Post by diskelemental on Aug 28, 2015 0:29:59 GMT -7
Achan took the heavy cloak off his back, and gently placed it on the woman; Elzbin gritted her teeth against the pain, but pulled it close around her narrow frame and quietly thanked him. The dress she had been wearing had been on its last legs prior to the scourging, now it hung in tatters across her back; stuck together by a few tenuous threads. Moloch snorted and turned away as she and Achan headed down the street, side by side. She left a trail of bloody footprints behind her, but Elzbin continued to limp on, drawing away whenever the tiefling offered her a shoulder to lean on. Achan nodded in silent approval, she had pride; even bloodied and beaten she still fought to stand on her own.
As they rounded the corner, out of sight of the half-orc, all the energy seemed to leave Elzbin, “never let them see break,” she whispers as she collapsed against the wall of an unfinished building, dark hair cemented to her scalp by sweat and blood. A freezing cold wind blew in from the east, Achan shivered, “we should keep moving, it’ll be warmer when we get back to Cloud City.” She slowly shook her head, and continued to stare listlessly out into space. Achan reached down to place a hand on her shoulder, but she pulled back, eyes momentarily growing wide with fear. Achan paused and cocked his head, as he caught a glimpse of a brand on her neck. “I’ll call a cab,” he said quietly.
The cart was furnished with simple wooden benches, straw was scattered haphazardly on the ground to soak up the mud. After a bit of haggling with the driver, money changed hands, and Achan and Elzbin hauled themselves into the back of the wagon. Once they began to move, Achan spoke quietly, “I’m sorry for what happened, I wanted to…” his voice trailed off.
Without even looking at him, she shook her head slowly and replied in a small voice, “It’s not the worst beating I’ve received.” She let the words hang in the air for a moment, then gritted her teeth and looked him in the eye, “Does that surprise you? You’ve seen the brand, you know what I was. What I am. What I will be.” Elzbin shook her head, and wiped a bitter tear off on the hem of the cloak, “Do you even know what they do to slaves in the UME? It took me twenty years to get out of there, and…” her voice cracked, “I knew it wouldn’t last; I knew someone would come for me, I just hoped—I hoped they would kill me.” The wagon was silent other than the gentle click of the wheels rolling over the cobblestone, after a few moments, Elzbin collected herself and her face hardened. “I don’t know why you intervened, but if you’re expecting to get a servant out of the deal, you’d best kill me now.” She spat the last words at him, “I would rather die than serve.”
Achan silently held out a hand, then pulled down the collar of his shirt to reveal a slaver’s brand, long since defaced by the symbol of Nocticula. Her eyes widened slightly, and he sighed quietly, “I know the pain, the indignity, and the suffering of the lash all too well. I know what it feels like to be made into nothing, to believe you will always be nothing. The sleepless nights, you’d wish would never end, because they’re only respite you got from hell that is your life.” Achan saw her nodding slowly, it seemed to be working, “I won’t ask you to serve, instead I offer you freedom.” He rolled the collar back up, and let his hands hang loosely at his side, “the same freedom I found in those long, dark nights.” Elzbin chewed her lip pensively as he continued, “my lady accepts the outcasts and the downtrodden with open arms, she plucks us from desperation and shows us the path to true freedom. A life where the only command is ‘do what thou will.’ A life where you’re beholden to no one but yourself.”
Elzbin muffled a cry of pain as the wagon lurched to a stop, slamming her against the backboard. Achan peeked out from under the canvas covering, nodded to her, then got up and stepped off the back of the wagon. He stood framed by the glow of the streetlamps, “this is where you need to make a choice, return to Rook and continue to be shackled to your past, or join me and be free.” Elzbin thought for a long while, before shakily rising to her feet, and moving towards the back of the wagon. Achan gave a genuine smile and extended a hand.
It’s almost too easy.
As they rounded the corner, out of sight of the half-orc, all the energy seemed to leave Elzbin, “never let them see break,” she whispers as she collapsed against the wall of an unfinished building, dark hair cemented to her scalp by sweat and blood. A freezing cold wind blew in from the east, Achan shivered, “we should keep moving, it’ll be warmer when we get back to Cloud City.” She slowly shook her head, and continued to stare listlessly out into space. Achan reached down to place a hand on her shoulder, but she pulled back, eyes momentarily growing wide with fear. Achan paused and cocked his head, as he caught a glimpse of a brand on her neck. “I’ll call a cab,” he said quietly.
The cart was furnished with simple wooden benches, straw was scattered haphazardly on the ground to soak up the mud. After a bit of haggling with the driver, money changed hands, and Achan and Elzbin hauled themselves into the back of the wagon. Once they began to move, Achan spoke quietly, “I’m sorry for what happened, I wanted to…” his voice trailed off.
Without even looking at him, she shook her head slowly and replied in a small voice, “It’s not the worst beating I’ve received.” She let the words hang in the air for a moment, then gritted her teeth and looked him in the eye, “Does that surprise you? You’ve seen the brand, you know what I was. What I am. What I will be.” Elzbin shook her head, and wiped a bitter tear off on the hem of the cloak, “Do you even know what they do to slaves in the UME? It took me twenty years to get out of there, and…” her voice cracked, “I knew it wouldn’t last; I knew someone would come for me, I just hoped—I hoped they would kill me.” The wagon was silent other than the gentle click of the wheels rolling over the cobblestone, after a few moments, Elzbin collected herself and her face hardened. “I don’t know why you intervened, but if you’re expecting to get a servant out of the deal, you’d best kill me now.” She spat the last words at him, “I would rather die than serve.”
Achan silently held out a hand, then pulled down the collar of his shirt to reveal a slaver’s brand, long since defaced by the symbol of Nocticula. Her eyes widened slightly, and he sighed quietly, “I know the pain, the indignity, and the suffering of the lash all too well. I know what it feels like to be made into nothing, to believe you will always be nothing. The sleepless nights, you’d wish would never end, because they’re only respite you got from hell that is your life.” Achan saw her nodding slowly, it seemed to be working, “I won’t ask you to serve, instead I offer you freedom.” He rolled the collar back up, and let his hands hang loosely at his side, “the same freedom I found in those long, dark nights.” Elzbin chewed her lip pensively as he continued, “my lady accepts the outcasts and the downtrodden with open arms, she plucks us from desperation and shows us the path to true freedom. A life where the only command is ‘do what thou will.’ A life where you’re beholden to no one but yourself.”
Elzbin muffled a cry of pain as the wagon lurched to a stop, slamming her against the backboard. Achan peeked out from under the canvas covering, nodded to her, then got up and stepped off the back of the wagon. He stood framed by the glow of the streetlamps, “this is where you need to make a choice, return to Rook and continue to be shackled to your past, or join me and be free.” Elzbin thought for a long while, before shakily rising to her feet, and moving towards the back of the wagon. Achan gave a genuine smile and extended a hand.
It’s almost too easy.