Kalem's P.O.V

I climb one step higher up the long thing master called a Library Ladder, reaching for the first book on this lane.

I hum gently to myself while wiping the first book free of any dust and webs with my favorite rag that Master bought me. It was my favorite because it was yellow like the softness where I slept and could only be used in the library, that was my own rule that I didn't tell Master about.

I smile when I pull away the rag to find the small, black book clean and pretty underneath. I wipe the space it was in one more time before moving onto the next book.

Today I was cleaning the library.

The library was my favorite place because it was where Master read to me and taught me how to read more, it was where Master and I were closest because he let me sit with him. Being in Master's arms felt like when he carried me, but even better, so I loved the library very much.

It was my goal to make the library the cleanest place in the castle so Master could love the place as much as I did.

Master said I couldn't clean the entire place today, only four shelves, I was on my second shelf now. I didn't like that he didn't let me serve him properly but I didn't argue, slaves weren't supposed to disobey and I didn't want to make Master angry.

I'd never seen Master angry and I didn't want to. I'd seen what the trainers became when they were angry and I didn't want Master to punish me in that way.

I look between the space of the shelf to secretly check on Master. He was reading a book I cleaned yesterday, with a blood bag to his lips that he sipped happily. It made me smile even more to see him pleased with my servitude.

I just wanted to please Master and maybe if I did, he'd collar me again.

"Kalem," Master says making me freeze, I'd been caught staring somehow. Master looks away from his pages so I offer him the best smile I can before answering.

"Yes, Master."

"What do you know about vampires?" He questions while shutting his book and putting it aside, I tilt my head slightly in confusion as I try to think.

It was hard to reply to Master because he was a vampire too. If I said something mean about vampires Master may get hurt or I could say something that made him angry, then I'd be rightfully punished. But Master had asked me to be honest with him, it was the only thing he asked me for, it was my one and only official job as his slave.

I wouldn't fail him.

"I know that vampires don't die and that they like blood like mine." I start, glancing up at Master to make sure I hadn't upset him yet. "They are Masters and they like to use their teeth a lot."

Master chuckles as he wipes his eyes, I frown knowing I hadn't answered it the way a proper slave would.

"I-I'm sorry Ma-"

"Kalem, you've done nothing wrong," Master says using his nice voice that made me feel nice too. "I love when you speak honestly."

"Okay, Master," I reply before continuing my chores with a sigh.

I didn't know why I couldn't be the perfect slave for Master. I'd been trained for it and only made a few mistakes ever, but with Master, I seemed to do nothing but wrongs. Master didn't want to use me and didn't even want me to clean, he didn't like it when I kneeled for him in the mornings even though all good slaves did.

"Is there anything you'd like to do after cleaning?" Master asks, now standing at the bottom of the ladder, I quickly begin climbing down not wanting to be above him.

"No Master," I reply once I reach the floor.

"Even see your little el-" Master's words stop suddenly as he turns his head towards the door.

I stare up at him, glancing between him and the door with confusion. I open my mouth but Master immediately covers my mouth, picking me up and returning to his bedroom. He opens his large wardrobe and places me inside, all while not making a single sound.

"Don't move a muscle." He whispers beside my ear. "You don't leave from here until I come back for you, don't answer to anyone but me and you stay put. Do you understand?"

I nod quickly and put my hands over my mouth to make myself extra quiet. Master pulls away, staring at me with worried eyes as he closes the doors, leaving me in complete darkness.

I don't hear him leave but I know he did. I keep my legs to my chest, wrap my arms around them and close my eyes, trying to keep my heart from moving so quickly but it was hard. I didn't know what was happening but I was scared for Master.

I jump a little at the sound of screams that fill my ears, the sound loud and very scary. I feel the tears running but make sure to not let any of the sobs come out, my body shaking with the thought of one of the screams belonging to Master.

The screams continue for so long that I have to move my hands from my mouth to my ears to make them quieter, but they still come through. I curl into myself and wait, hoping nothing would happen to my Master.

It felt like hours before the screams stopped, but Master never came back. It made me nervous to think that Master could be dead now and someone else may come for me. My fingers reach to push the door open but I pull back immediately and locked the trainers against my chest. Master said to stay here and not leave until he came back so I had to listen, no matter what.

My eyes widen when the doors open, I look up slowly to find Master covered in blood. My chest tightens as I stare at Master. There was so much blood that I could smell it from him, his hair was dripping with it like his fingertips. I couldn't see his skin except for the thin lines which showed between the dried, cracked blood beneath the fresh blood.

"Have you ever seen a dead body before?" Master asks sounding different. He didn't sound tired he sounded mad.

There was also a different feeling around Master. It was the same one I felt the day he took me from my cage, the one that made all the other Master's become quiet and scared. The one that made me feel safe under it.

"Y-Yes Master," I answer after swallowing and looking to his eyes, there was even blood falling from his eyelashes.

"Just dead or worse?" He presses as he looks down at me, I look away with the intensity in his eyes. I look at his feet and shift into a slave's waiting position.

"Worse Master," I admit, flinching slightly at the memory of the torn, tattered bodies of slaves who tried to escape, the ones which were left in the cells to remind slaves what would happen if we misbehaved.

"Good," Master says before offering me hid hand. "I want you to close your eyes until I say so."

I take it quickly with a nod and let him pull me to my feet, then he picks me up making my slave uniform bloody too. I frown a little at that but don't say anything not wanting to upset Master when he already looked so upset.

His eyebrows were pulled tight together like his skin around his clenched jaw, his eyes looked mean too so I stay quiet keeping my eyes shut at Master carries me.

When the smell of something nasty fills my nose, I cover it and peak an eye open to look around. A small whimper escapes me when I see all the halls I cleaned with trails of blood all over them. I look around and find more blood the further Master walks through the castle. There was some blood splattered across the walls, some drenching the windows and curtains pooling on the floor beneath them.

"Keep your eyes closed Kalem," Master scolds so I immediately shut them again, clinging to Master hoping his presence would make the fear leave me alone.

Eventually, Master puts me down but I keep a hand clenched around the back of his shirt as I follow behind him, opening my eyes once more to not fall. panting slightly when he takes me outside of the castle.

I hadn't been out the entrance yet because I didn't want Master to think I was trying to escape, so I'd only looked at the plants behind the castle. But now I could see way more trees and plants than ever before and they seemed to go on forever, it was dark above but there were a few cracks of sunlight that let me see all the forests.

Master stops suddenly sending me crashing into his back and smearing blood on my head. I rub it away with a small whimper as I step around Master, stopping when I see the pile of bodies.

I cover my mouth to stop myself from emptying my morning meal as I look at the torn people. Some heads were on their own, like other arms and legs, some bodies were torn down the middle and some were completely intact but all were dead.

Master walks ahead of me, picking up one of the arms and returning to my side.

I step back quickly but stop when Master sends me a look that locks me in my place.

I struggle to keep the tears from falling as I shut my eyes tightly, shaking terribly as he extends the arm placing the arm outward.

"I don't want to scare you, but I need you to look at the brand," Master explains, his tone a little softer than before. "I need you to look at it Kalem."

I open my eyes and look at Master. He didn't look very angry anymore, he looked sad. When he gives me a little nod, I look down at the limb in his hands.

The wrist of the arm is covered by a deep, slave brand that looked complicated. It had marks I didn't know and shapes that didn't match up, it was weird but I stared at it until I knew it was stuck in my mind.

"This is the mark of Diablos," Master explains when I look away. "The vampire who owns the slave house you were kept in."

I nod shakily, unable to say any words.

"I need you to remember that mark so that if you ever see it, you'll know to run," Master explains slowly, I nod again. "You call for me if you ever see this mark or you hide, you do not talk to them. Do you understand Kalem?"

I nod.

"I need you to say that you understand."

"I understand Master." I whimper and stumble back when he relaxes.

Master steps away and throws the arm into the pile before lighting a match and setting them all up in flames.

"Let's get cleaned up," Master says as he stares at the fire for a moment longer before turning and leading me away.

I follow easily and scrub my skin extra hard once I'm in the shower. I rid myself of all the blood and try not to think about the slaves' brands. Brands were like collars for slaves, it showed ownership but I didn't want one. They looked painful, collars weren't painful.

The brands always scared me, even when the trainers said they were good.

I knock gently on Master's door and push it open when he calls for me, I slip inside trying to be as quiet as possible as I make my way to him.

Master was sitting on the edge of his bed with only pants on, his hair and chest were still wet as he looked down at a splotched piece of paper. I try not to think about how my heart speeds up at the sight of Master almost naked.

Bad Kalem! A slave shouldn't want.

"Are you okay Master?" I ask once I find my voice again.

"Yes, I am," Master says but he didn't sound okay.

"Did they hurt you?" I press hoping my questions wouldn't be overstepping.

"No Kalem, they didn't hurt me." He replies in the same not-okay tone.

I stand awkwardly in front of Master, twisting my fingers around themselves in their place behind my back. I nibble on lip waiting for instructions that never come as Master continues to stare at the folded paper in his hands.

"M-May I ask one more question Master?" I chance and breathe out when he nods. "Who were those people Master?"

"Diablos' servants and slaves." He says finally looking away from the paper but I panic when he looks at me instead. "Ones meant for fighting and guarding, like warriors."

"Why would they fight against you Master?" I ask with a deep frown, tilting my head in confusion. "You're the most nice Master ever."

Master laughs lightly at my words, smiling up at me with thanks in his eyes that made me feel better.

"Most nice." He repeats with another chuckle." Well, my niceness is the reason for all this. I 'took' you and now, he's angry."

Master pats the space next to him so I quickly slide next to him, slightly sad that he didn't want me in his lap but I tried not to let him see that.

Master unfolds the bloody paper and pulls out a cleaner one, which was small and had only a few words that I couldn't read, even if they weren't written so swirly.

"It's an offer, to give you back before he declares war against me," Master explains and I quickly draw closer to him.

I didn't want to leave Master, I liked my Master. Even though he was a little crazy, he was nice and he took care of me. He hadn't punished me once even though I deserved it, he always forgave me.

I only wanted my Master and nobody else.

Master looks down at me, bringing up a hand to wipe away the tears I'd didn't even feel drop as he pulls me into his lap. I try to get closer to him as my heart flickers happily at being so close to Master, he brushes my back and wipes all the tears away until they stop falling.

"Are you going to give me away Master?" I ask shakily, voice quieting with the words.

"You're not a thing to give or take, you're a person," Master replies with a firm tone. "You are free to do whatever you want."

"I want to stay with you Master," I say quickly, hoping he would let me stay. "I don't want to leave."

"Then I'll kill anyone who tries to take you away," Master promises with a small smile.

----------------

"Well, would you look what Satan dragged in," Aias' Master comments as he holds the door open to his smaller castle.

Aias' Master looked a lot better than the first time I saw him, his arms were bigger and his chest wider, his eyes looker brighter than before making him seem more alive than when I'd last seen him.

"It's unfortunate to see you as well," Master says as he walks in, I follow quickly. "I need to speak with you about a rather annoying matter, where's the elf?"

"Watching the television." Aias' Master replies, his voice filling with excitement as he continues. "He's teaching me the new world. It truly is amazing Linc. It has so many of these...shows? And the quality....it's as if they're right in my room, the people on the screen. This television is something magical Linc."

"Thank you for sharing that useless knowledge and wasting a good minute of my eternal life. Now, where's the elf?" Master replies snappishly. The other Master simply scowls in response before he turns and begins walking.

Soon enough, we enter a room big like the one Master had with only a table and chairs, but this room's table was pushed to a corner and so were all the chairs. In the center, there was a bunch of soft fabrics and pillows like the ones in my room home and Aias was lying on them, his long hair laying on his back as he stuffed his face with something small and yellow while watching a flashing screen that was on the floor.

I look up to Master, seesawing on my toes as I try to keep from running straight to Aias. Master watches me, looking like he wanted to smile before he gave me a small nod. I hug Master gratefully before running over to Aias, jumping onto him from behind making us roll a bit before we settle with me still squeezing onto Aias back.

He still smelt like something clean and fresh, a little salty but sweet as well. Like he contained all things in his body that was long and tall, his hair still felt soft and pretty and I couldn't help holding him tighter.

"Is that you little one?" Aias says with joy in his tone, finally managing to pull from off his back. His eyes immediately light up with their usual gold when they meet mind. "Oh, how I've missed you."

"I've missed you too Aias." I whimper as my eyes quickly fill making the image of him blurry. "I've missed you so much."

"Don't cry little one." Aias replies before pulling me into him for a hug. "We are both safe now and together once more. Don't cry."

"Is this cute as shit or what?" I hear Aias' Master stay behind us.

"Not really," Master replies coldly making me pull from Aias and look back to him.

"Someone's jelly." Aias' Master teases and only smiles wider when Master glares at him. "Ooh, someone's really jelly."

"Shut up," Master snaps before looking around the space. "Why does the place look like such a dump?"

"Rude." Aias' Master groans. "I just woke up after like an eighty-year nap and my slave refuses to clean. I can't set up the sofa I bought and I can't mount the television myself, I don't understand these things and the elf won't do it."

"The elf will break your nose if you keep referring to him as the elf," Aias growls lowly as he pulls me back down for another hug, he rubs my hair and I smile letting him. Aias was the one who taught me about hugs, I never felt one before him and I loved them now.

"I think you should listen to the elf," Master replies making Aias' eye twitch for a moment but Master only smiles.

"How long is this playdate anyway?" Aias' Master asks looking between Aias and me with a look of fondness.

"As long as Kalem would like," Master says before grabbing hold of the other Master's arm. "In the meantime, we need to talk."

I watch as Master leaves the room with his friend, only feeling a little scared at not being close to him, but when I look back to Aias, all the fear goes away.

Aias was so pretty and handsome at the same time. I loved looking at him because I knew he was strong even though he could be so gentle with me, it was why I liked Master so much, he had the same feeling when I was with him.

"He hasn't been hurting you has he?" Aias asks as soon as the door closes behind our Master. "I don't smell any blood or see any wounds, but tell me for yourself, has he struck you?"

"No Aias," I say quickly, shaking my head extra hard when he looks at me with doubt. "Master is good and nice, he doesn't punish me even when he should."

"You never should be punished," Aias reminds me as he always did in the cells. "How many times have I told you that young one?"

"Sorry Aias."

Aias studies me before glancing to the door, his eyes narrowing to slits as he stares at it and I know he's using his magic to stare through the barriers and at our masters.

"It is rather odd that a vampire of his stature has not harmed you once," Aias mumbles making me frown deeply, he was doing that thing again where he used words too big for me. Aias catches on and scrambles for better ones. "Stature as in position or rank."

"What is my Master's rank?"

"I'm not quite certain," Aias admits as he looks away from the door and refocuses his attention on me. "Diablos is known to be the first vampire in the supernatural world, but this man speaks of something far more ancient and stronger."

"So my Master is the best?" I ask excitedly.

"One could say so," Aias replies with a hesitant nod, making me smile widely with pride. "Which just makes his actions all the more troubling." Aias finishes but I ignore him, I was just happy that my Master was just as great as I knew him to be.

"But your Master is nice too." I offer but my words immediately make Aias scowl as he raises his lip with disgust.

"That's because he's a fool." Aias drawls with an annoyed look. "And he is not my master, I am not something to be owned."

"But you've stayed?" I point out and smile when he looks down at me.

"Well yes." He admits, face softening as he thinks. "I'm comfortable here and the little vamp serves me well. Believe it or not, staying with the idiot is better than what's waiting for me out there."

"Out there?"

"There's a world much larger than this one young one," Aias says with a large smile before turning me over to look to the flashing screen. "Now watch this with me, I think you'll enjoy this one."

"It makes my eyes hurt," I whine blinking a few times.

"You grow to live with it," Aias mumbles with a smile, his attention back to the flashing screen.

But all I could think about was my Master, the best Master in the world.

------------------

Kalem is just so innocent that it's funny to me.

Thoughts???
Did we like the little gore scene? The building conflict? The peek of Aias?

I fucking love Aias, like so much.

I hope you liked this update, vote and comment if you did.

Until next time,
Byeeeeeee Humansssssssssss