Allie looked at him and sighed softly. "It seems like I haven't seen them in years..." she said sadly. It was weird, she saw her friends and yet had no desire to be with them. She had everything right here. She pulled Ivan into a hug and held him for a moment.

Celyse looked at him and followed him to the kitchens. When he pushed her forward she blushed but nodded as he spoke. When he left she looked at the man in front of her. "I can cook?" she questioned. What did he want to know? "I can cook anything from an omelet to a three course meal.." she said softly. "and I can do it fast.." she said with a smile. Her powers had helped her in the kitchen too.

The chef scratched his head again "Any experience cooking for more then ten people at once? It's a specialized skill set you know, you have to be able to juggle several dishes at once with perfect timing." He waved around the large kitchen to where about a dozen people were working busily "And even then you need lots of help."

Drew sighed and knew that she was right but he chose to live alone because he knew that sooner or later they would come looking for him. If those slavers found him here they would really try to kill him or knock some sence into his head. If he had friends that it would only make it harder for him to leave this place before they got here. "yeah, maybe your right" he said as he looked at her. RIght now she was the only thing close to a friend he had.

"well then it must of been nice to see them" Ivan said as he looked at her and hugged her back. "now then how aobut if he get back to shoping" he said as he looked at her and kissed her head. He loved her and had everything he wanted right here with her.

Alora laughed loudly from the kitchen "My dear master," she chuckled "I make a business of being right. It's primarily why I'm still alive. Belive me, as a P.O.W. you learn to adapt quickly."

Celyse looked over to him and nodded "I used to work in a diner.." she said softly. She knew there was a big difference but her powers had helped her and they would probably help her again. "I am up for the job if you will let me.." she said with a small bow of her head to show respect.

Allie looked over to him and smiled. "yea, that's a great idea, oh look at this" it was a small statue of a dog. It was so cute. She giggled at the thought of him being that small.

Ivan smiled "if you want we could buy it" he said as he looked at it. If she liked it then he would buy it for her and it would look good in there new home. He smiled when he heard her giggle, he loved it when she giggled.

The chief nodded "Well you got the right attitude, let's see if it holds up under stress." He turned and called over his shoulder "Jack! Get Celyse here an apron!" A scruffy brunette that was cutting vegetables nodded and scurried into a back room. "Well girl you can work with Jack. He'll show you what to do." Jack returned with a roguish grin, holding out the white piece of fabric. "Come on Celyse, you get to join me on the most glamourous job in the kitchen, chopping veggies, then later, dirty dishes!"

Drew laughed a little bit but stoped when she said master "please dont call me master, I hate being considered above you." but he liked hearing her laugh. It sounded nice and lifted his spirit a little bit. He stood up and went to the kitchen "here let me help you" he said as he started to help her clean the kitchen.

Allie looked to him and smiled. "we don't have to.. its not really that important.." she said with a smile. She took his hands and continued walking around looking at different items.

Celyse smiled to him and nodded. She looked over to Jack and smiled. "alright.." She took the apron and put it on. She giggled at his sarcasm and said "but doing dishes can be fun" she said with a smile trying to up the mood.

Alora shrugged "I've had a Master for many years, it doesn't bother me any more. I know what and who I am, and the titles I use on others or that are assigned to me don't matter. But I was speaking sarcastically." She passed him a plate she had washed for drying and putting away. "Yet I stand by my previous statement, you need to get out more."

Jack snorted and brushed the hair out of his face. "Right, and the fighters could all be geniuses." He picked his knife back up and went back to efficiently chopping up carrots. "So what's your story?"

Ivan smiled when she took his hand and kissed her head. He then started to look around for anything to put into the house. They found everything imaginable as they shoped and had fun.

Drew smiled and took the plate "yeah I know I should." he said as he looked at her and smiled "But the thing is I am not even sure if I am going to be here long." he said as he put some plates away and whipped off the kitchen counter.

Celyse giggled at his snort and followed him to the back. She quickly washed her hands and grabbed a knife and helped him chop the veggies. "well.. My name is Celyse.." she said softly. She then remembered they had been introduced. "well.. way back when.. my parents died.. they were killed by slave hunters. I just ran away so I wouldn't be killed next. I was searching in the woods after hearing someone needed help, but then I ended up trapped in a net on a false hunt..." She sighed and then looked back to her chopping. "I have been a slave ever since.. Iori is the nicest master I have had so far.." she said softly and honestly.

Allie giggled and shopped with him finding everything they would need. Tonight she would cook for him, make him feel special. After that they could finally relax and be free to do anything they wanted.

Alora snorted "How long have you been here to build up such a clientile? Surely quite some time. What's your excuse for all those years? Paranoia?" Alora shook her head and passed over another dish. "Slaves have the most tenuous relationships of anyone, but at least they have them."

Jack snorted "Well Iori is that, for now. But you seem nice enough, so he may stay that way. Still, your other masters must have sucked." Jack finished the carrots he was working on and shoved them to the side. "Still, for a slave this is a peaceful life. Actually it can get really boring. Do as Iori says day in and day out, simple tasks, over and over, it's maddening. I wonder if he planned it that way and is just waiting for someone to crack."

Celyse smiled as he spoke, this wasn't as bad as she thought. She finished with the veggies and grabbed the potatoes to mash. "yea, my other masters used to abuse me day in and out.." She shrugged, she was used to it. "maybe that is his plan.. but I don't know what you mean.. I am not one to roll over and play dead on his command" She didn't think of how bad her choice of words actually were. "He is not my master.." she said looking back to Jack.

Jack blinked at her "Uh, it sounds to me like you can't make up your mind. First he's your Master, then he isn't? What is he to you exactly?" "Jack!" Shouted the head chef from across the room "Less flirting, more working!" Jack flinched and sighed, grabbing some onions and starting to cut them carefully "Ugh, he knows I hate onions." murmured Jack as he wiped at his already watering eyes.

Celyse looked over to him and sighed. "he is not my master.." she said finally looking back to him. Jumping at the voice and blushed at the comment. That was flirting? She looked over to him and took off her gloves before gently wiping his eyes. "I can chop that for you.." she said softly. That was flirting, somewhat. She smiled and took the onion from him and the knife and began to slice it evenly and slowly.

Jack scrubbed at his eyes "Thanks. I owe you one. But yanno, that's not really an answer." he grabbed some squash and started working on them instead. "Everyone in the castle aknowledges he's the master. 'Cause, you know, he is. What's your issue with him then?"

Celyse smiled as he grabbed the squash. She continued to chop the onions. "he may be the master of the castle.. but hes not my master.. the others couldn't break me so they brought be back to the shop where he found me.. I don't intend to break for anyone.." she said confidently. She finished with the onions and moved them away wiping her eyes a bit. She grabbed the green beans and started to get them ready. "then the other side of me says.. hes such a caring guy and hes been so nice.. I should just listen to him and be nice back.." She sighed. She really had no idea how to act with him.

The air tasted different today...

The only light that reflected from the skin of the monster was offered by the dying sun, making him appear like a large, hairless panther from a distance. Each step he took
resulted in the contraction of numerous muscles, and every movement he made was controlled and deliberate. Anubis placed a large hand along the castle's brick
exterior, with his breaths steadily rattling behind behind the skull-bone mask. On the other sides of these walls was the potent stench of blood, and he wanted little
else than to bring the taste that came with it to his lips. It had been days since his last meal, and the sting of hunger was beginning to wrap around his gut.

If he couldn't manage to find a steady source of food soon, be it human or beast flesh, it would be highly doubtful that he'd survive much longer. Keeping his
sinewy frame close to the ground, Anubis broke into the night, with his open palm remaining on the castle walls. Though he knew little of the habits of humans, he
was well-aware that contraptions like these always had at least one entrance; a theory that he'd tested and proven in the nearby village that served as home to
his previous few victims. Even Anubis had to wonder... were all humans such easy targets? But he quickly shook it off; now wasn't the time to contemplate.

All that currently mattered was finding entry into this strange place,
and with his one-track state of mind, Anubis was bound to find it sooner or later.

Jack laughed "Oh he's nice, nice like a snake. But by all means, be nice to him! Maybe you can crack his stony outer shell and reveal the inner beauty, and he'll free us all and we'll all go skipping merrily through fields of daisys!" He batted his eyelashes prettily before snorting and going back to his chopping. "Nah, just do as he says and get it over with. I don't know who your previous masters were, but they had nothing on him. If he can't break you, he'll find people you care about and break them in front of you." Jack's eyes hardened for a moment and he shivered slightly before shaking it off and grinning at her "Besides, if you stay in the kitchen then you get to enjoy my charming company!"

Iori was making his rounds when Viktor came running up to him "What is it Viktor, have you not learned your lesson?" "Yes my Lord! Only, something has slipped through the wards!" Iori paused. "You mean to tell me that while you were slacking, something took advantage of your negligence and is now on my castle grounds?" "Y-Yes my lord. But I-" "SILENCE!" Roared Iori, delivering a vicious backhand that slammed Viktor into the wall. As Viktor slumped to the ground Iori strode swiftly towards the Arena, he would send out his fighters and that would put an end to this invader.

At the distant sounds of shouting, Anubis snapped his attention from the direction of which they came. Though he understood little human tongue, even he could
feel the blatant undertone of rage within the voice. Had he been discovered, perhaps? Taking care not to dawdle for more unexpected events to occur, the
monster darted onward. Soon enough, he stopped at an unusual feature in the massive structure; a large opening, laced with glass. Anubis had come across
these contraptions many times prior, and had also learned how to bypass them with ease. Without a fleck of hesitation, he slammed into it, heel-first.

The window shattered into an unoccupied section of the castle, and Anubis rolled along with it. Before the echo of the break-in even subsided, he'd already tugged
two shards of glass from his feet, and continued into the human's extravagant nest. The smell of blood had lessened for one reason or another, but the faint
scent of meat steadily wafted from one of the corridors. Running off sheer instinct, Anubis followed, traveling as quickly as his legs would permit. If he didn't want to
be discovered, he'd have to make haste... But on the other hand, any soul that was brazen enough to cross his path was begging for numerous broken ribs.

Celyse looked to him and sighed. She giggled after he talked about her breaking him. When he said how he would break others to break her, she shivered as well. She looked over to him and rubbed his arm softly, comfortingly. "aww well I like it here in the kitchen" she said with a giggling smile. She suddenly looked at the direction of the door and took off ruining. There was a new aura and it wasn't weak. It seemed very powerful. She ran until she found Iori. She winced as she saw the man from before on the floor but knew that this was more important. She sent a healing blast to the man to help him and continued running. She found him in the arena and grabbed a sword. "what is it?" she asked him questionably.

Drew sighed and took the plate gently "yeah I guess you could say I am parinoid." he said softly then smriked and put the plate away "but who can blame me since I dont want to hurt anyone or get them hurt because of me"

Ivan smiled and stayed close to Allie the whole time. The only time he was away from her was when he went off to go and buy something that he didn't want allie to see. It was for latter and he had spent a lot of money on it. Then he started to head home after a while and kissed Allie on the head happly.

Iori barely glanced at her "Get inside Celyse. I don't have time to deal with you right now." He immedately turned back to his fighters that were rallying to his command "I want a full sweep of the grounds. We don't know what got in, it could be anything. I want all precautions taken, go in pairs. One brute, one skilled. Get mages out there sweeping the area, but be cautious. If you run into anyone you think you recognise, hold them until a mage arrives, for all we know we're dealing with a shifter. Keep in contact, don't be a hero, if you see something, report it."

Alora laughed "Oh I can, I can. You remind me far too much of someone I used to know. He and his family all came to bad ends. Fact of life Drew, people get hurt. Accept that, recognise it, utilize it, and only then will you have some control over it." Alora shrugged "A noble thought, but ultimately a futile one. All it leads to is solitude, but you seem to have realized that at least." She chuckled "As evidenced by my presence."

Drew smiled when he heard her laugh, it was a nice sound. "yeah it does lead to solitude and I almost think I lost my mind because of it. But then I decided to go and find a friend or someone to be with, that is how you go here" he said as he looked at her "and out of all the slaves that I could have picked I think I made the perfect choice in picking you." he said happly. He really liked having her around since he didn't feel as alone as he use to. He was even thinking of leaving the house to her when he has to leave when his slaver family came looking for him.