A Slave to the Servants Ch. 06

"Today?!" Master Kein laughed. "Ciara, you have been feverish and delirious for nearly two day cycles. Brothers, bring it more to drink and something to eat."

I sat in stunned silence as they bustled around getting me food and more water. I took what they gave me gratefully although my throat was really sore. I could not figure out what they were talking about.

My most recent memories were flashbulbs of nightmares: the deep dark black, a slimy pink tentacle, and their irate faces floating over me. It took a while for the memories to solidify in my mind. As a rush, the timeline came back to me.

My eyes went wide when I realized. I nearly choked on what I had been eating. It hadn't been a bad dream. I had been in the ocean, way out in the ocean. Something had grabbed me. I had been pulled under and I had been drowning.

Hurriedly I looked around and grabbed the closest man to me. He felt real. Master Evan felt like he always did, hard muscle and warm skin. He was looking at me curiously.

Tears started to streak down my face when what Master Bane said made sense. They were going to a lay a whip on me for what I had done. I retched and tried to keep the food and drink down. The root from before was presented to me and I took it.

"Please Masters," I whispered, "how many times will you lash me?" I was really crying now.

Master Christof wiped my face before he answered.

"It depends on how honest you can become with us. If we are satisfied we may not lash you at all," he said cooly.

My head bobbed up and down and they laughed at my gesture.

"How did you escape, Ciara?" Master Damien asked.

I answered them with absolute honesty. I told them I liked to dive outside the cove to explore. Without missing a detail, I described the hole in the grate. They watched me stoically and I rambled on without thought.

They heard about the current and agreed when I told them it had changed. As the ringed moon moved though its cycle in the sky, so did the current. Everyone in the room was already aware of that.

Master Damien calmly asked how long I had been going out in the ocean. Their faces didn't change as I told them since the first day at the Keepers. I apologized profusely. They just ignored me.

I asked hesitantly what the mark on my leg was.

Master Evan laughed, "You are like us now," he said pointing to the mark on his shoulder.

"Yes," I insisted, "I understand we both have tattoos, but where did mine come from Masters?"

"You were grabbed by a creature in the ocean, we call it a fleint. It grabs it's prey and drags it down, consuming it once it gets to the bottom. It is shocking you were not grabbed sooner. They are everywhere outside the currents. The tentacle releases chemicals into it's prey. In you those chemicals must mark the skin," Master Bane answered.

"Evan has determined it is the same chemical the women use to mark us," Master Christof said absently.

"Tell me, Ciara," Master Damien commanded. "How did you avoid the fleint before we arrived?"

I told him I had felt them brushing my legs. They didn't understood floating, so I explained laying still and flat in the water.

"How did you find me, Masters?" I asked.

"You don't listen, Ciara," Master Evan said, "I already warned you I have a sense for creatures I have tasted. I followed my sense to you. We heard the scream and saw your bubbles rise from the water. We went down to find you," he finished stroking my arm.

I thanked him, kissing his hand. They made me thank all of them individually, which I did.

"I breathed the water, Masters. How did you fix that?" I wondered out loud.

"You screamed about worms in your sleep. We assumed it was the creature I put in your mouth. It went deep into you and pulled out the water, pumping in air. They are quite useful. The Fishers that took us to find you had one they allowed us to use," Master Kein answered.

Master Damien picked me up and moved me into the showers indicating an end to my questions.

"We haven't been able to get you near water in two cycles, Ciara," he explained setting me on the floor.

My leg hurt too much to stand on, so he let me sit. Master Evan helped him and they washed me head to toe. I fought when they tried to wash my right leg, so the other men came and held me as Master Evan cleaned it. The leg was so sensitive it felt like they were washing me with needles.

Once I was dry they laid me back in the bed. All the attention to my leg had made it throb. I whimpered as they pulled a thin blanket over it and Master Christof looked curiously at me. He left the room and returned with the foul smelling goop. He put a generous portion across my chest.

The effects of the stuff was nearly instantaneous. I relaxed and watched the men crawl into bed around me. It didn't take long for sleep to take me again.

I wasn't sent back to the Keepers the next day or the day after. My owners barely allowed me out of bed. Healers came to see me and marveled over my leg. Living through the attack of a fleint was quite a feat. They congratulated my owners on my continued survival.

As the swelling went down and the chewed on look got better the leg took on an exotic appearance. The marks started on the bottom of my foot and ran to just under my knee. Two parallel lines of deep black ran around my leg about 5 inches apart. Between them was an intricate swirling of lines and circles. Just under my knee it looked like the head of a snake, as the parallel lines got wider and semicircular.

I had my own group of Keepers that watched me during the day. They barely let me turn over on the bed by myself. One of them watched me at all times. If I slept one of them would sit by the bed and stare at me. It was like they expected me to jump out the window if I got a chance.

The second day the Keepers closed the leather door to the bedroom and I heard knocking around in the main room. They wouldn't tell me what was going on out there. I peaked out after they opened it back up. We must be expecting company, there were more chairs and the table was expanded.

My owners arrived home early that night. They didn't go to the bathhouse, but instead showered in their quarters. They washed me head to toe. My leg had mostly stopped hurting, so I didn't fuss when they washed that.

They dressed themselves in crisp linen shirts and new looking leather pants. I even noticed Master Christof shined his shoes. Stupid me, I should have known who was coming.

The General and his brothers arrived at dinner time. After the food was delivered and set up on the table, Master Damien carried me out of the bedroom. He laid me on a floating pad in the middle of the main room. If I hadn't been so terrified of the General I might have been curious what held it up.

The General and his brothers were fascinated by my new markings. They touched all over my leg and explored it. The General even licked it. I would have thought that was odd, but Master Evan probably would have done the same thing. Eventually they were satisfied they had explored it enough.

"I wish to feed it," the General said.

My owners didn't hesitate and helped me off the floating table. I knelt obediently next to the General. He and his brother fed me thorough out the meal. I didn't play any games. I would have tried to eat the plate if he gave it to me.

After dinner the men retired to the lower sitting area. Master Christof pulled me to stand, which was good because I needed the help. My leg was starting to ache. I didn't know how much longer I could kneel on it. Limping slightly, I walked with him into the sitting room. Thankfully, he pulled me to sit on his lap.

"Your bond is repaired, I see," the General stated.

Master Damien told him it was.

"The slave was of use then?" the General's brother asked watching me.

My owners all agreed I had been helpful.

"The Administrators are pleased," the General said and then asked. "What do you plan to do about the slave's escape attempt?"

Surprised, I looked up. I wasn't trying to escape. With wide eyes I looked at Master Damien and shook my head. A hard look from him made the comment die in my throat.

"We will take it to the village," he said decisively.

I'd been to the village. It didn't seem that bad. I knew they wouldn't let the shopkeepers touch me, so I wasn't that worried.

I should have known something horrible was going to happen. I might have prepared myself for it, but I wasn't thinking. When they didn't put the plug in the next morning, I was glad they forgot. They didn't dress me, but I didn't let it bother me. We got on a transport like every other morning but it went the wrong way. All of this should have alerted me. I might have had the chance to beg them, but I didn't.

We went toward the mountains. I watched as mile after mile of dry rough countryside passed underneath us. I just considered the beautiful scenery and didn't wonder why we were going this way.

After a long while a building broke the horizon, it was surrounded by the crumbling remains of a town. We drifted to a stop in front of the building. Like lightening, my collar and cuffs were off me and Master Damien pushed me from the transport pad. I stumbled down and turned to look at him.

The transport raised in the air so it hovered just outside of my reach.

"You wished to be free, so here you are," Master Evan smirked at me.

"No collar to indicate you are owned, no owners to feed or bathe you," Master Damien continued.

"Please, no," I said looking around.

The area looked deserted. If they left me here I would die.

"You may explore all you wish," Master Bane said in a hard voice.

"Careful of the Warriors that patrol the area," Master Kein warned. "You are nothing to them, just a tool to use and discard."

I paled and reached for them. They couldn't be leaving me to the others.

"Perhaps if you are good enough one of them may choose to put their symbol on you," Master Damien sighed, "but I doubt it. They have no reason to take home and be burdened with what they can freely use here."

I screamed for them as the pad lifted off and they left. Dropping to my knees on the dusty ground I cried like a baby. I couldn't figure out why they would go to all the trouble to save me just to kill me themselves.

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Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the commentary. I really appreciate it. Knowing someone is reading and interested in the story encourages me. -- DW