Bnubando. [Mathew]

[Kyrie Blaze]

Emotionally exhausted, Kyrie sat outside Mathew's house within Mount Olympus. She was leaning against the siding of the house, sitting upon the ground. Her toes dug against the grass.

This place was wonderful. And horrible. A reminder of the past. A glimpse of a possible future. A dream. And a nightmare.

The woman sighed, pale blue eyes in an even paler face watching the sun as it broke upon the horizon, casting the first light of dawn over Mount Olympus and California itself. The first light of day. Hope. Her mind continued to turn over, twist inside and out. What and why and how.

"Sív pide köd."

'From ground zero I begin anew.'[/color] She did not fool herself. It would not be easy--not that it ever had been. She was afraid to face the day, the dawn, and all she held dear...but apparently, not dear enough. Yet she would gather what remained of her self-worth (not much) and courage, because she could do no less. [/font]

[Mathew Amtrum]

Mathew had spent the hours prior to dawn in preparation for this moment. Forging the brand through his power and locating a suitable brazier to use. It stood in front of his house on the quiet street. It's coals as red hot as the brand buried within them.

He hadn't bothered to speak to Kiyr since he began his work. Nor had he spared her so much as a passing glance. Everything was part of her punishment. From the moment she made her choice.

Looking over the sun rising over one of his kingdoms the long forgotten urge stirred within him. He longed for a smoke, something he had not thought about doing since he was seventeen. Too late now, he would be hard pressed to find a pack in this day and age.

"What have you learned?"

He finally broke the silence. His voice cold and stiff, his back still to the girl.

[Kyrie Blaze]

'Not enough.'

So was her immediate thought. And in a sense, it was true. She had far overreached her abilities, placed too much trust in those she had no business doing so. And that hurt.

"Too much and not enough. But I am reminded of my place, and how life truly is. I have no right, nor the privilege, to step the drawn lines and boundaries, nor even to walk them. My trust and loyalty are placed in naught but one...and should never have been placed in another unless given permission to. Trust upon the battlefield only extends so far, and is not the same..." If she realized that it was the way, the agreement to withhold secrets instead of simply...agreeing...she did not say. She probably did. She wanted to say no decision she would make would be done without his approval, but...she could not go to him for every little thing, either. With a shaky breath, she continued. "...a-and that...there are no words I can speak to convey my regret, nor, I think, are there words that I could speak you would believe."

It bordered on questioning. Perhaps she hoped that wasn't the case, though she felt it to be true.

And unspoken was that there were no words she could attempt to say, nor would she, that would stave off her punishment.

[Mathew Amtrum]

"I see."

He said still keeping his back to her. His eyes shifting to the brand and the coals. A small shake of his head as he stared at them. He really was disappointed. In both of them, but her mistake was far worse than Rai's.

"Do you know what the point of stepping back and letting both of you find your niches was?"

A simple question with an obvious answer. To him at least.

[Kyrie Blaze]

Her gaze fell to the grass. Soft and green. She pulled her legs up to her chest and tucked her feet in.

"...to see what we would do." The obvious and simple answer. "If we were ever to become an Elder, to see how we would carry ourselves."

And by that...she didn't deserve it. How could she come up with a way to make amends? Not to just Mathew, though he would have to be a primary concern, but to David as well. Perhaps she never should have accepted what was too good to be true. Thrive? Family? What was she thinking? But she was so tired of doing what she had been to survive, and he had been right. Old habits were slow to die, and died hard.

The self-disappointment was apparent, though quiet, as was her entire nature.

'Too eager to try and please your new 'family', Kyrie. Like a lost and abused pup, the first shred of kindness has you wagging your tail. Stupidly hopeful...'[/color][/font]

[Mathew Amtrum]

"Well at least you are still smart... Most of the time." He added as an after thought.

"I don't care that you chose to be in Sky Force. I care that you agreed to it knowing you would need to hide things from me. I am an Elder, and your master. Any reason any Dragon would want something hidden from me or another Elder should make you wary. For instance I've never had you hide anything from David or Leon, have I?"

That wasn't how he played his games. He was honest.

"You got tricked. Whether he meant to use it for when our feud resumes after Barker or he was setting a trap for you doesn't matter. I warned you before, I'm the honest one."

Everyone just assumed that he couldn't be trusted because he could be cruel.

"Stand up and strip."

He commanded, turning to face her finally.

[Kyrie Blaze]

"...human, and flawed." Came the response after his pause. There was no way she could be perfect all the time, but she could and would own up to her mistakes. She took a moment to think back on more than just his question. "...no, Earth Dragon, but would they think to ask..?"

Her gaze fastened on him and she listened, trying to comprehend more than what his words told her.

She...hadn't known. Not about that--the feud. The trust shrivelled for those she had given it to. Save for one that could not and would not be touched. An echo of memory passed through her mind and she shivered. Her head bowed a moment. On that teaching from days gone by, she would have to cling to.

With the command issued, Kyrie rose to her feet, feeling unbalanced in more ways than one. But she complied, eyes closed. The clothes were folded, not to waste time, but to give her something to do to steady her nerves. When she was done, clothes and small items laid upon them, she opened her eyes to Mathew.

And waited.

[Mathew Amtrum]

Mathew's hand went to the ground, placing it gently against the stone which rose up to greet his touch. Covering his hand with it's embrace he straightened back up and would grip the brand from the coals.

He let his eyes move over her exposed body. No sexual interest in her, but he wanted her to feel exposed, shamed. In only a few strides he was before her, the brand still radiating intense heat. His free hand reaching out to grip her hair and pull her close so she could read what it said.

Bnubando.

"Do you know what that means?"

He waited for her to answer before inching it closer to her face.

"Perhaps I should mark you where all can see?"

[Kyrie Blaze]

It was working. But then, she had already been shamed before that this was a dull twinge. Yet still present. She winced and offered only the slightest of flinches but was dragged forwards without resistance. The heat was uncomfortable, highly so, and part of her fully expected him to brand it upon her face.

Because he could. And likely would.

Her eyes opened, and she exhaled slowly, bracing herself despite her quick tremours.

"...property." She intoned, squeezing her eyes shut as it was inched forwards. She quivered, externally and internally, but didn't balk away. "...of course I would prefer you did not press the brand against my face, but it is not my choice where you place it."

[Mathew Amtrum]

"If this brand said betrayal, I would stamp it on your forehead as a warning to all in the future."

He released her hair.

"But it doesn't. This is a reminder to you of what you willingly entered. Until you are released by me or made an elder. My interests are your interests because you belong to me."

His flesh hand would slide down her cheek and neck as he moved around her. His hand tracing down her body as if to prove that he could and would do what he wanted. He didn't care about any modesty she may or may not have. It was only when his hand reached the back of her upper right thigh did he stop. Only to tighten his grip and jam the searing hot brand in to her flesh, marking her forever.

[Kyrie Blaze]

Kyrie made no response as Mathew spoke. There was no need to an acknowledgement past the slight inclination of her head. Her eyes closed and she could not forcibly relax. Though she did not want his hand sliding down her body, though she flinched and grimaced, she did not attempt to pull away. There was definitely a certain sense of self-loathing and the bitter taste of bile upon her tongue. Her hands clenched, relaxed, clenched again.

She got the point, his message delivered loud and very clear. Her gaze went flat as he grabbed her, and she couldn't help the flinch, nor the yelp after a hastily-curbed shriek and momentary twitch of trying to fling herself away before she stopped herself and stood on trembling legs with a hiss of pain.

[Mathew Amtrum]

He gritted his teeth as he held her in place. He expected the reflexive movement. And he did not relent on the brand until he was sure she was marked deep enough. The smell of cooked flesh told him she probably was. Dropping her he would move away and stick the brand back in to the brazier.

"Now that the friendly reminder is done with are you ready for your punishment."

It wasn't a question. And he fully expected a yes from her.

[Kyrie Blaze]

Kyrie bit down on her tongue as he removed it, trying not to inhale and gag. Her stomach rolled. Twisted. Threatened. She simply tried to take slow, steady breaths. Not that that was easy.

The blonde's eyes twitched towards Mathew at his words.

She exhaled, slowly.

"...I have to be, so yes."

There was no need to question why. She knew.

[Mathew Amtrum]

"Your punishment will be straight forward. Walk from here to the edge of Crow territory and meet me there. You must go alone though. This is your burden to bear."

He tapped his foot on the ground which would have the stone twist and spiral around Kiyr until it formed a heavy backpack made of stone. Already secured on her body.

"Meet me there and it will be removed."

[Kyrie Blaze]

Kiyr stood, putting most of her weight upon her unbranded leg, as the nerves and muscle on the one Mathew rightfully branded shrieked at her. It doubled as the stone slipped over her and secured itself into a pack. A very heavy pack. Almost too heavy. She stumbled, strangled a yelp, and slowly straightened, allowing her legs to bear the weight, her back simply a brace. Walking naked. Lovely. Better, yet--

"...I have a few questions, if you would permit me to ask them..."

Though it wasn't a question in itself, it almost sounded like one.