The Drow Queen of Glaley [Very NSFW]

[Coquette Blacquin]

"You knew him too?"

[Zevran]

"Danarius owned him," Zevran explains, trying to recall details. "He stood out mostly due to his uncommon race and status as locked reserve." Before Cedric has to ask, he then realizes he needs to clarify that. "Danarius has many, ah, foibles and quirks, one of which was a habit of mixing in terms and, ah, rankings or groupings from its hobbies or indulgences for its slave business. In this case, it would use a mish-mash of whiskey and wine terms to describe the value, rarity and purpose of its slaves. 'Reserve' is used to denote a valuable slave that is hard to acquire or produce; a dragonkin, in this case. 'Locked' meant that he was so dangerous and violent that he was to be kept bound by a cursed collar, indefinitely. Even living in the breeding pen-- the Vineyard, of course-- it was strange to see such a combination, especially given that I heard he killed three people despite the collar. It was strange that Danarius bothered trying to contain him despite all that, given it rated him only reserve." Zevran shakes his head, feeling almost spooked by the coincidence. 

[Coquette Blacquin]

"I was the one who freed him," says Cedric quietly. "No, hush, Noire, I know what I'm doing. I used to be a vigilante, the Silver Scale. I freed hundreds of slaves from captivity, and he was among them. But he was never grateful like the others, and he refused any help getting his life back on track. Hells. I think he was angry that I freed him, instead of being able to escape on his own. He swore to prove that he was better than me, and made an enemy of me, trying to conquer the underworld of Glaley and become the kingpin. He nearly killed me, just before I was caught and sent away."

[Zevran]

"You freed him?" Zevran frowns a little, something about that not feeling right. "Wait, Glaley? This was-- you moved to Alessa when you married, ten years ago, no?" When Cedric nods, Zevran continues, "then he must have been recaptured; I saw him thus only a couple of years ago. But your description of him certainly matches. The last I saw of him, he had been sent down to the Fuck Pit. Ah, that is the slaves' name for it; alchemically enforced, unorganized breeding, where it just wants as many children from a slave without care for who or how it blends."

[Coquette Blacquin]

Coquette's eyes narrow in rage. "What," she says flatly, coldly. 

[Zevran]

"Danarius is a monster," Zevran says simply. "Always has been I suspect."

[Coquette Blacquin]

"Impossible," he snaps. "There's no slavecatcher out there that could have brought him in alive."

[Zevran]

"You say you sought out and freed slaves in Glaley, correct? Did you ever hear about-- Did you ever hear the name 'King of Glass and Bone' while doing so?" He had, of course. Not at first, not until he started being able to find and question more than just thugs or criminals dabbling in slave-taking. But once he'd worked his way up to real, dedicated slaver bands, he's heard that name whispered and wielded as a weapon. An male ifrit for sure, but even details as basic as his coloring or location were murky at best. Despite this, there'd been little if any doubt he existed and even less so that he was, while not the most powerful criminal overlord in the Outlands, then certainly the most powerful slaver.

[Coquette Blacquin]

"Even the King, if he exists. Xyrrim was powerful. Very powerful. We almost died."

[Zevran]

"Treachery perhaps? Or numbers?"

[Coquette Blacquin]

"Xyrrim trusted no-one. But numbers, perhaps."

[Zevran]

Zevran nods, starts to say something else, then stops himself. "Coward," he mutters, eyes squeezing shut for a few seconds. "There is more," he says harshly, almost curtly. "That happened in your missing four days. Much-- most-- of it bad. Do you-- do wish for time?"

[Coquette Blacquin]

Cedric takes a deep breath, pushing Xyrrim away. "Noire's thinking of running off back to the house," he notes as he does. "The coward. I don't care much what she did to me, just about things we can fix. There's too much going on inside for me to spend time lamenting over what already happened. So. Out with it."

[Zevran]

"She mentioned-- When you say house, what do you mean?"

[Coquette Blacquin]

"Inside our mind, the house we dwell in when we're not out."