Sacrifice Ch. 05

Propriety dictated that Calliope fell back a bit from her master, and because of this she found herself keeping pace with one of the Lady Nagi's own women. It was at this woman that Calliope kept glancing, though tactfully enough that she was only given fleeting glimpses.

It was true that one eventually became accustomed to all the glittering shiny things, so much so, that they became very easy to ignore. One could only look at so much preciousness before it began to undo its own purpose and make itself common.

This new person was difficult to ignore for precisely the opposite reason.

She was by no means simply dressed—as Calliope always was, and had continued to be— but instead of the usual strings of gold and jewels one expected to see around her hips, she wore a low slung belt, at least a hand in width, of dyed red leather, and studded with what looked like bits of iron and copper. From this hung a thick concealing skirt which looked as if it had been pieced together, or hung together, from random odds and ends.

Likewise, instead of combs, pins, or flowers, her hair was partially twisted up in a similar fashion with bits of fabric and hung with what looked like small shells, coins...and other random items she hadn't quite identified yet.

Generally speaking she gave off the impression of being an aesthetically interesting mess—even if it was pleasing in a fascinating sort of way.

Her torso was covered up with wrap...but Calliope caught glimpses of skin over the thick belt, as well as something drawn on that skin, something snake-like which coiled over her left hip.

There were two other women and a young man with darkly tanned skin, but they were behind her so she couldn't examine them as covertly...though from what she'd seen already they weren't nearly so eccentrically eclectic as this one was.

Eventually they came to a set of large doors. She realized quickly that they were the same doors from the first day, the same doors she'd stood before, waiting for Thelios and where the messenger had accosted her...again.

In the corner of her eye she caught the ghost of his image, watching from down the hall. No, not a ghost image. He was actually there, and the animosity in his gaze and expression was easy enough to see, even from a distance. She broke the look first, not anxious to test her own resolve and control, and even less desirous to test her master's. A quick glance told her he hadn't noticed the group watching them, or else wasn't interested enough to pay them any mind. So much the better.

"You know them?"

Calliope nearly jumped at the voice beside her. She turned to meet the dark brown eyes watching her curiously.

"Ah, I do...after a fashion."

"Not good friends I take it?"

She cleared her throat and straightened a little more. "Not particularly."

The woman grinned, revealing a row of bright white teeth and raised a hand, causing the chains and bracelets and odd assortment of trinkets to clatter as she did. "I'm Kara."

Calliope blinked as she recognized the name from a previously overheard conversation. "The dancer?"

Her grin spread and she perked slightly. "You've heard of me?"

"I heard the Lady Nagi speak of you."

She laughed. "Lady Nagi?"

"Oh, I mean your mistress."

"I know who you mean, I just haven't heard any one here call her that...and she isn't my mistress. I'm not a slave."

"Oh? What are you?"

"Eh, a friend...I guess."

Calliope blinked. "But...you are human, aren't you?"

"Yes...but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, I don't know really. I thought the humans here would all be slaves."

"No. I came because I was invited and because I enjoy spending time around the Lady. Serpents are an inspiration to my art, so I like to study her...watch how she moves. You have to admit, she's exceptionally graceful." She pushed her shawl out of the way, revealing that it was indeed a snake arching over her hip...or at least part of one...the rest disappeared around her back and dipped below the line of her belt.

"What about you? Are you Hetaera? A courtesan?"

She was a little stunned by that. The Hetaera were officially a caste of prostitutes, but only nominally. Most were the companions of great men, sometimes more than one, and were among the few women in any city who were free to run their own affairs and households.

"Hetaera? Goodness no. I am a slave."

"Ah. Well. If you don't mind me saying, you look a little 'fine' for a slave."

Calliope laughed at that. She couldn't help herself. They'd entered the main hall and were surrounded by dishearteningly beautiful young women and men, most of whom were likely slaves, and all of whom put her to shame. But the woman looked serious, as if she didn't get the joke.

"You can't be serious." She gestured to the room. "I can't imagine being mistaken for such a lady in a crowd like this."

The dancer, Kara, smirked. "That's just it, you can be...especially in a crowd like this...after all, there are only so many types of people you'll find here. I specialize in movement, and watch how people move. Many here move like temple whores, some like the professional dancers or acrobats they are, and the rest are just trying to keep from being noticed—those would be the slaves by the way. That goes for the men as well as the women. But you're human and you don't fit any of those. Of course, you're not the only one who doesn't quite fit....but the few who don't are usually Hetaera."

It seemed Calliope hadn't been the only one sneaking looks as they'd been walking. Before she could respond, Kara pointed discretely to a woman they were passing who was lounging on a couch.

"She's one, for example. Can't remember who she came with though. Notice how she's leaving a little more to the imagination than the rest?"

Calliope had noted that they were, in many ways, similarly attired, though the woman's hair and jewelry were far more elaborate. Calliope had continued to wear her usual braided knot, keeping to Lady Nagi's suggestion to keep as low a profile as possible. It was occurring to her that this might, in fact, be drawing more attention to her. If she were half naked like everyone else, no one would bat an eye. Funny how that worked.

"So you see my confusion."

"It seems a logical enough conclusion, considering." She agreed, also recalling Lady Nagi's words to her the first night, and Demitri's for that matter.

Where was he anyway? He'd been awfully elusive since they'd gotten here.

She looked around but the hall seemed to be filling up rapidly as the primary guests and their own trails of slaves and companions joined the servants already in attendance. Demitri, if he was here, was not going to be easily found. With a sigh she gave up looking and turned her attention to the rest of the room.

The center of the hall was empty, and was clearly being left free for whatever entertainment was to be offered. It was also sunk lower than the rest of the hall, with three deep steps leading to where a good number of couches and pillows were scattered around the edges. There were also a few, more secluded areas nearer the walls which were hung with the same sumptuous fabrics that adorned the sleeping quarters. The association made her uncomfortably aware of Thelios's orgy comments.

She reflexively stiffened her spine, and hoped they left before any of that nonsense started. There was only so much she could take, and a sight like that would put her well over her limit. Of course she wasn't sure if tonight wouldn't do that well enough on its own.

She was surprised to find a hand on her shoulder pressing her down onto a couch. It was Kara. The girl winked at her, and took up the neighboring couch, splaying herself over it and letting her eyes wander over the scene with practiced boredom. Calliope's own gaze searched for and fell on Thelios, who had wandered over to greet his siblings. There were the two she remembered from before, but also a few new faces as well. Most notably a woman who was so pale as to be an almost ghastly white, and whose hair was intensely red, like blood or flames, and which seemed to....be moving? She squinted to see if her eyes weren't playing tricks on her.

"That's one of Hecate's girls." Kara murmured from beside her as she leaned over the curving arm rest.

"Really? Hecate?."

"One and only."

"Remarkable."

"They say her hair is made of fire. It doesn't look like fire to me...but I'll be damned if I could tell you what it is. She's a scary one, so I'd avoid her. She's not like Lam-ah, Lady Nagi, as you call her."

Calliope glanced at the other woman and smiled a little at the slip, grateful that she wasn't the only one having difficulties with that rule. Kara, smirked wryly back.

She glanced around them and realized that two others of thier party had taken up a couch to her right as well, and the fourth, the handsome young man with dark hair, and exotic, narrow eyes, was lounging on the steps in front of her and Kara. She turned a more critical gaze back to the dancer. "Is there a reason you lot seem to be flanking me?"

She blinked in response, and then laughed. "Yes, actually. We were advised to keep you out of harms way. Our Lady Nagi seems unusually protective of you."

Calliope chuckled. "It's not me. She just doesn't want my master to get upset and leave...or worse."

It didn't bother her, it was actually something of a relief not to feel utterly adrift, particularly since the room seemed to be filling up rapidly.

Servants eventually came by, offering wine and leaving small plates of delicacies on the low tables around them. Calliope accepted a glass but placed it on the table in front of her, expecting to offer it to Thelios when he returned.

She frowned at the spot where he had been standing a moment before, then looked around to find he was nowhere to be seen. Surely he hadn't left? She was suddenly even more grateful to have Kara and these others with her, and to Lady Nagi for suggesting they keep an eye on her. It kept the uneasiness from becoming full blown panic.

When the two on her right rose from the couch they were sharing, there was a brief twinge, but it was replaced by instant relief when she saw why they rose, and who had replaced them.

One joined Kara and the other settled against a few pillows scattered over the stairs, and helped herself to the food, half of which Calliope didn't even recognize. Lady Nagi, who had just joined them, smiled briefly at her before turning her own attention to the sunken floor where two young men were dusting their hands and crouching to face one another.

They were alright as far as wrestlers went, but she'd seen better. Then again, she considered as she watched them contort, their hands slipping over smooth, oiled flesh, they probably weren't picked for their skill or technique. As it was she grew quickly bored with it and was more than relieved to see Thelios approaching from one of the curtained areas, though he was stopped, much to her chagrin by the pale red haired woman.

He caught her gaze and returned her look with a smirk and slight tilt of his head before being required to acknowledge the woman and respond to what she was saying. She glanced in the direction of his head tilt and noticed the red haired brother emerging from the same area, looking rather put out. She was sorry she missed whatever Thelios had said to them. She hoped her smile relayed that sentiment.

He was nodding at what the woman was saying, but when his eyes met hers and it was clear he understood her and was repressing his amusement. She too was amused as she continued to watch and he continued to convey his growing impatience with the conversation. It was far more entertaining to her than wrestlers.

His brow furrowed slightly in what she imagined was concern, and he nodded to her when the sister glanced away. She glanced to her right and left indicating the flanking maneuver. His face cleared, but he was forced back into conversation once more.

She looked away with a sigh, her eyes flitting back to the red haired man...monster...whatever he was. She had a hard time thinking of Thelios like that...even if he was, more or less, a monster. She hadn't thought of him that way, well, since that first night together really. He had become simply a man. True, he was an extremely large and rather unusual looking man, but that's what he was to her, and some of that sentiment couldn't help but leach into her assessment of his kin.

The one she watched now, the host of the party if she wasn't mistaken, was settling himself on a couch very similar to the one she occupied, only he was surrounded by servants and a veritable flock of beauties, most wearing more jewelry and paint than they were clothing.

Calliope glanced down at her own clothes. Today she wore a fine, heavy linen dress, with long, open sleeves under a tunic of soft lambs wool dyed a deep blue and embroidered with silver. The only piece of jewelry she wore was the plain silver pin holding her tunic and dress in place. It was a very nice dress, something even her incredibly particular mother would have had to be pleased with, but it was once again completely out of place. Kara was right, she didn't look like any of the slaves, of any variety.

Absently she reached for the wine she'd left on the table and took a sip, tucked her legs underneath her on the couch to get more comfortable since she had the feeling it was going to be a long evening. She had to admit though; she much preferred these couches to the usual ones in her parents' home. The elevated rest was much higher, so that one might lean while still upright, instead of committing to an all out sprawl.

A movement by the red haired fellow caught her eye and she noticed the pale sister was now with him, and that they were glancing in her direction. Not necessarily at Her, they could have just as easily been looking at Lady Nagi, but she averted her gaze so she could watch them out of the corner of her eye without being obvious.

Once again Thelios had disappeared. Damn him. She was half considering leaning over to the other side of the couch and politely asking Lady Nagi if she thought he'd be back soon, but she was stopped short by a strange woman seating herself, rather audaciously, next to her on the couch.

Calliope stared. The woman ignored her a moment, watching an acrobat walk on his hands toward them, then turned and tilted her chin thoughtfully. "So, are you a professional or has he just given in and finally gotten himself a sex slave?" she asked almost under her breath.

It took all her will not to gape, or at least to quickly close her mouth when she started gaping. For a moment she simply continued to stare, desperately trying to figure out who and what she was looking at. Once she'd managed That colossal feat, the rest was comparatively easy.

The woman clearly wasn't as refined as she looked, or she was trying to bait her...and crassly at that. In the corner of her eye she saw the red headed brother and sister watching more openly. It occurred to her that if she really was baiting her, which she suspected must be the case, it might be at their behest. She tested the theory by, instead of responding immediately, turning slowly to look directly back at them. They in turn pretended not to notice.

Satisfied, and feeling a little surer of herself, she turned back with a mild smile. Of course an unanswerable question like the one posed could only be answered in one of two ways: with 'none of your business', or with another question.

"Is that really how you intend to start a conversation with me?" It was not, apparently the expected response. When she said nothing, Calliope smiled, "My name is Calliope, how do you do?"

The woman seemed to gain back her imperiousness and smirked. "Pella."

"Charmed." Calliope turned away and brought the cup to her lips, hoping the woman would take the less than subtle hint that this conversation was over.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Are you?"

Calliope tilted her head to look back at her, astonished at her nerve. The astonished glare didn't seem to have the desired effect, so Calliope sighed and started again.

"Aside from the fact that I haven't the first idea who you are, and that the question itself is incredibly forward, if not plainly rude, it is not my place to discuss my master's affairs. If you're so curious about how he spends his time, you should just ask him yourself." She almost smiled, thinking of a sure way to get rid of the woman, well without resorting to begging assistance from Lady Nagi that is. "In fact, he should be joining us shortly... and I'm sure you'll have his full attention..." she turned to face her fully, trying and failing to keep the hint of cruel pleasure out of her voice, "considering you're in his seat."

The woman did blanch slightly, but it wasn't because of the words...at least not the words alone. By some stroke of happy fortune, Thelios had chosen that moment to appear from wherever he'd vanished to, and was rapidly approaching from an angle they both could see. They both turned to watch him. Calliope tried to look placid as the woman immediately got to her feet, nodded curtly, and slipped off before Thelios had quite made it to them.

In the corner of her eye she saw Lady Nagi raise a questioning brow at her. She merely shrugged. Thelios was less subtle.

"What in Hades was that all about?" He rumbled darkly as he joined her, stepping easily over the couch to straddle it and leaning his elbow on the back rest. He was larger again, she noted absently as she shrugged and passed him the cup of wine. He tipped the wide rimmed cup back and downed it, then held it out for a servant who'd been lingering behind them. Bigger, she confirmed to herself, definitely bigger.

"Damned if I know. She seemed very interested in your sex life though." She smiled mildly.

"Did she?"

"Hmm."

"Why? Does she want a piece of it?"

Calliope coughed involuntarily, causing him to smirk. "I, ah...the conversation didn't get that far, thankfully. I told her to ask you herself, and clearly she wasn't interested." she added, gesturing in the direction the woman had fled. She was no longer discernible as the hall was rather busy.

Remarkably, for all the people in attendance, there were less than a dozen who were obviously related to Thelios and might be taken for the 'others', his siblings that is. They were generally fairly obvious. Not only because of their appearance, but because of the small crowds they seem to draw to them. A quick glance showed her something similar occurring around them as well, though far less obviously so, and there seemed to be some sort of invisible buffer forcing them to keep their distance.

Mostly slaves and servants, she surmised, or potential slaves and servants. She spotted Penelope hovering near one of the groups and caught her eye. They exchanged a brief look, but nothing more conspicuous than that.

Calliope had met with her after Thelios had shocked her by agreeing to go to dinner. They met just long enough to confirm a song and for Calliope to check and tune the instrument the dancer had 'borrowed' for her, and of course to make sure her fingers still remembered the notes. It hadn't been a problem. She'd played accompaniment for her sisters so many times it was almost second nature, even if she hadn't played since she'd come to live with Thelios.

She glanced back at him, feeling a twinge of guilt. She'd put herself in a rather awkward situation with this. She couldn't help but wonder how she'd managed it. It wasn't like her to be so impulsive, even when it was meant well. It wasn't that she was cold-hearted...but it had hardly been very pragmatic or wise to offer her services to a stranger, even for such a simple thing, not especially knowing that it conflicted with her Master's wishes. She could equivocate all she wanted about disguising herself or not 'competing' directly...but she wasn't so silly or blind that she could deceive herself that easily.