"I'm going to kill that man, wolfsca
. I'm going to kill him. "Androcles lay on his side on the thin pile of straw and whispered into the pre-dawn darkness. Tears burned a hot streak on his nose and cheeks.
"Now? A small voice shot directly into his ears. The fairy sat cross-legged on Ancros' temple and gently stroked a lock of Ancros' hair with her hand, trying to comfort him. Strangely enough, it worked .
The fairy managed to hide his light completely, which was the only reason the slaves in the room weren't all awake and gawking, Andros appreciated the darkness. He'd barely slept last night, his mind filled with images of his poor little flower being hit with food and worse, her crying for help and Anklex being unable to do anything. not yet.
"Maybe." Ankerex stared at the back of the old man who was less than an arm's length in front of him. Lack of sleep proved to be the second worst thing about being a slave. Of course, the worst part is that he can't kill a whole bunch of savages without losing any of his children.
"Don't you still have to wait?" the fairy asked.
"I don't know how much longer I can watch, wolfsca
. I almost lost it. twice. All it takes is one small mistake and it's all done. It was the hardest thing I've ever done. ".
"It's okay, Dad. Everyone will be fine." Wolf Sca
He said his voice sounded a bit like Ga
bi. He leaned over and patted Ankerex on the temple. Although it was a childish gesture from a tiny creature, it made Androx's eyes burn with heartache again.
The fairy slipped into A
d
okles' beard, snuggled in for warmth. What made Androx even more ashamed was that Wolf Scar had been naked for nearly three weeks, having to fly in the cold winter without anything to keep him warm. There was simply no way to find the time, materials or tools to make him a suitable little coat and trousers, or even a tunic. Every piece of cloth the slave touches is responsible.
"Oh oh." Wolf scolded
sighed. "Shh..."
The old slave in front of Ankerex was twitching uneasily, possibly temporarily losing sleep. Wolf Sca
Always known. Together they waited in near-perfect darkness, silent and motionless, until it was safe to speak again.
Soon after the man stopped walking, the fairy said: "Well, I'm still looking for Pepper so you can escape, but I can't find him anywhere. I went to all the towns. But there are so many places to look for. More because he might be in there and I wouldn't look at the house. I might have missed him. I'll keep looking." Wolf sca
It sounds melancholy, like an old man complaining about the stairs.
"Focus on the borders of their lands, as far as the king can still control."
"You've already said it. I've seen it there before." Wolf Sca
explain.
Unspoken between them was one of the many worries that kept Androx awake at night: Pepper had been taken away in a raid. Less than a week ago, Anjax was washing and oiling the prince's leather trousers when he heard a sentry report that a demon had attacked him. He couldn't hear the details because the man spoke in a low voice, right in the prince's ear, but he clearly heard "at least twelve children were taken away by the devil."
This may have worked to his advantage, though, because the sentry looked directly at him afterwards, probably to gauge his reaction. Not only that, A
d
Okles wasn't sure yet if he believed the demons could work together long enough to steal the child in a raid, or if anyone could stop them if they tried. But one thing is for sure: If this is true and Pepper was really taken, then Androx had two children, not three. The thought made him sick.
"How are Aguun and Gabi doing?"
"Gabby is fine and so is mom. No one has done anything bad to them except doing chores. Ga
bi has a lot of housework to do, such as washing clothes and dishes, even though it's winter. They made her do needlework, but she could do it by the fire, so I let her do it. No one would do anything bad to them because Mom made everyone afraid of the curse she did. Mom wouldn't say what it was, and neither would Gabby. Gabby chuckled and said it had something to do with the man's stick. But I don't really know what the curse is. "Wolfsca
explain.
"The curse is...a magic. In the name of Ravus, your first child will be stillborn!" "Things like that." Most of the time, they're not true. However, you'll occasionally encounter situations like this, so it's best to avoid them entirely. But it sounds like her. Hearing such a threat may also make many wives nervous. "Androx said, deliberately not grinning. He had never been too worried about Aguun and Gabi, but every time the wolf scolded
He felt better when he came over and said they were fine.
"What do you think her spell is for?" asked the fairy a little shyly. He wasn't expecting an answer. Androx could tell.
Anyway A
d
Okles also bought him one. "Knowing her, I guess she threatened to limp them for the rest of their lives, or something like that."
"Their sticks are weak?"
"That's my guess."
"Can she do it?"
"How should I know?" said Androx.
WolfScar thought for a moment, then said, "I guess she could, otherwise they wouldn't be frightened by her spell. They would know."
"Nothing about that woman surprises me, little one, except that people around her get bored. I really miss her. Really. After everything that's happened, Flower is going to need her, poor kid. Need her." of priestess magic to heal his heart.”
Wolf Sca
Lost in thought again. This was a bit longer than the usual pauses in conversation, and Ankerex swallowed hard and took a deep breath to prepare for what he suddenly wanted to say.
"Wolfsca
…I don’t know what to say, but without you…” He waited until he was sure his voice was steady before continuing. The darkness concealed the tears that fell from his burning eyes. “You It's my only hope now. I know I haven't had them long, but I don't want to lose them. none. Keep looking until you find Pepper. please. "
WolfScar said, "Okay." There was no more, and Anjax thought the conversation was over.
Androchus knew he was about to lose his nerve. It seems like every waking hour is spent worrying or feeling ashamed. He started to get nervous. Nervous. He held his head high and tried not to be angry, but the shame of failure, the utter failure, turned his anger into pain and regret.
Wolf Sca
I fell asleep quickly. This little creature always sleeps with its wings spread out in case it is in a hurry to leave. Each time it exhaled, its wings twitched and lightly flapped against Androx's neck. Ta da da...ta da da...ta da da...
Androcles tried to steal whatever sleep he could get, but all he could take from Abraxas the Dreamer were crumbs. Regardless, he lay there, letting his body rest, if not his mind. He even stayed where he was as the other slaves got up one by one to go about their duties. Only when the sun undeniably rises from the sky, illuminating even the enclosed tent interior, does A
d
Only then did okles decide it was time to get up.
He poked Wolf Scar gently to wake him, and the fairy crawled out of Ankerex's beard, stretched, and kissed him on the cheek as his children used to do. Wolf Sca
Flapping his familiar wings, he flew into the morning sky and continued his search.
The morning seems a little warmer than yesterday; crisp and bright. However, this could simply be because of the sunlight. The cloudy weather lasted for at least ten days. His breath drifted away like smoke from his head as he stretched out in front of the tent. When he felt flexible enough to go to work, he put on his thin clothes to keep out the cold and began his work.
Not knowing what unpleasant tasks the prince had planned for the afternoon, Androcles began his work as usual: collecting excrement with his bare hands in the king's stables. The stables were kept closed and heated in the winter, but that meant the stuff Androx was picking up was still soft. Once finished, he distributes fresh straw and pulls water into the trough.
The completion of one task after another is usually accompanied by a tiring humiliation that lasts forever. He was basically left alone, unsupervised for half the day. He took this as a sign that the prince understood how inflexible Androx was when it came to causing trouble.
This morning, however, instead of cursing the work, he cursed Altfer for the pain he had caused Flower the night before. Of course, this was all meant to scare Androl; Prince Altfer said so outright beforehand. You will find that you are unable to protect him. That degrades you, he said. You will eventually break. Someone nobler than you.
They even dressed Flower up like a dancing girl. like hetai
a's favorite student. Dancing was a noble pursuit; every boy learned to dance for the parade. Young people often make their first lifelong friends in dance groups attending banquets. But dressing like a girl and dancing a woman's dance? Simply having him dance naked, like the Spring Festival did to the goddess Rafelia, or the Twilight Feast did to Abrasha, is far less humiliating. Voluntary nudity is a sign of sophistication and manliness, both of which Flower lacks. But dressing like a whore...at least Flower doesn't seem to understand.
A wave of unpleasant emotions welled up in him - anger, frustration, sadness, shame... He once thought he knew what despair felt like: his father's suicide. No, no, he learned. This is not entirely true. He had thought it was watching your dearest friend bleed to death in your arms. But no, he still had a lot to learn about despair. Despair, he once thought, is when your honor is stolen by an unfaithful wife. He was wrong every time.
Hopelessness is when your child suffers and you are unable to intervene.
Flower was watched day and night, and Androx could not come near him or they would kill him. Wolf Sca
Said there was always someone awake when they locked him in the tent so he didn't dare go. Of course Anchorex couldn't stop by to see him - even the slightest hint of contact between them would be enough to get the boy cut down instantly. No, if Androchus wanted his son to stay away from the dust, he had to act like he didn't exist. Alterfer has said it many times.
A
d
The obedience of okles is gained under great threat. If he raised his fist against even the humblest of slaves, Flower would be painfully killed. If that doesn't win his obedience, Aguin is next, then Pepper, then Gabi. Their dismembered bodies were returned to him "in separate bags" as evidence. Altfer does not hesitate to give orders. Androx was convinced of this.
What scares him the most is that after getting the flower back, he can't use his murderous intent because it would most likely kill the boy. This meant no fighting beforehand, lest the prince's killers hear about it, and no fighting afterwards. Androcles had no murderous intent, and there was no hope against a dozen armed men on horseback, let alone a hundred.
To some extent, A
d
Okles knew he had to give up his family and go back to chase Della. His oath is above all else. God willing, the time to make a choice never comes.
At noon, the leader saw him carrying water to the barracks. "Stain. Come with me. You need to move some wood." Then the man turned and started walking, hoping he was following. A
d
Okles didn't jump up immediately. He stood on his heels and sneered deliberately. "I said come here, Smudge!"
Androchus stared down at him haughtily; a dog might fight for his bed and win, but he was still a dog, and the bed was still a dog's bed. "Chief Slave" indeed.
The man spat and said, "Keep going. I'm not going to beat you. I'm going to starve your wife's bastard son. He doesn't need to eat every day, right?"
"I'm no threat to your position, you fool. It's time you realized that," Androx said, trying and failing to sound cooperative.
"He looked a little thin last night, didn't he?" Maybe he should eat more of the food they threw at him. "But he doesn't seem hungry today." Maybe should fast for another day. what do you think?"
Androcles clenched his fingers into fists, filled with despair, and pretended to be angry. There was nothing he could do and the other man knew it. The man started walking again, Androx following behind.
For the rest of the day, A
d
okles lifted tree trunks and moved them to the fence to improve the walls. The leading slave stayed nearby, directing him with contemptuous orders. He couldn't make up his mind whether the man was acting in obedience to Alterfer's orders, out of his own character, or both. Both seem possible.
The other slaves appear to have been ordered to avoid talking to Androx, or may have been too frightened to engage with him. However, according to what he overheard, the leading slave was once a member of the barbarian royal family. The Allatroki, much like Skywalkers, took severed heads as trophies, which made Androx wonder, if this man was really that important, why didn't they just take his head? A
d
Of course okles wants to do that.
Finally, night falls, and with it comes the opportunity for a hearty supper and a new round of taunting with Altfer and his minions. When the last rays of the sun disappeared behind the low western hills, Androcles dropped the basket of clothes he was carrying in the middle of the street, then turned and walked toward Altfer's quarterdeck house. "Drop everything and come to me at sunset." This was the order he received, and Androker would never disobey it.
A warm atmosphere enveloped Androx as he entered the wooden quarter deckhouse. The smell of roasting chicken and stir-fry vegetables mingled with the stench of blankets that hadn't been washed in a long time. The prince lay naked on a pile of furs in front of the fireplace, flanked by his two naked wives. Anchorex felt his face flush with embarrassment at the sight. What monster shamelessly displays his wife? The prince knew he was coming. Andros did his best to adjust his appearance as he awaited the evening's fall.
"Ah, Smudge, you've come just in time. Bring us water. We're dehydrated," the prince ordered, his voice carefully controlled as usual. His wives giggled as Androcles grabbed a jar and headed for the well.
Every night, there's a new humiliation. The flower thing was messed up last night. The night before, he had Androx sing. The night before, he had asked Andrew to pick out all the food from a drunken guest's vomit. The gods knew what the prince wanted Androcles to do with it, but he backed down when two of his guests complained that they would lose their dinners at the sight.
The night before that, the prince asked him to roll dice for the flower's finger, and then when A
d
When okles lost his finger, he laughed it off. That night, Androx barely restrained himself from killing the man, and La Force's corpse-eaters suffered the consequences.
Although he tried to drown it with anger, he couldn't deny that his fear of Alzfell was growing. Something about him was slowly slipping away. He could look inside himself and see this happening, but he was powerless to change it. All he could do was imagine countless ways to kill the prince over and over again, trying to stall the matter. This helps, but only a little.
When he returned, Altfer's wives had wrapped themselves up, although the prince had not yet. He lay where he had been, bathing like a young man with his friends. Although the man's face was as unreadable as stone, as always, Androx thought he was just trying to see how he would react.
"Here's water, Master." Ankles said politely, handing him the kettle. Altfer took the kettle in a hurry, seemed a little annoyed, and drank it in a big gulp. Then he gave it to his wives.
"We were talking about you, Smudge," the prince said, sitting up and crossing his legs.
Androx said nothing. Sarcasm did not win him the love of his master.
“My wife failed to bear my child. Why do you think that is? Altfer asked, his voice as serious as stone.
Androx waited a moment before speaking, making sure the prince really wanted an answer, and then said, "If I knew the answer to that question, things would be very different."
One of the wives asked: "Is this why your wife opens her bed to the caravan of thunderbolts? Can't you get her pregnant?" She was a beauty though, with waist-length brown hair and long eyelashes. And charming, but her voice was too deep, making her unlikable.
The other wife, a freckle-covered woman with white hair, flat hair, good teeth, giggled happily. Even Altfer managed a dull smile.
The prince said: "You know, it could have been me. I could have been sterile. I could have been a mule."
The freckled wife gave Arthur Fair a half-hearted slap in frustration. He just waved her away and said, "What do you think, Smudge? Maybe you'd like to give one of my wives a big, strong boy?"
A
d
Okles kept his mouth shut to prevent his gun from falling. Of all the cursed things, adultery? Even a poor man's wife, with no figure, could be ignored. These were noble ladies, and if he were discovered, he would most likely be put to death, even with a savage woman. At least three gods—Arkos, Elastria, and Rafelia—forbid it, and there's a king's son and heir? They'll inform. It won't end well.
"Ha!" Arsal shouted lifelessly, seeing his hesitation. "Do you think he knows what's going on? If not, that explains his cuckolding."
"Master, this is..." Andrews started, but stopped. He couldn't find the right words. He gritted his teeth; any further words would only sharpen the new weapon the prince used against him.
"What is this, Smudge?" You know you're nothing more than a cow to me now, right? You have no value other than what I give you. "
Androx said nothing.
The prince taunted him further. "After all this time, you must really want to find a woman. Don't you feel natural passion?"
After a pause, Androchus replied tactfully: "Not even my master's women know how."
However, he did feel a natural passion. More than he dared to say. He hadn't had a woman since Della last early spring. Most of the barbarian towns he encountered were too poor to have prostitutes, and Agnar refused to risk having an illegitimate child for fear of angering the orphanage's caretakers. Any honorable doctor would have told him that waiting too long could cause him permanent damage. This is unnatural.
"Do as your master says, Smudge. Why do you resist?" said the Duke. There was an unusual hint of annoyance in his voice. Has his mask of iron fist finally slipped?
"The outcome of noble adultery is suffering for everyone, starting with the seducer. It brings the wrath of the sworn father of Arkos," Ankres said, trying not to sound combative. He must tread carefully. "Many kingdoms perished because of it."
"Who? Is that your god?" asked the brown-haired wife.
"I suppose you call him Camus."
"Camulus doesn't care about such things," Altfer said, touching the freckled man's thigh with his fingers.
Ankrex felt himself aroused, fear lingering in his heart. Here all could be destroyed, a moment of much-needed resignation and release, incurring the wrath of the King of the Gods upon him. His oath to his father would become a curse and he would die a painful death, just as Cosmas was slain by his illegitimate son.
Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. Will he run away and leave his family to their fate? Or does he dare to stay and risk it? No, if he ran, he doubted how far he would get. It doesn’t work without preparation. They had horses and he didn't know where to go.
"Gods above, gods below, I believe that Smudge really doesn't want to have sex with you. Do you think he's a sissy? I heard that Rafelia's soldiers like each other very much." Altefi groaned Er, as he watched Androcles prepare to pounce on his prey like an eagle.
Androx looked away, not sure how to respond.
"No, I can't believe it," said the dark-haired wife. "A guy like him, lying underneath other people?" Never. "
The three men observed Androx carefully, as if looking at him with various unflattering eyes. Finally, Altfer said: "I think, Smudge, I will order you to do this. You will give me two sons, one for each wife. But not tonight. Still you will not yield to me in your heart." At the same time tomorrow, you and my two wives, Xiaohua, will come over to watch. He doesn’t hate you yet."
After a while, he fully understood the meaning of this sentence, but when he understood the meaning of this sentence, he could no longer control himself, and he rushed out of the prince's house to escape the pain that had caused his entire body All felt the fear of emptiness. Altfer and his wives laughed behind him, cruelly and viciously.
Anchorex's mind was racing so wildly that he failed to notice the icy road and slipped. The back of his head fell with a thud. He was almost unconscious. His vision deteriorated and he came back in pieces with severe nausea. He closed his eyes and hissed in pain, hoping that what little was left in his stomach wouldn't be lost.
By the gods, he was so stupid to run away before he had enough to eat. He took a deep breath, deliberately calming his stomach, and lay still for a moment until he felt he could stand. Depravity and cold seeped into his body, soaking into his bones. This is something a person cannot bear. He was hesitating. He lost his courage.
He stood up, brushed off his hair, and looked up at the sky. The moon hadn't risen yet, and half the stars were hidden behind clouds, but even so, something about them seemed more distant than usual. A slave passed him, but he ignored the man. Oh my God, my God, what's wrong with you, Bear? he thought to himself. The idea caught his attention. Little Bear? Where is he...
That's what his mother called him. He forgot. He wasn't sure he could remember her face, but he heard her voice clearly as if she were standing next to him. Cracking his skull must have wiped out his memory.
Indecision kept him rooted to the spot. He put his fists on his hips and frowned, hoping that this thoughtful attitude would give him some special insight. But it was no use and after some time he gave up and started walking again. Be careful this time.
He walked to the tent and saw that his two companions had gone to bed, but he chose not to join them. Instead, he kept walking, off the path and into the gnarled bushes growing within the walls. If he let the snow accumulate, his cloth shoes would freeze, but he could deal with that later. It was a place where he could think in private, and that was all that mattered.
Gods, what happened to him? Bear. Androcles was a man of plans, a man who was both prudent and courageous. And he had nothing. At first he wanted to plot an escape, but every idea had some irreparable flaws. Steal one horse and run away without the flowers? Steal two and run away with him? Kill the king and his son, and as many of his men as possible, then ride off in a chariot and hope no one cares? Save Agorn first , let her take care of herself and help the wolf scare
Find Pepper? Every plan he comes up with sounds silly.
He stood in the cold, the biting night wind stealing his enthusiasm, then fear, then everything else, leaving him with clarity for the first time in years. He could never find a perfect plan. There are too many unknowns. He can't wait for perfection. All he could do, he slowly came to accept, was all he could do.
Tonight, he's going to run away. with flowers. They would walk there, about an hour away, and stay in a farmer's hut. A man with a wife and children. He was going to hold them hostage in exchange for the man's silence, maybe for a week. Enough for the king's men to give up riding around and come back to make other plans. He would then steal a horse, find Agun and Gabi, and head north. If Scar the Wolf finds Pepper before then, they'll turn around and get him. Otherwise, Androcles would have thought he was dead, captured by the demons of the King's Border.
It's crazy, incomplete, and unlikely to work, but it has to be done.
First, find Flower and get him out quietly. He retreated from the hidden corner of the ice and snow and walked onto the icy path. He walked quietly and confidently, hoping not to attract attention, toward the place where he suspected they had kept the child—the only occupied place he had not given anything to. The house where the king kept his wives.
Something caught his eye in the snow, and he glanced toward the roadside and saw a rat, a big rat, trembling all over, stumbling through the cold, trying to get back to some warm hole. Before he could react, he jumped forward and grabbed it firmly with one hand. It was too cold to respond in time.
Taking it, he walked towards the woodcutter's yard. He found a suitable log, large and flat, knelt down, and pressed the mouse on it. He picked up the ax with his other hand and said loudly: "Palthos Palthos! Palthos, Palthos! Look here. Look here, Palthos! I sacrifice in your name." After a while of silence, except for the complaints of the mice, , he cut off the mouse's head and squeezed its blood on a makeshift altar. He said, "I'm sorry, it's just a mouse, but I have to get out of here." Please give your blessing. You've helped me before. I'm running away tonight. You said that I belong to you, and my little family also belongs to you. If I fail, we'll all die, I swear. Take me to the flowers, then my woman, and Little Pepper. Then give me back Della's and my money and let me go home. If you do this, I will exalt you above the other gods and give you a bull on every festival day. I swear. "
He wrote his name in the blood of Patos and raised his hands in supplication. Just as he was about to stand up, he felt a small hand on his arm, and a strand of smooth hair brushed his shoulder. A child whispered in his ear: "Wait."
A
d
Okles turned around in surprise and saw no one, not even footprints on the snow. He is alone. His heart was pounding, and his eyes stared into the darkness, hoping to catch even a flickering shadow, but nothing happened.
He walked toward the tent and went to bed.
