Forever Caged [Complete]

Chapter 10: Encounter


The little requiem had fallen asleep in the library, his upper body sprawled over the table. There were six open books on the table, including the dictionary, and there was a small stack to the right that seemed to be building. Reyvn had separated those from the rest, intending to put them back at a later time. They were books he'd already completed, but to his left were three more tall stacks of books he had on his list. More of the library had been cleaned during the night, which was made obvious by the layer of dust coating the floor. At least the entire two top rows of the room had been dusted, which made the floor dingy and grey in color. Several high stacks of books were pushed against the lower shelves, that didn't really seem to fit anywhere. He hadn't gotten around to organizing them just yet.
He was using the dictionary as a pillow, and made the occasional movement or wing twitch in reaction to whatever dreams he was having.

Lesara was making his nightly rounds before another nap. He found Cherry and Arna fast asleep in Cherry's room, as was the norm. He gazed over the garden for a little bit before deciding to go check on Reyvn. Lesara knocked lightly on the door before opening it a crack, and was startled that Reyvn was not in bed. He then thought about it a moment, and decided that perhaps, the boy was still in the library. He silently made his way to the large doors, peering here and there to make sure Reyvn hadn't been attacked by anything in the house. He slowly opened one door, and despite his best efforts, it creaked just a little. Lesara prayed he had not been heard before slithering in to find the boy fast asleep on the desk amidst mountains of books. 

He smiled and quietly admired the boy. After years of being Koumori's colleague, how could Lesara not have known about such a beautiful thing? Then again, it was an unwritten rule that the best treasures were the best hidden. He gently reached out and touched Reyvn's shoulder. "Reyvn? Reyvn, wake up. You need to get to bed."

Reyvn had been so exhausted by the time he finally got to sleep, that he was rather hard to rouse. He made a frustrated whine, and moved his shoulder to shift away from the touch.

Lesara smiled and mentally went, 'Aww,' to himself. He decided it was best to let Reyvn sleep, but not here. He gently plucked the boy from the piles of books, cradling him in his arms. "I'm going to take you to bed now," he whispered as he slithered out of the library. He looked out the window before closing the door behind him. The moon was settling low, meaning it must have been at least four in the morning. Lesara silently made his way back to Reyvn's room, and he gently sat the Requiem down on his bed. He decided to try one more time to wake him. "Reyvn, it's time to sleep. Take off your shirt and boots so you don't ruin them."

Reyvn was like a limp noodle in Lesara's arms, very deeply into his sleep. It was rather unusual for him, considering he normally slept very light in order to respond to Koumori. But he'd done a lot in one night, and his mind went into overdrive. He would be out cold for at least a few more hours. The only response Lesara got was another sound from Reyvn as he rolled over on his side.

Lesara smiled and sighed. The boy was certainly cute, but he would not win this one. He unbuckled both of Reyvn's boots, then searched around them for a bit till he found the zipper on the insides, then undid those before sliding them off the boy's feet. He then sat Reyvn up, using his tail to support him, and began pulling up his shirt. Lesara stilled for a moment, tracing the scars on Reyvn's body with his eyes till they disappeared into the gauze. Again, so many years knowing Koumori. How could he abuse something so rare and beautiful?

Lesara felt that anger well up in his belly. It was weird; until now, nothing in the world ever seemed to bother him. He finished pulling off Reyvn's shirt, then pulled him under the covers of the bed. He went to the window and opened it. It would be dawn soon, he could tell by the first little noises the birds made in the morning. Maybe if he were lucky, he could see that peaceful face that Reyvn had earlier, when he was looking through those books. Lesara was pleased with himself. Only one day, most of it spent asleep on his part, and the boy was already coming out of his shell. Then again, the previous day had been a bit of a strain on everyone if for no other reason than the fact that it was very busy. Lesara wandered out of the room, wondering how so many things had crammed themselves into such a short space of time.

--

Several hours before noon, Reyvn awoke. He groaned, rolling away from the sunlight. Rolling? Wasn't he in a chair? The realization made him open his eyes, and he sat up and looked around. He was in his bedroom? He rubbed his eyes, then stretched. Lesara must have carried him here, he figured. He noticed his shirt and boots were missing, which confirmed his thought. He slid off the bed and finger-combed his hair, and rummaged through his suitcase for something fresh to wear. He didn't want to wear the pants he'd slept in, or the ones he came here in, so he pulled a soft, thick silken pair from the suitcase, and a thinner forest green bell-sleeved shirt. Both were suited for the summer, and he still intended to go to the market today with his master.

He folded his dirty clothes in a small stack near the door, then took his clean ones with him to the bathroom. He could still smell the dust caked in his hair, and wanted to be rid of it. That, and his wounds had begun to sting, which meant a change of bandages was in order.

He entered the bathroom, relieved to see it was empty. He was sure Lesara wouldn't be mad at him for cleaning up without prior notice; hell, Koumori had never been. He set down his things and turned on the tap, stripping out of his pants and old bandages before stepping into the warm water. He relaxed against the wall as the water rose, stopping it when it reached his chest.

Lesara was up from another nap and involved in all the hubbub (or as much hubbub as three people can cause) that went on in the house that day. He went around with a pad and a pen, jotting down things he needed here and there, taking grocery lists from Cherry and a list of medical supplies from Arna. He heard the pipes in the house begin to hum and assumed that Reyvn was in the bath. He slithered to the bathroom, knocked on the door and made an announcement. "Reyvn, today we will finally venture to the market. Make sure you eat before you get there so you don't get tempted by a bad vendor."

Reyvn about flew out of the bathtub at the sound, turning to face the door. Once he realized it was Lesara, he calmed, and settled back down. "O...Okay," he said just loud enough to be heard.

Lesara was about to slither off before he remembered to ask, "Oh, one more thing, if at all possible, could you comb my hair out again today? You did such a lovely job of it yesterday." He was trailing a finger in a lock of his hair, still soft from Reyvn's gentle hands. Lesara truly did treasure the boy. Finally, he had found someone patient enough to deal with his hair when even he was not. 
He went back to his room to study over the lists, crossing things out here, adding things there and doing basic math to see how much he was going to cringe when he got to the shops.

Reyvn vocally agreed to Lesara, and when he was sure the naga had gone, he drained the tub and got out. After a quick cleanup of the area and a change into fresh clothes, he headed for the kitchen.

Cherry was saying her goodbyes to Arna when she noticed Reyvn coming her way to the kitchen. She grinned to herself, thinking this the perfect chance to cause some mischief. She waited for him to get about arm's length away, then attacked him with her hip. She didn't wait for him to fall or stumble, instead grabbing Reyvn's arm and whipping him into the wall, where she practically pinned him with her large breasts. "Hey big boy, got a minute?" She would have winked had it not been for her eyepatch.

Reyvn slowed a bit when he saw Cherry, but kept going. He was totally not expecting what happened, and his face turned bright red. His shoulder ached dully where it hit the wall, but he tried to ignore it as he looked down into her one eye. And what the hell were these giant squishy things? "I...I guess so."

Cherry started running her fingertip around Reyvn's chest, as if tracing an invisible pattern. "So," she pouted her lips a little and looked up at him, "I didn't upset you with that little joke about Arna did I?" She smooshed harder and put on a devilish smile. "I'm not that mean. In fact, I'm quite gentle and nice." She punctuated 'gentle' and 'nice' with a tap on Reyvn's lips and nose.

Reyvn found it hard to be very scared by someone who was remarkably shorter than himself, but the little pink-haired woman still managed to make him incredibly uncomfortable. "Not...really upset, no." He flinched back both times she tapped him, and he tried to start to slink away. "Don't suppose...you mind if I go have breakfast now, do you?"

Cherry slammed her hands on the wall on either side of Reyvn, trying to prevent his escape. "After you do me one little favor. I'm actually considering having Arna replaced. He doesn't... satisfy. If you show me you can, I'll tell Master that you should be kept. How's that sound?"

Reyvn frowned. Was there something Lesara hadn't told him? He thought he'd be stuck here until he worked off what was paid for him. He glanced down both ends of the hall, hoping someone would come soon and get this weird lady off him. Oh he loved her cooking, but her personality left something to be desired. He looked back down at her, and said softly, "I thought I was going to be kept anyway."

Cherry's laugh could pierce armor it was so sharp and high. "You silly boy. He's owned me the longest, and he throws away anything useless." Her tone grew dark. "He'll listen to me long before he considers talking to you."

Reyvn's small pointed ears twitched at the shrill noise, and he made a face. "I guess then...I'll just need to remain useful." He didn't believe Cherry one bit. He knew she'd been here the longest, but he was sure Lesara would keep him, if for no other reason than to clean up the library. If nothing else he could just take a very long time to do it.

Cherry was starting to get mad. This boy was not proving easy to break, so she would have to do it for him. She reached down with one hand and dug her nails into Reyvn's hip. "I will get what I want from you."

At that moment, something soft hit the floor. Cherry turned and her anger turned to horror as Arna stood next to a towel he had dropped, staring at her with a mix of sadness and betrayal on his face. Cherry punched the wall with the hand she had used to try and molest Reyvn, and stalked off, infuriated. Arna just stared after her, then turned his gaze to Reyvn, hoping for a damn good explanation.

Reyvn watched the silent exchange, the color rushing from his face. He looked up at Arna, a little sad and not entirely sure what just happened. "I... I'm not sure what she wanted from me, but... I said no."

Arna bent down and picked up his towel. He quietly said, "Probably something I can't," before walking past Reyvn to the bathroom.

The requiem frowned, letting him go. Just what kind of relationship did Arna and Cherry have? He sighed, and headed into the kitchen. He shuffled around the room to find what he wanted to eat, piled it on a plate and sat down. It was all still somewhat warm, and he ate silently in thought.
He finished and cleaned up, then decided to go to the library until Lesara was ready to leave.

Lesara, almost completely oblivious to the goings-ons in his absence, made his way to the library as a ray of sunshine. "Hellooo!" he merrily chirped from the door. "I have the list ready, dear boy! Come, today will be a grand adventure! The world is our oyster!" He spun around a little and nearly tangled and tripped over his own tail in the process. He couldn't rightly explain why he was in such a good mood, but who cared? "That oyster is waiting!"

Reyvn had just gotten comfortable in his chair when Lesara burst in, and he nearly jumped off of it. He sighed, and a small smile played on his lips at his master's antics. He started to leave the library, pausing when he reached Lesara. "I need to go by my room for a moment," he said softly. He waited till Lesara gave the ok, then went and grabbed his boots and met the naga at the front door.

Lesara was still as merry as ever, only now busy with a tangle in his hair. He had a small mother-of-pearl comb clumsily picking at the stubborn knot when Reyvn returned to him. "To the carriage!" he pointed out to nowhere in particular. He grabbed a hefty woven bag from beside the door, slung it over his shoulder and made his way down the path. "By the way, still up to tame the beast that is my hair?" he asked Reyvn.

Reyvn followed Lesara out, and had the good sense to hide his wings. No telling what the public would do if they were seen. "Sure," he replied, and started to reach for the comb once they were seated in the carriage.

Lesara handed Reyvn the comb and almost leaned on him. "You're such a good boy. You're so quiet and well behaved. I would get rid of Cherry and replace her with you, but then where would our entertainment come from?" Lesara started to tell stories about how much trouble Cherry had gotten herself into, about how she got into anything and everything that wasn't locked shut, how she somehow managed to break anything not bolted down, and even stuff that was, laughing all the while.

Reyvn chuckled at some of the things Lesara said about Cherry. He combed through the lovely long blue hair, enjoying its feeling. It almost acted like water running through his fingers. He didn't mind the thought of replacing Cherry really, and was relieved that Lesara seemed to favor him over her. "If you like," he started softly, "I can cook as well. I was taught when...I was still little."

Lesara turned and pecked the boy on the cheek. "I kind of figured you'd know how to prepare a decent meal, but I doubt I'll ever have to pull you out of a man-eating plant. And then what would I have to laugh at?" Lesara went on to explain, "You see, women are curious creatures, and I mean that in more than one way. They are strange, mind boggling, questionable things who, for some reason, possess a curiosity that is insatiable. They just have to get their noses into everything."

Reyvn blushed a little at the kiss, his hands pausing for a moment. "And that includes people?" he said before his brain could stop his mouth. He flinched at his own words, now wishing he hadn't said anything. He supposed now he'd end up telling Lesara about what had happened earlier.

Lesara didn't notice Reyvn's flinching. He just threw his hands in the air, and said in an exasperated tone, "Oh especially people! Always wanna know what you're doing, if for no other reason than because you were doing it." He swished his hair over his shoulders, and smiled, pleased. "You make it look so easy. I have to fight with it," he said, petting his hair.

Reyvn gave a small sigh of relief. He was glad that his master was slightly oblivious. The old veran bastard would have prodded at every little twitch. He looked up at Lesara, and asked, "Would you like it braided again?"

The naga nodded. "Oh yes, please. You do such a wonderful job. I might make you my personal care assistant," he joked. "Anyway, women equal trouble. But they are still fun, just remember that."

Reyvn made a noise of agreement, and started braiding Lesara's hair.

It was only a few minutes more until they arrived at the market and the carriage came to a halt. Reyvn waited for Lesara to slither out, then followed. He stood there for a while, as though lost. His bright blue eyes widened as he took in the surroundings. This must be a different city than where he'd been found years ago, as he was entirely unfamiliar with it. It was much more crowded, and the colors were more vibrant. Both sides of the street were lined with wooden stands, all displaying different things. Meat, produce, brightly colored clothes meant for the climate, various kinds of jewelry and other things that sparkled, and some stalls even displayed finely crafted weaponry. Reyvn wasn't used to such a lively place, and all but clung to Lesara's shirt.

The cold shock had gone, and the weather was hot and humid again from the rain. Reyvn started to wish he hadn't put on a long-sleeve shirt, because he knew he'd feel icky when he got back to the house. He remained very close to Lesara's side as they traveled down the street, not trusting any of these people he saw. He was glad he wasn't carrying anything that could be stolen.

The crowded streets always worried Lesara when he came here. All manner of people traversed these allies and roads and every single one of their feet seemed to end up on his tail. He put a comforting arm around Reyvn and smiled as he tried to keep his tail close to himself. As they made their way to wider roads, Lesara relaxed a bit. The people here mainly milled around stalls, keeping the center of the road pretty open. He leaned low to Reyvn, grinning as he pulled out a small purple pouch that was no bigger than his hand, one of his favorite magickal treasures. "Hey, want to see a trick?"

Reyvn was looking about quickly, watching everyone. He made a startled expression when Lesara put an arm around him and produced the pouch. "Um, sure."

Lesara pulled the little tassels that held the pouch shut and then stuck his hand in. Then he was elbow deep in it, then shoulder deep, rummaging around for something. Finally, he pulled out his wallet. "Tada! Never ending storage pouch! I could hide dead bodies in here if I wanted." He leafed through his wallet, checking how much he had. "Got it off a merchant near the docks for a snippet of that man-eating plant. What a bargain," he said. "Alright, first things first: medical supplies." Lesara grabbed Reyvn and took a sharp turn to one side.

As if materializing out of nowhere, a bright orange tent stood in front of them. "This is my most favorite alchemist ever. We're very familiar," Lesara said proudly. He led Reyvn into the tent, and then fit himself in easily. If looks were deceiving, the maker of the tent was master of lies. Lesara could easily sprawl out on the big carpet that looked as if it took more fabric to make than the outside of the tent. The walls were lined with bottles, jars, boxes and other odds and ends. Things bubbled, and clouds of odd colors hovered around the tent's ceiling. Many different aromas filled the air, making the naga's head spin a little.

Reyvn was instantly distracted by all the shiny things in the large tent. He explored cautiously, staying a safe distance from the smoking bottles. Instead he wandered towards the shelves that displayed things that didn't look poisonous, entranced by all the swirling colors. He was not familiar with these liquids, and was pleased when he didn't smell anything he was used to. Well, mostly pleased. Not everything in the tent smelled pretty. He eventually wandered close to Lesara again, his eyes still finding all the parts of the room.

"Oh shopkeep!" Lesara said affectionately.