His Emerald Eyes

An Unfair Punishment

'Thoughts'

"Speech"

"Singing"

Recap

"Well, would you look at that. Sorry about that Clauneck I didn't notice his collar when I first spotted him in the hallway, and I was too busy trying to catch him to notice it later."

Clauneck's grip on Tom's arms tightens, causing him to wince.

'I'm going to have bruises later, why is he suddenly mad again? What set him off?'

"You found him out in the hallway?" Clauneck asks through clenched teeth.

At Pytho's nod, he let out a growl.

"That's funny because I had left him chained to the wall in my room. The only way he could have gotten out of my room, something I strictly told him not to do, is if he took the chain off himself."

Blood turning to ice in his veins, Tom feels a claw-tipped finger lifts his chin up until he is looking up into the endless black void of his master's eyes. "Anything to say for yourself my pet?"

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Tom starts trembling in his master's arms. 'I am so screwed; he's going to think I tried to run away. But I was planning on going back, will he believe me? He did say he would give me a chance to explain myself when I get in trouble. It's worth a shot at least.'

Unfortunately, before Tom has a chance to open his mouth to describe what happened he is gripped by the back of his collar and dragged towards the stairs. Clauneck pauses only briefly to grind out through clenched teeth at his companion.

"Clean up the mess you made while I deal with my disobedient pet."

Pytho, seeming to know when to pick his fights, just nods his head and gets to work. Tom is forced to jog to prevent himself from choking as he is half dragged half led back up the stairs and then thrown to the floor of the room he had woken up in. Holding a hand to his throat and coughing heavily Tom eventually regains his breath. Turning his head to assess his master's mood he is terrified to find Clauneck with a look of irritation and disappointment adorning his face.

"This will your only chance to explain why you disregarded a direct order, I will not ask again. And don't you dare try and bullshit your way out of a punishment by lying to me." Scrambling to sit up, Tom quickly launches into his explanation.

"I'm sorry master; I didn't mean to disobey you, I just had to use the restroom and I couldn't reach it with the chain on. I was planning to come back I promise, but then I ran into that other demon..... and he said he was going to eat me.... and I got scared so I ran."

At this point, Tom is crying for what seems like the millionth time in the past two days. Tom sits back on his heels with legs under him as he bents down until his forehead is pressed into the carpet, hands out in front of him. His entire body is shaking with the force of his sobs as he begs the demon before him for mercy. "Please, Master I beg of you, forgive me."

The carpet absorbing his tears as they fell from his eyes Tom waits for his master's decision on what to do with him. A heavy sigh is heard then a large hand is placed on top of his head, rubbing softly.

"It is partly my fault for leaving you here without a way to relieve yourself, and I believe you when you say you were going to return if it wasn't for Pytho. But..." Clauneck uses one of his claws to tilt Tom's head up again until he sees twin emerald orbs shimmering with tears. "Were you planning on telling me about your little misadventure when I returned or were you not going to inform me at all?"