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 it's 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.