Tail Between Her Legs

Disclaimer: I do not promote slavery, violence, or anything else in this story that may be considered offensive. If you still find this kind of material offensive, then don\'t read it. Simple as that. I\'m not making any money off of this story. It is my story, I wrote it. All by myself. Chyeah, I should get a gold star. So... don\'t steal.

Warnings: Violence (Sorry, that\'s it for this chapter.)

The night was like fragile glass – cool, elegant, and liable to shatter at a single careless breath. The sky above the currently docile marketplace was dark and clear, stars suspended like glistening dewdrops caught within the trap of a spider’s web. In their midst was a gaunt sliver of moon, bathing the various stalls and shops in a soft milky glow.

Most of said shops were closed for the remainder of the night, the various wares that had been displayed earlier carefully secured under lock and key until the following morning. However, an assorted few remained open for business, eager for the rare event of a nighttime customer. On occasion they were encountered by strange beings, the types of creatures that only awoke after sunset and slept throughout the day, or the types of beings that were much too hideous to be seen under the betraying and stripping beams of the sun.

The list went on and on, but of course there were always the normal (and more importantly human) folk who simply enjoyed venturing into the marketplace at night, not to be disturbed by the overcrowding and rowdy behavior. It was a calmer time, after all.

Kyra appeared at first glance to fall in that last safe category, although it would have made things difficult due to the cloak she constantly wore in public to make anyone think otherwise. She swept through the marketplace slowly, gracefully. The nighttime appealed to her over the daytime, despite the fact that she was shielded from any sort of ridicule that could befall her while in the light.

Her eyes – one gold and one pink - became quickly trained on a merchant’s jewelry shop, the various wares of gold and silver adorned with rubies and emeralds and diamonds causing her to venture towards it like a puppet on a string. She really wasn’t one for such useless trinkets but tonight she was strangely drawn to the glittering novelties. She reached forwards to touch a silver charm and was rewarded with a quick slap on the top of her hand. Flinching backwards in surprise she looked up, meeting the stern gaze of what appeared to be the merchant.

“Nuh-uh, missy. No touching the wares before I see what you have to offer… money-wise, that is…” He snapped, leering at her with a lusty glint in his eyes as he raised a row of bushy eyebrows. She noted that the entire front row of his teeth were missing and replaced by golden moldings. His hair was a muddy brown and his face covered in short stubble, fat fingers garishly decorated with thick rings of gold, some studded with jewels and some not.

A bitter smirk crept across her lips and she took a step back, folding her arms across her chest, taking on an abruptly menacing air. She lifted a small satchel of coins from beneath the folds of her cloak and slipped the string that held it\'s opening tight around her finger, spinning it idly. \"I see no reason to offer you any pay... why waste it so foolishly on such petty rocks and corroded metals?\"

It took a moment for the snide remark to settle itself in the brute\'s brain before his anger finally kicked in. Hand rising, he narrowed his suddenly darkening eyes. \"You\'d better watch that hot little tongue of \'yers, bitch, before I cut it out!\" he hissed sharply, swinging the back of his hand towards the side of her face. She tried to shift out of the way but his other hand had already snaked out and caught her around the waist firmly, dragging her closer despite her struggling feet and preventing her any chance to evade the attack. Her eyes squeezed shut as she awaited the stinging blow, inhaling sharply.

Surprisingly, though, it didn\'t arrive. Instead, the voice of another man sounded out amongst angry huffing. \"Please, Viktor, calm yourself... she is but a simple wench. No need to harm her because of some rude little remark...although, I must admit she does deserve a certain punishment... lucky for the pretty dear I\'m feeling kind this evening. We shall let her off the hook, hm?\"

Her eyes snapped open. Another man, dressed elegantly in a tailored suit came into focus. It seemed he had swiftly placed himself between the two. The much larger man, Viktor, seemed to hold a certain degree of respect for the stranger as he did not simply shove him away as she had expected him to. Instead, to her ultimate surprise he loosened his grip around her waist and let her stumble backwards onto the stone cobbles, lowering the hand that only moments before threatened to strike her.

\"There\'s a good lad...\" the stranger cooed, smiling at the brute appreciatively. He then averted his attention to the young woman who now stood quite angrily nearby. He tilted his head to the side as she opened her mouth to speak.
\"I meant every word I spoke to that loathsome brute! And how dare you speak to me in such a manner!\" she retorted, seemingly in no way prepared to apologize or display her gratitude. The larger man growled lowly while the stranger simply quirked a dark brow, a mixture of mirth and something darker she could not place glittering in his eyes.

\"Oh, is that so? You really should watch your tongue, pet, and understand that someday there won\'t be such a kind soul like myself to save you from harm...\" he murmured tauntingly, eyeing her. To her extreme dislike she realized he definitely seemed to hold a certain degree of superiority, something she found terribly irksome. Scowling at him, she carefully adjusted the hood that covered her head, holding her chin high.

\"I can take care of myself!\" She spat icily, watching as a light smirk danced across his lips.

\"Your little display here proves otherwise...\" He mused. Viktor snickered.

\"I wasn\'t expecting this brainless monster to swipe at me! Why am I even trying to justify myself to the likes of you? I don\'t even know you.\"

\"Would you like to? I\'m sure you would... and I\'m also sure there\'s quite the delicious little figure beneath all that cloth...shall we take a look?\"

She slapped his hand away as it grabbed for the fabric of her cloak, causing it to retreat. He watched her with a wicked grin. She watched him with suppressed rage, hands balled into tight fists.

\"I don\'t have time to socialize with such animals tonight. My utmost apologies, sirs...\"

With her last remarks dripping with sarcasm she turned sharply upon her heel, back facing them as she stalked off down a paved lane, the layers of her cloak dragging along behind her ever so slightly. She snorted. Who did he think he was, speaking to her like that? She should have just hit him, then and there. Of course, she was outnumbered and didn\'t find the idea of the aftermath all that appealing. Exhaling sharply, she continued along. At least, that is what she would have done had her cloak not suddenly been stripped from her form. Her eyes widened in shock and she whirled around, gasping.

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Author\'s Note: My very first fic. Ever. Be gentle!

Things will get a quite a bit more adult as the story progresses, but right now I\'m just sort of trying to get the basic plotline (however pathetic it is) established through the first few chapters. I\'m sure many will skip them once it\'s all done. Positive/constructive comments and reviews would really help me get going, though. I\'m quite happy about the hits I\'ve been recieving. I thought this one would just sort of sink out of view but it seems its slowly getting some attention. Deserving or not.

Anyways, I\'m really glad that some people like it. Keep R&R! =3