Hidden Talents? [Ressie-Demon ONLY.]

['Sanura]

Nuri
^{Look closely, what you see--}

Nuri's black tail streamed in the wind. Her now much longer mane got in her eyes as she looked back at the slavers herding her back to auction rock. When Volatile had claimed her she had hoped to never come back to this place, yet here she was, and in even worse circumstances than last time.

The leader of the slavers looked at her with an greedy glint in his eyes. He knew much about Nuri. He had found her wandering the abandoned lands of Cinnabar, and had befriended her. Nuri was not the sort to be easily deceived, but he had just been so kind, and she had been so lonely. The foul taste of betrayal lingered in the coal black mare's mouth.

A horse on one side of her labored to keep up with her thoroughbred stride. Her muscular body was fit and strong. He had made sure she would be ready for auction rock. She was herded into a large corral and surrounded by the slavers. Jasper, the traitor, took his place in front announcing Nuri's arrival to all the horses at auction rock. His smooth suave words drew a large crowd,

"Nuri is the young mare's name. Never been bred, and faster than the wind itself. She is only four years old, and meek as any horse can be. The perfect slave, watch as she runs faster than any of my comrades.

He tilted his golden head back to them and one of his comrades nipped Nuri on her rump. She started forward and stumbled. Jasper scowled at her and she knew if she did not do well something awful would happen. She regained her step and soon was catching up to the horse that had nipped her. She loped past him easily, contemplating for a moment of returning the favor, but she ignored the urge and increased her pace until she was two yards ahead of him. She raced along the rail turning sharply and then sailing past Jasper. She saw a glimpse of his smug face and something alighted in Nuri. She picked up speed again and sailed over the low fence weaving her way through the throng. The crowd was too stunned to think of stopping the mare as she ran to the edges of auction rock. But one horse was not fooled, Nuri heard his hooves thundering closer and closer to her. She tried so hard to outrun him, but he was a full thoroughbred while Nuri was only half. Suddenly he was up beside her and he shoved her, using his size and weight to his advantage. Nuri toppled over rolling a few times in the dirt. She layed there trembling on the ground as her golden enslaver approached her his eyes cold and merciless. Behind him his comrades came with a thick chain and collar. They quickly attached it to the trembling mare, and gave it to Jasper. He tugged Nuri to her feet, then handed the chain to another of his slaver posse. He turned to the crowd his eyes warm and a charming smile upon his face.

"Sorry about that folks, this mare still has some fight in her. But thats needed for a racer, don't you think? Don't worry though there is a relatively easy way to punish this one."


He smiled evilly at Nuri and then motioned the horse holding her chain to take her to the cage. Nuri was still dazed from the fall, but when her eyes rested upon the small cage she neighed wildly and pulled back stretching the short chain to its full length. She fought desperately, but it was no use. The horse was bigger, and merciless. She was shoved into the tiny space and then the door shut behind her with a sickening click as the lock was secured. Nuri turned in the small quarters and stared straight into the brown eyes of Jasper. She spoke for the first time during this whole escapade,

Please, please, no. Let me out! Let me out!

Her words started out as whispers but then crescendoed into shrieks echoing over the whole of auction rock. The crowd was abnormally quiet as the mare trembled inside her cage. Jasper turned his back to her and spoke once again to the crowd.

"As you can see, this slave has an abnormal fear of small enclosures. A few moments in one and she is as docile as a lamb. Bidding will start at..."

Nuri heard no more, she was on the verge of losing consciousness, her vision was dotted with black spots. She leaned her nose against the cage and saw a sign attached to her cage flapping in the wind. It took a moment to read it, but when she did she finally lost the battle, and fainted.

Nuri.
Aged Four Years.
ThouroughbredXArabian
Very Fast.
Afraid of Small Enclosures, and Chains.

--Is not always what is Truth.

For;; Resolution/Demon.
Word Count;; 882.
Muse Level;; Okay.
Comments;; Have fun.=D

[Resolution]

Demon

After a pandemic one should be timid and more cautious than before since if one looks closely enough they would see the lingering signs of death. Freshly dug soil and the odd bleached spike rising up out of the dirt but some see opportunities in such ghastly times as this for who would dare venture into the place where disease spread more rapidly than anywhere else? Where hygiene is cast aside and where infection and fresh scars are all too abundant? The slave traders would never tire and rumor had it that during the whole of the pandemic, they were still at Auction Rock herding the very horses who might spread the disease to them so what would stop them now that the pandemic had passed?

In Demon's opinion the pandemic had done Sobibor good. It had cleared out the weak and left the strong and resilient and according to his calculations that was what he would find at Horse Head Field today. Some would still be wary about wandering outside their lands and there would almost definitely be at least a decent horse here. As the dirt path he followed became more dusty and beaten he looked up to see what was on stock today and it did not disappoint. It looked like almost all of the cages were being used and better yet he had arrived in advance of the new auction. Quickening his pace, Demon headed towards the Corral just in time to hear Jasper's summary of Nuri. If what he said was true then he would not hesitate in taking her back to Niaphell though he had no doubt that there might be a bit of competition from the other horses around. Watching her run, he felt disappointment coarse through his bones. Yes, she was quick but nowhere near fast enough for the plans he had in mind for her.

Turning away, he began to trot towards the other cages but was halted by the shocked whinnies of the crowd behind him. His sable head swept around to see the same horse making a break for freedom at a much swifter pace. Now this was what Demon was looking for. All interest in the other caged horses was suddenly lost as he watched the exhilarating chase taking place right before his eyes and before he knew it all he could see was Nuri running along the track at the Masters Headquarters and winning by a mile. To his relief she was eventually caught by the guards and seeing her being escorted away to the cages he trotted in for a closer view of what was happening.

Some of the gathered crowd turned away in disgust at the screams of the terrified mare but most, like Demon, kept their eyes trained on her in a grim hush as she screamed and shook till finally she fell, free of the momentary terror that had possessed her. Although the price had started low, few were willing to go much higher due to the fact that slightly rebellious and fast did not make a good combo for those with open lands but that was of no concern to Demon. If she was afraid of small enclosures then maybe the thick woods of Niaphell would be enough to put her off trying to escape. And she would have to be a fool to even try to escape with the terrain in those woods. Eventually the final contender backed away, unwilling to pay anymore and Demon felt a wicked grin creep onto his face knowing that this racing horse was now his. The leader of slaves gave him a warm smile and spoke with expert hospitality.

"Congratulations on your new slave, sir! Will you be in need of the chains or..."

Before he could even finish, Demon had opened the cage and grabbed hold of the chain around Nuri to the annoyance of Jasper. It didn't bother Demon though since he knew perfectly well that he was the customer and a leader wouldn't risk losing a sale because of manners. He gave a sharp tug pulling Nuri's limp body halfway out the cage but he did not intend to drag the mare all the way to Niaphell. "Get up, you lazy runt!" he bellowed. Before she would have even had a chance to stir, he kicked her sharply on her side knowing full well that it might make the journey to his homeland slightly harder. It would be better for her to get the picture now though since life in Niaphell was not an easy one. She would be trained mercilessly and if need be then punished severely too. His lands were not a home for the weak and they sure as hell weren't going to change.

['Sanura]

Nuri
^{I'd do anything to get away from his betrayal--}

Nuri's merciful unconsciousness did not last long. The mare was dragged from the cage and brutally kicked in the side. Nuri struggled to follow the black horses orders and quickly sprang to her feet. Her head was down and aftershocks of terror trembled through her body as she remembered those iron walls closing around her. She felt a whisper of air on her hindquarters and she startled and glanced up for a moment, only to meet the cold stare of Jasper's golden eyes. He was smirking at her. The mare lowered her eyes quickly, but the damage was already done. Nuri heard Jasper's tail before she felt the pain across her back legs. She almost collapsed, but she held strong. She didn't want to appear weak in front of her new master no matter how terrible he already seemed to be. She just needed to be away from the golden enslaver. He was the only one she had ever loved, and he had taken that love and dashed it under his tan hooves.

She stared at the ground not looking up when she felt Jasper moving to her neck. She felt his warm breath on her ear and she had to fight to keep it from pressing back into her skull. She heard his whispered words and trembles started to take over her body once more.

"Well, my pretty, I suppose this is goodbye. Be a good little girl and remember all I taught you. I wouldn't want to have you returned to me."

Nuri stood there her body completely still. You could cut through the tension with your hooves. And then finally the gold horse moved away from the coal black mare and smiled at the master buying her. He started to speak his words calm and smooth.

"So, sir, looks as if you are all set to go. If you ever need any tips on how to deal with this mare I'll be right here." He looked the cobalt horse up and down, observing his large muscular build and said, "Although I don't think you'll need any help. So if you would pay the agreed payment?"

Nuri tried to sidestepped her nervous thoroughbred nature evident in the movement itself. Her short chain jerked her though and she stood still her graceful head almost touching the ground it was lowered so low. The cuts from the chain digging into her neck began to bleed again, but surprisingly the mare was relatively unhurt even after her violent tumble and harsh treatment from her new master. She shifted her front quarters experimentally and winced. She was going to have a bruise there in the morning. It wouldn't show up well on her coat though. The dull coat always seemed to absorb all evidence of beatings. One had to look very closely, for a green and blue sheen, but most didn't bother to notice and if they did they rarely bothered to care.

Nuri's attention was brought away from her little pity party when she heard a bark. She lifted her head slightly and cocked a look up. She made sure to avoid Jasper's and the master's eyes however, she didn't particularly enjoy the sensation of pain. No, what she was looking for was the source of a defiant bark she had heard.

Her black eyes grew wide as she saw a wolf like creature with a black and white flowing coat staring at her. He looked a bit like a wolf, but not completely like one, so it confused the poor mare. He smiled kindly at her and turned his gaze to somewhere behind her. Nuri followed it and saw the most beautiful place she'd ever seen. There was a great tan plain of some sort, and this glistening blue substance that moved in and out on the shoreline. The mare had never seen anything so beautiful. Nuri knew she could run there forever and never have to stop because of fatigue, thirst, or hunger.

Nuri almost started for it, but before her eyes it changed into the disease ridden place of Auction Rock. Nuri just smiled, however. She knew it was there, and one day she would find it. She would always keep running, and would always love it. So the smile stayed in place as she lowered her head once more to the ground. Some may say she was a fool, but hey she would run, she would dance, no matter how hard her circumstance. She looked up to where the weird creature had been and saw him wink at her, and then disappear into the cliff rock.

--Even follow a Demon like you.

For;; Resolution/Demon.
Word Count;; 867.
Muse Level;; Okay.
Comments;; Great post Res! So vivid. Lol, Nuri is getting all freaky-deaky. xDD

[Resolution]

Demon

As soon as Demon recognized the signs of returning consciousness, he made sure his posture was perfect and gave her an icy stare that would send the more cowardly running. From past experience, Demon knew that first impressions were everything and he certainly didn't want his newest slave getting the wrong one. And from the looks of it she didn't. He inspected her body language for any signs of the rebelliousness he had seen earlier but to his satisfaction it was like she had never tried to escape, let alone think about it. Before he could think any further, he heard a swish and a quick snap as the leader brought his tail upon her hindquarters. It seemed like she would fall for a second but fortunately for her, she caught herself. Demon let out a sharp laugh at the pain in her eyes, unaware of the true cause of most of it.

However, as soon as Jasper whispered his last goodbyes Demon noticed the hurt and fear in her eyes as Jasper approached. He would have had to have been telepathic to know her full story but from his words he could guess that this was more than the normal slave trader and slave relationship. Whether she had been betrayed or picked on, it was clear that she was eager to get as far away from the stallion as possible so as Jasper said his final words of parting, an idea crawled into Demon's mind.

Demon nodded and from his mane he extracted a golden object he had especially been saving for buying slaves. It was a ring he had found long ago while searching the human ruins and while most of these expeditions were fruitless, on that particular occasion he had found this antique in an abandoned churchyard though to any horse searching those places nowadays it was just an overgrown yard with the odd stone rising out of the greenery. Throwing the ring across to Jasper, he gave his new slave a wicked smile noticing how incredibly submissive her posture was. In some ways it was a disappointment to him, he liked a horse that he had to work on to fix. A horse that wasn't already polished and perfectly compliant but he could spend his time with this one, pushing her to her fastest instead.

Now it was time for his plan to be put in action. Seeing Nuri looking into the distance, he frowned and tugged her chain just hard enough to break her out of her state. Smirking, he faced Jasper and said in loud, clear neighs, "As promised, a precious relic from the ancient times. I will be taking my leave now but do feel free to drop in at Niaphell if you wish to see my slave again. She looks like the type who would be thrilled to see old faces."

[/b] Although he made sure he kept eye contact with Jasper, he could not help but glance at Nuri every now and then to see the expression on her face as he said those words. Let's see how repulsed this horse really is.

In truth, Demon didn't relish the thought of this slave trader coming to his homeland but the look on Nuri's face and the pain that it might cause her was definitely worth it. To him the pain of others was like a drug and sometimes it was all he needed to brighten up his day. Already this one was seeming to be a lot more cheerful though with Demon, things could change very quickly.

All of a sudden, a white flash filled the sky accompanied by a thundering crack. Although this would undoubtedly make their journey harder and therefore more painful for Nuri, Demon was far from masochistic and didn't exactly fancy making the journey home through showers and mud. Without waiting for Jasper's reply, Demon tugged the chain around Nuri's neck and began trotting towards the exit. He imagined the lack of a reply would be just as horrifying as a yes to his invitation[/blockquote][/color]

ooc:// Thank you :*. I love yours as well though I'm sorry this one is crappier XD. Where would horses keep payment? o-0[/size]

['Sanura]

Nuri
^{I will run, I will dance--}

A sharp pain and a sharp laugh jerked Nuri back to her present situation. Obviously he didn't like her daydreaming, but no matter Nuri could learn how to hide when she wasn't listening. The mare stared at her master with pity in her eyes. He thought he was so intimidating, but truthfully only three things scared Nuri: Jasper, chains, and cages, and not necessarily in that order.

Nuri lifted her head a bit more so the chain would stop digging into her already raw and bleeding neck. She hoped her new master would take it off soon. She didn't think she could take the feel of iron on her much longer. She might just start raging.

"Well," thought Nuri to herself, "at least I'm leaving that cage of Jasper's behind. He said he made especially for my punishment, but I hope whatever payment my master is giving for me only covers myself and this awful chain."

The black mare sneaked a look at the cage and shuddered as she saw it's thick iron bars. It was so small, and Nuri hated enclosed places more than anything. She returned her attention back to Jasper and the black horse buying her. She wanted to see what the payment for a horse like her was. With a curious eyes she watched as the black horse took from his mane a small circular object that was the same color as Jasper's coat. He spoke and threw the object toward the gold slave trader, and what he said brought a horrified expression to Nuri's face,

"As promised, a precious relic from the ancient times. I will be taking my leave now but do feel free to drop in at Niaphell if you wish to see my slave again. She looks like the type who would be thrilled to see old faces."

Jasper laughed at the black master's words and his eyes turned on the slave almost searing a hole in her flesh because of the intensity. Nuri had barely averted her eyes from his, he hated it when slaves made eye contact. She heard his words come from his mouth clear and smooth as always,

"You know, I might just do that, just to make sure you are satisfied with your purchase. Just some advice, don't let her submission now fool ya. She gets feisty when she runs."

Then a flash of lightning startled the black mare and she sidestepped and nickered nervously. She didn't mind the thought of running in the rain. Truthfully she had run in far worse circumstances with a lot more injuries. Her dark master jerked her chain and dragged her off as Jasper was replying. She heard the golden enslaver step a bit after them and yell out,

"And if you need a cage for her don't hesitate to come back here. I can have one delivered to your lands for you."

Then he winked at Nuri and ran off into his little place out of the rain. He had never liked rain, it always made his coat look dull. Nuri chuckled very softly at his predictable ways, but also she was terrified that her master would take up on his offer about the cage. Nuri knew that could not end well for her. She trotted awkwardly behind her master wishing that her chain was gone. She was sure she could probably outrun the horse that now held her chain. Only Jasper was faster then her, only Jasper.

--No matter how hard my circumstance.

For;; Resolution/Demon.
Word Count;; 717
Muse Level;; Okay.
Comments;; Thanks bunches! I typed it real fast cus I was afraid my computer might die and I would lose my post. Dx And your post was not crappy. xD So, I'm going to be typing this in increments as well. That message is just in case you see it before it's finished. Lol....and where WOULD horses keep payment? O.o

[Resolution]

Demon

Under normal circumstances it took a lot for Demon to be satisfied with the goings on of everyday life so it does not take a genius to see how much these words affected Nuri. For Demon's happiness was correlated with the pain of others around him and to see such horror in her eyes brought joy to his though it was not the innocent, childish type that you saw in foals or pups. It was a wicked joy that had long been twisted and shaped into something different.

Though the rain fell heavy now he caught Jasper's words and felt a mix of weariness and elation since guests were almost never welcome in Niaphell though guests that caused such pain might be an exception. He was not sure whether or not he liked this Jasper fellow but if he was willing then Demon would have gladly accepted him into his herd as a beta. He was strong and cruel though chances were that he was more of a leader than a follower and he would not settle for beta. It was better to leave him as he was.

His words did hassle him though since if what Jasper said was true then he would not be able to trust the mare to run by herself on the way back to Niaphell though the possibility of that had already been dwindling ever since he heard of her fear of chains. If she was cunning enough she would see that the less she resisted the faster her shackles would come free from her neck if he decided to free her by the end of their journey of course.

Although Demon was already nearing the exit of Horse Head Field, he heard Jasper's final words of goodbye which definitely made him chuckle. All of these slave traders were so eager to please that sometimes it was ridiculous. Many a time he had come to these fields and had seen the same trader on different occasions though with every visit it was like a new horse had taken the body of the last for one week he would be kind and careful and the next he would equal the cruelty of Jasper and Demon. Though Demon was savage and heartless he did not indulge in certain personality traits. Though he adored the thought of being deceitful and sly he knew that his skills in lying that way were not great and he was satisfied with being evidently evil.

Though Nuri was still glancing back at her betrayer Demon did not reply to or look back at Jasper seeing no need to. Instead he pressed on till the gates that held so many lonely souls were out of sight. For a while they both trotted on in silence though the constant patter and splash of rain accompanied them. It suddenly dawned on Demon that she had not even spoken to him directly yet and he had only done so to order her onto her feet. Even that was odd for Demon but he carried on reasoning that they would get to know each other a lot better when her training began. The silence dragged on however and soon Demon felt the need to speak.

"Now that you are in my service you are to call me 'Master' or 'Sir' though my true name is Demon. I do not expect to hear you address me directly as Demon though. I will not explain the full rules of my land now but just know this. Stay on my good side and you will rise in the ranks. However, fail to fulfill my expectations and you will find each day becomes harder than the next."

Demon faltered and was silent once more. He was never the best at casual talk and as his words faded away he felt the comfort of silence take him once more.

ooc://sorry for the lateness D:. My mum decided to borrow my laptop for a few days XD. Anyways, you can reply in the lands if you want . And if you want you can send me a pm about what might happen