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Description
"I have you now, you deceiving little runt!" the man grunted through gritted teeth. He peered into the jar he held with his hand over the top. Inside, the strangest Saeli he'd ever seen stared back at him with defiance and fear. "What a catch I made. No one would have guessed you were a Saeli, would they?" he continued, capping the jar with a holey lid. He chuckled at his fortune. Saelies brought more of a profit than their self-centered, spiteful Faerie cousins. With a nicer demeanor and a sense of loyalty they made the perfect present for little rich girls. However, their love for nature and cleanliness made them perfect companions for women. Beyond that, if a man knew how, he could change the Saeli. The man relied on finding hordes of Saelies for the men who knew how to change the critters. This Saeli would lead to a good clutch he hoped.

"Whoa now, little lady. You caught me off guard there. I never met a Saeli who could read minds like that. You won' get another chance to. You see, I deal in all kinds a' magickal creatures and so learnt to shield my mind," he continued to say, shaking a finger at the little female inside the jar. She leaned against the far clear wall of her temporary prison watching him in fear. She saw his plans for her in his mind before he blocked her out. She sank to her knees. "Welp, I had enough a' this. Let's git to it." He slipped her jar into a pouch, leaving the air holes free. Except for the little dots of light streaming in from the lid, he plunged the Saeli into darkness.

When in the dark, Saelies go to sleep. In the dimness of her jar, the captured Saeli dozed. She couldn't say for how long, but she didn't believe he kept her in that state for any considerable length of time before immersing her into momentarily blinding sunlight. She blinked groggily before coming to her senses. When she looked around she nearly cried out in delight. He brought her to a beautiful grove that just so happened to be a favorite spot of hers, not that he knew. The Saeli clamped her hands over her mouth as she gazed longingly outside her glass enclosure.

Outside, the flowers swayed in the breeze sending out a gentle perfume that tickled the senses. The light shone in softly green and yellow. Butterflies fluttered from blossom to blossom. Entrancing light music floated through the clearing, lulling the Saeli into the melody. She almost sang out but at the last moment stopped herself. Shaking, she forced herself to stare stubbornly at her captor.

"You really are a strange little Saeli, you know that?" he said unhappily. "Give it time, no Saeli I met so far resisted. Soon enough you'll be singin' along too and all your little Saeli friends will come flocking. That's right, I know your habits," the man continued. The little creature made a show of glaring at him and firmly clamping her mouth shut. She stared him down causing him to frown. "Stubborn girl," he growled. "No worries, they'll come on their own." The girl felt a sinking in the pit of her stomach. Yes, they would come.

Soon enough, a few Saelies she didn't know showed up. Smarty, they stayed at the edges of the clearing when they saw the man. They made sure to stay hidden. The captured Saeli immediately made mental contact with the two girls who arrived. So you are a Saeli. We couldn't be sure, the blue one thought back.

Not only that, you're a Nonpareil! the green one exclaimed. We must come save you, she added. The captured Saeli turned and immediately began waving her arms in a "no" gesture. The man noticed right away.

"Are some here?" he asked though he didn't expect an answer. He scanned the direction she gestured in but couldn't spot the small creatures.

No, stay away! she told them, sending them the plans she gleaned from his mind. They recoiled. Don't move. He's practiced in the way of Sae and will notice your movements. Wait until he turns his attention to me before leaving, she commanded.

But we can't leave a Nonpareil, both Saelies protested.

He plans for those he captures to be changed. Do you want that? the Nonpareil snapped. At that moment the man turned to her and she sense the reluctant retreat of the blue and green Saelies.

"Were you jus' leadin' me on?" he asked suspiciously but the Nonpareil just stared up at him silently. He snorted and settled down to keep waiting.

He waited for the Nonpareil to make a sound alerting the attracted Saelies that they could approach. But, as a Nonpareil, the Saeli he captured could stave off any other captures, and did. He waited until night fell when he knew all Sae slept. He kept a light on his prize to keep her artificially awake. Her body knew it should sleep, but the light he kept on her prevented it. Halfway through the night he checked on her exhausted form. "You goin' to cooperate?" he questioned but just like any other inquiry only silence met him. Finally, mercifully, he plunged the Nonpareil into darkness.

She stayed asleep for what she gauged as a long time. He moved her far from her forest and they now stopped in a city. He had her displayed in the front window of his shop. She hunkered away from the many faces that peered in on her. Some showed interest, some showed confusion. Many people came in asking about her but the man didn't sell her. Several days passed and while the man took proper care of her, it didn't compare to the freedom of the forest. The Saelies of passersby had to be warned off when they showed concern because the Nonpareil couldn't risk anyone for her well-being.

Eventually a man came in asking about her and the man seriously conversed with him. That man took her home. The captor had briefed the man completely on the circumstances surround her capture. He tried for weeks to gain her trust, to coax even the slightest sound out of her. Every attempt failed. He tried torturing her with the absence of light, the absence of plant light, the absence of darkness. None of these techniques went over well and he almost killed her on each three attempts. He tried sporadically to change her but those failed the worst. He wanted to break her so badly that he didn't return her. After years of struggle he gave up and decided to keep her as a good luck decoration and moved on to more changeable Saelies. The Nonpareil cried for every Sae he corrupted.

The Nonpareil spent the years in a cage so close yet so far from the nature she loved. He didn't trust her to stick around, and with good reason. Toward the end of her stay he never saw her without tears on her face. She took to simply laying and crying on the bottom of her cage, watching the outside world. She missed her old life, sure, but it killed her not to utter any sounds ever. Saelies needed sound. Talking, muttering, screaming, singing, all Saelies needed some sort of vocalization and years without took their toll.

One day, one of his changed Saelies came up to her cage and peered in sadly. The Nonpareil watched her sadly and disgustedly. I'm sorry. I know, the corrupted Saeli told the Nonpareil. The capture Saeli expressed silent surprise at the respect the girl showed her. Most Sae, once changed displayed very little of their uncorrupted characteristics, and the Nonpareil couldn't remember ever seeing them from her before now. At this point in life she could barely lift her head. Time spent in a cage away from the world depleted her energy and life force. The girl reached up and opened the cage, taking the Nonpareil carefully in her hand. Covering her precious cargo, the corrupted Sae raced from the scene.

Once more in dim light, the Nonpareil dozed off. When introduced to the light again, it happened at easier intervals. She felt herself placed on something soft. Looking around, the Nonpareil found herself amongst nature once more. The ,i>changed darted away but Sae and Fae alike soon surrounded her. She smiled weakly, too far gone. They raised their voices and urged her to raise hers. She understood the necessity. With the last burst of her life the world around her quieted and she let out a high, clear note. The last sound she made since her capture so many years ago. No longer would she be silenced, in life or after death.

Description
"I have you now, you deceiving little runt!" the man grunted through gritted teeth. He peered into the jar he held with his hand over the top. Inside, the strangest Saeli he'd ever seen stared back at him with defiance and fear. "What a catch I made. No one would have guessed you were a Saeli, would they?" he continued, capping the jar with a holey lid. He chuckled at his fortune. Saelies brought more of a profit than their self-centered, spiteful Faerie cousins. With a nicer demeanor and a sense of loyalty they made the perfect present for little rich girls. However, their love for nature and cleanliness made them perfect companions for women. Beyond that, if a man knew how, he could change the Saeli. The man relied on finding hordes of Saelies for the men who knew how to change the critters. This Saeli would lead to a good clutch he hoped.

"Whoa now, little lady. You caught me off guard there. I never met a Saeli who could read minds like that. You won' get another chance to. You see, I deal in all kinds a' magickal creatures and so learnt to shield my mind," he continued to say, shaking a finger at the little female inside the jar. She leaned against the far clear wall of her temporary prison watching him in fear. She saw his plans for her in his mind before he blocked her out. She sank to her knees. "Welp, I had enough a' this. Let's git to it." He slipped her jar into a pouch, leaving the air holes free. Except for the little dots of light streaming in from the lid, he plunged the Saeli into darkness.

When in the dark, Saelies go to sleep. In the dimness of her jar, the captured Saeli dozed. She couldn't say for how long, but she didn't believe he kept her in that state for any considerable length of time before immersing her into momentarily blinding sunlight. She blinked groggily before coming to her senses. When she looked around she nearly cried out in delight. He brought her to a beautiful grove that just so happened to be a favorite spot of hers, not that he knew. The Saeli clamped her hands over her mouth as she gazed longingly outside her glass enclosure.

Outside, the flowers swayed in the breeze sending out a gentle perfume that tickled the senses. The light shone in softly green and yellow. Butterflies fluttered from blossom to blossom. Entrancing light music floated through the clearing, lulling the Saeli into the melody. She almost sang out but at the last moment stopped herself. Shaking, she forced herself to stare stubbornly at her captor.

"You really are a strange little Saeli, you know that?" he said unhappily. "Give it time, no Saeli I met so far resisted. Soon enough you'll be singin' along too and all your little Saeli friends will come flocking. That's right, I know your habits," the man continued. The little creature made a show of glaring at him and firmly clamping her mouth shut. She stared him down causing him to frown. "Stubborn girl," he growled. "No worries, they'll come on their own." The girl felt a sinking in the pit of her stomach. Yes, they would come.

Soon enough, a few Saelies she didn't know showed up. Smarty, they stayed at the edges of the clearing when they saw the man. They made sure to stay hidden. The captured Saeli immediately made mental contact with the two girls who arrived. So you are a Saeli. We couldn't be sure, the blue one thought back.

Not only that, you're a Nonpareil! the green one exclaimed. We must come save you, she added. The captured Saeli turned and immediately began waving her arms in a "no" gesture. The man noticed right away.

"Are some here?" he asked though he didn't expect an answer. He scanned the direction she gestured in but couldn't spot the small creatures.

No, stay away! she told them, sending them the plans she gleaned from his mind. They recoiled. Don't move. He's practiced in the way of Sae and will notice your movements. Wait until he turns his attention to me before leaving, she commanded.

But we can't leave a Nonpareil, both Saelies protested.

He plans for those he captures to be changed. Do you want that? the Nonpareil snapped. At that moment the man turned to her and she sense the reluctant retreat of the blue and green Saelies.

"Were you jus' leadin' me on?" he asked suspiciously but the Nonpareil just stared up at him silently. He snorted and settled down to keep waiting.

He waited for the Nonpareil to make a sound alerting the attracted Saelies that they could approach. But, as a Nonpareil, the Saeli he captured could stave off any other captures, and did. He waited until night fell when he knew all Sae slept. He kept a light on his prize to keep her artificially awake. Her body knew it should sleep, but the light he kept on her prevented it. Halfway through the night he checked on her exhausted form. "You goin' to cooperate?" he questioned but just like any other inquiry only silence met him. Finally, mercifully, he plunged the Nonpareil into darkness.

She stayed asleep for what she gauged as a long time. He moved her far from her forest and they now stopped in a city. He had her displayed in the front window of his shop. She hunkered away from the many faces that peered in on her. Some showed interest, some showed confusion. Many people came in asking about her but the man didn't sell her. Several days passed and while the man took proper care of her, it didn't compare to the freedom of the forest. The Saelies of passersby had to be warned off when they showed concern because the Nonpareil couldn't risk anyone for her well-being.

Eventually a man came in asking about her and the man seriously conversed with him. That man took her home. The captor had briefed the man completely on the circumstances surround her capture. He tried for weeks to gain her trust, to coax even the slightest sound out of her. Every attempt failed. He tried torturing her with the absence of light, the absence of plant light, the absence of darkness. None of these techniques went over well and he almost killed her on each three attempts. He tried sporadically to change her but those failed the worst. He wanted to break her so badly that he didn't return her. After years of struggle he gave up and decided to keep her as a good luck decoration and moved on to more changeable Saelies. The Nonpareil cried for every Sae he corrupted.

The Nonpareil spent the years in a cage so close yet so far from the nature she loved. He didn't trust her to stick around, and with good reason. Toward the end of her stay he never saw her without tears on her face. She took to simply laying and crying on the bottom of her cage, watching the outside world. She missed her old life, sure, but it killed her not to utter any sounds ever. Saelies needed sound. Talking, muttering, screaming, singing, all Saelies needed some sort of vocalization and years without took their toll.

One day, one of his changed Saelies came up to her cage and peered in sadly. The Nonpareil watched her sadly and disgustedly. I'm sorry. I know, the corrupted Saeli told the Nonpareil. The capture Saeli expressed silent surprise at the respect the girl showed her. Most Sae, once changed displayed very little of their uncorrupted characteristics, and the Nonpareil couldn't remember ever seeing them from her before now. At this point in life she could barely lift her head. Time spent in a cage away from the world depleted her energy and life force. The girl reached up and opened the cage, taking the Nonpareil carefully in her hand. Covering her precious cargo, the corrupted Sae raced from the scene.

Once more in dim light, the Nonpareil dozed off. When introduced to the light again, it happened at easier intervals. She felt herself placed on something soft. Looking around, the Nonpareil found herself amongst nature once more. The ,i>changed darted away but Sae and Fae alike soon surrounded her. She smiled weakly, too far gone. They raised their voices and urged her to raise hers. She understood the necessity. With the last burst of her life the world around her quieted and she let out a high, clear note. The last sound she made since her capture so many years ago. No longer would she be silenced, in life or after death.