Servitude: The Hydrangea Chapters

Chp 10: The Expedition for Remains

For a being that cannot sleep, time is difficult to trace. It only constantly moves, dictated by the position of the sun. But when lingering underground, it was nearly unbearable. Marlina decided to stay in the room for the night, not wanting to worry anyone if they checked inside and found her gone. There was also uncertainty about whether it was still nighttime and the possibility of encountering Aurea, risking more of her body crumbling away. In addition to reflecting on everything that happened yesterday, she was trying to figure out how to restore her form. It was frustrating that she had no idea how to do so. Was there even a way? If not, if what was left of her was all she had, what would become of her if all of it was gone? 

Closing her eyes, she takes a few moments to recollect herself. "They might have a way... Hopefully." 

As she sits up in the bed, she hears the rattle of the seed in her foot as she shifts. Lifting and turning her leg, she lets the seed fall from one of her gaps onto the bed. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, she stares at the seed for minutes as if waiting for it to answer this dilemma. But, as always, nothing. 

"Of all the things that could have been told, why didn't you tell me how to survive like this? In this strange body?" 

Still nothing. 

In her time alone in Urush, before a storm uprooted the flower, it didn't seem to have much purpose. The only thing it did was bloom when she touched it, allowing her to climb into its center. The first time she did this, it closed over her and sank her into unconsciousness. That might be described as the only time Marlina has 'slept' if being in a state of utter nothingness is what sleep is like for others. She attempted to fight this occurrence multiple times but to no avail. Eventually, the flower would open, and she would reawaken at various intervals each time. The first couple of times were to see if the voice would speak again, but it never did. Despite it seeming to have little use, she was not against trying to see if regrowing the flower would help with her physical form. 

Marlina then hears footsteps outside the door, followed by a knock. She pushes the seed back into her leg and stands up from the bed. After a moment, the door opens, and Elek slowly peeks into the room. He's surprised and unnerved to see Marlina standing there, feeling discomfort as she bows to him. This was particularly strange given her current physical condition, especially her absent hands. 

"Good morning, Sir Elek." She greets him.

Opening the door wide, Elek steps into the room. From the goggles resting on his head to the pair of sheathed knives at his lower back, he could have intended to venture out into the wasteland. However, Marlina had to admit that his attire was surprisingly colorful for someone traveling through the desert. He wore a loose-fitting tunic of vibrant teal, a leather brace across his waist with straps looping over his shoulders, and long, thick gloves that reached the cuffs of his tunic. The leather pants were bulky at his legs, and his boots extended below his knees. The blades at his back had a curved shape and an unusual handle designed for a more controlled grip. Marlina also recognizes Tessa's red knitted scarf, though she was unsure why Elek had it. 

"Good morning, Marlina. Were you... standing in that spot all night?" That might have been too direct of a question, but if she had been there the entire night, it would have been a common trait of a construct—to place itself in a state of stasis until needed. 

"I was lying in bed. I had just gotten up when you knocked to greet you properly."

Now this raises more questions. Elek clearly remembered her mentioning yesterday that she didn't want to waste a bed on herself and didn't need any rest. "Did you sleep at all?"

Marlina shakes her head. "I don't require sleep. I didn't want to roam around and make you or Miss Tessa worry. Is it morning? It's impossible to tell the time down here."

It was becoming increasingly difficult for Elek to perceive this woman as Tessa did. Tessa had spent most of the night trying to find a way to restore Marlina's hollow body. Unfortunately, all she had were Urushian medical books that didn't explore life forms like Marlina. Still, she devoted hours to seeing if there was any possibility. Elek had to persuade her to come to bed so she wouldn't be up all night and was quiet when leaving their room to let her sleep. If Marlina is a person, as Tessa believes, would any normal individual be so willing to remain in a small room, lying awake the entire time, just waiting for the morning? Come to think of it, it sounds a bit like incarceration. 

"I apologize if there was a misunderstanding. You could have left the room if you wanted to. We'd be more concerned if you returned to the wastes, even though the hekoska won't return for a while." Given her worsened condition, she may end up staying here until they figure out how to heal her. She insists on earning her keep in any way she can for being rescued. "That said, I wanted to propose that you accompany me to retrace your steps and gather the remains you mentioned yesterday—if you can remember where you buried them."

With a sparkle in her eye, she nearly forgot about them. Yesterday, when Elek talked about what he does with the skeletons, it stayed in her mind. Her first thought was to go and get them as soon as possible. But everything that had happened seemed to make the thought slip her mind. "I would be more than happy to help. I used what I found nearby to mark them. When shall we leave? I'm ready at any time."

Certainly eager. It was comforting that she seems enamored with the service he provides, which isn't common. Most find it morbid, and plenty find it strange. Despite that, the gratitude expressed when the remains are returned to their rightful home is quite gratifying. 

"I must gather some supplies related to my next few questions. Do you eat or drink? Do you think you will be affected by the desert heat in your condition? And how long were you in the desert before we found you?"

Marlina answers the first question with a shake of her head. The second question requires her to ponder for a moment. "It's difficult to say. Last night, when my petals were dying, it was because of Aurea's cold. Yet I've been in cold places and snow before, and nothing happened then. I continuously spent five days and four nights in the desert and saw no signs of damage. Not until I was swallowed. I'm unsure if it will now due to my condition, so perhaps... Should I stay behind and not risk it?" From the look on her face, it was clear she was quite disappointed with the idea of staying behind. This current predicament with her form seemed just as infuriating to her as it was to them. Although she knew more about how her body worked than they did, she was learning just like they were. 

While Elek contemplates this, Marlina waits for his answer, hoping he has some idea to allow her to join him. "To keep us from overheating in the wastes, we usually take a block of Aurea's ice in our sleds. It's kept in a crate, but it's chill radiates enough to make travel bearable longer than if we didn't have it. The heat of the wastes should prevent the ice from harming you, and vice versa. Perhaps if we covered you with a cloak and closely monitored you, just in case?"

Marlina's eyes glimmer with excitement. "I followed a straight path through the desert to avoid getting lost, so as long as we keep to that path as much as we can, finding those skeletons should be straightforward."