Forever Caged [Complete]

Character Art!!
Reyvn: http://m-tarachand.deviantart.com/art/Present-Reyvn-112157100
Arna: http://m-tarachand.deviantart.com/art/Arna-116539006
Lesara: http://m-tarachand.deviantart.com/art/Lesara-s-Treasure-126731497
Shinda: http://m-tarachand.deviantart.com/art/Shinda-126731900
Rendell: http://m-tarachand.deviantart.com/art/Rendell-s-Shadows-126731688
All that can also be found on my y-gal, but you need an account on that site to view those. x3 So I give you my dA instead.

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Chapter 24: Help


Arna couldn't keep himself still. He'd trimmed all the bushes, he'd gathered all the ripe fruit, and even pruned the man-eating plant, sobbing all the while. Finally, he had had enough of trying to stay calm and thinking of a normal plan. He grabbed at his hair and screamed obscenities.

"What's wrong, Pooky-poo?" Cherry cooed.

"You know what's wrong!" Arna yelled. "I've been trying to tell you but you listen to that bastard bloodsucker over me!"

"Well I never!" Cherry was about to backhand Arna when the doorbell rang. Her scowling harpy-face instantly sweetened as she sang, "Coming!" and skipped to answer the door. Arna wanted to hit her so badly, and it suddenly occurred to him that he had no idea why the crazy bitch had ever aroused him.

A tall man with long, red-streaked black curls and deep grey eyes stood waiting on the porch. He was dressed in fitted black jeans and a loose blue shirt which he left unbuttoned, showing off a strong torso hidden under a tight white shirt. His face was well-sculpted, triangular, yet soft. He pushed up his blue-tinted glasses, and looked down at the short pink-haired woman at the door. His voice came out in a sultry purr, not quite meant for introductions. "Well hello there," he said with a smirk.

Cherry's face was tinged in pink and she returned his smirk. "Why, hello. How may I help you, good sir?" She pointed her chin out and leaned in the door frame, drawing attention to her dramatic figure. "The master is out right now, but if you'd like, you may stay till he returns." She meant it in less than innocent terms.

The man chuckled, then removed his glasses and flipped them closed, tucking them into a pocket. He let his eyes wander over Cherry's well-endowed form, giving her the silent compliment she asked for. "My name's Shinda. I've met your master Lesara, in the desert, and he sent me here. Quite a character, that naga. May I come in?"

Cherry stepped aside. "Oh of course." She led him into the room where Arna had previously been throwing his fit. "Arna, dear, this is Shinda. He says he met Master in the desert and was sent here by him. Mr. Shinda, this is Arna, our grounds-keeper. Please, have a seat. Is there anything you'd like to drink?"

Arna regarded Shinda silently and slipped out of the room, waiting in the hall. "Oh don't mind him," he heard Cherry say. "He thinks someone dear to him has gotten in a tight place. He overreacts."

Shinda nodded to Arna, and moved to sit on the couch. "Just some water will be nice. I've come a long way," he said to Cherry with a smile. "Arna, was it? Come sit with me, I need to speak with you." He relaxed into the soft cushions and placed an open hand on either thigh. From what Lesara had been fretting over, he guessed that the poor boy had been through a lot, and he tried not to look threatening.

Arna looked at him suspiciously, edging out of the hallway and back into the room, but not moving any closer. "What do you need to talk to me about?" He didn't trust that his master had sent him. While Arna was battling his sense of trust, Cherry skipped away.

Shinda locked his eyes with Arna's, giving him a slight smile. "Lesara got a message from a woman. Khala, I think was her name. Anyway, long story short, I ran into Lesara during his little temple raid, helped him out with some angry guard beasts, and we stuck together for safety for a few days. Then we ran into the alchemist, and she told us what a doctor had told her. Lesara couldn't return fast enough, so instead he sent me. Now then, your friend's name is Reyvn, correct?"

Arna's jaw dropped and his eyes went wide. "You weren't lying? What all did they tell you? How much do you know?" Arna began to grow frantic again. Maybe this man really could help him. "Wait... How do I know I can trust you? How do I know you aren't with that demon bastard? He could have told you all this, and could be trying to lure me back."

Shinda's eyes widened as Arna started to get anxious. He remained still, listening. "Calm down, and sit down before you hurt yourself. Khala said that your injuries were bad enough that Ravis requested medicine, and that both of you looked like you'd been through Feythis itself." He sighed softly, then stood, but didn't approach Arna. "You can trust me, because from what Lesara told me of Reyvn, it sounds like that demon has one of my own captive. If you know anything about us, then you know we are rare and hard to find precisely because of people like that demon. We don't appreciate anyone holding one of us as a slave."

Arna nodded, then all of the words caught up with him. "Wait, there's more of you?" He sat down heavily on a stool near him, absorbing everything Shinda had said. "Well, I'm alright. Reyvn looks like he fell in a knife shop. Can you really help?" His chest was tight and his breath was coming out in short gasps. After three days of agonizing, he could finally bring Reyvn back into the safety of this home. Arna wrapped his arms around himself and began sobbing.

Cherry chose that particular moment to enter. She balanced a tray with a jug of ice water and three glass tumblers. "Mr. Shinda, darling, you requested water?"

Shinda smiled at Arna. "I'll do everything I can." He turned, taking a glass off the tray and filling it with water. "Thanks. What did you say your name was?" he asked Cherry.

Cherry smiled coyly. "I never did mention. But now that you ask, my name is Cherry." Arna wanted nothing more than to plant the bottom of his sneaker in her face. She was getting in the way of progress. "Um," Arna started, trying to choose his words carefully. "When do you think would be a good time to go get him?"

Shinda set the pitcher down, then gave a smile to Cherry before taking a sip. He looked back to Arna. "I don't know yet. Why don't you tell me more about this demon?"

"Well," Arna looked at the ceiling and began thinking about Rendell. "He's really moody. Like one minute, he's happy, and the next he's beating the crap out of you. He can fade in and out of places, but only if there are shadows. If it's night, he can go almost anywhere. He can sort of control the shadows too. He doesn't like light very much. And his blond hair's kind of wavy, and he likes being beat up too." He was surprised at how much he knew. "Oh, and he has a pretty maid named Clarice who keeps a garden. He doesn't hurt her. He never raises his hand against women."

"So, bipolar, a sado-masochist, and shadow travels. Sounds like a barrel of fun." He smirked, then gave a sly look to Cherry. 'And doesn't hurt women, hm?' he thought. He then smiled brightly at her. "Cherry, you're the cook here, correct? Lesara's told me you make some of the best food. How about a little example; I'm starved."

Cherry giggled. "Why of course! I'll whip something up right away." She skipped off to the kitchen, beaming.

Arna looked at Shinda with a raised eyebrow. "Oh her cooking's nothing compared to the doctor's," he said flatly. He wanted to grab the man and run off to rescue Reyvn, but he needed a plan, and he was too scatterbrained to think.

"Ah, I just needed her out of the room for a while," Shinda said to Arna once Cherry was out of earshot. He took a look around the room, admiring for a few moments. Lesara wasn't kidding about his love for treasure. Naga was more like a hoarding dyegan than a serpent-man. He chuckled to himself, then drained his glass before setting it down and moving to sit closer to Arna. "She might end up being part of our rescue plan, and I don't need her hearing it yet. Now, clearly we'll have to move during the day. The only problem with that is that if we screw up and make any noise, we'll attract him." He frowned, thinking. "Does he keep his home very dark? What sort of things does he do to his slaves?"

Arna chewed on the tip of his finger, thinking. "The ones he keeps at his house, his servants, he never abuses physically, but they all act sort of absent minded, like they're running on autopilot. He probably broke their heads a while ago." His gaze dropped to the floor. "He hasn't done too many bad things to me cus he doesn't own me, but when I'm running errands and I have to stay the night, the shadows... mess with me. He's killed one person before, but no one will tell me how." He then met Shinda's eyes. "How will Cherry help? She won't die, will she?"

Shinda listened carefully. "I won't let her be killed. Hurt a bit, maybe, but not killed. Now, is he incredibly kinky or violent or anything like that? Is he a predator type; just goes after the small weak things?"

Arna laughed. "If it doesn't move fast enough, he'll attack it. I don't know about weak things, but he doesn't like people stronger than him. He sort of goes after them in a head butting contest. He's like a big zutren whose penis size has been called into question." He hesitated before answering about the man's kinks. "And, yeah, he's special when it comes to the bedroom." His face flushed. "And I got stupid and didn't tell Reyvn cus I got all scared." He shuddered and a fresh flow of tears made their way down his cheeks.

Shinda's frown deepened. Apparently this demon was pretty bad if he had Arna crying all the way over here. He didn't dare touch the boy though. "Hey, look at me," he demanded gently, "we're going to rescue him, and everything will turn out fine. Don't beat yourself up over it." He sighed softly, and sat back. "Just how did you get away from him, by the way? It sounds like you both made it pretty far if you got a message sent to Lesara. What happened?"

Arna was sobbing as he explained the trip to the doctor's, and how Rendell and Koumori had hunted them down, omitting where he found he had a fondness for Reyvn. He didn't want to spill that yet, as he did not completely understand himself. Meanwhile, Cherry was making a fuss in the kitchen, trying to prepare something quick and fancy. She brought the meal out to the living area where Shinda and Arna were sitting, and gave Shinda an odd look when she noticed that Arna was crying.

Shinda thought in silence. A veran was involved? And he was Reyvn's old master. He'd have to go beat down the veran too later. He looked up to Cherry, and gave her a small smile. "Ah, you're back. Arna was just telling me about Reyvn." He looked at the food she brought out, then said, "My that looks delicious! Lesara wasn't kidding." He reached for one of the toasted sub sandwiches, starting to work out a plan in his head.

Cherry gave a flirty chuckle and said, "If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask." She held a plate out to Arna, who shook his head. She withdrew it and gave him a foul look. "Is this boy that special? I've only ever seen him a few times, like at mealtime, and he never says anything." She turned and left without waiting for an answer. Arna looked after her, scowling.

Shinda bit into the sandwich, watching her leave. He swallowed, then said, "She always that moody?"

Arna shrugged. "I thought it was a girl thing. She also just got over that thing she does a couple of days ago, so she's gonna be mean for a while." He wiped the tears from his face, and took a handkerchief from his pocket and gave a it hearty blow from his nose.

"You mean perioding?" Shinda about choked on his food at the sound Arna made, stifling a laugh. "Right, right. Now then, what we need to do is make a diversion. Since Rendell doesn't know me, and probably thinks that Koumori guy kept you to himself, he won't be expecting any visitors until Lesara returns. So I can waltz up to his door and keep him busy, and you can run around and find Reyvn. I'm sure you know that place like the back of your hand by now, so getting him out shouldn't be a problem as long as I have Rendell's attention." He paused for a moment, pondering. "Although that means I might not be able to use Cherry, because then he might guess what I'm up to." He bit into his sandwich, chewing thoughtfully.

Arna's head tilted to one side. "What were you gonna use Cherry for? She isn't good for much besides making food." He thought about it for a moment before saying, "Were you going to feed her to him? I don't think she'd taste good."

Shinda chuckled. "No no, since Rendell doesn't hit women, I was gonna use her as a shield. But I suppose if it came down to it, she'd just be in the way."

Arna nodded. "Yeah... So... when are we goin'?" He didn't want to push the man. He was much more intimidating than Reyvn.

"If I weren't beat, I'd say go as soon as I'm done eating, but as it is...Well, I've just flown here from the desert. I need rest."

"Hey, if we get him in time, do you think he'd grow to be as big as you?"

Shinda arched a brow as he looked at Arna. "That's a strange thing to ask. Is he really little or something?"

Arna shook his head. "He's only a little shorter than I am. He turned eighteen not too long ago, so he's kind of like me." Arna held out one skinny arm to show what he meant.

"Ah. So he's about right then." Shinda scarfed down several more bites of the sandwich, swallowed, then said, "So, yes, when he's my age he'll be about the same size. Maybe not in height, but he will of course broaden out."

"How old are you?" Arna asked. He tried to picture Reyvn with a bit more muscle, but he couldn't see it happening.

Shinda finished the last of his lunch, then thought for a few seconds. "Oh, sixty," he said nonchalantly. "We requiems hit about twenty-five and then stop aging until we reach around two hundred."

"Sixty?!" Arna's voice went up an octave. "Wow, you look good! Does that mean Reyvn'll outlive me? Oh wait, never mind." Arna shut his mouth. The man needed time to plan and he needed peace, not an adolescent riddled with questions.

Shinda smiled and laughed softly. "Thanks. And he most likely will, since you humas only seem to live to about a hundred-and-fifty."

Arna smiled weakly. "Yeah, we don't live too long, do we..." It made his heart sink knowing that. He wasn't sure why, but it pained him knowing he would grow to be old and ugly while Reyvn would still be beautiful. "Well... I think I need a nap before anything happens."

Shinda noticed the change in Arna's antics. He narrowed his steely eyes slightly, then asked, "You really care for him, don't you?"

"O-of course!" The question caught Arna off guard. "He's my friend, he means a lot to me." He guarded his actions a little more closely.

Shinda chuckled. "Good." He knew Arna was trying to hide the truth, and he thought it was cute. "Before you nap, would you mind showing me where Reyvn stayed? I'd like to learn a bit about him before I see him."

"Oh sure!" Arna hopped up. "Follow me. Be careful, things like to eat you in here." He led Shinda up the stairs and down the halls, till they came to the hallway Lesara normally forbade his going into. "I'm not allowed down here without Master, but that door down there is where Reyvn slept." He pointed to the one door that was cracked open and free of dust.

Shinda followed, keeping track of which way they went. He paused when Arna did, looking at the door being pointed at. "Don't suppose you could take a look at it with me? You'd know what's his and what isn't, so it'd help while I looked through."

Arna was hesitant. He knew he'd get in trouble, but he'd probably be in bigger trouble if Reyvn didn't make it. He nodded, and walked with Shinda to Reyvn's room. He was amazed at how much cleaner it was in here than in his room. "Um... The clothes are his, all the prettier ones that look like they're made for skinny people. He didn't come over with a lot. And I think those blades are his too." Arna pointed to the long curved slivers on the bookshelf. "I dunno if he knows how to use them. Some of the books might be his too."

Shinda slowly moved through the room, examining everything. Looked like the veran who used to own Reyvn had a lot of money too; these clothes were all custom. He moved to the shelf where the swords were set on, and carefully ran a finger along the length of one. He picked one up, and turned it so it was parallel to his arm. He made a small 'hmp,' before setting the blade back down. "I might take these with me when we go to save him. I'm sure he wouldn't keep them if he didn't know how to use them."

He skimmed through some of the books on the same shelf, an eyebrow raising at some of the titles. "These are some pretty complex books for someone his age. History, magick, a bit of alchemy...Not the usual choices for a younger requiem," he muttered to himself. He stepped over to the bed, and started rifling through the sheets. He checked the pillowcases, then under the bed, then raided the nightstand. He sifted through it, but didn't remove anything. He had an idea, then turned back to the bed. He slipped his fingers under the mattress, and pulled it up. "I knew he was hiding something," he chuckled. There were some crumpled papers that seemed like they had been there for a while. He snatched them up, and set the mattress back down before he plopped on it himself.

"Come, sit with me. Maybe you'll learn something too." He began skimming over the papers, and paused when something caught his eye. He frowned, silent as he read.

"What's that?" Arna sat down next to Shinda. "That's not Reyvn's writing, he writes all sloppy, like he just figured out how to not too long ago." He skimmed over the papers with Shinda, then shook his head. "S'all gibberish to me."

Shinda nodded, then held out the papers in front of both of them while he leaned closer to Arna. He used his other hand to point. "These are all lists of potions, their recipes, and where to find the stuff to make 'em. It also says what effect they have. All of these are meant to 'tame,' so to speak. Tranquilizers, paralyzers, things that'll screw with your mind and body. Some of these can kill if you overdose, but most are like they're just for playing games. Since these were hidden, I'm assuming Reyvn meant for no one else to see them, so these can't be Lesara's. These must be from Koumori."

He frowned. "Looks like Koumori's a pretty twisted fuck. I'm going to have to visit him later." He went to another page. "This one worries me the most though. You know what aphrodisiacs are right? Most just make you really horny, but this one attacks the mind too. It doesn't let you ignore its effects. It's like...what someone might use as a date-rape drug, if they could get their hands on it. Keeps you aware of what's going on, but makes you want it even if you really don't."

Arna's eyes went wide. He didn't know how many more shocks he could take before they popped out completely. "Wow... that explains all those scars..." He turned to Shinda. "Why would he have these? I got all the information I could from Rendell before this all started, and this wasn't in there." The hairs raised on the back of his neck. "Wait, what if Koumori went to Rendell himself and taught him how to make these potions? Rendell's probably doing horrible things as we speak!"

Shinda nodded. "Most likely. I'm assuming since these were stashed away that Koumori gave Lesara the list when he gave him Reyvn, which is why you didn't get the same ones from Rendell. Must not have thought Reyvn would look through his things before Lesara did. Anyway, I know you want to get him out of there, but if Rendell's using any of these potions then he's not going to kill Reyvn for a while." He growled softly, then folded the papers up and set them under the lamp on the nightstand. "We still have to wait till tomorrow morning. I don't have the energy to go against a demon today." He walked to the bookshelves, then reached into his open shirt. He pulled out a small leather bag, then picked up one of the blades and slid it in. He put the second one in there, then tucked the little bag back into his shirt pocket. He loved these bottomless bags.
He had another idea. "Hey, does Rendell go to bed a little after sunrise, or before?"

"Uh... after. He usually sets his guards in place before bed." Arna watched Shinda stash the blades in his little baggie. Even if he had seen his own master do it a thousand times, it still surprised him some.

"Lovely. Then he'll probably be very tired, and not at full strength. Hate to leave the boy there any longer, but we don't have much of a choice." He turned to face Arna. "We'll go before the sun's up, all right? I'll fly us there, but you need to direct me."

Arna nodded. "Alright. I'm going to nap now." Arna got up, and before he left, he turned and asked, "Should we get an extra room set up for you?"

Shinda smiled. "If it's not too much trouble, that'd be great."

"Ok." Arna went to get Cherry, and they cleared out a room at the end of the hall they normally slept in. Cherry offered to keep Shinda company while Arna slept. Arna went to his room and sobbed into his pillow before falling into a shallow, nightmare filled sleep. He tossed and turned, and made little noises, unable to get comfortable while he was awake, and unable to save Reyvn in his dreams.


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Kylee: Yeah, pretty much. x3