Spellcollared

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Thanks everybody, peace.

Chapter 10: Taken for a Walk

It took Cassius a great effort to roust the little fox out of bed the next morning. Last night Naomi got to experience the joys of alcohol for the first time, and now she was experiencing the joys of her first hangover. Every time that he attempted to wake her, she would bury her face into a pillow and hide from the morning light. Her bare back faced him with the covered bunched up around her waist hiding her lower half. When he placed a hand on her side and shook her gently, she let out a quiet mur of protest.

With a smirk, he decided to just be patient. Perhaps few masters would take kindly to their day being delayed like this, but he didn't mind much. There wasn't anything urgent that demanded his attention. Cassius wasn't so lenient that he would tolerate open disobedience all the time, but he could hardly bring himself to feel annoyed with the adorable vixen. Besides, her overindulgence last night was pretty much his doing. He could have easily cut her off from drinking more wine after the first cup he fed her. Next time, he'd have to remember that she was even more of a light weight than he expected.

So in the end, Naomi got to enjoy an extra hour of rest while Cassius got to enjoy an hour drinking in the view as he laid beside her. When the girl finally woke up properly, there was an amusing moment where she frantically pulled up the sheets to try and hide her body from him. Without the liquid courage, she was back to her original timid nature, though it had already eased a lot compared to before. He had breakfast brought up to their room along with some water to help Naomi recover. By the time that the two were both up, dressed, and had breakfast, it was late in the morning.

The pair stepped out of the inn and headed towards a nearby street with some shops. Cassius took her hand as he led the way. Naomi was much less resistant to being pulled along beside her master this time. Her shyness still remained, but it seemed that she had gotten more accustomed to him. At least she no longer constantly tried to tug her hand free. She might not have even noticed the change, but Cassius certainly did. He was more than pleased with the progress she showed after only a single night.

They strolled down the street together and then crossed another stone bridge into a large plaza. Buildings surrounded the space on all four sides turning it into something like a gigantic courtyard with a fountain in the middle. In the center of the fountain, there was a larger-than-life marble statue of a blindfolded woman pouring water from a jar. Cassius knew it was a depiction of Tylea, the Farseer. Naomi just marveled at the craftsmanship. 

There were dozens of people around them, but they were just a background to the kitsune. Her focus was on the strange sights and smells. The hustle and bustle of the city was still overwhelming, but this time she found herself feeling less anxious about it. The first stop that Cassius had planned for them was a tailor's shop. First and foremost, he needed to get the girl some more clothes. The gown she had now was nice enough, but she couldn't wear the same thing everyday. Many would likely disagree with him on that point. A single gown was seen as enough for an ordinary slave, but Naomi was not ordinary. She was his. And he was not going to skimp on spoiling his precious new pet. 

The tailor's shop was small, but well-decorated. There was a shelf displaying an array of colorful fabrics and a display window with a mannequin showing off the latest styles. Once the two of them were inside, Naomi was quickly captivated by the huge variety of dresses, shirts, blouses, skirts, and all manner of clothing. Each came in differing colors, styles, and designs. The sheer number of different ways that humans dressed themselves boggled her mind. Back home, the only choices were whatever she could craft herself from fur and hide. Her eyes darted left and right with curiosity. She didn't even notice her master leaning in close until he whispered in her ear.

"Go ahead and look around. Pick out some things you like."

Cassius laughed when she was startled by the close proximity and hopped in surprise. He just nodded towards the racks of clothes, giving her little behind a pat to urge her on. The clever fox quickly got the message and began to look around. Cassius of course kept a close eye, but was happy to let her explore on her own.

They had been in the shop for just a few minutes when the owner emerged from a room in the back. His long dark hair was slicked back and he had a pair of spectacles perched on the tip of his nose. He was dressed in a simple and neat vest over a white shirt with ruffled sleeves. There was a measuring tape draped over his shoulders and a pair of pins tucked behind his ear. He greeted Cassius and then glanced curiously towards Naomi.

"Good day. What can I help you with, sir? Looking for anything special fitted?"

"Mostly just looking for some casual dresses, but she'll need at least one outfit suitable for a formal setting that will need to be tailored for her."

"I see, shopping for your slave is it? Do you have any idea of what you'd like to see her in?"

"I'll let her choose what she likes. Oh and if it doesn't have a space for her tail, it’ll need adjustments."

The tailor was a bit surprised to hear his customer planned to spend so much for a slavegirl, but the man was a professional and did not pry. He turned his gaze back to Naomi who was still busy examining the different designs and patterns. Her fox ears pricked and her tail was swaying as she ran her fingers over the soft fabric of a short and flowy sundress.

"Not a problem at all. Let me just take her measurements quickly and you can tell me what you had in mind for the formal gown."

The tailor got to work on his craft while Naomi and Cassius continued to browse. After around an hour, all the measurements had been done and the pair left. It was arranged that most of what they bought would be sent to their room in the Lupus Lux later that day, though the formal gown would take some time to be completed. Naomi was twirling around happily in a new sundress, the same one she had first looked at earlier. 

They continued along further down the street. Now that Naomi had settled down, he didn't feel the need to hold her hand and drag her everywhere. He let the girl explore all the various stalls set up in the street. One in particular that sold a few trinkets drew her attention. She was admiring a collection of delicate hairpins. They were colorful and shaped like various things such as flowers, butterflies, or birds. Each of the pins was hand-painted and carefully crafted.

Naomi reached out and picked up one that was emerald green and shaped like a leafy vine. Cassius saw the interest in her eyes and couldn't help but smile. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a few coins, dropping them into the merchant's palm when she wasn't paying attention.

"Do you know what it's for?"

Naomi blinked as she heard his voice behind her. Still holding the hair pin, she turned to look up at him with her head tilted to one side. He reached out and gently combed his fingers through her silky ginger locks, lifting a few strands. He carefully gathered her hair behind her and took the pin from her hands. Naomi watched him curiously, wondering what the man was trying to do.

The young fox girl flinched slightly and her ears twitched when he brushed the side of her neck. As he carefully fitted the hairpin, his fingers traced across the back of her neck and lingered at her nape. Naomi's cheeks lit up and she averted her eyes to the side while he stood over her. Cassius admired her with a smirk. Her cheeks were tinged pink and her eyes flitted shyly from him and then back to the ground, but her wagging tail showed she was happy.

"You can have it, but you have to give me something in return."

As Naomi glanced up at him, he tapped a finger against his lips and motioned for her to come closer. The blushing fox hesitated for a moment. But as he stared expectantly, she gave in and obediently stepped up to him. Cassius didn't move a muscle. This time he wanted to make her kiss him on her own without him leading things. She needed to perk up on the tips of her toes to reach him due to their size difference. Her hands rested lightly on his chest as she leaned in. She pecked a light kiss on his lips and then quickly retreated.

Cassius had a wide grin plastered on his face. Naomi's ears drooped a little, but her tail kept swishing. The hairpin wasn't expensive or particularly special, but the simple action of the gift was a small step forward. It was enough to start cementing the relationship between them.

After a little more looking around, they stopped to have lunch at a restaurant. The two took a seat at a table outside on the patio. Their food arrived soon after. Cassius didn't make Naomi kneel for him this time, but he did have her sit in his lap as they shared off one plate.

The scene of them sitting together drew some strange looks from passersby on the street. If it weren't for her collar and beastkin features, people could easily mistake them for a young couple. There was an obvious sense of intimacy between them that did not match a typical master and servant. No one said anything, but plenty of people raised an eyebrow. 

It was rare to see a slave brought to a nice place like this. Even if they were, custom dictated that they should stand silently behind their master unless called upon. But not only was this strange man letting his foxkin sit with him at the table, he was even acting like he was taking his little lover out for a date. It was more than a little inappropriate in the eyes of some more conservative folk. 

Naomi was of course oblivious to the looks, while Cassius couldn't care less. He was more focused on enjoying his meal, while also getting a chance to teach her. The way humans ate with a knife and fork was quite different than how she was used to. Luckily, Naomi was quite clever. She didn't need more than a little instruction.

After the meal, they returned to the street and continued their stroll. They stopped once in a while for Naomi to look at things that caught her interest. Besides that, Cassius also took the chance while they were out to arrange for a tutor to come to the inn a few times a week and teach the girl the common tongue.

Again this was something highly unusual. Most beastkin were able to speak at least a little of the common tongue after living in the Dominion for long enough, but learning to read and write was practically unheard of. Normally, the only thing they'd need to know is what their master expects and what to call them. The rest of the time they'd be expected to follow and not cause any trouble. Hiring a private tutor to teach her was the kind of treatment that was normally reserved for the son of a noble or merchant. The idea of someone going out of their way to teach a beastkin slave how to read and write was so outlandish, half the upper crust of Emeropolis would laugh it off as impossible. You might as well try to teach a dog to play the flute.

By this point, it was already well into the afternoon. Naomi was getting a little tired, but Cassius still had one last stop he wanted to make. They arrived outside a one-story building with a squat roof. The sign out front depicted a mortar and pestle, reading 'Lolund Apothecary'. Surprisingly, Cassius did not bring Naomi in with him. Instead he sat her down on a bench just outside and told her to stay. 

The young kitsune was left all alone outside while her master disappeared into the store. Her eyes followed him, but she didn't say anything, only fidgeting a little. Naomi could smell a strong astringent scent mixed with herbs. She had no idea what kind of place this was. If the smell was so strong even outside, the foxgirl's keen nose would probably be overwhelmed if she had really gone in. 

Naomi sat on her hands and dug her toe into the ground. She watched people and carriages pass by in the street. After a few minutes, something suddenly occurred to her. She was alone with no one watching. There was nothing stopping her from leaving. For the first time since she was brought to the city, there were no guards and no master.

Her ears flicked and she glanced over her shoulder towards the door Cassius had gone through. Should she try to run away? He had treated her well enough, but ultimately he was her captor. This was her opportunity to get away and return back to her simple life in the wilderness. If she stayed here she might be a slave forever. Her freedom was something precious and it had been taken away from her. She should do everything in her power to try and get it back... right?

But what if this was a test? Maybe he left her here alone on purpose just to see what she'd do. He was probably keeping an eye on her right now. If he caught her trying to leave, he might get angry and punish her. And if he didn't punish her, he might decide that he didn't want to waste his time on her anymore and get rid of her. That would be even worse. He could just send her back to the auction hall where she'd be sold off to one of those other people.

Even if she managed to get away, where would she go? She had no idea how to get back home. Where would she sleep and what would she eat? There was no way she could survive on her own in the human city. Without knowing the language, there were also countless ways that she could get into trouble. What if someone bad caught her?

The more she thought about it, the more reasons not to run kept popping up in her head. She wanted to be free, yet as she started to seriously consider it, Naomi couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. That's right, guilt. She didn't understand why, but she actually felt guilty for considering running away like it was something shameful. Her master would probably be disappointed in her. Subconsciously, the little fox reached a hand up to her head and touched her new hairpin that Cassius gave her. Her lips tightened into a pout. Then her shoulders slumped and her tail curled around her waist. 

No. Trying to run would be a bad idea.