Cassius walked into the slave market, his black coat blowing in the wind behing him. The dust on the walkway coming up to meet the soles of his leather boots. His swung a chain and spiked collar in around in his hand, humming to himself as he casually browsed the cages that lined the path. Guards stood silently around the cages, some with clubs other's with cattle prods. Cassius looked into the filthy cages as he walked by. Faces, eyes, full of fear, malice, sadness, hunger, and defiance. He smiled as he continued to walk.

(Meh...I thought I was to be the buyer person...0.0...Oh well! Am I the human or not, then?)

(My apologies, you can still be a vampire, I am a human. Vamps can be slaves, but if you want me to switch it I can, i don't mind if that is what you prefer)

(Nah it's cool....)

Vanyel moaned slightly, his emerald and chocolate eye staring at the human outside this cage. How good he smelled... Especially someone who hadn't fed in a week and a half. The moan seemed to change slowly, turning more into a hiss of warning. He was hungry, yes, but he wouldn't let a filthy human touch him. He would still get free.

His clothes were ragged and torn in multiple places, although there was evidence of burns, where the guard outside had obviously used his cattle prod on the Vampyre, although it was hard to imagine the slim, pale form inside attacking anyway. The bare feet were attached to slim legs, tucked into a fetal position in front of the Vampyre. His thin arms, visible through the ragged sleeves covering them, curled on top of his knees, while his eyes were just visible beyond them, his tucked head making other features hard to disconcern. He looked young, about nineteen, though he was probably older.

Although his jet colored hair fell over his eyes in an untidy not-quiet-long mess, Vanyel could see the man clearly. He wasn't the first human to peer at him, and Vanyel felt the anger boiling in his stomach again, giving the man another warning hiss, his fangs visible. Clearly a hungry, not happy Vampyre.

Cassius smiled as he peered into the vampires cage. He looked at the guard and joked. "I never had a vampire before, this should be fun," he laughed and motioned for the guard to open the cage. Three more guards all with cattle prods came up to join the other guard that was opening the cage. Cassius handed the collar to one of the guards. "Try not to damage the goods anymore than you already have. You are only getting half price for this horrid thing anyway," he sneered through his white teeth, running his fingers through his jet black hair arrogantly.

The Vampyre snarled once more as the guards approached him...Four in all. It would normally be a piece of cake, but Vanyel hadn't fed in so long. His canines extended, the male struggled futilely, thrown against the bars as a leash was secured around his neck. Being dragged outside, Vanyel could only let loose a pitiful moan, he was too weak for anything else.

The guards practically dragged the male outside, Vanyel falling to his knees in front of the vermin. The man standing in front of him was formidable looking, although Vanyel lifted to meet his gaze squarely, letting another silent snarl escape between parted lips. This human knew nothing. At the first chance Vanyel got, the Vampyre would rip out the human's throat, spitting on his body as Vanyel left whatever high estate the male may own. He'd never submit to a mere human, even if once he was as weak as these pathetic things. The Vampyre attempted to convey all this in the glance he gave the human above him, his green and brown eyes staring hungrily.

Cassius threw his head back and laughed as the vampire struggled in vain. He took the toe of his boot and stuck it under the vampires chin and lifted his head up sharply. "Look at the state that you are in. How I am so suppose to be afraid of you?," he chuckled. "Do you have a name? It really doesn't matter I won't be using it anyway," he scoffed. He removed his foot forcefully and then kicked the vampire in the side of the face.

(Don't worry about it, I simply wasn't sure if you were one of those people who skipped out without saying anything...o>.<o Those people make me mad...)

Vanyel's glare intensified as the other male spoke, though it was broken when the tall human stuck his boot under the Vampire's chin. Vanyel fought to get away, though his weakened state it simply appeared as if the Vampyre had an annoying twitch on his nose.

A growl, greatly resembling a feral cat's torn from Vanyel's throat as he was kicked, falling into the mud around his knees. His pale face raised momentarily, the swirling in his head broken through as he heard the main guard speaking to the new human. "He's Vanyel, newly caught Vampyre...Not exactly a young one, or an old one...He's kinda in the middle...Sir...But like I said, he's newly caught. You can break him how you want to...." The stupid human drawled as Vanyel lifted himself slowly, glancing up for a moment before his face dove forward.

His fangs were sunk into the human's boot, probably not even enough to touch the tall human's foot, but Vanyel felt he was making a statement. A very clear statement.

Cassius pulled out a baton from the inside of his coat. He flicked it out to it's full extent and he hit the vampire across the face with it several times. "If you would kindly dislodge your fangs from my boot," he said between grunts as he hit the vampire across the face. "Do you know the price you pay for ruin a good pair of boots?," he screamed and hit him again this time across the back. "Answer me dog!"

Vanyel's hands lifted, under his shoulders as the Vampyre attempted to push himself up. His fangs released the boot as he pushed. His attempts were failing, however, as with each blow Vanyel's body sunk a bit more, pushing his face back into the small puddle.

He remained silent, except for small pants and an occasional shudder that rocked his body. Vanyel's hands were splayed next to him, one curled in a fist in the mud, the other gripping the dusty cobblestones. Vanyel's right eye, the chocolate one, was closed, halfway covered in mud. The green eye, however, stared at the human, the fight boiling in the Vampyre seeming to diminish.

Though his lips were parted, no sound came from them, Vanyel instead lifting his head and shaking it slightly as a reply to the human. His head laid itself back down in the mud after this was done, and another low moan passed through the pale lips.

"Good you can be obedient," Cassius sneered and put his baton away. He took the chain from the guard and tugged on the vampires collar. He pulled a little harder urging the vampire to stand. "Okay dog I want you to prove to me your loyalty. I want you to get up and walk out of here on your own two feet. I don't care how long it takes, I have all day. Show me what you got and you might get rewarded," he tugged on the collar harder.

The Vampyre's hands returned to their previous positions and Vanyel hefted himself to his feet. Or tried to...

After countless tries, Vanyel stood in front of Cassius for the first time, his legs trembling and making his sway slightly. After the dizzy spell left, Vanyel stepped back, his hands lifting and fiddling with the collar around his neck. Get it off...Have to...get it off... A mere moment passed as Vanyel realized how futile it would be. He could barely feel his fingers, let alone undo an intricate collar.

But the human had spoke of a reward? If Vanyel 'Belonged' (The Vampyre shuddered slightly at this thought.) to the man now, then the man had to feed him, right? With one simple meal, Vanyel figured he could easily slip away from the human, breaking Cassius's hand if he had to... The Vampyre began moving, his arms limp at his sides, although his eyes barely left Cassius and the leash was stretched taut between the two. The slow shuffle on shaking legs eventually reached the gates of the slave market, where Vanyel leaned against the gate, his panting returned.

"Good puppy dog," Cassius chuckled as Vanyel made it to the gate. "I was beginning to think that I was going to have to carry the big bad vamp out of here." He hit Vanyel hard across the back with his hand and motioned for the guard to open the gates. He tugged hard on the collar again. "Alright dog let's go and get you a bath," he turned his nose up at the vampire and pulled him toward a black limo that sat outside the gates. The driver opened the back door and Cassius pushed Vanyel hard into the back seat and sat down down next to him, but far enough away that the vampire couldn't get close to his neck. His hand still securely wrapped around the chain that held Vanyel's collar in place.

Vanyel hissed in reply to the taunts and hand striking his back, although it was cut short as the gates were opened and the Vampire was shoved roughly into a black limo.

The strange eyed boy stared at the human hatefully. "You told me...a...reward..." Vanyel's voice was rough from misuse, the words spoken slowly around the Vampire's pants. The eyes ghosted down, resting on the chain attached to the vile collar ornamenting Vanyel's neck. The eyes moved back up, focusing pointedly on Cassius's neck, Vanyel's canines extending a bit longer than their already impossibly long length. And no human is going to give me a bath.... The thought arrived in Vanyel's mind, and unspoken promise to the male next to him.

Cassius smirked at the vampire beside him. "All in good time. You're a greedy one aren't you?," he belittle Vanyel. "I guess we should be formally introduced. My name is Cassius Starvos III but you are only to know me as master. And you are?," Cassius rubbed his chin for a moment like he was thinking. "Ah yes you are Dog," he smiled. "And that is how I will always know you."

Vanyel sneered at the human, in fury for being denied a meal, and for being looked down upon.

"You don't deserve to speak my name, human. I could snap your neck like a twig...And I will..." Vanyel threatened, his words coming out somewhere in between a hiss and actual words. The Vampyre moved forward with a quickness that revealed the desperation the boy felt. One hand moved, reaching for the chain, and the other for Cassius's hair, wanting to wrench back the human's head so he could reach Life's nectar hidden in those veins.

Cassius hand snapped up, he lodged the baton between the vampire's teeth, the other hand wrapped firmly around the chain and thrusted against the vampire's chest holding him back. "You fool," Cassius strained against Vanyel's strength. "You can't fight me now, you haven't the strength." He is still incredible strong. I don't know if I can hold him for much longer. As soon as my arms begin to tremble he will have me,he thought to himself, staring into the hunger of the vampires eyes.

The Vampire's head snapped back as he felt the force of a baton lodging itself between Vanyel's jaws. He pulled back quickly, pressing against the opposite side of the limo, as far as the chain would permit while Cassius held it.

Some of the fury had drained from the boy's face, to be replaced by a tiny look of triumph. He'd made his point, although the human was also correct-There was nothing Vanyel could do in this state. As it was, Vanyel's panting had increased, even if the Vampire was only leaning against something. "Not now...But soon...You can't have me starving to death after paying for me, now can you?" The Vampyre responded simply, though his eyes flitted shut, the exhaustion seeming to crawl upon Vanyel. His teeth were retracting, becoming normal human sized canines, showing what strain the Vampyre was under.

Cracking his eyes open a bit, Vanyel continued in a hoarse voice, "When will you feed me?" God...If dogs could talk, they would be sounding just like me right now... Vanyel felt his body shudder in his disgust.

Cassius flicked the baton back down, he smiled at the vampire. "You will be fed. You are correct about one thing I did pay for you and I can't let you starve, that is a terrible waste of money." Cassius looked at him curiously, he shifted in the seat beginning to pose a question. "How old were you when you turned? You look as if you were younger than I am now."

The blue and green eyes popped open, and Vanyel turned to stare at the man ludicrously. Why would you need to know that of a slave?

The pale boy offered a smile to the taller male, though it was more a baring of teeth than a kindly smile. "Does it matter?" Pausing, and dripping sarcasm into the word, Vanyel continued, "Master?"

The Vampyre's eyes closed again, the male's head pressing against the headrest behind him and his head moving up, attempting to clean the hair covered in mud. What globs were coached off, Vanyel dropped on the limousine seat next to him. He may not be up to fighting, but he could still show Cassius he'd picked the wrong Vamp...

"Fine. I was trying to find something to entertain myself with. I was just being curious," Cassius mumbled, turning away and looking out the window. He tugged on Vanyel's chain just to spite him. "We are nearly home anyway," he sighed. He looked back at the vampire and the mud clumps on the seat, he turned his nose up. "We can finally get you a bath, you reek."

The boy gave a soft snort that was cut short by a tug on the leash. Vanyel didn't bother opening his eyes, his voice losing the vitality from earlier, showing how tired the vampire was. "There is no we, and I will not accept a bath from the likes of you." A pause for a bitter laugh, "And if you think I'll willing go into your lair, you've another thing coming, human..."

Cassius threw his head back and laughed, tugging on the vampires chain again. "Well if you don't come in and you don't bathe then you won't eat," Cassius laugh fell short and turned into and evil sneer. "You can rot. If you insist on being so difficult then I really don't care if you live or die. You may not even be able to serve me the way I need you too anyway," he challenged the vampire with this last statement.

Vanyel's canines extended once more at the promise of food, or in his case, blood. The vampire shifted, bringing his head forward and tilting it as he evaluated the human warily, "You promised me food earlier, and didn't deliver....Why should I trust you now?"

The pale creature hesitated before opening his mouth once more, "What are you wanting to do with me anyway?" It was a valid question...All Vampyres knew of the slave trade, but once in, no one Vanyel had heard of had gotten out (Vanyel pointedly ignored what this meant for him.), leaving the Vampyres to speculate on what the humans wanted them for.

Cassius leaned forward, meeting his gaze. "Well I couldn't just feed you my driver now could I? So the promise of food still stands. As for what I need you for...," he sat back and looked out the window. His eyes filled with shame and he couldn't look back at the vampire. "I'm sick a-and I need a bodyguard. Someone I can trust," he sighed and leaned his head against the coolness of the car window.