Heirot

The man from the night before was standing pensively next to the vampire's clothes, wanting to leave but fearing he'd be tracked and killed by the strange being from the night before if he moved. He jerked back in surprise as Vladimir suddenly materialized directly in front of him and began collecting his clothes as calmly as if he'd been there all along.

"How did you do that?" he asked in a low, wary voice.

Vlad turned his shoulders to regard him with a dark smile that made a chill run up his spine. Instead of saying anything, he went right back to collecting his clothes and changing, which in a way was even more unnerving than if the vampire had actually spoken. When Vlad was changed he turned back to him. "What are you called, whelp?" he said with a fanged grin.

The man tensed, finally recognizing the race of his captor. "That's no concern of yours," he said.

"Alright," Vlad said as if expecting this. "Come along then, Crackers."

The man blinked incredulously. "Crackers?"

"My favorite snack, when I was human," Vlad said with a sinister grin, walking up to him and putting his arms around the tense man's shoulders. "Forgive me, protocol and all," he smiled as he embraced him into his magic field and teleported them both back to Tenele's clearing.

Tenele was packing up everything and snacking on a stick of jerky when Vlad popped back in the clearing with his arms around the mugger. "Don't you too look cute," she commented as she mounted the horse, yawning slightly.

"What are you going to do with him?" she asked, still unsure why Vlad not understanding why Vlad hadn't tried to eat him yet.

"Because he's amusing," Vlad replied lightly, letting him go and walking toward his horse. "You're walking," he informed Crackers," mounting up. Crackers shook his head, not seeing much choice in the matter. "Think of him as emergency rations," she told Tenele airily as they started forward and Crackers reluctantly followed.

Tenele looked back at the mugger. "Crackers?" she asked turning the horse onto the path when they reached it.

"Nice name," she told Vlad, holding her arms above her head and stretching.

"So tired..."

It was well into the next day when they finally reached the area north of Lowight where the brothel was located. The area took the form of a small settlement that felt shady from the first moment you entered it, though the streets were clean and the buildings all seemed to be in perfect repair. A few people moved about on the streets, minding their own business. Vendors selling luxury goods and foods lined the road, and flyers were posted naming the dates and times of upcoming auctions of various categories of slave. The place that was most active was the street where the hotels were located, and in which visiting merchants and 'tourists' lodged while shopping for new 'merchandise' or to order sexual servants that could be delivered to their quarters in compliance with whatever preference they had. Vlad slowed up his horse as they reached the hill that overlooked the settlement, careful to maintain his calm half-smirk that always lingered on his lips.

Crackers looked down at the area in disbelief. "What are we doing here," he asked, a note of unease in his voice. Had they brought him here to sell him? He wouldn't stand for that. He wouldn't endure the same fate as his sister.

"We have business here," Tenele commented. "That's all you need to know for the moment."

She brushed her hair off her shoulder and looked at Vlad. For some reason she didn't want him to do this.

"I could do it for you," she offered. Though, she would rather die than be used as a whore. She got the feeling Vlad migt feel the same way. She smirked. "I'm sure they have a woman's brothel around here somewhere and there tied to the same owner."

More than half of her was hoping he wouldn't take that offer.

Vlad made a laugh that came out sour. "Let's get a closer look, shall we?" he commented, silently rejecting Tenele's suggestion as unworthy of response.

Crackers made a sharp look at Vlad that migrated to Tenele as he began to think he had some idea of what was going on. "Don't tell me...he...?" he said cautiously. He had only traveled with these two for two nights, but he had the impression that the one called Vlad was far more powerful than Tenele. What circumstances could have led to his subordination to this kind of treatment? A small bit of him began to go out to the unruly vampire as he watched the grin on Vlad's face tighten as they rode forward toward the gates. The edge of the settlement was welcoming from the outside, but the walls were oddly high, giving it an appearance of grandeur that to Vlad just made it seem more like a prison.

It was hard for Tenele to watch him do this. At first she had thought it funny, but that was because she didn't really think about it until now. Vlad would be forced to have intercourse with women...

She wished he would have said something about her offer. Even if it was a snide comment. But, it was almost like he completely ignored it. Like it wasn't good enough or she wasn't good enough to take his place.

She didn't really think it was like that... But, what if it was?

She looked at Cracker's. "Shut up," she told him as they rode down the hill.

Vlad kept his gaze straight ahead as they rode into the settlement. Crackers looked ahead tensely, wondering if this meant he would be free soon, or just the opposite. When they got to the gate, the guards stopped them and a stocky scribe stepped forward with a notebook and pen in hand. "Welcome to the Brothel. Forgive the delay, but all entrants must register. Are you here for business or leisure?" he said with a grin, directing the question at no one in particular since it wasn't clear who was who in the group.

Tenele looked down at him. "Business," she told him, resting her hands on the horn of the saddle. "May we pass?" she asked with a pretty smile.

He nodded and Tenele continued on towards the brothel.

She went as slow as possible to delay Vlad from anymore torment. "Maybe there's another way we can do this," she whispered to Vlad. "Maybe I could get some information out of one of the men in the brothel?" she offered. The idea of Vlad and another woman seemed to be eating her up inside.

"It's impossible to communicate with a servant once they've joined the brothel, unless you have a prior agreement," Crackers said unexpectedly, his voice dead with certainty. "And without the money to pay for services, it's impossible to get inside either. This is the tightest-run ship to be found on the continent." He said it with a tinge of bitterness that indicated he had more experience with this place than he was letting on.

"I could pay," Tenele offered, her green eyes flashing towards Vlad... "I could try..."

She felt it was no use though. Vlad would have to do this. And she couldn't risk his chance by asking around and getting into trouble.

"A week... no... three days... no... a week," she said, her voice hard. "And then I'll use my means."

Vlad looked over at her with a bold smirk. "My dear maiden, you seem to think I intend to succumb to my clients' wishes," he said craftily. He went on to elaborate to her an interesting plan. He would be presented as an unruly servant in need of discipline. She would warn that she was only staying in the area for a week, but that they were welcome to do their best to train him into proper behavior, and to utilize his services to their own profit, until then. As long as he maintained a stolid attitude, there should be no risk of actual sexual activity. Unless, of course, the mood struck him, he added playfully.

Tenele looked at him for a moment. "Okay," she said softly. "But, I think that's only going to half work..."

She rode her horse over to a man standing on the side walk. "Where would I need to go to sell a slave?" she asked him.

"There is an auction being held right now," he said and pointed to the end of the road it seemed where a dome building was sitting.

"Thank you," she said and turned her horse back around to Vlad.

"I thought slave trading was illegal in Ighten..." she muttered.

"We're going there..." she pointed. "I'm going in and you can come with me if you want. But, I need to handle my part of the plan" She only spoke to where their ears could hear.

Vlad looked in the direction she pointed and rode with her to the auctionhouse, a trace of tightness returning to his expression, thought it was controlled. He had hoped Tenele would fully buy into his plan, not liking the concept of being pitied, but it seemed she wasn't foolish enough to see the situation as riskless. The auction was held in a large tent. Inside, the lighting was low but the sounds of rowdy merriment filled its canvas walls. Slaves were being walked nearly or completely nude up onto a large wooden stage in groups of 4 or 5, and auctioned off to the enthusiastic audience. A tall man at a desk in the corner was signing in the contestants for the auction.