Uncaged [Sequel to Forever Caged]

Bright stars dotted the dark blue sky, both of the moons full and glowing at their pinnacle. A tall, slender man was riding on a saddled orn, amber eyes glinting in the darkness. He was certain the people he was tracking were at least two days ahead of him. He couldn't catch their ship in time, and had had to wait for the next one. He supposed it was all right however, as he didn't need the young black-haired boy feeling his presence. He made the animal he rode trot at a steady pace, the clopping of her heavy hooves the only sound in the plains between the port of Relu and the next nearest city. He could guess where the men he was following were headed, so he could take his time. He turned off the road and tapped his orn's hind quarters with his heels, sending her galloping to the south. He needed to speak with his own master before continuing.

---

He'd walked into an adult specialty store, needing to replace some of his old, worn out equipment. His long, fiery red hair was tied back in a neat ponytail with a simple black ribbon, and he was dressed in a tan vest with a pale yellow shirt under it. He wore simple black slacks and shoes as well, not wanting to draw a lot of attention today. He nodded a greeting at the pink-haired woman at the counter, then perused the leather wares.

Cherry looked him up and down, nodding to herself in approval. He certainly was pretty. "See something you like, sir?" she said in a silky voice.

The veran smiled at her. "I see a lot of things I like. The matter is picking the right thing." He shifted through a rack of black and red leather corsets, pausing on one with three sets of laces and buckles at the hips.

Cherry grinned. "Hmm, I see you have interesting tastes. Those there are rather durable. Not just for looks though like some of the other negligee. That thing will cinch your waist to the perfect hourglass figure.

He chuckled softly. "I'm not looking at these for myself. But I do need to replace some whips." He looked up and glanced around the store, and didn't see them displayed from where he stood. "Where do you keep those?"

Cherry tapped at the display case she was leaning on. "Right here sir. Had to put them away because customers kept testing them on each other. Who are you looking for?"

"Oh, a new servant," he said casually as he went over to the display. He examined them carefully, taking his time. "Do you know a Lesara by any chance?"

Cherry's eyebrows went up. "I might. Why would you like to know?"

"Well, I went to go speak with him just yesterday, and it seems he isn't home. He said he owned a specialty shop, so I thought I'd take a look."

"Oh." She got off the counter to let the man look at the display. "He's away on a trip and won't be home for a while."

"I see. Do you happen to know where he went? I have some information about a relic and thought he might like to know." His amber eyes caught on one whip in particular, with a thick braided handle and ball bearings secured into the separated tips.

"Pff, I dunno." Cherry waved her hand in an exasperated manner. "We got a new servant with us about half a year ago and now he's on some journey to find the kid's family." She noticed him examining something. "Would you like to hold it?"

He kept his face still when the shock washed over him. Lesara had taken Reyvn to find his family? How did they even come across the knowledge the boy had any family? He thought back, remembering seeing the black pillar that enveloped Lesara's home. It took up an entire city block as far as he could tell, and after discovering Rendell had been killed there, he guessed that he had been the one to put that darkness there. The demon's manor was a burned mess, and the dark magick that haunted the estate had already departed. He knew Reyvn couldn't have burned the place. He must have had help. Maybe this acquired help had brought Lesara the information about the boy's family? If that was the case, they were on a trip to what he knew must be a Requiem settlement. His lips curled in a smile, baring a hint of fang. It was time he went on his own trip. "Yes, please," was all he said.

Cherry bent down and pulled the whip out for him. "This one, right? We have a dummy in the back room you can test it on."

He nodded. "Yes, thank you." He took the whip from her hands, and uncoiled a bit of it. He liked the way it felt; smooth, hard, and stiff. It would tear into flesh beautifully. "I'll give it a try." He let her show him to the back room, fully uncoiled the whip when she was out of the way, and sent the deadly thing whistling through the air. It cracked as it snapped to its full length, and the metal balls at the tips tore into the canvas and stuffing of the dummy. He snapped it back, and it coiled at his feet. "Very nice," he purred.

Cherry watched him admiringly. "Nice technique, sir. Is this for your servant as well?"

"Oh yes." He swung the handle in a smooth sideways arc, sending the length of the whip through the air again. A part towards the end smacked against the middle of the dummy, and the momentum of the balls swung the tips around it. He tugged, and the dummy shifted toward him a little. He snapped it back again to rest at his feet. "I think this can serve other purposes as well." He coiled it back up and turned to face Cherry. "Now all I need are some sturdy restraints."

Cherry clapped her hands. "Oh, I have the perfect thing! They just came in today." She led him back to the front, and produced a box, then opened it up. Inside were heavy iron shackles lined in a soft leather, with a set of heavy keys. "The chain connecting them is adjustable," Cherry said, pointing to the wind set in the middle. "You use this key so your victim can't adjust it on you."

He examined it, seeing how it worked. "This would save a lot of trouble of rewrapping chains," he said quietly, more to himself than to Cherry. "I think I'll just get these two today." He gave her a small grin. "Don't suppose you have any other information you could tell me about Lesara?"

Cherry thought about it for a moment. "All I really know is that he and some other man took the two other servants and went over seas. A friend he met on a temple raid. He's really hot, good in bed, and he came by right when things got ugly a while back. His name is Shinda. Do you know him?"

He arched a brow. "No, I've never heard of him." Well there was the mystery 'help' he'd wondered about earlier. Was this Shinda a requiem too? If so it was very likely he was the one that burned down Rendell's manor. "You say he met Lesara during a temple raid. Does he do treasure hunts often as well?"

"No, not so often as Lesara. He does like them though. And he has the prettiest wings! I've never met a person with wings till then." She began ringing his things up. "You know, you've been real sweet. I'm gonna give you a discount."

He chuckled. "Why thank you." Sure, as sweet as vinegar. "What do his wings look like? Feathers, leathery?" He reached into his back pocket, pulling out a slim wallet.

Cherry tilted her head. "You know, I don't really know how to describe them. They were kind of blocky." She rung his things up, and said, "Fifty koyeh. Oh, they were fiery. Pretty cool."

Only fifty? Not bad for this equipment. But then it was discounted. "Blocky and fiery? How strange." He gathered his things once Cherry had packaged them. "Well, thank you for everything. I might drop by again in the future." He gave her a small smile and a good-bye before heading for the door.

"Bye bye," she purred.

---

The old veran pulled his bottomless silken purse from inside his heavy deep green cloak, and led his orn to a tree. He tied her reigns around it, then took out all the materials he needed from his purse and started to set up a tent. It was small and not well suited for the coming winter, but he would only be using it for two more days. Once he was done, he made sure the orn was taken care of, then slipped into his tent. He set out a thick sleeping back and a pillow, removed his shoes and slid under the covers. He'd ridden hard since he left port, and it was already approaching dawn. He could travel fine during the day, but wanted to avoid it when possible.


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A/N: Hmm, who could this man be, I wonder...

Chapter 6 tomorrow. Here's another story for you, that ties into the ending of this one: http://original.adult-fanfiction.org/story.php?no=600101549