Chapter 6

Roth raised the camera and put the lens through the crack in the car window. He felt a sort of excitement that he hadn’t felt in a long time. To work for Nikal was a hell of a lot better than struggling to make ends meet as a private detective he had to admit. Nikal paid him well and there was a bit more regularity to his life these days. But most of the times there were not much excitement to the job. Sometimes when he was in a bit more cynical mood he thought he might be just a paid companion of some sort. But Roth knew that wasn’t fair. Nikal and he were friends yes, but that wasn’t what Nikal paid him for. And maybe not much happened to stir up everyday life and maybe it was true that Nikal would probably be better at taking down a simple street robber than he would be. But the clans were under threat from several shady political movements and their wealth made all of them living under the constant threat of kidnapping too. Should something really serious happen Roth would be better equipped, experience-wise, weapon-wise and not least mentally. His aristocratic friend was just too damn good hearted for his own good Roth thought grinning to himself. And Nikal’s good heart was why Roth hid in this shabby rental car right now, peeking through the camera at the entrance to the brick building on the other side of the street. Roth didn’t think that his job extended to protect Nikal’s slaves as well but he didn’t really mind. This was kind of fun. He twisted the objective back and forth until he could read the sign on the door. "Dr. J. Potz" What kind of a silly name was that anyway? He grinned again and waited patiently for the man to show his ugly face. He had been hard to find but Roth was sure he had got the right man. Just needed a little photo to show the red-head so he could be completely sure and then Nikal would see to it that that man never cut any body parts off of anyone ever again… >>> * <<< "You look very nice." Nikal said and he really meant it. The tight black pants and the equally black long-sleeved and high-necked shirt he had given Taven to wear were plain enough clothes but looked really good on the boy’s slender body. Taven didn’t look up but smiled in a sort of relieved way. "What? You thought I wouldn’t think so?" Taven shrugged. He liked the clothes too though. Had never got anything as nice as this to wear before. And he particularly liked the high neck and long sleeves. It covered up his scars completely and he looked almost normal. Nikal still stared at him. "I would like it even more though if you let your hair down. It’s a shame to keep it in that tight braid. I know it’s most practical but tonight… Hell, I just want to show you off a little. Turn around!" Taven complied at once, Goosebumps appearing on his arms as Nikal combed the braid out with his fingers. He pointed at the brush on the table and Taven gave it to him. Taven was not that tall and the hair was long Nikal had to get down on his knees to be able to start to comb it out from the ends and up. "It’s down to your knees when it’s not in that braid, you know? It is really very amazing. Have you never cut this hair?" Taven shrugged. "Don’t know, don’t remember. I guess not." Nikal was halfway up and raised on his heels. "Why?" "Why what?" "Why letting it grow?" Taven was silent for a while. "You… you want me to cut it Master?" Nikal smiled silently behind his back. "If I said I do would you cut it?" An even longer silence and then with a weak voice. "You know I’d do what ever you tell me to…" Nikal stood up straight to start to comb at his neck. "I know and no I don’t want you to cut it. I like it. It’s a bit freakish but damn beautiful. Make you stick out. Not that you wouldn’t have without it but it adds that little extra… No, I want you to keep it. Could be interesting to see just how long it can get. Maybe we’ll just trim the ends a bit, ha? It’s a bit worn at the ends, not much, just a little. Don’t worry I’ll do it myself" He finished the hair and turned him around. "There… you’re just… beautiful." Taven shrugged again changing the subject. "Where’s Roth?" he asked. The bulky bodyguard was at Nikal’s heels as often as he was himself, "isn’t he coming with us?" Nikal smiled. "No not tonight." "Why not?" Nikal smiled even wider. "He wasn’t invited Taven. This is a strictly blue-blooded event I’m afraid." Taven frowned; Nikal had sounded almost as if he thought Taven had meant he was sorry Roth wouldn’t come. That was definitely not the case. "Like I care where he is…" he muttered under his breath, "then why are you bringing me? I must be the least blue-blooded thing there is?" Nikal’s smile turned into a soft laugh. "OK, it’s a party for the highest and the lowest but for no one in between. No, seriously, there are only noble guests at this party but you are not brought as a guest." Taven looked slightly embarrassed and small red spots appeared on his cheeks. "I knew that. I didn’t mean to…" Nikal smiled amiably and just nodded. He understood very well that he had not meant it the way it had sounded. But then his smile vanished and he looked suddenly very strict and somewhat worried. "You’re sure you remember all I told you Taven? You know it’s really important you behave. I hope I’m not doing a big mistake in bringing you this early on. Can I trust you?" Taven almost looked hurt. "Yes, I remember. Of course you can trust me." Nikal nodded but didn’t abandon his grave expression. "I know you have the best intentions yes, but this isn’t going to be easy. I know your temper, phew, that temper of yours and this hair-color, is it a cliché or what? Still, fiery is the word for both. Do you realize just what a group of narrow-minded contemptuous nitwits we are going to have to face here? They are going to comment on you Taven, they’re going to touch you…" Nikal placed a pair of soothing hands at Taven’s shoulders as he saw his eyes go wide. "Just relax I will not let them do anything to you. You trust me as much, don’t you? But a few touches you will have to endure. Don’t you see it would look strange if I didn’t let anyone near you at all? Whatever, you just have to ignore everything and be the good servant no matter what, understand?" Taven looked sulky. "I said I will." Nikal sighed in frustration. "Yes I know, I know but I am not sure that you fully understand…" Taven interrupted him impatiently. "Well they can’t be any worse than my last owners can they?" Nikal shook his head in disappointment. "Taven! I certainly didn’t treat you worse than they did and you came down pretty hard on me anyway, didn’t you? And don’t… just do not cut me off! After I’m finished you talk, understand?" Taven bit his lower lip and hung his head. "Yes Master. I’m sorry. I won’t do that again." Nikal squeezed his shoulders. "Gee… I really hope not. Look I don’t give a shit about these people really but they are still my peers. Many of them are my relatives, they’re my father’s friends and you might think that living with a noble name and having this great fortune is all good and well but sometimes it’s like a sort of slavery as well. I was born into it and have as little choice to this life as you have to yours. I have to abide by its rules. If it were just I personally I wouldn’t care but I have obligations towards my name and my clan. This is a test Taven. This is your chance to really prove to me that you have really changed. You let me down tonight Taven; you embarrass me in any way… I can’t give you another chance." The redheaded boy looked about to burst into tears and Nikal had a hard time hardening his heart towards him instead of just embracing him. "Then please don’t take me. Please. I would never do anything on purpose to embarrass you. I swear I wouldn’t but I’m not… I’m not made for this such things. I’m just a whore you can’t take me to such a party and expect I’d know everything. I’m gonna fail you. I just know it and you gonna throw me out on my ass. Don’t take me please." Nikal sighed. Either this boy was cocky as hell or he had no self-esteem at all. Both moods were quite annoying. "First of all, if you ever use the word whore in reference to yourself again I’ll make you eat soap, you hear? You are not, and have never been a whore, understand? Second I will not throw you out no matter what but I’m going to lock you in your room and throw away the key if you deliberately do anything to spite me tonight…" He did burst into tears then and Nikal did embrace him. "Shush, come on, stop it. You’ll do fine. Just as long as I know you are serious in your intentions to do your best. That’s all I demand of you really. We’ve gone through it enough times. You know how to behave. You know it all by heart. You’re going to do just fine. I was overreacting. I’m just nervous about this whole thing. And I’m going to help you, don’t worry." >>> * <<< Taven wouldn’t have admitted it to any one else than Nikal but he was scared shitless of this environment and these people. The likes of people he’d grown up with he knew what to expect from but these… At the same time he was curious. How did the noblest people of this country behave when they partied? Extremely stiff and with a lot of affectation he discovered. No one seemed sincere in anything. They kissed each other’s cheeks but the lips never touched, they hugged but their bodies never connected. They smiled constantly but it was a mystery to him that their cheeks didn’t cramp, it seemed so strenuous to keep those false grins on their faces. And they talked a lot but he couldn’t follow their conversations. They talked in half sentences and laughed at things that wasn’t funny and no matter how they praised each other, as soon as someone left the group they badmouthed him or her ruthlessly. The constant chatter made his head hurt. He soon gave up all attempts of trying to listen to what they were talking about. He concentrated on following Nikal’s smallest movements instead. Taking his glass when he had finished it so that Nikal didn’t have to look around for a servant with a tray to put it on. Held a plate with snacks for him and took his jacket when the room got hot. He noticed that Nikal seemed to be able to mimic the manners of these people perfectly and he marveled the fact that he was able to talk so much shit and smile as stiffly at them. He’d never seen him like this before. If Nikal didn’t give him a look now and then on the sly that actually had a spark and if he didn’t pat his arm in secret Taven would almost not have known it was the same man. He relaxed after a while though as it seemed he served Nikal the way he should and as it seemed no one really noticed him at all. No one as much as looked at him. He looked at them instead as he slowly relaxed a bit. He looked particularly at the ladies. He’d never seen such women before. So pretty. Taven wasn’t sure what he thought of girls. He’d never touched one in his life. Never been allowed to. His first master had kept him mostly to himself on the whole. He had rarely been allowed to leave the premises of the house. He and his wife had not socialized that much with people either. The wife had been in her 50s and even if her husband had had a taste for children she had not. She had never touched him in that way. When she had sold him after her husband’s death things had been quite different. He had gone from the suburbs to the city and his new master had known a lot of people and they frequented his apartment all the time. A few of them had been women and many of them had sure tried to touch him but his owner had never allowed them to take him to bed. Which was just as well, he would never in a million years had known what to do with them anyway. He wouldn’t have wanted to do anything with them for that matter. None of those women had been anything like these. They had been drunks and drug addicts and whores. That was the sort of people his former master hung out with and he had saved him for his male "friends". They had been as nasty as the women had but he hadn’t been as lucky as to be able to avoid them. He hadn’t been in that apartment for more than a few months when he totally lost count on how many men had used him. Apparently they had paid his owner for the pleasure. He had never told Nikal about that little detail. Nikal didn’t like when he talked about himself as a whore but that was exactly what he had been if not of his own choice. He got shyly behind Nikal as one of the elegant women he’d been ogling suddenly sauntered up to Nikal, smiling like a predator. She had a heart-shaped face and big blue eyes and wavy blonde hair that were flowing around her face in perfect soft curls. She wore sparkling but discrete jewelry and was dressed all in black, a sleek long dress with thin shoulder straps that revealed a bosom that seemed much too big for her tiny waist and slim hips. Surgically enhanced no doubt. "Sir Wren, isn’t it?" she smiled and raised her glass at him in a seductive manner. Nikal nodded. "Please, it’s Nikal," he extended a hand towards her and she took it and gave it a small shake, "but I don’t think I have had the pleasure?" The woman pointed at a group of people standing by a grand piano. "The house of Moon. Lord Moon is my uncle. My name is Celine Moon." Nikal‘s smile mirrored hers. "Oh yes, I think I have met you at the Moon palace, haven’t I? But you can not have been more than 5 or 6 years old at the time." Celine nodded. "It’s possible, I don’t quite remember, I’ve been abroad for a few years. But I know you by reputation of course and since I was so openly stared at I thought I must come here and introduce myself." Her smile was flirtatious and mischievous but even if Nikal recognized the flirting he didn’t quite get that comment. "Excuse me?" He had noticed her all right, as she walked up to him and appreciated what he had seen but he couldn’t recall he had stared at her before that, and that so much that she felt she had to come up to him to comment on it. She gave up a small laugh. "Not you," she said softly, "him!" She pointed behind him and clearly indicated Taven. Nikal turned and got hold of Taven’s arm and forced him to step forward from hiding behind his back. "Did you stare at her?" Celine laughed. "Really, like he’d never seen a woman in his life before." Nikal frowned and his grip on Taven’s arm tightened considerably. It was obvious from Taven’s expression and the red spots of embarrassment on his cheeks that she was right. Taven couldn't think of one single decent excuse, he just opened his mouth and shut it again, looking away. The woman seemed to take pity on him though. "Don’t chide the poor thing for it, it quite flattered me. Besides I admit I probably wouldn’t have noticed if I hadn’t been staring myself, he has the most odd look." She stepped closer and extended a hand towards him. "Do you mind?" The question was aimed at Nikal, who shook his head smiling, the angry frown gone. Taven nearly stopped breathing as she took a strand of his hair between her lithe fingers and lifted it. She ran her fingers along it, testing its length and with a perplexed look had to take a step back to finally let the ends of it fall over her finger. She watched it fall back into place with round eyes. "Amazing, I don’t think I’ve ever seen such long hair, and it’s so smooth. Is this color real?" Nikal nodded. "Sure is." She took a new strand and rubbed it between her thumb and index finger. "Well one could only dream of having hair like this. What do you do to it to make it so smooth and shiny?" She addressed Taven directly now but he seemed to have lost his ability to speak at the moment. "She asked you a question Taven!" Nikal said sounding a bit amused. "Uh… I… uh… I ain’t doin’ nothing Sir… uh Miss… it… it’s just like that on its own." She laughed as she kept touching his hair. "Yes, of course. One has to spend hours at the hairdresser’s and spend a fortune on hair care products and God puts the perfect hair on a slave that ain’t doin’ nothing." She echoed his words and mimicked his accent. Taven frowned. Was she mocking him? Of course she was, and why wouldn’t she? He had a good mind on letting her know a thing or two but swallowed it. He had promised Nikal he would behave and what were his promises worth if he would break them so easily? A young man walking up behind the woman to put a possessive arm around her waist suddenly interrupted them. He looked so much like her, the same blonde hair and blue eyes that Taven was surprised to hear her introduce him as her fiancé, he’d sooner thought they would be siblings. "I was just admiring Lord Wren’s little toy here," she said, "have you ever seen such amazing hair Dear? And he’s got the cutest face too. Isn’t he adorable?" She was pressing her soon to be husband on an answer and it seemed she did it to tease him because it was obvious that he couldn’t care less about the face and hair of a simple slave. He gave Taven the coldest look. "Well, these exotic… odd things are quite fashionable this season I’ve heard. But then they are out the next so why bother getting them? You grow tired of them soon enough anyway. Wouldn’t you say so, Sir Wren?" Nikal smiled stiffly. "I suppose, if you would be a total victim to fashion, yes." Nikal replied coldly flashing them the iciest smile Taven had seen so far. Seemed the young man got the hint and there were only a few minutes of polite small talk before the blond couple excused themselves. Taven was quite relieved when they left. Nikal leaned near him and rolled his eyes knowingly at him. "What did I say? Nitwits…" He whispered and nudged Taven in the ribs with his elbow. Taven had to clasp his hand over his mouth not to start to laugh out aloud. The night went on in much the same way. Nikal moved around the hall and talked a few minutes here and a few minutes there with similar nitwits. Taven trailed along and tried to watch where his gaze wandered. Not that there was anything interesting to look at anymore. He was bored as hell. Surprisingly enough it seemed his master was too. Nikal had to suppress several yawns while listening to endless chatter and gossip and Taven noticed that he seemed to gulp down the glasses of wine faster and faster as the night proceeded. Eventually Nikal got a bit tipsy. Taven watched this progress with worry. He had never seen his master drunk and didn’t know what kind of person he would turn into. If he were anything like his last master when getting sloshed Taven would make damn sure he’d find a place to hide when they got back home. Suddenly the activity in the hall seemed to come to an abrupt halt at the arrival of a new guest. A very late one. People stopped talking and stared at the man sauntering nonchalantly through the hall greeting people to the left and to the right with a slight nod to his head and a quite condescending smile. Taven could understand why people stopped talking to stare at the newcomer. He did too. The blond, tall and slim man must be the best-looking man he had seen in his life. He wore a perfectly tailored black suit with casual elegance. His flaxen hair reached his shoulders and diamond studs in his ears added a touch of the exotic to the otherwise formal outfit. His face was clean cut and manly but with a touch of femininity that made him beautiful rather than handsome. Taven thought it strange that no one greeted him back and as soon as the man had passed a group of people the chatter continued as if nothing had happened. Nikal noticed him ogling the young newcomer. "Found something new to stare at?" he asked teasingly. Taven blushed and looked down at once. "Sorry… I’m not supposed to stare at people, am I?" "No. But it’s OK in this case. You impressed?" Nikal slurred a little and grinned. Taven nodded. "He is… WOW… who is he?" Nikal chuckled. "Who do you think he is?" Taven answered without taking his eyes off the man. "I don’t know… he looks like a prince or something." Nikal almost giggled now. "A prince, ha? Don’t ever let him hear you say that, no one would ever hear the end of it. No Serenity is definitely not a prince… Now, look at his wrist when he reaches for that glass!" Taven squinted his eyes to see better but then they widened. That man’s wrists had scars. Scars he well recognized scars like he had himself, scars from wearing handcuffs too long. Taven turned to his master with a questioning look and Nikal nodded. "Yes Taven, Serenity is a slave… sort of anyway. See that man over there", he pointed towards the French doors leading out to the terrace, "the fat old guy with the big moustache looking like your ordinary walrus?" Taven nodded grinning. "That’s Constantine Engel, he owns Serenity and it is quite difficult to tell who’s the master in that relationship. Serenity has him wrapped around his little finger. I’ll bet you that old Engel won’t say a word about him being so late and then going straight for the drinks without even greeting his master first." Taven couldn’t quite grasp all of this. How could a slave look so good and act so confident? How could he be allowed to saunter about here like he had been a guest like all the rest? How could a slave, even one as beautiful as that, have that kind of power over his master? In short, how could he behave like that and not get beaten into the ground? Suddenly the strange slave noticed Nikal and flashed him a smile that could not be anything else than seductive. He came up to them and bowed deeply. Nikal frowned. "Well, I see your manners hasn’t improved. How dare you greet me and ignore your master?" Serenity straightened with a big grin. "I’d like to pretend you are my master," he said still grinning and then leaned in to whisper, "you sure as hell know how to make a slave happy in bed, he doesn’t." Nikal strictly told the blond man to keep his mouth shut and mind his manners but to Taven’s surprise he could easily detect how amused his master really was. Nikal leaned closer too and whispered. "I guess you would know though Serenity, having had plenty of opportunity to compare. Tell me, is there one single man in this hall that you haven’t spread your legs for? Can you name one woman here that you haven’t licked to paradise?" Amused or not, no one hearing that could be mistaken about the contempt in Nikal’s voice. Taven got cold all over at that comment thinking that no matter if that Serenity guy really had been fucked by or fucked all the people in here he had still not been used by nearly as many as Taven had been. The wide smile died out on the blond man’s face and his eyes wavered for a moment but then he seemed to put the nonchalant mask in place again. "Well, you sure know how to put a slave in his place Master Wren," he said. Nikal smiled tenderly then and gave the blond man a fleeting caress at his cheek. "You know you deserve it…" Nikal suddenly put an arm around Taven’s shoulders and pushed him closer to Serenity. "This is Taven Serenity, he’s new. Be nice to him!" Taven squirmed in Nikal’s grip and didn’t feel like being introduced to the perfect looking man at all. He must despise him of course. No one needed to tell him that that slave was in a completely different league than he was. Serenity was at least a head taller too than Taven was and he hated having to look up at him. And much as he had expected the other slave looked down at him with a condescending smile. Something started to boil inside Taven. Having to take a lot of shit from free men was one thing but like hell he was going to take anything from other slaves no matter how upraised they might be. "Yes I noticed him before. Cute," the blond man said looking at him as if he was a delicious cake. "I’m not cute to you, you fucking…" Nikal hurried to put a hand over Taven’s mouth and Serenity took a step backwards in surprise but then he laughed. "Hey, I think I like you already…" Someone calling out Serenity’s name in a rather angry voice interrupted them all. Taven saw the walrus-like man a bit further away standing feet wide apart, hands on his wide hips looking quite annoyed and all flustered, the big moustache kind of fluttering. Serenity made a grimace and cringed. "Guess you’re in trouble," Nikal laughed. "Bah… I know how to make him forgive me. Got to go," he turned to Taven and gave him a smile that was simply friendly and nothing else, "I hope we’ll meet again soon. You’re one lucky guy to have ended up with Master Wren." Taven didn’t answer that and frowned at the blond man’s turned back as he walked off to face his master. "Good, he likes you," Nikal grinned, "Serenity is the biggest slut but you don’t want to be his enemy, he’s the worst gossip…" >>> * <<< About an hour later Nikal seemed to think that he had stayed long enough and talked to enough people to be able to go home without offending anyone. But in the hallway he halted and told Taven he had forgot something. He told him to wait by the door and he would soon be back. Taven sighed and leaned against the doorframe. He was a bit relieved when he heard steps down the hall again; not quite willing to admit it even to himself but Nikal leaving him alone had made him a bit nervous. It wasn’t Nikal coming though. It was some other man and he seemed a bit drunk too and first he didn’t even as much as looked at him but walked right pass him out the door and leaned against the railing to light up a cigarette. But when he came inside again he stopped inside the door and stared at Taven. "Ahh… and what do we have here?" he grinned stepping too close for comfort and breathing a cloud of cigarette smoke and alcohol in Taven’s face. He took a hold of Taven’s chin and raised his head up looking even more intently at him trying to focus his bleary eyes at him. "A pretty little girl, ha?" Taven endured the man’s presence with great difficulty but he had Nikal’s orders in fresh memory. He had to behave. He had to endure a little touching. The man just held his chin. He must try and keep his mouth shut. "Such a pretty little girl," the man snickered and got even closer pressing Taven up against the wall, "such pretty hair and look at that mouth… now, now don’t squirm so much little girl, just want to taste those pretty lips of yours." Taven felt close to panic, an all too familiar feeling. He always had had a problem with holding still for them. Had only been able to be really good and spread his legs voluntarily like an obedient little slave-whore should when he had been too tired to protest. Being kept awake, newly beaten, recently whipped, being ill… he had been good then. But otherwise he had been difficult. That had not bothered his former master much. He had solved it the easy way and simply tied him up. Most customers had seemed not to mind. Taven had no idea how many times they had pulled his legs apart and tied his ankles to the bedposts, millions of times, on his back or on his belly… He wasn’t tied up now though but he would behave, he would, he had promised Nikal. He would just try to get away, nothing else. But the man was too big, too strong and had him trapped well in the corner. Taven cursed inside, as he had so many times before, at his damn smallness and weakness. The man cursed at his squirming and tried to keep his head still by a grip in his hair so that he could get to kiss him. At the same time the man’s other hand started groping between his legs and for a few seconds the advances came to an abrupt halt in surprise as he found more than he had expected in Taven’s pants. He didn’t let go though, just grinned. "I must be more drunk than I thought," the man chuckled, "you’re a little man, ha? Well, makes no difference to me… oh come on boy, try to be a little more cooperative will you? Little slaves are suppose to obey what they are told and I am telling you to stop squirming damn it…" Taven’s head was spinning; there was a buzz in his ears, an ache in his stomach… His left hand clawed at the attacker’s shirt-breast and tried to push him away… His right hand searched desperately at the windowsill next to him and he grabbed at the stem of a plant and lifted it up and raised the ceramic pot to strike at the man’s head, to bash it in, to kill and be left alone. To finally be left alone… Though he didn’t. He didn’t quite now why but he didn’t. Maybe he just didn’t have it in him? Maybe the thought of the consequences stopped him? He would be executed for something like that. Maybe it was just that he didn’t think he could stand Nikal’s disappointment? In any case, he threw the plant, pot and all, as far away as he could and the loud crash when it hit the marble floor sure surprised the man enough to let go of him and take a step back looking wildly about him. Not being held anymore Taven’s panic changed into red-hot fury and he soon enough found the use of his tongue. "You fucking pervert… disgusting old creep… don’t you touch me you bastard… I’m gonna fucking kick you in the groin until your fucking balls hangs out of your fucking nostrils you motherfucker son of a bitch…" "TAVEN!" Nikal’s angry yell made Taven go silent in the fraction of a second. Nikal got up to him and grabbed him by the arm pulling him along while smiling embarrassingly at the stunned man and rambling excuses. "I am so sorry about that Jan, really… he’s a bit… hm… I’m sorry… I will just…" Nikal got the door opened and pulled Taven outside and down the stairs onto the garden path. Without a word he took him to a bench and jerked Taven down to sit on it. "You… don’t move until I get back, you hear? Do not move or else…" Taven just nodded, too frightened at Nikal’s anger at the moment to be able to utter a word. Nikal went back to the house with long angry strides leaving Taven like all dead inside. Oh he had really done it this time. Nikal would throw him out now, no doubt about it. He felt strangely indifferent to it all. Right, he wasn’t meant to live a life this good anyway, was he? No of course he wasn’t. Had to come to an end. It wasn’t like he hadn’t known all along that it would. It only took a few minutes before Nikal returned stepping up to him where he sat on the bench, staring down at him. Taven could not look up. "Well… seems like a good time to leave I would say," Nikal said, "come on, we’re going home." Taven followed, head hanging and got in the car beside his master as he was told to. He wondered if he would even be allowed to spend a last night in his room and be sent away in the morning or if Nikal would see to it that he would be gone right away. It wasn’t very late. The realization of that the good days really were over started to seep through his numbness and the lump in his throat just kept growing. As the big limo was slowly rolling out from the yard Nikal reached for the button to raise the dark and soundproof window between them and the chauffeur and then he leaned back and turned to Taven… And started to laugh… Taven stared in incredulity at his master who now laughed so much he had to hold his arms to his stomach. When Nikal finally was able to gather a bit he leaned back all flustered and wiping tears from the corner of his eyes. "Oh God," he croaked, "that was the most hilarious thing I’ve seen in ages. Did you see Jan’s face? I mean did you see his face? Oh my God, that imbecile had never been more shocked in his life…" Nikal threw another loud fit of laughter at the mere thought of it. "You called him ‘motherfucker’… I can’t believe you called a clan lord a ‘motherfucker’. I tell you he was still like some damn statue when I got back in there all stunned and… Oh Jesus, I’m going to cramp…" Nikal kept shaking his head and chuckled at the images in his head the whole way back. And that clan lord might have been shocked and stunned… but not nearly as much as Taven was.

Previous||Next Bibliotheca Doloris All text, images & graphics © Francesca Bathory 2002 - The end of time |Main| |News| |Fiction| |Art| |Miscellaneous| |Links| |Guests| |Contact Me| |Guestbook| |Mailing List| |Original Pain Home| All rights reserved.