Hybrids

[Ethril Dragon]

Sentz chuckled softly. He'd been asked that question so many times that the answer was automatic. "I traded silk well before I became a Hybrid." He shrugged slightly as he explained. "When this happened I went back to my partner in Clarance and we worked things out." His hybrid form looked very different from his human form, most people that knew him before he became a hybrid barely even recognized him when he was like this.

 

Sentz looked over and smiled at a potential customer before looking back at Kel. With a sigh he picked up a light travel robe and put it on. Once that was done he shifted from his hybrid form to his human. His tail shrank and became a pair of legs, his horns vanished, and his blue hair changed to black. "My name is Sentz. This isn't the first year I've traded silk at the festival."

 

He remembered the Stoneway Manor. Some time back, the Lady of the place used to buy silk from him all the time. Sentz had sent his condolences when he had heard the woman had died.

Edited June 17, 2013 by Ethril Dragon

[PureDark006]

Sid heard the driver clicking his tongue, followed by the horses slowing down and finally stopping their movements. From where he was, he could hear but not see another carriage doing the same thing, probably coming from the opposite direction.

 

"Excuse me," came Brenska's voice, and Sid could imagine him tipping his hat in greeting just like he always did when he was being polite. "Is the farm currently open for business? My Lord and Lady Alsvieth were wishing to purchase one of their horses before departing for their trip."

 

"A trip?" Sid thought, resisting the urge to take a look. The way the bodyguard sounded, it didn't seem they'd be returning for a while. Then again, he hadn't seen the interior of the carriage or if it was carrying any luggage before setting off, so maybe they were indeed going out for longer than a day. Where, he didn't know.

[Lythe]

Rai stumbled through the crowd, keeping her fluffy squirrel tail close to her back. She had been told to help pass out flyers to advertise the circus, but it looked like everyone already knew they were there, she thought sourly. Rolling her eyes, she searched for her friend Cliff. Cliff was a bear Hybrid, and was one of the laborers for the circus. He worked to keep things running, as he was too ugly and scarred to be put on display. Raisa could see him trying to pass out his flyers, but everyone avoided the lumbering man with the disfigured face. She smirked when she saw his lip begin to snarl.

 

Raisa quickly ran over to him, placing a hand on his arm. "Calm down, Cliff." She took his papers and flung them in the air behind her, letting them scatter in the breeze. She grinned impishly at him. "See? All done. Now come on, let's go check out the market. I've never seen it before, and you have to be my guide." She dragged him towards the market where she could see merchants calling out their wares. Rai pushed past the crowds, leaping onto Cliff's hulking shoulders to see around. She was surprised by how many Hybrids she saw, but most weren't in their animal form. She smirked proudly and flicked her tail. She was proud of who she was, and wasn't afraid to show it off. She sat straighter on her perch on Cliff's shoulders, letting the quiet man take her around the market.

[StarriAngel]

((Yay!!! My first post! I can't believe it ended up so long!))

 

Aquila lifted the spoon slowly as she fed 1-year old Samriel Avalon her baby food. The little girl cooed with joy as she tasted the peaches without spilling a single drop. Mistress Avalon, as Aquila was told to address her was staring at a guest list for an upcoming dinner party. As Samriel finished her food, the Mistress looked up with her typical stony expression.

 

"Are you finished with the baby?" the Mistress asked.

 

"Yes, ma'am," Aquila replied, keeping her tone even so as not to give away the fear she felt every time the Mistress spoke.

 

"Good. Then I need you to head into town to get all of the items on this list for next week's party. Also, I need you to make sure that Coraline and Xander know it's time to come inside," the Mistress replied gruffly while shoving some coins into Aquila's hands, "And for God's sake, straighten your collar. Can't have people thinking a let you look sloppy."

 

Aquila nodded and straightened her collar immediately, not wanting to anger her stressed mistress even more. She then quickly ran outside to find the 7-year old Coraline and her 5-year old brother Xander playing outside. The two older children of the Avalon household regarded her with more respect than the adults, but Xander was still apt to constantly mimic his mother when addressing the hybrid girl.

 

"Miss Coraline, Mr. Xander," Aquila said, "Your mother says it's time to come inside." Coraline stood from where she was picking flowers, smoothed out her dress and nodded, beginning to walk inside. Xander, however, was rather obstinate.

 

"No," he said, "You can't tell me what to do. You're just a slave." Aquila looked down, trying to stay strong.

 

"It's time to come in," she tried again, "You don't want to upset your mother, do you?" At the mention of his mother, Xander stood and immediately followed his sister into the house. She smiled lightly after he went in, knowing that the boy's fear of an angry mother was always stronger than his stubbornness. With that, she walked into town.

 

As she got to the main streets she heard cheers in the distance. "I wonder what that could be?" she thought. She then saw two children across the street talking and laughing. She listened in on their conversation and heard the circus was in town. Oh, how she had always wanted to go to the circus! However, when she lived in Ira, her adoptive father was too poor to take her. "Who knows?" she thought with a new found skip to her step, "Maybe this will be the year I can finally convince the mistress to let me take the children there."

Edited June 17, 2013 by StarriAngel

[Limn]

Drea couldn't help but frown as he noticed his owner's eye contemplating what looked to be a bear hybrid with a distorted face. She was already making a list of what she wanted, it was typical of her, he could neither be proud or ashamed, just understandingly disgusted. Drea watched with interest as a smaller, female hybrid approached the man, tossing the rest of his papers into the air. She certainly seemed like a cheeky thing. Drea's master graced him with her voice. "She could be trained." Her tone whispered in a half-hearted planning fashion. Yes feisty hybrids usually made good fighters, but while their emotions fueled them, it also blinded them. Drea grunted distastefully, expressing his disapproval, this was something he had been allowed, as someone who had been fighting for years he knew who would be best worth his owner's time, and he had no reason to lie. "Her tail would become a part of her downfall in the long run." His master, Grace, merely responded with a wave.

Considering the circus was still setting up, there was quite a bit to watch but nothing to really do. Grace had eventually squared everything away and they could begin setting up posters. Speaking of the posters, they advertised their line of work, specifically him, but everything was kept vague to ensure less scrutiny. Drea examined an imagine of his own tattooed back, the twisted snakes promising something strange, the torn seagull something unheard of, and the Fluer-de-lis something beautiful. The words "Cage Fighting" were set in an attractive text in the upper left corner, a place and time in the bottom right corner, though in smaller words. Drea didn't get the chance to examine his own back often, he was glad to know what was there, even if the scars of pink flesh made him wince internally. Every cage owner designed a different poster for their events, for the sake of variety and selling/displaying off their fighter as the one to bet one. Grace, his master, kept glancing about the hybrids as they passed. Setting up posters was easily, and wouldn't take long.

[Moonbeam22]

Ayriana craned her neck to get a look at the driver of the other carriage, but retreated from a sharp kick from Roann. His deep voice was still clear as she hid, "Indeed so. My slave will show you to the stables to see what we have for sale, and I will be over shortly to talk payment. Ayriana...?"

The young Hybrid stepped sheepishly out of the carriage and beckoned with her head to be followed. Her clawed hands lay tucked in her cloak, with only a single talon showing, though barely visible. She walked promptly to the stable doors and held it open politely.

 

He mustn't take Soule. I refuse to let that happen.

Edited June 17, 2013 by Moonbeam22

[WolfLover8]

Kel was relieved he didn't mind. In fact, it did seem like he was asked often. She smiled slightly.

 

"I'm sorry that I don't recognize you, but then, I don't have any business around silk anyway." She gave a nervous laugh. "I'm Kelissa; most call me Kel. Nice to meet you."

 

Her basket was suddenly heavy on her arm. Her eyes dilated to cat-like slits. Shoot. She bowed her head hurriedly.

 

"I really should be going now, but it was nice to meet you. Good luck with your sales," she said calmly, adding a smile. She would wait for his reply before turning to navigate through the growing crowd, trying to keep her cool. Hopefully, the master was not waiting for her return, for she wished to avoid a confrontation with the one man she feared.

[PureDark006]

Sid heard Brenska answering the other rider with a "Much obliged," before he heard the sounds of the man getting off the carriage and opening the body's door. "Lord Alsvieth, Lady Alsvieth, we have arrived," the bodyguard said, and Sid heard the sounds of his owners carefully stepping down. He knew the two of them weren't wearing their best outfits, instead choosing practicality since they'd need to use the carriage for hours, but the cut and feel of their garments and accessories still made Sid's own clothing look like a beggar's.

 

"Oh Verman, thank you for bringing us," the Lady said in her rich, sweet voice, smiling at her servant. "Be a dear and fetch Cinereus, I'm sure he'll want to stretch his legs too."

 

Sid had to use quite a bit of self-restraint to not glare when the brown-haired man came into view and shot a warning glance at the restrained slave, before using a key to open the end of the chain that was around the collar. After all, their relationship hadn't exactly been improving ever since Verman told him he had orders to shoot Sid with the crossbow should the later ever attempt to escape. Then again, Sid had bitten him when in hybrid form, back on his first year when he wasn't exactly keen on being led anywhere leashed like a dog and had grown tired of everyone treating him like one. The man had it coming, though.

 

The collar was attached to the hated leash, and, after Verman pulled a bit to make sure it wouldn't come off, Sid got down from his seat. The Lady had already approached them, and she received the leather handle from her bodyguard with a thanks before leading Sid to the stables, following her husband, who was walking behind what looked to be a bird hybrid. She had large, black and white feathered wings, and was now holding open the door to what he presumed to be the stables so the two humans could go through it. He noticed with some relief that the bodyguard had stayed behind, thought he didn't let that fool him. The man was probably on guard in case he was needed.

 

"Show us your best horses," Lord Alsvieth commanded the girl. Unlike the Lady, he treated slaves like they were dirt on his expensive shoes, and it was pretty clear in the way he looked at them. Sid didn't comment, forbidden to talk in front of his Masters unless he was addressed by a human, but he shot a small 'Sorry, he's a jerk' look at the girl when the Lady led him inside.

Edited June 17, 2013 by Puredark006

[StarriAngel]

Aquila was just about to reach her stop at one of the many food vendors in the marketplace when the swishing sound of a tail made her stop suddenly. She heard annoyed grunts and mumbled of "stupid hybrid" as people made her way around her, but her eyes were quickly searching for the source of the sound. She found the bushy tail attached to the figure of a girl her age, sitting atop a taller man's shoulders. Both were obviously hybrids, due to the girl's tail and the man's face. What shocked and confused Aquila though, was that both were in their animal forms, walking around the market like they didn't have a care in the world. Curious as to why the girl especially seemed so proud of her tail, she wanted to venture closer to them and ask why they were so confident and proud of their hybrid status when she herself felt so disgusting and constantly hid hers. However, Mistress Avalon was probably already getting frustrated with how long she was taking to shop, so she turned toward the vendor and began getting what was on the list.

Edited June 17, 2013 by StarriAngel

[Moonbeam22]

Ayriana caught the boy's glance and gave a small nodd before addressing the Masters. "All of these mares and that grey stallion on the left are for sale. They are all between the ages of two and five years and fit for any kind of work you intend them for." The Hybrid stopped speaking, as she could not speak more than a few sentences without being addressed again. Confident that Alsvieth would not like to keep a conversation with her, she gestured for them to examine the horses and backed away.

 

Once their attention was diverted, the eagle girl slipped away to Soule at the end of the line. Ayriana stroked him briefly and whispered very quietly in his ear, "If they try to take you, give them hell." The stallion blinked twice that he understood and busied himself in nosing his bedding around. The Hybrid quickly busied herself in neatening some hay bales while the Lord and Lady looked over the horses.

 

((You can control Soule for a post or two if you want them to try to take him ))

[Ethril Dragon]

Sentz nodded when Kel said she needed to go. Once she had left he looked down at his human legs. He really didn't want to take the time to actually put on pants when he could be selling his wares. So he just shifted back to his hybrid form and took the travel robe off. Taking care of his booth was easier when he was in his hybrid form anyway. And he was faster this way.

 

That being down, Sentz greeted several passersbies he spotted other hybrids in the crowd. Unless they were with a master or running errands, most slave hybrids could not afford his silks.

 

Sentz was distracted when several young women gathered around his booth. "The silk you see is the finest quality, much of it was made by Raphael Sussen the famous silk maker." The girls giggled when he gave them his most winning and charming smile. Sentz, no matter his form, always seemed to be popular with the ladies...even though be preferred men.

[PureDark006]

As expected, the first horse Lord Alsvieth approached was the stallion - he was the kind of man who wouldn't be caught dead riding a mare of all things, after all, and he'd rather have another male horse even if the one being replaced was female. Said horse looked at the approaching man, dark eyes gleaming with intelligence, tail moving as if he was trying to scare away a particularly persistent fly. "Then we shall be taking this one," the Lord said, raising his hand to pat the horse on the neck.

 

Too bad he had to retire it immediately when the horse decided to treat his fingers like carrots and tried to bite them.

 

The Lady chuckled a bit and Sid had to pretend to cough, thinking it'd have been better if the man's reflexes had been a bit slower. "Dear, I don't think he likes you very much," she joked, and the horse snorted as if confirming the statement, looking at the man as if daring him to try something else.

 

"Nonsense," he replied, glaring at the horse. "This beast just needs to be taught who's the boss here."

 

That said, he took a hold of the horse's reins to lead him out. The stallion waited until the man was pulling the reins and pushed him on the back, almost making him fall while he let out a surprised noise, before shaking his furry head and yanking the reins from the human's hand. Satisfied, the stallion walked to the deeper end of his stable and laid down, as if daring them to bother him again.

 

By this point, the Lady had to step in to prevent her husband from continuing making a fool of himself in front of the two slaves. That is, when she finished laughing at him. "I'm sure you taught him alright," she commented, signaling Sid to stay still and leaving the leash in his hand before walking past her angry husband and looking at the stallion, who stubbornly returned her look.

 

She must have seen something in his eyes, because she turned, and commented, "He doesn't want to leave, so it'd be wise to leave him be." Ignoring the mumbles of her husband (and Sid's low coughing as he tried to contain a snort), she then turned to the girl slave. "Honey, which of the mares is the most well-behaved?"

 

((Soule vs. Alsvieth

Winner: Soule ))

[Moonbeam22]

((Brilliantly played ))

 

Ayriana, forcing down a giggle pointed to the chestnut mare. "She has the best temperament, Miss," she said. Turning away to hide her smile, she sheepishly locked up Soule's stall once more and winked at him in approval.

 

Unfortunately, as she closed the stall up, the cloak slipped slightly, briefly revealing a taloned hand and the tip of her wing. The girl quickly pulled it back up, terrified at the fact that she had been noticed. Ayriana hoped not, as Hybrids received more brutal treatment than the average slave, and she was usually whipped if Roann found out she had been seen uncovered. Standing slightly pigeon-toed, she stared at the ground praying that at least the two Masters hadn't seen anything.

Edited June 18, 2013 by Moonbeam22

[PureDark006]

The Lady nodded and went towards the horse the girl mentioned, a curious mare that didn't have any problem with the human petting her snout, and even pushed her hand slightly when she stopped to express her wish to continue being pampered. The Lord didn't seem to share the two females' good mood for obvious reasons, and glared at the stallion, muttering something about recommending it for the making of glue.

 

The girl finished locking the now smug-looking horse and turned, maybe to keep working on the hay, when the movement made part of her cloak slip. She quickly adjusted it, but by then the Lord had already seen what was being covered. With a 'hmpf', he snatched Sid's leash from his hand and pulled him roughly to where his wife was busily checking the mare's ears. Sid let out a small strangled sound when pulled, but quickly matched the human's pace, already accustomed to his bad moods.

 

"Are you quite done yet?" he asked his companion, still annoyed at everyone at large.

 

"Perhaps," she absentmindedly answered, giving the mare's mane a playful tug that the horse answered with a neigh and an amiable nip to the sleeve of her dress. Knowing her husband was starting to get exasperated, though, she turned again to the girl. "Would you mind fetching the farm's owner? We're taking this one," she said with a charming smile. "And dear, please stop abusing Cinereus. He's done nothing to you," she added with a knowing look at her husband, who handled her the leash as if it was infected with something.

[Moonbeam22]

Aryiana nodded and dashed off to fetch Roann. Her master questioned her harshly, trying to find an excuse to hit her, but followed and listened to her brief explanation of what horse the Lord and Lady wanted to purchase. Leaving Roann to the discussions, the girl leaned against the barn wall, picked up a stick and started doodling.

 

Every so often, her gaze lifted to the slave boy. Curiosity nagged her mind, as she saw few slaves come to the farm.

[PureDark006]

Lady Alsvieth was the one mostly handling the discussion, asking about the mare's name, age, birthday and other small bits of information. Lord Alsvieth, determined to maintain at least a bit of his honor in front of someone who hadn't seen the 'accident' from before, took the chance to inquire about the breed, parents and other technical points anyone would ask about before buying a horse. Sid, who wasn't really interested in the conversation, just stood there with his hands politely crossed behind his back, not looking at the humans' faces and glad they weren't talking about him.

 

He looked at the side and saw the girl from earlier making random designs in the dirt with a stick. She looked up at him and he quickly looked away, not sure if she had caught him staring. Made him wonder why exactly she had seemed scared before the Lady told her to fetch her owner...

 

"...We have enough in the carriage to fully pay for the mare now," the Lord was saying, eager to end the transaction and leave the stables. No matter how well and often you cleaned, horses were horses, and where there was a large number of them there was a bit of smell and flies. "Lastly, I'd advise you to discipline that thing that behaved more like a wild beast than an animal bred from a respected place," he said, glaring again at the stable that contained the stallion. "Not the only thing that needs disciplining, either, since I'm sure that other creature told him something to influence his behavior," he finished, stern gaze now on the girl.

 

"Please don't listen to him, the stallion behaved wonderfully. My husband's just having a bad day," the Lady interceded, making said husband look at her as if saying with his eyes 'oh no you didn't'. "He is right in that we'd rather take Aylin with us now, so we'd be grateful if you would kindly prepare her and guide her outside."

[Moonbeam22]

"Yes, of course..." Roann said, giving Ayriana a look the screamed: You're gonna get it.

 

((Fast forward to after payment and stuff))

 

Just as they were ready to depart, Aryiana felt a hand wrap around her throat and pin her to a wall. Roann's hot breath on her neck produced a small wimper from the hybrid, but no other sound could be made. "Listen to me, you filthy animal," he growled, only tightening his grip around her neck. "One more slipup like that and I will have you mounted on my wall with the deer heads. That is... if you survive tonight."

 

The man pulled back so Aryiana could see his face and whispered, "Cage Fight."

 

Her master released his iron grip and walked swiftly to the carriage once more, leaving the girl on her hands an knees shaking and gasping for breath. A shout forced he to her feet and she reluctantly got into the carriage. The Hybrid sat down, massaging her bruised neck.

 

A cage fight? I'm good as dead...

[MendezLightning]

Percy couldn't help but be enthused: the fact was that he had never seen the Circus when it was still being set up. His family had always said that turning up at this time was for servants, commoners and day-labourers. Unfortunately, he was now all of these things.

 

The scaffolding of a tall wooden building didn't seem very safe, as he looked up at it. He wasn't sure what it was meant to be: he hadn't seen it before, so he assumed that it was a new fixture in the spectacle.

 

Suddenly, the air was filled with a single scream. Immediately, Percy was on edge, before any others had reacted; his body going into a sort of shock, where he was braced for any action. Then his large black eyes spotted the girl falling through the air. He felt his legs fill with power, and he sprinted forward. Leaping from the ground, he ran a couple of steps up the side of the building and caught the girl. Then he let himself fall back to his feet. His legs took the force well, and the girl looked up to see Percy's face. Apparently, she wasn't as scared of him as he had expected, as she didn't scream or run away from him. This was a change he wasn't used to ...

[WolfLover8]

Kel made her way swiftly through the market and back to the manor, weaving gracefully through the crowds and managing to not bump into anyone, while keeping her basket safe and eggs uncracked. She tried to push down the feeling of nausea that bubbled up when she thought of the master of the manor waiting for her return. If anything, she'd rather avoid a meeting with the one man she actually feared.

 

Kel hurried right to the kitchen, avoiding going past the dining room door. She was greeted by one of her hybrid friends, Marni, as she laid her basket on the table and began to sort through the contents, setting the silk package aside so that it was untouched.

 

Marni was a coyote hybrid who also lived in the manor, overseeing things in the kitchen. Her animal counterpart gave her and excellent sense of smell, thus helping greatly when cooking and, unfortunately for Kel, making her one of the master's favorite pets. Marni was more on the shy side, but she came alive when she was working.

 

The two sorted out everything; eggs going into the egg basket and everything else being stored away in the pantry. The two then relaxed a bit.

 

"Are you going to help in the kitchen tonight?" Marni asked, scratching an ear with her claw-like nails. The girl preferred to be in her hybrid form, unlike most slaves in the manor.

 

Kelissa shook her head. "I've got things to do, maybe after the party." Marni frowned, but Kel picked up the silk order before she could say anything.

 

"I'll see you at the party, though," Kel said with a smile as she left the room, heading upstairs with her face lowered to avoid gazes. Now where's Shane?..

[PureDark006]

After the payment was over and their new horse was prepared for the long walk, both Lord and Lady returned to the carriage's side to exchange some words with their bodyguard.

 

"I still cannot believe you sided with the beast," the Lord complained, to which the Lady just gave him a devious look.

 

"Consider it payback for having to stay with Raymond. I like your brother well enough, but sadly, the same cannot be said for that conniving hag he chose to marry," she said, clicking her tongue as if to rid it of a bad flavor.

 

"It will only be until the Festival is over, darling," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder and guiding her to the posterior of the carriage so they could tie Sid to his usual place. The slave got on the seat before being told to do so and waited, gaze glued somewhere in front of him.

 

"I suppose," the Lady conceded, handing the leash to her husband, who proceeded to detach it from the collar and fasten the chain of the metal ring in its place. She immediately brightened up then, and added, "Besides, we won't be inside too much. Traders are supposed to come from all over the place just for the festival, and I wish to check all the stalls."

 

Her husband nodded, glad he wouldn't be the one accompanying her. "Of course, darling. I'm positive Carolina will be delighted to go with you."

 

And with that, they got on the body of the carriage, Verman closing the door after them before getting on the driver's seat. The new mare's reins were tied with a rope to the back of the carriage so she could trot behind them, and she shot Sid a curious glance that he returned. Festival? They were going to a Festival? That would explain why the Lady and her daughter had looked so excited the last couple of days. Sid had never been to any kind of festival, so he didn't know what to expect. Then again, the Lady would probably want to parade him around in hybrid form, which was always unwelcomed. He didn't know if it was because bats were nocturnal, but when he transformed he always felt fatigued and had troubles sleeping and concentrating, not to mention the headaches and a certain other symptom he felt uncomfortable even thinking about. He'd rather spend all the time in one form or another, not switch between them.

 

The bodyguard clicked his tongue and the horses started walking, the mare on the back following them without problem. Sid shot a glance at the other carriage, still parked in front of the farm, where the owner and the girl were preparing to head out too. He couldn't tell from that distance, but the girl seemed... sad? He wasn't sure. He just hoped it wasn't because of the Lord's comments and his peacock attitude.

 

The horses entered a light trot and Sid got a little more comfortable, leaning on the corner. It was still early, but he didn't have anything else to do and, if he was right, it'd help in the long run when he was ordered to transform. With a last look at the mare, who was followed them happy to be out and doing exercise, Sid closed his eyes and tried to catch some sleep.

[MendezLightning]

Percy stood up straight and let the girl stand. She was older than he had thought originally. Her long, black hair was tangled and matted, much like his own blond hair, and her tanned face and arms were dusted with freckles. She was at least 16. 'Are you alright?' he asked, as he let his antlers and ears retract.

 

She nodded and thanked him, before looking up at where she had fallen from. The planks that had made up the shoddy scaffolding had completely broken, which was surprising, as the girl herself was light and willowy. It baffled her that they could find anyone lighter than her for the construction. Then he realised that finding someone that light was quite simple.

 

'They're using children as construction workers ...' Percy shook his head. It baffled him that kids would be used that way. They were just that: kids. Sure, he had seen child servants before, they were quite common, to be frank, but to use them on construction sites was insane and immoral.

[Lythe]

Raisa hungrily looked on at a stall selling food, the warm, delicious smell of freshly baked goods filling the air. She bit her lip and reached for her waist, where a small purse of coins hung on her belt. She opened it and peeked inside, pulling out a few coppers before tying the purse off again. Jumping off of Cliff's shoulders, Rai walked up to the stall, holding out her money.

 

"Excuse me, sir. I would like to buy two, please?" She pointed to the bread that was set out on the counter in front of the merchant. She smiled as politely as she could and jingled the money in the palm of her hand.

 

The merchant eyed her hand with disgust, his eyes flicking to her tail and then to her golden rimmed eyes. "I don't serve your kind here. Leave, before I call the guard." He shoved her hand back, the coins flying in the air to land on the dusty ground. Raisa stood, shocked at first, before stepping forward in outrage. The merchant backed away quickly, raising his hand as if to strike her.

 

Rai regarded the hand coldly. She had been hit before, even whipped. She wasn't afraid of the pain, not anymore, but she hated how it hurt her pride. She took another step forward. "All I wanted was some bread. Was that too much to ask? I see you sell to my kind when their masters want the bread. How am I any different?"

 

"You think your own stomach is your master!" The merchant swung his fist, but Raisa was already whipping around, away from the danger. She heard flesh hit flesh, and turned to see the merchant's fist connecting to Cliff's cheek. Cliff's head rolled, but otherwise he didn't move.

 

Raisa heard a deep rumble from Cliff's chest. "Are you done?" He growled, his voice deep and low. The merchant clutched his fist and glared at Raisa, but Cliff had already scooped her up and started to jog away, easily getting lost in the crowd again.

 

"You didn't have to do that, you know." Raisa gently probed Cliff's cheek. She winced. That would bruise. Cliff only grunted in reply, moving Rai's hand away from his sore cheek. Raisa apologized quietly as he set her down, changing into her human form. The guard would probably be looking for her, and she would be whipped if she was caught. It would be easier to hide in her less noticeable form.

 

Saying goodbye to Cliff, who was going back to work, Rai shuffled through the crowd. Her mood had soured quickly, and now she would have to keep her head down until they left the city. Rai rolled her eyes. One day, somehow, she would be able to buy anything she wanted, she swore. She would make it happen.

[Ethril Dragon]

So far Sentz had been visited by a variety of people. Some of whom had left almost immediately after they noticed that he was a Hybrid. There were some that were curious abouth im, and he was able to show them letters of authenticity for the silk. And still some stayed just because they wanted the silk. Like always he had a great deal of people who tried to argue about the price. In those cases he would state that his master had set the prices and he was not allowed to adjust them. Sentz found it amazing how well that worked; people wouldn't fight as hard if they believed a master was the one controlling things.

 

As it was though, Sentz was starting to get hungry. He had food in his wagon, but it was stale traveling food and he wanted something warm and freshly made. He could either find someone to get the food for him, which meant giving him his money and then worrying about them getting low quality food, or find someone to watch his booth.

 

Sentz started watching for someone that could potentially be trustworthy enough to watch his booth for him while he went to get some food. Finally he spotted a young girl with red hair that was weaving through the crowd. He waited until she got closer to his booth before he called out for her attention.

 

"Miss! Miss could I ask for your assistance for a moment?" There was a lull in his customers and he wanted to take that chance to roll down the sides of his tents so he could go get some food.

 

Sentz waited for Raisa to notice him calling to her, hoping that she would notice him waving her over.

[Lythe]

Raisa noticed someone calling and waving. She looked behind her, but it didnt look like any of them had noticed, and it did seem like he was trying to capture her attention. Shrugging, she strolled over with her head down, studying him as she came closer. He was handsome enough she decided, and he was also a Hybrid. That perked her interest. How did a Hybrid get to be a merchant? From the looks of his wares, he also did great business, even though there wasn't anyone there at the moment.

 

She cautiously walked over to him. "Were you talking to me?" She cocked her head to the side questioningly. "I guess I can help you, I have time. But I'm not from around here." She pointed to the circus tents, which you could just see over the heads of the crowd. "I travel with the circus. But if there's something I can do...." She rocked back and forth on her heels, waiting for his answer. If he needed her help she would do her best, but she would have to help him quickly. She didn't like staying in one area too long. The only reason she had said she would help was because he was a fellow Hybird.

[Ethril Dragon]

Sentz smiled kindly as Raisa came over. "Thank you," he went over to the sides of his tent booth and start undoing the cords holding the fabric sides up. "I need to go get some food to eat. Would it be alright if you stay in my booth and make sure no one steals anything?" Sentz pointed to the back of the booth where his wagon was partially blocking the back.

 

"I shouldn't be too long. And the sides will be down so no one should bother you." Sentz smiled apologetically. "I just don't want to leave my wares alone." Almost all of the silk was too valuable to lose. "I'll pay you of course." He added as he finished rolling down the first side. The tip of his tail was already working at the chord on the other side of his tent. All that was left was the front and back sides.