Fledgling Pt. 02

It's evening at that point, so the party has dinner and discusses their game plan. I thought I would be at my Master's feet, but I run and get things for people at the table for most of the meal. This is also likely a strategy, since the other humans seem less apprehensive when they realize they can order me around. I can't help but notice that Jean-Luc doesn't, retrieving his bag himself when he needs it.

The meal ends and we all retire since the day tomorrow starts bright and early. Master turns me into a small brunette woman and hugs me tight in our new room.

"That went about as well as I was expecting, pet. I wouldn't have asked you to do anything different."

"I don't think Jean-Luc likes me."

"Well, Jean-Luc can think whatever he wants. It makes no difference to me and it shouldn't make any difference to you." He kisses me passionately.

We get in bed together and he spoons me.

"I'm not in the mood for sex right now," he says. "I just want to get some sleep."

"Yes, Master."

He kisses my ear and pulls me close.

"I really do love you, fledgling. You've been nothing but a blessing to me. Without you at my side, doing this type of work would be a nightmare. I'm sorry that you have to demean yourself out there."

"It's fine. I'm your loyal servant, and anything that makes you happy makes me happy."

He chuckles. "I really like it when you talk like that, little one."

His erect cock against me makes that clear. He gets really close and speaks quietly.

"Now I don't think I can sleep until this goes away."

"Use my body, Master. That's why I exist," I whisper.

He pushes his member all the way into my waiting ass-pussy.

"That's right, pet. You belong to me."

He makes sweet, tender love to my hole until we both come. After we calm down, he turns out the light and says his prayer.

"We should get some rest. We have a long day tomorrow."

I'm still nervous about what's to come, but the safety of my Master's embrace lulls me to sleep.

*****

Master and I wake up quite early and get ready for our first day on the job. He puts on an outfit unlike any I've seen him wear: jeans, work boots, and a white tank top. He usually covers up to hide his tattoos, but since everyone here knows about his alchemy he doesn't have to.

"You look so sexy, Master."

"Thank you, pet." He makes me a well-built Caucasian man slightly thinner and smaller than him. "This should be a good body to start."

We meet up with Diana and go to the ruined church. We're quite early, so I expected us to be the first there, but Marcus is waiting. He's dressed for work, too, but with his yarmulke still securely on his head.

"Good morning," he greets us. Master and Diana say good morning back to him. I simply nod.

"Why didn't you put clothes on the fledgling?" he asks Master.

"It doesn't need clothes, and besides, it goes through too many different bodies for that to be practical."

"I guess."

He turns to me.

"Do you have a name?"

I shake my head. "No, sir. This one is an object. It doesn't need a name."

He tilts his head a bit. "You know, you remind me of stories my parents would tell me about golems, magical servants made out of clay that do its creator's bidding."

I don't know how to respond to that, but Master speaks for me.

"I thought that, too, though I wish making my fledgling was as easy as molding mud into a humanoid shape. And I assure you, it will never turn against its Master like the golems do in the stories."

It was never lost on me that I'm essentially a Frankenstein's monster-style creature my Master has created, but I had never imagined anyone would fear that I might be dangerous.

Once Ali, Kafiyah, and Jean-Luc arrive (Imam Shaikh is purely a benefactor), Master speaks up.

"Okay, everybody, we outlined yesterday what my alchemy will be useful for, but really quick I want to lay out how we'll use the fledgling. It can be used to help lift things, hold things, crawl into tight spaces, all the grunt work. If you need it, call for me. I'll transform it into what you need."

There's a murmur of reply. Jean-Luc scowls at me and I pretend not to notice.

The first one to ask for my assistance is Ali about twenty minutes after we begin.

"Leroy, make the fledgling help us with the rubble!"

I grow and grow until I'm well over two meters tall and built like a tank.

Be as timid and submissive as possible, fledgling, he tells me.

I walk over and speak in a quiet voice.

"What can this one do to assist you, sir?"

"Help us move these rocks to over there," he points to a corner.

"Yes, sir."

Even the larger blocks and chunks of wall are no match for my strength in this body. I move quickly, but carefully. Ali has no complaints. When I'm done he just shoos me away with his hand.

I return to my Master and find him discussing something with Jean-Luc.

The priest's gaze hardens when he sees me.

"Tell that thing to leave us be."

If Master is offended by me being referred to so callously, he doesn't show it. He hands me a notebook.

"Marcus needs help getting some measurements. Go assist him."

He shrinks me down to a more manageable height, close to his own. I nod and run off.

That task takes hours of work, and when it's over I return to Master and he presents me with another.

Since I was created to be a slave, I don't have trouble keeping up with the manual labor. I'm in constant use throughout the work day. I put all my effort into it, since any problems I cause will reflect poorly on my Master. When it's all over we retire to our room.

"Did I do good today, Master?"

"The only critique I would make is to say you shouldn't keep returning to me like a puppy. If I need to give you orders I'll send them to you. I want it to come off like we're all your Masters. Other than that, you did wonderfully."

I nod. "I'll remember that."

He gives me a kiss and we fall into bed to make love.

*****

Once the debris is cleared away and all prep work is done, the team falls into a rhythm.

Master, Diana, and Kafiyah spend a majority of their time doing fine detail work: reassembling mosaics and restoring broken objects. When Diana and Kafiyah work together, they can look at a countless array of small tiles and draw out what they made when they were a complicated pattern, given enough time. Master repairs things, using alchemy to bond them together like they're new. From small vases to complicated wall tiling, if he has the right image in his mind he can make it whole again.

Me, Marcus, and Ali spend most of the days up on scaffolding. We reinforce or outright replace the wall until the work on that section is complete. It's a difficult, dangerous task; we have several close calls and a couple outright accidents. Ali had a fall that broke his ankle, but Master healed it immediately. That was the event that made the others start to trust him a little more than they had. There was another time where the floor gave way under Marcus and he was holding on by a rope with one hand. Ali and I had to get under and catch him when he fell.

Jean-Luc would go back and forth between the two groups, sometimes doing detail work with Master and the ladies and sometimes helping with builds. No matter how much time passes he never asks me to help him with anything and rarely ever even acknowledges my existence. Besides him, the rest of the humans grow used to me and eventually see me as a sort of pet; not equal to them, but worth some consideration.

Master and Jean-Luc quarrel often. I think all of us have an unspoken agreement that the two of them are the leaders, but they hardly work together. Still, it's helpful to have two opposing viewpoints to consider when making decisions as a team.

It's slow, hard work, but the hardest thing is that I spend so much of my time away from Master. We're rarely doing the same thing together and only spend time with each other during lunch break.

As the weeks go by, I can't help but notice a change between Master and Diana. They've always been friendly, but they get even closer during the project. They'd joke and laugh and talk in a way they hadn't before.

I love Diana. She's like a mother to me. Besides Master, I'm closer to her than I am to anyone in the world, but when I see the two of them bond I can't help but be jealous. I thought that this job would mean I could get closer to my Master, but he's spending most of the day with her instead. It makes me sad, and angry with myself because it shouldn't. I thought I'd be okay with anything that makes my Master happy, but it seems I'm not, not if it feels like I'm getting pushed away.

One Friday night before the team takes a weekend off Master comes up and says that he and Diana are going out for drinks. Obviously I can't just follow them out in public without clothing so I have to stay behind. I want to resist; tell him I need him to stay, but I remain silent. I have no place telling my Master how to live his life.

Several hours later I'm reading a book when I hear Master in my thoughts.

Fledgling, get out of the room!

Why does he want that?

Diana and I need privacy!

Privacy? Does that mean—

Of fucking course it means we're gonna have sex! She doesn't want an audience!

I have no clue where to go.

I don't care where you go! Just leave!

I scramble to my feet and try to put as much distance as possible between me and the room Master and I share. I get to the other side of the encampment and collapse. I call out to Master but he doesn't answer. I'm alone.

Sitting on the dirty ground, I start to weep. What if Master and Diana become lovers again? Can I really demand that he and I keep having the same relationship? I'd still be Master's servant, but not his lover. I can't fathom the thought!

But what am I supposed to do? Demand they stay apart from each other? I could never do that, I love them both too much! But where does that leave me?

My Master is in the same camp I'm in, but as far as I'm concerned he's a thousand miles away. I've never felt more alone.

The next few hours of my life are hell. I can't sleep. I can't distract myself. All I can do is imagine what my Master is doing and cry.

After what feels like an eternity, I hear my Master's voice.

Come to me, pet.

I want to be with Master more than anything, but at the same time I'm horrified of what he will say to me when I get there. Still, an order is an order, so I obey and walk to the room.

I stop in my tracks when I get to the door. Diana has to be in there, too. What if they're still in bed together? What if they're naked together?

"Diana went back to her room, fledgling. Please get in here," Master calls through the door.

I nervously enter, preparing for the worst. As I do I notice that Master makes me a gigantic male, possibly the largest body I've ever been in. I thoroughly tower him. To my complete and utter shock, he gets down on his knees.

"I'm so sorry."

I'm dumbfounded. I've never seen my Master like this before.

"Master, what—"

"I didn't know you felt that way about this. I haven't been sensitive to your needs."

What's he talking about?

"I'm talking about me and Diana. I didn't know you were so sad about it. I was so happy to be getting close to her again that I ignored you. I used you as a sex toy. I've been such a piece of shit to you. I can't apologize enough."

I have no words. I don't say anything, so he continues.

"I was seriously considering rekindling my relationship with her. I thought we could make it work. Then we went out and got drunk and decided to hook up again for old times' sake. I kicked you out without a second thought."

I hear him sob. All I want to do is hold him, but I know he wants to finish.

"I never thought about you. I was only thinking about myself. When I fell asleep with her, I had these horrible dreams. They made me so sad, then I realized I was hearing your thoughts. I woke up crying. I listened to you and realized what a monster I've been."

He takes a deep, shaky breath.

"I'm such a fool. I'm such a bastard. Please, find it in your heart to forgive me."

After a few seconds, I know he's done, so I get down and hold him in my arms.

"Master, you don't have to apologize like that. I should have talked to you about this."

"You shouldn't have to tell me these things! I should know because you're my fledgling! It's my job to take care of you and I didn't do it! I treated you like dirt!"

He sobs, wails, cries the hardest I've seen him cry.

"No, Master, really, it's—"

"It's not fine!" he cries. "I made you so I wouldn't have to be alone, and I almost pushed you away!"

He shakily gets to his feet.

"You're the one for me, not Diana. We talked about it and she agrees. I should never have lost sight of that, not even for one night. Please, forgive me."

I cup his cheeks and give him a kiss on his forehead.

"I'll always love you, Master, and what happened tonight made me realize something. I don't just love you like a pet loves its Master. I'm in love with you."

Tears pour out of his eye.

"Really? Even...even after all this?"

"I love you and nothing could ever change that."

"But, fledgling, you still don't know my past. You don't know who I was, what I've done. How can you say that?"

I kiss his lips.

"Master, I hope one day to know everything there is to know about you, but you don't have to worry. The man I love is the Fauntleroy Arcangelo that created me, the one who I serve. He's the man standing in front of me right now, and the one I'll love forever."

He cries more and I hold him tighter, petting his hair.

"My precious fledgling...that's so sweet to hear, but I don't know if I can believe that yet."

"You don't have to. Wait, and when you're ready, tell me everything, all your demons, all the things you think will drive me away. I'll listen."

He sobs even harder. It takes a few minutes for him to calm down.

"Okay, okay. We'll finish this job, and when we get home, I'll tell you everything."

"Whatever you want, Master."

My body shrinks until I'm a woman with long hair.

"I love you, pet."

"I love you, my Master."

We don't have sex that night. Instead, we simply fall asleep together. It feels incredible, sharing a bed with the man I love.

*****

Before we start work the next day, I bring myself and Diana somewhere we can talk in private.

"I'm sorry for all the drama I caused last night," I tell her.

"It's nothing worth apologizing for," she assures me. "I'll admit, there was a part of me that really did want to try things again with Leroy, but when he woke up in the middle of the night, bawling his eyes out because you were sad I realized it wouldn't work. You want to be his ride-or-die. I want to find someone I can love that much. I don't know if the relationship you and Leroy have is natural, but I know it's real. Anyone can see that."

I give her a hug.

"Thank you so much, Diana, you're the best friend I could have asked for."

She laughs.

"Alright, that's enough sentiment. Let's get to work."

As the weeks continue, we keep making progress, and by the time we had been working for about three months the restoration is nearly complete. Our team of seven did the work that would normally take dozens of people. When I look at the church, revived back to its former glory, I feel proud to have had a hand in its renewal.

Jean-Luc and Master have never gotten along, but things get even more tense during the final parts of the project. They argue often about trivial things and seem to see each other as a hurdle in the restoration process. It's not comfortable between them, but it's mostly things the rest of us can ignore.

The only really notable flare-up happens during lunch break one day towards the end of the job. The humans all sit at tables and chairs during lunch while I normally sit on the ground. I'm definitely apart from their group, but close enough to listen in, and often do since I don't have anything else to occupy my time during lunch.

Of all people, it's Marcus that finally asks Jean-Luc the question I'd been wondering for months.

"Hey, why do you never make the fledgling do things for you? I know it's strange, but it's helpful."

There's a pause before Jean-Luc replies.

"I can barely stand having to work with a heathen like Arcangelo, I'd sooner die than ask for help from that abomination."

There's a loud noise as Master slams his hand down on the table and shoots to his feet.

"You will NOT talk about my fledgling like that!"

The entire room goes silent.

"Why not, exactly? Why do you care what I think of that soulless husk?"

"That 'soulless husk' is kinder and more human than you could ever HOPE TO BE!"

"LEROY!!" Diana shouts. Her voice makes Master stop for a moment.

"Leroy, drop it." Her voice is urgent, almost pleading.

Master is fuming. He storms out the room and I run after him.

"Master, come back!" I call.

I catch up to him and make him stop walking.

"Are you okay?" I ask, though I know the answer.

"No. I'm pretty damn far from okay. I want to pack up and leave right now before I kill him!"

"You can't do that, Master! We're almost done!"

"I don't want to work with that bastard anymore!"

"Please, remember what you told me! What Jean-Luc thinks about me doesn't matter to you."

"Well, turns out that was a fucking lie. I care. A lot. I have to leave."

I run in front of him again.

"Master, you need to calm down! I'll help you! Beat me up or rape me, you need to clear your mind! You're not thinking rationally!"

"I've never been more rational in my entire life! Get out of the way!"

"No!" My hand flies to my mouth in shock. That's the first time I've ever defied a direct order.

My Master folds his arms.

"Okay, if you're so adamant about this, convince me."

I try to think of something to say.

"Well, Jean-Luc thinks you're not trustworthy. If you fly off the handle and abandon the project like this, you'll just prove him right!"

"I don't give a shit what that asshole thinks of me. People like him are what's holding Christianity back; backwards ideologues who won't let go of their old ways!"

I have to pause a moment to come up with a reply.

"So you two are never going to see eye to eye, so what? You're still working toward a common goal!"

"That doesn't mean I have to put up with him!"

Suddenly, it clicks!

"Yes, you do! This whole restoration thing is about publicity, people of all walks of life working together. What if it gets out that you quit like this because of Jean-Luc? That reflects badly on all of you! That might even reflect badly on the Vatican!"

That finally gets through to him.

"Fuck. That's true."

He growls in frustration and kicks the wall.

"It's not for too much longer, Master. It's almost over."

He sighs. "I guess." There's a pause. "Thanks for calming me down like that. I was about to do something foolish."

"Hey, anything to help my Master."

He finally smiles. "I don't know what I'd do without you, pet."

Master makes me a small Asian man and kisses me.

"I'm so happy that you're mine, little one."

Diana walks up to us.

"Leroy, are you done throwing a temper tantrum?"

"Yes, Diana. I've calmed down. Just don't ask me to apologize to that old buzzard."

We all share some smiles before returning to our duties.

*****

Master and Jean-Luc ignore each other for the rest of the restoration process, and it goes smoothly. Eventually the church looks like new. It's good publicity for the Imam and his mosque, and the town gets a sparkly new church. But I think at that point Master was just sick of the whole thing and wanted to leave as soon as possible, which is what the three of us did.