Servitude: The Hydrangea Chapters

Chp 4: The Intersection of Logic and Faith

Looking around the open courtyard, Marlina would note aged cracks and pieces missing from the structures contained within the walls, but signs of repair and the colors painted to them relatively recent. In the center of the courtyard was a fountain with crystal clear water and a steady flow, glistening in the light of the sun overhead. Though Marlina would not feel it, it was a liveable temperature at around 80 degrees within the walls, noting that none of the others seemed to be in discomfort from the supposed blistering desert heat during the summer months. While Marlina was surveying her surroundings, Elek couldn't help but stare. Her hands were gone, yet she didn't seem to show any immediate concern at the moment, or signs of distress or pain. There were several holes in her body, but none of them were bleeding. When Marlina looked back to Elek to ask a question, she noticed a small amount of blood that had come from his eye behind his hair and the look of shock on his face, which concerned Marlina. "Are you alright Sir? Your eye is... bleeding."

Elek reached for his pocket and took out a small vial, moving his hair and letting a drop of whatever was in the vial into his silver-colored eye, then using a cloth to wipe away the blood. In the small moment that side of his face was revealed, Marlina would spot a vertical scar over his right eye before he shifted his hair back the way he had it to conceal it. "It's of little concern. I feel we should be more concerned for you. Are you in any pain?"

Marlina shakes her head. "I'm not, at least not what others had described pain as feeling."

What a bizarre answer. Congenital insensitivity to pain perhaps? From what he observed of her form told him a much different story. Elek had at least a dozen questions, but he wanted to get her to Tessa to see if anything could be done for her condition. He did decide 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." More than he had asked for, which led to more questions to ask later. But priorities first. "Can you tell me where I am? I was told there was little civilization in the Everlasting Expanse."

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

"Aurea?"

"The one that takes command around here. The woman who was standing with me at the gate. The work being done here has only gone on for a few years and is only recently gaining some recognition, so that would explain why you had not heard of it yet."

After walking into the buildings and down an incline to a tunnel lined with clusters of green stones that gave off a dim glow, she would see a door at the end. Elek opens it for Marlina to step in ahead of him, her eyes wandering as she takes a good look. The room had no windows due to being underground, and the shape of the room was odd, clearly not man-made. The walls were quite smooth, though the ceilings were a little low, at least for a tall individual like Elek. It showed when Elek 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 upon the makeshift shelving. At random areas, there were smaller rooms. The doors leading to them were open, containing empty beds and minimal furniture. Some rooms are meant to keep one person and some with more depending on the size.

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