A man chooses, a slave obeys

"The housing of slaves vary from master to master, estate to estate. Many of the communal homes, the giant ones, were knocked down and rebuilt at suitable heights. The remaining ones have been turned into factories, orphanages and such like that. Some slaves are entitled to their own rooms living with three to four others in rather good conditions. Others are forced into small spaces together though that is more common in hoarders."

He sat somewhere between all that, he wasn't fortunate to have a room, none of the slaves in his master's household were, instead his living quarters were limited to a cold dark cell beneath the house that was secured so tightly at night that not even Cyburn's wife knew where the keys were. But he wasn't cramped.

Tyarnach stopped out the front of the mansions' stone path, the hedges around the house and yard were perfectly trimmed and strange garden ornaments could be seen in the front yard. Though as nice as it was, nothing was more unsettling than the lights on in the house and the sound of arguing upstairs. His ears dropped a little and he answered Kee's question. "I cannot say. Spirits are rare so you needn't worry about being slaughtered for meat. But that makes you valuable, he might sell you off or break you. Regardless if you're on his bad side it will hurt, and even if you're not, expect pain and the inability to have your wounds and broken bones fixed until he permits it."

"He has methods." Tyarnach whispered, "please don't think you'll win against him through defiance because you won't." His tone was something of concern it's not like he wanted to see her get hurt, but he was gravely concerned about what lay ahead.

"He won't know we're here. I'd have to approach, not like there's anything I can say to him, he doesn't understand me."

"I only wish to apologize but the fact we talk is something I'd be punished for. I only do so because I know he cannot understand, and I would feel much pain if I could not speak with someone." It was one of the few things Cyburn's blue beast could take actual, harmless pleasure in.

He hesitated in approaching the door but after a few moments he did. He didn't have the ability to knock so instead he tapped his metal claws against its hard surface, cautious nor to mark his master's estate.

The arguing continued upstairs but someone did arrive to fetch the door, deep brown eyes peered through the opening before eventually allowing the door to open. She was a young girl, maybe seven, no one really knew, nor did anyone care. "Puppy?" She whispered looking around behind her before quickly touching Tyarn's wet nose and patting his forehead. "Quick, I hear them argue about you."

As small and young as this elven girl was, she had the heart to help others as best she could and invited the two inside, somewhat amazed by Kee's foreign appearance. Though the look of amazement was in her eyes and on her expression she placed a finger to her lips and closed the door behind them. "Shhh, don't let him see you. Master is not like guests." Her poor English was directed at the spirit in warning.

The little girl seemed saddened by Kee's words and was quick to give Tyarnach a look of anger and betrayal. "Why?" She asked, clenching her grubby fists as she demanded an answer from Tyarnach, tears swelling in her eyes. All he could really do was stare at her before looking away and continuing on careful of where he placed his paws on the long rug. Though the child did not take such cautions, upset by the further hurt brought into the place.

"I'll tell him!" She shouted, loud enough that if Cyburn were not in an argument, he'd be able to hear. It caused Tyarnach to whirl and growl, before he glared at Kee. "Why did you say anything!?"

She quieted, feeling some kind of comfort in the spirit's calming presence, perhaps because there was no cruelty, and elves instinctively had a natural affinity with the natural world, unlike their human master. "He's going to hurt you." She whimpered, hanging back from the two and she would have stayed to chat if it wasn't for the sound of a slamming door and heavy footsteps coming down the staircase towards the hall where they all stood.

In the blink of an eye the young elven girl had vanished, presumably to be with her mother, neither of whom physically existed.

Tyarnach couldn't help sooth Kee either and tucked his tail beside himself, his ears back. It was indeed Cyburn who approached, his hand red from violence. Though he stopped when he saw Tyarnach and then Kee, his anger dissolved with a cruel smile. "Now this indeed is something unexpected." He wore clothes different from the mages robes before, instead he wore a long fur coat, the head of a wolf still attached as it hung over his left shoulder. "I'll admit I'm surprised, but if you did this to make up for your betrayal pet, then I'd have to say it was a waste. You'll still be punished, though I appreciate your weak attempt." Leaning on the railing Cyburn stared Kee up and down, he had magic at his fingertips and knew she wouldn't dare pull anything after what he did to the spiders.

"Ah so you're the one responsible for that little stunt." Cyburn scoffed with a cold laugh having brushed off her insults. "Very clever, can't say I found it all that amusing though. But I don't blame him." The mage's feature softened as he stalked towards Tyarnach. He tenderly held a hand out towards the beasts nose, the action drew Tyarnach in almost robotically as if he was programmed to respond to it in such a way.

But the false care was quickly replaced Cyburn grabbed Tyarnach's horn and yanked him to his feet. "If he feels he no longer needs his master, that's fine, so be it. I'll give him a chance to reconsider." Kee's companion resisted a yelp or a whine, knowing it would only bring him more pain.

"So tell me, spirit, why follow him here? You're unharmed as far as I can tell and he did not drag you back here in just four days." The question was asked as if she had to pick between two answers, both resulting in some form of cruelty.