Servitude: The Hydrangea Chapters

Chp 11: The Steeds of the Sands

Alright, at least they have a plan. Marlina just stands there still, waiting for Elek to lead so she can follow—more construct-like behavior. But then again, she had just arrived yesterday and probably doesn't know where everything is kept. 

Elek steps out of the infirmary and walks to an upper level of the building, walking up a circular incline with Marlina just a few steps behind. In one of the circular structures, they have established a vegetable garden. The neatly planted vegetables resting in planter basins made of tightly stacked stones filled with soil, designed to allow excess water to filter through the rocks and flow into narrow channels in the floor. The planters are arranged in segmented sections according to the positions of the windows, allowing for controlled exposure to sunlight and providing the vegetables with the adequate amount of sun needed for their growth. 

Elek approaches a couple of planters with a sack in hand to collect some sweet potatoes and squash. Then, at what appears to be a composter, he covers his nose with the red knitted scarf around his neck. He puts on a gardening glove and sifts through it, pulling out a sweet potato infested with maggots and worms, Marlina unsure of why he wants it. From what he gathers in the garden, it isn't much to eat. However, it's just for him, but it also suggests they won't be in the desert for very long.

Returning to the lower levels, they approach a den with few lizard steeds that pull their sleds. The room is cubic and has no windows; the only light source is a skylight above a few large rocks for basking. As they enter, the fan-like scales on the sides of the lizards' heads shift toward Elek and Marlina. Being the closest she has been to one, she notices it doesn't have eyes. Elek then positions his hands near his mouth and whistles, prompting the lizards to come closer. As they linger nearby, Marlina hears whistling from the creatures. When one approaches Elek, he whistles again, and the lizard's long, narrow tongue flicks around him as if trying to identify him. It senses something else in the room; its tongue continues to flick, but it struggles to find Marlina. Typically, the way to help them is to whistle at them, but Elek isn't sure if she can.

"Can you whistle?" Elek asks.

Marlina shakes her head, her gaze on the lizard as she watches the tongue touch her, and then it becomes still. Its tongue touches her a few more times before it retreats, hissing, which the other lizards respond to as well. Elek has only seen them act this way when they perceive something as a threat. The answer is unclear, but it can also be the dulled scent of hekoska blood on her that is causing them to behave this way. 

Having an idea, Elek tears the maggot-riddled potato and rubs the insides all over her arms and shoulders. Now coated in sweet potato and worms, Elek whistles behind her. Hesitant, the same lizard approaches, its tongue flicking once more. Elek guides Marlina to hold out her arms, and the tongue licks some potato off her. Now that she has a treat, more of its tongue came out, which Marlina wasn't expecting to be so long. It extends a few feet and coils around her arm, the tongue covered in barbs further down from the tip, collecting the potato and maggots before pulling it back to enjoy the treat. 

Elek whistles while it cleans her other arm. It seems calm for now, hoping that the smell of the potato will help it tolerate Marlina's presence. At least the others aren't hissing anymore and resume basking while keeping their distance. When the lizard goes to a basin for a drink, Elek grabs a harness from the wall and fastens it to the steed while it drinks. Marlina approaches slowly, the fans on its head aware of her, flicking its tongue toward her a few more times before returning to drink. 

"What are these things, Sir Elek?"

With Marlina's presence, Elek whistles softly at the lizard as if assuring it of something while securing the harness. "They're called braxl: docile yet skittish creatures, but very swift. They are loyal to those who provide food and a safe environment. Trust is a key principle for them, dependent on their sense of hearing and smell. You still have a hekoska's scent on you. As you noticed yesterday, with their tendencies to retaliate, the braxl's instinct warns them to be cautious around you. Whistles are how they communicate with one another, so we use them too as a way to connect with them." Taking hold of a bar on the harness near the braxl's lower back with one hand and the reins in the other, he guides it to where the sleds are kept.

Marlina noticed yesterday that Mordecai's sled differed from the twins', especially since it didn't have a mounted weapon. The other sleds have their differences, such as more pointed fronts and small storage compartments for brief and faster travel. Some feature extra storage for supply trips, while others have reinforced plating for durability. Elek secures the braxl's harness to a sled that is a bit bulkier than the others, designed for stability rather than speed. There are also long, narrow compartments tucked beneath the edges and long seats of the sled. 

Elek grabs a cloak that is hanging on a nearby wall and helps Marlina put it on before she steps into the sled. Then he lifts and shifts a stone panel in the ground, which leads to another tunnel going downward. There sure are plenty of these tunnels everywhere; there must have been many underground hot springs. Marlina hears thuds coming from inside the tunnel, moments away from checking on him, when he emerges with a wooden crate carrying a large cube of ice. Marlina does her best to cover herself with the cloak while Elek places the crate right behind the rider's perch, as far from Marlina as he can manage.

Elek leads the braxl outside, seeing the sun has already risen, and the temperature is soon to follow. As they draw near the gate, Elek covers his face with the red scarf. Marlina is unsure why he did, but she can't detect the stench of decaying hekoska as he does. Once through the gate, they find Aurea cutting and carving filets from the tail of the headless hekoska, cleaning and layering them in a crate full of salt. Her arms are covered in blood, and her attire is more suitable for such a messy task, featuring no sleeves and an apron-like covering that glistens like freshly fallen snow in the morning sun. Perhaps her ice abilities allow her to alter her style as she pleases. 

"Good morning, Chief Aurea," Elek greets as he walks toward her while Marlina chooses to remain in the sled, unsure if it will be safe to approach.

Aurea stands and nods in respect to Elek, making sure not to touch him with her filthy hands. She notices he is in his travel gear and glances at the sled. She lingers briefly on Marlina, hoping to catch a glimpse of her condition after last night, but the cloak wrapped around her prevents that. "Where are you headed with Marlina?"

"Marlina informed me about remains she discovered while walking across the desert. She insisted on accompanying me." Reaching for a cylindrical container hanging from his hip, he opens it. He pulls out a map of the desert, covered with his notes on where he has found remains, as well as more underground tunnels and identifiable landmarks. "She tells me she maintained a straight path during the several days she crossed. So, we will travel due west starting from the hekoska that Neterion and Natalia slayed. I need her to guide me to the remains and collect them."

Aurea's expression reflects the same disagreement Tessa had shown him the night before while discussing this trip, primarily out of concern for Marlina and her current condition. 

Elek lightly taps the monocle he wears. "Otherwise, it's my other methods, and Tessa is worried enough about my vision." Aurea sighs; it seems Elek has once again won the same argument. "We shouldn't be gone for more than two days."

"Very well. Two days. If you think it'll take longer, signal at the peak of the second night," Aurea instructs sternly. Elek nods in understanding, returning to the sled and taking his position as the rider. Aurea then glances at Marlina, stepping a few paces toward her while keeping her distance. "Are you sure you're okay with going with Elek?"

Marlina nods reassuringly. "Without a doubt, Chief Aurea. I want to help in any way I can. So far, I feel like I've been more of a burden than a help, considering how hard all of you work in such a dangerous place. If it weren't for everything you have accomplished here, I could have ended up as a monster's dinner. So whatever I can do to support your goals to ensure that more people can be helped until I am restored, even in my current state, I will do it." And that was that. There was no falsehood in that statement. 

Elek glances over his shoulder at Marlina, tilting his head slightly. Even after just one day, she so deeply admires and respects what they have created here. She understands the big picture, while Constructs typically cannot because of their single-minded existence; their creators are the ones to possess more complex thoughts.

Aurea is equally surprised by this determination. Despite knowing little about this world, she possesses strong willpower, wishing to benefit everyone rather than just a select few. This is something honored in Aurea's lands. Bowing her head in respect to both of them, Elek mirrors the gesture, with Marlina following suit. When Elek lets out a whistle, Marlina is prepared this time and braces herself before the braxl takes off into the sands.