Forever Caged [Complete]

Chapter 7: Talk


The requiem was on one of the higher shelves, feather duster in one hand and clinging to the ladder with the other. He would've been using his wings if he could remember quite how to make them work while they remained small. He was wearing the mask Lesara had given him, and was grateful for it. There was so much dust caked on these books that by the time he finished he'd have to sweep the floor too. He let out a small sigh, then shifted his weight to make the ladder slide a couple feet. He reached forward again to dust, when a particular title caught his eye. He glanced for a place to set the duster, and wound up stuffing the handle in the waistband of his pants.

He grabbed the thick old leather-bound book, then paused when he saw the strap buckling it shut. Lesara said not to open these, but...He couldn't help but be curious. But he knew better than to simply open it, so he slid back down the ladder and set the book on the table. There were already several stacks of books he was intent on reading, and he added this one to the pile. He smiled inwardly, then scurried back up the ladder to continue working.

There was a set of little brass bells above Lesara's door, each connected to a different door in the house. The one for the front tinkled and startled Lesara awake, and he would have fallen out of bed were it not for the fact that he was tangled in his own bed sheets. "Arna must be home," he said to himself. He freed himself from the binds of his bedding, and went to see what all Arna had come back with. Just as he suspected, Arna was standing there with some papers in hand. He took the papers from the boy, ruffled his red hair and sent him to the kitchen, where Cherry was preparing what smelled like cookies. He leafed through them on his way back to the library, where he was going to check on Reyvn's progress.

The naga opened the door to the library and was delightfully amused at all the books Reyvn had seemed to be interested in. Curious boy, he thought to himself. The delightful amusement waned somewhat when he saw the strapped book on the desk, but was not worried for it appeared that it had not been opened. "Reyvn! Arna came back with the papers!"

Reyvn was startled nearly off the ladder. The edges of his wings even spiked up in shock as he clung to the wooden bars. The duster clattered on the floor far below, and Reyvn slowly looked down at the naga. "W...what papers?" he asked through the mask.

Lesara followed the sound of the fallen duster to find Reyvn. "There you are! I sent Arna to Rendell's to see if he got some info from your previous owner. I was curious to see if you wanted to know what they said." Lesara went to the desk and set the papers next to the mountain of books. "You know, I once had another care taker for the library. My being what I am, I can't manage these silly ladders." He picked up the strapped book. "A History of the Lost Breeds..." he said to himself. "Reyvn, if you don't mind my asking, what would you be interested in this book for?"

Reyvn slid back down the ladder, took off the mask and picked the duster back up. He thought about his reply for a moment, thinking what might be safe to say. He decided that Lesara wasn't nearly as bad as Koumori, and told the truth. "I don't really know, it just sounded like I could learn something useful." He paused, glancing to the side. "Um... May I ask what kind of information you have?"

Lesara thought about it a moment, and was satisfied with the answer. "You've a starving mind. I'm not surprised. And to be frank, I'm not sure. Looks like whatever information Koumori could scrounge up on you. Hmmm lets see..." He scanned over a few paragraphs, and his eyebrows almost flew into his hairline. "Well, we might not need to look through that book after all." Again, he was pleasantly surprised. He leafed through the rest of it quickly. "And it seems he hasn't quite gotten around to getting the potions and what have you." He petted Reyvn affectionately. "I don't think we'd need them. You're very well behaved." Lesara was beginning to worry that he was growing a soft spot for the boy. But it mattered not, he was a treasure after all. Maybe he could test the potions on the pink-haired dink he had in the kitchen. Oh no doubt he liked Cherry well enough, but sometimes he wished he could just shut her up.

"On me...?" Reyvn asked softly. "What do you mean?" He set the duster on the table and moved closer to Lesara, trying to get a closer look at the papers. He stilled, afraid for a moment.
"Wait, what potions?" Oh no, did Koumori intend on giving them the drugs that had been used on him too? He frowned, not liking the thought at all.

There was fear, or something like it that Lesara detected in Reyvn's voice. "Don't worry, I'm not going to knock you out, or whatever it is that that man did. I figure if you misbehave, I can send you to your room and that will be punishment enough." He knew he was too light, but then again, why worry? This boy flinched if he so much as moved wrong. "It seems this is a history on the Requiems." The smell of cookies was getting irresistible. "Come, I smell snack time and I am still convinced that you are far too thin."

Reyvn let his shoulders relax, trusting Lesara's words. Oh no, he didn't fully trust Lesara, but he did believe the naga wasn't a liar. He smelled something sweet in the air, like someone was baking pastries. Before he could ask anything, Lesara spoke up. He simply nodded. Was he really too thin? He didn't think so, but then he hadn't seen very many people. He set the mask on the table too, and looked back up. "What are Requiems? They're... supposed to be sad songs, right?"

The urge to go "Awww," hit Lesara like an oncoming train. "Yes, they are, but it's also what you are. I'm going to go out on a limb and assume it's just a nickname for your species." He paused a moment, slightly confused. "You mean you didn't know?" It was shocking how ignorant the boy was. Oh well, at least now he had something to occupy his days with, aside from treasure hunting. Which reminded him.... He slithered to the door, turned back and looked at Reyvn. "You've been in here almost all day now. Come down and get some cookies. Also, I'm going to send you to Rendell soon. I'm going to be going on a trip to retrieve an artifact, so in the next few days, make sure you have yourself ready."

Reyvn shook his head. "I think Koumori tried to keep me from learning much of anything... In order to keep me locked up." Which was exactly right, as Koumori didn't do much to keep it a secret. Reyvn started to follow Lesara, then paused again. Rendell...? Oh, that blonde man. He only vaguely remembered him, as the man hadn't done much to make an impression. He frowned at Lesara's words. "I can't...come with you?'

Lesara chuckled. "As much as I would love to take you, it's far too dangerous." Lesara vaguely reflected back on his last trip to the desert. Oh the fun creatures... "I'm certain that whatever's guarding this tomb would eat you alive," Lesara punctuated that remark by flicking his tongue behind Reyvn's ear. "Mmm, tasty."

Reyvn blushed, flinching back from Lesara. "...Would they really eat me?"

Lesara picked up his tail tip and waggled it in front of Reyvn. There were a few scales missing that never seemed to grow back. "They tried to eat me. Think how quickly they'd scarf up a delicious morsel like you."

Reyvn's face drained of the color it had flushed with, and he swallowed. "I... I see."

Finally, they were at the kitchen, where a mountain of cookies greeted them. Lesara picked one up, and held it out for Reyvn, while another was shoved in his own mouth. "More chocolate chip than cookie. Gods I love this thing they call a period, Cherry ends up coating almost everything in chocolate. I still don't understand it myself," Lesara paused and downed another cookie. "Eat boy, eat. You'll break in half if I get a good, strong sneeze in your direction."

The delicious scent hit Reyvn like a brick upon entering the kitchen. He remembered these things from when he was little. His mouth quirked upward in a small grin, and his eyes widened when one of the cookies was shoved in his face. He took it from Lesara, and bit into it. He felt his whole self melt at the flavor and the warmth of the fresh cookie, his pointed ears perking up.

Lesara had by then scarfed four or five more down. He had barely made a dent in the pile before he found himself wanting something to drink. "And nothing goes better with cookies than milk!" He rummaged around in the fridge for a bit before pulling out a large, round white pitcher. He set it on the table, hunted up some glasses and poured some for the both of them. "If you're good for Rendell, I'm going to bring you back a present. Tell me, what sort of things do you like?"

What did he like? He still didn't know. Okay, well, he had an idea. "I like things that sparkle." Reyvn was thinking of the crystal trinkets Koumori sometimes brought home, the nice ones that cast rainbows all over the room when light hit it just right.

"Sparkly, gotcha." Lesara dunked a cookie in his milk and stuck it in his mouth after it had gotten soggy. "Alright, well, make sure you get all your clothes washed up. We don't want you showing up at your other master's naked," he joked. He merrily wolfed down a few more cookies, probably making his way through the second dozen by now, pondering this lovely treasure. "You know, my connections tell me that it grants wishes. It might be all used up by now, but still, there's not another one like it in the world."

Reyvn nodded in response to Lesara, then tried dunking one of the cookies in milk, having never sampled the combination before. He bit into the soggy pastry, and his lips curled upward in delight. He munched down the remainder, then looked up at Lesara. "What grants wishes?"

"This treasure I'm going abroad for," Lesara grinned as if in a dream like state. "To think, the only one of its kind in the world and it's going to be all mine!" He clapped his hands together while his tail tip waggled excitedly. "Now, do you need your things washed? Do you think you'll have enough for a two-week stay? If not, tell me now, and we can go shopping for you." He gulped down the remainder of his milk. "You know, I think I love shopping almost as much as I love treasure hunting."

Reyvn found Lesara's actions somewhat amusing. "I need to look through my suitcase again and check...When are you going to leave?" He hoped it wasn't too soon. He found the naga's company to be pleasant, and remembering the look on Rendell's face from their first meeting, he decided he didn't really want to leave this house just yet.

Lesara cleared away the dishes, and put the rest of the cookies in a jar. "I think in about a week or so. Not before your wounds heal past the worry-stage, I'm certain you're still quite uncomfortable. It should be time to check those bandages again soon, don't forget, otherwise they'll get infected and you'll get sick." He didn't want to discuss leaving just yet... He really did want to take the boy with, but Reyvn probably couldn't fend off an angry rat, let alone a hungry guard beast. But at the very least, he would take him shopping. "Well, when you've finished looking through your case, come to me and I'll write up a list. You'll love the market square! So many people and things and smells and ooh the foods! I love the food."

A week. Well, that wasn't good, but he supposed it wasn't too soon. He thought of the pile of books on the table back in the library, then changed his mind and thought it was far too soon for Lesara to be leaving. He'd forgotten all about the bandages, and now that his mind was brought back to them, the wounds started to sting again. He shifted uncomfortably. He wasn't sure he liked the thought of more people, but the prospect of being allowed outside was appealing. "I'll... go change them then."

Lesara smiled. "Good, good. Arna is in the bath right now, so if you aren't shy, you can just go in there with him. I would suggest a quick dunk after being in all that dust, though I won't be surprised if you've had enough water for one day." He slithered to the laundry room next to the kitchen, and found a simple white linen tunic. It was so thin, one could see the details of his body, but it was far too humid from the storm for anything heavier. He knew he was already going to have to wrestle with his hair. He rummaged some more and found a silvery-grey sash, and tied it around his waist. This was where he would keep his wallet since his hair would be knotted up in a braid. "I'll see you when you're ready. I need to go to the market anyways. If you don't need anything, you're still welcome to come with."

Reyvn watched the naga put clothes on, finding it odd that he would even bother. He mentally shrugged, then started to turn away. "I'll try to be done soon then."

He excused himself, and headed up to his room. The door was still open. He took a quick glance around, then went to the suitcase and opened it up. All his clothes were still neatly folded, and the papers were still tucked into their pouch. He made a suspicious face, and gingerly plucked them from their place. His eyebrows shot up to his hairline, and the color drained from his face. Koumori must not have thought Lesara would teach him how to read...

The list of potions and their recipes were written in huma tongue, and he could understand most of it. He clutched the papers tightly, then looked around the room for a place to stash them. He stuffed them between the mattress and the box springs of his bed, promising himself that he'd burn them as soon as he got the chance. He sifted quickly through his suitcase for something he wouldn't be embarrassed to wear in public, then scurried his way to the bathroom.

He entered through the door with the funny carving on it, and paused when he saw someone he didn't recognize in the bathtub. That's right; Lesara said Arna would be taking a bath. This must be him. He would've nodded a greeting had Arna been facing the door, but since he wasn't, Reyvn spoke up softly. "H...hello." He padded his way to the metal shelves, reaching for the first aid kit.

Arna waved at him and then went under the water. He stayed down there for a few minutes before coming back up and whipping the water out of his hair. "Did Master really buy you to replace me? That's what Cherry told me."

Reyvn peeled off his shirt after Arna dived under, and sat next to the mirror while he started to carefully unwrap the bandages. He unwound them down to the waistband of his pants, and he started to undo the buttons until Arna spoke up. "Replace you...?" He looked up at Arna with wide blue eyes, confused for a minute. He shook his head slowly. "I...I don't think so. But Master didn't say why he bought me." He sat there in thought for a while, wondering why exactly Lesara did buy him.

Arna looked a little suspiciously at him. "Sure." He didn't hide the bitterness in his voice. He didn't want to think himself useless, not at such an early age. He got out of the tub and walked over to Reyvn, not bothering to dry off. "Need help?" A wry grin spread across his face.

Reyvn blushed, and made sure to keep his eyes above Arna's waist. He saw all the little movements on Arna's face, and suddenly didn't trust him. He shook his head quickly. "No, I can take care of this myself...But thank you." He wasn't quite sure what to do if Arna made a move to hurt him. Since they shared the same Master, however, he guessed that they weren't supposed to harm each other. If nothing else, Reyvn knew how loudly he could scream.

Arna sighed. "Cherry isn't very nice. Watch out for her." He then regained his resolve. "If you are here to replace me, you better watch out for me too." He reached above Reyvn's head for a towel and began to fluff his hair dry.

Reyvn flinched and prepared to duck, but relaxed a little when Arna didn't move to strike him. "I...I'll keep that in mind." He sighed, and decided to wait until Arna was done before changing his bandages.

Arna wrapped the towel around his waist and turned to Reyvn before leaving. "If I'm not being replaced, I hope we become good friends."

Reyvn nodded his reply. He wasn't sure what a friend was, but it didn't really sound bad. He watched the other boy leave, and removed his pants and started to peel off the bandages there. He inhaled sharply from the sudden pain, and went slower. He hadn't expected them to stick so badly. He stopped and stood up, then stepped into the bathtub that Arna hadn't bothered to drain. It was still very warm, but not hot like Lesara had had it. He let himself relax, waiting for the bandages to get wet enough before he finished taking them off. He took a bottle of liquid soap from the side of the tub and washed himself off, then began on his long, long hair that had caught half of the dust from the library.

Once he was content, he peeled off the rest of his bandages and dumped the soggy mess on the edge of the tub. He stood up to get out, then paused as he looked down. He frowned, just now noticing how badly Lesara had cut him up. His stomach and thighs stung now with everything washed away, and he didn't like it. It was an unpleasant reminder of how dangerous the naga was, and it was enough to make him believe he still had to be very cautious around this man. He sighed, then took a towel from the rack and carefully dried himself off. He tended to his wounds quickly, applying the medication to numb the pain. He briefly wished he could numb the rest of himself to- He shut his eyes and shook his head quickly.

No, Lesara wouldn't be happy with that decision, and he didn't want to risk being thrown back to Koumori. He got dressed into the fresh clothes he'd picked out, which was a black pair of pants similar to what he was already wearing, and a thin dark blue top with sheer sleeves.
He cleaned up the bathroom quickly, then headed back to his room to deposit his dusty clothes. He pulled on his boots, then quickly made his way back downstairs.

---------

Wow. Ok, I know this story is finished (there's 34 chapters, I post 2 a day until they're all up) which means I'm not gonna change anything major, like plot, but I still really appreciate reviews and ratings. So if you would so kindly leave a comment, it would make me very happy. If you have questions I'll try to answer them at the bottom of a chapter. I know I'm not the best writer out there, so even some general writing tips would be nice.
Also, this story really picks up after Reyvn gets tossed to Rendell. And yes, Arna gets a bigger part.
Thank you!