When Borias led Ray to the castle, there was Katir's scent at the front of the gates. Of course she probably would have been checking on things in his absence. As he entered the place the scents of his slaves wafted over him. Currently their numbers were five as far as he knew. Seven and his siblings were occupying the space. It made it a lot easier to handle them but at times he missed those who had come before. "This is our home for now." he stated as he walked down the large hallway.

"Seven!" he then barked out. The tannish almost orange looking boy would scramble out of one of the rooms. Coming crawling with his tail between his legs and head low as he approached the master. "This is Seven, Seven this is Ray a possible future slave master." he introduced him as Seven looked up at Ray but attempted to avoid eye contact.

The tiny wolf had been curled into a corner when he heard his masters call. Part of him was upset that his near slumber had been interupted, however he was always inclined to answer the call no matter what. Crawling out of his place and having his master introduce the newcomer Seven would only glance and then turn back to the ground. It was taught this in politeness. He knew that eye contact wasn't allowed unless it was welcomed by those he was listening to. His lack of speech caused him to simply whimper in response. A greeting of sorts as he timidly wagged his tail. Seven even crawled closer, offering a lick to Ray's paws as a greeting.

Borias wasn't kidding about Auster. The only way to get to it was by passing a narrow, long strip of sand. The strip could easily be defended by any groups of people with the strength. If any enemies wanted to come along and block someone from passing to the next continent, they'd have to go through whatever forces lay at that sand.

Journey here was not as bad as he imagined it would be. Gambit Briar was a pain in the ass, but beyond that it was mostly flat terrain. The giant garden out front was a spectacle to behold for anybody interested in that kind of stuff--Rayios excluded--but what really caught his attention was the castle itself.

Look at this place. A large, stone building unlike anything he's over seen before. His claws clicked against the ground, but beyond that he found the place alluring. Borias was lucky to be here. It seemed like a well fortified place, easy to defend if one knew their way around.

Upon entrance, Borias called out for the man named Seven, and now Rayios gets to finally meet him. He came out without qualms, tail between his legs and head down. It was a pitiful sight, but Rayios couldn't help but to smile just a little. He has no shame.

What little smile he had was taken away when the small man tried to lick at his feet. A grimace formed as he raised his paw to avoid the interaction. “No thanks.” he said, his tone bitter.

“Is hurting them ever part of your training?” a genuine question he asks to Borias, glancing at the larger male before his eyes landed back on Seven. What would Ray do with a slave? The possibilities began to float around his mind. “Do they ever try to escape?”

Borias chuckled a little as Seven showed his submissive nature. Quickly clicking his tongue as Seven crawled over to his side and sat. His siblings must have been in the castle somewhere. Heavens knew where polaroid was - the slaves were free to roam about as long as they did as they were told. It had actually been a long time since he had a slave who had previously been given free will so Ray's question did make him think. "It depends on the slave. Many of those ones born and raised in captivity there is no need, but slaves who were previously marked higher do sometimes need repremanding. While I enjoy doing it, I tend to try to avoid it unless neccasary if it is not my own slave. I don't think a potential buyer would appreciate damaged goods." he commented with a nod of his head.

"If one ever tried to escape well then I would indeed hunt them down or stop it from happening then and there broken limbs heal in time. See illness struck us a few months ago. Many died leaving us where we are." looking from seven to Ray Borias grinned. "If you'd like I can show you what Seven can do. He's trained in hunting and caretaking, so if you're hungry we can sit back and watch him catch the food for us." an offer to see one of his slaves in action was a bit exciting and maybe it would intice Ray a bit more and Borias could take the young boy under his wing.

Seven seemed almost a little offended. A master who didn't like such a thing? Borias had not taught him how to handle that. So when he was called by Borias tongue he quickly sat by his side and used his ears to listen for a command. The words the masters spoke he only understood bits and pieces. The word hunting though caused the subtle wag of his tail. He grinned and looked hopefully at Borias and Ray. "Hkkkk." his feeble attempt to say hunt. Something he knew perfectly well how to do. To fetch and kill give to the masters and hope that there would be enough for him afterwards. Of course it didn't matter, unlike the other slaves he could fetch food for himself in the middle of the night if needed. Despite his small size, he was very equipped to survive should something happen to his master. He just wouldn't enjoy it.

It made sense. A slave born in captivity was less likely to rebel. Listening to orders and being obedient was all they ever knew, so they couldn't see it any other way. Rayios was taking silent notes in his mind. Borias may one day track down someone who wasn't born as a slave. Someone who would rebel at the idea of always having to take overs. The young teen was most curious about a day like that. This man was intriguing.

He gave Seven a glance at the weird word he said. Was it some other language? “I would.” he says in regards to seeing Seven's hunting skills. It was almost like Rayios was checking the quality of the stock to be sold to him, but he had to keep in mind that Seven was not for sale. There were other scents here; recent, unfamiliar scents that were not either of the three. Perhaps he'd check them out later. Rayios sat down at the unoccupied side of Borias, keeping a feet or two of distance so as not to be touched, ready to watch the small man in action.

Borias nodded his head, "Some slaves were never taught how to speak. A few catch on but Seven like some others don't have language on their side." he would explain as the expressions that Ray gave made him think he was a bit creeped out by it. Turning to Seven and then to Ray he gestured with his head to follow. "Hunting much better in the outside garden." he stood and began to walk out of the front door with Seven following beside him. Borias was quick to lead them towards the back of the castle. It was nearly a jungle with thick vines and tree's all around. A small clearing sat in the middle.

"Seven go, hunt." Borias would bark as the young male would shoot forward. Borias sat down, his eyes trained forward so he could watch Seven. It was important to make sure the slaves were up to par in their tasks anyway. It had been a while since he'd been able to asses Seven so this worked out for him.

Seven was filled with excitement as they headed out to the back of the castle. His favorite place to be when he wanted to fetch food. There wasn't much else going through his head when Borias had said to go hunt. The very small wolf was smart when it came to his task at least. The wolf was off in less than a few seconds to that clearing. His body was small hiding among the growth of plants and vines. Seven's eyes darted back and forth what time of day was it? Nearly night time, well then certain animals would be coming out from the woodwork and he'd be happy about that. As he wiggled his haunches he waited patiently. Ideally he would have loved to set up a snare trap but during these assesments he only had a small amount of time to show some of the skills he had.

It didn't take long for rabbits to start appearing in the clearing. Seven was very still - it wasn't much for two grown wolves but it was all they had at the moment. His paws scooted forward as he watched them hop about eating at the undergrowth. The male's ears flicked, tail perked as he watched for the perfect moment to strike. Once a rabbit was only a few feet away he shot out from the bushes. The creature scuttled but Seven in his small size and fast speed was already on top. His teeth coming down on the neck of the prey. With a swift bite the other rabbits flee'd and Seven brought the plump rabbit to Ray's feet. Plopping it there with a wag in his tail. A simple and easy catch - but it was all that seemed to be around today.

So Seven couldn't speak well? A small trade-off for a wolf so willing to obey. Rayios followed them to the clearing in the woods, all the while watching the behavior of Seven and how Borias treated him. He didn't even need to say anything to the slave; he followed without word.

When they all made it to the clearing, the male took off without hesitation or complaint. Rayios sat down, looking at the thicket of trees and undergrowth he'd last seen Seven. As he watched in thought, the boy decided to talk to Borias more. “You seem to have this whole slave training thing under the bag. If I.... helped you take care of them, or train them, would I eventually be able to get one myself?” now he looks to Borias. He didn't much like the idea of doing anything for someone, but if it meant he'd get to try his hand at seeing how it feels to be a master then he'd give it a shot.

When Seven returned, he brought back a fat rabbit and placed it at Ray's feet. Normally, if anybody came to him boasting about catching a rabbit (which, he doesn't know why anyone would), he'd give them a wad of sarcasm and tell them to fuck off. But a rabbit would be all the rogue needed if he was too injured to hunt for himself, or too tired. He didn't need a whole buffalo. “That's a good job.” he says to Seven, the smallest hint of appraisal hidden in his tone. “Well, I'm sold. Teach me how to be a slavemaster, and I'll help you out.” words spoken to Borias. It is perhaps a risky trade to offer. God only knows what the young teen is getting himself into. But he is looking for fun in a world cruel and harsh to those who live alone. He wants to do more than survive. He wants to have fun.

There were a LOT of distractions I couldn't let go ignored, so sorry if the first two paragraphs eem choppy or repetitive.

Borias was proud of the slaves he had raised, even if he had to start from ground zero. Seven was his bargaining chip, once he was fully trained he would sell him for protective perhaps support for his cause. If he had a pack to back up his want to make a band than perhaps he would breed and train the best slaves in Boreas and Auster. He would prove he was better than his father and in turn make a name for himself and future children that he would sire. When Ray asked if he would eventually get his own slave Borias would laugh a little. "Your free to claim or request to breed the slaves we have here Ray. If you are a slave master in training you are your own man and I value your freedom." He stated as he stood up then and turned to Ray.

"Welcome Ray, the the future of the hans band. I look forward to teaching you, if you'd like you can call on Seven whenever you wish. Soon I'll introduce you to the rest of the slaves and you can go from there. The only thing I suggest is to not stir up trouble with pack wolves. We have no protection until we have a force behind us." Borias dipped his head. "I must tend to the slaves so until then feel free to look around and enjoy yourself." He turned to the castle and began to enter the place.

Huh. That was easy. First step to becoming a slavemaster: get someone willing to train you. Check. “Alright.” he said after Borias had said everything. “I'll stay near the castle.” Though the place looked cool, he didn't want to stay inside the castle, his desire to be away from people who could possibly muck him up while he sleeps on his mind, even though most likely none of the slaves would even dare. It was just a tactic he was used to doing. Plus, the slaves were still strangers to him. He would have to get to know them.

The boy stood up and grabbed the rabbit by its ears, taking one last look at Seven before going off to find a quieter, less exposed area of the forest to eat. Once he's eaten, he'd head back to the castle, to both familiarize himself of the place, and to eventually meet the other slaves.

Rayios is exiting the thread <3