Erys whined pitifully as the slaver struck him across the face, he tried to hide his head but the retribution was already given. The pale man hadn’t moved quite fast enough, but he couldn’t move any quicker. His body was malnourished and suffering, his head was foggy and slow. That didn’t matter to his captors though. He was used as they wished for labor, a punching bag that wouldn’t fight back, or an outlet for baser desires. He was thin though, and his muscles had atrophied. Erys wasn’t truly useful for much, and the slaver showed his impatience in the way he treated him.

He lifted himself to his ragged now off-white paws to try the task again. His chest heaved with every breath he took, his mouth agape as he sucked in oxygen. Silver eyes blinking into focus as he moved on to try and more quickly skin the next rabbit. His paws were clumsy and his movements shaky, he could barely roll the skin off. Again the massive slaver stuck him, but in the rear of the head, sending him sprawling and very nearly knocking him unconscious.

Erystotle didn’t know or even realize what happened next. He expected to be beaten further, but there was suddenly nothing, not even admonishment. He blinked open his eyes, knowing that if he didn’t get to his paws in a hurry he’d be struck down again. Except as he struggled to his paws he found it was not the slaver before him, but a completely unknown man.

He’d come to the ship to inspect the newest batch of disposable bodies. Every so often the slavers would moor their ship on the shore and Chimera would venture out so that he could pick and choose which beasts would best serve his purpose. The slavers had been coming here long enough that they knew just what to bring him. The dirty, the unclean, the murderers, the rapists, the poisoners and the heretics. No one would miss them and killing them left little weight on the consciences of those that disposed of them. Today however, something was different.

The sound of flesh on flesh and the clatter of a body striking the old, stained wood pulled the brutes attention down to a chamber along the hall. He watched as one of the slavers struck an emaciated, pale man. Chimera felt little at seeing the abuse. He had done worse and would do worse again. It was only when the man raised his metallic gaze to meet Chimera’s own mismatched orbs that there was the barest tingling of something there. Perhaps it was the state of the man. Perhaps it was the utter defeat in his lanky frame. Something forced him to stop the slaver from striking the horned brute again.

The King of Fenmyre turned his piercing gaze to the man that now stood cowering against the door. Not a full slaver, just a lackey. A trained dog. “What are this one’s sins?” The man stammered, telling Chimera that the man had no sins that they knew of. He was just there to work for them. It was clear that he wouldn’t get a straight answer from the rabble. Stepping forward, the two-toned giant stood over the dirty, beaten man. “What are your sins… Why are you here? What have you done?”


"Chimera"

He coward, trying to decide if he should ignore this second presence and return to his rabbit skinning or stand at attention for the important figure. The dual toned man quickly sent Erystotle’s captor to stuttering, not that the pale wolf was allowed to form an opinion of his masters. That hard stare was then put to him. Erys knew not to meet his gaze, blue marked ears to his skull and eyes to the floor he gave his honest answer.

”I am cursed, my Lord.” His voice was hoarse from dehydration and disuse. He wasn’t expected to speak and he hadn’t ever sung before. Not that his captors would appreciate or did he have the spirit for it. Erys didn’t want to overstep, and chanced glancing up at the brute before him. The regal man pressed him further, Erys hadn’t killed any by his own paw but… ”When I was young, my foster mother sacrificed herself to save me. When I was invited into a pack their alpha was killed by the volcanic eruption the day after. My last master was lost to a frozen river during the endless winter…” Erys looked up towards the slaver who was still looking disgruntled in the corner.

”The last ship I was on sank.” He shouldn’t have ever survived the catastrophe. Perhaps that was why he was treated with such disdain.

He stood, unblinking as the man started to form an answer. Cursed… he believed himself to be cursed. Then he listed what he believed were to be his sins and Chimera watched face closely for any hint of a lie. By the time the man was finished, Chi was convinced that there was no lie there. He took the opportunity as the man bowed before him to look the brute over. Beneath the coat of grime and much, it looked as though he would be rather beautiful. For a long moment, neither Chimera, the slaver or the slave said anything. All three simply stood in silence. And then the king suddenly turned and left the room, but not before growling a command to the slaver. This man… was coming with him.

Leaving the room, Chimera moved off to haggle with the lead slavemaster, informing the man that he would also be taking the horned man in their scullery. There was a bit of guffawing and some backpedaling as the slaver tried to convince Chimera that he didn’t want the filthy wretch, but a look from the King silenced the slaver. A subtle threat to end their business agreement bought the horned man for the price of free.

The slavers led Chimera’s limited pick to the cells, pushing them inside and locking the steel doors. The pale man was kept aside, however. He had not sinned. Not in Chimera’s eyes, and so he would not be part of the working group. Not in that aspect, anyway. He stood over the man, his posture proud and his thick obsidian tail curled over his spine. “I am King Chimera of Fenmyre. You belong to me now and will serve me and mind, understand?” There was no room for discussion as chimera would not take no for an answer. “What is your name?”


"Chimera"

Then there was silence. Erys didn’t expect anything in the coming moments. Pain and suffering were the only guarantee in his life, that and the eventual death he was sure to be driven to by his merciless owners. His thoughts were consumed by thoughts such as these, he barely noticed the pause of silence. Again, debating if he should remain at attention or return to his work. Then the man turned on his heel and left, his gruff voice directed away from Erys, and he didn’t quite catch what had been said. This wasn’t the most bizarre encounter he had ever had, and at face value didn’t seem as world changing as it truly was.

Before the slaver could put him back to work Erystotle was being shuffled up and outside with a load of some of the other property within. Erys kept his head down, followed along timidly, but was stopped when he tried to follow into the barracks. Erys looked up to find the same man from before and hurriedly returned his gaze to the ground. This was the King of Fenmyre. The names weren’t entirely unknown, while he worked he’d caught snippets of conversation.

”It is understood, your Grace.” He bowed his head in acceptance, not that he had room to argue anything. He did looked up slightly as he introduced himself, ”Erystotle Atlas.” He offered and quickly lowered his gaze again. ”How may I serve you?”

The deal was struck, the slaves were in place and Chimera waved off the slavers. They would leave as soon as they were rested. He wasn’t entirely unkind. They were doing him a service and he was paying them for it. To continue doing this service, they would need to be rested, and so he was gracious enough to let the ship stay moored at the dock until… whatever time felt like morning.

Tomorrow the rest of the shipment would get cleaned up, but today only one needed to be cleaned and tidied. At least the man had manners and knew his place. He kept his gaze averted as he addressed the King of Fenmyre and offered his name as Erystotle. “You will serve me well, Erystotle. That is the only way to serve me,” he spoke low. “Serve me with everything that you are and you will be safe and cared for.” Chimera took a step closer to the wraith of a man. “Fail me, turn against me, worst of all… run… and I will end your life. Do you understand?” He asked yet again. No one would ever, ever run from Chimera. If they did, he would catch them and they would pay.

“Come with me,” he said gruffly, leading the smaller man through the island and towards the atrium. The man was filthy and he stunk. Due to the bath that Aliana had prepared for him recently, he knew that his own chambers were stocked with cleaning supplies, so he led Erystotle there. As they moved across the island, Chimera pointed out various locations, expecting the man to learn them so that he could efficiently carry out his duties. Chi pointed out the various wings and who lived within them, then led the man to his own wing.

Sliding open the wooden door on its track, Chimera led Erystotle through the room and into the massive bathing chamber. “We keep a fire going in the main chamber. You can heat water for a bath.” Eyeing the man again, Chimera arched a brow. “Perhaps you’re too weak to lift the buckets yourself…” Slightly annoyed, Chimera gave his head a shake. “I’ll help you this once.” He then went to heat water over the open flame so that the man could cleanse himself. Chi wouldn’t have filthy servants.


"Chimera"

Ears clung to his skull and Erys shrunk beneath the King’s mighty stare as he spoke, his words a command. He was to be served well, as Erystotle knew well, there was no reservation for himself. Mind, body, soul… he was broken in and there was no other option. Chimera bought all of him and he would receive his goods. Chimera didn’t have to threaten him, but the promise was well aimed. He knew there was no alternative. ”Yes, your Grace.” He understood completely.

There was no hesitation as Chimera ordered him to follow, his tiny abused paws carried him behind the King, committing everything he was told to memory. He knew not faces but would repeat the names in his mind as he was shown around the structure that held the royal family. Eventually he was led through Chimera’s chambers and into the bath. He could clean up here, and for the first time he noted his terrible appearance. It hadn’t ever mattered before, not when he was just going to be shoved back into the dirt.

His master was already annoyed with his physique, and did offer to help him once. That was more than he had ever been offered before, but it was probably just to keep from having to deal with the whole place being soaked because his slave couldn’t handle the load. ”Thank you, your Highness.” He offered gratefully and bowed his head low, taking note that he would need to keep himself well groomed for his high born master.

The man was still alive enough to show shame at his appearance, not that it was his fault. Chimera had seen the affects that slavery could have on a being. They sometimes forgot themselves and their own self care. He wouldn’t hold it against the man, but he would expect him to be clean from here on out. Chimera was meticulous with his own grooming and he expected his family, his servants and his guests to follow the same suite.

It took time to heat the large copper cauldrons of water and while he did so, he paid little attention to the filthy man, allowing him to rest upon the mats on the bathing chambers floor. Once the bath was filled enough with steaming water, he tempered it with some cold water until it was very warm, but it wouldn’t scald the emaciated mans no doubt sensitive skin. “After your bath, you will be fed and housed,” he spoke to Erystotle. “Nothing will be expected of you until you regain some of your strength.”

Moving out of the chamber, Chimera called for Dalila. He trusted the woman to do what needed to be done. Also, as a former slave, she would understand the man’s plight and would no doubt be able to work with his timid disposition. When the mottled woman arrived, Chimera briefed her quickly and quietly. “He’s in bad shape,” the King started off with. “Our new servant,” he added after. “Please bathe him, feed him. He’ll be kept in the small chamber next to my own, you know the one.” There was something about the man that had pulled him in, drawn him to the brute’s pearlescent light. Leaning forward, Chimera placed a sudden kiss upon Dalila’s forehead. “Thank you,” he spoke softly. “I’ll get the basics so that he can eat and rest. Take him to the servants chamber once you’re done.”

Moving from the room, Chimera didn’t look back even once. He collected furs and cushions. Food and drink. Small items that he believed the man might need. Anything else could be collected later. Once done, the Fenmyre King sprawled out on the wide porch of wooden slatting and stared up at the eternal night sky, wondering as this strange feeling that had surfaced within him.


"Chimera"

When she heard Chimera’s call she was playing with Ruse in the chambers she shared with Siren, chuckling as she watched the energetic girl hop from pillow to pillow on the little “islands” she had set up across the floor. No doubt the girl was going to be two pawfuls when she was older. Her ears perked at Chimera’s howl and she lifted her head to listen for a moment. Looking back to Rusalka, she instructed her daughter to remain in their room and not to go climbing any more shelves, and then left the room to go see what the King needed her for. It wasn’t often that she was called by him alone so she was curious to see what task he had for her.

When she arrived at his chambers she stepped inside the now fairly familiar space, finding the King in the bathing room along with a stranger. She blinked with surprise at the smaller man, taking in his ragged, dirty appearance. She wasn’t left to wonder and speculate for long, lifting her pale gaze to meet Chimera’s as he moved toward her and began to fill her in. A new slave that was in bad shape and a request to bathe and feed the poor soul. She was aware of the other slaves Chimera kept, but she had never been to the structure where they were housed and she certainly hadn’t seen Chimera bring any of them here—especially not to his personal chambers. He leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead, making her blink with surprise again, but this time it was quickly followed by a soft smile. “Of course,” she responded easily with a nod. If this was something important to him then she’d make sure it was done.

She glanced over her shoulder to watch Chimera leave the room curiously, thinking to herself about how much he had matured and softened in the time since she had come to live with him, and then she turned her attention back to the male in question. She offered him a kind smile, nodding to the tub that had been filled with water. “Well then, lets get you bathed, hm?” she said, keeping her tone light and friendly. Even though it felt like a lifetime ago now, she still remembered clear as day what it had been like to be in the man’s position. Before she had gone to live with her first mistress she hadn’t been in much better shape and it tugged at her heart to see him this way. Once he was in the water, helping him if he needed it, she picked up some soap that was unscented save for a subtle, clean smell. She knew Chimera didn’t enjoy the more floral fragrances that she and some of the other women used for himself and she didn’t imagine he’d want this man to smell of flowers either. She sat at the edge of the tub, wetting the soap and beginning to work it through his filthy fur much like she had for Siren more times than she could count. “I’m Dalila,” she said after a couple of moments, glancing up at him with another smile. “What is your name?”

"Dalila"

He was quiet, easily remaining on the washroom floor as his new master drew his first bath for him. The King didn’t pressure him, nor spare much attention to him but that was expected. Erys was property, and he was already been given this kindness which was far too much to expect already. So he took his chance to rest, he couldn’t remember the last time he was given the time to recuperate. He never really got much sleep, a fact made obvious in his current appearance.

When Chimera was finally finished he addressed Erystotle once more. He looked up at attention, but kept his gaze down. Surprise crossed his features, not expecting all he was being given. Food, shelter, and enough time to recover before anything would be expected of him. Erys almost asked for clarification, but remained silent. He lowered his head gratefully as Chimera moved past him and called for another wolf.

He remained where he was and before long a woman entered the threshold. He glanced at her as she encouraged him up into the bath. He nodded slightly and managed to get himself to his paws. The pale man had been pushed much harder than this before but with the relief of being in such a place the jelly in his legs made it difficult to stand. Dalila was kind and gentle though and she helped him into the warm water.

She started to work the dirt from his pale fur and he did not resist. His own delicate paws began to run through his fur. This was his one order today, get clean, so that's where his focus would remain. Dalila introduced herself as they worked. ”Erystotle,” he answered softly, his voice still hoarse. He wanted to tell her what a pleasure it was to meet her because she was so gentle and sweet. It was something he hadn’t received in a very long time. ”Thank you for your help.” He finally decided on. Blue marked ears slicked to his head shyly. He knew his place, and taking up conversation wasn’t his strong suit.

She committed the name he gave to memory. Something told her that she’d be seeing a good bit of him around the pack if Chimera had gone through the effort of bringing him here and drawing a bath for him like this. He could have taken him to the communal bathing areas, but instead he had been brought to Chimera’s personal chambers and that fact didn’t pass by her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Erystotle,” she replied pleasantly while she worked, working more of the soap into his dirty fur while he combed through some of his pale coat as well. She gave him a smile when he thanked her, noticing how his ears were pinned back with a noticeable shyness when he did so. It was a way of behaving and a reaction to others that she knew well and had lived herself for a very long time and in a way it was almost a bit haunting. It was no fault of Erystotle’s so she tried to ignore the feeling, but she wasn’t so removed from the harsher days she had lived as a slave to not remember what it had been like.

“You’re very welcome, but there’s no need to thank me,” she insisted, finishing her task of massaging the soap into his fur. She sat the soap off to the side and then picked up an empty bowl and began using it to scoop up bowl fulls of water to slowly pour it down his back where the water didn’t cover to start rising out his fur, revealing the pale white coat that had been obscured by dirt previously. The luster of his coat would have to come back over time, but already he was looking far better than he had. She was also surprised by the vibrancy of his markings that she had missed before. He had a very striking look to him that she had never seen before. It was really a shame that life had brought him to this point since he was truely such a good looking wolf. He would certainly get back to looking how he should sooner or later by living here, of that she was sure, but she wished he had never had to get to this point to begin with.

“You’ve come to a good place,” she told him after a few lingering moments of silence. She felt much more confident in that statement than she had felt trying to prepare Aliana for what her life would be when she and Siren brought her home. So much had changed since then, everything was different, and she believed more in Chimera and what he wanted for them than she ever had. “Chimera works hard and he expects the same from his wolves, but he’ll make sure you’re cared for. He’s a good man. I’ve… I’ve experienced all kinds of owners before I was freed, but he’s a good one.” Sometimes she regretted how long it had taken her to come around to that fact. Of course he had been much rougher around the edges when they first met and compared to the sweetness of Siren he had seemed like a brute, but Erystotle was finding Chimera in a good place. She knew he didn’t necessarily have a reason to believe her yet, but she was sure he would if he had any doubts.

With his fur rinsed clean she put the bowl off to the side and then stepped back just to make sure they hadn’t missed a spot and then offered him a paw to help him out of the tub, making sure he made it out okay before reaching for a fur to dry him with. She draped it across his back before settling in front of him, smiling gently as she lifted a corner of it to his face to wipe the water and little remnants of suds from his cheeks. Once he was mostly dry she led him to the servant’s chamber that Chimera had mentioned, finding it already stocked with odds and ends, food and drink. She retrieved a portion of the food and sat it in front of Erystotle. It was only a moderate portion, but she knew with as emaciated as he was eating a lot of food at once wouldn’t do him any good. Slow and steady would have to be the pace for the poor man. ”Go ahead and start eating, okay? I’ll get Chimera.”

She stepped away from the brightly marked man then, going to find Chiemra where he was lounging on the wooden porch, pausing for a moment before leaning down to gently press her nose to his cheek. “He’s clean now and eating in his chamber.” She gave a brief glance over her shoulder back into the room behind her, considering the shy man for a moment. “He’ll need time… Physically, mentally,” she recommended from her viewpoint as a healer and as someone who had been in his place once upon a time. Looking back to Chimera, she gave him a soft smile and added, “Is there anything else you’d like from me while I’m here?”

"Dalila"