Forever Caged [Complete]

First; thanks for the kind reviews. I'm glad you all like it so far. Plot twists, explanations, and development ahead! (And to think this all happened just because Ember and I wanted to write a decent porn one-shot.)
Second; I practically soloed half this chapter, since I wrote the 'villain' and all the gory details. Well, ok, Ember totally god-modded the part where Lesara comes in all angry-like, and she wrote those gory details.

Lady Khala belongs to Ember~


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Chapter 11: Swiped


The curtain shifted in the back, and a tall woman slid from behind it. She was very curvaceous, which was probably her most noticeable trait if one did not look at her purple eyes rimmed in dark kohl or the bits of coppery skin she left exposed. Her long black hair was plaited and clipped up to the side of her head with a bright gold butterfly. Large gold teardrops dangled from her ears and brushed against the veil she wore to protect her from inhaling the various things she handled. Her red draping dress accentuated her graceful movements while her blue sash swished from side to side with her hips. Her many bracelets and anklets jangled as she slipped behind a counter and leaned on one hand.

"Hello, Lesara. How have you been?" Her voice was low and soft.

Lesara smiled as Khala allowed her hand to be pulled away from her and kissed. "Absolutely wonderful. I'm going on a trip soon, as you've no doubt heard." The naga grinned and petted her hand. "Also, I have a new servant. Lady Khala, meet Reyvn. Reyvn, don't be shy, say hello."

Reyvn slowly came back to his senses, a little dazed by the plethora of smells. He looked up at Khala, and nodded briefly. He might've been uneasy if he wasn't feeling slightly drugged. "Hello," he said softly. He could feel himself start to get light-headed, but he was sure they'd be out of the tent soon.

Lady Khala chuckled. "Not quite used to all the vapors are you? Don't worry, it'll pass." She turned her gaze back to Lesara, and said, "He is very cute, I like him. He's almost as exotic as you are."

This made the naga blush a little and he smiled. "Lady Khala, you are too kind. Oh, please, will you tell Reyvn here about where I'll be going while I peruse your supplies? He is very curious to know. He's quite bright and has a thirsty mind."

The alchemist turned to Reyvn. "Of course," she said. "I'll be happy to answer any questions you have. I've spent my life in the deserts up until I moved here a few months ago."

Reyvn shook his head a little to try and clear it, and was glad when it worked. He watched Lesara slither away and browse through the shop, then looked back to Khala. He strangely felt that he could trust her, like she wouldn't hurt him. This made him feel suddenly more comfortable in the tent, and whatever tension he beared coming in eased up. "What are deserts like? I've heard people speak of them before, like they were something ugly and bad. But it's just...sand, right?"

Lady Khala's laugh was a smooth, rich sound. She pulled her veil off, smiled at Reyvn and said, "It all depends on your definition of beauty really. The desert is a harsh place to live, a difficult place to survive in, and some people do not like it. They think it is all dead plants and dust. But in truth, the desert is as alive as any jungle or forest." She leaned in a little closer. "By day, it is bright and white, but at dusk, the sky glows and seeps into the earth with its paints." She raised her hands and closed her eyes, picturing her home in her mind.

"In my part of the desert, the sky glowed fiercely with its fire, a time for dancing and singing. The white hot sand would begin to cool for our feet to run on, and it would glow the same bright colors. The sky and earth would rage and dance with each other like this, in its hot passion for a time till the cool air would soothe them to sleep with its deep blue and purple blankets dotted with bright diamonds. The air is so clear, you can see every celestial body the sky had to offer. But as the sky and earth slept, the creatures would come out to enjoy the cool winds."

Lady Khala looked at Reyvn, her eyes shining with memories of her homeland. "It is a different world at night. All the animals that sleep during the day come out before the bright moon. And when it rains, it is beautiful. The plants that once seemed dead waken, and the rain fills their leaves till they are plump with water. The great spiked towers give full, large blooms to the gods as thanks for the precious gift that is water, and from those flowers come the sweetest fruit that has ever touched my lips."

Lady Khala sighed and her shoulders drooped a little. "Words cannot do the desert justice. It is something you would have to see for yourself to truly appreciate it, but not every one is meant to see this beauty that is the desert."

Reyvn's shoulders sagged and his posture became more relaxed as he watched the woman, tall and powerful-looking, lost in her memories. He tried to imagine what she was seeing, and thought it was beautiful too. He could see the vibrant colors dancing at sunset, reflecting off the sand, and people that resembled Khala dancing around a fire. He could only start to imagine the kinds of music they played. His own eyes glazed over as he got lost in the images with Khala, and it took him several seconds to realize she had stopped talking. He blinked to clear his mind, then looked up at her. He could feel heat rush to his face, and he glanced away. How long had she been staring at him?
"It really does...sound lovely."

Lady Khala chuckled and smiled at Reyvn. "It is lovely. One of these days, ask Lesara to take you there." She reached over to brush Reyvn's cheek gently and said, "You are very fair in complexion though. You might burn up if you aren't careful."

Reyvn felt his cheeks flush harder when Khala touched his face. He looked up into her deep purple eyes, and nodded.

As Lady Khala spoke, Lesara began organizing the things he had picked out on the counter for the her to inspect. She went through them, replacing a few things here and there with fresher samples. Lesara handed her the money he owed, and stowed the things away in his bottomless purse.

"Thank you, good Lady, for talking to dear Reyvn for me. Please, keep in good health." Lesara winked at her. "It would be a shame to lose such skilled hands." Lady Khala laughed and bid them farewell, and soon the boys were on the street again, the tent nowhere to be seen.

The requiem felt his head clear suddenly, and looked about. His eyebrows raised, wondering why he couldn't see the tent. He gave Lesara a questioning look. "What just happened?"

Lesara's arm was busy rifling through his purse for the shopping list. He turned to look at Reyvn, then looked at where the tent would have been. "Oh that? It's one of Lady Khala's best tricks. She vanishes into thin air." He wrapped an arm around Reyvn, and pulled him towards the road. "Come, time for groceries," he said while reading his list.

Reyvn scrumpled his face, looking at the empty spot. He sighed, and his face went neutral again. He let Lesara pull him along, looking at all the various shops. The one selling glittery trinkets attracted his eye the most, but he didn't stray from Lesara to investigate. He quickly looked away when the shopkeeper caught his gaze, and instead looked at an arrangement of swords displayed on the next stall. He paused, admiring the beauty of the deadly, graceful metal. He'd once seen what such things were used for, and thought briefly to ask Lesara for one. He stopped himself, and turned to continue following the naga.

He paused again, his heart starting to speed. Oh no, where'd Lesara go? He looked around for the bright blue hair, and the shimmering blue tail, but couldn't seem to find the man in this growing crowd. He started to move forward, weaving his way around the people.

Lesara was a little oblivious to Reyvn's disappearance. He skimmed through his list, stopping at this stall and that, picking up various things, assuming Reyvn was behind him all the while.

Reyvn panicked, still not finding Lesara. How the hell could he possibly lose a bright blue naga in this crowd? He cursed mentally, and tried to keep moving. He somehow found himself near the right side of the street, next to a tall stone building. He sighed, trying to see over everyone around him. He hadn't realized how short he was until just then, and it upset him. He glanced about, making sure no one was behind him, then carefully made his wings emerge. He kept them small so they couldn't be seen from the front, just enough to allow him to hover. He took a step back, and very slowly, lifted himself off the ground to see over the crowd. He stopped, and looked around quickly. His eyes widened when he spotted bright blue hair, and he dropped back to the ground and started after Lesara again. He just hoped the naga would still be at the stall when he reached it.

"Lesa- mmf!" He felt one hand wrap around his arm while another clamped over his mouth, and start pulling him into the alleyway behind the stone building. He struggled to free himself, but whoever was behind him had an iron grip. He twisted around to see who it was, and gasped in terror. The long hair like fire, the amber eyes, the angular yet round features. Koumori.

"No. No!" He planted his feet firmly on the ground, twisting his arms in all sorts of ways to free himself. He was pulled back sharply, forcing another gasp out of him, this time in pain. He could feel the man's body against his back, and his arms were rearranged to be held by one strong hand while the other produced a knife and put it to his throat. Reyvn's eyes started to burn, and he blinked to keep back the tears.

"One word, and you're dead." The voice was low, calm, and hot against his ear. It also did not hold the gentle accent Koumori's did. "Do you understand?"

Reyvn nodded, careful of the blade. This didn't sound like Koumori, he realized. And now that he was closer, he could tell this man also wasn't as tall as the veran. But he looked so similar... A relative perhaps?

"Good boy."

The knife left his throat, and he was dragged further back down the alleyway, out of sight of the main street. His eyes darted back and forth, memorizing everything he saw. They walked for a while, rounding several corners, the sounds of the market fading behind them. His heart was pounding a mile a minute, threatening to run away without him. Finally they came to an old wooden building, and he was shoved through the open doorway. He stumbled, and caught himself before falling and quickly turned to face the stranger.

The redhead grinned, locking the door behind him. "What a pretty little bird I've caught. You'll make a lovely addition to my collection." His grin widened as his eyes narrowed, and Reyvn saw now that he wasn't quite as pretty as Koumori. The man made a gesture, as if displaying something.

Reyvn frowned, then looked around. Red stains streaked the walls and floor, but there wasn't much in the room that he noticed right off. There was a bed against the far right wall that had stuffing coming out of several holes, and there were red stains on that as well. He couldn't help but think that...Wait a moment. His blue eyes widened in terror, and wandered upwards. Shelves caked with a crusty brownish red substance, and little horrors displayed along them. Severed heads, hands, various other body parts, and below these shelves was a small collection of wings. The smell of old blood and decay hit him, and he felt his stomach churn, and put a hand to his mouth. His body chilled as he dropped to his knees, tears stinging his eyes again. Koumori was always bad, but not like this. Never like this.

"What's the matter, don't you agree?" The redhead swung the knife around, a maniacal grin spreading over his face. "I've been looking all over for one of your kind, and I find you right here in my home town." He took a step forward, chuckling. "You Requiems are quite the skittish type, so hard to track." He stopped a mere foot away from Reyvn, looking down on the boy. The light streaming through the cracks in the windows behind him dulled his colors, giving Reyvn only a silhouette to look up at.

Reyvn shook his head, and scurried backwards. "S-stay away from me!" Shit, what now? He could scream all he wanted, but Lesara would never hear him. At least, not in time. He looked around the room for something, anything he could use to defend himself. He saw something on one of the lower shelves, then looked back at the fire-haired man.

"Now why would I do something silly like that? I stole you fair and square, so now you're mine to do whatever I want with." He rushed to Reyvn, pinning him up against the wall before he put the blade to his neck. He got a sound of pain from the boy, and grinned wider. "I'm going to enjoy hearing you sing for me while I cut you up."

It took a moment for Lesara to grasp that his conversation was being ignored. He turned around, and asked, "Reyvn? Are you listeni-" Lesara felt his heart leap into his throat. "Reyvn?!" Had the boy wandered off and gotten lost? He began shoving his way through the crowd. Had he run away? "Reyvn!" he shouted. Lesara whipped his tail this way and that, quickly clearing a path. Oh gods, where was the last place he thought he heard Reyvn speak?

He passed by a stall with bright and shiny things. Had the boy gotten distracted here? He went to the stall keep, frantically asking about a pretty boy with long black hair. The naga was disappointed when the shop keeper shook his head at him. Now what was he going to do? 'Wait, what was that?' he thought to himself.

Lesara saw something glinting out the corner of his eye. It was a weapons stall. Maybe he had been distracted here? "Hey good sir!" the merchant called out at him. "You, you had a pretty boy with you a while ago yes? Perhaps you'd be interested in a lovely dagger for his protection?" Lesara almost grabbed the man and yanked him over the counter.

"Did you see the way he went?" Lesara was frantic, and the merchant could see it. "Oh yes, he went down the road a bit, as if lost. Be careful, there are hunters here looking for pretty things. Dagger for his protection?" He was still trying to sell something... and Lesara bought it. He grabbed the dagger from the man, threw down some money and fled towards an alley.

The cold steel was pressed against Reyvn's neck again, his front shoved against the wall while the man pulled up the back of his shirt. He could feel his wings being tugged at, but they didn't give.

"Make them grow," the redhead growled.

Reyvn tensed, shutting his eyes. Could they actually be removed? He didn't think so. Koumori had once tried, and when he failed he instead sealed them. He let out an uneasy breath, and willed his wings to enlarge. They elongated and changed their shape, their structure more closely resembling bird wings. Save for the odd, unlayered blocky 'feathers.' Reyvn was starting to enjoy his time with Lesara, and didn't want to die just yet. So he would do what the man wanted, for now. He glanced again at the long, curving blades on the lowest shelf to the left of the room, waiting for his chance.

"Goooood." The man pulled the blade from Reyvn's neck, and placed it to the base of one wing. He made a sawing motion as he pushed down, but the wing did not give. Instead, the violet tips of the wings glowed, and the light flowed along the edges and down to Reyvn's back. The space between the base of the wings and Reyvn's back sparked, and the man's arm was flung back.

Reyvn heard the knife skitter across the floor, and the man's curse as he stepped back. He didn't wait a second longer, and dove for the blades on the shelf. He grabbed the handles of both, and spun around to face the redhead. He twirled the tip of one forward to point at the man, bringing the other up to shield himself. His breath came unevenly, his heart thudding in his chest. He could hear his pulse in his ears, feel his body tremble. He saw the room start to change, every detail becoming sharper, clearer. He knew his eyes were altering their color. He glanced down at the strange swords he held, the long blades meant for curving down one's arm while the handles were faced towards the body. He looked back up quickly, seeing the man pick up his deflected dagger.

The man smirked, cautiously stepping closer. "Do you even know how to use those?"

Reyvn did his best to control his shaking. "Of course I do!" His voice almost came out steady. He hoped the man wouldn't hear the unevenness.

"Prove it." The redhead crept closer, his body lowering into a defensive stance.

"Le...LESARA!" Reyvn yelled, praying to whatever merciful gods that the naga would hear him. He held his ground, leaning back a little as if poising to strike. This man did not own him; he would fight back with everything he had.

Lesara jolted as he heard the faint cry. Was that his name he heard? He slithered through the alley ways, trying to find the source of the cry. The buildings were getting more and more dilapidated the further he went. Finally, Lesara came across an old wooden shack. There was a strange odor wafting from the wood, and Lesara braved venturing inside.

He saw Reyvn in a defensive position with a strange, red-haired man in front of him. He threw the dagger he had without thinking, and it sunk to the hilt in the man's shoulder. He then lashed out with his tail and wrapped the man up, threatening to crush him. He had thought for a moment that it was Koumori, but upon closer inspection, the man struggling in his tail turned out to be a complete stranger. He squeezed the man tighter.

"What did you do to Reyvn!" Lesara snarled. He unhinged his jaw and let his long fangs slide forward, dripping venom. "If he so much as has one scratch on him, I will kill you."

Two sets of eyes turned to face the angry naga when he burst through the door, and the redhead paled. His dagger clattered to the floor again when the naga's sunk into his arm, and he didn't have time to pull it out before Lesara's tail wrapped tightly around him. He glared at the naga, growling. "I haven't done anything to him yet." If he was intimidated by the large fangs and the venom, it didn't show.

Reyvn watched the scene, and scooted slowly towards the back corner away from the two. "He...tried to take my wings." So there were merciful gods. Lesara had heard him and come to the rescue. He gave a silent thanks, and held up both blades to shield himself.

Lesara turned his head to Reyvn as he spoke, and noticed a droplet of blood dribble down the boy's neck. His voice came out deep and low, almost a growl as he said, "Reyvn, you might want to get out."

The naga waited for the door to close before he turned his attention to the room. He noticed the dismembered body parts on the shelves, the walls caked in blood. "You sick fuck, you were going to add my servant to this horrible collection, weren't you?" He didn't wait for the man to reply as he squeezed tighter. He pulled one of the man's arms from the coils of his tail, and said, "I will make you feel the pain your victims no doubt felt."

He gave a powerful tug, and dislocated the man's arm. As the man screamed, Lesara could see a change in his vision. Everything was red and moved slowly, as if floating in thick blood. He grinned and yanked, ripping the arm away from the body. "Does that feel good?!" he yelled. He crushed the man again before pulling out a leg. As if it were paper, he tore it away as well. The sound of flesh and muscle ripping mingling with screams and cries for mercy was too delicious for Lesara, and he cackled madly. "Did your victims feel like this? Did they scream like this?!"

Reyvn dashed outside, and rounded the corner. He continued until he knew he wouldn't hear whatever Lesara had planned to do, and stopped and leaned against the wall of a sand-colored building. He still gripped the swords tightly, and didn't realize it until the sound of metal scraping along the wall brought his attention to them. He looked at the gleaming blades, and noticed that they looked new. They were free of stains and scratches, like they had just been bought. They also smelled vaguely of oil. Maybe he should keep them. They didn't seem like they'd had a chance to torture any of that man's victims yet.

His breathing slowed, and his heart started to calm. He heard one strangled scream from behind him, and tensed. Just what was Lesara doing?

As Lesara tightened his coils, he could hear the man's ribs crack. Blood spurted out of the stumps where the redhead's limbs had been and added new stains to the floor. Lesara dropped him on the floor and flexed his hands. With a sadistic grin, he plunged a set of claws into the man's gut and eviscerated him. Entrails and blood painted the floor like some sick nightmare while his screams echoed in the little shack. He noticed the man was still alive, and it infuriated him. He cut the man's chest open and spit a large amount of venom onto his still-beating heart, melting it.

He watched as the man wriggled on the floor, silent screams pouring from him. Lesara was filled with a smug satisfaction as he licked the blood off his hand.

Reyvn turned to face the way he'd just run from, holding the swords up defensively. He waited silently for Lesara, hoping he'd be done soon. He knew the naga would be all right. After all, how many things could stand up to an angry serpent-man and live? He knew then, that he wanted that man dead. He'd been horrified at what had been done to those victims, and hoped Lesara gave the man a painful death. He also hoped that one day Koumori would meet a similar fate. The thought stilled him, and made him go cold. Koumori, dead? He looked down at his blades again, thinking of all the years he suffered at the veran's hands. One day, Reyvn decided, he would get back at Koumori.

Lesara watched the man die, pleased with himself. He looked at his chest and noticed all the red staining his skin. He was about to leave and find a way to clean himself before he remembered the little dagger. Lesara yanked it from the man's dismembered arm and left in search of Reyvn. Outside, he was fortunate enough to find a barrel full of water, and he rinsed himself off before calling out for the little requiem.

"Reyvn? Reyvn, where are you?" Lesara searched among the buildings for a time before he found the boy. "There you are. Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" He lifted the boy's chin and inspected the little scratch on his neck. He tut-tutted and smiled at Reyvn, all his rage gone, and pulled him in a tight embrace. "Don't scare me like that."

Reyvn relaxed when he saw Lesara, letting his arms fall to his sides. He gave a sigh of relief, letting Lesara inspect him, and turned the blades so they pointed away when he was hugged. He almost said he was sorry, but thought it meaningless.

Lesara looked Reyvn over once more, smiling. Lesara noticed the blades the boy held and remembered the dagger again. "Here, this is for you. Though I think you might be better armed now." He presented the little silver blade, and cringed a little when he noticed there were still some red smudges on it.

Reyvn took a step back from the naga, looking down at the long, thin dagger. The handle was finely crafted, but sturdy, and black in color with silver ivy designs carved into the hilt. It was also easily concealable. He noticed the blood on it, but didn't mind. He looked up at Lesara, and gave a small smile. "Thank you."
Better armed, Lesara had said. Wait, did that mean he'd be allowed to keep the weapons? He looked back at his swords, and made a face. "I...don't have anywhere to put these."

Lesara laughed, relieved that the boy seemed to be acting normal. "Just hang onto them. I think we've had enough adventure for one day. Let's head home." He hugged Reyvn once more and kissed the top of his head. "Scared the hell out of me, you know," he muttered into the boy's hair.

Reyvn tensed for a second when he was pulled into another hug, not used to this much affection at once. He didn't move away, and rested against Lesara's chest in silence, thinking. What he'd seen in that shack was almost surreal, now that he was out of it. He'd never seen anything before nearly so unsettling, and the images of those shelves were stuck in his mind. He shook his head quickly, getting rid of the pictures. He sighed, not looking back up at Lesara. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.

Lesara pulled back and lifted Reyvn's chin. "It wasn't your fault. These things happen, it's how the world can be sometimes. But now you have some sort of defense against it." He held Reyvn close to him as they made their way back to the carriage. "We'll have Cherry cook up something hearty, how does that sound?"

Reyvn nodded somberly, and let Lesara lead him. He noticed the few strange looks people gave them as they passed through the main street, and gripped the swords in his hands tighter. He clambered into the carriage, glad to be back in safety. He set the weapons down at his feet, and waited for Lesara to slither inside. He remained silent, gazing out the window as they began to move. He didn't really want to see Cherry again, after what had happened earlier. The look on Arna's face upset him, but he didn't know what to do about it. He didn't want to face either of them. He sighed, and leaned back against the seat and let his eyes wander over the fancy patterns of the material that lined the carriage walls. He then frowned, thinking the patterns were too much, and looked back outside.

Lesara let his fingers trail through Reyvn's hair. 'Well this is wonderful,' he thought to himself. 'Gets raped the first night and now he gets kidnapped.' He sighed and stared out the window silently, watching the scenery fly past. Soon they were home, and Lesara slithered up to the door, watching out for potential servant snatchers. He was going to be on edge for days now, and he knew it. "Cherry! Arna! We're home!" he hollered after they entered the house.

Arna appeared at once. "Cherry's already making dinner," he told the naga.

Reyvn followed behind Lesara, both his swords tucked carefully under one arm while the sheathed dagger was stuck in his belt. He cautiously looked to Arna, then to Lesara, and then away from both of them. "I'm not feeling very hungry," he said softly. He looked back to his master. "Do you mind if I just go to the library?"

Lesara nodded. "You've had a rough day. Do as you please, but please tell me if you feel unwell," he told Reyvn.

Arna stood by and waited for the naga to get out of earshot before whispering, "Can I talk to you later tonight?"

Reyvn was already turning and about to scurry down the halls when he heard Arna speak. He paused, half turning back to look at the wiry redhead. He stared for a few moments, pondering. He didn't want to talk to Arna at all, but thought maybe it'd be best to. He slowly nodded, and whispered back, "I guess so. Where?"

Arna gave it a moment's thought. "Bathroom. Master won't bother us there. Say in... three hours?"

"Ok, I'll see you then." Reyvn turned and left without another word. He rushed to his room, and set the weapons on the small bookshelf opposite the bed. He wasted no time getting to the library, as he wished desperately to forget the day's events. He went to the desk where all his books were stacked on, and sat down heavily in the plush chair. He ran his fingers through his hair, looking down at everything he had spread out. He began rifling through the pages of the book he had left earlier, getting back into it in just seconds.

The day's happenings weighed heavily on Lesara's mind. He laid down on the plush sofa and rested his head in his hands, trying to soothe a headache. As if by magic, Cherry appeared carrying a tray with a glass and a bottle of rich amber liquid. "Hello, master. Tough day at the market?" She poured the liquid in the glass, and Lesara exchanged his pouch for it. "Thanks," he muttered. He sat up and drank it all down in one gulp while Cherry investigated the pouches contents. "Oooh, that's different," she cooed at this and that in the bag. "I'll go put this all away."

Lesara muttered another "Thanks," and took a deep swig from the bottle. The liquid burned down his throat and made his tight chest ease up. "Oh, Cherry, Reyvn will be skipping dinner tonight. I think I will too," he informed her.

She gave him a dirty look, and then he said, "We must have picked up more than I thought," while wiping his nose on a napkin. Cherry nodded, satisfied, and soon had the house smelling of food.


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For some simple clarification, because I had trouble getting what Lesara meant when Ember wrote it, Les is pretending he caught a cold.

Er, also, Reyvn is spelled with the Y before the V, not after. xD [I notice people keep getting it switched.] I chose that spelling because Revyn sounds like Rev-in, rather than Ray-vin, to me. And being named after the bird raven by Koumori I figured the name should sound the same, while being slightly more original in the spelling. I have yet to see another character with that precise spelling, so I give myself points for that. x3 [I see 'Ravyn' a lot though, which I read as rav-in even though I know better.] And yeah, I did name the character in an emo part of my teenage years, but I've long since moved on and so is the character.
No one's asked about it, but I figure some people like to get to know the author a little better, or the reasons for this and that. If anyone actually cares, I can do little info snippets like this at the bottom of every future chapter. ._. That is, if I have anything to say.