Setting the quill against the parchment Silf drew a line that suddenly began to morphe. Extending out to form letters strung together into a single line. When it had finished she felt it. An invisible link drawn tight between her and Magnius.
It was done. Magnius was now her owner. She found herself suddenly lost in second-guessing herself. Questioning if she'd made the right choice. "Silf." Her new master's voice brought him to her attention.
"Yes, master?" She instinctively responded looking up to him as he took back the quill. His expression ... he was … angry? She cringed trying to hold back a well of growing negative emotions. She felt like she'd misspoken somehow. No, that wasn't it. But what then?
"First of all, don't call me Master." Magnius replied. His voice boiled with frustration. He scowled moving back to his desk. The scroll followed, rolling itself back up. Even the twine tied itself without him ever needing to set a single finger to work.
She understood now, but this wasn't exactly something she could help. She needed to explain or she feared this might become a long term problem. "I'm sorry but I can't help it sir" Silf began.
"The collar compels me to be respectful, refer to my owner as Master, and obey their orders. It's not something I can help." She bowed hoping it would help make up for a mistake she couldn't have prevented.
There was a moment of silence. "I see, and what of requests?" Magnius asked. His expression calmed as he returned the scroll back to the drawer it belonged.
He was used to Slaves being compelled to obey orders but given the circumstances with her collar, he felt he needed to explore every avenue in order to find its weakness. The more he understood how and what the collar could and couldn't do, the better the chances he'd find a way to remove it.
Besides that, he'd never encountered a collar that forced its host to be respectful. That sort of behavior was trained. Beaten into them. This was an interesting development. One he now wanted to explore.
Silf wasn't sure. "I, uh" She stuttered trying to remember a time she'd been asked to do something instead of being commanded. She couldn't. Not that she wasn't sure she hadn't been at least once in her life.
She only felt the compulsion if she resisted or forgot so it had become a normality. Obeying anything she was told, and being respectful was second nature now.
"Silf, I command you to sit down. Crossing your right leg over your left with your hands on your knee" Silf felt the compulsion. She couldn't help but obey him.
It was like an itch you can't ignore. A fly buzzing in front of your face. You can't help but swat at it. It was as much a physical need as hunger, exhaustion, or thirst. An irresistible, mental, physical NEED!
She did exactly as he'd ordered. This was the first command he'd given her. It stood out though. Why order her to sit down in such a specific way? And why did he look so ... interested in it all?
"Magnius that's out of line!" Zyom said practically yelling. Silf wanted so badly to cup her hands to her ears but couldn't. She couldn't resist the orders Magnius had given and heer hands felt locked in place now.
"Yeh, what the bloody hell," Aryzath said. Silf hadn't heard her come into the room but the doors had been left open after all. She could have entered at any time.
Looking over her shoulder to the redhead Silf could see the rage painted across her face. Silf wasn't sure she understood what the sudden outrage was about? He'd given her an order. A bit of a weird one sure, but she didn't mind it. She expected it really.
Magnius knotted his fingers together, elbows resting on the desk, his head resting now propped up by his hands." It's an experiment in futility. Every magical item crafted by mortal hands has a flaw. A weak link to the chain. It's simply a matter of probing to find and exploit it."
"And this is how you do it?" Zyom demanded, his voice still raised.
Silf looked to her former master. Zyom seemed so upset with the order but it was such a simple meaningless thing. It wasn't like Magnius had ordered her to do something outlandish or compromising. She could live quite happily if that was the worst he intended to make her do.
"Unfortunately yes," Magnus answered. "This is the most effective way to find those weak points and part of why I couldn't relinquish the ability to give commands internally. Consider it a small price to pay for freedom if you will." Magnius said looking at Silf.
She thought he looked concerned, or maybe sad? His expression was marked with something she couldn't exactly describe. A morbid curiosity maybe? "Silf will you step outside and close the door please?" He waved a hand towards the doors.
The room fell silent as Silf stood and left. All eyes were on her. Magnius took a heavy breath once the doors were closed. He was prepared for what was about to come.
"Magnius explain yourself!" Zyom demanded but the mage raised a hand silencing his friend and Aryzath who was prepared to chew him out as well.
"Interesting," Magnius remarked, jotting a note on a scrap sheet of parchment. Aryzath looked like she was about to throw something at him. "It's interesting because that wasn't an order. It was a request." He continued.
The room was dead silent. Save for the scratching of the quill on parchment. No one said a word, though glances were exchanged. "Either the collar doesn't distinguish requests from commands or once the order has been obeyed she's no longer bound to the command."
He paused, No that didn't seem right.
He jotted a second note. A question for later. "Or perhaps" He leaned back in his chair, crossing one arm over his chest with the other propped up against it holding his chin. He was deep in thought for a short moment.
Zyom and Aryzath were growing frustrated with him. He could tell. He'd make them understand shortly. He just needed to figure out how. He needed to find a weak point. A way to figure out if the collar wasn't able to distinguish requests from commands or if there was something else at play.
Then it struck him. If Silf was compelled to obey any order he gave her then he simply needed to give her an order she can't obey.
Magnius set a finger to his lips. Telling Zyom and Aryzath to be as quiet as possible. "Silf, I command you to return to me." He whispered. His voice, barely auditable.
Confused looks filled the room but when nothing happened Magnius smiled. "As I thought. She's unable to obey a command she's not present to hear." He remarked. "That tells me there are limitations I can exploit."
Zyom looked uncomfortable with whatever game Magnius was playing. "I don't understand." The elven man said. His voice filled with disdain.
Magnius shrugged dramatically. "Silf said she's compelled to obey any order I give her, but didn't when I ordered her to come back in just now. That tells me the collar is tied directly to her instead of me. Meaning it can't force obedience to an order she isn't present to hear herself." He wrote a second question down.
"If the collar can't force her to obey due to certain limitations I need to find those limitations. Not only that but notice how she obeyed a request despite having been giving an order. But there is more." He continued.
"She instinctively grabs at her ears anytime there is a loud noise but when I ordered her to sit down, and you yelled at me, she didn't. That tells me, my order prevented her from doing so." Magnius smiled. "So we're going to begin an experiment."