Servitude: The Hydrangea Chapters

Chp 4: Oppositions of Logic and Faith

As Marlina looked around the open courtyard, she noticed aged cracks and missing pieces in the structures within the walls, but there were signs of repair and relatively recent paint on them. In the center of the courtyard stood a fountain with crystal-clear water flowing steadily, glistening in the sunlight above. Although Marlina wouldn't feel it, the temperature within the walls was livable at around 90 degrees, and she observed that none of the others appeared uncomfortable despite the supposed blistering desert heat of the summer months. While Marlina surveys her surroundings, Elek couldn't help but stare. Her hands were missing, yet she displayed no immediate concern or signs of distress or pain. There were several holes in her body, but none were bleeding. 

When Marlina turns back to Elek to ask a question, she notices a small amount of blood trickling from his eye behind his hair and the look of shock on his face, which worried her. "Are you alright, sir? Your eye is... bleeding."

Elek reaches into his pocket and takes out a small vial, moving his hair aside to let a drop of the liquid from the vial fall into his silver-colored eye, then using a cloth to wipe away the blood. In that brief moment when that side of his face was visible, Marlina notices a vertical scar over his right eye before he shifts his hair back to conceal it. "It's of little concern. I think we should be more worried about you. Are you in any pain?"

Marlina shakes her head. "I'm not, at least not how others have described pain feeling."

What a strange answer. Congenital insensitivity to pain, perhaps? What he observed of her form told him a very different story. Elek had at least a dozen questions, but he wanted to get her to Tessa to see if she could do anything about her condition. He decides to ask at least one: "What's your name?"

"Marlina, sir, I am a servant, and my purpose is to find a master to serve."

She gave more than he requested, resulting in more questions to address later. But priorities come first.

"Can you tell me where I am? I was told there was little civilization in the Everlasting Expanse?" Marlina asks.

Right, something to distract Elek from overwhelming her with his questions, as he was certain that Tessa would have just as many once she met this one. "You are in the outpost town of Englias. This land was once the site of old ruins from a lost civilization that Aurea occupied to establish a sustainable halfway point across the desert."

"Aurea?"

"The one who takes charge around here. The woman who was standing with me at the gate. The work being done here has only been ongoing for a few years and is now gaining some recognition, which explains why you haven't heard of it yet."

After walking into the building and down an incline to a tunnel lined with clusters of green stones that emitted a dim glow, she saw a door at the end. Elek opens it for Marlina to step in ahead of him, her eyes wandering as she took a good look. The room had no windows because it was underground, and its shape was unusual, clearly not man-made. The walls were relatively smooth, although the ceilings were a bit low, especially for a tall individual like Elek. This was evident when he had to avoid running into the hanging bundles of glowing stones suspended from the ceiling by nets made of palm fronds to illuminate the space. Holes in the walls were carved out with medical supplies neatly organized on the makeshift shelves. In various areas, there were smaller rooms. The doors leading to them were open, revealing empty beds and minimal furniture. Some rooms were designed for one person, while others accommodated more, depending on their size.

Elek leads her to one of the rooms with a single bed, gesturing for her to sit while he goes to another room across from her. With the door left open, she can hear Elek speaking to someone else. "Tessa, I brought the woman that Natashia saw in the wastes. A hekoska got to her, but..."