A Slave to the Servants Ch. 04

A murmur of discussion went through them. If questions made me happy, they would tolerate them, the men finally decided. I had been a good slave today, I had earned a question was the consensus. Master Damien raised an eyebrow at me and waited.

"There are slaves on earth and they treat them terribly. I know you could hurt me if you wanted. Why don't you hit your slaves?" I asked rambling, part of me was scared what the answer might be.

Master Damien let the little group file into the bath house and walked with me into a shallow part of the pool. He handed me soap and a silky rag, so I started to wash him.

"We did beat slaves, in the beginning. They never asked questions and they always did what we said. They just didn't live very long."

"We are very competitive, as you've noticed. We started to try to keep our slaves alive. It became an honor, to see who had the oldest slave," he said and then continued with a warning. "Don't confuse not wanting to hurt you with a lack of discipline. If you continue to need reminders about how to behave, they will only get harsher."

Promising to be good, I decided to keep going with my luck, so I asked him, "Another question, Master Damien?"

He sighed but seemed to be enjoying the soapy massage, "One more, Ciara, you were a very good slave today."

"Why do you feed me and bathe me. I can do those things myself. I CAN take care of myself," I said a little indignantly.

"You told another slave you were free and the slavers took you, isn't that correct?" he asked.

I moved the rag between his toes as I answered, "Yes, Master Damien, I walked into a strange light and woke up at the auction."

"Were you able to fend for yourself, you would not have been kidnapped and sold. We care for you, because you are ours and it is our responsibility. Your illness would be seen as weakness on our part, that cannot happen," he said.

I continued to wash him, but didn't argue. It was good he had answered some questions.

Other Warriors came and talked to him as I worked. Several commented I seemed more obedient today. Master Damien thanked them for their help in that matter. I was cringing while they talked, I recognized their voices from the platform. As I worked, I did not look up and kept at least one hand on Master Damien at all times.

Once I was done bathing him, Master Damien sent me across the pool to go sit with Master Evan. It was strange to be told to go somewhere and not told to follow. I would have preferred if he went with me, there were Warriors everywhere.

I walked across the cool stone with my head down to the spot Master Evan had been lounging in. Abruptly, my way was cut off by several masculine sets of legs. I tried to back up and there were men behind me.

"Where are you going, slave?" a deep voice questioned me.

Praying for my owners, I stayed silent and looked at the floor. There was nothing I could do, except wait for the torture. It would come no matter what I did. Tears started to form in my eyes, I was terrified.

Master Bane's voice broke the silence and I breathed again. "Did it speak?" he asked.

"No, Bane," the first voice laughed, "nor did it look at us. For an Earth slave, it learns quickly. We lost this bet, my friend."

They had tried to trick me into speaking or looking as part of a stupid wager. I was angry and couldn't keep the fire out of my eyes when I looked up at Master Bane. He laughed at me and got right up in my face.

"Are you angry, Ciara? Don't lie to me," he commanded looking very pleased with himself.

Smug bastard, I just stared at him. There wasn't a word bad enough in my new language to call him.

"Fine, slave, it's time to get wet then," he said in a growling voice as he picked me up and threw me into deep water.

I twisted so I didn't take the water flat on my back and slid my feet in first. Underwater was quiet, so I looked around and saw where Master Evan should be. Turning underwater I swam in that direction.

I was trying to reign in my indignation deep beneath the surface when a hand reached out and grabbed my leg. I kicked out and was pulled roughly to the surface. I was confused and afraid of looking at the wrong man. My head was pulled up and I was relieved to see Master Damien in front of me.

My owners were surrounding me looking concerned, including Master Bane, who had completely lost that self satisfied look. Christof released my leg and Master Damien grabbed me looking hurriedly at my face.

"Humans are like us and cannot breath water, Ciara. What were you doing down there?" Master Damien asked harshly.

"I was swimming to Master Evan. You told me to go to him, Master Damien," I said blinking water out of my eyes.

The five of them let out a collective sigh of relief and pulled me into shallow water.

"I like to swim Masters, I used to dive all the time at home. I can hold my breath a really long time," I said as they dragged me back to the shallows.

Master Damien looked amused and Master Bane laughed. I got indignant. "I bet I can hold my breath under water longer than you can, Masters!" I said proudly.

Master Bane's eyes lit up, "To a contest then!"

The rules were simple, whoever broke the surface first lost. Master Bane went first and I easily bested him. Not wanting to show off all my skills I rose before I needed to. Except for Master Kein I could stay under water longer than any of them. It was fun, although losing to Master Kein hurt. Master Bane promised a swimming contest when the pool wasn't so full of other people.

"We will tell the Keepers you may go in the water, Ciara, we have no fear you will drown," said Master Damien.

Noticing the question on my face, he spoke again.

"When we go to patrol we will leave you with the Keepers. They often take you to the sea. They are not Warriors, they watch our slaves when we are otherwise engaged. You may speak to them and look at them. They will clean and feed you when it is needed," he finished.

"Why can't you just leave me at home when you go on patrol?" I mumbled to no one in particular.

Master Damien started to reach for me with an irritated look on his face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. I understand, no more questions," I stuttered backing away from him.

The threat was in his eyes, I had pissed him off. "Come here, slave," he said bluntly.

Gulping down my fear I moved to stand in front of him. All the men were lounging on steps in the water. They watched me with interest, I must be better than having a TV. Master Damien looked calmly up at me while I trembled.

"Do not ever move away from me when I reach for you, do you understand?" he told me.

I was learning that whenever he asked me if I understood that was something that would get me in trouble if I did it again.

"Yes, Master Damien, it won't happen again," I answered watching him warily.

"Good, have a seat next to me," he commanded.

I sat and the men talked. They moved around, but I stayed in my spot. I hadn't noticed them move away slightly, it was a heated conversation about the campaign that had drawn them in.

Water splashed up as new male bodies joined me on either side. I wanted to scream, but I didn't want to be talking to other men. I just sat quietly as the new men ran their hands over my body. They twisted my nipples hard and I didn't make a sound. One man bent my fingers back until they feared they would break, but I didn't even whimper. They pinched between my legs and drove their fingers deep inside of me. I fought hard not to cry out.

The treatment was ten times worse than the posts, but I stayed silent. Another male body was standing in front of me, blocking my line of sight to my owners. Tears streaked down my face as I watched the hands torture me in the water.

I heard the angry shouts when my Warriors noticed me. Damien was talking in a cold voice to the men, but I was too scared to understand him. The whole area had gone quiet watching us. The man was speaking harshly back to Master Damien. The aggressive conversation was the only speaking going on at the pool, everyone else was silent.

Suddenly, one of the offending men had me by the throat pulling me out of the water. I felt his fingers digging into my neck above the metal collar. My air was cut off and I tried not to panic. Both my feet dangled over the pool.

"If you cannot protect it, you shouldn't have it," he taunted Master Damien squeezing my throat tighter.

My vision started to blur around the edges. I clawed at his hand, but he wouldn't release me. The way I was being held I saw most of the pool. All the Warriors looked pissed. Many of those surrounding us were shouting at the man holding me angrily. I started to fade out listening to them.

The General's booming voice cut through the haze that was starting to invade my mind. My new captor heard it and dropped me. I never hit water or the side of the pool. Master Bane had moved from the beside us and caught me. I took a much needed breath and felt my pounding head start to clear. I pressed my face into Master Bane's hairy chest and gulped down mouthfuls of air.

No one at the pool was talking and I looked up to see why. The General was having a staring contest with the Warrior that had been holding me.

"You touched another Warrior's slave without permission. Am I to understand you did this because you do not believe Damien and his brothers can protect what is theirs?" he asked the other man.

"I do not believe they can protect anyone. They should no longer be called Warriors. The shopkeepers go to meet the women and a Warrior refuses to go? It is an embarrassment to all of us. No Warrior lives in fear, they are not Warriors," he stated authoritatively.

"You are presumptuous Andre, remember your place," the General said.

He turned to look at us and I dropped my eyes down. I winced when I moved my head, my neck was really sore.

"Give me the slave," I heard him say and my heart dropped.

Master Bane stepped us out of the water and set me on my feet. 'Might as well get it over with', I thought to myself and took four confident strides up to the colossal man in front of me.

The General examined my neck and passed his hands over my breasts. My light skin had already started to blacken where they had abused me. I saw a thin line of blood dribbling down the inside of my thigh. The General saw it, too and made an irritated sound.

In what I considered a shocking move he put an arm around me as he addressed Master Damien. "Andre is yours to deal with as you see fit. No Warrior will ever touch another's slave without their permission."

The Warriors let out a deafening yell. I took a chance to glance quickly at Andre and I thought he might have paled just a little. Not wanting to get caught I looked back at the ground and had to stifle a smile. Asshole deserved it.

The General had his finger under my chin and caught the smile. "Follow me, slave," he commanded turning on his heel.

I glanced back hesitantly at Master Damien, but followed the General obediently.

My heart was pounding in my chest as be passed through the courtyard and up a wide set of steps. We entered into an opulent living area with a large fire burning. Four mammoth graying men sat around the fire and glanced up when we came in.

"What was the commotion, brother?" one of them asked glancing at me.

I looked curiously at him and then cursed myself. Master Damien would be so angry if he knew I had looked at these other men.

The General spoke when he saw me look down. "My brothers are safe to look at and speak to, slave. We are Master of everything in this compound," he said leaving the room.

When he returned he told the other men what had happened in the bathhouse. They chuckled and said it was about time. Apparently Andre had been trying to pick a fight with Master Damien for ages.

"Perhaps this will encourage the Administrators to finally take care of this," one man said. "They cause trouble in the compound. The other men are agitated. This cannot be left to continue."

Nobody seemed to notice me standing and dripping on their floor. For safety's sake I continued to examine the tile under my feet.

"Hersham," the General addressed one of the men in the room, "you know the human slave's needs. You were always attentive to those lessons, take care of this before Damien comes."

I jumped when one of the men wrapped me in a soft cloth and led me into the sitting room. In front of the fire, he dried me completely with soft pats. The other men made a sound of disapproval when he dried the blood from inside my thighs. The General watched his brother impassively from the side.

The large man that had me sitting on his lap must be Hersham. He had a small tub of cream like the one my Masters used. He covered my neck in the stuff, rubbing it in to the sore spots until they didn't hurt.

I was bruised everywhere and sought not to flinch as this man touched me. Equal attention was paid to each breast and each bruise. Using a hand he opened my legs and put the cream everywhere 'down there' including inside me. By the end of his treatment, I was blushing profusely.

"I wonder how Andre is faring?" one of them asked. "An enraged Damien is a sight to see, much like you as a young Warrior," he said nodding to the General.

"Perhaps we should go take a look," the General said rising from his chair and moving to the other side of the room. He opened up a curtain and let out a chuckle.

"Ah, would you like to see your Warriors in action, slave?" he asked me.

I nodded my head and felt drawn to the window. Peering out from around the General's shoulder, it took a minute for the scene to register.

Master Damien was below in a yard I'd never seen before. He was beating what looked like a purple and red pulp into the ground. When I realized all the red was blood I lurched back from the window. The man named Andre was unrecognizable. I swore to myself never to make Master Damien angry again.

All the men were at the window now, commenting on the end of the fight.

"Brother, unless you want Andre dead, you should stop this," one of them said seriously.

I backed into the sitting room as the General called down into the courtyard. I found a kneeling place and sank into it gratefully. My stomach wasn't weak, but I did feel queasy. I wasn't used to seeing quite that much violence.

One of the men noticed me and came back with a small jug. He tilted it to my lips and told me to take a drink. I recognized the root drink and was glad for it's relaxing effect. As a took a second larger gulp, I felt it completely wash over me. I wondered absently when I would go home and if my Warriors would be angry with me.

The General and his brothers sat and talked around the fire. It was starting to get late and I was sleepy, especially so thanks to the root drink. I found myself less kneeling and more sitting, leaning on the General. He didn't seem in the least perturbed by my position. He lightly stroked my hair and my back.

"This earth slave is definitely sensitive to the drink. I will have to let Damien know," he said laughing. It was a strange sound out of such a stern man.

I tried to lift my head when I heard a light rapping at the door, but couldn't quite manage. I was stunned to find Master Damien's face in mine a moment later. He and the General spoke before Master Damien lifted me up and handed me to Master Evan.

It felt like I was floating across the courtyard. I played with a strand of Master Evan's long hair before he snatched it away. The next thing I knew I was in bed. Christof lay behind me and was soothingly stroking my back. Master Damien's angry countenance was in front of me. It was really confusing.

"I'm sorry, Master Damien," I tried to say to him, but he just looked at me quizzically.

"Ciara, what language are you speaking?" he asked me.

I shrugged and tried to answer him. His half amused, half angry face was the last thing I saw that night.

"Ciara!" I heard someone shout and I opened my eyes to peer at him. For a moment I didn't recognize who it was and thought I was dreaming.

"Who are you?" I managed to get out between dry lips.

The blue eyed man looked stunned and left the room without another word. It took a minute for everything to come back to me. By the time it did Master Damien was stalking in looking very concerned. I shuffled out of the bed and fell to my knees at the edge of it. About that time the nausea hit and I stumbled out running for the bathroom. I barely made it.

"Call the healer," I heard Master Damien say from the main room.

The floor of the bathroom was cool, so it was a good place to lie. Master Kein picked me up off of it and the nausea hit again. He was nice enough to hold my hair back this time.

I must have smelled something awful because they turned on the shower and washed me. The Healers came in and saw me in the bathroom. They looked me over and gave Master Damien a whole bag of things. I threw up again just thinking about what might be in the bag.

The men fed me bits of things from the bag intermittently. It tasted like dried bits of root, but whatever it was settled my stomach. Twice, I tried to sleep on the cool floor in the bathroom, but they wouldn't let me.

A basin was set beside the bed and I was told to lay on the bed. Small sips of cool liquid were poured into my mouth all day. I accepted their ministrations and tried not to whine. They seemed to be doing what the healer had told them to do, but caring for an invalid was not what they usually did.

This wasn't how I expected to be treated. It gave credence to their words that my health was important to them. I was struck with how resolutely they stuck to their ideals.

Master Bane was sitting with me, watching me rest. He looked bored beyond belief. My stomach was finally still and I was awake. I wanted to get up, but Master Damien had said no. Now he came to sit on the bed beside me and feed me more of the stuff from the bag. It was gross, but I took it willingly.

"Ciara, we forbid you to have root drink. Do you understand me?" he asked sternly.

"Yes, Master Damien, but what if it's the General or his brothers offering?" I asked him.

He sighed, "Must you always ask questions? The answer is the same. We forbade you to have it. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Master Damien. May I get out of bed now? I feel much better," I said hoping I could do something. I was starting to get stir crazy.

"Supposed to be a good chuke game starting in the arena," Master Bane said absently.

Master Damien looked at me like he didn't quite trust me. "I will not have the dishonor of a sick slave hanging over us," he said.

By the look on his face he really wanted to go to the game. I swore I was well and promised I would call him if I started to feel ill. My commentary did not faze him. Master Evan said they could set me close to the game and check on me frequently. Finally, Master Damien allowed us to go. I was placed into my flowing gauzy fabric and followed them out the door to the field.

"You are not to get up and cheer for us," Master Damien commanded after they set up the area I would stay in. "You will kneel or sit and you may clap your hands together."

"Yes, Master Damien," I answered as I took my place.

When the other girls got there they were dying to know what happened after we left the bathing hall last night, but we couldn't talk quite as freely this time. The place Master Damien had put us was a lot closer to the field. Warriors kept coming into our area to lounge with their slaves.

I cringed when a male hand ran down my arm. "Warmer than you Fuji," the man commented.

I started to tremble fearing it was going to be another experience like the bath house. Screaming like a baby would probably be unacceptable, so I sat quietly and waited.