Chapter Five: Suluk P.O.V. 

Running back to the palace chambers I'm met with an angry looking Kieren. He stands in the hall, arms crossed and in deep purple, loose fitting silk. The silver chains hanging off his shoulders and pants shift and make little noise against the smooth fabric as he shifts his weight as I approach.

"And where the hell have you been all day? The meeting starts in less than an hour." He scolds me, making me shrink slightly as the tone of his voice. Very few people could make me shy away or feel guilty for doing such things, but Kieren is at the top of that list. For his slim form he is a powerful warrior, maybe even more so than I but I don't want to test that notion today.

"Went exploring. You should try it sometime. Maybe it'll help you loosen up a bit when we come to things like this." I look at him with a smirk, making him scoff and turn away from me. Leading us down the long marble hallway.

"Yeah right. Someone has to take these things seriously or else nothing would get done. You're the one who suggested we start trading with humans in the first place. For someone to suggest that and then spend all day in the human cities seems kind of contradictory." He continues to scold me as if I'm not aware of the notion. I stop him halfway down the hall, by a large open window. The scent of dirt, flowers, and cooking boar can be smelled from here. He looks at me curiously as I stop him, waiting patiently for a few humans to walk by.

"I found her." I speak lowly to him. He looks at me confused before leaning against a wall.

"Found who? You're going to have to be more specific, Sul." He looks at his nails as if he's uninterested in the conversation. As if I'm already boring him. I look down the hall both ways before straightening myself and addressing him as not only a friend but an equal as well.

"The woman who helped heal me, the one I told you about when we got back. I found her in the city! Her name is Alavira." I look to him with waring emotions on the matter.

"So why do you look distressed about that? I thought you wanted to find her, to repay that debt? You look as if you're in pain or overthinking it now." He's right and I know it. I'm confused on what to do for the woman who helped me. For the first time in nearly 300 years I'm unsure of what to do on this matter.

"The situation is more complicated than I had previously thought. I can't just simply repay her right now." I admit with a bit of uneasiness.

"What do you mean by that?" Well that caught his attention as he stands up straight and looks at me rather than out the window or his nails.

"I mean I thought she was living in the forest when I met her… I might have been wrong in that assumption. When I found her today she was with someone. She's a slave, Kieren. What am I supposed to do?" I look to my friend as I tell him about what I had found out today. His face contorted from interest to disgust.

"They have slaves here? Seriously?" He asks, probably just as confused with the thought of such a thing still being around as I was.

"It seems so. She belongs to a well known adventurer and mage from what I gathered. The irony is she saved me, and now is owned by a dragon slayer. He does not treat her well from what little I have seen. I'm unsure what the best course of action is in this predicament." I clarify to him. He tenses as if he's ready for a fight, but looks out the window and takes a deep breath. His long black hair rustles a bit in the breeze as his amethyst eyes focus on something in the distance. When he gets like this the thin, jagged scar across his nose becomes wrinkled and looks uncomfortable.

"Have you considered buying her? If the slave business is still going on here, then there is a possibility you could buy her freedom back and offer that as a debt repayment. She saved your life whether you want to admit that or not. Had she not given you that food and healing potion your rib would have punctured your lung. If I hadn't shown up when I had then you would have had to deal with that nuisances of a dragon Rdige, and you would have lost." Kieren points out. Making me perk up at the idea of being able to pay her back for her kindness.

"Thank you my friend! That's a great idea! Maybe we'll ask more about it while in the meeting today?" I clasp his shoulder and walk to our meeting with high hopes.

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Walking to the meeting place in high hopes and with a pocket full of gold coins, this is the first time in a long time I've been excited for something human related. While I did suggest the idea of starting to trade with the humans after meeting that odd woman, human affairs have not interested me in the least. With a well formed plan, I can confidently go to this dinner now. While I hope she accepts my help, part of me is worried that when she finds out who I am she will be angry. With every right to be. I did leave her without a word, although I am a different dragon now. That might take some convincing, but I'm willing to do so. She has shown me nothing but kindness, and I just left her there without a second thought; after the few summers I've had since, people and events have made me see a different light entirely.

Seeing the disgusting man standing there making her stand behind him, his smug expression with that hooked nose, wrinkles near his eyes, short gray tipped brown hair, as his cold blue eyes scan the walkway. He barks an order at her making her cower a little as she retrieves something from her pocket and hands it to him.

Anger wars with disgust as I get closer, but I manage to push it aside and walk up to them with a welcoming smile. Reaching a hand out to greet him, even if it makes my skin crawl. "Hello Kizen!"

He gives me a small smile back as he takes my hand and shakes it twice before pulling back, making Ava look at him confused and a bit stunned. She doesn't know but her face gives her away when she's thinking. "Ah, Suluk! How are you doing this evening? Good I hope?"

"Yes sir, I am well. And yourself?"

"Ah yes doing splendid! Shall we be off then?"

He leads the way to a place he knows. I nod to Ava when he's not looking and she nods softly back, barely noticeable as we walk through the crowd.

Ava pulls out the chair for Kizen and then comes around the table to do so for me, making fury fill me again, but having to keep face in here I find that place to shove it down for now. Instead holding up a hand for her to not do so.

So he's not only a slimy weasel but a narcissist as well. He better take my deal or so help me I'll fight him and take her anyways! He doesn't deserve her….

That thought stuns me for a moment as I sit, so much so that I don't notice that she is leaving to go sit somewhere else until it's too late. I look over at her curiously for a moment before Kizen gets my attention.

"Have you not seen where slaves eat? It's in the back so as to not disturb the rest of us. Most are filthy anyways, however I do not like mine to be so. I can not stand the smell." He speaks casually as if it's not a person he's talking about, making my blood boil and throat burn to spit fire at him. It takes an unreasonable amount of restraint to sit there and just nod, not trusting my voice right now.

He makes mind numbing conversation the rest of the time while we eat. I indulge him because I was told humans are more negotiable when in a good mood, and I am praying to the goddess that it is true in this moment. As I pay the tab and finish off my wine I look to him, placing my arms on the table to rest my head in my hands.

"So Sir Kizen, may I speak with you on a more serious topic?" I ask, interesting him in a more stimulating conversation before I fall asleep.

"And what might that be, my new friend?" He looks at me with not only interest as I had hoped, but cat-like curiosity as well.

"Well, I was hoping you'd be open to discussing selling your slave? I'm willing to pay a fair amount of coin." I looked at him expectantly. He leans onto the table to mimic my posture as a thick, bushy brow raises.

"And why would you want my slave when you can go have your pick of any one you would want? They have a variety down at the market."

Don't lose your calm Suluk. Just take a deep breath. He has no idea who he's talking to. He is a small minded boy, he is not worth the effort.

Masking my emotions I let a coy smile dance on my lips. Two can play this game. "Oh I was unaware. That is nice to know. However I'd hate to have to train a new one from scratch. You see, I travel a lot for work and what not, so I do not have the time to do so. You've trained yours quite well, as a businessman I'd like to think I have a good eye for quality. And I have to admit my friend, that with the training you've given her she's almost perfect for the role she'd need to fill."

"You do have a point. Training one of their kind takes a while, and if you are busy I can see that being a problem for you. However, I have put much time, effort and coin into her. I'm not sure I'd be willing to depart with her just yet." He sighs and stares at me with a challenging look. Luckily I've prepared for such an answer, now glad I brought extra coin with me. A small chuckle leaves me as I lean back into my chair. The waiter comes back by to refill our glasses during our little stare off.

"Like I said, I'd be willing to pay a fair price for your troubles. I'm sure a man of your skill and talent would have no problem in finding and training another." Swirling the wine in my glass I take a small sip, not breaking eye contact with him. Making him sigh out and shake his head, looking down with a small smile.

"I won't let her go for cheap. And let's be clear here, the only reason I'm willing to sell her at all is because she's a handful. I'd even be willing to help you out and keep the binding magic on her for your own safety for a little extra." He looks at me with a smirk that makes cold fury rise within me.

"Is that so? How kind of you, but I believe I'll be able to handle that myself. My kind has a way of persuading someone when we need to." I leave that to his imagination, making him curious, but he is smart and keeps his mouth shut.

"Well my new friend, you have yourself a deal. I'll have to find her paperwork, so well complete this when we get back to the inn. For now let's talk about price."

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I stand on the cobblestone of the walkway just outside the inn, refusing to be alone in the room with him. There's no way I'd be able to keep my temper in check if that was the case. Hearing a small commotion coming from inside my attention is drawn back to the entrance.

Soon enough Kizen comes out pulling Ava by her arm and shoves her off the porch into the street. The feeling of wanting to kill him fills me, but I fight it once again.

"Stop fighting wench! You should have just listened and all of this would have been easier for you!" He yells to her as he steps down into the street. He sees me and smiles as he holds out the paperwork, as if he doesn't care she is injured and bleeding into the street. Fisting my hands by my sides I grit my teeth together to keep from lunging at him. "There you are. Sorry for the show, but she was throwing a fit about being sold again so soon. So she's been fighting me since we got here, but as you can see, I have it under control." He walks past her, up to me as if it's a normal thing to leave people in the dirt.

"Well I hope you understand in that case, her price went down by two gold." I manage to grit out, my voice low and filled with the promise of death. He looks angry at that notion.

"Are you serious?! We had already agreed!" He dares to yell at me, shoving his finger into my chest.

"You have damaged what is soon to be mine. I'm sure you understand why that would change the price slightly. Thanks for the papers, here's your coin. We're leaving."

I don't give him the chance to say anything as I take two coins out and put them in my pocket, throwing the small bag on the ground. Snatching the paperwork and small cloth bag from him of her belongings before shoving past him and walking over to where she's trying to stand up. "Don't push yourself too hard, I'll help you. I'm sorry things have played out like this. I want to reassure you this was not my intention." I speak lowly to her as I put the pack on and put the papers into my shirt pocket, before crouching down to her slowly so as to not scare her further. She looks up, bewildered to see it's me here to get her and not someone different. Her neck is an angry red, the veins popping out slightly and bruising around the edges. He hasn't removed his markings yet, but that shouldn't be a problem for me and Kieren to remove.

She barely puts up a fight as I gently pick her up, cradling her in my arms as I start to head back toward the castle. Kizen screams at our backs, trying to teleport her back to him, but unsuccessful in doing so. I'm now glad I got the protection talisman from Kieren that nullifies most magic, before coming here.

He can stay mad for all I care. He should be grateful I left him alive after that despicable show he just put on.

She looks up to me with confusion, obviously wanting to ask a question, but unable to. My focus zeros in on her as I give her a soft, reassuring smile. "We're going home." Is all I tell her softly. She looks confused, but finally quits fighting me.