Thatcher pursed his lips together. He’d heard that before, that it would be quick and then he would get let go. That happened last time, and it ended up being bound to the king for many years. Stuck as a prisoner in that wretched kingdom. The second he was free, he had ran. He didn’t waste a single second doing so, he hadn’t wanted to stay in the castle any longer.
“No, not a wolf,” he said, shaking his head. A couple of minutes later, steps could be heard and a large doberman stepped into the doorway. It was tall, with cropped ears and a long devils tail. She was a black and tan doberman with red eyes and burning paws that left singed prints on the ground. Nike appeared happy to see Thatcher, but upon noticing Daisy, her hackles rose and a deep growl sounded from her throat.
“This is Nike, my hellhound,” he said as she stepped over to stand in a heel next to him.
Daisy smiled. "Aw, i love her! she's so cute! would she hurt me if i tried to pet her?" Daisy asked, loving any sort of dog. T
They were being truthful when they said they'd only keep Thatcher bound for as long as absolutely necessary, they didn't want to hurt anyone that didn't deserve it. They wondered how vague they could be when writing victims on the sheet of paper. Could they just write 'Anyone that attacks the one you are bound to', or did it have to be an actual name, they wondered.
Thatcher looked down at Nike, pondering for a moment. She was friendly in nature due to being raised by him. Most hellhounds were very aggressive and unfriendly, but due to his care ever since she was a little pup, she had almost become domesticated in a way. She was trained well, wouldn’t bite unless told she could. He knew that even if she did like someone else, if he gave the word, she would tear them to shreds like she would a stranger.
Thatcher sighed, waving Nike over. “Go say hi,” he told her, and she quickly jumped up and trotted over. She sat in front of Daisy, tail swishing happily as she waited for some sort of attention.
Daisy smiled, reaching out and petting Nike. "Oh my gods- she's amazing! I love her!" Daisy said, a smile wide on their face as they pet the hellhound, loving on her and enjoying the warmth of the dog. "Where did you find her? When did you get her? What's her name?"
Nike was practically like a radiator. Due to the nature of her species, she was constant putting off heat. It was prominent in her mouth, where her fangs would scorch those that she bit, and her paws that would leave burned prints on the ground. Those things came in handy for reaping, where she could practically cook people from the inside when she sank her teeth in.
“Her name is Nike. I found her around 400 years ago as a newborn in Salem. She had been abandoned by her mother, so I took her in,” he answered. Thatcher didn’t enjoy thinking about his time in Salem. He could still remember the feeling of the flames licking at his back. While it couldn’t kill him, he still felt the horrendous singing pain.
"Thats so sweet. We should probably get moving though, im sure they've figured out where I am…" Daisy said, glancing outside to where the sun was starting to set. "Do you prefer camping or hotels?" They asked, wanting to make Thatcher as comfortable as possible. They were still petting Nike, loving on the dog.
Thatcher whistled and called Nike over to him, not wanting to let them get too comfortable together. Nike seemed a bit disappointed by that, but she was loyal to Thatcher and listened. She trotted over and sat in a heel next to him. "Whichever you prefer, master," he replied, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked down, nodding at the sigil on that floor. "You need to break this. I am unable to cross over and exit from it unless you do."
"Oh, sorry." Daisy said, breaking the sigil. "And I'm good with either. Is camping okay with you?" They said, stepping back. They also seemed a bit disappointed when Nike went back over to Thatcher, and they visibly winced when he called them Master. They really weren't trying to be cruel.
Once the sigil was broken, the candles around them were blown out. Thatcher stepped aside and out of the sigil. He could run. While he wouldn’t be able to reap anything else and would be called back quickly, he could still try. He decided he would wait, though. Wait for the right opportunity when Daisy was unaware. She seemed to be interested in Nike, so he could always use Nike as a distraction.
“Camping it is then, master,” he agreed with a nod. It was a title he would be made to use, as much as he hated it.
"If I asked you to just call me Daisy, would you?" They asked, curious. "And how specific do I have to be when writing targets?"
They grabbed their spell book, closing it and making it vanish into seemingly thin air, before going outside.
Thatcher hummed, looking around the room. “Maybe. But calling you master makes you think a lot more about what you have done, does it?” he asked, shaking his head a little bit. He looked down towards Nike, distracting himself as he patted her head and scratched behind her pointed ears. He exhaled sharply when Daisy asked about the targets. “Full legal names,” he stated, “That’s what I need.”
"Oh.. okay. Like I said earlier, it was never my intent to hurt you in any way. I needed help, and I found a way to get it. Does that really seem evil to you? I'm doing my best here." They said, seeming more trying to convince themself then Thatcher.
