----------------------------------------
Chapter XI: Nothing But Sand
----------------------------------------
Alakar wakes up to the fierce sounds of blowing winds and unbearable heat. He feels drowsy like he just woke up from a nap that has gone on too long. His mouth contains remnants of sand and dryness that has to be remedied soon. He is so very thirsty.
An aged man with many scars on his face threw a water pouch into his cage.
“Glad to see you awake. For a bit there I thought my lieutenant gave you too many drugs. We gave you enough to put down several horses, can you believe that?”
He sits up, ignores the man, and downs all of the contents within the pouch as if it were his last drink. Afterwards, he removes a few grains of sand from his lips and takes a good look at his surroundings.
The terrain around him was an endless sea of sand, nothing but sand as far as the eye could see. His cage was different than he last remembered though, it was big enough to actually stand up in, yet his thoughts of escape were still diminished. Around him was a platoon of armed men, dressed in light garments of whites, yellows, and reds. They were all moving in conjunction with multiple carts pulled by camels. He was being hauled on the lead cart, next to a few camel riders.
He stands up, grasps the bars of his cage, and pleads, “Please, free me?! I wish to go back home!”
The point man and captain laughs and says, “A goblin with manners, that’s a first! And no… Your sale has already been arranged, and for an outstanding prize if I don’t say so myself.”
Alakar yells, “You can’t sell me! I am a freeman!”
All of the camel riders bursted out in laughter.
The captain then rebukes, “You are no man but a monster. If you’re lucky, you’ll live to dance for the women and children, but that’s up to your new owner to decide.”
He was so upset with that statement that he turned his back to the man, folded his arms, and sat down facing away from him; he was done with that conversation as far as he was concerned.
Hours of silence went by, and an oasis started to come into view. He had never been so happy to see a pool of water before, yet something was out of place. There was a large carriage parked near it, and many people were seen moving around it. For a second, he believed it was a mirage, yet as they came closer, he realized it was real.
The camels and carts all came to a stop by the oasis. Guards took their camels to water and moved cargo off of the carts, which included Alakar. Two humans carried his metal cage to the front of the carriage and gently set it down. Eight other men stood near him in a row and appeared to be waiting on something.
He immediately recognized that the people he saw in the distance earlier were not necessarily people, they were bi-pedal cats. Many of them wore quality beige garments and bared scimitars at their waists. Several of them lined up in columns at each side of the carriage door, and the front two cats blew trumpets.
A feminine voice speaks, “Presenting, m’lord in the fur, lord Rawscow.
One of the cats moved onto the carriage steps and opened the door. Out came a massive lion man. He was dressed in lavish purples and adorned in many gems. His muscles bulged under his clothing and was undoubtedly the biggest entity present.
Lord Rawscow is first to speak, “Hello, good sir. I see you have brought me my necessities.”
The captain bows and says, “Yes of course m’lord! We even brought that unique slave for you.”
Alakar complains, “I am no slave! Don’t talk to me like I’m not here!”
One of the guards smacked the cage with a stick a few times, and it caused him to rear back from the bars.
Rawscow stepped down from his carriage steps and proceeded to approach the row of men and items laid before him.
Rawscow says, “Hm, I’ve never owned a boggart before. Is it house trained by chance?”
The captain says, “Uh, m’lord, I’m not sure, but I have no doubt that it would listen to you.”
Alakar yells, “I am not an ‘it’, my name is Alakar!”
Rawscow picked up the cage containing Alakar and looked at him with fascination in his eyes.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Rawscow says, “I didn’t know goblins could speak, let alone so coherently. He must be special?!”
The captain explains, “Yes, m’lord. It is rare, but they can and do speak the common tongue. That reason alone makes me believe it was once someone’s pet left astray. But I warn you, it killed two good men of mine…”
Alakar sits there in the middle of his cage crisscrossed. He feels slightly intimated for once in his life. The lion man’s mane is almost as big as himself, and the large forward-looking eyes are truly unnerving to him. He fears that speaking any more than he already has would not help him return home any sooner, and he tries to calm his nerves.
Rawscow exclaims, “This has to be the most exquisite slave you have brought me yet! The streaks of purple on its skin, the beautiful stone in its chest, and the ferocity within its eyes! Oh, yes!”
Alakar finds no glamour in being appraised like an item. It’s revolting to him, yet he chooses to hide those feeling from view in fear of being turned into a discarded cat toy.
The captain asks, “I’m glad to hear it m’lord, so I assume you wish to go through with the purchase?”
Rawscow snapped his fingers, and a cat woman came running out from behind the carriage with a sack of coin. She dropped it at the feet of the captain, and he smiled ear to ear.
The top of the bag had opened slightly, and Alakar’s jaw dropped at the sight of its contents. Inside was more gold than he had ever owned or even seen in his entire life. It made him question whether he was really worth that amount, even when considering the addition of supplies.
Rawscow asks, “Will this amount be satisfactory?
The captain responds, “Yes, m’lord. Thank you very much. And please, reach out to the Maheeken company for our services again in the future.”
Rawscow says, “Will do sir!”
Both parties organized themselves, gathered up their things, and split off from one another. The company was first to leave, and Rawscow’s pride loaded up crates filled with supplies on top of the carriage. While everyone was working diligently to load up the carriage, Rawscow admired Alakar as if he had just attainted a new prized possession.
Before he knew it, Alakar’s cage was finally put down, and the lion man pried open the metal bars of his prison.
He sat there in the cage, unsure of what to make of the action or brute strength applied.
Rawscow speaks, “Come out and don’t think about running. Chasing you would be fun but tiring.”
He mulls over the idea of escaping in his mind, but he’s not even sure where he’s at. Even if he does manage to escape the cat man’s claws, he is sure to die later in the perilous desert. He sighs openly, stands up, and walks out of the cage.
Rawscow says, “Good. Now come along, we have much to discuss.”
Rawscow walked in front of him, with clutched fists pressed to each other behind his back whilst standing straight. Alakar trailed behind him, and they both stepped into the carriage. Inside the carriage were two benches set across from one another. The inside of it was well crafted, truly fitting the status of nobility. The benches were cushions made of soft material, the wood surfacing was all carved in magnificent art, and it smelled of perfume.
They sat across from one another and Alakar almost sank into his seat. It had to have been the most comfortable thing he had ever sat on. Before he was able to get too comfortable, six cat women entered the carriage with them, and two of them sat on each side of him.
The sounds of camels grunting was heard outside, and the carriage jerked forward. Alakar was almost squished by the passengers and the sudden movement, yet he managed to control his seating.
Alakar asks, “So what’s going to happen to me now Mr. Cat man?”
Rawscow says, “First off, I am no ‘cat man’, we’re known as the Rakahsha. And you will give me the title that I deserve – m’lord.
Alakar is irritated by this pompous cat man. He believes in his mind that respect is something to be earned, not just given; this is why he used to live out in the woods and as far away from the nobility as possible. However, he entertains him regardless.
Rawscow now asks, “What name did you go by again?”
Alakar cracks a smile from the acknowledgment of his name, and says, “It’s Alakar, and thanks for finally asking.”
“Hm… No.”
He simmers and says, “What do you mean ‘No’?”
Rawscow states, “That name will not do. Your new name shall be Purps, and you will like it. In addition, you will be my new personal butler. Once we arrive at my estate, I will have my females and attendants train you.”
Alakar is angry and says, “And what if I refuse?!”
There was an unsettling pause within the carriage, and he saw the look of fear on both the Rakahsha’s faces sitting next to Rawscow. Rawscow leaned in towards him. He felt the other Rakahsha on his bench trimmer in fear next to him too, and it sent a shiver down his spine.
He leans in even closer now, growls, and says, “Oh, you won’t. You see Purps, I enjoy torture... And actually, I would prefer that you refuse. Go ahead and make my day!”
Alakar looks away from him instantly. There is only shock and silence within the carriage now, no one dares to speak. Alakar, in all of his thirty-some years of being alive, has never felt so belittled, so small, so weak. He looks glumly at the carriage floor for the rest of the ride. The carriage jostles him from time to time, and he wonders why he deserves such a cruel fate.
After about a half days ride, the carriage stopped. Upon their arrival, trumpets were blown, and the door to the carriage was flung open from the outside. Rawscow left the carriage first and seemed in hurry to be somewhere. His two ladies rushed after him, and Alakar walked out with the group of Rakahsha that were sitting with him.
As he stepped out of the carriage he stopped and was awestruck. There was a massive pyramid in front of him, easily ten stories tall. It looked old, and had missing pieces to it, likely from ages of sheering winds. He stood there at the entrance of the pyramid and wondered how anyone could build such a gargantuan structure. He felt like he could admire it for hours. Yet his sightseeing was abruptly ended when a gangly human approached him.
He had gone up to Alakar and tapped on his shoulder. The human was dressed in a white nightgown, and the parts of his body that weren’t covered were wrapped in bandages. Alakar leaned his neck back to look upon his face, and immediately felt the need to advert his eyes; it was covered in gruesome scars, yet it contained a smile nonetheless.
“Hello, my name is Pierre. Yours?”
Alakar says, “My name is Alakar, well, now I guess it’s Purps,” and he kicks some sand.
Pierre says, “Good to meet you Purps. I’m in charge of the labor team for our lord. I’ll be the one showing you around this evening. Please, follow me.”
They both walk into the entrance of the pyramid. The front is a massive arch with stairs leading down into the base. The passage was lit with torches that were fixed to the walls, and the walkway was spotless. Eventually, after some quiet walking, they went up a set of stairs, and they popped into a large throne room.
A luxurious red carpet stretched across the room and led up to the throne itself. The stones within the floor were perfectly cut and there were depictions along many of the walls that were foreign to him. This room was almost too well lit, as there were magical stones fixed into the ceiling and walls that provided light. And many other races were seen working and passing through the room, primarily humans and other Rakahsha.
Pierre says, “This way to the slave quarters, please. Also, were you told of your role yet?”
Alakar says, “Something along the lines of a butler.”
Pierre stops, and under his breath, he mutters, “You poor soul…”
Alakar asks, “What did you mean by that?”
Pierre jumps a bit, and says, “Oh nothing, it’s just, if you’re the new butler, then that makes you, my new bunkmate. Let me show you to our room.”
From there, they enter one of the first rooms down a long hallway near the throne room. The room inside was simple, there was a single dresser that sat in between two mats on the floor; his cabin in the woods had more to it than this. On top of the dresser was a single candle that was nearly gone, and it did nothing to cover up the smell of urine in the room.
They both took a seat on their respected mattresses, and Alakar began to receive the rundown on his new life. The tasks he was told that he would have to do made him angry, but Pierre was so nice to him, that it made it hard to show any aggression.
According to the curfew, they both had to go to sleep within the next hour. This bothered Alakar, yet not as much as what he had to look forward to tomorrow.
----------------------------------------