Kijin sighed, leaving his head back against the chair. "She's been a handful," he said in response to Vlo's question.

His younger brother was sitting across from him in an equally large and soft chair. He tipped his head to the side. "Still? That's a shame. Where is she now?"

"In my room. I got a cage so I can leave her alone sometimes without destroying my room again. I've had her for days now, and she's still so difficult. She'll only obey my commands if I have food or a whip. Is she just dumb or something?"

Vlo shrugged. "She's past the age Ajae are easily trained and she seems high-spirited. I think it will just take extra time and effort. I could help if you want."

"No," said Kijin stubbornly. "I'm doing this myself. I don't need your help to tame my Ajae. When she's trained, she'll be the most loyal Ajae in the country. It'll just take longer than I thought."

"Those are some big aspirations for one little Ajae," chuckled Vlo. "Perhaps you should start with training her and seeing where she gets from there."

Kijin ran a hand down his hair. "Don't you have an Ajae, Vlo?"

He shook his head. "Died a few years ago and I didn't want another one. They're a lot of work and I wanted to focus on other things, like my nantar racing. Ajae either need a lot of attention, or a lot of things to keep them occupied otherwise they'll become mopey. No one wants a mopey Ajae." He laughed a little. "You know... you've surely noticed that Aunjil is a very pretty Ajae."

"The prettiest," agreed Kijin, almost defensively.

"Calm down, oh One-Who-Has-the-Best-of-All-Things." Vlo rolled his eyes. "I was just going to say that if she doesn't make a good pet, there are other things you can use her for."

"Like what?" Kijin was fairly certain his Ajae would turn out to be perfect, but it wouldn't hurt to hear other options.

Vlo shrugged. "Some people use them as beasts of labor, but I thought you might like having a toy whenever you're between lovers."

Kijin blinked, completely surprised by his brother's suggestion. "You mean like... make love to her?" Vlo nodded. "That doesn't make any sense. She's an animal. How in all the sands would that work?"

"Ajae are actually related closely enough to Kiavians that there are things we can do to them without it being quite like loving an animal. Their bodies are practically Kiavian, but their minds are blank. I've never done it, but I've heard it can turn out quite well and even subdue the more spirited ones." Vlo seemed very calm about his suggestion even though it had completely shocked his brother.

Kijin had never thought about that before. Mating with an Ajae? It just sounds wrong. But... if it helps tame Aunjil... "Does it feel the same?"

"As far as I know."

"Seems strange to me. Can they get pregnant with a Kiavian?"

"Never heard of it happening before. By the way, how is Jadasil?"

"We had a fight last week. We're over."

"Oh." Vlo must have been used to Kijin's way of hopping from one girl to the next, which was likely because he was much the same, for his tone was unsurprised.

They spoke for a little while longer, then parted. Kijin went immediately to his room. Aunjil had been in her cage for a bit now, she was probably itching to get out. As he walked back, he thought over what Vlo had said.

"A toy between lovers..." That's crazy. How could an Ajae be anything like a Kiavian? Although... I'm not immediately opposed to it. Strange. Perhaps it's worth a try. If I don't like it, I'll never do it again and maybe she'll be a little more inclined to listen to me. I've got time to try it out now, so why not? He opened the door to his room. Aunjil was still in her cage, just as he had left her. He unlocked it and released his pet. She shot out, then stretched in the middle of the room.

She stretched down and forward first. Now that Vlo had the idea in his head, Kijin observed her in a totally different manner. She had a very slim body, thin or full in all the right places. Her white hair dangled in a thick braid over her shoulder. Thanks to the baths she got every few days, her hair was always shimmery.

Next, she sat back on her heels and reached up towards the ceiling. He admired her body some more. She really was a beautiful creature. Maybe this isn't such a bad idea. Her sharp teeth flashed as she yawned. He would have to be careful of those. She could bite my tongue off if I surprise her too much.

"Aunjil, up," he commanded, patting the bed. She lowered her ears. "Aunjil, up," he said more threateningly. When she didn't move, he took a step towards her. She seemed to realize her was going to drag her anyway, so she dodged around him and jumped onto the foot of the bed where she usually slept. She always wound up on the floor when he woke up though, so he wondered if he kicked while he slept.

He pulled her more towards the middle of the bed, holding her arms as he studied her. She wouldn't look him in the eyes. She had lovely lips. It was funny that he had never noticed it before. The more he looked at her, the more he realized she was pretty, even by Kiavian standards. Maybe this idea of Vlo's wasn't such a bad one.

He had been looking at her for too long, she started squirming. "Shh," he told her, putting one hand on her cheek. She stopped, eyes widening a touch. He hesitated for a moment more, then leaned forward and placed his lips on hers. 

Well this one was a bit awkward.... But still, I hope you enjoyed it! Be sure to vote and check out my other stories! 

Stay happy!

~AJ.