Cygnus shook his head; the begging was pitiful. All Altair had done was reiterate himself. So he turned away from the slave as he was 'begging', and turned to face the crowd that had accumulated around the mast. "Welcome, all... we've gathered here to witness the whipping of one bad slave. A message to the rest of you slaves." he declared, turning to each slave and giving them a dark stare. He took a few steps back, staring at Altair's back.<br/><br/>"A message to show you obedience. Forget whatever slave rights you learned in Dusan, slaves have no rights."<br/><br/>"You are upon my ship. And for the duration of this voyage... you are under my care. But this slave here... fails to understand his position. So, he will be awarded with ten counted lashes."<br/><br/>He had the whip in hand. Altair's taut flesh splayed out for him to flog. If he wasn't ready before he was now.<br/><br/>He raised the whip over his head, swishing it down with one strong stroke. The crack echoed in the air, and he watched a line of blood run down Altair's back.