Chapter 14: Early Afternoon

“ ... Pariahs?” questioned Kianna “What, what do you mean!?”

“I mean that every other living dark elf is going to be very unhappy with you two” said Anton as he folded his arms over his chest and grinned at their confusion “And they’re all going to be absolutely livid with me!”

Both of the dark elves looked at each other before looking back at him.

“Why!?” they both exclaimed in unison.

“Because this has never happened before” said Anton as he waved his pointed finger back and forth between them “At least not as far as I know”

“ ... What’s never happened before?” asked Fiona as she lowered her ears in uncertainty “What the Hell are you talking about!?”

“I’m talking about dark elves becoming actual slaves” said Anton “As far as I know you two are the first of your kind to ever be truly enslaved ... So I guess in a way congratulations are in order. You’ll both be in the history books now”

Both of the dark elves remained still for a moment as they stared at him.

“What!?” they both exclaimed in unison.

“Are you serious!?” cried Fiona as she planted her hands on the sides of her head.

“How is that possible!?” questioned Kianna “How can this have never happened before!?”

“Well, you see, dark elves have a naturally ingrained immunity to all binding spells and curses. This was something that was designed into them when they were originally created” explained Anton “And because of this immunity it has always been believed that it was completely impossible to actually enslave a dark elf. But we just proved that this isn’t true, and that there is at least one way to do it”

“How!?” cried the dark elves in unison.

“ ... Hm, yeah. I think it’s only fair that you two understand exactly what’s happened here, so I’ll explain it as best I can” said Anton as he looked back and forth between them “Fiona, you recognized that these collars were different right away, didn’t you?”

“Yeah!” nodded Fiona.

“How are they different?” asked Anton.

“They’ve got glowing gems on them” mumbled Fiona as she felt the collar around her neck “And they kinda look different...”

“You know what normal binding collars look like?” asked Anton.

“Yeah. They don’t all look the same but these are really different looking” explained Fiona.

“And how exactly do you know what normal collars look like?” asked Anton.

“I, sometimes like to look at pictures online...” admitted Fiona in a slightly embarrassed tone “ ... Of slave girls, that are for sale...”

“Ah, I see, fair enough” nodded Anton “So you realize the gemstones on these collars are not typical? And that normal collars don’t have them?”

“Yes” said Fiona.

“Do you recognize what they are?” asked Anton.

“ ... No” said Fiona as she glanced at the jewels on her sister’s collar.

“Well, they’re actually the secret to how these collars can work on you two” said Anton as he looked from Fiona’s jewel to Kianna’s “The large center ones are called “Blood Gems” and your own blood is one of the ingredients that they’re made out of”

The dark elves eyes widened as they both looked at each others jewels.

“My blood!” whispered Kianna as she reached up and touched her blood gem.

“Yes, when I knocked you both out on the first night that you brought me here. I took a sample of blood from each of you. Then I mixed it with my own, added some raw silica and combined the mixture in a mana vortex to create these gems. They act as both a catalyst and a relay for the curses that bind you to me. The two smaller gems are buffers that keep your auras from effecting the blood gems”

“Our auras?” said Kianna as she looked at her sister’s green colored jewels “Is that why they turned green?”

“ ... They’re not green!? They’re pink!?” said Fiona as she narrowed her eyes at Kianna “Right?”

“No, they’re green?” said Kianna.

“Their colors are based on your individual auras” chuckled Anton “Fiona’s aura is apparently green while Kianna’s is pink”

“My gems are pink!?” exclaimed Kianna as she tilted her head down in a failed attempt to see her own collar “Really!?”

“Yeah, the chain around your collar was pink too” said Fiona “But now it’s black again”

“Same with yours, except it was green” said Kianna as she leaned in closer to her sister and gazed at her collar “Did you know that your aura was green?”

“No” said Fiona as she leaned away from Kianna’s prying eyes “How would I even know that!?”

“If you had ever made any light chains or other items using your aura you would have known it was green” explained Anton as he raised his hand.

As the dark elves watched, a tiny ball of orange light appeared above Anton’s palm and began to grow oblong in shape until taking the form of a semi-transparent handle. As Anton took hold of the glowing orange handle it became solid, lengthened again and became a thin riding crop style of whip.

Fiona’s eyes widened as Anton flicked the triangle shaped leather flap at the end of the whip under her chin and forced her to lift her head and look into his eyes.

“I’ll give you one chance to guess what color my aura is” he said as he gave her a mocking grin “I hope for your sake your not colorblind!”

“ ... It’s, it’s orange!” declared the dark elf “Right!?”

“Hm, lucky guess” mumbled Anton in a playful tone as he let the whip fall from his hand. The thin riding crop immediately began to melt away into nothing as soon as it lost it’s contact with him.

“Anyways, getting back to the point” said Anton as he leaned back in his chair “A dark elf’s immunity to bindings isn’t limited to just the bindings curses in the dominion class of magic. They’re also immune to demonic binding curses as well as familiar contracts. In essence, they just can’t be bound at all. It’s an ingrained natural immunity that they all carry, including you two. You girls may very well be the worst examples of dark elves that I’ve ever seen. But you’re still dark elves nonetheless”

Fiona grimaced at the insult while Kianna merely continued to listen intently.

“This immunity only flows one way though. A dark elf may not be able to be bound to another person but another person can be bound to a dark elf” explained Anton “And as we’ve talked about already, being bound to a dark elf is so naturally easy that any person with a submissive enough nature could become bound to one by being influenced by their auras, listening to them speak or if submissive enough, simply being near them. In other words a dark elf doesn’t necessarily even need a anchored curse to enslave someone, they can do it naturally. This is what they are, they’re a natural “ruling class” species that was built to control others. And this immunity was put in place so that no one could ever turn the tables and take control of them. This is another factor that sets the dark elves apart from most of the other races and makes them so potentially dangerous. Since they have this immunity, the threat of being enslaved doesn’t exist for them. And as such they don’t face the same consequences, and they don’t have the same incentives to play nice and follow the rules in the same way most other people do. This is why so many of them are more prone to engage in criminal activities ... And it can actually be pretty hard for them to keep themselves from being arrogant about this”

“Well yeah! It’s not like that doesn’t makes sense!” mumbled Fiona as she nodded thoughtfully.

“ ... Wait, hold on!” exclaimed Kianna as she tilted her head and cocked one of her ears in curiosity “What would happen if a dark elf wanted to be enslaved though? Couldn’t she just let the binding spells work on her?”

“No, that wouldn’t work” said Anton as he shook his head “Your immunity isn’t based from a skill or ability that you can control. It’s a natural part of you, and you can’t just turn it off”

“So how did you do it then!? Or are we even really enslaved!? Or are you just saying we are!? Because I think that you definitely fucked with me!” exclaimed Fiona as she wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed her shoulders “But I sure as Hell don’t feel like I’m your slave!”

“Oh, you definitely are. If you weren’t then you could take that collar off” explained Anton “I’m not sure just how obedient you’ve become, if at all. It’s possible, very unlikely, but possible that you could disobey my commands. Though even if you could that wouldn’t change whether or not you’re enslaved to me. It would just give me a reason to discipline you”

Fiona grimaced angrily while Kianna’s face became thoughtful.

“As for how. Well. We have to go back to the blood gems for that” explained Anton “They really are the catalyst behind everything”

The dark elves quickly glanced at each others gems before looking back at Anton.

“You see, as I explained before, the dark elves immunity only flows one way. They can’t become bound to another but another can be bound to them. And this is what these collars are designed to exploit” explained Anton “What do you two know about familiars?”

“Familiars?” repeated Kianna “They’re like a pet animal that’s been enslaved, right?”

“In most cases that description would be pretty accurate. The most commonly seen familiars are usually animals that have been bound to an individual. It is entirely possible to turn a person into a familiar as well but this is rarely seen as a familiar must fully agree to be bound to it’s owner. You can not just force someone to become a familiar, the binding can only be done if both parties are willing. Now, people that practice high level magic will generally have at least one familiar but its possible for someone to have dozens of them at once. These familiars can be used as assistants, servants and even guinea pigs for their owners during their spell crafting” explained Anton “But their main reason for being kept is to give the practitioner a second source of mana that they can tap into to preform very high level mana heavy spells. So essentially the familiars act as a living, backup mana battery”

The dark elves once again had become still as they listened to what was being told to them.

“The process of binding a familiar is far different and goes much deeper than your standard slave bindings. This is because a familiar is usually meant to be permanent while a slave is supposed to be left with the options of being traded or sold. This deeper bind is called a “Familiar Contract” and it involves a connection being made between the minds, souls and auras of the familiar and it’s owner. This kind of connection gives a much higher level of control to the owner, and if done right the level of control could be so great that the owner could even shift their own consciousness over to the familiar and become one with them. When this is done the owner will be able to see through the familiars eyes and even take over and completely control its body. This connection can go even deeper to the point that the familiars body could become a literal extension of the owners body” explained Anton “Now, like I said before most familiars are usually animals, with the occasional person becoming one if they choose to. Living things are not the only options though. It is also possible to turn certain kinds of items into a familiar as well. Items like suits of armor, crystal balls, playing cards, or even ... a gem!”

“ ... Oh, you fucking bastard!” growled Fiona as she pointed her ears straight back in anger.

“Let me start by saying that you, yourself are not a familiar Fiona!” declared Anton as he smiled at her “But I did use a similar process to a familiar contract on your blood gem. You see, you vicious little dark elf, those blood gems have been bound to you both. And bound to you completely, via your minds, souls and auras in a manner that is again similar to a familiar contract though not exactly the same”

Kianna reached up and lightly took hold of her collar as she listened intently.

“Since those blood gems are made from your own blood, they are technically you, and as such the connections between you and them are as complete as they can possibly be. This is not a case of one being having been bound to another being, but instead, is a case of a being having been bound to itself. This means that essentially those gems are an artificial extension of you and are now as much a part of you as your own limbs are” explained Anton “Now, what this also means is that the bonds between you and the gems won’t trigger any kind of response from your immunity. Meaning that the gems can not only be bound to you ... but you can apparently be bound back to the gems!”

“ ... So what your saying is, these gems are part of us now?” questioned Kianna “ ... But not really?”

“They are a part of you, that is not a part of you” said Anton “Fully connected to your mind, soul and aura through the collars that you’re both wearing. But unlike the rest of you, they have no immunities at all! They’re a gateway, an open window, a crack in the castle wall. They’re completely bound to you, and you are completely bound to them. And an important bit of information that you need to always remember about them, is that your blood is not the only blood that they’re made out of!”

“ ... Oh, you sick son of a bitch!” exclaimed Fiona “You’re a part of me now too!?”

“No, I’m a part of the gems!” laughed Anton “But through them I am now connected to you!”

“So is that why I can feel you!” exclaimed Kianna as she tightened her grip on her collar “You’re really connected to me now!”

“That’s right, what you’re feeling is the presence and influence of my blood and aura” explained Anton “And it’s that same influence that controls the gems, and via them...”

“Controls us!” finished Fiona as she scowled down at the water and bared her teeth in anger.

“Exactly!” said Anton as he pointed a finger at her “I control the gems, and the gems are now a part of you, so by their extension, I control you ... At least I think I do. I should probably test this and make sure...”

The dark elves both had expressions of unease on their faces as they looked at him.

“Test it how!?” exclaimed Fiona “What are you going to do to us!?”

“Girls!” declared Anton as he wrapped them both in his aura “This will be a command and not a request”

The blood gems on the dark elves collars began to glow ominously in reaction to Anton’s aura. As he spoke to them the eyes of both of the dark elves went dull and doll-like.

“You are both completely forbidden to ever explain how your collars work. You are not under any circumstances allowed to give this information out unless I have given you permission to do so. If anyone at all ever asks you about the collars, all you can tell them is to come and speak to me” commanded Anton as he looked back and forth from one staring dark elf to the other “Do you understand this?”

“Yes” said the dark elves in unison.

“Good” said Anton as he released them from his aura “Very good!”

Both of the dark elves began to blink profusely as they came back to their senses.

“What the fuck was that!?” cried Fiona as she looked down at her trembling hands “I couldn’t even move!”

“That was weird...” mumbled Kianna as she rubbed the side of her head and stared at Anton “It’s like you were the only thing that existed!”

“Oh really!? Well! Good! It looks like my little experiment was a complete success then!” boasted Anton “You two are legitimately enslaved now!”

“We are!?” asked Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards.

“How do you know!?” cried Fiona “What the Hell was that just now!? What did you do to us!?”

“I enslaved you. That was a command. I know because I can give you commands” explained Anton as he tilted his head and looked at her sideways “Now are you going to tell anyone how your collar works?”

“No!” answered Fiona in a matter-of-fact tone.

“What are you going to say if anyone asks about them?” asked Anton.

“Nothing. If anyone asks about it I’m just gonna tell them that they need to talk to you” stated Fiona.

“Very good!” nodded Anton as he smirked at her and turned to Kianna “Yes Kianna, you are indeed enslaved now”

Fiona blinked as realization spread across her face.

“You slimy bastard! I hate you!” she snarled as she pointed her ears straight back behind her head.

“Hm, you know I could probably change that now...” mused Anton as he gave her another condescending smile “I don’t think I’m going to though...”

Fiona growled through her bared teeth as her eyes filled with rage and began to glow with an angry red light.

Kianna couldn’t help but to grin as she touched her blood gem and looked back and forth between her glaring sister and her smiling Master.

“So what happens now?” she asked as she leaned forward to get Anton’s attention “What are we going to do next?”

“Well, we’ll get you two cleaned up and knock out your health checks” said Anton as he turned to her “Then after that ... I guess we’ll start packing. I’d like to at least try and get most of that done before we have dinner”

“ ... Packing!?” asked both of the dark elves in unison “Packing what!?”

“Well, all of your things of course” explained Anton as he gave them a perplexed look “Unless you’d rather just leave everything behind whenever we go?”

“Go!?” cried Fiona as she leaned back in surprise.

“W-where are we going!?” exclaimed Kianna as her eyes widened in shock.

“ ... Obviously I’m going to take you both home with me” said Anton as he looked from one dark elf to the other “I know it might seem like I’ve made myself pretty comfortable here these last few days. But it’s not like I actually live here”

“But we live here!” cried Fiona “We’ve always lived here!”

“Well, sounds like it might be time for a change then” said Anton “You two have already had some pretty big life changes today, a few more shouldn’t hurt too much. And some new experiences should be good ... for ... you...”

Both of the dark elves had become panicked as looks of terror spread across their faces.

“But this is our home!” whispered Kianna as she looked down and away from him while her eyes welled with tears “This is our only home!”

“I told you!” snapped Fiona as she turned to her sister and did her best to hold back her own tears “I told you he was going to take everything away from us!”

Kianna stared back at her for a moment before looking back down into the water.

“But this is where ... We can’t, we can’t just leave!” she whimpered as she wrapped her arms around herself and gripped her shoulders “I don’t wanna go!”

Anton watched the wallowing dark elves for a few moments before sighing heavily and looking away from them.

“Right...” he mumbled as he cradled his chin in his hand and mused thoughtfully “Maybe, too many changes at one time isn’t what you need...”

He glanced back at the dark elves and found them both with their ears pointed straight upwards as they stared back at him.

“I suppose there’s no real rush...” he reasoned as he fully turned back to them “Being in a familiar place might help you to better cope with your new lives ... So I guess we can just stay put for a little while...”

“Really!? Thank you!” cried Kianna as she clasped her hands in front of herself “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

Fiona breathed a sigh of relief before glaring at Anton.

“ ... Fuck you!” she mumbled before looking away from him.

“I can’t say that this is going to be anything permanent!” said Anton as he pointed his finger from one dark elf to the other “Neither one of you are the owners of this house, so at this time there isn’t any real control here. But like I said, we’ll stay for a little while at least...”

“Yes! Oh! See! I knew he wasn’t going to be cruel to us!” beamed Kianna “Our Master would never mistreat us like that!”

“ ... You’re so damn stupid Kianna!” sighed Fiona in frustration as she rolled her eyes.

“By the way, if I’m going to be officially living here. I will be using the master bedroom” said Anton as he looked through the short walkway and out into the massive empty room beyond “And I don’t expect an argument from either one of you on this”

“What!? No!” cried Fiona “You can’t do that!”

“Mm, mm hm, yeah, that makes sense!” declared Kianna as she nodded her head.

“How the Hell does that make sense!?” exclaimed Fiona as she turned to her sister.

“Because he’s the Master!” said Kianna as she narrowed her eyes at her sister “It makes sense for him to be in the master bedroom! It’s even in the name!”

“That doesn’t matter!” exclaimed Fiona “It’s not his room!”

“Well it is now!” declared Kianna as she glared at her sister “And he just said we can’t argue about it so shut up!”