Erik gave a sigh of deep boredom, leaning his chin and cheek on his curled palm, adjusting his elbow slightly to find the groove in the 'royal' chair that had been worn from his adopting the exact pose he was in. Every week there seemed to be another one of these arena fights, either a grudge match or fight between a wild animal and a slave or something. He idly wondered how long he would have to be king before he could stop going to these functions, and began calculating out how many hours he had wasted in the year long period of his reign.

His math was interrupted as there came the announcement of the combatants.  Someone's servant was being sent against the half-bred harem boy.  Erik adjusted his leaning slightly to appear more interested as the boy was led into the ring, noting the half vampire looked to have been starved. 'Wonderful. Adding to the bloodlust,' Erik sighed to himself in thought. Well, at least it would be a mostly clean kill. The boy looked as if he would suck up any stray drops from the sand if they spilled....

Nikita strained against the guards as the other slave was led into the ring.  Guards were strong, but the other slave's blood was just as hot and he was allowed to eat here.  He felt his fangs drop.

The guards left, signaling the start of the fight, and Nikita launched himself at the other man.  His opponent made a move as if casting a spell and stood stricken when nothing happened.  Nikita, used to this reaction from spayed opponents, ducked under the man's arms.

He reeled as the man recovered faster than most and hit him to the ground, but got up to a crouch and launched himself at the man.  Holding him with the desperation of having the scent of hot blood in his nose and being hungry, he sank his fangs into the man's neck.

He closed his eyes in bliss as the liquid filled his mouth and the man's struggles grew less.  He pulled the man closer, trying not to let a drop of the precious liquid elude him.  His body went limp for a moment in bliss before his mind filled with images not his own, something that always happened although he didn't know why.

Nikita dropped the body and rose, body not seeming to fit right briefly.  His eyes darted around the ring before he grew accustomed to himself again and sank down on his heels to await the guards.

Erik blinked, straightening in his chair. 'Interesting....' he thought as the boy was taken away again. Apparently the boy did have some vampiric powers after all.  Why was it that no one had noticed this before?  'Easy answer. They're all idiots,' he answered himself with a sigh. He motioned to one of his flunkies. "Have the boy brought to my chambers," he instructed.  Having someone with vampiric powers, and not any of the ridiculous limitations that normal vampires had, like that severe allergy to sunlight, could be useful.  And if the boy had any abilities of his elven parentage....

Nikita was yanked out of the cleansing water.

The guard looked him over, leering.  "No reason to get dressed.  The king wants you," he said, sneering the word king like it was a curse.

Nikita looked at the hand that was holding his arm until the guard pushed him away in front of him.  "King's chambers.  Now!"

Nikita trotted through the hallways, ignoring the obvious stares of the demon lords in his path.  He reached the king's throne room and was announced by the guard at the door.  He entered and approached the king, kneeling on the blessedly clean floor.

Erik looked at the boy a moment. "Rise and state your name, age and race," he ordered.

Nikita stood slowly.  "Nikita," he said in a soft, little used voice.  "Twenty, I think.  Elf and vampire."  He'd grown used to saying elf first so others wouldn't accuse him of trying to make himself look like a real demon.

Erik nodded to himself. "Do you know what breed of elf?"

"All elves are the same," Nikita recited.  "And all need to be killed."

Erik rolled his eyes, making a dismissive gesture. "Not if they know their place," he said with a near sigh. "Who's been teaching you this rubbish? There are at least thirty types of elves, all different, all with different annoyances and abilities."  He sighed. "What are your abilities? What can you do?"

Nikita relaxed slightly as the interview got to something he knew.  "I can do whatever you want me to.  I've been trained for any pleasure."

Erik made a noise of disdain. "I mean with magic and such talents and all that... not any animal rot!"

The boy shrank back in confusion.  "I just feed when I'm allowed.  I'm not even a proper vampire - worse than the worst...."

Erik sighed again.  "Personally, anything is better then a proper vampire... if you can call such things proper." He adjusted himself in his chair. "Now... when you... feed," he said the word with disdain. "What happens?"

Nikita looked at the man, desperately trying to figure out what he wanted to know.  Slowly he began to answer, stopping frequently to see if the information was what was desired.  "I bite the victim with my fangs...."  He let his fangs drop to show them.  "I take their blood....  That's all it is."

"And afterwards..." Erik said, trying not to sigh. It was obvious the boy had at least a half a wit, but most of it had been sucked out by the idiots who had trained him....  This was going to be tiring work....

There was a pause and then understanding dawned.  "You mean the pictures," Nikita said, soft voice intense.  "You know what they are."  A statement, not a question.  "Tell me," he begged, gold eyes fixed on Erik's blue ones.

Erik blinked a moment, then smiled. Maybe this wouldn't be as hard as he thought...  "Is it like you're seeing through someone else? As if you've absorbed the memories from the blood you're ingested?"

Nikita nodded eagerly, voice rising slightly in pitch.  "Like I don't fit right.  Like I should be someone else."  His eyes widened.  "How do you know?"

"It's something that happens to vampires. They... read the blood they take in." Erik paused a moment. "Allow me to show you how it works." He snapped his fingers and a servant appeared at his side.  He said a few quiet instructions and the servant left again.  He returned a moment, leading a confused looking demon of a low cast.  "Give him your arm," Erik instructed the demon.

The man looked wary, but obeyed.

"Now, Nikita. Taste his blood.  Do not kill him as you do so, just take a small amount."

The boy licked his lips and slowly lowered his fangs to the vein in the turn of the man's arm.  He let the sweet taste of the blood flow into his mouth a moment before the images came.  Strong images.  He recognized the man in them.  He had served that man several times.  The man he drank from had talked to the other man and told him things about the king.

Surprised at the surety of the knowledge, Nikita pulled away, licking his lips to clean them and looking between the king and the man warily.

"Now," Eric said, lips curling up on one side in anticipation. "What did you see?"

The lower cast demon looked worried.

"He talked with the lord chamberlain."  Nikita closed his eyes.  "He told him what you ate for dinner...."

Erik turned his eyes to the now panicking lower demon. "Is this true?" he asked in a smooth voice.

"My lord, you're going to believe this... thing?  It lies!"

"He told the lord chamberlain which pots were for your room and which went to the halls," Nikita continued in a dreamy voice.

"Mmmm..." Erik said, smile growing more feral. "Most interesting...."  He snapped his fingers again.  "Throw the lord chamberlain into the jails. Interrogate him thoroughly."  He turned back to Nikita. "You may finish him off if you wish."

Nikita's eyes snapped open and he looked at the man he'd just drunk from.  The man shook his head and began to back away.  Nikita stepped forward slowly.  'You can't go now,' he said silently.  He breath sped as he took the now still man in his arms and buried his fangs in the man's throat.

Erik watched, mentally making notes on the procedures.  When the lower demon had been fully drained he nodded. "Very good. You may take his clothing to cover yourself. I'll order new things for you in the morning."

Nikita licked his lips clean and looked down at the man in his arms.  "I'm staying?" he asked, hesitantly.

Erik nodded. "Yes. As King, I have right to any slave I chose, and I am choosing to exercise this right.  Do you eat cooked food as well?"

"I'm yours, then?" Nikita asked, ignoring the other question.  The intensity on his face told that the answer to this was more important than anything else.

Erik nodded. "Yes. I am now your owner and master. You will obey only my commands and report to me any attempts by others to change that fact. Is this understood?"

Nikita sank to his knees, bowing double.  "Master," he said.  "I understand.  I am yours alone."

Erik smiled. "You may rise," he said, voice holding a slight softer tone. "In private, there will be no need to bow before me, understood?  Now, to readdress the question of your eating needs..." He paused. "Do get dressed. I expect you to be dressed at all times in my presence unless I tell you otherwise."

"Yes, Master," Nikita said, stripping the man as he rose.  "I can eat what everyone else does."  He paused, pulling the ill-fitting clothes over his nakedness.  Putting the man down, he looked up at Erik through his lashes.  "Am I allowed to?"  The question had mild desperation to it.

Erik nodded. "Of course. It does me no good if you are starved. Come, I will have the cooks prepare us a meal."  He rose to his feet, waiting for the boy.

Nikita rose eagerly to follow his Master.
 
 

Nikita looked up at his Master's bed, trying to figure out what was required of him.  Most masters would call him, but this one seemed to think he should know things.  Maybe this was just another thing he should know.  Which would be worse, going when he wasn't wanted or not going when he was?

After a hesitation, he climbed up into his Master's bed, curling at the man's side.

Erik made a noise that was almost 'Ewww!' and pushed the boy out of the bed. "What are you DOING?!" he exclaimed, bed sheets held close to him like a shield. "I thought I told you, you sleep on the floor! That's what all the blankets and pillows are there for until those incompetents get a second bed in here!" He gave a small shudder as if trying to shake off the feeling of being touched. "Is there something wrong? Floor's too cold? You need more blankets?"

Nikita curled in on himself.  "I'm sorry, Master!  I thought you were testing me again."  He looked up, expression unsure.  "You really aren't going to have sex with me?"

Erik's eyebrow rose. "Have sex with you?!" he repeated, voice half disdainful and half disbelieving. "What in the seven hells for?"

"Everyone else seems to want to."

"Most everyone else is a moron." Erik sighed. "Rest assured I will not be requiring any... carnal duties of you." He shuddered slightly at the thought.

Nikita bowed his head.  "Please forgive me, Master.  I didn't mean to give offense."

Erik sighed. "It's all right. We'll start your retraining in the morning," he said in a near tired voice. "Must remember to inform those dolts in handling not to be filling slaves heads with this rubbish... but as a start: Never assume the wants of one are the wants of many." He paused. "Or vice versa for that matter. Now, get to sleep. I will not have lack of rest impairing your performance or attention in any way, understood?"

"Yes, Master," Nikita said, curling into his pile of blankets.  "I will try not to fail you."