Vargas was in full armor by the time Kaiji returned, worry etched all over her face, her eyes cast about seeking signs of the missing slave. Every face she saw, caused Kaiji’s imagination to take her from the moment, Priceless’s soft, gentle face widening in fear as a stranger took her away. Her heart thudded so loudly that she was sure the human at her side could hear it through her chest.
The faint breeze carried the scents of city life to her, the smells of the rich long baked bread Pas’en was famous for called to her rumbling belly. She’d not touched the feast, and hunger ate at her, yet with her stomach in knots, even that was nothing to the night purple demon-elf.
“Calm yourself.” Sergeant Vargas said beside her, his shield tight in his grip, it swung beside him with deceptive calm. The words were quiet, relaxed, and resolute. The explanation of his mission redoubled his loyalty to his mistress, ‘Nobody will touch this slave.’ His quiet resolve emanated from him with such vigor that even though they were a pair of slaves walking the long road, and even though the city was crowded with unceasing life… the pair were given a wide berth, beyond what a purple tag would merit.
“We will find your friend.” Sergeant Vargas kept his right hand on his sword, fingers not tense, but ready, poised to draw at any moment. His voice was smooth, at ease, even charming in its confidence.
But it was like ashes someone was trying to spark a flame to, there was nothing left to burn, “She’s more than that, so much more… Sergeant Vargas, but thank you.” Kaiji replied when desperate but futile glances carried her eyes around, and just before they stepped onto the grassy grounds of the cavalry quarter, she met a well known set of unwelcome eyes.
And they met hers.
And beneath those unwelcome eyes, a cocky, arrogant smirk formed. He was a fair distance away, but wherever he was walking, he stopped and Kaiji froze stiff as he made a beeline toward her.
Her heart froze and she immediately looked down. Her breathing picked up while she looked down at the grass. ‘Not him, not him, not him. Why him? Why now?! Gods of the stars, do you hate your Kaiji so?!’ Kaiji wanted to cry as he drew closer. ‘Curse you, Mordren.’ She folded her hands behind her back so that she could clench them into small fists. With his approach, came a sense of shame and hatred for her former self, her former life.
She waited for him to speak, only to find that he didn’t arrive as quickly as she expected. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw why. Sergeant Vargas had taken a step forward, not ‘in front’ of her to block his way, but a pace beyond at her left side. Mordren wore light leather armor with the crest of Pas’en on it, and the high riding boots of a horseman, across his back was the standard Pas’enian lance that Sergeant Vargas recognized from the siege that ruined his life.
Sergeant Vargas, clad in the heavier, enchanted, more expensive armor, with the large infantry shield and an expensive sword in the smooth black sheathe, with a solid helmet over his head, did not need to be taller, to be more fearsome.
Mordren didn’t approach as close as he had before, and Kaiji felt the ache in her chest level off. “Well if it isn’t the whore…” He began, cutting into Kaiji’s guts with the taunt.
He got no further with his intended words because two long steps from Sergeant Vargas cut off Kaiji’s view down at the top of her former slave’s boots. She didn’t see what he did, but she heard it.
Sergeant Vargas did not hesitate, he brought the shield up, twisted his body to the right, then with the full weight of his torso and his mana enhanced arm, he brought the smooth shield up faster and harder than Mordren could recognize it. The blow came up and struck the tall former slave soundly in the face, crushing his nose and spraying blood out onto the green grass. It arced through the air away from him as he sailed back and landed with a thud in a crumpled heap. The grass might have been soft, but the wind was so knocked out of the tall muscular former slave that all he could do was lie there and cough for a moment.
Sergeant Vargas had no intention of giving the now breathless cavalry soldier a chance to respond. He approached the fallen soldier and drawing his sword, he placed it to the fallen man’s throat.
Kaiji felt his eyes on her, and with a tiny smile, she understood, her hand came up and touched the purple tag. ‘I am her voice, and in this, he is her hands.’
She folded her hands in front of herself and drew her back straight, her eyes rose, her feet devoured the grass between her and where the fallen soldier lay. She raised her chin as if she were the haughty mistress she served, baring the purple tag.
Mordren’s face, once so purple with rage it was as if he was trying to disguise his face as a demon-elf, immediately began to pale. “I received the mistress’s purple. You called the Duchessa a whore, he…” she gestured to Sergeant Vargas, “is her hands.”
The tip of the sword went to the collarbone just a bit above the armor. “You know the penalty for that, don’t you Mordren?”
The clenched jaw and sweat on his brow and the way his eyes went from her to Vargas, and from Vargas to his sword, and back to her, said he did.
“You taunted me in the street before, and I understand your hatred. But whatever chance you had for revenge has passed you by now. If I was a cruel mistress to you, I am sorry. But you are now free, and I am a slave. Let that be enough. I will not suffer insults to my lady.” She touched her hand to the purple tag that hung from her bronze collar. “And so long as I bear this, I am her voice.”
“Kill him?” Vargas asked, pressing the tip to skin, a tiny drop of blood rose. Mordren lay back as hard as he could, trying to sink further into the soft grass, he shook his head and stared up at his former mistress.
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Kaiji lowered her head and shook it in slow denial. “No. He has a right to hate me. He didn’t know I now wore this. Forget it.”
She waved her hand away, to one side. “Go, Mordren, savor the freedom you bought by selling out myself and our city. May it rest like ashes in your belly. And may we never meet again.”
The sword lifted, coming away from the slave. He rolled away, leaving a trail of blood from his nose on the grass before he got to his feet, cupped the wounded spot, stared his former owner and the soldier escorting her, turned, and ran, not even daring to look back to curse her.
Kaiji approached and touched Sergeant Vargas on his black armor covered shoulder. “Thank you… I saw him and… for a moment, for a moment I forgot myself, forgot who I was. I won’t forget again… and I think I can leave that chapter behind me at last.”
Vargas nodded crisply, wiped the tip of his blade with two fingers and cast off the bloody drop down to the ground. “It’s fine, you’re the incarnation of my mistress. Nobody will raise a weapon or a word to you in my presence, unless they like bleeding. In which case…” A savage smile spread over his face, “ they should feel free, and I’ll be happy to help them.”
Kaiji resumed the walk toward the administrative office, while Vargas remained steadfastly at her left hand. “Hopefully you won’t need to.”
Vargas looked around the open area, with Kaiji’s head held high, in the rich green and black mixed outfit with its whorling pattern and with her soft, expensive leather boots, she was the picture of a wealthy servant.
The watching eyes from other soldiers were on them, but none made to approach.
“I don’t think we will.” Sergeant Vargas gave a cocky half smile as they drew closer to the door.
To that, Kaiji did not even feel the need to voice her agreement.
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When Priceless saw the very banal looking man in gray clothing walk in and close the door gently behind him, the little click was like a thunderclap announcing the coming of a storm from which there was no shelter.
But there was more. ‘I expected them! I expected my mistress! I expected my Kaiji!’ It made her heart sing, though she showed none of that, only a trembling lip she was biting down on. Her body was already shaking with fear in anticipation of pain.
He approached her slowly and squatted down so that she was looking down at him. He reached out a hand, and took hers, caressing it lightly. Her hand rested softly in his right palm while his left stroked the back. The tiny fine hairs on her hand bent to his touch, his gentle caress was calming, even kind. But her instincts screamed at her. ‘Danger! Danger! Run away!’ But the gentle touch seemed to be like a chain.
“Your name is Priceless, isn’t it, slave?” He said with a kindly smile up at her.
She nodded through teary eyes.
“There, there, I’m not going to hurt you. I’m sure my… assistant told you that you can come out of this alive, I just need to ask you a few questions. If you answer them, I’ll be very happy. If I’m very happy, you’ll be even happier, do you understand?”
She kept biting her lip, but nodded furtively. Her soft brown hair danced with the fearful nod.
“Now, I have questions about your mistress. Lots of questions, and I want you to answer them, if you tell me everything I want to know, then you’ll be fine. I’ll even reward you. Now, let’s start with the first question.” Taen flashed his pearl white teeth, and Priceless shook her head with a vigorous no.
“No?” Taen’s kindly eyes widened in dismay. His easygoing approach snapped, and with it, so did the fingers of his left hand. The crack of his fingers brought the little goblin with the oversized axe on his back, into the room. “Chains. Secure her.” He said without looking behind him.
Priceless sat unresisting, unmoving, her wide doe eyes watching like a deer watched a wolf prowl the edge of the forest, unsure if it would charge her or not. The rattle of chains and the faint smell of the oil hit her, and the click of the chains on her small, slender wrists as she was secured to the chair, was like the cracking of a whip. She let out a tiny whimper.
She spoke through heavy, slowly quickening breaths, each word a plea. “Please… I don't know anything. I'm a slave, why would I know something worth knowing...master?” Seated in her chair with her wrists in chains yet again in a life that seemed to go on forever. Her eyes hung down, chin to chest, she didn't meet the face of the one who stood in front of her.
"You expect me to believe that, slave? You were at her side in her quarters, performing all the work she gave to you. You're not stupid, you know something useful to me. I'm a fair man, though, what if I were to promise you freedom?" She felt the firm touch of fingers on her chin, forcing her head up, she didn't resist, the other hand traced the top of the bronze collar around her throat.
Her eyes went wide open to his words. "Freedom?” She asked with wonder. She heard the faint dripping from somewhere in the room, reminding her of the walk into the dank room, and how they trampled on her little tears. The noise of it marked the passing moments like a clock.
He reached up and touched her cheek, his warm smile still unbroken from the way it had been just before the snapping of his fingers saw her bound. "Yes. I can dummy up some papers, hand you a sack of silver coins, cut off that bronze collar you wear, and take you anywhere you want, as far east as the shore by the endless sea. If that is what you want, your mistress will never find you then. She can't even find you now, much less on the far end of the world. You'll be safe and free. Isn't that what you want?" The smooth voice washed over her like the waters of a warm bath. Priceless felt the lump form in her throat and she shut her eyes to hide their blurring vision.
"All you have to do is tell me everything you know about your mistress. My employer is particular about this, she doesn't like disruption. And your owner disrupts things. Tell me what she's up to, and I promise to the stars I will see you to safety.”
"I... I just don’t want to be afraid. Free seems to mean that. I’m a coward… a worthless little coward… always afraid… I know that. I know that.” She felt Taen’s smile grow more confident, but when she touched her collar, she managed to meet his eyes. “But I’d rather be afraid all the time, than not have my Kaiji.”
She squeezed her eyes shut so that she wouldn’t see the blow coming if it was going to, “I'll never leave her. What good is freedom if I leave her alone to get it?” Priceless shook her head with vigor. "And there’s something else too!”
Her voice rose a faint bit in spite of the way her heart quailed and pumped fear through her veins, “My mistress… I believe in her! I believe she’ll come for me! She gave me her trust, and… and she gave me this beautiful, wonderful name… the best I’ve ever had. She took my pathetic misery and turned it upside down with a single word! Yes… yes, she’s terrifying, like an angry goddess to me. But… but I know, somehow, I can’t explain it… I know she’ll come for me. I am not forgotten.”
Her heart was stampeding and despite her terror, Priceless’s body shook with more passion than fear. “I know she's going to look for me, she's going to save me. And with my Kaiji's help... yes, she'll find this place, find me. I know it sounds stupid, who gives a damn about a slave of my sort?!" Her eyelids squeezed so tightly shut that it hurt,l and she could not restrain the sniffle.
“I'm right! I know it! I know she'll find this place…” The memory of that gentle hand falling on her head when she said, 'I name you 'Priceless', and when Nua had been intoxicated, laying it on her again in pity and empathy she never otherwise showed, stirred up within the depths of Priceless's mind, she shook her head, throwing off his touch. Risen from the depths of herself that she did not know she had, Priceless shouted for the whole building to hear, "She will! My mistress 'will' come for me. I am not forgotten! Ten thousand have forgotten me before now, but she won't! She hasn't! So I won't talk, master! I'll lick your boots and clean your floors because criminal or not, you're free and I am not! But I will not betray my Mistress or my Kaiji!"
She was breathing hard, her breast rising and falling, and expelling the last bit of courage in herself, she hung her head, "Do what you're going to do. My body has been bought and sold more times than I can count. But you can't have my loyalty. That's all I've got left, all but them. Maybe that seems like nothing to you, master. But to me... it's everything."
Priceless opened her eyes to glare at Taen, but lasted only a moment before her courage wilted and closed her eyes to hide in the darkness she made for herself, and waited for the pain to begin. “Mistress… Kaiji… save me… I want to go home...” She whimpered, holding to the memory of the cage she shared with her lover in the room they shared with their mistress, and praying for courage she didn’t have, to stars she felt sure despised her.
Those bitter prayers were interrupted by the faint rustling sound of fabric made when the man in front of her stood up.