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Kadan and Skal explore the consequences of this new technology.", "count": "41", "submission_left_submission_id": "1999699", "submission_left_file_name": "2886348_Vaahn_tavik07.rtf", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/2886/2886348_Vaahn_tavik07.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/2886/2886348_Vaahn_tavik07.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/2886/2886348_Vaahn_tavik07.jpg", "submission_left_thumb_huge_x": "200", "submission_left_thumb_huge_y": "200", "submission_left_thumb_large_x": "200", "submission_left_thumb_large_y": "200", "submission_left_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_left_thumb_medium_y": "120", "submission_right_submission_id": "2010955", "submission_right_file_name": "3669837_Vaahn_tavik09.rtf", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/3669/3669837_Vaahn_tavik09.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/3669/3669837_Vaahn_tavik09.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/3669/3669837_Vaahn_tavik09.jpg", "submission_right_thumb_huge_x": "200", "submission_right_thumb_huge_y": "200", "submission_right_thumb_large_x": "200", "submission_right_thumb_large_y": "200", "submission_right_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_right_thumb_medium_y": "120" } ], "description": "", "description_bbcode_parsed": "", "writing": "The First Penitatas - Death and Rebirth\nThe Revelry was slowly fading into memory. The mad frenzy of mating lust had ebbed away, leaving only bruises, hangovers and memories of ill-considered couplings. Society, and the communities and individuals it consisted of would have to settle back into civility, and cope with the aftermath.\nKadan rolled out of his bed feeling stiff and soiled. His sheets had soaked up a week's worth of blood, sweat and other bodily fluids, but he was reluctant to wash them; they still carried a faint trace of Ylari's scent. The Enforcer stumbled into the cramped wash room in the hope a hot shower would ease his suffering, but the water was cold and the pressure was low, leaving him clean but unsatisfied. That left the matter of the boy. He was still asleep, curled around a pillow as though he were protecting it. From the doorway, Kadan watched him for a short while, letting his thoughts bump and grind against each other. He turned to his pad for a source of focus, flicking through the suspect file and criminal record of the man who had been Skal. Kadan had helped to shape the laws and regulations by which Penitatas were created and punished, but up until recently it had all been theoretical. Now, in the flesh, he had to admit there was a conflict inside of him. He couldn't bring himself to see the sixteen year old who'd sliced up rivals with a packaging knife, or who'd helped to sell counterfeit bliss-gas bottles full of industrial solvents, the kind the Enforcers found on dead bodies at least once a week. He didn't even see his dead men anymore. Time, and the grim tally of the \"bloody start\" had given him a new perspective.\nHe shook the boy awake, much to Skal's displeasure. The Penny moaned and tightened himself around the pillow, prompting a more violent shake and a stern warning, \"Lad, you need to get up unless you want today to be extra hard!\" The words were enough to convince Skal to release his comforting cushion and roll out of bed. He stretched awkwardly, seemingly embarrassed at being watched.\n\"Come on, stop pissing about. I've got a lot of work today, and I expect you to help me with it. But first, you're due a punishment.\"\nSkal whined softly, \"Why? I've been good!\" he protested, shrinking into himself as he spoke.\n\"Because Pennys get punished, that's the point. You broke the law, and you're supposed to receive regular discipline for that, on top of anything you get for misbehaving. I've not been keeping on top of that, not that you'd remind me. Lie on the bed, on your front. We'll do this nice and quick.\"\nSkal did as instructed, albeit with great reluctance. He clutched at his pillows, hiding his face in their softness while Kadan moved around in search of his desired instrument. The whip of a switch alerted Skal to what was coming, and before he could ready himself a stinging stroke found its mark at the base of his tail. He jolted, howling into the bedding, his tail snapping down instinctively to protect his rear. \"Tail up!\" Kadan barked, bringing the switch down again just below the first stroke as soon as the tail was moved aside. Again, Skal's tail sought to be a shield, and Kadan punished this by striking the switch on the boy's exposed footpads.\n\"Your choice, boy. Tail up and take it on the backside, or you can walk on your welts all day!\" The switch bit into the soft, black skin of his feet again, forcing the boy to expose his rear again for the switching to continue as intended. Kadan put a hand on the boy's back to keep him still as the switch began again, working steadily downwards from his tailhole to the top of his legs in fast, stinging strikes. Skal howled and thrashed, but there was no escaping the rapid onslaught. Once the boy's entire backside was a hot, stripey shade of red, Kadan let the boy go and Skal immediately curled up, hugging his knees and sobbing openly. Kadan gave him some time to cry before gently, but firmly instructing him to get out of bed and go wash up for the day. Skal winced his way to the washroom, and with a pang of concern Kadan decided to go with him. The strikes to Skal's feet had been particularly forceful, leaving the boy struggling to stand comfortably. In the end, Kadan told him to kneel in the shower unit so he could be washed.\nBreakfast was served - cold meat strips left over from the night before. The Enforcer washed his down with a long pull of distil that made his eyes water. After coughing and spluttering through the aftertaste and wincing at how the alcohol burned his gums where new teeth were crowning, Kadan returned his attention to his sullen charge. \"Alright, here's our duties for the day: we're going to be visiting Penitatas owners and check up on their charges. That's your part in all this. I'm willing to bet Pennys will be happier talking to you than me, so I'll get you some alone time to talk with them. I want you to get a measure of how they're treated and I need key details: living arrangements; duties, if any; frequency and severity of punishments. I also want to know if they're being used for sex. Get as much out of them as you can, understand?\"\nSkal kept his reply trapped firmly behind his grit teeth. Kadan drew close, the distil tainting his breath as he knelt down to meet the boy's shy gaze. The Penny flinched away as much as he could. \"Boy... Skal. Do you understand what I expect of you, yes or no?\"\n\"Yes,\" Skal answered, reluctantly. He winced as Kadan's palm found the back of his head, but instead of a striking blow the touch was soft, almost comforting.\n\"I know you don't want to help me,\" he said quietly as he rubbed the boy's head, \"You're a ganger, I'm an Enforcer; mortal enemies. With that in mind, I'm willing to reward you for this if you co-operate. The first reward I'm going to give you is amnesty for your friend pissing on my floor. I don't know why she did it, but I can guess... and I don't particularly want the details. I know you two are physical, so let's make that clear right now; if you don't behave, I'll make sure her mother knows and you can both suffer the consequences, understand?\"\n\"Yes sir,\" Skal answered.\n\"Good. Now, you do work for me today and I'll get you something as a reward. Maybe... well, think on it. Come up with something that you think is a fair reward and I'll consider it. Deal?\" Skal gave another nod of acceptance. \"Alright. One last choice; you can go get dressed, or you can have nano-gel on your feet. Not both; one way or the other, I want the other Pennys to see you're suffering, it should help them open up to you. Pain or humiliation?\"\nThe sting in his feet as he got out of the chair made the choice easy. With this feet fresh, and well-switched backside on display for all the world to see, Skal was leashed and led out into The City with hands cupped protectively over his crotch, and a prayer on his lips that the day would be over swiftly.\n\nThe first port of call was a drug farm. On the Homeworld, the narcotic of choice was pollen, so named because it was extracted from the toxic pollen of a genus of semi-carnivorous plant. Pollen plants were passive hunters, allowing everything from insects to medium sized animals to feed on their broad flowers laden with the sickly pollen buds. Delirium and death followed soon after, and both seedlings and ripe plants alike would take nutrients from the rotting carcass. Pollen didn't travel well, but every world settled by Kyyreni eventually established a farm or two.\nAt Kadan's request, the site's Penitatas and their owner were summoned to an office safely away from any spores or brewing fumes. The owner was the site manager, a fat, squat-muzzled brute with dirty blond fur streaked with unusual, irregular lines of darker fur. His charges were both Daysiders, chosen because \"they handle the heat better\", according to the manager. They were both Skal's age, as he'd come to expect, and they were clad head to toe in heavy clothing made of yellow plastic. Through stifling hoods they viewed the nude, collared boy with suspicion as all three were ushered into a side room and told to wait quietly. The door had barely clicked shut before they ripped the hoods clear and gulped down the cool air, their fur matted with sweat and their eyes heavily dilated from imperfect sealing of their gear.\n\"You two still alive?\" Skal asked.\n\"Barely,\" replied the first boy, who wore a tag with 'Rhyd' written on it. The other, presumably named 'Alif' was bent double and sounded like he was about to throw up.\n\"You look like shit,\" Skal said, stating the obvious. \"What have they been doing to you?\"\nRhyd tried and failed to wipe his brow with the back of his glove, but it only served to smear the sweat to one side, \"working the plants, obviously! We're collectors, and the growing room's a damn furnace!\"\n\"It also stinks,\" Alif gasped, his voice rasping like a man dying of thirst. Despite them being Daysiders, Skal felt a pang of sympathy, enough to prompt him to open the door, call for Kadan and ask him for water. Kadan eventually brought two glasses, guessing why Skal had asked, and both boys drank desperately.\nThe simple act of charity gave Alif his voice back, \"so why're you strutting round in your fur? You the E's bed-toy?\"\n\"More like his punching bag,\" Skal answered, turning and raising his tail so the other two could see his stripes, \"this is what I get on a good day. Do you get beaten like this?\"\nRhyd shook his head, \"no, not if we work. We both got a bunch of stripes early on, but so far we've kept safe from that.\"\n\"How hard does he work you then?\" Skal pressed.\n\"Too hard,\" Alif answered in a low whine. The boy slumped against the wall and allowed himself to slide into a sitting position, clearly glad of the unexpected rest.\nRhyd gave his friend a brief, sorrowful glance, \"We pull the same work duties as every other slave here, but they're all full-grown. It's hard, but nobody cares. Alif spoke up and he got beaten back down for it. Now we just have to suffer through it.\"\nFor the rest of their time together, Skal decided to let the slaves rest. He talked vaguely about his past to Rhyd, who answered in equally nebulous ways. He'd been a ganger, no doubt about that, but that wasn't a source of camaraderie; Skal suspected Rhyd had been part of a rival group, and Rhyd no-doubt felt the same about him. It was safer to be broad and lacking in detail, so a past friendship, or at least past indifference could be assumed. Alif had slid into sleep almost as soon as he sat down, and it wasn't long before Rhyd asked for a few minutes of quiet for himself. Kadan's reappearance forced them both back to wakefulness, and with clear resentment on their faces they donned their gear and trudged back to their master and their work.\n\"Seems there's a pattern forming,\" Kadan said as they walked to their next destination, having listened to Skal's account of the boys. \"A fair few businesses are treating Pennys as a child labour source. It's their right, I suppose, but it's not really what we imagined.\"\n\"So how is it supposed to work?\" Skal asked in response as they crossed through the old south entrance of Outer Tenement. Once, it would have lead into the unformed wasteland of Taviksaad. Now, it lead to Wrongside. The boy noticed how Kadan quietly placed a hand upon his holster.\n\"Well I always imagined it to be personal. The Penny goes to the person they've wronged, and that person issues the punishment they see fit. We're going to one of those next. I suppose that's your fate too, in a way. Trouble is, there's not always one clear victim, either because they're dead, or there's simply too many victims. Sometimes the victim doesn't want to be involved, so for all those reasons and more we had to make compromises.\"\nSkal bared his teeth and spat, \"you mean the Slavers wanted a cut.\"\n\"A fucking big cut,\" Kadan agreed, \"but I'll cut them out eventually, wait and see.\"\nThey reached a housing unit almost identical to Kadan's, stacked three high instead of four and, while newer, in an even worse state of upkeep. In the common space, Skal noticed a grey robed priest similar to the one who visited Sam. He was talking quietly to a group of youths, likely true children by their size and apparent ages. Before he could say anything, Kadan yanked on his leash and forced him up the stairs towards the residence.\n\"Ovjar?\" Kadan rapped the door with his knuckles. \"This is Enforcer-Captain Kadan, performing a routine visit for the Penitatas Program. Ovjar, you there?\"\nHe stopped knocking and placed his ear against the door. His brow furrowed as he sniffed the air, each intake of breath causing him to grow more anxious. He made a quick hand-gesture to Skal indicating he should back off before retreating himself to examine the residence frontage more carefully. There were no exterior windows, and no way to view in with the door closed. Weighing his options, Kadan scanned the door and its surround for an access system, only to find it lacked any kind of electronic system; the lock appeared mechanical. \"Armed breach! Stand clear!\" he roared, and he drove all his strength into a standing kick that cracked open the cheap material of the door. A second kick send the locking bolt clattering to the floor and the door swung open. Pistol and knife drawn and readied, Kadan entered the room like a man expecting an ambush, but found none. He took in the familiar design of the place. It was slightly smaller than his home, but until recently had been better kept. Most of the living room was dominated by children's things; a toddler pen, balls and soft animals, chewing sticks for teething and mountains of hygiene products. All of that was merely background to the grim centerpiece. Like Kadan, Ovjar had an exercise bar mounted to the ceiling, and like Kadan he'd used it as a means of discipline. A Penitatas girl of four dangled from the bar, hanged by the neck with countless cuts and bruises covering her body. Her face had turned purple, but as Kadan stared he saw her twitch. \"Fuck!\" he roared and ran to her, hoisting her up onto his shoulder. The girl gave a long, wheezing gulp and began to breathe once more, coughing and spluttering with every lungful.\nA sound from the kitchen area made him turn. Too late, he saw Ovjel barreling toward him with a blade raised. His pistol was pinned under the girl, and his own knife had been discarded. Ovjel smashed him backwards, the knife biting into his side and stealing the air from his lungs. He hit the ground hard, pistol hand pinned against his own throat with Ovjel's teeth buried into the bone of his wrist. Howling in pain and fury, he did the only thing he could, and bit down on the man's muzzle with all his strength. It bought him just enough space to shift his aim, and he hammered the trigger for all its worth.\nIt was a heavy calibre weapon, and even a badly aimed shot had more than enough force to throw Ovjel backwards. Kadan lay back, dazed and confused by the point-blank discharge. His hearing was ruined, just an unbearable ringing, and the whole room span around him too fast to cope with. Bleary eyed, he saw Skal appear in the doorway, the boy's face pale and fearful at what he saw. He watched as Skal fled across the living room to something he found more distressing than his master lying on the floor with a knife in his side. The girl. Kadan blinked rapidly to make his eyes focus, seeing the girl again hanging helpless as Skal tried to take her weight. He stumbled upright, screaming through the sawing pain in his flank as he once more took the girl's weight. With a shaking hand he fumbled his communicator free and gasped, \"Code Black! One wounded! 44-03 Wrongside, level 2, residence... Skal! Door number!\"\n\"Code Black received,\" the voice on the other side replied, \"Hold on, Captain. Reinforcements are coming.\"\n\"Fuck reinforcements, I need medical!\" the words came out as a whine. His legs were numb, and he was fighting the urge to throw up as he took a firm grip on the knife's handle. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the sensation of the metal inside him, trying to imagine where it was, how deep and what it may have struck. In the end, it seemed there was no option but to chance it. He tore the blade free, revealing a much shorter length than he'd thought, and sweated through the pain as he sawed the rope free. He fell to the ground with the girl on top of him, Skal quickly taking her to one side and holding her as she bawled her terror out. The Enforcer struggled into a sitting position and fished through his pouches for a medical set, finding a tube of emergency gel. He'd used it before, and it was never a welcome experience. He pushed the tip of the tube into the wound and squeezed, howling as it burned through his insides to stitch the flesh together. It was no true healing, but it was a fine stop-gap.\nPale and drenched in sweat, he struggled to focus on the two deathly-faced Penitatas. \"You two alright?\"\nSkal nodded. The girl mouthed \"Thank you,\" but couldn't manage the sounds. Kadan turned slowly towards Ovjel, who lay where the Enforcer had left him. \"Fucking bastard,\" he spat.\nIn the exhausted silence that followed, Kadan lay half asleep, breathing deeply and slowly as the pain and adrenalin ebbed away, leaving him burned out and trembling. He could hear voices outside of the residence, likely neighbours looking to gossip. One of them had a screaming child they couldn't console, most likely startled by the gunfire. \n\"Kadan!\" Skal emerged from the small bedroom, his voice shaking. \"There's a kid in there! A little one!\"\nThe Enforcer took in the room once more, seeing again the clear signs of a young family. \"Of course there is,\" he sighed as he struggled to his feet and stumbled into the room. The boy couldn't have been much older than one year, left to nap while his father slated his thirst for vengeance. Now he was awake, frightened and howling for a parent who could no-longer hear him. Kadan shook his head in dismay and went to see if there was anything he could drink. \n\nThey didn't linger at the crime scene long. Kadan's injury was briefly checked, but he insisted on going home. A car was provided and they rode in silence, each staring out of a different window, quietly reflecting on what had happened. It was Skal who finally broke the silence. \"What happens to her now?\"\nKadan took some time to answer, and he did not meet Skal's eye when he finally did. \"Law says she goes back into circulation. She'll be sold to a new buyer.\"\n\"You can't let that happen!\" Skal barked. \"You know the kind of people who'll buy her!\"\n\"Yes I do,\" Kadan agreed in a mournful tone. \"He... She... Whatever. They're a rapist and murderer. They destroyed that family. I may have shot the father, but they drove him to madness. A man can only take so much, and some of us break easier than others. Maybe they deserve that hell. Maybe not. I don't know.\"\n\"What about the kid?\" Skal pressed. \nKadan gave a weak shrug. \"There might be some other family members who can take him, but I think the Guild will take him. We're short on men these days, and Guild-raised men make the best Enforcers. It's hard to do what we do when you're constantly worrying about the people back home. Makes you careless.\"\n\"That why you live alone?\" the boy's question made Kadan clench his eyes shut, and Skal regretted it instantly. \"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have-\" \n\"Driver! Stop here! We can walk the rest of the way!\" Kadan's order caused the Penny to whimper softly. Fearing for his hide, he didn't resist the tug of the leash as they stepped out onto the street at the boundary of a small commercial unit. Kadan stayed put until the car had pulled away. Only then did he acknowledge Skal again. \n\"My past is not your business,\" he growled. \n\"I know, I'm sorry!\" Skal answered him, trying to shrink down into himself. \nA tug on the leash got the boy moving towards a storefront full of bottles, \"I want to go home and drink, but there's a few people we can see while we're here, more Penitatas for us to check on. There's a toy store as well, where I got you those ships. We'll stop in on the way home.\" \nSkal nodded weakly, but his lack of enthusiasm caught Kadan's attention. The Enforcer stopped and knelt before the boy. \"You good?\" he asked. \nThe Penny answered with a sob. The boy stood with his head down, low gulps quickly turning into an open display of childish wailing with no regard for who might be watching. It left Kadan dumbfounded as to what to do so he simply watched it happen, allowing Skal to cry until he found a measure of self control again.\n\"Listen, I'm not stupid. I know exactly why you're coming apart over this. But this here? This is me trying to build a bridge. I just want you to work with me.\" \nSkal spat back, \"And why should I? We both know I'm going to end up like her! I could have cut your throat when you were blacked out on the floor! I fucking should have!\" \nWith a dismissive shake of his head, Kadan drew his pistol and offered it to the teary, angry child. He kept a grip on the barrel, holding it straight towards his own forehead as Skal took hold of the weapon.\" You want me dead that badly? Go on, pull the trigger. You've got an audience here, someone's going to pass word around that you blew a captain's head off. You'll be a celebrity in the underworld.\" \nKadan's fierce, focused eyes stayed locked on Skal's frightened features. The boy's bluster had vanished almost instantly, replaced with a terror born of helplessness. \"Pull the trigger, boy. Shoot me dead. Pull the trigger!\"\nWith a shriek, Skal obeyed. The trigger barely moved. Kadan snatched the weapon from his grip. \"Well, now I know you didn't kill my men. Don't you know what a 'safety' is?\" he swung the pistol down and cracked Skal on the side of the head, leaving him curled up on the street, too shocked to cry out. The Enforcer scanned the scattering of onlookers, weighing up the value of making the spectacle go any further. He longed for something much stronger than spirits. With a final curse he took the Penny by the scruff of the neck and dragged him up. Blood matted the fur around the boy's right eye, but there was no permanent damage that he could see. \n\"I h-hate you!\" Skal stammered. \n\"Hate me all you want,\" Kadan spat back. \"you obviously want to be hated. I'm done pretending to give a shit about you. You can forget any gifts and you can forget ever seeing your fuck buddy again. So you go ahead and hate me. From now on, you can suffer in silence.\"\nHe did as he was told, following mutely behind his master as Kadan sought out drink and drugs to satisfy his cravings. He stumbled home, feeling sick to the core every step of the way, numb to his nudity and the blood clotted to his fur. Even home gave little promise of comfort, for Kadan cuffed the boy to his bed and left him there to sulk. Skal lay still and listened as Kadan thumped around the unkempt living space. He tracked the man's progress towards inebriation, listening as he variously threw things, shouted at the walls or sobbed to himself. \nThe Penny had no choice but to lie down and suffer. Hunger, thirst and pain made resting difficult, but he found a sliver of comfort from having his toys in reach. He had no desire to play, but simply having an object to touch and focus on helped make the ordeal a touch more bearable. Ultimately, he gave in and curled up around a pillow as best he could, praying to whatever Gods that might hear him for tomorrow to be easier than today.\nHe woke from his doze to the sound of voices in the residence. His bedroom door swung open and an Enforcer entered, looking at the miserable child with a mixture of surprise and disappointment. \"Shit, how long have you been like this?\" Not waiting for an answer, the man released Skal's arm and carried him to the shower. The water was still cold, but the pressure had returned and the Enforcer handled him with some care, using just enough force to work in the soap and work out the dirt without becoming painful. Being scrubbed around the eye hurt immensely, and the brisk apologies did nothing to help. Finally, the Penny was dried and wrapped in a fresh, warm towel before being carried to the living area where Kadan waited, sat hunched over a plastic tub that he coughed and dribbled into.\n\"Captain, can I trust you not to murder this kid while I clean up back there?\" the man asked.\nKadan waved him off, \"go do what you like, Bast.\" With that, Bast set to work, moving between the two bedrooms with handfuls of bedding and cleaning products, leaving Skal perched anxiously on the corner of the sofa.\n\"You should go live with your mother,\" Kadan slurred into the bowl. With pained slowness he craned his head towards Skal, his bloodshot eyes struggling to focus on the child. \"That's what you want, isn't it? To live with your mother like Sam does?\"\n\"My mother's dead,\" Skal whispered back, turning his eyes down from Kadan's gaze.\n\"Father, then?\" He noted Skal's expression and let his head fall back over the tub. \"Should have figured. Parents have a way of dying when you need them most. We weren't much younger than you when we lost ours.\"\nSkal shuffled further back into the sofa, ears twitching round to listen to Bast rummaging somewhere out of sight. He dearly wished there was someone else in the room with him. For a while at least, Kadan seemed content to retch and let the Penny stew in silence.\n\"Do you have feelings for Sam?\" Kadan asked when he finally got his breath back. \"Do you love her, or is she just a way for you to get off?\"\nSkal turned away and stared at he wall, trying to keep his face stoic as Kadan shuffled to his feet and thumped towards him. A hand gripped him by the shoulder hard enough to make the boy yelp, but Kadan pulled away and cursed as Skal scuttled to the far side of the sofa. \"Hey, come back here. Come on, I didn't mean to hurt you. Come here.\" Again he was gripped, more carefully this time, and Skal allowed himself to be placed on Kadan's knee.\n\"So do you care for her or not?\" he asked again. Skal nodded just enough to count as an answer. \"Okay. Okay. I'm not going to use her against you anymore, alright? I won't threaten to take her away. That what you want?\"\n\"Please let me go,\" Skal whimpered barely loud enough to hear, but instead Kadan pulled him in tighter.\nWith too much force to be comforting Kadan began to stroke the boy's head as he spoke in a broken, tired voice, \"You were right before, you could have ended up just like that girl. I know I have a responsibility to look after you, but I wanted someone to pay for my men. I didn't care if you were guilty or not. I'm sorry, I really am. I want to start again, but I need you to stop fighting me!\"\n\"O-okay!\" Skal yelped as he was jolted sharply, \"I will! I promise I will!\"\nKadan's hand cupped his face, gently this time. The other hand stroked his side while Kadan made a poor attempt to shush him. \"Quiet now. It's okay, just be quiet.\"\nBast finally returned, wet and ruffled. \"Cleaned the blood off your sheets and mopped the piss off his floor. Maybe he should come with me tonight?\" \n\"He's fine,\" Kadan replied. \n\"I'm not sure about that. I'm doubtful you're in any state to care for him.\" \nKadan bared his teeth, \"you're one to talk. You told me they deserve everything they get!\" \n\"I know I said that, but-\" \n\"Just fuck off!\" the captain roared. \"I want to be left alone!\" \nBast held up his hands in surrender. Kadan dropped his ears flat and mumbled an apology. \"Sorry, Bast. Been a rough day.\" \n\"I know. I'll check in on you later. There's food in the bag in the kitchen,\" with a curt nod he let himself out, leaving Skal to squirm and fret in Kadan's grip.\nAngry, fearful and hating his fate, Skal could only grit his teeth and wait, hoping to be released. Slowly, Kadan's drunken affection stopped, his breathing became steadier and his head lolled down. Skal kept still until he was sure his master was asleep before squirming out of his grip and pattering into the kitchen. The cabinet locks were still no challenge for him to overcome, and once again he stood before the passed out Enforcer, blade in hand. He pressed the edge against Kadan's throat. With a cry of rage he slashed as hard as he could. He had expected Kadan to awaken, to thrash around and clutch his throat. What he hadn't expected was to be flung across the room. The last thing he remembered seeing was Kadan, blood soaked and mouth open in a silent scream, before the man's foot smashed down on his head.\n\nFrom the darkness, the Shepherd spoke to Skal. In the rasping voice of the eternally dead he whispered, \"Here we are again. Back to where we started.\"\nSkal's first sense to return was thermal. The world around him was cool, but a Kyyreni loomed over him as a cloud of yellows, oranges and hints of red. The pattern of warmth looked awfully like Kadan. Panic gripped him, but when he tried move away he found his limbs were bound in place. Sight and smell still eluded him, but he could hear well enough. \n\"I hope I don't need to tell you that trying murder an Enforcer carries pretty serious consequences. By rights, you should be a little girl on her way to Lady Sin right now.\"\nA flick against his testicles assured Skal he was still a boy. He tried to cry out, but his muzzle was bound shut. Kadan reached toward his head and pulled a bandage off, restoring sight to one eye. He started into Kadan's grimace, noting the bandage on his neck. \"Move an inch, and you belong to the Doll House.\" Threat issued, Kadan removed the cuffs from Skal's limbs and carefully unbound his muzzle. The boy remained frozen, one teary eye following Kadan's every move as he retreated towards the door.\nThrough the barely open doorway he said quietly, \"you can come in. Try to keep the noise down, he's still weak.\"\nSam crept into the room timidly, yet her posture became eager and alert as soon as she laid eyes on Skal. She rushed over to his bedside, \"Thank the Gods! Kadan told us what happened at Wrongside! Are you okay?\"\nThe boy looked from Sam to Kadan. A faint whimper escaped his swollen muzzle, prompting Kadan to step forward. \"Easy boy. Sorry, Sam he's still weak. The bastard made a real mess of him. Luckily, the son of a bitch didn't know how deep to cut when slitting a throat. He's going to need help getting over this. I'll ask your mother to let you stay over.\"\nSam grinned and the news, \"hear that? I get to play doctor for you while you heal!\"\n\"Speaking of healing, you should go now,\" Kadan rasped. He gently steered Sam out of the room and let the door clicked closed before returning to Skal's bedside.\n\"I don't know why I'm giving you another chance, because we both know you don't deserve it.\" the wounded Enforcer eased himself onto the edge of Skal's bed. \"I'm going to do right by you. I'm going to make something of you. I'm going to use you to prove Penitatas can return to society.\"\nHe placed a hand carefully upon the boy's chest, his fingers softly running through the Penny's coarse fur. \"And in case you don't want to, the Guild knows what you did. You won't get anywhere fighting me.\" \nSkal let out a pained whine, \"What did you tell Sam?\" \n\"That Ovjel cut my throat and beat you half to death while I was down. She thinks you're an innocent victim who did nothing wrong. No need to tell her the truth. I told you I wouldn't take her away.\" \n\"Thank you,\" Skal whispered.", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "The First Penitatas - Death and Rebirth
The Revelry was slowly fading into memory. The mad frenzy of mating lust had ebbed away, leaving only bruises, hangovers and memories of ill-considered couplings. Society, and the communities and individuals it consisted of would have to settle back into civility, and cope with the aftermath.
Kadan rolled out of his bed feeling stiff and soiled. His sheets had soaked up a week's worth of blood, sweat and other bodily fluids, but he was reluctant to wash them; they still carried a faint trace of Ylari's scent. The Enforcer stumbled into the cramped wash room in the hope a hot shower would ease his suffering, but the water was cold and the pressure was low, leaving him clean but unsatisfied. That left the matter of the boy. He was still asleep, curled around a pillow as though he were protecting it. From the doorway, Kadan watched him for a short while, letting his thoughts bump and grind against each other. He turned to his pad for a source of focus, flicking through the suspect file and criminal record of the man who had been Skal. Kadan had helped to shape the laws and regulations by which Penitatas were created and punished, but up until recently it had all been theoretical. Now, in the flesh, he had to admit there was a conflict inside of him. He couldn't bring himself to see the sixteen year old who'd sliced up rivals with a packaging knife, or who'd helped to sell counterfeit bliss-gas bottles full of industrial solvents, the kind the Enforcers found on dead bodies at least once a week. He didn't even see his dead men anymore. Time, and the grim tally of the "bloody start" had given him a new perspective.
He shook the boy awake, much to Skal's displeasure. The Penny moaned and tightened himself around the pillow, prompting a more violent shake and a stern warning, "Lad, you need to get up unless you want today to be extra hard!" The words were enough to convince Skal to release his comforting cushion and roll out of bed. He stretched awkwardly, seemingly embarrassed at being watched.
"Come on, stop pissing about. I've got a lot of work today, and I expect you to help me with it. But first, you're due a punishment."
Skal whined softly, "Why? I've been good!" he protested, shrinking into himself as he spoke.
"Because Pennys get punished, that's the point. You broke the law, and you're supposed to receive regular discipline for that, on top of anything you get for misbehaving. I've not been keeping on top of that, not that you'd remind me. Lie on the bed, on your front. We'll do this nice and quick."
Skal did as instructed, albeit with great reluctance. He clutched at his pillows, hiding his face in their softness while Kadan moved around in search of his desired instrument. The whip of a switch alerted Skal to what was coming, and before he could ready himself a stinging stroke found its mark at the base of his tail. He jolted, howling into the bedding, his tail snapping down instinctively to protect his rear. "Tail up!" Kadan barked, bringing the switch down again just below the first stroke as soon as the tail was moved aside. Again, Skal's tail sought to be a shield, and Kadan punished this by striking the switch on the boy's exposed footpads.
"Your choice, boy. Tail up and take it on the backside, or you can walk on your welts all day!" The switch bit into the soft, black skin of his feet again, forcing the boy to expose his rear again for the switching to continue as intended. Kadan put a hand on the boy's back to keep him still as the switch began again, working steadily downwards from his tailhole to the top of his legs in fast, stinging strikes. Skal howled and thrashed, but there was no escaping the rapid onslaught. Once the boy's entire backside was a hot, stripey shade of red, Kadan let the boy go and Skal immediately curled up, hugging his knees and sobbing openly. Kadan gave him some time to cry before gently, but firmly instructing him to get out of bed and go wash up for the day. Skal winced his way to the washroom, and with a pang of concern Kadan decided to go with him. The strikes to Skal's feet had been particularly forceful, leaving the boy struggling to stand comfortably. In the end, Kadan told him to kneel in the shower unit so he could be washed.
Breakfast was served - cold meat strips left over from the night before. The Enforcer washed his down with a long pull of distil that made his eyes water. After coughing and spluttering through the aftertaste and wincing at how the alcohol burned his gums where new teeth were crowning, Kadan returned his attention to his sullen charge. "Alright, here's our duties for the day: we're going to be visiting Penitatas owners and check up on their charges. That's your part in all this. I'm willing to bet Pennys will be happier talking to you than me, so I'll get you some alone time to talk with them. I want you to get a measure of how they're treated and I need key details: living arrangements; duties, if any; frequency and severity of punishments. I also want to know if they're being used for sex. Get as much out of them as you can, understand?"
Skal kept his reply trapped firmly behind his grit teeth. Kadan drew close, the distil tainting his breath as he knelt down to meet the boy's shy gaze. The Penny flinched away as much as he could. "Boy... Skal. Do you understand what I expect of you, yes or no?"
"Yes," Skal answered, reluctantly. He winced as Kadan's palm found the back of his head, but instead of a striking blow the touch was soft, almost comforting.
"I know you don't want to help me," he said quietly as he rubbed the boy's head, "You're a ganger, I'm an Enforcer; mortal enemies. With that in mind, I'm willing to reward you for this if you co-operate. The first reward I'm going to give you is amnesty for your friend pissing on my floor. I don't know why she did it, but I can guess... and I don't particularly want the details. I know you two are physical, so let's make that clear right now; if you don't behave, I'll make sure her mother knows and you can both suffer the consequences, understand?"
"Yes sir," Skal answered.
"Good. Now, you do work for me today and I'll get you something as a reward. Maybe... well, think on it. Come up with something that you think is a fair reward and I'll consider it. Deal?" Skal gave another nod of acceptance. "Alright. One last choice; you can go get dressed, or you can have nano-gel on your feet. Not both; one way or the other, I want the other Pennys to see you're suffering, it should help them open up to you. Pain or humiliation?"
The sting in his feet as he got out of the chair made the choice easy. With this feet fresh, and well-switched backside on display for all the world to see, Skal was leashed and led out into The City with hands cupped protectively over his crotch, and a prayer on his lips that the day would be over swiftly.

The first port of call was a drug farm. On the Homeworld, the narcotic of choice was pollen, so named because it was extracted from the toxic pollen of a genus of semi-carnivorous plant. Pollen plants were passive hunters, allowing everything from insects to medium sized animals to feed on their broad flowers laden with the sickly pollen buds. Delirium and death followed soon after, and both seedlings and ripe plants alike would take nutrients from the rotting carcass. Pollen didn't travel well, but every world settled by Kyyreni eventually established a farm or two.
At Kadan's request, the site's Penitatas and their owner were summoned to an office safely away from any spores or brewing fumes. The owner was the site manager, a fat, squat-muzzled brute with dirty blond fur streaked with unusual, irregular lines of darker fur. His charges were both Daysiders, chosen because "they handle the heat better", according to the manager. They were both Skal's age, as he'd come to expect, and they were clad head to toe in heavy clothing made of yellow plastic. Through stifling hoods they viewed the nude, collared boy with suspicion as all three were ushered into a side room and told to wait quietly. The door had barely clicked shut before they ripped the hoods clear and gulped down the cool air, their fur matted with sweat and their eyes heavily dilated from imperfect sealing of their gear.
"You two still alive?" Skal asked.
"Barely," replied the first boy, who wore a tag with 'Rhyd' written on it. The other, presumably named 'Alif' was bent double and sounded like he was about to throw up.
"You look like shit," Skal said, stating the obvious. "What have they been doing to you?"
Rhyd tried and failed to wipe his brow with the back of his glove, but it only served to smear the sweat to one side, "working the plants, obviously! We're collectors, and the growing room's a damn furnace!"
"It also stinks," Alif gasped, his voice rasping like a man dying of thirst. Despite them being Daysiders, Skal felt a pang of sympathy, enough to prompt him to open the door, call for Kadan and ask him for water. Kadan eventually brought two glasses, guessing why Skal had asked, and both boys drank desperately.
The simple act of charity gave Alif his voice back, "so why're you strutting round in your fur? You the E's bed-toy?"
"More like his punching bag," Skal answered, turning and raising his tail so the other two could see his stripes, "this is what I get on a good day. Do you get beaten like this?"
Rhyd shook his head, "no, not if we work. We both got a bunch of stripes early on, but so far we've kept safe from that."
"How hard does he work you then?" Skal pressed.
"Too hard," Alif answered in a low whine. The boy slumped against the wall and allowed himself to slide into a sitting position, clearly glad of the unexpected rest.
Rhyd gave his friend a brief, sorrowful glance, "We pull the same work duties as every other slave here, but they're all full-grown. It's hard, but nobody cares. Alif spoke up and he got beaten back down for it. Now we just have to suffer through it."
For the rest of their time together, Skal decided to let the slaves rest. He talked vaguely about his past to Rhyd, who answered in equally nebulous ways. He'd been a ganger, no doubt about that, but that wasn't a source of camaraderie; Skal suspected Rhyd had been part of a rival group, and Rhyd no-doubt felt the same about him. It was safer to be broad and lacking in detail, so a past friendship, or at least past indifference could be assumed. Alif had slid into sleep almost as soon as he sat down, and it wasn't long before Rhyd asked for a few minutes of quiet for himself. Kadan's reappearance forced them both back to wakefulness, and with clear resentment on their faces they donned their gear and trudged back to their master and their work.
"Seems there's a pattern forming," Kadan said as they walked to their next destination, having listened to Skal's account of the boys. "A fair few businesses are treating Pennys as a child labour source. It's their right, I suppose, but it's not really what we imagined."
"So how is it supposed to work?" Skal asked in response as they crossed through the old south entrance of Outer Tenement. Once, it would have lead into the unformed wasteland of Taviksaad. Now, it lead to Wrongside. The boy noticed how Kadan quietly placed a hand upon his holster.
"Well I always imagined it to be personal. The Penny goes to the person they've wronged, and that person issues the punishment they see fit. We're going to one of those next. I suppose that's your fate too, in a way. Trouble is, there's not always one clear victim, either because they're dead, or there's simply too many victims. Sometimes the victim doesn't want to be involved, so for all those reasons and more we had to make compromises."
Skal bared his teeth and spat, "you mean the Slavers wanted a cut."
"A fucking big cut," Kadan agreed, "but I'll cut them out eventually, wait and see."
They reached a housing unit almost identical to Kadan's, stacked three high instead of four and, while newer, in an even worse state of upkeep. In the common space, Skal noticed a grey robed priest similar to the one who visited Sam. He was talking quietly to a group of youths, likely true children by their size and apparent ages. Before he could say anything, Kadan yanked on his leash and forced him up the stairs towards the residence.
"Ovjar?" Kadan rapped the door with his knuckles. "This is Enforcer-Captain Kadan, performing a routine visit for the Penitatas Program. Ovjar, you there?"
He stopped knocking and placed his ear against the door. His brow furrowed as he sniffed the air, each intake of breath causing him to grow more anxious. He made a quick hand-gesture to Skal indicating he should back off before retreating himself to examine the residence frontage more carefully. There were no exterior windows, and no way to view in with the door closed. Weighing his options, Kadan scanned the door and its surround for an access system, only to find it lacked any kind of electronic system; the lock appeared mechanical. "Armed breach! Stand clear!" he roared, and he drove all his strength into a standing kick that cracked open the cheap material of the door. A second kick send the locking bolt clattering to the floor and the door swung open. Pistol and knife drawn and readied, Kadan entered the room like a man expecting an ambush, but found none. He took in the familiar design of the place. It was slightly smaller than his home, but until recently had been better kept. Most of the living room was dominated by children's things; a toddler pen, balls and soft animals, chewing sticks for teething and mountains of hygiene products. All of that was merely background to the grim centerpiece. Like Kadan, Ovjar had an exercise bar mounted to the ceiling, and like Kadan he'd used it as a means of discipline. A Penitatas girl of four dangled from the bar, hanged by the neck with countless cuts and bruises covering her body. Her face had turned purple, but as Kadan stared he saw her twitch. "Fuck!" he roared and ran to her, hoisting her up onto his shoulder. The girl gave a long, wheezing gulp and began to breathe once more, coughing and spluttering with every lungful.
A sound from the kitchen area made him turn. Too late, he saw Ovjel barreling toward him with a blade raised. His pistol was pinned under the girl, and his own knife had been discarded. Ovjel smashed him backwards, the knife biting into his side and stealing the air from his lungs. He hit the ground hard, pistol hand pinned against his own throat with Ovjel's teeth buried into the bone of his wrist. Howling in pain and fury, he did the only thing he could, and bit down on the man's muzzle with all his strength. It bought him just enough space to shift his aim, and he hammered the trigger for all its worth.
It was a heavy calibre weapon, and even a badly aimed shot had more than enough force to throw Ovjel backwards. Kadan lay back, dazed and confused by the point-blank discharge. His hearing was ruined, just an unbearable ringing, and the whole room span around him too fast to cope with. Bleary eyed, he saw Skal appear in the doorway, the boy's face pale and fearful at what he saw. He watched as Skal fled across the living room to something he found more distressing than his master lying on the floor with a knife in his side. The girl. Kadan blinked rapidly to make his eyes focus, seeing the girl again hanging helpless as Skal tried to take her weight. He stumbled upright, screaming through the sawing pain in his flank as he once more took the girl's weight. With a shaking hand he fumbled his communicator free and gasped, "Code Black! One wounded! 44-03 Wrongside, level 2, residence... Skal! Door number!"
"Code Black received," the voice on the other side replied, "Hold on, Captain. Reinforcements are coming."
"Fuck reinforcements, I need medical!" the words came out as a whine. His legs were numb, and he was fighting the urge to throw up as he took a firm grip on the knife's handle. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the sensation of the metal inside him, trying to imagine where it was, how deep and what it may have struck. In the end, it seemed there was no option but to chance it. He tore the blade free, revealing a much shorter length than he'd thought, and sweated through the pain as he sawed the rope free. He fell to the ground with the girl on top of him, Skal quickly taking her to one side and holding her as she bawled her terror out. The Enforcer struggled into a sitting position and fished through his pouches for a medical set, finding a tube of emergency gel. He'd used it before, and it was never a welcome experience. He pushed the tip of the tube into the wound and squeezed, howling as it burned through his insides to stitch the flesh together. It was no true healing, but it was a fine stop-gap.
Pale and drenched in sweat, he struggled to focus on the two deathly-faced Penitatas. "You two alright?"
Skal nodded. The girl mouthed "Thank you," but couldn't manage the sounds. Kadan turned slowly towards Ovjel, who lay where the Enforcer had left him. "Fucking bastard," he spat.
In the exhausted silence that followed, Kadan lay half asleep, breathing deeply and slowly as the pain and adrenalin ebbed away, leaving him burned out and trembling. He could hear voices outside of the residence, likely neighbours looking to gossip. One of them had a screaming child they couldn't console, most likely startled by the gunfire.
"Kadan!" Skal emerged from the small bedroom, his voice shaking. "There's a kid in there! A little one!"
The Enforcer took in the room once more, seeing again the clear signs of a young family. "Of course there is," he sighed as he struggled to his feet and stumbled into the room. The boy couldn't have been much older than one year, left to nap while his father slated his thirst for vengeance. Now he was awake, frightened and howling for a parent who could no-longer hear him. Kadan shook his head in dismay and went to see if there was anything he could drink.

They didn't linger at the crime scene long. Kadan's injury was briefly checked, but he insisted on going home. A car was provided and they rode in silence, each staring out of a different window, quietly reflecting on what had happened. It was Skal who finally broke the silence. "What happens to her now?"
Kadan took some time to answer, and he did not meet Skal's eye when he finally did. "Law says she goes back into circulation. She'll be sold to a new buyer."
"You can't let that happen!" Skal barked. "You know the kind of people who'll buy her!"
"Yes I do," Kadan agreed in a mournful tone. "He... She... Whatever. They're a rapist and murderer. They destroyed that family. I may have shot the father, but they drove him to madness. A man can only take so much, and some of us break easier than others. Maybe they deserve that hell. Maybe not. I don't know."
"What about the kid?" Skal pressed.
Kadan gave a weak shrug. "There might be some other family members who can take him, but I think the Guild will take him. We're short on men these days, and Guild-raised men make the best Enforcers. It's hard to do what we do when you're constantly worrying about the people back home. Makes you careless."
"That why you live alone?" the boy's question made Kadan clench his eyes shut, and Skal regretted it instantly. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have-"
"Driver! Stop here! We can walk the rest of the way!" Kadan's order caused the Penny to whimper softly. Fearing for his hide, he didn't resist the tug of the leash as they stepped out onto the street at the boundary of a small commercial unit. Kadan stayed put until the car had pulled away. Only then did he acknowledge Skal again.
"My past is not your business," he growled.
"I know, I'm sorry!" Skal answered him, trying to shrink down into himself.
A tug on the leash got the boy moving towards a storefront full of bottles, "I want to go home and drink, but there's a few people we can see while we're here, more Penitatas for us to check on. There's a toy store as well, where I got you those ships. We'll stop in on the way home."
Skal nodded weakly, but his lack of enthusiasm caught Kadan's attention. The Enforcer stopped and knelt before the boy. "You good?" he asked.
The Penny answered with a sob. The boy stood with his head down, low gulps quickly turning into an open display of childish wailing with no regard for who might be watching. It left Kadan dumbfounded as to what to do so he simply watched it happen, allowing Skal to cry until he found a measure of self control again.
"Listen, I'm not stupid. I know exactly why you're coming apart over this. But this here? This is me trying to build a bridge. I just want you to work with me."
Skal spat back, "And why should I? We both know I'm going to end up like her! I could have cut your throat when you were blacked out on the floor! I fucking should have!"
With a dismissive shake of his head, Kadan drew his pistol and offered it to the teary, angry child. He kept a grip on the barrel, holding it straight towards his own forehead as Skal took hold of the weapon." You want me dead that badly? Go on, pull the trigger. You've got an audience here, someone's going to pass word around that you blew a captain's head off. You'll be a celebrity in the underworld."
Kadan's fierce, focused eyes stayed locked on Skal's frightened features. The boy's bluster had vanished almost instantly, replaced with a terror born of helplessness. "Pull the trigger, boy. Shoot me dead. Pull the trigger!"
With a shriek, Skal obeyed. The trigger barely moved. Kadan snatched the weapon from his grip. "Well, now I know you didn't kill my men. Don't you know what a 'safety' is?" he swung the pistol down and cracked Skal on the side of the head, leaving him curled up on the street, too shocked to cry out. The Enforcer scanned the scattering of onlookers, weighing up the value of making the spectacle go any further. He longed for something much stronger than spirits. With a final curse he took the Penny by the scruff of the neck and dragged him up. Blood matted the fur around the boy's right eye, but there was no permanent damage that he could see.
"I h-hate you!" Skal stammered.
"Hate me all you want," Kadan spat back. "you obviously want to be hated. I'm done pretending to give a shit about you. You can forget any gifts and you can forget ever seeing your fuck buddy again. So you go ahead and hate me. From now on, you can suffer in silence."
He did as he was told, following mutely behind his master as Kadan sought out drink and drugs to satisfy his cravings. He stumbled home, feeling sick to the core every step of the way, numb to his nudity and the blood clotted to his fur. Even home gave little promise of comfort, for Kadan cuffed the boy to his bed and left him there to sulk. Skal lay still and listened as Kadan thumped around the unkempt living space. He tracked the man's progress towards inebriation, listening as he variously threw things, shouted at the walls or sobbed to himself.
The Penny had no choice but to lie down and suffer. Hunger, thirst and pain made resting difficult, but he found a sliver of comfort from having his toys in reach. He had no desire to play, but simply having an object to touch and focus on helped make the ordeal a touch more bearable. Ultimately, he gave in and curled up around a pillow as best he could, praying to whatever Gods that might hear him for tomorrow to be easier than today.
He woke from his doze to the sound of voices in the residence. His bedroom door swung open and an Enforcer entered, looking at the miserable child with a mixture of surprise and disappointment. "Shit, how long have you been like this?" Not waiting for an answer, the man released Skal's arm and carried him to the shower. The water was still cold, but the pressure had returned and the Enforcer handled him with some care, using just enough force to work in the soap and work out the dirt without becoming painful. Being scrubbed around the eye hurt immensely, and the brisk apologies did nothing to help. Finally, the Penny was dried and wrapped in a fresh, warm towel before being carried to the living area where Kadan waited, sat hunched over a plastic tub that he coughed and dribbled into.
"Captain, can I trust you not to murder this kid while I clean up back there?" the man asked.
Kadan waved him off, "go do what you like, Bast." With that, Bast set to work, moving between the two bedrooms with handfuls of bedding and cleaning products, leaving Skal perched anxiously on the corner of the sofa.
"You should go live with your mother," Kadan slurred into the bowl. With pained slowness he craned his head towards Skal, his bloodshot eyes struggling to focus on the child. "That's what you want, isn't it? To live with your mother like Sam does?"
"My mother's dead," Skal whispered back, turning his eyes down from Kadan's gaze.
"Father, then?" He noted Skal's expression and let his head fall back over the tub. "Should have figured. Parents have a way of dying when you need them most. We weren't much younger than you when we lost ours."
Skal shuffled further back into the sofa, ears twitching round to listen to Bast rummaging somewhere out of sight. He dearly wished there was someone else in the room with him. For a while at least, Kadan seemed content to retch and let the Penny stew in silence.
"Do you have feelings for Sam?" Kadan asked when he finally got his breath back. "Do you love her, or is she just a way for you to get off?"
Skal turned away and stared at he wall, trying to keep his face stoic as Kadan shuffled to his feet and thumped towards him. A hand gripped him by the shoulder hard enough to make the boy yelp, but Kadan pulled away and cursed as Skal scuttled to the far side of the sofa. "Hey, come back here. Come on, I didn't mean to hurt you. Come here." Again he was gripped, more carefully this time, and Skal allowed himself to be placed on Kadan's knee.
"So do you care for her or not?" he asked again. Skal nodded just enough to count as an answer. "Okay. Okay. I'm not going to use her against you anymore, alright? I won't threaten to take her away. That what you want?"
"Please let me go," Skal whimpered barely loud enough to hear, but instead Kadan pulled him in tighter.
With too much force to be comforting Kadan began to stroke the boy's head as he spoke in a broken, tired voice, "You were right before, you could have ended up just like that girl. I know I have a responsibility to look after you, but I wanted someone to pay for my men. I didn't care if you were guilty or not. I'm sorry, I really am. I want to start again, but I need you to stop fighting me!"
"O-okay!" Skal yelped as he was jolted sharply, "I will! I promise I will!"
Kadan's hand cupped his face, gently this time. The other hand stroked his side while Kadan made a poor attempt to shush him. "Quiet now. It's okay, just be quiet."
Bast finally returned, wet and ruffled. "Cleaned the blood off your sheets and mopped the piss off his floor. Maybe he should come with me tonight?"
"He's fine," Kadan replied.
"I'm not sure about that. I'm doubtful you're in any state to care for him."
Kadan bared his teeth, "you're one to talk. You told me they deserve everything they get!"
"I know I said that, but-"
"Just fuck off!" the captain roared. "I want to be left alone!"
Bast held up his hands in surrender. Kadan dropped his ears flat and mumbled an apology. "Sorry, Bast. Been a rough day."
"I know. I'll check in on you later. There's food in the bag in the kitchen," with a curt nod he let himself out, leaving Skal to squirm and fret in Kadan's grip.
Angry, fearful and hating his fate, Skal could only grit his teeth and wait, hoping to be released. Slowly, Kadan's drunken affection stopped, his breathing became steadier and his head lolled down. Skal kept still until he was sure his master was asleep before squirming out of his grip and pattering into the kitchen. The cabinet locks were still no challenge for him to overcome, and once again he stood before the passed out Enforcer, blade in hand. He pressed the edge against Kadan's throat. With a cry of rage he slashed as hard as he could. He had expected Kadan to awaken, to thrash around and clutch his throat. What he hadn't expected was to be flung across the room. The last thing he remembered seeing was Kadan, blood soaked and mouth open in a silent scream, before the man's foot smashed down on his head.

From the darkness, the Shepherd spoke to Skal. In the rasping voice of the eternally dead he whispered, "Here we are again. Back to where we started."
Skal's first sense to return was thermal. The world around him was cool, but a Kyyreni loomed over him as a cloud of yellows, oranges and hints of red. The pattern of warmth looked awfully like Kadan. Panic gripped him, but when he tried move away he found his limbs were bound in place. Sight and smell still eluded him, but he could hear well enough.
"I hope I don't need to tell you that trying murder an Enforcer carries pretty serious consequences. By rights, you should be a little girl on her way to Lady Sin right now."
A flick against his testicles assured Skal he was still a boy. He tried to cry out, but his muzzle was bound shut. Kadan reached toward his head and pulled a bandage off, restoring sight to one eye. He started into Kadan's grimace, noting the bandage on his neck. "Move an inch, and you belong to the Doll House." Threat issued, Kadan removed the cuffs from Skal's limbs and carefully unbound his muzzle. The boy remained frozen, one teary eye following Kadan's every move as he retreated towards the door.
Through the barely open doorway he said quietly, "you can come in. Try to keep the noise down, he's still weak."
Sam crept into the room timidly, yet her posture became eager and alert as soon as she laid eyes on Skal. She rushed over to his bedside, "Thank the Gods! Kadan told us what happened at Wrongside! Are you okay?"
The boy looked from Sam to Kadan. A faint whimper escaped his swollen muzzle, prompting Kadan to step forward. "Easy boy. Sorry, Sam he's still weak. The bastard made a real mess of him. Luckily, the son of a bitch didn't know how deep to cut when slitting a throat. He's going to need help getting over this. I'll ask your mother to let you stay over."
Sam grinned and the news, "hear that? I get to play doctor for you while you heal!"
"Speaking of healing, you should go now," Kadan rasped. He gently steered Sam out of the room and let the door clicked closed before returning to Skal's bedside.
"I don't know why I'm giving you another chance, because we both know you don't deserve it." the wounded Enforcer eased himself onto the edge of Skal's bed. "I'm going to do right by you. I'm going to make something of you. I'm going to use you to prove Penitatas can return to society."
He placed a hand carefully upon the boy's chest, his fingers softly running through the Penny's coarse fur. "And in case you don't want to, the Guild knows what you did. You won't get anywhere fighting me."
Skal let out a pained whine, "What did you tell Sam?"
"That Ovjel cut my throat and beat you half to death while I was down. She thinks you're an innocent victim who did nothing wrong. No need to tell her the truth. I told you I wouldn't take her away."
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