A/N: Happy new year everyone! I hope you had a wonderful time 💫 I'm recovering from covid and managed to finish this chapter. Enjoy 💜

This is unedited.

Chapter 4.

When Aviy returned home, Sepri cornered him immediately. 

"Care for my slave today and teach it to behave." Sepri's spines were quivering with irritation.

"I don't know its kind." Aviy protested, gaze flitting uneasily around the kitchen. Their mother was brewing tchek over the fire and their younger brothers wrestled on the floor. 

Sepri rapped his knuckles against Aviy's brow, telling him to pay attention and stop acting foolish. "You teach hatchlings. My slave's no different." 

"They're completely different." Aviy muttered, but Sepri had already walked past him.

Aviy rubbed his browridges and slunk into the pantry. He didn't know if the slave had been fed, but even if it had, it could probably eat more. It had hardly touched the meals Aviy brought it earlier. 

He fixed a bowl of manea larvae, poured water into a cup and took it to Sepri's room. 

The slave looked even worse today. Dark circles ringed its eyes and the bruises covering its pale skin had turned vibrant shades of deep green, purple and black. Sepri was going to have to learn to be a gentler master, if he wanted it to live. 

The male looked up slowly as Aviy approached, blue eyes flashing wide with recognition. Aviy's belly clamped tight. It was going to speak to him. It was going to get them both in trouble. He shouldn't be here. 

He quickly placed the bowl and cup on the floor and rose to leave.

"Please stay!" The slave extended a trembling hand towards him and Aviy hesitated. Misery and desperation shone in the creature's eyes and Aviy couldn't bring himself to turn away.

He hissed a sigh and sat, wrapping his tail firmly around his legs. Then his arms, for added protection and comfort.

"Thank you." The slave attempted a smile, but it faded quickly. "What's your name?" 

Aviy shifted tensely. Only clutch members and tothaw referred to each other by name. He didn't think it was permitted for a slave to speak his name. But no slave had spoken before, that he knew of, so maybe there was no rule to break.

"Aviy." He said and the foreigner dipped and lifted his head strangely.

"I'm Jamie. Jamie Mantis." The slave started to extend his hand, paused for a moment, and then dropped it to his side. "Avee...will you please help me?" 

"If I can." Aviy said cautiously. He didn't bother correcting the slave's mispronunciation of his name. He was already regretting his decision to share it.

"Will you let me go? I have a home and a family who need me." The slave said very quietly.

"No." Aviy said firmly and emphasised his refusal with a slap of his tail on the floor. Stealing a tothaws slave was unthinkable. Sepri would kill him, as was his right, and it wouldn't be quick.

The foreigner's face scrunched up in that disgusting way, as if the bones had turned to mush, and his mouth pressed into a thin white line. Aviy shuddered with revulsion, but forced himself to remain still. 

"Right..." The slave finally said and his features thankfully smoothed and returned to normal. "It was worth a shot." 

Aviy glanced over his shoulder. "Is there anything else?" 

The male started to raise his eyes, then stopped, and licked at his bottom lip with a pink tongue. "Could I maybe have a blanket? And a bath, please?"

Aviy felt a cold wash of shame. His family had never owned a slave before. He didn't know the first thing about keeping one and Sepri (clearly) didn't either. 

"Yes." He said and stood, hoping Sepri wouldn't punish him for what he was about to do. 

They had spare bedrolls for guests, but those were frequently put to use, so he dragged in his own bedroll and blanket. The slave hadn't asked for a bed, but his delicate skin was so bruised and lying on the floor couldn't be comfortable. 

Then he fetched a rag, herb soap and a pail of water. The slaves he'd seen in other clutches didn't seem to care much for hygiene and had to be forced to wash. He'd just assumed this one would be the same. 

"It's cold." He trilled apologetically, as he lowered the pail. "I could heat it first?" 

"It's fine." The male pushed the bedroll away from his filthy skin and swallowed. His throat sounded dry. "Thank you." 

Jamie washed himself thoroughly, occasionally wincing or slowing as he scrubbed a tender area. He seemed so fragile, with that pale soft skin, despite the muscle flexing in his arms. It made Aviy's heart twinge and a croon build in his throat. He forced it down with an effort. 

When the slave half turned to wash his back, Aviy hissed in a shocked breath at the bloody claw marks striping it.

Jamie whirled, staring as if Aviy had attacked him. "What?" 

Aviy started to bend his neck at the aggression in the male's eyes, before he caught himself. 

Sepri had clearly tried to discipline the slave the only way he knew how and that was exactly why Aviy was here. The best thing he could do for Jamie, was to educate him. 

"You have to behave. Then Sepri wont hurt you." Aviy said. 

Jamie stilled and their gazes locked. Again, Aviy struggled not to bend his neck. 

"He wants you to pleasure him and help us run the clutch. He might tell you to clean or to get him something. If you do it well, he won't punish you." Aviy finished gently. 

"No. Really?" The slave bit out, voice hard as stone. 

Aviy flinched and now his neck did bend. 

"He wants a domestic little fucktoy who worships his lizard ass?" The slave breathed hard and a flush of red spread over his chest. "You think I don't know that?" 

Aviy scuttled back, confusion and fear battling inside of him. Some of Jamie's words were lost on him, but he got the gist of it. "But...if you know, why do you resist?" 

"Why?" The slave laughed shortly, without humor.  "Why indeed? It's not much to give up is it? It's only my pride. My soul." 

Aviy didn't understand. Why would a slave, or even an onus, care about pride? Pride didn't fill your belly or keep you warm at night. It only led to suffering.

"But...he might kill you." Aviy said.

The slave suddenly slumped and all the fire left his eyes, leaving them dull. "I know." 

They sat in a moment of awkward silence, as Jamie finished washing. When he was done, he dropped the soiled rag into the pail and sat on the bedroll, drawing the blanket around his shoulders. 

He picked up his cup and drank, then reluctantly reached for the bowl of larvae. He chewed one quickly, eyes scrunched shut. Aviy couldn't tell if it was an expression of enjoyment or disgust, but he was glad to see the slave eating. 

He picked up the pail and rose to leave. A warm touch stayed his tail and he yelped, startled. 

Jamie immediately released him and lowered his hand, rubbing it against the blanket. Aviy hadn't even been aware that he had been sitting close enough to touch. 

"Thank you for the food and the bed." The slave said quietly. He tried to smile again, but it never reached his eyes. 

Aviy's head started to pound. He turned and left quickly. He put away the pail and rag and then snuck through the kitchen, narrowly avoiding his mother. 

He went to the river and swam until his muscles burned and his lungs started to ache. Then he floated on his back and stared up at the trees. He listened to the rustling leaves and the distant roar of the waterfall, but his mind wouldn't quiet. 

He couldn't stop seeing bruised flesh and haunted blue eyes - and the full meaning of the slave's words struck him like a blow to the chest.

Jamie had asked to go home. He had a family that depended on him. He wasn't a dumb beast, that much was clear. He was a sentient intelligent being. He could talk. He could reason. He liked to be clean. And they had chained him up like an animal. 

A fresh horror gripped Aviy and he got out of the water. He ran to the temple yards, where he spotted Roka, throwing a spear with deadly precision at a wooden target.

He felt a burst of pride seeing his brother perform so well. He deserved a clutch, no matter what father said. 

"Roka!" He called and several tothaw turned to stare, body language ranging from curious to disapproving. 

Roka loped towards him, concern paling his scales. "What is it?" 

Aviy had never interrupted his brother's training before and he hunched guiltily. "I-it's about the slave." 

"The slave..." Roka stared, uncomprehending. 

"Sepri is killing it. Please help it, Roka." Aviy looked up pleadingly, reaching for his brother's hands. 

Roka shoved Aviy back and snarled. "You interrupt us for a slave?" 

Aviy cowered, curling his tail around his ankles. "I'm sorry." 

The next blow knocked him to the ground and Roka stepped on his throat, sneering like he hadn't done in years. "You will be." 

Roka stalked back into the yard and the other tothaw bared their teeth at Aviy, warning him off. 

Aviy scurried home, cursing himself for being so rash and stupid. It wasn't his place to question a tothaw's decision. Jamie was only a slave. Roka was right. 

When the suns had set, and everyone was settling down to sleep, Sepri barged into Aviy's room with his bedroll and blanket. "What's this?" 

Aviy scrambled up from his nest of blankets on the floor. His only possessions were what was given to him and he hadn't yet figured out how he would get a new bedroll. "The slave was hurting..." 

Sepri threw the bundle on the floor and struck Aviy's temple with his fist. "I decide what he gets!" 

Aviy dropped like a stone, half-stunned. Sepri gripped his hair and used it to haul him to his knees. 

"Brother." Roka leaned in the doorway and folded his arms loosely. "Let the slave have it." 

Sepri tossed Aviy away from him and advanced on Roka, stopping when they were a handsbreath apart. "Are you in charge now?" 

"Father was angry because your slave is dying. A first tothaw protects his clutch." Roka said calmly. "Aviy is helping you." 

Sepri lifted his chin and looked grudgingly thoughtful. After a brief hesitation, he grabbed the bedroll and blanket off the floor and shouldered past Roka. 

Aviy shifted onto his side and smiled gratefully at Roka. His brother didn't return the gesture, but curled a claw to indicate Aviy should follow him. 

Aviy shuffled after him, dread filling the pit of his belly, when they walked outside and climbed to another clutch. 

He recognised several of the tothaw from the temple yard, sitting on rugs inside. The roof flap was open and a burner crackled in the corner. A rolled clii was passed around, filling the air with sweet smoke.

Roka didn't have to say anything. Aviy knew he had disrespected these tothaw, by interrupting their training without reasonable cause. 

If he didn't make amends, they would demand it from his father, who might finally decide that Aviy was too much trouble to keep around. Then he would have no one and he would starve to death, if the creatures in the forest didn't eat him first. 

Aviy dropped to his hands and knees and crawled towards the nearest male. He crooned and rubbed his cheek against a clawed foot. 

Fingers clamped onto his neck and hauled his face against the male's crotch, cock already exposed from its vent. Aviy opened his mouth and took it deep into his throat.