Chapter 16 : Past Noon

Fiona's face showed her irritation clearly as she stood in the center of the room and watched her sister dry herself off. After leaving the shower, both her body and hair had been toweled dry and she was made to stand with her legs slightly spread on a rectangle shaped bathmat.

Kianna was humming quietly to herself as she continued to absently dry her body with one of the white cotton bath towels that Anton had brought back with him. Once she was satisfied with her level of dryness, she wrapped the towel around behind her back and shimmied it up under her arms before folding it over her chest and tucking it into itself to tie it off.

“Why does she get to keep her towel and I don't!” growled Fiona as she narrowed her eyes and pointed her ears straight back behind her head.

“Because she isn't about to be given an examination, and you are” answered Anton as he glanced up at the mirror in order to view the dark elves standing behind him “Don't worry though Fiona. You aren't being singled out. She'll lose her towel when its her turn”

Kianna had a smug smirk on her face as she tucked her hair behind her ears and looked around at everything in the room except her sister.

Registering her sister's mocking attitude, Fiona tightened her eyes even further as she slowly balled her hands into fists.

Anton continued to observe the fuming dark elf in the mirror for a moment before turning around and facing her directly. Fiona's glare remained fixated on her sister for only a second before her large eyes shifted to Anton and locked to his.

There were no threats in the dark elf's eyes as she stared, calm and unblinking. None of the rage and hatred that she had displayed so brazenly before now existed anywhere in the vivid rubies that were her irises. Now there was only the simple message of her raw, murderous intent.

Whether or not Kianna even registered the heightened level of aggression that her sister now displayed was questionable, for if she did, she choose to ignore it.

Anton however, did not.

Without a word, Anton crossed the distance that separated them and stood right in font of the dark elf.

Fiona remained completely still, save for her eyes which stayed focused on Anton's and followed them as he approached and stood in front of her.

Gazing into her eyes, Anton found confirmation in his assessment that if she were able to at this very moment, this dark elf would indeed kill him.

“It's nice to see that those enchanted soaps do live up to their reputation...” he said as he tilted his head one way and then the other “I can tell they've definitely had an effect on you...”

Fiona's eyes tightened but remained unblinking as she followed his movements.

“You look good. I'd say even better than you did before” said Anton as a thin smile took form on his face “You look stronger. And more, confident”

Fiona's eyes shifted into a full glare as her anger began to break through her calm facade.

“How do you feel?” asked Anton as he leaned in just a bit closer “...Any better than before? ...Any more, confident?”

Fiona clenched her jaw as her irises began to shine with a faint red glow.

“...I asked you a question, Fiona” said Anton as he suddenly reached out and took hold of her chin “How do you feel?”

The startled dark elf blinked in surprise and tried to pull away. Finding herself held in place by a firm but gentle grip, her glare returned as her eyes darted back to Anton's.

“Well?” asked Anton as his face became stoic while he stared her down “How do you feel?”

“...Good!” grumbled Fiona through her still clenched teeth “I feel good!”

“Good, that's good...” soothed Anton as he maintained the stoic look on his face “And do you feel more confident as well?”

Fiona was still for a moment as she stared at him.

“...Yes” she answered in an emotionless tone.

“Well that's very good to hear” nodded Anton “I wouldn't want one of my dark elves to not feel confident after all”

Fiona's eyes went wide as she instantly became enraged.

“I am not one of your fucking-!” she exclaimed.

“And how does your collar feel?” interrupted Anton as he lifted her chin up higher and exposed her neck and collar “Is it comfortable?”

Finding herself suddenly staring up at the ceiling, Fiona went rigid and then began to lightly tremble as she tightened her still balled up fists. Her ears began to quiver in anger as Anton slid a finger between her neck and collar.

“Doesn't seem too tight... and it looks like the water resistance charm is working...” mused Anton as he slid his finger back and forth along the dark elf's neck while examining her collar “Does it still make you feel small?”

“...No, not anymore!” growled Fiona as she stared straight up at the ceiling “I've beaten it!”

“Hm... no, you haven't beaten anything Fiona. You're just getting used to it” said Anton as he touched the blood gem on the collar and set it aglow “Kianna!”

The second dark elf pointed her ears straight upwards in surprise as her name was called.

“Yes!” she chirped as her eyes darted from her sister to Anton.

“Would you like to take a closer look at your sister's collar?” asked Anton as he turned back to her “I've noticed that you've been pretty curious about it”

“...Y-yeah!” cried Kianna as she quickly stepped forward “Thank you!”

“Mm hm” hummed Anton as he shifted to the side so as to make room for her.

Fiona's face became scowling as Anton maintained his hold on her chin and allowed Kianna to lean in close and examine her collar.

Kianna was bright eyed with excitement as she peered at the elegant looking collar that was wrapped tightly around her sister's neck. Shifting back and forth she spent several long moments looking over the collar from different angles before going still and staring at it from straight on.

“...It looks really good on you Fiona” she said quietly as she gazed at the set of three gems on the face of the collar “...Like, really good”

Fiona's scowl deepened enough for her bared teeth to show clearly as she clamped her eyes shut and sighed through her nose in annoyance.

Kianna grinned and kept her eyes on her sister's gems while she stood up straight and took a step back from her.

Fiona blinked open her eyes as Anton dropped his hand away from her chin. The dark elf quickly turned her glaring scowl on him before slightly softening her face and shifting her gaze to her sister.

“...You know what” said Kianna as she tilted her head to the side and cocked one of her ears in a curious manner “The collar makes you look, kinda... scary!”

Fiona's entire demeanor darkened as her eyes tightened back into a murderous glare and she pointed her ears straight back.

Blinking in surprise at her sister's overly hostile response, Kianna leaned back and smiled sheepishly as she lowered her own ears.

“I mean that in a good way!” exclaimed Kianna as she put her hands up in mock surrender “It makes you look cool! And uh, tough! And dangerous! Like a badass!”

“It's a fucking slave collar Kianna!” snarled Fiona as her eyes were set ablaze with a bright red light “It makes me look like a fucking slave!”

“...Yeah!” said Kianna as her eyes shifted from her sister's face to her collar “...But not really though!”

Fiona pressed her lips into a thin line as she raised her balled fists and took a step forward.

“Fiona, you were told to stay on the mat” said Anton in a eerily relaxed tone “Now calm yourself down, and get back on it”

Fiona stopped mid-motion and immediately turned her glare towards him.

“And what are you going to do if I don't!?” she growled “Huh!? You gonna humiliate me some more!?”

“Yes, I will” said Anton calmly as he crossed his arms over his chest “And I'll do this by helping you to understand just how easily free movement can now be taken away from you”

Fiona stared at him for a moment as she digested what he had just said.

“...What!?” she exclaimed as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards.

Anton's tone and demeanor remained calm and nearly emotionless as he continued to speak.

“I said that I'm going to help you to understand that being able to move freely is now a privilege for you” he said as he took a step forward and looked down into the dark elf's glowing eyes “You've only had your arms and legs back for a very short time. And it would be a shame for you to lose them again so soon”

“...You're, you're kidding!?” exclaimed the dark elf as she eased herself back “You gotta be joking!?”

“Now why would you think that?” asked Anton as he tilted his head and creased his brow in question “I've put you in bondage before. And I've kept you in bondage for days. What would make you think I wouldn't do it again?”

Fiona remained still and silent as she stared at him.

“...Well?” asked Anton as he raised his head out of it's tilt “I asked you a question, Fiona”

“Y-you!” stammered Fiona as she leaned her head back in affront “You can't just do that to me!”

“Of course I can Fiona. I own you now, and I can do as I please with you” explained Anton “And if I think that some discipline is going to be necessary to help you to understand that, then so be it”

Fiona blinked as her mouth fell open and hung agape for a moment before she closed it and clenched her jaw in determination.

“You, you can't do this!” she growled softly through her teeth as her eyes continued to shine with an eerie red light and she pointed her ears straight back in challenge “I swear! I'm not gonna let you beat me!”

Anton stepped right up to the dark elf and loomed over her.

Fiona was still for a moment before she slightly eased herself back as she subconsciously registered his lack of fear.

“Honestly Fiona, what are you even doing right now?” whispered Anton as he mockingly narrowed his eyes in question “You're smart enough to know how ridiculous this is. You have nothing to gain here, and so much to lose. So what exactly do you hope to achieve with this little stand-off? ...Or is this just your way of trying to prove to me how stubborn you can really be?”

Fiona said nothing as she tightened her still glowing eyes.

“...I am not going to continue to play these pointless games with you Fiona. So unless you actually do want to spend another very uncomfortable day downstairs” reasoned Anton in a quiet, calm tone “I suggest that you just let this go”

Fiona stared up at him for several moments before blinking and looking away in frustration.

“...Very wise, Fiona. Now, if you would, I'd like you to go ahead and step back onto the bathmat” said Anton in the same calm tone “Please”

With her anger still clear on her face, Fiona took a step back and planted both of her feet squarely on the bathmat.

“Thank you, Fiona” said Anton as a thin grin spread across his face “I appreciate it”

“I hate you!” hissed Fiona as she glared off to her side and then clamped her eyes shut in anger.

Anton nodded slowly as he eased himself back and stepped away from her.

“I'd like you to place your hands behind your head Fiona” he said softly as he turned away from the dark elf “And please, do not move again until I ask you to”

Fiona blinked and began to tremble in rage as her eyes began to glow brighter than they ever had before. She stood there and hesitated for a moment before she tentatively relaxed her fists and lifted her arms above her head. She then grudgingly planted her hands on the back of her skull and slumped her shoulders. Moving only her eyes she glanced up at Anton and glared at his back for a moment before the anger began to fade from her face and she lowered her ears as she let her eyes fall to the floor.

Kianna's ears were pointed straight upwards as she stared completely transfixed at her sister. She had never had an experience quite like this before. And although she had no frame of reference for what she had just seen happen, she couldn't help but to become excited. She had just witnessed another sapient being fall into submission, and as a dark elf, that sight alone was a thrill for her. But it was the process which led to it happening that was still racing through her mind.

She knew from her own experience the power that Anton now had over herself and her sister. The collars around their necks gave him the ability to make them do whatever he pleased. All it would take was a simple command and they would obey him without question.

There had been no command, and yet, Fiona had still obeyed him.

Kianna knew her sister well enough to know how spiteful she could be when being chastised, and that the mere idea of possible consequences would never be enough to sway her this way on its own. She desperately wanted to know why her sister would choose to simply listen like this but didn't dare to ask her at the moment.

Fiona certainly didn't want to obey, that much was clear. She had no qualms about letting it be known that she hated Anton and would not only not hesitate to seek revenge against him, but had no desire to follow any of his orders. And yet that's exactly what she had just done. With barely any struggle at all she had conceited and obeyed. And how Anton had gotten her to do this was what Kianna's mind was now working on trying to understand.

If they were given a command then both of the dark elves would obey. The curses that bound them would force them to do so, and they would have no choice. And yet Anton had not only chosen not to use this method to control Fiona. He had shown that he didn't even need to.

With his words and his presence alone he had forced Fiona to acknowledge and understand that there would be losses for her if she did not maintain control of her own behavior. There had been no threats, no show of power, neither magical or physical and no mention of a command at all.

Despite leaving Fiona's freewill intact, Anton had still somehow gotten enough control over her that when he instructed her to expose herself and remain completely still, she didn't fight back or argue but instead had chosen to quietly do as she was told.

Fiona had been left allowed to make her own choices, and for some reason, she had chosen to surrender and obey.

As Kianna continued to stare at her sister and struggle to understand this strange scenario, a new thought suddenly slipped into her mind and immediately caused a fierce burning in her loins.

With a thin smirk now on her face, she watched her sister and began to imagine what it would feel like to trade places with her, and stand there herself with all of Anton's attention focused on her as she stood there, naked, exposed, vulnerable and completely under the power of his control.

Anton glanced up at the mirror in front of himself to check and be sure that Fiona had done what he had told her to do. He grinned in satisfaction as he found the miserable and frustrated looking dark elf standing in the position he had instructed her to be in. Turning slightly to the side, he gave Kianna a cursory glance as well and couldn't help but to stop short and cock an eyebrow at the sight of the other dark elf.

Kianna was staring directly at her sister with an odd, almost dreamy looking expression on her face and was lightly panting out of her half opened mouth.

Anton shook his head softly as he noticed that her arms were both angled downwards across her torso and that her hands were now under her towel, as she was clearly touching herself again. He was of course aware that dark elves were infamous for their libidos but this was quickly becoming ridiculous.

“Kianna” said Anton as he watched her out of the corner of his eye.

The dark elf stiffened and turned to him immediately.

“Y-yes Master!” she cried cheerfully as she pulled her hands out from under her towel and acted as though she were merely straightening it.

“Could you come over here for a second” said Anton as he looked down at the travel bag and shifted it over to make an open space on the counter-top “I'd like to check your collar real quick”

“Okay!” cried Kianna as she immediately began to move towards him.

Turning to look back at the dark elf, Anton was lightly startled to find that Kianna was already standing right next to him. The bright eyed dark elf was using just her fingertips to lightly play with her collar as she grinned up at him.

“Hm...” mused Anton as he bent down and rested his hands on his knees as he leaned in for a closer look at the collar “Did it stay dry in the shower?”

“Yes!” chirped Kianna as she happily raised her chin to give him a better view of her newest accessory.

“Good... And it doesn't feel too tight, does it?” asked Anton as he slipped a finger between Kianna's neck and her collar “Because it can be loosened if it is”

“No!” sang the dark elf as she stared up at the ceiling and shook her head “It's snug, but I kinda like it like that! It let's me know it's there!”

“Hm, okay then” grinned Anton as he stood back upright “Just let me know if it becomes too uncomfortable though and I'll fix it for you”

“Okay!” exclaimed Kianna as she smiled up at him “I will!”

“...You really are something else Kianna!” chuckled Anton as he shook his head “I honestly doubt there's another dark elf in all of existence that would be this excited to wear a collar!”

Kianna's smiled faded as she cast her eyes downward and looked away from him.

“...It's not just the collar” she mumbled quietly as she lowered her ears and a light blush spread across her cheeks “It's also... You, it's cause you made this for me...”

“Ah, I see” nodded Anton as he reached out and wrapped his arm around her shoulders before pulling her into a soft, one-armed embrace “So you're saying that when people ask me how I tamed my little dark elf, I should tell them that it was easy? I just made something pretty and gave it to her?”

Kianna playfully punched him in the side as she hid her face against his chest.

“No!” she complained as she pointed her ears straight back “That's not what happened!”

“It did help though!” chuckled Anton as he gave her a squeeze “Didn't it!?”

“...Maybe” mumbled Kianna in a quiet tone “...Yes”

Anton laughed as the dark elf pressed her forehead into his chest in protest.

“Here!” he said as he took hold of her shoulders and turned her until she was facing the mirror “Have you even seen it yet?”

Kianna's eyes went wide as she silently stepped away from Anton and pressed her hips against the edge of the counter-top as she leaned forward and stared at herself in the mirror. The enchanted dark elf spent the next several minutes twisting, tilting and turning her head and shoulders back and forth as she examined herself and her collar.

“...So what do you think?” asked Anton after she had gone still for a moment “Do you like the way it looks?”

Kianna turned to him with a blank look on her face and stared in silence for a moment. Without a word she ducked her head and clasped her hands together over her heart as she quickly made her way back to him and pressed herself tightly against his chest.

“Y-yes! I d-do” she sobbed as she flattened her ears behind her head and nuzzled her face against him “It's so b-beautiful!”

Anton chuckled softly as he wrapped his arms back around her shoulders and held her gently.

“Aw, how cute” he mumbled as he rubbed the back of her head “Is my little dark elf happy with her collar?”

“Shut up! ...And yes!” whined Kianna as she muffed her own voice by pressing her face against his chest “...Yes she is!”

Anton grinned to himself as through the mirror he was able to watch Fiona as she rolled her eyes in annoyance. Noticing that he was looking right at her, she stiffened as their eyes met in the mirror.

His grin growing into a smile, Anton looked back down at the dark elf in his arms and rubbed her head again.

“Alright Kianna, time to dry your eyes” he soothed as he leaned back from her “We still have some work to do!”

“...Okay” grumbled the dark elf as she wiped her eyes with his shirt and pulled away with a sigh “...I really like the way you smell!”

“...Well, thank you!” smiled Anton as he shook his head “I like the way you smell too!”

Kianna was biting her lower lip as she looked away to hide her blush.

“Good!” she chirped as she glanced over at her sister.

Fiona gave her a tired, irritated look as she slowly shook her head back and forth.

Huffing in indignity, Kianna stuck her tongue out at her before turning away to follow Anton to the counter-top.

As the dark elves both watched, Anton unzipped the center compartment of the travel bag and pulled out a thin metal tray as well as a roll of thick looking blue-colored paper towels. After layering a paper towel over the tray, he pulled a pair of metal boxes out of the bag and set them down on the counter-top. From the first box he took out a medical stethoscope and hung it around his neck before turning to the second box.

Kianna's eyes went wide as she watched him take what looked like sets of both medical and dental instruments out of the box and begin to set them out in several rows across the towel covered tray.

Fiona's eyes filled with unease as she too watched the instruments appear out of the metal box. Suddenly feeling vulnerable in her nakedness, she grimaced as she tightened her shoulders and pressed her thighs together.

Catching her movements in the mirror, Anton glanced up at her and grinned.

“Feeling nervous Fiona?” he asked as he lifted up a pair of odd looking metal-framed glasses that had a thin pen-light attached to the right side of the frames.

Fiona set her jaw and pointed her ears back in annoyance as she watched him click on the little light and move it up and down as he made sure it was working correctly. Shifting her head just slightly, she moved her eyes to the side and glanced at the open door.

Noticing this, Anton set the glasses down on the tray and lifted his head to look directly at her in the mirror.

“Choose your battles carefully Fiona” he declared in a calm tone.

The dark elf kept her eyes on the door for a moment before letting them fall to the floor as she flattened her ears back behind her head.

Anton nodded as he acknowledged her gesture and lowered his gaze back down to the counter-top.

Kianna's eyes had remained wide as they darted back and forth over the items laid out across the paper towel covered tray.

“...Hey! Are you a Doctor!?” she asked as she looked up at Anton.

“No, not officially” answered Anton as he set a soft, plastic measuring tape on the tray “And by that I mean I'm not officially licensed. But I've patched together enough paper cuts over the years to have picked up quite a bit of know how. And at this point I wouldn't be surprised if I could pass most medical exams. I do also have a Holy Attribute. But try as I might, I've never been very good with any of the healing spells that I've tried to learn. So I've had to lean on more of the traditional methods and potion making, which I am pretty good at”

“Healing spells don't work for you?” asked Kianna as she cocked one of her ears in a curious manner.

“They... work, just not that well” answered Anton “Like I said, I just don't have a talent for them”

“Hm” mused Kianna as she stared at the measuring tape “You know how to make potions though?”

“I do” nodded Anton “That's a skill that's always useful. Especially while traveling. Potions are one of the few things that have a value everywhere, and I can whip up a few overnight and either use them myself or sell them for any extra money I may need along the way”

“Huh, yeah, that's smart!” reasoned Kianna “...So do you do a lot of traveling?”

“Sometimes” shrugged Anton “If I have nothing better to do then I might decide to go exploring somewhere. Like I've said before, I don't like to be bored”

“Right” nodded Kianna. The dark elf went to say something else but stopped short as Anton began to speak.

“By the way, Fiona” mumbled Anton as he looked over everything he had laid out on the tray “I noticed that you were calling Kianna “slave” while you two were messing around earlier. Is that something you would normally do?”

“No, that was the first time she's ever called me that” answered Kianna as she looked back at her sister.

“Hm, what brought that on then?” asked Anton as he too glanced back at Fiona.

“I don't know!” mumbled Fiona as she shrugged her shoulders “Just seemed right I guess”

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Anton chuckled and nodded his head.

“And how long have you two been enjoying each other like that?” he asked as he rummaged around in the travel bag and pulled out another thin, metal box.

“Um, a while I guess” mused Kianna as her face became thoughtful “It started when we were sharing a room at school. So like, 8 years now? Or something like that?”

“Hm, and were you two always interested in each other?” asked Anton “Or did you just prefer each other to the other people around you?”

“Um, no, well... it's not that we didn't...” stammered Kianna as she grimaced in sorrow “Nobody would talk to us, remember... and we were always lonely...”

“...Right, of course. I did forget about that” nodded Anton as he took a tuning fork out of the thin metal box and set it on the tray “So then, do you two consider yourselves a couple now?”

“Oh no, no! It's not like that!” exclaimed Kianna as she shook her head “It's not like we're together! We just, have fun sometimes! We, we both fuck other people too! Well, we have”

“I'd rather not talk about this stuff if it's all the same to you!” growled Fiona as she glared down at the floor “It's none of your damn business anyway!”

“...Uh, I don't know if that's true, Fiona?” mused Kianna as she looked at her sister “Even if he isn't going to use it himself. You do still belong to him now, pussy and all. So anything that has to do with your pussy is kind of his business now”

Anton couldn't help but to start chuckling at the direction Kianna's logic had taken.

“Seriously Kianna!” growled Fiona as she glared at her sister “I fucking swear I'm gonna-!”

“Now, now! None of that!” teased Anton as he lifted the tray and held it out to Kianna “Patients aren't allowed to threaten the nurses, Fiona!”

Kianna's eyes went wide in excitement as she eagerly took hold of the offered tray and held it with both hands.

“I'm your nurse!” she exclaimed as she looked down at the items laid out across the tray “...What do I need to do!?”

“Just follow my instructions” explained Anton as he smiled at her enthusiasm “It'll all be simple stuff”

“...Okay!” cried Kianna as she lowered her ears and continued to stare down at the tray “Go slow though, please! I've never done anything like this before! And I don't wanna mess anything up!”

“Don't worry. We aren't going to do anything too complicated today!” laughed Anton as he reached out and tilted her chin up to have her look at him “We're just going to poke and pinch your sister a little bit! And see what kind of funny noises we can get her to make!”

Kianna held her tongue between her teeth as a playfully wicked smile spread across her face.

“This is going to fun!” said Anton as they both slowly turned to Fiona “For us!”

The irritation quickly faded from Fiona's face as she looked back and forth between their evil looking smiles. Her brow pinched itself in worry as she groaned nervously. Despite her previous attitude, she still couldn't help but to flattened her ears back submissively once Anton began to move ominously towards her.

“We'll be playing this by ear a bit, since there really isn't any precedents for dark elves” mused Anton as he stopped just in front of Fiona and looked her up and down “I've got some working knowledge of elves in general, but from what I've been reading dark elves do seem to be pretty different from the other types”

“What, the Hell are you talking about!?” mumbled Fiona as she stared nervously at the tray of items in Kianna's hands.

“I'm talking about your basic care” explained Anton “Since dark elves like you prefer to keep as much about themselves as secret as possible, and have never been kept as slaves before. There is no pool of knowledge to pull from when it comes to keeping your kind. In other words, I'm not really a hundred percent sure on how to recognize the differences between a healthy, or an unhealthy dark elf... I don't really know what signs I should be looking for...”

“She looks pretty healthy to me?” said Kianna as she peered at her sister's face “And pissed off too!”

“You both do... Look healthy I mean...” said Anton as he cradled his chin in his hand “But first appearances can be misleading. Especially when you don't have much of anything to compare it to... I do think you're both very healthy looking, but there are a few things that still stand out...”

Kianna immediately turned to him and lowered her ears.

“What do you mean!?” she cried as her eyes tightened in unease “What stands out!?”

Anton chuckled at her panicked expression.

“Nothing you need to worry about!” he said as he reached over to her and rubbed the top of her head “Just a few things I've noticed and want to keep an eye on”

“What have you noticed?” asked Kianna as she cocked one of her ears in a curious manner.

“Well, the biggest thing is your height. You're both a bit on the shorter side” said Anton “Not that I think it matters too much since you aren't that far off from what is supposedly normal for dark elves... It is pretty noticeable though...”

“...Wait!?” cried Kianna as she locked eyes with her sister “You're saying that we're!? ...We're, short!?”

“Well, yes. For dark elves you are” chuckled Anton “Did you really not notice that?”

“No!” mumbled Kianna as she and her sister gave each other concerned looks “We never...!?”

“Is your Mother not the same height as you are?” asked Anton as he tilted his head to the side and looked at each of the flustered dark elves.

“...No!” declared Fiona as her eyes went wide in realization “She's way taller than us!”

“Master!” cried Kianna as she frantically looked up at Anton “What's wrong with us!?”

Anton turned away and was silent for a moment as he held back the urge to laugh. Recomposing himself he looked back to the now nervous looking dark elves and gave them a reassuring smile.

“This is nothing you need to worry about!” exclaimed Anton “Like I said you're not that far off from what's normal for your kind! You're just a little on the shorter side, that's all!”

“But why!?” cried Kianna as she looked from him to her sister and back “Why are we short!? Our Mom isn't this short! So why are we short!?”

“Ah, well...” mumbled Anton “It could be a few things. You're still young and dark elves do have very long lifespans. And I'm not exactly sure how old a dark elf is suppose to be when it's considered full grown. So it is possible that you might be still growing, even now”

“Oh! Really!?” cried Kianna as she turned to her sister with a questioning look in her eyes “Is that true!?”

“...Don't ask me! I don't know!” exclaimed Fiona with a shrug “He's suppose to be the expert here! Not me!”

“I'm not an expert, I'm just thinking objectively” said Anton “Another factor to consider is the fact that you two are supposedly twins”

“And why would that matter?” asked Fiona.

“Twins are usually smaller than singletons at birth” explained Anton “In most species, twins that are smaller when first born will generally still grow to a normal full size as adults. This isn't always the case with every species though, and it may be possible that dark elves are one of the species were twins will always be on the smaller side”

“Huh, I guess that kinda makes sense” mumbled Kianna “We would need to be smaller so both of us could fit inside our Mom's belly...”

“It could also be dietary” continued Anton “Do you have a very broad diet? Or do you usually eat the same few things over and over?”

“Um, well we just eat what we like. Which I guess is just a few things over and over...” answered Kianna with a shrug “Will that really make us shorter though!?”

“Possibly, if you aren't getting the right nutrients then it can” explained Anton “Every species is different and has different requirements. It's possible that you could have a diet that was normal and healthy for most species but was still lacking something that dark elves needed and this could have given you a mineral or vitamin deficiency. That's why it's important to understand what you are and how to properly take care of yourselves”

“Well excuse us for not knowing that!” exclaimed Fiona as she glared up at him “Nobody ever told us anything about that stuff before!”

“I'm not blaming you Fiona. I'm just explaining the possibilities of why you're on the shorter side of things” reasoned Anton “Again, I don't think it even really matters. Being shorter doesn't make you unhealthy, just different”

“Does your book say anything about short dark elves?” asked Kianna as she glanced over at the deck chair the book was sitting in.

“Probably. But I haven't had a chance to finish reading it, or the other 2 volumes yet” said Anton “It's been a very busy few days for me”

“Oh, couldn't finish a book! But you still had plenty of time to steal all our money!” exclaimed Fiona “How convenient is that!?”

“Well thanks to you it was very convenient!” quipped Anton as he folded his arms over his chest “That didn't take very long at all actually!”

Fiona went to speak but was stopped short by the venomous look her sister was giving her.

“Uh, yeah...” she mumbled as she sheepishly looked away.

“Anyways, let's go ahead and get started” said Anton as he took a step closer to Fiona “You can lower your arms for now. I'll tell you when to raise them again”

Fiona set her jaw and tightened her eyes in irritation at being told what to do but without a word she lowered her arms to her sides.

“Just relax, okay, I'm going to touch you but I'm not going to hurt you” said Anton.

Fiona stiffened and pointed her ears straight up as Anton placed his hands on either side of her neck and pressed upwards against the top half of her throat above her collar.

“W-what are you doing!?” exclaimed Fiona as her widened eyes darted about sporadically.

“Feeling your lymph nodes...” said Anton as he moved his fingers back and forth beneath her jawline “Can you swallow real quick?”

Fiona hesitated for a moment before gulping awkwardly.

“What are “lymph nodes”?” asked Kianna.

“They're a system of glandes that run throughout the body. They produce hormones that keep bodily functions working correctly. The ones in the throat can become swollen and are effected by infections fairly easily so they're a good indicator of sicknesses” explained Anton “Do you ever suffer from sore throats?”

“No” mumbled Fiona.

“When was the last time you felt sick?” asked Anton.

“...I don't know? A long time ago I guess?” said Fiona.

“So it's been years?” asked Anton.

“Yeah” answered Fiona.

“Okay, that's good” said Anton as he moved his fingertips upwards and pressed them into the sides of Fiona's neck just below her ears “Do you have any allergies?”

“No, I don't think so” said Fiona.

“Do you ever suffer from any pain or burning in your ears or in your face?” asked Anton “Even if only slightly?”

“...No” said Fiona.

“Okay, good...” said Anton as he let go of her face. Turning to Kianna he picked up a thin penlight from the tray.

Fiona cringed back a bit as Anton raised the light to her face.

“Just relax and look at the light...” he said as he shined the light into each of her eyes and watched as her pupils dilated in response “This is just a quick check...”

Anton took note that the faint light shining back off of Fiona's retinas had become a bright red in color but her irises, despite the fact that he had seen them glowing before, did not seem to reflect the light at all. Although they were naturally a bright ruby red in color, it was a bit surprising that they continued to stay dull even with the penlight shining directly on them. Apparently, her ability to make them glow was not dependent on an outside source of light, but was somehow achieved through some other mechanism.

“Tilt your head back just a bit...” said Anton as he gently lifted her chin upwards and looked into her nose with the light.

Fiona grimaced but continued to do as she was told. She lowered her head and looked away as soon as Anton released her chin.

“I know your ears are very sensitive, so I'm going to be as gentle as possible” said Anton as he turned back to Kianna and set the penlight back down on the tray before picking up a hand-held otoscope “I am going to have to hold them still though, so please try to stay relaxed and don't panic”

Fiona's eyes went wide as she leaned away from him.

“My ears!?” she exclaimed as she stared at the otoscope and pressed her ears to the back of her head in an attempt to hide them “But they're fine! You don't need to touch them!”

Anton went still for a moment as he assessed her.

“This should be very quick but you can make it take much longer by being difficult” he explained “If you think it will be easier for you I can put you into “golem mode” while I do this”

“What!? No!” cried Fiona as she went to glare at him “Okay! Fine! I'll, be still! Just, don't stick your fingers in them! ...Or pinch me!”

“I'm not going to pinch you!” laughed Anton as he stepped to her side and leaned in close to her head. Fiona clenched her jaw as he slid the bottom length of her earlobe between two of his fingers and held her ear in place.

Anton was still for a moment as he looked into the dark elf's ear using the otoscope.

“Hm...” he mused as he released Fiona's ear and moved around to her other side. He lingered a bit longer on this side as he examined not only her inner ear but around it's outer length as well.

“...Your ears are filthy” he mumbled as he straighten back up and turned to the tray in Kianna's hands “You're definitely going to hate this next part...”

“What!? What do you mean filthy!?” cried Fiona as a look of panic spread across her face “Wait! What are you going to do to me!?”

“I'm going to take care of you” mumbled Anton to himself as he set the otoscope back on the tray “It looks like that's one trait that dark elves do definitely share with the other elves...”

He stopped short as he reached for a bag of cotton balls and instead picked up the metallic tuning fork.

“Actually, lets go ahead and do this first” he said as he lifted the fork up to his face and quickly looked it over “We'll just get all the ugly stuff out of the way in one go...”

Both of the dark elves were staring intently at the metal fork with obvious curiosity.

“You know what... I think this one may be too soft of a pitch!” said Anton with a grin as he turned back to the counter-top.

As the dark elves watched he placed the tuning fork back into a metal box and took out another one that was much thinner. Turning back to look at the dark elves he tapped the fork against the side of the counter-top and grinned at the immediately reaction.

Both Fiona and Kianna had been looking right at the fork as Anton held it poised to be tapped. As soon as it began to vibrate they both clamped their eyes shut and cringed away from it as they folded their ears back against their heads. Anton was not able to actually hear anything as the pitch of this tuning fork was far too high for him to be able to register it with his human ears. But judging by the response that he got out of them, it was blatantly clear that these two dark elves could certainly hear it.

“What the fuck is that thing!?” cried Fiona as she moved to cover her ears with her hands “And why is it screaming!?”

Anton chuckled and pressed the fork against the side of the counter-top to stop it's vibrations.

“It's called a “tuning fork” and it's used to test a persons hearing, as well as a few other things” he said as he smiled at the cowed dark elves “This one here is actually supposed to be used to calibrate lasers. But apparently it can be used to torture dark elves as well!”

“Asshole!” snarled Fiona as she clenched her fists in anger.

“What did I tell you about cussing at me Fiona!” said Anton in a mocking tone as moved back towards them and set the tuning fork on the tray “You won't think it's funny anymore when you have a mouth full of soap!”

Fiona pointed her ears straight back and looked away from him as she began to grit her teeth.

“I will!” teased Kianna as she smiled at her sister.

Fiona glared at her before turning to Anton and watching him as he took a cotton ball out of the bag.

“What's that for!?” she asked as she watched him pick up an extremely thin metal rod that had a flattened wedge at each end.

“Your ears” said Anton as he turned to face her “I'm going to clean your ears with this. It isn't painful but you could be injured if you panic and jerk around. So you're going to need to stay very still”

“...Oh Hell no! You're not going to stick that in my ears!” exclaimed Fiona as she folded her ears back behind her head and put her hands up in front of herself “You're fucking crazy!”

“Fiona, I can see the marks around your ears from where you've been scratching yourself with your nails” said Anton “I know you haven't been cleaning your ears properly and it has been bothering you”

“...I, that's!” stammered Fiona as a surprised look spread across her face.

“You don't like to stick things in your ears. I understand that, but you can't just neglect them forever” said Anton “This will only take a minute and I promise that you'll feel much better when it's over”

Fiona's eyes appeared to become even larger as she stared back at Anton.

“No! I'm not going to let you!” she declared as she stepped back off the bathmat and moved backwards towards the door “You can fuck right off!”

“Okay then...” sighed Anton as he shook his head “We'll just do this the easy way...”

Both of the dark elves froze where they stood as Anton's aura spread outwards and filled the room.

“No! No! Not this!” whimpered Fiona as she struggled to keep moving towards the door “Fuck you! I hate you!”

“Fiona, I want you to relax” commanded Anton in a calm tone as he watched the blood gem on her collar begin to glow brightly “Then come back over here, stand back on the bathmat and remain completely still”

The dark elf's eyes immediately became dull and doll-like as all the tension seemed to wash away from her entire being. Without a word she walked back onto the bathmat and stood completely still with her arms hanging limp at her sides.

Moving quickly, Anton stepped to her left side and immediately began to work on cleaning her ear.

Kianna was once again transfixed by the sight of her sister. Taking a step closer she peered into her face and was met with nothing but an unfocused stare. Gripping the tray tighter with her left hand she raised her right hand and waved it in front of Fiona's face.

Kianna's own face scrunched up in uneasiness as her sister's complete lack of response made her stomach become queasy.

“Master, what did you do to her?” she asked as she lowered her ears nervously.

“She's fine. This is nothing permanent” said Anton as he remained focused on his task “This is what it always looks like whenever a slave has had their mind locked away”

“She's not blinking though!” exclaimed Kianna.

“Oh, really?” mumbled Anton “Fiona, close your eyes”

Fiona's eyes immediately fell shut and Kianna grimaced at the almost robot-like response.

“...She's okay Kianna” said Anton as he noticed the troubled look on her face “She'll be back to normal as soon as I'm done and I release her”

“Can she hear me?” asked Kianna as she moved closer to Anton.

“More than likely” said Anton as he wiped the tiny metal wedge clean with a cotton ball “Sometimes a slave will black out completely and essentially go to sleep. But I doubt she's done that since she isn't going to be comfortable enough to relax like that”

“Will she remember this then?” asked Kianna as she squinted at her sister.

“Well, somewhat. If she hasn't blacked out then she'll be able to be aware of what's happening around her. But whether or not she's paying enough attention is a different story” explained Anton “My voice is really the only thing she's actually fully focused on. But if she's trying hard enough she should be able to register everything else that's going on around her as well. She obviously won't remember anything she doesn't register though, so it may seem like she's lost her memory when in reality she was just completely unaware of what was happening”

“So there could be things happening right in front of her and she might not even know about it?” asked Kianna.

“That is possible, yes” said Anton “It's very unlikely though”

“...That's still kinda scary” whispered Kianna as she lowered her ears even further.

“It's really not that different from what it would be like if she was asleep” said Anton as he stepped behind Fiona and moved around to her other side.

Kianna passed in front of her sister as she quickly followed him.

“Believe it or not, I've actually met plenty of slaves that willing want to be put into this state” mused Anton absently as he began to clean Fiona's right ear “Some have been so fond of it that they'll even beg for a daily session of time in it”

“Really!?” exclaimed Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards and she turned to look at her sisters face “Why would they want to do that!?”

“Well, from what I understand, they actually find it therapeutic. Apparently by having the world blocked out like this they're able to become so comfortable that they can fully release their minds and enter a meditative state” explained Anton “And according to them being locked away with nothing but their own thoughts has given them a chance to fully understand who they really are as a person. So many of them swear that this can be such a blissful and enriching experience, that's it's become hard for me not to believe them”

“...I guess I could see how that would work” mumbled Kianna “I don't think it would work that way for Fiona though...”

“I don't either. I don't think that Fiona is someone who could ever give up control without feeling damaged” said Anton as he wiped the wedge clean on another cotton ball “That really shouldn't be a surprise though, since that just makes her like every other normal dark elf. They all seem to be pretty much the same in that way”

Kianna nodded as she gazed at her sister.

“...I don't really know what other dark elves are like” she declared in a hushed tone “I don't think I'm like them though...”

“No” said Anton bluntly “You're not, you're nothing like them”

“...Do you think something is wrong with me?” asked Kianna as tore her eyes away from Fiona and looked at him imploringly.

“Do you honestly feel like something is wrong with you?” asked Anton.

“...I don't know?” whispered Kianna as she looked down at the tray in her hands “Maybe? ...Probably”

Anton turned to her and picked up a tiny bottle of alcohol from the tray before moving to the sink. He washed off the metal rod and it's wedges before dousing it in the alcohol and setting it out to dry on a fresh paper towel.

Kianna stood where she was and continued to stare at the tray. She remained still as Anton came back and stood in front of her.

“There are countless dark elves that are all exactly the same” he said as he lifted her chin up and made her look at him “There is absolutely no reason for you to ever feel ashamed for being nothing like them”

Kianna blinked as she stared up at him.

“I've said most of this before but I'll say it again just to make it clear. In the short amount of time that I've known you, I have seen first hand that you have had enough compassion and bravery to stand up for and selflessly protect what you love time, and time again. Your sister, your home, and even me” said Anton as he looked her in the eyes “You have been poised enough to admit your fears, regrets and faults. Smart enough to recognize that you were not happy with your life, and so strong that despite the risks that you knew were involved you were still willing to go after what you wanted and embrace a new adventure. Now, after doing all of this with a clear head and no hesitation, how can you possibly think that there could ever be anything wrong with someone that's as amazing as you are!?”

Breathless, Kianna had gone completely silent and still as she merely stared back at him.

“...If I ever hear you doubt yourself like that again, I swear I will severely punish you” said Anton as he let go of her chin “Do you understand me”

“...Yes, Master!” chirped Kianna as she lowered her face in an effort to hide her smile “Yes I do!”

“Good” nodded Anton as he turned back to Fiona “Now, come over here so we can finish taking care of your sister's ears”

“Right! Okay!” cried Kianna as she quickly followed right behind him.