Servitude: The Hydrangea Chapters

Chp 6: An Unnerving Proposition

What a fascinating flock these people are,' Marlina thinks.

During her years in Urush, anyone who spoke of The Everlasting Expanse only stressed tales of caution regarding the rugged terrain, the creatures beneath the sand, or even the desert driving men to madness. Despite the hazards, these people have created a haven against such opposition.

They have skilled warriors strong enough to slay the giant monstrosity that swallowed her whole, with leadership that's swift to decide the best course of action, and individuals who show great compassion for both the living and the dead.

When Aurea mentioned defenses earlier, Marlina wondered what that entailed for beasts like the one before. But being underground, she wouldn't be able to find out.

Locating the seed she had shown to Elek and Tessa, she struggles for a few moments to push it from the crowded trolley into one of the holes at her wrists. It isn't the most straightforward task for someone without hands.

Once it's in, she has to shift and twist her arm to avoid the other holes so the seed drops down to her foot, where she usually keeps it for safekeeping. She steps outside the door after she hears it drop and shakes her foot to confirm the rattle.

Peeking out of the tunnel, she no longer sees Elek. As she walks, her footsteps make a soft metallic clank against the sandstone beneath her feet. Not wanting to upset Elek, she remains inside the building so no one will see her outside.

As she traverses, the structure differs from what she's accustomed to seeing in Urushian architecture. The corridors have walls, but the larger rooms are pretty open, featuring few walls and only segmented by the wide arches and pillars that line the space neatly.

It takes her a few moments to find an incline that leads to an upper level with a more open space filled with mismatched furniture. One could use their intuition to determine which room is for dining, which is for tools and sled making, and which is for living spaces, among other things. It's a humble dwelling that was created from a long-abandoned space.

Finding a window that overlooks the courtyard she and Elek had passed through earlier, she spots Aurea and Tessa standing at the lake's edge. Marlina strains to see Aurea trailing her hand over her staff. Her hand moves from one end of the staff to the other, forming a long spire that appeared to be ice at the tip.

She can create ice? In a place like this? From what Marlina learned during her travels in Urush, she understood that Urushians can only manipulate certain aspects of nature, and ice isn't one of them.

Then again, Aurea doesn't resemble Tessa and Mordecai, who are Urushian with their tan skin. Come to think of it, they didn't have any markings that Urushians usually have to show the element they are bonded to.

Aurea lifts the staff out of the water as Tessa holds up a piece of paper. Using the tip of the long spire on her staff, she draws a magic circle of ice in the water. After placing the tip in the circle's center, Aurea lifts it from the water and presses the circle into the sand, creating an impression.

Once Aurea pulls it away, Tessa squats down, places her hands on it, and it glows; then the sand gathers and condenses, rising from the ground to form a thick spire as tall as they are.

How strange. Any Urushian Marlina has encountered would have been able to do that effortlessly. And what's with the circle? Urushians typically manipulate their element using movements of their arms or feet, never a circle.

As the two repeat this process, they create a perimeter of spires yards from the walls surrounding the outpost. Marlina's so engrossed in watching that she doesn't notice Mordecai standing nearby and observing her.