Servitude: The Hydrangea Chapters

Chp 1: The Servant

Someone who exists solely to serve another.

Depending on whom you ask who does not embrace this purpose, some might consider it an honor to live as a dutiful and valuable companion to another. Conversely, others may view it negatively, arguing that such a life makes someone no better than a codependent slave to the person they dedicate their lives to, gaining little benefit from such devotion.

For someone who serves another as their purpose in life, either way can be true.

They can harbor contempt for those who look down on them, seeing and treating them no better than interchangeable pawns, or feel admiration for those they serve who respect them.

For the servant named Marlina, she hopes for the latter.

Why the name Marlina? Well, that's what the voice from the giant purple flower told her it was. Also, it revealed that her purpose was to serve another.

The giant purple flower? Yes, Marlina woke one day just a few years ago, deep inside a lush forest, inside a huge purple flower bud. When she woke up, a gentle and soothing female voice from the flower told her only those two things, then the voice fell silent and never spoke again.

Marlina's memories only reach back from when she woke up in the flower until now. It includes her traveling from place to place, trying to understand what the voice meant by 'serve another.' The explanations from those she asked clarified the basic meaning of the phrase, which is to work for another person and fulfill their wishes as commanded.

There are a few things to note about Marlina. Overall, she seems human. She walks, talks, and behaves like a human, showing emotions and independent thought. Her bright purple hair is the most noticeable feature that might make her seem suspicious. Her pale skin also made her stand out among the people she met, who had tan skin, with many describing her as pale as a corpse.

From the moment she woke up, she realized she had been traveling through the territories of the Empire of Urush, which covers the western third of the continent and is home to the Urushians. As a proud and strong-willed race that wields the four elements, there is much to admire in their close-knit communities across their strictly segregated lands.

For Marlina, despite her kindness and gracious offers to serve, she noticed that almost everyone she met showed signs of contempt with little reason. That hostility would only grow worse, sometimes becoming dangerous, whenever she ventured too close to Urush's capital city, forcing her to stay within the outskirts. No matter where she went, 'vile Colonial' was a common insult directed at her. It was rare for an Urushian lord to let her serve them, as their treatment of her differed greatly from how others in their service were treated. Without fail, she would soon be sent away again, no matter the reason someone came up with.

Frustrated by the Urushians' treatment and lack of acceptance, Marlina decided to leave Urush. Branded as a Colonial, she sought out the other lands said to lie across the desert wasteland known as the Everlasting Expanse, with the eastern third of the continent being the Colonies of Madrya. Since she resembles those from that side of the continent, perhaps her search would be more fruitful there.

Many have perished while attempting to cross the wasteland to reach the distant ends of the continent, a desert stretching over a thousand miles. With limited water sources and little to scavenge or hunt for any unprepared traveler, it was a fool's errand without the means for such a journey.

The western half of the desert bordering Urush is said to be home to fearsome creatures that lurk in the sand and attack unsuspecting travelers. Not to mention the frequent sandstorms that ravage the land, it wasn't worth the risk for those who lacked Marlina's physical advantages. For Marlina, this seemed like a chance to broaden her world and maybe find answers to many questions that had long troubled her and remained unresolved.

During the first few days of travel, Marlina encountered only the barren landscape of dried shrubbery, the occasional small lizard or snake, and the ominous presence of distant sandstorms. The days were scorching and the nights bitter, yet neither slowed her progress.

Whenever she found the remains of travelers who hadn't finished their journey, she took the time to dig graves to bury them. From others, she learned they deeply valued their lives. They believed that those who had died deserved a proper burial so their spirits could find peace. Although small graves were all she could manage without tools, she still made the effort. While digging these graves, she wondered about who these remains belonged to and what choices had brought them here.

Five days have passed, and a sandstorm is raging across Marlina's path today. For humans, the relentless barrage of sand wears them down, but she isn't phased and keeps moving forward. However, as the claims suggested, the annoyances of the sandstorm distract Marlina, and she is caught off guard by one of the fearful creatures that dwell within the sand.