Dark Stag Ch. 01

"I just want you to know this... I don't look like anything I've been through. Never make a presumption about me based upon the way I look. Its some aspects of my past I can't even come to terms with..." I said shaking my head, "I'm not... going to jeopardize my life like you think I will! I can admit that I am very, very naive! But I will not be a fool and end up dead because of my mouth... I know better..."

"I'm just not sure... You're fiery." Mercury said, truly frustrating me.

"Just get out!" I demanded. He sighed, leaving me. He closed the door, obviously wanting to say more but held his tongue. He vanished down the hall.

The next morning had come. Anxiety was eating me from within, trying to claw its way out. Staring me down from the desk was Bazahra, her crimson eyes casting their own brilliant radiance. She stood on top of the remains of the chicken, gripping it tightly with her talons. I stood up and stretched, looking up towards the window above her head.

She looked up as well, seeing something had grabbed my attention. I walked over to her.

"Look," I said, pointing to the window, "I want you to go out and stretch those big pretty wings of yours. Stay out of sight and if a gazelle comes your way...you know what to do if you get hungry." She chattered excitedly. She looked down at the chicken then back up to the window. Taking a step off the poultry, she tossed the chicken towards the center of the cell.

Using her powerful talons, she scaled the side of the cell up towards the window. She squeezed through the bars entering the courtyard just above my head. Thinking she was gone, she peered back through the window, standing there for a while.

"What?" I asked with a smile.

"I see you I stay close by not seen." She said in a chattering wispy voice. It took a second to process what she tried to say.

"Yes!" I responded, nodding. She chattered, reassuringly then left.

As she did, the bars open. Mercury stood there, looking up at the window.

"She can talk?" He asked, looking slightly unnerved.

"Um, yeah... I found that out yesterday. You know, there's something new to learn about her every time we get into trouble," I said, sliding down into a center split, "One sunset like a year ago, we were returning from a hunt and two male roving saber toothed cats were on the horizon. Bazahra could see them because...she's a bird...telephoto eyes you know. Well, she could see their eye shine... After dark, she can't really see well. So she did her alarm squawk and I knew something was up, but not quite what. I started paying attention to the alarm call because she kind of has a different alarm for different things and it was the one for land predators. We were down wind so Rejon caught their scent and grew tense..." Mercury sat down, barely listening to anything I said. I couldn't even finish my story. He puffed on a pungent cigar, watching as I continued on with my morning stretch. The way he looked at me was so outlandish I couldn't continue. It was like my simple morning stretch before the workout was turned into some little private show.

"Why stop? Continue..." He said.

"No, why are you just sitting there watching me?" I asked, defensively. He looked at me as if I were an idiot. He blew a big billow of smoke.

"I'm supposed to watch you..." He said, leaning in through the smoke like some ominous deity, "You're my property for now..."

"Yours?" I asked, laughing.

"Different country, different rules..." He sighed, getting up from his chair, "Surely you know this much, right?"

"Wait..." I began, "So what happened to the other slaves?"

"They were given back to their captors..." He said with a small grin before continuing down the hall. He didn't bother to close the bars of the cell this time, "Come on..."

My hand glided across the railing as I peered out of the cell to see where he had went. He had disappeared! It left me so confused... Yesterday he seemed so keen on helping but today that care was gone. I took a nervous step out of the cell, following where he had vanished to. Each step carried a bit of caution and excitement, not quite sure what I was getting into.

Ahead of me was a long corridor that gently vered to the right, ascending up a slight slope. Water dropped from a faucet. The scent of some strange floral aroma caught my attention. As I neared the top of the incline, I could see Mercury preparing a platter but not of food. It was one with linens, body oils and soaps. He stood facing a counter with strange windows above it. This entire room was just strange! There was bedding, a book stand, cabinets, a kitchenette; a separate quarters just a confusing layout.

"Um..." I began. He brought the platter to me, still puffing on the annoying cigar. He was beginning to get under my skin but I couldn't figure out why.

"The showers are past that room." He said, pointing up the hall. I nodded grabbing the platter, walking where he directed. As I went past him, those orange lava pools he had for eyes melted my flanks. I had never been eyed down by anyone that way except by Devari. I didn't like it one bit.

The showers were beautifully crafted, some very skilled masons having built them! There were four showering terminals. They were separated by layers of various stones with brass racks bolted into the wall. The floor was cobbled stone, elegant beyond belief. Large high rise windows that let in the gorgeous ambience of the sun. Everything was built with such craftsmanship and skill, even down to the brass knobs of the shower.

I turned back, confused as to why there was no door. Either way, I stripped from these wretched tights, hanging them onto the rack. I turned on the shower, the water instantly at a rather pleasant warmth. I wasn't a fan of warm water, twisting the heat knob back until the water was cooler. I picked up some of the wash, untwisting the caps. I smelled which one was the most pleasant. The pomegranate one was easily the best.

I lathered and scrubbed, freeing my mind to think. All I could do was think about that Mercury boy. His change in behavior left me wondering what was going on with him. He did after all say that Illisans were rare to come by in these parts. Not to mention, I was being incredibly difficult for the past two days. Maybe he had given up on me? Maybe he felt I was a lost cause?

The way he looked at me though, that was what I couldn't forget. It wasn't as predatory as Devari but it was damn near close! Both boys did something to me that I never had done before, they made me feel owned! It was a feeling I couldn't quite explain, but wanted to explore. Now it was time to wash my hair. It had been weeks since I did and now it was a matted and tangled afro.

I turned to the rack, looking for anything that could condition my hair. There were cleansing oils, nothing like what was back at home but could suffice. I lathered and scrubbed the solution into my scalp. It smelled delightfully citrusy, definitely a moisture based conditioner. I rinsed the conditioner out, my back facing the shower. Mercury was standing right there, puffing on that same cigar.

"WHOA!!!!!!" I screamed, beyond startled, "No... You can't watch me while I shower!!!!!!"

"It's my job...to watch you." He said dryly. That little phrase had a lot of heft to it.. I turned off the water, grabbing a towel to shield myself.

"Well can you stand somewhere else?" I asked. He looked at me indifferently.

"No..." He said plainly.

"You're just a creep..." I sighed, ringing my hair around my finger. A copious amount of water drained to the shower floor.

"And so is the rest of the world... You act like I'm gonna rush into that shower, take off my clothes and...."

"Oh please, you won't..." I quickly interrupted, reviewing the body oils on the platter.

"I mean if you want me too." He smiled with a shrug.

"Again, you WON'T..." I said sternly, picking up another towel. I began to pat myself dry, careful to leave a little moisture behind. It was important for the usage of jojoba oil. I put a little on my eyelids, cheeks and chin, rubbing it into my pores. I put much more into my hair, twisting it into a bantu knot on top of my head.

Mercury dropped his cigar to the floor, stomping the ember. He went down the hall, returning with another platter, this one with clothes. The platter was placed on a stone slab as he leaned against the wall, steadily watching me. I explored the clothes. They were rather neutral culturally, a simple tunic and Illisian woven tights. There were crochet ankle sandals too, common Illisian footwear. Someone had put a lot of thought into this attire.

I put on the clothes, so much worry in my mind. Mercury's lack of care was starting to really become bothersome.

"So," I started, "This little meeting today will dictate whether I can make it here or not?"

"Yep..." He responded, with a sharp chuckle. There was no expounding.

"So what should I do? What can I say to make me..."

"Oh so now you care?" He asked smiling.

"Just..." I said losing patience, "Help me..."

"You can figure it out Mr. Survivor. Come on..." He laughed, walking down down the path. It left me utterly distraught while following.

"Well at least tell me what these people are like!" I demanded.

"...Very disconnected from the real world... Spoiled, rich, quite obnoxious..." He said, maintaining vagueness.

"That's precisely what I figured. You're not helping..." I said.

"You don't need it." He insisted. I then knew what this was about. It was about me being so difficult yesterday.

"Look... I know I'm not the easiest person to talk to particularly for the past two days. I was trying to run you away for the most part, trying to keep you from discovering Bazahra..." I sighed. He paused, looking at me quite indifferently.

"These people," He began, "Are... Crazy!!! Let me give you a rundown of the king. He's quite the powerhead. He cannot be wrong... He CANNOT BE WRONG!!!!!! The queen is sensible but don't try your luck with her either... They have a total of three children; the ones you should be worried about. The eldest son, Roi, I'd definitely be most worried about him..."

"Why?" I asked, growing concerned.

"He's a bit of a damaged kid. I don't know what happened to him but he'll come after you in ways you might not be prepared for... Word about him is all around the palace..." He said.

"What ways??" I asked.

"He'll try to lay with you..."

"No... No... I... No. That goes against...."

"Who cares what it goes against!" Mercury interrupted, "It'd keep you alive!!!!"

"No, you don't understand! If I lose my virginity..."
"Oh..." Mercury interrupted once again, scratching his head, "You're one of those conservative, cultist people... Hey, it's better to lose your virginity to someone like him, then someone like the brutish people in the lower ring. Trust me, it'd be for your own good..."

"For my own good?" I asked shocked. Mercury just smiled, shaking his head.

"This is going to be such a rude wake up call for you," He chuckled, "Anyways... Then there are the twins, Brija and Richard. Richard is another sensible person but he hangs around a very idiotic crowd so he may do something stupid as well. If I had to pick a person to lose my virginity to, he'd be the person! He's fine! Then comes Brija... She's a very introverted person but much like her older brother, Roi... Stay away from her! All I have to say is that if you upset any of the king's children, expect to die..."

"Eh, might as well..." I sighed, not too enthused about this all. Mercury looked on, intrigued.

"You want to die?" He asked.

"I've had a very, very sad life... Things would just get worse and worse the older I got... I already don't have much and one thing I held sacred to me was my purity... It's the last thing I'd have to lose, and if that goes... my morality goes." I said shaking my head, "I will lose all regard and just become like the people who put me in this position. I'd rather die before that happens..." Mercury didn't like the way this sounded at all.

"So..." He began, walking through the corridor towards the middle cellar, "You'd want to die because life isn't going your way?"

"No I'd want to die because there is nothing left sacred. What point is there to live if there is nothing sacred to be thankful for?" I asked. It gave him food for thought.

"Be thankful you're alive, I guess. Isn't life scared?" He responded.

"Sure... I'm just tired of narrowly escaping death, having to claw and fight my way out of a dire situation and cling to life..." I said, shaking my head. He smiled at me.

"So you've done this before? Same game, new arena!" He said.

We reached the mid level cellar where Mercury began to move a small book shelf, revealing a lever. He cranked it back. Suddenly, the entire room began to shift, furniture, flooring walls, all of it moving. The shifting room gave way to a flight of stairs that led to the pastures outside. Mercury led me up the stairs.

"Well we only have about five minutes before we never see each other again," He laughed, "Just promise me this, Mr. Illisian!"

"What?" I responded.

"No matter what happens! Keep your will to survive! You may not be the only one who needs it one day!" He smiled.

"No promises..." I sighed.

"So tell me about Illisia." He said, not wanting the brisk five minute walk to be silent.

"It ranges from the horn of Somalia to the Central Jungles of Zaire. I'm from right dab in the center, Boma... The Blessed Lands... Though it's not so blessed anymore. Creatures have been scarce there for years, not even birds flying in the distance. It's incredibly hard to live there."

"Why?" Mercury asked.

"I've been trying to figure that out for a long time now..." I sighed.

"And I'm guessing there is a special religion to the region as well?" He asked.

"There's not one here?" I asked.

"No, most people are agnostic or entirely non religious." He said, this truly being a shock.

"And you?" I asked.

"I don't believe... that," He responded, shaking his head, "There's a greater power out there. It's just, there's no evidence..."

"I understand." I said, "The only reason I believe in a higher power is how when I'm in a thick situation and my life is on the line, prayer seems to change things. I can't tell you how many times I've narrowly avoided death..."

"I can just already tell you're incredibly lucky..." Mercury smiled.

"Maybe so." I laughed.

Still though, his efforts to calm my stress were in vain. I was still quite nervous. The short stairway to the palace balcony sat dauntingly at the end of the path. My heart pounded in my throat staring at it.

"Well," I said turning to Mercury, "This is it..." But he was gone! He had went back into the cellar. It was now or never!

I cautiously walked up the stairs, unsure what to expect. There were women standing on the stoops with huge eight foot fans, waving the grassland insects away. The women wore skimpy attire, woven bikinis from the far east. In the center of the balcony was a massive dark ebony table. On the far end was an empty throne chair. It was where the king would be seated but he hadn't come out yet. It made me all the more uneasy.

On each side were eight seats, all occupied by poised and well groomed people. All eyes fell upon me, a feeling of unworthiness beginning to puddle within me. Nonetheless, I trudged forward.

Their judgmental eyes then turned to warm smiles as the woman sitting closest to the king's throne, the queen, pulled out a neighboring empty chair. She urged me to come and sit. Nervously, I made my way to the chair. All eyes scanned me from head to toe, trying to make sense of what I was. I took the seat next to the queen, she being truly warm and inviting. She could tell I was very nervous.

"There's no need to be afraid. The king will be out shortly, and then we can begin our breakfast." She said, grabbing my hand. No response could utter from my lips. Concerns over the uncertainty of my fate chipped away at any form of rational thinking I could have. It would be better if I remained quiet.

"Immaculate cheekbones, gorgeous brow structure, with phenomenally perky lips... And those eyes! If only you had a more chiseled nose and your face would be the definition of perfect." The girl on the fourth seat across the table said. I didn't know whether it was a backhanded compliment or a nicely worded insult. Maybe she didn't know how to speak to people.

She was a gorgeous girl. She had a slightly darker than fair complexion with numerous freckles. Her hair was a dark brown, very wavy in some parts and curly in others. She had a very strong and thick brow ridge that gave way to soft and warm eyes. In between them was a cute little button nose, dotted with the same freckles that covered the rest of her face. I never saw a person with this combination of features. She maybe was multiracial.

"Thank you," I said, stunned by her beauty the way she was stunned by mine.

"You look like a hardy young man. What do you do for enjoyment?" The nobleman beside me asked.

"Um," I responded having to gather my thoughts, "I'd go into town and visit the library and study English."

"So you're a scholar?" He asked.

"No, a hunter. I hunt to make my living..." I answered.

"You're too pretty to hunt." The young woman said, sitting across the table. This must was the awkward young princess Mercury warned me about. It was quite difficult knowing how to respond to such crude remarks.

"You mean Barbary?" The nobleman asked, again forcing me to gather my thoughts.

"Yes... Well, the line has blurred in recent years so it's a complicated answer. The Northern Barbers have moved much further south and now share many joined traditions with Illisans. But I do practice Barbary trade. I breed raptors; sell the offspring to the most respectable of tribesman. I do train them during the fledging months, and as stated hunt for a living." I explained.

"You mean, that's actually your living, hunting, breeding, training?" The nobleman asked, surprised.

"Well, we live simple lives, only taking what we need from our lands. The life of a hunter is exhilarating! You get to go on trips for days and weeks at a time, just you your stag or whatever riding animal you have and your raptor. You go after whatever your raptor is powerful enough to take down."

"Whatever your raptor is powerful enough to take down... So what do you hunt?" He asked, truly intrigued. I pointed out to the field to a grazing gazelle. Everyone gasped in shock.

"You hunt those? How, they are so fast! You need a powerful and agile raptor to go after them." I heard them all say.

"Yeah, well I used to hunt those... In my region they are becoming more and more scarce. I got reduced to hunting spring hares which can't sustain my family...so I'm constantly on the hunt having to go further and wider each time." I explained.

"How could you hunt gazelles? They are so beautiful and elegant!" The young woman across the table asked, full of crazed animal passion.

"Because, the boar we used to hunt vanished and we were reduced to hunting gazelle. They used to be in abundance but just upped and vanished as well... It's all we can do to make a living, and it is not easy. Some people were forced to move to the cities because they just couldn't make a living off of hunting anymore." I said trying not to sound too defensive.

"Back to the raptors... What kind did you have?" The nobleman asked.

"I have two goshawks and a long wing." I explained.

"How do you fly your goshawks?" He asked, completely interested.

"I used them for forest hawking on spring hares. My long wing is too big to fly in the forests. They also are good on fairly large fowl but those catches are generally long and dragged out...so I let my grandmother hunt with them and I keep my long wing." Again, all jaws dropped.