TShara

The Rebel Vampire

Erik turned away as Alexi left, unwilling to admit that some tiny part of him would miss the strange human's presence. The lord fascinated him on some level, for he was a man who would willingly spend years of his life and give up a life of luxury. His twelve years of business trickery could very well be more effective than two hundred years of saving slaves a few dozen at a time with the use of stealth and force. For a few minutes, the vampire rebel was excited at the thought of being given all of that information. It would take us countless man hours to get intelligence like this, and he's willing to just hand it over to me?! Clearly I should have been captured years ago... He smirked at his own joke, and for a moment wore a giddy grin.

But the joy and sense of victory soon passed. I'm insane. Sure, this will help us “win” but how many will die in the process? It's easy to forget that. Most of the police we kill don't even have slaves. Sometimes office workers or security guards are caught in the cross fire. There's no way to save them all. I long for the days when I could see them as a faceless enemy, before I had talked to many human Resistance fighters and understood that they aren't all evil. But I can't. All I can do is try to reduce casualties on both sides. All I can do is set this guilt aside and see things as logically as possible. And yes, I am often forced to dehumanize the enemy in the process. It is unavoidable. We are long past a peaceful solution. We always have been.

Trying to put his mind back to the present, Erik stood and changed into his new robes, looking down at them with disdain. The design itself was not so terrible, but he could not help but associate them with slavery. However, by the time Alexi entered the room, he was sitting on the couch, reading yet another of the many books in the man's room.

~*~*~

Joseph smiled weakly at Riley and placed him gently on the floor.

“I'll be sure to have some of the other servants deliver some plants. You should have them within a couple of days,” he consented, smiling a bit. But there was a deep exhaustion hidden just beneath his eyes, one that only someone who had known him for years could possibly notice. He had not been sleeping enough, and he had been under a lot of stress since Erik arrived. Thanks to the auction, he still had not even had time to start his usual chores for the day. And now, he had to care for the new M'Tinak as well. He feared he would be up all night working. But naturally, he would never complain.

“Master Alexi, I will go and check on supper, and have it delivered to your room, if you wish?” he asked, bowing low as usual.

The Rebel Vampire

Erik glanced out the window as he realized Alexi was leaving again. As conflicted as his feelings were about the man, he realized that he rather wished the eccentric human was not going anywhere. It was not so much that the vampire enjoyed his presence, as that he was a distraction from this irritating imprisonment. It was not in the vampire leader's nature to laze around and read all day. A Commander's life was incredibly busy, with meetings, planning, reading reports, and then trying to keep up with his own chores and training. While the break might have been relaxing, having nothing at all to work on was driving him mad.

Taking a deep breath, he stood and glanced over at the eccentric billionaire.

“Two more questions before you go. First, why buy more slaves if you are just going to free them all in a few weeks? And, on a more personal note, how much longer are you going to imprison me here? I'd like to at least be able to walk around the house. I'm going stir-crazy in here with nothing to work on and nothing to do besides reading and swimming. I can't even use the Internet! I'm used to being constantly busy, but here I'm completely useless.”

Alexi is at the door when Erik speaks up. In an almost choreographed motion Alexi spins on his heel and turns to face the vampire, his back settling on the door. His soft smile stays in place as he waves a hand before crossing his arms. “If I change my behavior all of a sudden, it would make those who keep tabs on my life, a surprising many I may add, very suspicious and I would rather not risk a more critical eye turned towards me at the moment. Do not need my side projects discovered.”

He lights up a little as he goes on. “As to your need to be doing something, I have been contemplating several ideas. Since I no longer have to pretend to be some evil overlord, I can provide you with other things to do than what I originally planned.” He smile becomes a little wicked. “How would you like the blueprints to all the homes with chemically broken slaves as well as maps of their locations, and secret caches of weapons the military have all over the city? I can also provide other information, however these are the ones I had on hand and ready for you once the plan reached it's climax, so they are easier to get to you.”

He waves a hand again. “I can also get you the news and my brother's private research into the cells current locations. Perhaps you are more knowledgeable in those matters, however for the time you are here things may change. You may see patterns Mois does not.” He tilts his head, tugging at his sleeve to make sure as much skin as possible is covered since many newcomers are less than enthusiastic to be added to the household.

The vampire nodded, for as much as he hated to admit it, Alexi's explanation made a lot of sense. 'Well, you certainly did a good job of acting evil. But... it's not – Why? Wait, if you'd been kind from the start, I would have never believed a word you said. I thought of you as a despicable, evil human being, and anything else would have seemed to be a lie. The only way you could have convinced me was to essentially do exactly what you did, to show me that you weren't that horrid with one tiny act at a time. Gorrammit Alexi, you've basically played me like a violin.'

As he continued to listen, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped. The offer was nearly unbelievable. So much so that it took him a few seconds before answering.

“You'd give me that information? All of it? Seriously?! Alexi, I could kiss you!” he finally replied excitedly, his agape mouth turning into a grin. “I would need some notebooks and scratch paper as well, and preferably a cheap computer with Internet access, for ancillary research. You can disable all outgoing communication functions and track my activities, if you like.”

Though he was still grinning, the gravity of what he had just said dawned on him. 'Did I really just say that? Give him permission to track me and restrict my communication? I despise such privacy invasions. Apart from that, I'm even willing to avoid complaining about being trapped here, so long as I can be useful. God, I hope I'm not losing my mind. Raelani, Nirale, the other officers, even Pyrra... they would all kill me or throw me in a padded room if they could see the kind of trust I'm putting in the likes of Alexi Vandros.'

The look on Erik's face is priceless and Alexi take a moment to just drink it in. 'He is so adorably happy. It makes me feel good that I can bring a smile to his lips rather than all that frowning and anger' At the comment about kissing the man can't help but envision it, prompting a very light flush, however he looks down quickly to deflect his thoughts. “I shall get it all to you as soon as I can. . .As for the Internet access, I shall see what Elaria can come up with for you. The rest is easy. Joseph will bring it to you while I am dealing with the newcomers.”

He looks back up, a half smile on his face. “Once you have it however I must ask you restrict yourself to pencil and paper while I am sleeping the sound of a keyboard grates on my ears and is likely to keep me awake at night. Even madmen like myself need sleep.” He chuckles. Pushing off the door he rests one hand on the door handle. “Anything else? Perhaps a snack before dinner?” He sways back and forth a bit, still quite pleased with himself over dropping Erik's jaw.

Erik shook his head slightly. It was still difficult to believe that only four days ago the same man that had threatened him and treated him like a pet was now offering him the single greatest repository of information he had likely ever had access to.

“No thanks. I appreciate it, Alexi. Sorry for keeping you. Good luck,” he replied, nodding his head a little, and still grinning like an adolescent lover.

Alexi chuckles softly and nods. Slipping out of the room he wanders down the hall, feeling a lot lighter than he did before he entered. He can still feel the pain gnawing at him, however the long list of things to get done, and the prospect of new slaves to welcome home have him distracted enough to ignore the feeling. 'I shall check in with the cooks, ask for something with some fish, nothing too fancy, then wait in the windowless parlor for the incoming slaves. . .' Pulling out his phone he checks for a message from Joseph. Not seeing one yet he tucks it away and wonders what he'll need for them.

In the kitchens the slaves go into a mild panic at the sight of him, however after he drops his request they all calm a bit. “Yes sir Master Alexi. We can add a fish dish. We just got in some fresh trout from the hatchery. Would you like that sauce you enjoy along with it?” Alexi smiles at the aging dwarf lady and nods. She chuckles at his almost childish grin and waves as he leaves.

“Sauce ma'am?” one of the newer ones inquires.

She chuckles again. “It's just ketchup and miracle whip mixed together. Something simple and common, but I made it for my own son one day, and Master Alexi wanted to try it. Ever since he always has it with his fish.” The older kitchen staff let out light laughs while the newbies look to one another, wondering about this new master.
~*~*~

The beast flies around the back of the cage, hissing and snarling as the handlers move in closer and closer. Orion stands back with a disinterested expression. His attention is caught by a beep on his palm pal and after pulling it up he smiles wide. 'Very good boys. . .This will have the boobs upstairs drooling in no time' Signing off on the capture of a siren in one of the remote districts he looks up in time to see the M'Tinak his with a dart. After a few seconds it falls to the ground.

Though the sedative does its work properly the beast is still hissing and snapping. The men look out at Orion with questioning glances. With a smirk he responds, “The client likes them feisty, and with one as rare as this, anything more than minimal sedation would not be wise.” They nod, moving in and carefully binding the creatures hands behind him. Once he is properly bound the two pick him up and Orion leads the way to where he needs to be delivered. The beast keeps thrashing feebly, but the expert handlers are not bothered by the weak movements.

Joseph suffered his way through the auction, drinking a hot tea from the bar. He successfully ignored the usual stares, and even the few whispers of conversation he heard remarking on the “strange,” “offensive,” or “downright dangerous” presence of unaccompanied slaves at the auction. Of course, all of that was simple compared to the actual bidding itself, as he was forced to watch all of these beautiful creatures chained and led across the stage, to be sold as property.

Several times, he found himself checking his platinum pocket watch to see just how much longer this nightmare would last. The watch itself was ornately crafted, with an etching of a beautiful phoenix, flames emerging from its wings and tail. Inside the watch were his initials, JM. It had been a Christmas present from Master Alexi when he was merely twenty years old. Joseph had very nearly rejected the gift, on the grounds that he had not given his Master a present in return. But somehow the youth had convinced him to take it, citing some point about how it could not be returned with the personalized engraving.

Thanks to the vampire's centuries of training, and a few small miracles, he managed to keep his calm throughout the entire auction, and managed to make some fine deals on a few slaves. There were two terrified children, a male and a female, siblings nymphs, and no older than fifteen by their looks. Joseph had bought them both because he hated the idea of them being separated, especially with the war coming. He also purchased two more slaves, a female fae and a male of a species he did not recognize. The fae had a soft face and long flowing purple hair, matching her eyes. But what fascinated Joseph was the twinkle in those eyes as though she were simply laughing at the stupidity of all of these humans around her, almost as if she knew how pointless this auction was. The male looked completely human in this form, with deep brown skin, dark brown hair, and bright green eyes. He looked upon the proceedings with a dignified righteous anger, not openly violent, but almost regally disapproving, and almost as though he were waiting for the perfect moment to escape. Joseph resolved to keep an eye on him, as he would have to with all three of the others.

An hour later, Joseph strolled out to Alexi's car and greeted Elaria. He quickly gave her a run down of their new guests and warned her of the flight risks. It was then that he received the text from Master Alexi. Sighing, he responded as Elaria drove them to the pick up point, -Glad to hear that you are feeling better, Master Alexi. I found two nymph children who are siblings, a female fae who I suspect might have prophetic ability, and a male whose species is unknown and has not turned from his human form. I will make a full financial report within 24 hours."

The auction had sapped Joseph of his energy, and as such, he was quite thankful that none of the slaves put up a fuss getting into the car. Of course, that was because the M'Tinak was drugged, and the unknown creature appeared to have been dosed with something as well. All of them were bound, but the fae seemed not to care. The children were terrified, but too afraid of punishment to harm anyone. They all fit easily into the back of the car, and Joseph greeted the group.

“My name is Joseph Moreau, and I serve Master Alexi Vandros, CEO of EleCon Industries. I am the head slave to his household, and manage the day-to-day affairs. Provided you behave, you will be treated well, with comfortable living arrangements, good food, and some manner of choice in your chores. Master Vandros will greet all of you when we arrive, but afterwards, you will primarily report to me. Before all of you introduce yourselves, are there any questions?”

As soon as the big guys are no longer holding him the M'Tinak falls silent and begins looking around the best he can. Spotting the one from before, and feeling quite tired after all the drugged thrashing, he proceeds to fall asleep on the confident one's lap. He stretches a bit on Joseph's legs before passing out. The two children see this, and stare at the one who bought them wondering if he'll be mad at the action. The fae also seems a little curious, but the large male simply stares towards the driver seat with such concentration you could swear he recognizes Elaria. She however keeps all her attention on the road.

Joseph smiled slightly as the young M'Tinak fell asleep in his lap, placing a comforting hand on the child's shoulder. The nymph children seemed to relax after this, and the young female was the first to offer her name. “I am called Sayiph,” she replied, her voice sounding meek but determined. Her older brother chimed in as well, “I'm Enodai.” The fae also smiled, seeming to decide that she slightly approved of Joseph, “I am called Amithi. I am pleased to meet you, Joseph Moreau.”

Once everyone has given their names, all save for the dark skinned male, the fae looks at him curiously, and a moment later the children look up at him too. However, it's Elaria who speaks up first. “Joseph, that big guy's not gonna talk. In fact, he probably doesn't even know how to say his own name in English yet.” Glancing over he shoulder she says softly, “He's a drake, I can smell it, and a youth too. Just about ten years younger than me. I intimidate the hell out of him, and talking in front of me won't be possible for a while.” The fae raises an eyebrow at this, looking between the two drakes. The large male simply continues to watch her, not confirming or denying anything she said.

Joseph nodded, grateful for Elaria's knowledge, as he had been growing wary of the young man's silence. He would not have punished or scolded the drake for it, but it was good to have a reasoning.

“Thanks for the information, Elaria. Do you have any advice on how to communicate with him? Or how to proceed in general?” he asked curiously, knowing that he was clearly out of his element. The drakes were a highly secretive species, so despite all of his knowledge and experience, Joseph had no idea how to deal with them.

"Sure." Elaria calls over her shoulder. A few seconds later they stop at a red light and a click can be heard from the front seat. Suddenly Elarias face appears between the seats. Looking right at the younger drake she says quite clearly, "You do what he says." She points at Joseph and as soon as she does he nods and drops his gaze. She smiles and says, "There ya go hun." patting Joseph on the arm before slipping back into her seat just in time for the light to turn green.

'Well, that was simpler than expected', the vampire servant thought as he smiled graciously. “Thank you kindly, Elaria,” he responded. Though he did not ask the younger drake for his name, he was glad that the creature would not cause any problems.

After a few moments, Sayiph found the courage to ask a question. “What will Mr. Vandros have us do, sir?” she inquired, looking up at the vampire.

“That will depend on what jobs we have available, and on your own personal skill sets and preferences,” he answered, looking down into her eyes. Amithi merely smiled knowingly, looking out the window.

The ride passed without further incident, and Joseph exited the car and held the door for the others. The M'Tinak was still asleep, so he lifted him out of the car and carried him in his arms.

“Elaria, after you park, please come inside. I'm sure that Master Alexi will want to consult with you regarding the new drake.”

The drake in the front seat watches as the slaves exit, giving the little ones a small wave when they glance her way. She gives Joseph a nod and as soon as the door is closed she drives off towards the garage. 'They won't be slaves long, but I hope they are grateful for the kindness they receive here before they are freed. After all, if they know that humans can be kind, they will think twice before slaughtering innocents. . .' Her thoughts turn to the large male. 'Bronze, only a year or two into this stage of his life. . .This should be fun' Smiling she parks, tossing the keys to Uwin as he runs up. “Gotta go see Master Alexi. Check it out for me?” Uwin nods, understanding. With her naturally graceful swiftness she makes her way towards the house proper.

Joseph guided the new slaves into the house and through the foyer, hiding a smirk from his facial features. Leaving off the information about the M'Tinak had been quite intentional, as he wanted to see the look on his Master's face upon the surprise of such a rare and adorable creature. He guided the group into Alexi's drawing room and unbound their wrists, for he decided that no one was going to resist at this point.

The slaves all look around as they are lead into the smallish room, even the drake is curious now that he is no longer in the presence of the female. Alexi watches them from his place in the chair, a light smile on his lips. Spotting the unusual sight of Joseph carrying someone he eyes the figure closely and nearly jumps out of his skin in joy as he recognizes it. 'This must be what Orion said he would have for me that would have me crying in joy!' Careful not to express the collector's grade happiness he stands slowly and all eyes go to him. “Joseph, the box is by the door, please see to it.”

Before he can move away though Alexi gently takes the precious bundle in his arms and rests it on the high back chair. The creature makes small protest noises before curling up and settling. His smile warms and as he turns back to the new slaves they note the difference.

Naturally, Joseph saw to the work immediately, placing the electronic shackles on the male drake, and the suppression tiara on the fae, all the while wearing an expressionless face that hid his distaste at the actions. Though Master Alexi hid it well, he knew that the man was quite pleased with the new acquisitions, especially his surprise.

As Joseph goes about his work Alexi looks over the group, careful to keep his mind on the moment until the nymph is wearing her tiara. Before he can say anything however Elaria slips into the room and the large male's eyes go to her. Alexi notes this, but goes on with his intro. “Hello, I am Alexi Vandros, I am the lord of the manor. I am sure you already know that you will report mostly to Joseph, however I would like to learn a bit more about you before I place you in his capable hands.”

Moving slowly at so not startle them Alexi steps over to the children and drops to a knee. They flinch back slightly, the female dropping her hands from where she'd be tugging at her collar. He smiles at them and tilts his head towards the back yard. Though they can't see anything but wall the look anyways, then back to him as he starts speaking. “You two are water nymphs, right?” The boy nods, holding tighter to his sister. “We have a lovely pond out pack I am sure you two will find quite comfortable. There are a couple other nymphs and a water lizard who I am sure will make you feel at home.” They stare at him, unsure of his sincerity, but not willing to question it now.

He offers them a reassuring smile before moving on to the fae. Now that her tiara is on he feels more comfortable talking to her. “Welcome. I heard you may have some mental acuity there that can be put to good use. Sorry, I have to keep you out of my mind however.” She raises an eyebrow, staring at him for a moment, then rolls her eyes. 'Indeed, I like her, and the little ones are cute. But this guy. . .' As soon as he moves over to address the large man Elaria steps forward and speaks softly as not to frighten him further.

“Master Alexi, this one here is a very young drake, relatively speaking. He probably does not know how to say his name yet. If you like, I can take care of him until he learns the house rules at least. He's . . .” She looks at him with a faintly hungry expression. “Let's just say he's strong. . .”

It is easy to read her undertones, and a he glances at the five point restraints, wrist ankles and neck, he gives her a nod. “You are in charge of him.” Elaria nods and the drake male looks to the floor. Though his fear is not obvious, the fae can sense it and for a moment wonders what this female slave plans for the big guy.

Risking reprimand she asks the human, “So, what use do you have for us in this large manor. . .Master Alexi?” She almost doesn't add on the title, however she senses the vampire is very loyal and does not want to offend her new “Boss”.

Alexi smiles and motions towards Joseph. “He will fill you in on the specifics, however I know your kind enjoys the outdoors. The grounds are quite large, just got bigger in fact, I purchased the lot next to mine a few weeks ago. However, it is up to your skills and aptitude. I am sure you will find something to keep your mind occupied.” She nods, looking down at the children who seem to be relaxing ever so slightly at the soft voice of their new owner. Looking back to Joseph, Alexi motions towards the door. “Please, show them to their new accommodations.” Glancing at Elaria she adds, “You may house the drake with you if you like. I know he would likely seek you out anyways.” She nods and smiles. Looking back to Joseph he says softly, “And please lock the door behind you Joseph.” Looking at the sleeping boy the man's eyes almost seem to gleam, but in a kind way. “Leave this little one. I wish to speak with him. . .”

Joseph nodded simply and herded the water nymphs out to the pond. When they all reached it, he began to speak. “You may also use one of our family apartments, if you wish, but we do not have any of those with natural water sources. Master Alexi and I figured that you would probably be happier out here, where you can remain in your natural state, and among your own kind,” he explained.

“Thank you, sir. This will be fine,” the older male, Enodai, replied finally. He had been silent throughout most of the exchange, but now he seemed to decide that he could approve of his new masters.

“You will be given three days to become accustomed to your new surroundings, and meet your living mates and fellow slaves. Please report any dietary preferences or restrictions to the kitchens, and take some time to say hello. They like the company. Think about your skills and what you would like to work on. Ask around for any supervisors you find available, to see if they have any openings for jobs you might be interested in. At 3pm on Sunday, I'd like you to make your way to that drawing room to meet with me on your assignments. Is that alright?”

Both siblings looked shocked and perplexed that their new supervisor was giving them a choice in the matter. This arrangement seemed incredibly fair, for slavery at least. They had heard horror stories among the captured slaves, of cruel masters who would work them to the bone. But both Mr. Joseph and Master Alexi seemed completely reasonable to them. It was Sayiph who spoke up this time.

“That sounds fine, Mr. Joseph,” she replied, smiling brightly. With that, they both jumped into the water. Joseph watched them for a moment, a fond expression on his face. 'They will soon be truly free, and probably can find a place away from the danger. Master Alexi and I need to find safe houses. I wonder how much work he has already done on that? After he... he never told me how he's going to accomplish it. But I should have seen it sooner....' For a moment, he thought back to the last twelve years. 'It's obvious. How could I have not seen it? Even before he told me! The company policies, the devices themselves. He's spent years making sure that he was the only manufacturer, even when doing so cost him money. All he has to do is turn them off... and Erik... the perfect connections to distribute the breaking antidote. How could I have not seen it sooner! Damnit Master, I raised you, and you still managed to hide your true nature, even from me. I should have never doubted you. Even after he told me, it still took me four days... though, admittedly, I've been slightly stressed... I wonder what the kill mechanism is...' With a jolt, the vampire pulled himself back to the present, thankful for the tiara that the fae wore.

“I apologize, madam. I lost my train of thought for the moment. Perhaps I am getting a little old. Let us visit your quarters as well,” he commented. For Amithi's part, she did not seem to care one way or another, as she simply enjoyed the outdoors and being near the large pond, watching the water creatures play.

“I understand, Joseph. I would never interrupt your thoughts. The thoughts of any being are miracles that neither magic nor science can completely comprehend,” she replied brightly, flipping back her purple hair.

The vampire merely nodded and motioned for her to follow as he led the way to the main slaves' apartments. He found a lovely one bedroom on the side of the house, with several windows that looked out into the gardens.

“Will this be acceptable, Ms. Amathi?” he inquired, bowing slightly.

“Yes, of course. I'm not terribly picky. It's not for long, anyway,” the fae replied, grinning.

“What makes you say that?” Joseph asked, his tone turning serious, as his suspicions were confirmed. He had, after all, purchased the woman because he was curious to see how much she knew of Master Alexi's plans, and because he knew such power could be useful on their side.

“Nothing in particular. I just... sense a great change coming into the universe. It's much weaker now, with this tiara on, but I already Saw it before. There will be great chaos, and much bloodshed, but we will all be free. And is it not better to die free than to live as a slave?” she replied, looking back into Joseph's eyes.

“Do you know how?” he asked curiously, keeping the urgency from his voice.

“No, I do not. I know that it will happen quickly, and now that I am here I sense that this house is a focal point. But I cannot See beyond that, especially not while wearing this device.”

“I understand, and I apologize for the devices.”

“I do not mind terribly. Sometimes it is pleasant to take a break from the Sight,” she commented, sounding almost completely at peace. Joseph merely nodded,

“You will be given two days to acclimate yourself to the household and everything. I'll send you a Let the kitchens know about your dietary restrictions and preferences. Zinar will put them into the computer. I would also appreciate it if you would think about your skills and job preferences. I'll send you a list of our openings tonight. The children get a little more and flexibility time due to their age, but we try to accommodate everyone. No one, human or magical, who hates their job, will do a particularly good job at it. Can you report to me around 6pm on Saturday to discuss your work?” he asked, turning the conversation back to business.

“Certainly.”

“My apartment is just down the hall, and you're welcome to meet me in my office there. I wish you well, Ms. Amathi.” The vampire bowed slightly in respect and turned to leave, but the fae looked back at him.

“Just Amathi, if you don't mind. My clan despises titles.” She hesitated slightly. “And... you should know, you have been long cleansed of the filth you never should have carried.” The fae knew that Joseph would never believe her, not in this state, but she had felt such pain within him that she felt the need to try. The vampire turned back.

“What do you mean?”

“Your pain. There is no need for it.”

“There is, my friend, most certainly. But I appreciate the sentiment,” Joseph replied, turning and leaving. Amathi just sighed. The vampire's scars ran far too deep for her to solve. She prayed that he would one day come to know that her Sight was correct. 'The age old Seer's curse. Even those that know you have the Sight do not believe you if the Truth contradicts their own reality.'

~*~*~

Elaria snaps her finger, eying Alexi as he kneels down, looking at the sleeping boy like he's a kitten or something. As the drake male strides over to stand by her she muses, 'Careful Master Alexi, that kitten’s got fangs. . . .' before heading out. The male follows close behind her, too awed by her presence to do anything more than watch her move. Despite her current appearance he can see her true form and he has never seen such beauty before. Though drakes are naturally the wild cousins of dragons, far less intelligent than their larger cousins, they still have the capacity for learning and growing smarter than those who are too young to change their form. He'd listens to everything said, smelled the changes, used his instincts to make sense of it all, however with only her to focus on now he can feel his instincts coming to the fore.

Once in the shack for the garage staff his gaze falters, the close proximity of so many other bodies making him a little edgy. However with a soft snap she brings his attention back to her. The others in the shack watch the exchange, giggling a little. They like having Elaria housed with them. They feel safer with her around, and when she shows off her teeth it looks more cute to them than terrifying. Once at the hole in the back his eyes widens as she shifts into her natural form and slides down into it. He hesitates for only a moment before shifting and following her down. Soon the shack is empty as the staff decide to give the two of them privacy.

~*~*~*~*~

Once the door is locked, the sound of the bolt clicking into place, the M'Tinak stirs. 'That one is gone, but there is another. Why am I. . .?' The sedatives have worn off completely and when he opens his eyes to see a human so close the little critter lets out a shriek hiss and launches himself at Alexi. The man remains calm as the beast two thirds his size knocks him on his back and proceeds to sink his fangs into his cloth covered shoulder. He lets out a light gasp as those long fangs go right through the tough fabric, drawing blood. However instead of responding Alexi waits quietly for the beast to calm down.

Sensing nothing overtly hostile from the pinned human the M'Tinak pulls back. He snarls, his fangs still stained with Alexi's blood as he looks down at the pale face beneath him. He begins sniffing at the human, his wings fluttering lightly as he goes from angry to curious in the matter of seconds. He growls ever once in a while, but becomes far too interested in clawing at Alexi's clothes to be bothered with being upset. Once he’s sure the M'Tinak is distracted Alexi reaches up to touch the boys arm gently. In an instant the youth latches on to Alexi's arm, biting down hard. Once more Alexi can feel his blood flowing, however he is use to stuff like this so without complaining he sits up slowly, earning some yelping snarls from between those tightly clamped jaws.

With soft shushing noises Alexi reach up with his other hand and begins petting the little one's hair. It flinches, trying to shake the hand off, and in the process tearing at Alexi's flesh, however Alexi does not react, simply continues in his soft voice and gentle touches. Eventually it calms down a bit and on one pass of the hand atop his head he lets go of Alexi's arm to sniff at and examine the petting hand. Alexi chuckles and waits for the boy to speak first. He's done his research, he knows that M'Tinak learn to speak very young, many languages in fact, and that acting like animals is more a defense mechanism than anything else.

It isn't long before the boy lets his hand go and once more sniffs at Alexi's face. After a few more snarls and snaps he finally calms and sits cross legged between Alexi's bent legs, facing the man like a judge ready to lay down his verdict. “You. . .You collect things. You. . You like shiny things. Like a crow. You hoard.”

The little M'Tinak's voice is deep for his size, but still adorably cute and light. Alexi nods slowly, his warm smile still in place. “Yes, I collect things. I like rare and valuable thi-”

The boy interrupts. “I'm a shiny thing. You're collecting me!”

At this Alexi shakes his head. The boy raises an eyebrow disbelievingly. “You are not a thing, though I have collected you. I took you so no one else could have you, or hurt you.”

The M'Tinak looks very hard at him, wondering if he's lying. Reaching out he scratches Alexi's face. Not deep enough to scar with treatment, but enough to draw blood. Alexi flinches but otherwise doesn't respond. This seems to be enough to convince the boy for know, though his decision was made with factors the human can not even begin to comprehend. Like a large dog he licks Alexi's face clean before bouncing around the room looking for something to do. Alexi laughs and climbs to his feet, only to be knocked to a knee as the boy lands on his back and shoulder. Trying again Alexi uses a nearby shelf as leverage to pick both he and the boy up.

Once on his feet he looks over to see the youth chewing on his suit. His collector soul knows he can't leave the room without at the least a sleep collar on the boy so he flips open his phone and sends a text.

-Joseph, I need a sleep collar and a room prepared for the little one. One on my floor, make sure it has no ways out but the door. Also, I need a first aid kit, so maybe get the room ready after the collar delivery. Thanks.-

The critter reads what he wrote over his shoulder before he sends it and with a whine licks the cuts on his face a few more times before springing off his beck to scramble all over the desk, scattering things everywhere as he plays with the inkwell. Looking not unlike a large cat Alexi can't help but giggle at the boy as he settles back in his chair. He lets out a grunt as the youth lands on him and looks his straight in the eyes.

“What's my name? Your kind use names, and you can smell mine, so what is it?” Alexi blinks at the suddenness but without much thought he replies.

“I would say you are a Riley, since you like riling things up.” The boy thinks about it for a moment before nodding and lunching himself towards the ceiling where he vanishes.

~*~*~

Joseph stepped out of the apartment and looked down at his phone. 'Good grief. I can't leave him alone for five minutes! I thought he had the good sense to be careful around that M'Tinak! Taking a deep breath and rolling his eyes, he grabbed a first aid kit and a sleep collar and sprinted back to the drawing room. As he entered and looked over at the bleeding Master Alexi, and the creature who seemed to have disappeared, he stifled another groan. Noting that the eccentric human was mostly intact, he decided to focus on subduing the creature first.

“Did he disappear again?” he asked. Calling out to the M'Tinak, he said, “My friend, please show yourself.”
Alexi smiles and waves as Joseph enters, a little childishly happy to see the vampire worried about him. Glancing up at the ceiling he watches the faint movement at Joseph's request and after a moment a body comes falling down directly on to the vampire. Landing squarely on Joseph's head and shoulders Riley wraps around the head and looks the male in the eyes before scuttling around to his back to begin chewing on his hair. Alexi begins laughing, holding his wounds as the laughter jolts them every so often. Hearing the laughter Riley launches on to Alexi's lap and curls up like a tiger waiting for a meal. Alexi flinches at the sudden landing but continues laughing and patting Riley's back.

Joseph staggered and nearly fell to his hands and knees. Most humans would have, but the vampire was able to catch himself. He even smiled at the M'Tinak as the creature eyed him and then jumped back into Master Alexi's arms. Taking the collar out of its box, he inched towards the creature with slow and careful steps, trying not to frighten him.

Spotting the device the M'Tinak nearly launches himself off of Alexi again, wanting to flee from it. However Alexi once more begins shushing him and finds a really good spot near the base of his wings that causes him to go limp, growling only vaguely at the collar.

Thankfully, the head slave was able to place the device onto the creature without any problems.

“It's already synched into your household system,” he commented. The master knew that he could basically control all of these devices from his phone, for a while at least. “What did you decide to call him, Master?”

As soon as the collar snaps into place Riley's back legs come up all the way to his neck and he begins scratching and pulling at the device. Alexi lets him attack it all he wants while he answers Joseph's question. "His name is Riley, and thank you for settting the collar up." The newly names Riley flops over on the floor like a dead weight and with a chuckle Alexi reaches down and pats him gently before carfully removng his jacket. The left arm of his shirt is almost completely stained red as the shoulder wound combines with the actual arm wound.

With a little grin he waves the apendage, wincing at the motion a moment later. Rolling his eyes at himself he carefully begins removing his shirt so Joseph can treat him Meanwhile Riley regains his feet and begins bouncing around the room as if nothing has changed.

Joseph tensed slightly at the sight of the wounds, but began cleaning, disinfecting, and bandaging them.

“You really ought to be more careful, Master Alexi,” he commented as he worked.

"I know. I am sorry Joseph. I just did not want to do anything to endager such a rare find." He says softly. Riley stops and sniffs at this bot as he once more spots the ink well he decides it would look better in pieces. Alexi smiles at the little one's antics.

Once he was finished with Master Alexi's bandages, Joseph helped him put his slightly ripped shirt and jacket back on, and then walked over to the child M'Tinak.

“Time to show you where your room will be, Riley,” he remarked, lifting the creature up into his arms. Thankfully, Riley did not really struggle, and Joseph was able to bring him over to a large guest bedroom without too much difficulty. The room itself was only down the hall from the lord's, which worried Joseph slightly. But it could be locked from the outside, if necessary. Master Alexi followed along.

“I'll have the report as soon as I can, and I'll be sure to get someone to fix up the drawing room,” he said to the lord, preparing to leave and check on Erik just as soon as he was dismissed.

Magical Protection

Ethan looked back at the strange creature, listening to his response and nodding gently. The entire thing was still very difficult to accept, and would be for a very long time. He was still sure that he was just crazy. But he could see the creature, hear the creature. He had watched him chase away the bullies, so clearly he was not the only one seeing it. Even so...

“I am sure I'll have more questions about your past later. But I … just can't think of anymore right now. I do have one request though. May I … touch you? Please? Your hand or something?” he asked tentatively, looking down at Yu's eyes. “I don't mean to be rude, but it is still difficult to believe that you are real. It goes against everything my puny human brain has learned. Touching you might help me to accept it.” The bit about his “puny human brain” had been said with touch of teasing and irony, and it was clear that he was amused rather than insulted.

The Rebel Vampire

Erik listened carefully to the human's words, continuing to scrub his hair, almost absentmindedly now. His eyes flashed once again at Alexi's mention of his job, but otherwise he kept himself calm. Whatever Alexi had done in the past, or was doing now, Erik had to operate under the belief that it truly was in an effort to end slavery. Otherwise, they would never get anywhere in this relationship. He could continue to hate, or he could try and work with the man and figure things out, if nothing else.

“I don't... I don't hate you anymore. Trust me, if I hated you, I would happily let you know. I just don't know what to think. You are... you are not the person I imagined, Alexi. You are not even the person that you seemed to be when I was first captured. As far as the rest of your explanation... you've told me this before. It's just, I still don't emotionally understand it. I've never lived a life without these emotions, without my fears. I don't know what it's like to do so. And so, I've learned to cope with them out of necessity. To see them making you physically ill bothers me,” Erik replied, finally taking his hands off of Alexi's hair so that the human could rinse himself off.

Alexi stays with his head back for several seconds, wondering if there is an easier way to explain it. A part of him thinks the vampire will never understand, however that idea doesn't really bother him. 'He does not need to understand it' he muses, but still tries one last time. “A flower born to the hot wet tropics wilts and dies if torn from it's home and placed in the cool dry tundra.” With that said he reaches up and holds his nose before letting himself fall back into the water. Careful to aim around Erik he kicks off the wall and drifts under water into the center of the small pool before coming up. Reaching up he begins working the soap out of his hair.

Erik could not help but at least begin to understand with that imagery, and he jumped back into the pool himself.

“Except, I think the flower is turning more into a weed that's destroying the tundra,” he muttered.

The human gives Erik a sad smile as he shifts to look at the man. “That would be what you feel is happening to you I am afraid. The flower, which is my unwavering confidence, is what has been thrown into the tundra of your negative feelings. Your emotions are harsh and forthright, while in the rainforest the only weather I have had is more rain, which helped me grow. Having your cold harsh emotions around me is like all of the nutrients suddenly ripped from me making me wilt.” He smiles more confidently, “However I am a hardy flower and will last as long as I need to.” He chuckles lightly, swimming towards the edge now that his hair is clean. “On to the next one.” he murmurs, climbing out slowly just in case he gets hit again.

“Well, I screwed that metaphor up royally, didn't I?” Erik muttered, climbing out into the other tub. “That being said, your confidence isn't destroying me. It's frustrating, in a way, because it makes me terribly envious of you for it. But I am still able to keep it separate from my own head. You know, you have to be wasting tons of water with these things. But, never mind that. You told me the strongest thing you had ever felt was mortal terror. What made a wealthy, pampered, spoiled brat like you so afraid?” Erik finally asked, the tone of his voice rather lighthearted as he followed Alexi into the next pool.

His smile takes on a mischievous hint as Erik explains what his feelings are doing to the vampire. Of course he doesn't say anything aloud but as he slips into the water of the third bath he does decide to answer the water wasting comment. “Actually I waste very little water. My estate is self sufficient. A long time ago one of my ancestors decided water from the main plant is too dangerous, seeing as it could be poisoned before piping in here, so we have our own water purification in the basement that is constantly working to keep the house water fresh and clean. I do however waste a lot of electricity, but oh well. The city squeezes at least that money out of me.”

He chuckles softly, letting the near boiling water do its magic before reaching towards the body wash and loofahs. He does not even skip a beat as Erik poses the question he knew was coming. “When my father's madness reached it's peak, he tried to kill me in the middle of the night.” Leaning back with the soap and loofah in his right hand his left comes up and points at a rather harsh scar that looks to run right over his heart. There are other smaller scars, mostly made by slaves he's taken in who were on the wild side, but this mark is the most well pronounced. Still smiling he turns around to show the much smaller exit scar where the tip of the blade had protruded out of his back. Despite the subject, Alexi doesn't seem to be bothered as he squeezes out the soap on to the loofah and begins scrubbing.

Erik was floored, and for a few moments, he just stood there, openly staring at Alexi with his mouth hanging open. The fear he had seen before made a lot more sense now. He'd seen a lot of danger, a lot of bloodshed, but the idea of anyone's own father trying to kill him was still horrific.

“What happened then? After he tried to kill you?” he asked quietly, treading water up to the other man.

It actually takes a little bit of effort not to laugh at the slack jawed stunned look on Erik's face when the human glances up at him. However in order to avoid just that he returns his focus to his scrubbing. 'I suppose with who I am and how I act, such a thing would never have crossed his mind. After all, I get what I want, and at age 19, getting dead is not something I longed for' His eyelids are at half mast as an almost fond look crosses his face at the question. “Mois and I have always had a habit of sleeping in the same bed for one reason or another since we were little. He does not like thunderstorms and that night he had crawled in with me some time after the storm started.”

Glancing up at Erik he adds, “Mois is older than I, however he has his more childish aspects despite his job. It is quite cute really.” looking back down at his body he begins scrubbing at his leg as he continues. “Anyways, after I was impaled he turned the weapon on father. No hesitation. It is the last thing I remember before passing out.” Alexi does his best to keep himself focused on the present, recalling how fantastic he brother looked in that moment, defending him. . .

Erik looked away, nodding slightly. He was unsure of what to say to that. He had other questions for Alexi, but he needed to let that sink in. He could feel just the slightest of painful ripples over it, beyond his own empathy, and he wondered if that was from the potion's influence. It was a few minutes before he spoke again.

“Did you and your brother inherit his madness?” he asked tentatively.

Alexi lets the silence settle about them, knowing that Erik will need time to go over the things he's just heard. 'It may not consciously bother me any more, however with just a touch of his passion in me I went so far as to lose my breakfast, so I can only imagine. . .Though it did not happen to him so. . .Anyways. . .' He is in the middle of cleaning between his toes when the next question comes. He focus does not waver. “Mois is blessedly free of the incurable imbalance that brings on the madness, however I have been confirmed to have it.” He smiles gently at Erik. “But as I said, no need to worry. You will be free of whatever happens in my mind. I promise you that.”

“Thanks for the reassurance, but I wasn't asking out of fear for my own mind. That's clearly screwed up all on its own. I was actually asking out of concern for you. Is there a cure now?”

Alexi's smile warms into a rather adorable glow when Erik says he's more worried about the human that the affect it will have on him. However as he washes off the last of the soap and climbs out, heading for the soak pool, which looks more like a swimming pool than a bath tub, he says gently, “No. The location of the cause is too far into the brain, and that is just the chemical side of things. I really am glad for your concern though. Thank you Erik. . .” Slipping into the soak tub Alexi rest on the ledge for a handful of seconds before striking out to paddle around the pool like a child.

“You have to admit, though. If you have to be crazy, it's better to be rich and crazy,” he pointed out jokingly. “I refuse to believe there's not a cure. All the magic, science, and technology available to you, enough money to build all of this, and you can't find a cure? Bullshit,” Erik pointed out as he gestured around to all of the pools. He followed Alexi into the final rinsing pool. Despite the man's tragic story, it still felt slightly ridiculous that the billionaire needed four pools to bathe in.

Alexi smiles and rolls on to his back. “I suppose. . .” he murmurs to the part about being rich and crazy. To the next comment he looks over at the vampire with a smirk. “Scientists have been working on the cure for vampirism for centuries, backed by most of the richest people in history, and still, a turned person is incurable. You would think with all that money, time, and resources they would have found a cure, no?” Alexi dives down them pops back up closer to Erik. “For all we know of it now, this madness is a natural evolution in my family's genes, and like vampirism, incurable. And it is not as if they have had very long to work on it. No one wanted to admit my father was ill, or grandfather before that. I am the first who would be willing, however I have no time to worry about it right now. So I would rather dissolve into madness knowing I did one great thing with my life, rather than watch the world go to hell in a hand basket just so I could maybe avoid an unpleasant life down the road.” He chuckles. “In short, I am too busy to entertain the possibility of a cure. I spent five years on it, but now. . .I have more important matters to attend to.”

“You really think you can do it, don't you... save all of us, I mean,” Erik began. It was not a question. “I've been working at this for over two centuries. What makes you think you can do it? Just because you own all of the control devices...” Erik stopped for a second, the wheels turning in his head and coming back to an earlier thought. 'If I wanted to end slavery, and I inherited a business that sold all of them... I would, somehow, design them so that they would break. I would put in a kill switch. But that would be... an insane undertaking. He would have to make sure he was the only seller, keep all of the other companies out of business. Then he would have to replace any old devices with his new models, to make sure anything used had the shutdown code. Then he'd have to hide the shutdown mechanism itself from the engineers and manufacturers. No one man could do all of that.' “There's no way. It's impossible.”

Floating in front of Erik, looking up at him with those clear, confident eyes, a half smile comes to his lips as he watches the man work. Like he can with almost anyone he meets, a part of him can almost see the tumblers falling into place behind the vampire's gaze. 'He may have just figured something out. . .' To the final declaration his smile widens only a fraction. “I will free all the slaves Erik.” There is not even the faintest traces of doubt in his eyes as his gaze remains locked on the rebel leader.

“The kind of planning it would take... even to someone born with your privilege. Your company has many policies for free or cheap upgrades for its devices. It used to make me sick. It looked like you were hurting your own bottom line just to keep the magicals downtrodden. But if you installed a kill switch... that would make perfect sense. You'd have to make sure everyone had it. Still, though. How would you hide that from your designers?” he asked, thinking more to himself than Alexi. Finally he looked up. “You have some kind of kill switch in them, don't you? All of them. Every slave will be free once their chains cease to function. Except the chemically controlled ones. Which is why you need me to help distribute the antidote, so that those who are the worst off can have their freedom as well.”

Alexi almost looks like he's ignoring Erik as he begins running down his thoughts on just what Alexi has done as he drifts back and forth in front of the vampire, playing with the water. 'He really is smart. Once you know me however it should not be that difficult to figure out how I planed this big grand thing of mine' It takes a moment to realize he's being addressed, however a glance up at Erik clues him in. Tilting his head tot he side he thinks about his answer for a moment. 'I can not tell him too much. I am sure he will tell Joseph, and he knows me better. He may figure out something I would rather he not find out until much later. . .'

“Once the vast majority of slaves are free, it will be up to the resistance to free those I could not with a single action.” He looks down at the water, his vision clouding over a bit. “All the devices will fail, and many humans will die. My factories will burn to the ground, the stores containing my devices will follow suit. Every, last, one. The alarm will give those working there ten minutes to vacate, but I am sure not all will escape. . .The magicals will. They will be freed twenty minutes before the count down begins. . .The surviving humans will have to escape then.”

“You set everything up to burn too? How the hell could you manage that? You would have to hide all of this stuff from countless designers, programmers, engineers, and the like. There's no way. And anyway, where is this kill switch of yours? How does it work?” Erik asked, stepping slightly closer to the human through the water. Despite his doubts, he was looking at Alexi with new eyes. A genuine respect and awe was shining through in his gaze. 'It could still be a lie, he reminded himself. But he had what he wanted. I would have taken the potion in a few more days anyway. He had nothing to gain by lying to me and trying to gain my trust. He didn't need it at that point.

Stretching out in the water Alexi hums contentedly. “The warding magic on the shops and factories have an underwriting in invisible script that will be activated at the end of the count down. There are multiple back up systems so that even in the first ignite fails, there are at least four more ready to go. Only a very unique signal will activate them. One of my slaves well versed in magic taught me about underwriting, invented it really, and since I inspect all the warding bands myself I confirm yearly that they are all still in place. The people who install the wards have no idea that the invisible script is there, since the bands are made right here on the grounds and they are shipped out.”

He runs his hand over the surface of the water. “The slave who made the designs thinks that the script is protection from having a factory taken over by the rebellion. In other words, if a factory is invaded and supposedly held hostage or something, the script could be activated to simply kill everyone inside.” He smiles softly. “Not a complete lie.” He looks back up at Erik. “Another slave is the one who invented the deactivation device. A brilliant mix of magic and machinery. There are a few different designs to cover all the types of devices, but they all will cause the device to no longer do it's job.” He chuckles. “I told her I wanted it so that if I saw someone misusing my devices or saw one on the fritz, I could deactivate it for repairs. It also makes them impossible to recreate because as soon as the device is tampered with, a spell makes it dissolve. Only she and I know what it does, and because I do not tolerate my employees destroying my product, they simply install them and that as they say is that.”

He points up at the ceiling. “The signal that will do all this will be transmitted world wide via my personal satellite system I established for my TV channel. It is only an infomercial for my control devices and other products, but it is popular enough for it not to be too suspicious that I made my own satellite system.” It is kind of a relief to tell Erik all of this, the faint change in the expression on the man's face very encouraging. A part of him thinks Erik may actually start to believe him.

“The work involved in this would take at least a decade,” Erik muttered, looking up at the human. “You're only thirty or so, if I remember correctly, you would have had to start working on this as a teenager, laying out the plan, getting the satellites up, designing and installing the kill switch... I … I am still not quite sure I believe it. The scope of that would be seemingly insurmountable!” There was a look of disbelieving awe on his face now. “Assuming for a moment I do believe you, when are you going to set it off? And how?”

He smiles warmly with a nod. “Good math. I am thirty-two, and I began planning at age nineteen when I took over the business. Well, actually, before I left the hospital.” The heat of the water begins making the human feel a little lightheaded so he drifts to the side to take a seat. Leaning his head back to looks at the glass dome ceiling in the middle of the room. “As for the detonator. . .That is my own little secret that I am sorry I must keep from you.” He chuckles softly and casts a glance at the other male. “Do not want you setting it off early or anything.” His chuckles die down as he relaxes against the side. "As for when. . .I would say it is only a matter of weeks. . .Not sure how many. . .Depends on certain factors. . .” That last part sounds almost like he is talking to himself.

Erik could not help but roll his eyes. “So, your dad tries to kill you and you decide to take down slavery. Well, that's certainly one method to deal with trauma. And you still won't tell me why I'm here or what your detonator is! You want to end this crap, but you are keeping me as a prisoner here and won't even explain why. Do you understand why it makes it difficult to trust you?”

Alexi blinks slowly, looking at the vampire with a curious expression. “You make me think of a man who can not appreciate what he is being given because no matter how good it is, it is simply not enough. You want more, you want everything. You can not simply take what I have given you, which is more than I have given any other, and let that settle and appreciate for a moment it because of those few little things I choose to keep to myself for the safety of the mission.” His tone is light, more fascinated than anything else. “You can not have everything you want, so what you have has little to no merit. . .I am not saying that is what you are thinking, however it is the impression you are giving. . .”

“However, it does not really matter. I can, on some level, understand why you do not trust me. I do not need your trust. Even if you think this is just some big joke I am playing on you. It is your prerogative and I respect your right to think that way. And you really are the only selfish part of all of this. In the grand scheme even without you the slaves would be freed. The distribution afterwords of the antidote would be more difficult, but not impossible. You are the one thing I am guilty of being truly selfish with. . .Though in truth freeing the slaves is also a selfish desire of mine, but at least the benefit is immediately evident. . .” Letting out a light groan Alexi stretches and starts climbing out of the pool.

Erik had been called a lot of things in his long life, but “greedy” had never been one of them. And even though that was not directly what Alexi said, the obvious implication still stung him as he too got out of the pool and began to dry himself off.

“I don't know what I think, Alexi. I have very little reason to doubt you, save the way you have me collared and imprisoned here, the way you acted when I first arrived, and these tidbits that you won't tell me. Logically, I know that you already had me. I would have taken the potion in a few days whether you had told me all of this or not. There would be no reason for you to lie and put up these theatrics. Ultimately, I don't know whether to believe you or not. I need time to think on it.

And you know what? Regardless of what you think of me, I won't apologize for wanting all of the information. You are asking me to believe the unbelievable. If this is true, then you might just be the most amazing man I've ever met. In ten years, you will have done the one thing that I've worked for for two centuries. I'm not ignoring that. I just want to know and understand more. Is there really so much harm in my curiosity?” he asked, as he started to put his clothes back on.

Slipping into one of his many robes Alexi looks over his shoulder and spots Erik getting ready to put back on his clothes from the night before. Quickly snatching up another robe he slides over to Erik. Tossing the robe over his shoulder he reaches out with his right hand and settles it on the taller male's shoulder. Looking up into his eyes he carefully takes the dirty clothes away with his free hand. “I do not fault you for your curiosity, and in truth I would love to tell you everything right now. However I have worked too long and too hard, and only have one shot at this. I can not let anything mess it up.”

He glances down for a moment as he says the next part, tossing the filthy clothes towards the pile of his own clothes a few feet away. “Ten years may not be long for someone who practically has forever, but it is a long time for me.” He looks back up, an earnest smile on his lips. “You will know every detail I know before the end. I promise. I will tell you everything, just not right now.” Slipping his hand from the vampire's shoulder he takes up the robe in both hands, holding it up like Joseph does when helping him into his clothes. His slightly bashful look returns as he lifts up the cloth and tries to ignore the fact that he is only a couple feet away from the naked man.

“Do you honestly think I would mess something like this up?! But... I will try and respect your decision. Thank you for the information you have already given me, Alexi,” the vampire replied, slipping the silk robe on. It was one of Alexi's longer robes, and on Erik it only went down to his knees, but it was quite comfortable. He turned and looked back at the eccentric billionaire. “I am not a man of tact. And I have surely treated this more as a debriefing than a heartfelt conversation. You've told me a lot about your life, and I am grateful for that. Would you like to know anything else about me, in return? Though, I figure you probably already know most of it.”

Alexi is quite pleased that Erik submits to the fact that he has shared a lot and accepts it for now. Once the robe is on Alexi averts his gaze as the vampire ties it to his liking. 'He looks pretty in that. . .Now that he is no longer going to be chained, I can buy some other clothes for him. . .Maybe something to. . .' His mind goes off making Erik into an imaginary dress-up doll until the man asks him what he wants to know about him. “Umm. . . .Oh, do not worry, you did not do anything wrong. . .” he murmurs, leading the way back into the room. Once inside he opens his wardrobe and picks up one of the outfits that Joseph had ordered for Erik and throws it to him.

“We shall get you something else to wear now that you are no longer chained. I will have Joseph see to it when he gets back. . . .” He glances at the clock. “Wow, three already. Long bath. . .” He chuckles and begins picking out what he wants to wear. Knowing that he will likely have to debrief a new group of slaves he laments that he can not put on his pajamas yet. Suddenly it hits him. Leaning to the side so he can see Erik past the wardrobe door he asks, “What kind of foods do you like?”

“I don't know really. I eat whatever is being served at the compound. There isn't a lot of choice. I like seafood a lot, because that's the primary meat we have there. And...” Erik looked almost embarrassed to admit it. “I love chocolate. But it's a luxury we really don't have very often.” Turning away, he changed into his new outfit, a simple robe with clips at the top, and hung up his robe in the bathroom.

The Rebel Vampire

At first, Erik was relieved to hear that everyone was alright. He did not know how he would have dealt with it if he had lost someone's life again, especially from falling for a pointless trap. But as Alexi continued, he became incredibly confused by the billionaire's response. Maybe if you told me a reason, I would actually believe there was one. The reason I don't believe you is that you won't give me information, you insane fuck, he thought to himself. He noticed a certain fear in the human's eyes, even though he had been careful to stay away from the heights of his anger, and had really sounded more irritated and frustrated than truly furious. If he had to guess, he would say he had seen similar fear in former slaves that they had rescued. Fear of anger, of criticism. It had frustrated him at first, but now he had learned to just ignore it and try to remain calm.

For a moment, he was floored by the sincerity in Alexi's point. You... you really believe you can do it, don't you. Alexi Vandros... you are either the best liar in the world, or delusional. There's no way that one man can do this. Unless... you own all of the control... No. No way. That's impossible. It would take... years. Just as he was about ready to begin questioning the man again, he watched in horror and concern as the man began throwing up all over the floor.

When the vomiting was finished, the vampire jumped out of the pool to find a mop in the closet and began cleaning up the remains of the vomit.

“Alexi. You have no idea how much I want to believe you. But it is not so easy for me to trust a man whose name I despised only a week ago and who kidnapped me and put me through hell a few days ago. It will take time for me to trust you. Still, if it helps at all, know that I don't hate you as much as I did in the moment you took that damned potion. We will take the second dose as soon as possible. As far as my self-loathing... I... I don't know how to change that. I don't think I can. It helps to know that they are safe, but I still failed them,” he commented as he cleaned up the mess. When he was finished he took a bottle of shampoo and knelt behind Alexi, lifting and guiding him up into a sitting position.

“You got your hair dirty,” he muttered, wetting the man's hair and running the soap through it. “I did not mean to upset you so much. I still cannot truly understand why my emotions are so toxic to you. I feel fine most of the time, have very little problem with them. Either you're just a weakling or I'm a hundred times more screwed up than I ever thought,” he joked, still scrubbing the man's hair. “Are... are you alright now?” he inquired, laying a comforting hand on the eccentric human's shoulder.

The Rebel Vampire

As Alexi told his story, Erik's mind went into overdrive, to the point that he was only absentmindedly scrubbing the human's back. Vinkta, Vin for short. He had a good future going for him. Could have been the next Leader one day. But you screwed that royal. Half of the officers probably think him a traitor now. Usually, breaking is so easy to notice that no one has ever tried to use it to turn one of our own into a spy. We've lost good people and good information because breaking was used as an interrogation tool, but we have never had someone return and act as one of us without noticing what was going on. I don't know how we could have figured it out. If he comes back to us after giving the antidote, it will be up to Nirale to decide what to do with him. Nirale is a good and fair man though. If he believes the story, he will likely allow him to stay, but keep him away from any sensitive information. He will be able to help, do chores, eat, and live, but he will be barred from serving as a Resistance fighter, and he will be watched. It's not going to be easy for him to go back, and I'm not sure that he will.

Though he was still thinking, he continued listening to Alexi's story. It was humiliating. The lord almost made it sound easy. Looking back on the moment the tranq dart had hit his back, the look of sheer surprise.... he'd been careful, but he had not expected the ambush. I should have been paying more attention. I should have been watching my own back a lot more carefully. It seemed like such an easy run. Hell, the slavers... their actors, were putting on a good show. One or two even seemed drunk. It's my fault. If I'd been less overconfident, if I'd been less willing to trust Vin's information.

He noticed the human tense up as he got out of the bath, looking like he was about to faint. Remembering his “job,” Erik grabbed his arm to steady him, until he seemed alright and able to walk on his own. The last thing either of them needed was for him to fall and break something. He even helped the other man sit down on the side of the pool, taking care to make sure that he did not slip.

It had taken all of his will to keep calm and let the eccentric billionaire finish his story, as he walked into the hot tub and submerged itself in the pleasantly warm water. He would never admit it, but he could get used to this life of luxury, even as a prisoner in a gilded cage. Now that they were in the hot tub, he finally got to speak. He did notice that Alexi had been trying to make him feel better about the whole thing. It was kind, if misguided, for him to try, so the vampire started there.

“Thanks for trying to make me feel better, Alexi. But nothing you say is going to change the fact that I'm here, with a collar around my neck, basically at your mercy. And, more importantly, nothing is going to change the fact that I failed them. What happened to the others? The ones who were captured besides me in that raid? Do you know the names of the people the police department sold them to? Many of them are probably being broken as we speak. All for your damn whims. And I've failed them as their leader and their comrade,” Erik began, his voice slowly rising with frustration.

“And why was all of this so important anyway?! There were other ways to distribute your antidote. Why do you want me bound to you so badly? Why did you choose me, of all the rebel leaders you apparently could have brought here?” he asked, breathing deeply to try and calm himself as his eyes already began to glow. Looking down, he unclenched his fists and tried to relax in the warm water. I have to stay calm. I cannot let my anger get the better of me, not now that I'm finally getting some goddamn answers.

The Rebel Vampire

Alexi Vandros, you become stranger by the second. You had me in chains 24 hours ago. And STARING is what you're apologizing for? Why would I care if you look at me? Of all the things you've done to me in the last few days, staring at me naked is one of the least offensive.

The vampire found himself rolling his eyes at Alexi's explanation for the lack of a shower in the room. Though he appreciated the desire for authenticity, it seemed silly to him to value authenticity over efficiency and, in this case, safety. Nevertheless, he swam over across the pool and sat down next to the billionaire on the inner ledge. Despite his flippancy on the matter, he did intend to keep his promise of making sure that the man did not drown.

He looked up and met Alexi's eyes on his mention of Gidian Grunblak, unable to keep his own face from screwing up in equal disgust.

“God... he's worse than I thought,” he replied, sounding absolutely disgusted. "Amusing thing is, most of us lump you in with him, and the rest of the slave profiteers. And I'm still trying to figure out why I should change that perception, apart from your initial show of trust.” The vampire's tone was more relaxed and pensive now, but he tensed slightly as he changed back to the subject at hand.

“So how did you manage to capture me?” he asked, taking another stone and beginning to gently wash the man's back where it would be difficult for him to reach himself. It was a rather personal move, but it should not be mistaken for one of trust. Erik had merely decided that if Alexi was willing to open up, he might as well try and go all the way at putting him at ease. Even if he was a liar, a still distinct possibility for the owner of the only slave control device corporation in the world, the information gathered now could be crucial.

Furthermore, he did not see the action as very uncomfortable, as he had done similar things for men and women he had bathed with in the Resistance. Many species of magicals had a different perception of personal space than most humans did. Though vampires usually chose to remain clothed, certain othr species went naked all the time, and did not see touch as something quite so personal and reserved. Erik could not help it if after two centuries he had picked up some of their habits.

The Rebel Vampire

The former Leader looked away, immediately embarrassed, and caught between his own paranoia and wanting to trust the human. Something about Alexi's voice, so concerned, so unlike it had been when he first arrived, even managed to touch a bit of unfiltered and unidentified emotion within him.

“I... I apologize, Alexi. I shouldn't have panicked so openly. I just... I was terrified that I had let my guard down for a second. Even though I will never be their Leader again, I wouldn't betray them for the world. I will do some more research on the subject and speak with Joseph before we take the next dose. If what I find checks out with your information, then it should not delay us at all. You'll forgive me for not just taking your word on the matter,” Erik replied, striding over and taking Alexi's hand in apparent assent to the idea of a bath, and apparently not noticing the strange way that the human blinked his eyes.

In actuality, the strategic mind within Erik could not resist the temptation of knowing just how he'd been taken, and ideally passing that information onto Nirale later, so that it never happened again to any of his former comrades. Besides, now that his hatred for the human was beginning to be replaced by inklings of trust, they could finally have a decent dialogue, and Erik enjoyed the idea of speaking with him on equal terms.

“Who is it you were dealing with? That made you feel so dirty? And why the fuck don't you have a shower in here?” he asked, stripping off his clothes and hanging them up with zero shame about revealing his birthday suit. There was not a lot of room for privacy in the camps; even Erik, as Leader, shared his bedroom with three others. Bathing, for men and women alike, was done in a communal underground lake, or a few communal showers. Though his skin was pale and laden with superficial scars, he was well-built and quite muscular, not as much as a body builder, but in a healthy manner. With a slight smirk, he lightly jumped into one of the shallower pools.

“Well, come in! Don't drown. I really don't want to be executed for your murder unless I actually committed it.”

The Rebel Vampire

Joseph merely nodded at Orion's words and bowed low as he left, more than happy to be dismissed from the slaver's presence. Narrowly avoiding a disgusted look in his eyes, he wondered off to view the other slaves before the main auction at 3 o'clock.

~*~*~

Erik noticed the way that Alexi kept staring at him. As a cell Leader, you had to learn to read body language and to work with other people. But he could not have imagined that the human was thinking that he was attractive. His body was pale, inhumanly so, and it was covered by clearly visible scars from firefights and from occasionally being out in the sun too long on a mission. A vampire's wounds healed a thousand times better than a human's, but over 200 years of fighting, some of the worse wounds had definitely been severe enough even to scar a vampire.

He nodded at the human's words, a somewhat guilty look crossing his visage as Alexi spoke above how much pain he has been in.

“I've been alright. Better than you look, at least. I don't like having someone's emotions that aren't mine. Even if they are positive. It's like a second set of notes in my head, and it's threatening to override my real one. I didn't ask for your emotions and I'm not sure if I want them. I don't like the idea of sharing my...” Erik stopped short, standing up from his chair, eyes widened in complete panic.

"Damnit, Damnit! Sharing my mind! I … We can't take the next one. I'm a fucking idiot! I can't let you read my thoughts! Even if your intentions are good, I know too much! Cell locations. Leader's names and contacts. Black market suppliers... I can't just share that information with you, even if you weren't a slave owner who somehow had enough clout with the police to get me before I was put up for auction!” Erik paused, just now realizing that he was standing and pacing around the room as he spoke. “I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, Alexi. I don't want you to suffer anymore. But I can't do it. I can't continue a link with you. Not if it means you can read my mind. We'll find some kind of an antidote for you.” The vampire backed away, as if being further away from Alexi would remove the idiocy of what he had allowed to happen.

Magical Protection

The human gazed over the scar, leaning in a little bit closer to see the jagged edges. He cringed slightly imagining how the original wound must have looked to leave such a noticeable mark on such a creature.

"If it was humans who gave you that, then why do you and some of the others still like to watch us like this?" Ethan asked curiously. "It's not like this damn species has improved very much since then. In fact, I'd say we've probably gotten worse. We'll treat our own horribly for any ridiculous reason, even reasons that the victim has no control over. I can't imagine why you would like us at all at this point." There were significant notes of resentment in the young human's voice, but it was quite clear that it was not directed towards the youkai.