"FINE! Oh such a sudden change of plans!" Neath cawed through the bird, voice alight with a malicious brand of amusement, what should have been a cheery tone was riddled with a gnawing sarcasm like some form of progressive disease, "I do hope this is that fabled woman's prerogative to change her mind! This erratic, impulsive,<span style="font-style: italic">inconsistent</span>behaviour will do you no favours. Not in my care and certainly not out in these woods..."<br/><br/>He sighed.<br/>Really...<br/>Where was the surprise in this? Of course she'd make a break for it if he kept on teasing her, to be honest he didn't quite recall half the details from the previous night. Occasionally a glimpse of them would surface from the pool of his mind, like the far skin of a bobbing apple, but they'd sink again leaving him only to guess at the exact rendition of the evening. Whatever had happened he'd taken her name (admittedly a little cruel, but necessary to break her in) and probably said something awful and soul destroying to her born of his own frustration.<br/><br/>No denying a small part of him wanted to look out for her, she always looked so frightened and vulnerable, but an even bossier, more outspoken nugget of his consciousness despised her ignorance, wanted her to suffer for not realizing what a fantastic opportunity it was that he'd presented her. What, did she not realize that low end markets sold humans for meat? Like, literal meat. Cover it in herbs and five spices, slice, dice and serve with rice meat!<br/><br/>Somewhere, god only knows how many miles away, some fool was trying to make conversation with his vacant physical form, back in the front row of the Colosseum, he could hear it like echo like distant whispers down an unfurnished hallway, so Neath's time here with bird and girl (two most fond of pets) was limited.<br/><br/>"Look," if he had hands he'd be pinching his brow between thumb and forefinger, outwardly his voice had notably softened, "I'm neither out to kill nor harm you, human. If that happens in the process<span style="font-style: italic">it's your own damned fault for not listening--</span>" he stopped himself the moment he felt his temper flare up like a bad fever. Taking a deep breath he continued with as much patience as he could muster. Which for him was usually very little indeed, "Come. Home. I trust you remember your way Amora, come home! I promise on my honour that you were not bought to be a mere slave like the other big haired bean brains tottering about back there, I bought you with a purpose. Not to be my bride, or any fairytale shit like that, to be my apprentice. Come back and allow me to explain! If you won't listen to me, you at least seem to listen to the bird, if I have to explain it through this winged feather duster, then Godess help me, I will! Just turn back and sleep this petty rebellion off! Ugh, I blame myself for buying a feral, I didn’t realize just how much work I’d have to put in to tame you!”<br/><br/>There was one last irritable caw before he released hold of the scrawny little animal and landed (almost literally, it was like that terrible falling sensation that startles people awake) back in his own skin, his private kingdom of flesh, bone and very expensive bath oils, all over again.<br/>As predicted some old demoness dear had been nattering down his earhole the whole time and he promptly told her where to put it before fishing up his cloak, slinging it sulkily over his shoulders and doing the sideways edge past people’s knees to the aisles.<br/><br/>Well, there goes a 60 ducat ticket down the plumbing!<br/><br/><br/><br/>---------------                ----------------------------              ----------------------<br/><br/><br/>Sick to the stomach, Veronika’s blood didn’t know whether to freeze dead in her veins or burn them alive like a pyromaniac at a spiders nest.<br/>Apprentice!?<br/>Her well-manicured hand leapt up to catch what could have been a gasp or a growl.<br/>What kind of bullshit was that!?<br/>Oh she had served the Master faithfully, without complaint or leave, for almost sixty years now, she’d prepared some of his spells for him and watched him cast for the most selfish of reasons, she hadn’t  batted an eye whenever he perverted those ill gained powers over nature to tempt in a lover or hex a foe, she’d even gone out of her way to research for him or show an interest in the hope that…<br/><br/>Hot tears prickled in the corner of her eyes, her legs felt like something limp, cold and dead being propped up with twigs, if she had the will to walk it would have been like a macabre puppet show rolling into town with bits of her threatening to drop off or peel away.<br/><br/>… in the hope that maybe, just maybe, he’d take an interest in her. Teach her a little, just enough to get by or at least…<br/>Fuck! Veronika worked until her fingers bled, her body ached and begged her to stop tragically every evening and every long hauled morning! Mentally she was spent, running on a tank empty entirely bar a tiny drizzle of hope.<br/><br/>And this little BITCH had taken it! Her one way out!<br/>This little bitch, here for a day, dressed up like a goddamn princess and then runs at the first chance!<br/><br/>Why was he going soft on her!? What did she have, this pathetic, mindless little HUMAN, that Veronika didn’t!? Tears streamed down the demonesses cheek, she clenched her fists tightly and gnawed all of the colour from her knuckles. The horror subsided and in its place a terrible rage crept in rattled her down to the bone.<br/><br/>And to think, only this morning she had been scared to death for that piteous little ANIMAL! Well no more!<br/><br/>… No… Amora could NOT return home… this was to go no further…<br/><br/>Veronika sank silently back into the darkness of the woods. There were scarier things than her in there and she was about to wake them up, regardless to the cost to herself or her Master…