“Get up, I’m hungry!” I feel a poking on my right side as I slowly move my body away. It’s way too
early… I'm going back to bed.
“Five more minut—-” I belligerently let out, all of a sudden a blast of electricity chokes the words in
my mouth. Flying forward I quickly sit up, grasping at the collar that’s around my neck. It feels like
my brain is about to implode.
“GAHHHHHH” I let out a yelp of pain.
“Ha ha aha, she reacted the same way.” Sarah remarks with a slight grin on her face, as she looks
at me. She’s wearing a lavish pink sundress with an exotic flower embroidered on the shoulder.
Her hair done up in a bun.
“Who reacted the same way?” I let out with a sigh, as I rub my teary eyes.
“My old slave, Drufa. Unfortunately she earned her freedom a few days ago.” She says with a hint
of pity.
“What do you mean, earned her freedom.” Maybe there is a way to free again…
“She died.” She replies quickly.
“Oh…” So that’s what she meant by earning her freedom…
“Anyways I’m hungry, so eat this.” She shoves some type of sweet biscuit into my open mouth.
I barely managed to swallow it, as her portion size was a little extreme. I really hope I don’t have to
wake up to this every morning. Honestly I think I would rather die. She stands up and just looks
down at me. Slowly her eyes drift from my eyes down to my chest. With a quick blush she turns her
head to the side and walks away. What the hell are you, a fucking pedo? I’m 7.
“I almost forgot. I can’t have you half naked all the time. Here, put this on.” She throws me a rough
runic with the right sleeve cut off. I quickly put it on.
“Okay, so I should probably let you know the rules. You are to be my personal retainer of sorts.
Typically you would help me get ready in the morning, get my bath ready, and some other things,
but I wouldn’t be comfortable because of your gender. So I talked to my father and he said that you
will be my food tester, and a mutt. You are to test every food and drink before I am to partake. You
will have 3 days to recover from the branding, and then you will be sent to the guards.”
She says while walking back over. “Also you must call me Miss Sarah.”
“Uh… okay, Miss Sarah what is a mutt?” I reply uncertainly. Well damn, I wish I was a female.
“That is a surprise… Oh what is your name? If I don’t like it I’m going to call you something else.”
“My name is Kusk… Miss Sarah.” I remember quickly to add Miss Sarah or I would get zapped.
“Okay, Kusk I like your name so you will get to keep it… I think it's been long enough and you
haven't died yet so I will excuse myself.” She casually walks away with the rest of the sweets and
starts scarfing it down. Jesus, she eats like a rabid dog.
I quickly stand up off the cot and rush over to her, as she reaches for a pitcher of water. I’m not
going to get zapped because of her incompetence.
“Miss Sarah, I need to test that before you drink it.” I let out, as I reach down to the goblet she just
poured.
“Ahhh, so you do learn fast. This was already tested, I was just hoping to get you one last time.”
*chuckle* She looks at me with a mischievous grin. Holy shit, this woman is a witch. I quickly pick
up the goblet and take a swig. It’s just plain water. I put the water down and take a step back taking
in my surroundings.
Off to the left is the door to Sarah’s bedroom. She is straight ahead of it sitting on a luxurious chair
next to a small tea table. Behind her is a white elegant bed in the center of the room pushed up
against the wall. A white furred animal carpet is laid out below the bed. A huge 10’ by 6’ portrait of
Stolen story; please report.
her rests on the wall behind her bed. On the walls scattered around are magic light orbs, like the
lanterns that dotted the village streets in Felstead. In the furthest corner of the room is a wooden
panel with the dress from yesterday hung upon it. On the wall straight in front of the bed is a large
mirror made with intricate designs on the frame. Lastly, the cot where I slept is pushed up against
the wall near the entrance.
I walk over to the mirror, curious of what I look like, as I have never seen myself. The person
looking at me is someone I could never imagine. The boy looking at me has pale white skin, one
deep brown eye and one bright yellow snake eye. A set of messy jet black hair sits just below his
shoulders, eye bags that look like he hasn't slept in days. Covered with filth and grime, the best
words to describe him would be haughty and unkept. He is wearing a rough tunic with the right
sleeve cut off showing a jet black scaled arm toned with muscle. A simple pair of shorts to match
the fabric of the shirt.
“Alright enough gawking. Let’s get you cleaned up, because quite frankly you being in here is
causing the whole room to smell like the bottom of Fjuyo Swamp” Sarah quickly calls out as she
grabs my left shoulder moving us out the door.
She leads me down a hallway to a room with a crude wooden bathtub, filled with water.
“Alright stay here. I will go get Helen.” She walks out of the room holding her nose leaving me by
my lonesome.
A lady with a simple faded red dress enters the room moments later. She has red hair with two
black horns sticking off the top of her head,she also has a pale complexion with red eyes.
She appears to be about the same age as my mother (around 34).
“Alright you must be the one I tried to take from before. Quick get those clothes off.” Helen says as
she looks at me head to toe.
“Yes ma’am” I reply, taking off my tunic and shorts. God this is embarrassing.
“I’m sorry this happened to you, but now that you’re here there is no helping it.” She quickly takes
my hand and leads me into the tub washing and scrubbing me down until I’m as smooth as a new
born baby. She then proceeded to cut my hair short, so it barely covered my ears. After I proceeded
to follow Miss Sarah around for the rest of the day before finally being able to sleep.
Before I knew it 3 days had passed. This morning I wasn’t woken up by Miss Sarah, this time I was
rudely shaken awake by a young looking blonde girl that couldn’t be more than 6.
“Wake up. You’re going to the guards barracks.” She quickly says as she drags me off the cot. I
frantically pull my shirt on and am led by this young lady out the door. We pass through the hallway
I’m very familiar with, to the double doors at the end of the hallway. Two men who look very similar
to the men who guard the entrance to the keep are standing on either side as we walk out.
“May the Gods be with you” They both say in unison in barely a whisper, as I am dragged along
barely keeping up to the pace of the girl.
God this girl walks like a her fucking whole life depends on it.
We quickly make it across a very lush garden filled with strange flowers I’ve never seen before. I try
analyzing them, but I’m pulled along before I can. We make it through the garden across a cobbled
path leading towards the front of the keep.
“Faster, they are starting!” She hisses out as she starts running, forcing me to run behind her.
“I —” She instantly pulls my arm as I try to say something.
“No time, come on!” She yells out seemingly going even faster.
We finally make it to a wooden building with 2 windows on either side of a crude door.
A guard is standing outside with an unamused face.
“So you finally made it. And you’re late.” He coldy states as he looks towards the girl.
“It was all his fault, he is too slow.” She instantly throws me under the bus while pointing at me.
Oh so it's going to be like that.
“I don’t care, besides we already started. Now quickly follow me, mutt.” He says with a sneer.
The young lady drops my hand and rushes off back towards the garden. I begrudgingly follow the
guard as he walks around the side of the building.
“The new mutt is here!” He calls out as we walk around the side of the building to a fenced off area
filled with 11 other guards. One of the guards is standing in the middle of the ring wearing a much
fancier set of equipment. He stops what he was saying and turns to look over towards me.
“Ah, perfect. I was getting inpatient. Alright lads this is the new mutt, I know you have all been
waiting eagerly for this.” The man states as he points towards me. The rest of the guards turn
towards me and have the look of a hungry pack of wolves upon their faces.
Oh fuck me, what the hell is a mutt. I have a feeling this isn’t going to be good.
“Alright come here mutt.” The commander calls out, ushering me towards him with his finger.
I slowly walk towards him with my head down. My knees tremble with every step. I feel like I’m
going to faint. The bloodlust wafted over me as I walked by the guards. Each one of them gave me
the feeling of being at death's doors once again.
I’m so fucked.
“Alright, stand here.” The command says as he walks over to a wooden weapon rack covered with
wooden practice weapons. He grabs a wooden spear and walks back over.
“Okay men, I will now demonstrate the training we’ve been going over.”
He spins his spear around his body in a fluid motion, and then slams the bottom handle into the
back of my left knee. With a jolt of pain my left knee gives out and I crumple to the ground sprawled
out on my back. Oh… Well this is going to suck.
He reaches down and picks me up by the shoulders forcing me to stand.
My eyes are already beginning to tear up.
“Alright, who can prove to me they can do it like I did it!” The commander shouts out. Every single
guard raises his hand, smirking at me with a mischievous grin plastered on their faces.
“Alright you, Fred. You’re up.” The commander hands a large man who steps forward the spear.
“This should be fun.” Fred looks at me and says with a sneer before I’m lying face up staring at the morning sky again.
Again and again the guards practice their skills one by one on me every morning.
Minutes become hours. Days turn into weeks, and weeks into months.
- Skill Pain Resistance lvl 6 acquired-
- Skill Pain Resistance lvl 7 acquired-
- Skill Pain Resistance lvl 8 acquired-
- Skill Pain Resistance lvl 9 acquired-
-Skill Pain Resistance lvl 10 acquired (max)-