatings and all kinda of emotional torture. "Yes, they can. They will. They tried." Rak'kena's hand slowly closed around her small delicate fingers, the two silver rings around his fingers cool against her palm, he smiled. "I keep you safe. Let's move" And they did, slipping out and away from the area before the two men ever caught another glimpse of them. If Rak'kena was lucky, they would never recognize his face in a crowd, Rak'kena certainly didn't get a good enough look at their to remember them. A mistake, it would not be repeated. One must always know his enemies, and even more so, his potential enemies. It didn't take long for them to reach Rak'kena's home. The city of Ahnatep was quieter here, nothing but small homes and dusty streets. It wasn't a poor place, but it wasn't rich either. "Your clothes torn, let me give you something." Rak'kena pushed open the door and poked his head inside, as if he expected those two men to be waiting for him, and when the darkness proved only to be that, he led Kamari inside and closed the door behind him. Without another word, he released her hand and moved to a trunk on the far side of the room, began digging through it until he pulled from it a long brown cloak. It was his own cloak, thus it was his size, but it would work wonders to cover her up. He handed the article of clothing to the woman and closed the trunk, then sat down on the trunk for several minutes in silence. "No family here. Good. Benshira families not well looked after by my people. I want to change this. Pressora Bashti, she could change this, but will not. Come." Rak'kena lightly patted on the bunk to his left, offering it as a seat for the Benshira girl. He needed to talk, though not truly desiring it, so that they could understand each other. Or rather, he could understand her and she could misunderstand him. "You friends. They is careful, yes? They will be fine if they stay together. You, they want you now. Best to hide you. Tonight, we find your friends and you can stay with them if you want." Rak'kena yawned briefly. "Horse is safe, possessions is safe, you not yet. Is you hungry? I am no good cook, but I have some food." Rak'kena grinned sheepishly as he shrugged his shoulders. "I am Rak'kena. Who is you?"

[Kamari]

She followed him meekly, head bowed and hair falling to hide her face as she tucked herself as close to Rak'kena's side as possible. I left so that I could be free and find my own way in life, perhaps Father was right all along… The world is too dangerous for me to leave his tent. Noticing their surroundings change some, she lifted her head slightly and allowed herself a few furtive glances to study the calmer area. Finally they were away from the bustling crowd and in a calm neighborhood, though she couldn't help shake the feeling that here wasn't safe either. As Rak'kena carefully looked around the entrance of his home, she turned her attention to the street behind them. Wide eyes darted everywhere, breath held as if waiting for the two men to jump out of the shadows to grab her again. "What? Oh. Thank you" wrinkling her nose, she shoved her hair away from her face and followed him inside "Thank you" she repeated in common, tugging at her ripped clothes again as if she could fuse the ripped pieces together with just her thoughts. A smile lit her features as he handed her the cloak, slender hands making quick work of the fabric as she folded it and flung the material around her shoulders. A couple more tugs as she had the hood up and covering her her hair, faint shadows falling to cover her face in a false veil. "Who is…Pr..Pressora Bashti?" she fumbled over the strange words, brows furrowing in concentration as she repeated the words over in her head "Yes, they are careful. They warned me, but I did not listen" she shrugged and moved to sit beside Rak'kena, pulling the cloak closer around her her frame. "No, not hungry. I will cook you food, I can cook well enough. And I am Kamari. It pleases me to meet you" she bowed her head in respect then rose, tugging at the cloak again to drape the ends over her forearms and freeing her hands "If you show me where the food is, I will prepare a meal"

[Rak'kena]

oocI'm sorry for the delay, been busy with stuff. Rak'kena grinned slightly as she accepted the cloak and covered herself with it without so much as a moment of hesitation. She was in his debt now, even more so. Saving her life and keeping her from the filthy hands of slavers, that would make him seem heroic, but saving a life was difficult to make up for. Now, rescuing her from indecency, which he knew Benshira were very strongly for protecting (why else would they hide their faces). He had to be rising up as perfect to her about now, and he intended on, somehow, forcing her into returning the favors in any way she possibly could. Already there were so many ideas. When he had a new place to live, he would need someone to keep it cleaned. When he was hungry, he would need somebody to cook and feed him. When he was sore or frustrated, there was need for entertainment or a masseuse. When he was angry, he would need something beautiful to mar, and he found Kamari exceedingly beautiful for a lesser race. Heck, if he wasn't so worried about her inferiority spreading like some common disease, he might have raped her right here. Nobody would know, and if they did, nobody would care. Her friends would never find her, nor find help in finding her. Just tought was beginning to make him hungry for forcing himself on her, but to give into such emotions just wasn't acceptable. He was not some animal or desperate nightstalker seeking a harlot to ravage. Rak'kena was too important in this world to give into simple temptations of violence, and violence is what he was thirsting for now, not so much the thought of her body quivering under him, but the thought of her resisting, struggling, fighting and cry because she had no choice, that is what intrigued him. But he was not so driven by desires of the present to give up his desires of the future. She would have her uses, and they would be so much greater later on. For now, he would have to play a game of puppetry and deceit. "Thank not. I do not for thanks, but because I care." Rak'kena looked down at his sandaled feet as if ashamed or shy about his words. Almost like he was some child admitting to his crush that he wanted to hold her hand (which was the equivalent of making love when you were but a child). He smiled softly as he intentionally avoided eye-contact. It was all a game, and he was playing his part flawlessly. The Shy Savior with Noble Intentions, it couldn't have been more skewed. "Pressora Bashti rules Ahnatep. She doesn't care about Chaktawe, Humans, or Benshira, not like I do." Rak'kena lifted his head. "It pleases me, but I wish, under different circumstances we could meet." Rak'kena of course meant Kamari's attempted kidnapping that he foiled. Yet, of course, it was all an act. The slavers, unknowingly, were used just as much as Kamari was. He used their greed and disgusting action as a tool to win the girl over. Even his own people weren't safe from his wickedness. Slowly, Rak'kena shook his head, refusing her offer to cook for him. He wasn't hungry for food, there was too many other cravings that he wanted to bite into. "No cooking then. I am not hungry, and you are guest here. Talk to me, your friends. What are they like? I don't know many Benshira well." Rak'kena smiled again, once again a forced farce. Every action he took had a purpose, dismantling her defenses, it was his goal. If he could get her to the point where she felt she was meant to stay with him, it would be his victory. This victory was a tricky one though. It would require finesse, a dance around the failure of allowing her to leave Ahnatep with her Benshiran friends. He had to give her that option to earn her trust, and he had to get her to, by her own will, choose him over home. "I apologize for my people. Eypharians are cruel. I try to not be cruel"

[Kamari]

oocPlease forgive me for the delay!

She shrugged and sat back down again, smiling at his kindness and his words [color=#FFFFBF]"I, too, wish we could have meet differently. And I may be a guest, but I am a Benshiran woman and we do not sit idly. Please, there must be something that I can do to repay you for your kindness?" At his question about the traders a small whisper of hesitance brushed against her mind, making her stomach flutter as if in warning. Though she felt no reason to fear the man, she had never ignored those premonitions before. Shrugging again, she turned her head away from Rak'Kena and studied the room she was in "They are traders from the Holy City, they saw me traveling and offered to take me to their destination. I'm afraid I do not know them very well" she kept everything vague, afraid that he would see through her lie if she tried to add anything more At his apology, she whipped her head around and stared up at him, confusion on her face as she processed his words. Why was he sorry for what those men did? He was not a part of their action! "Oh, no! Please do not apologize for actions that are not your own. Every race has those that they are not proud of, it is just a shame that I happened to meet them first" Shifting slightly, she tucked one leg beneath her and tilted her head back to meet his eyes for a moment "Tell me about you, please. I fear we have made such minor introductions that we know nothing beyond names"