My Name is Drak Berklin.

Born from a Mother I could never meet, as she was a Maid and died quickly after my birth. My first thoughts I had were when I looked into the Book of my older Brother. So many strange black lines and points, I was wondering what they meant.

[Comprehension Arcana]

“...Knight…”

“Huh? Did you say something Drak?”

My Brother wondered what I was saying. I put my finger on the Word I just said in his book. This other one looks funny too, so I said it out loud too, but put my finger on it first.

“Cou… Cotry… Country.”

“Wait Drak, can you read this?!”

This was the time I was praised as a Genius. I could read those funny scribbles and after Father heard about it was proud and said I was definitely his Son.

Years passed, but things changed. While I could read I had a hard time writing at first, I could see what those scribbles mean, but making those scribbles? That was extremely hard. Also I was too chubby for their liking and they tried to set me on a Diet, which did not work.

—

My sixth birthday was forgotten at first but Father seemed to have remembered me in the evening and brought me to his study. At first I thought he wanted to whip me again. Making a mess? Whip. Crying? Whip. Being complained by Servants about me? Whip. Being dirty? Whip. Existing? Whip.

This time was different. I was there and waited for the whipping, but he threw a pouch at me.

“Here is money, buy yourself a Servant for your birthday.”

“Thank you, dear Lord.”

I was not allowed to call him Father, but is that not what he always said he was until I was four? I was unsure about anything. I was a failure and punching bag for my Sister and whipping tool for my Father. My Brother looks at me with disgust and Fathers wife incenses everyone to make my life miserable.

The coachman reluctantly brought me to the City as it was my Father’s orders. When we stopped by the slavers I was draped in the colours of our House. While the Clothes were old and worn, they were the ones even my Sister did not cut up, as they were the official clothes and would need to be repaired and refurbished afterwards. She tried it once but after I got my whipping for ruining those clothes Father mentioned to Katharine to not mess with this piece of clothing.

Yes Father knew it wasn’t my fault but still punished me. I just could not understand and thought maybe I was too stupid to understand those things.

When we entered the Building there were many Slaves, but most of them were too expensive. Father gave me one silver and three copper. Not enough for even the most basic slave I later understood, but for something really cheap it would be okay.

Going deeper in the maw of misery called Slavers Halls I saw more and more undesired slaves.

This was when I found her.

In the corner of a cage I thought there was just a skeleton, but it had a shallow breath. Her hair was nearly completely fallen out, her skin grey and you could really see every single bone in detail. I remembered her being close to death. Seeing me coming in she could barely look at me and did something people hadn’t done in years to me.

She smiled.

I did not understand how she could smile in a state like this but it made me feel warm.

“Do you want to come with me?”

She was barely able to move but after a long while she ever so slightly nodded.

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“How much for this one?”

“Oh, this one I would say about two silver, dear Sir.”

A lie. So obvious even the dumb me could see that.

“I see, you are selling such a Slave for two silver. I will report to my Father the current rate for a half dead Slave. Please remember to work with the Knights later, if they come to verify your Shop.”

“Copper! I meant two Copper, I misspoke because I rarely sell these Slaves anymore. It was an honest slip of the tongue. You know what? Half price for my blunder. A copper and we just forget what I said before, mighty Lord!”

I learned from my Father. He does not even register me in the room with him when Merchants come or other people negotiate with him. Only by Parties did they present me in my new clothes and how well nourished I am, even if I am not ever being an heir. Later those Clothes were in ribbons, but whatever.

“Then I will take your honest apology and pay right away.”

Paying him I first wanted to tell her to get up but she would not even be able to move if she wanted to so I carried her.

“Not even 20 Kilos.”

She was way too light. The first thing I did was buy soup for her and me. I still had one silver and two copper after buying her. I fed her slowly and when she was finally sleeping we drove home.

—

Three Months were needed for her to become… alive. After a few weeks she could move but do only menial things and only very slowly. Remembering the time it was ironic how I the Master was working hard for my Servant, but Claire was worth it. Seeing her gain weight, smile and get stronger I was so glad I bought her.

A worn out uniform was given to her. She was not a Maid of the House or even seen as something more than vermin, but she never let it get to her. She got stronger and stronger… too strong.

It happened often, she broke things by just touching them, but as my things were all a step away from being disposed of inside the alchemical Furnace, it was no problem, but worrying.

We found the reasoning of her being in the same bed as me. To be honest we had only one bed, but it was nice to have someone with me even while I slept, which made me feel secure for once.

It was my Magic I hid. Yes, I know I had Magic, and way better one than my Siblings little party tricks, but in fear of being seen or recognized and beaten half to death again I hid it. Being not seen means being not whipped or beaten.

—

I cried out in agony like always. My Father had someone make a new short whip especially for me. The Merchant promised it could kill a bull in only a few strikes but except cracked skin and barely any blood I looked fine. I was not fine. Maybe the marks looked shallow, but I felt the force tearing through my body like it wanted to erase my soul.

“This rotten Merchant had duped me! Dang it. But how can I be sure… Head Butler!”

“You called?”

He was standing outside and knew what my Father was doing. He not only did not do anything, but ignored me panting on the floor with torn clothes and welts all over my body and even face.

“Bring me that maid outside.”

“The Maid? Oh, that maid.”

‘Wait, there is no Maid when he whips me, except-’

“The Master of the House wants to see you.”

Saying this Claire came into the room seeing my horrible form and was starting to tear up.

“...no…”

“If that Merchant sold me something useless I will make his life a living hell! You! Stand right there and do not move!”

“No.”

Claire did what she was told but I just mumbled on the floor seeing how my Father took aim.

“You were useless anyway. Let me see how-”

“NO!”

—

There was a day in our Duchy, where strangely no one saw any of the Servants or Guards in the Castle. It was extremely hard to explain and mysterious. Luke and Katherine were in School City at that time and did not know about what had happened.

While people who were near the Castle but could not enter had said they could have sworn they heard some kind of animalistic howls or something like that, the truth was never found out. Next day the Servants were in a Panic but the Lord and his Wife were unusually calm. They ordered this missing day to be forgotten.

While it was ordered, it did not let the rumour die. The legend of the ‘Missing Day’ was speculated all over. Some keen observers of the Servants noticed how the Duke and his Wife were behaving strangely, but could not put a finger on specifics. One of the things was, that while they ignored Drak they evaded him now, the Duke rarely asked for the Bastard to go into his study anymore and sometimes strange orders came like changing the broken furniture and cutlery in Drak’s Room to some old unused ones.

Stories about Goddesses or mystic Beings visiting the Duke and blessing them with good fortune were rumoured. This would explain how their happy secret even radiates out to their lowest Family member as a kind of ‘benevolence’. Still the Servants did not care as they were not remembering anything at that time so they just worked honestly and still looked at Drak with Disgust.