Servitude: The Hydrangea Chapters

Chp 15: A Moment of Reflection

Marlina nods, and Elek settles onto his sleeping mat. Once he falls asleep, she quietly sneaks to where the braxl lies. Stepping out of the cave, just a few steps from the entrance, she gazes across the barren desert, illuminated by moonlight. She is tempted to return to the flower patch and continue digging so Elek wouldn't have to endure the sun as long as he did yesterday. But he'd likely wake up and worry where she is by the time she got there. Traversing the wasteland is stressful enough, let alone searching for someone. In just a few days, among those in Englias, she had learned so much, and they have been patient with her. 

During her time in Urush, many people conveyed the impression that her vocation and naivety were justified. Over the past few years, numerous monarchs had denied her entry through the front doors of their castles, often with little to no explanation as to why. Most of the time, she would be labeled a filthy intruder and told to return to the Colonies. For a while, it puzzled her what that exactly meant. Not the definition per se, but what she had done to deserve such treatment. When she inquired why, many became offended, as if whatever she did was so trivial in their minds that she was belittling it. When she managed to clarify that she honestly had no idea, they would tell her that her people were greedy tyrants. 

For those who allowed her into their castles, she was kept out of sight and given the most grueling tasks. Though she is physically more resilient than most, it didn't trouble her as much as those who didn't share her anatomy. She noticed that once she was discovered living in these places, or her unusual body was exposed, she was cast aside. Now that Elek had explained why, it became clear.

"Even if it was so... I had never done those things..."

Her eyes downcast, and disgust begins to rise within her as she replays those moments in her mind; her inability to feel prevents her from noticing the braxl's tongue flicking around her. It isn't until its tongue seeks a snack along her arms that she notices and looks at it. The braxl seems comfortable around her, even if it only saw her as a giver of treats.

"I'm sorry, I didn't notice you there. Are you hungry?"

As Marlina walks toward the sled, the braxl's fan-like ears and head display confusion at the metallic sounds of her footsteps on the stone floor. However, as it follows her, it shows more curiosity than fear when she steps into the sled. Marlina struggles to open the box with the hekoska flesh due to her lack of hands, and the braxl flicks its tongue at it in anticipation. If she could smell, the odor of rotting flesh would be overwhelming, yet it would be even more enticing to the braxl, with so many larvae that have overtaken it in such a short time. 

Marlina has to press the pieces between her wrists to pick them up, the braxl waits before it takes each piece to gobble it up. Noticing one of its ears flicking and shifting as if something was agitating it, Marlina peeks behind it and sees bugs anchored and nestled there. She cautiously attempts to brush them off, being stubborn and not easily removing them. When a chirp instead of a whistle comes from the braxl, she uses the edge of her wrist to push the insects off, the hard edge of the gap scratching its ear and removing dry, dead scales. With its nose nuzzling against her, it uses its tongue to find her arm and nudge its head against her, suggesting it wants the other one done too.

Seeing it chirping and eager for more, Marlina can't help but smile. Her eyes light up at its behavior, appearing unafraid of her. "You want more?" 

Being careful, she scrapes her metallic body against the rough parts of its scales along its neck. Whole scales come off, but it is relieved, as the scales beneath are fighting for space with the older ones. The further down its neck and toward its back Marlina goes, the more it presses against her. It is enough for her to sit on the side of the sleigh while it lies across her lap, crawling over her to allow access to the rest. 

Once satisfied, the braxl continues chirping as it lies on the ground over her feet, making it impossible for her to get up and walk around. With its desire to be so close to her, she feels unsure what to do or whether she would upset the braxl by trying to move. She remains still and waits until it decides to shift, which it hasn't done for a couple of hours. Hearing Elek shift and yawn, his head soon peeks into the area, observing what is happening and the scattered scales of the braxl strewn all over the ground.

"It seems to have warmed up to you; that's great."

Marlina has observed that Elek refers to the braxl simply as 'it' rather than giving it a name. From what she understands, people typically name their animal companions or steeds.

"Does it have a name?"

Elek shakes his head as he steps into the cavern. "Not particularly. Braxl resemble a community. They have learned that Englias is a safe place that feeds and shelters them when needed, being intelligent creatures that share our haven with other braxl. The ones that do come often leave to return to their nests for mating and breeding, so they come and go frequently. It's likely that once this one seeks a mate, we won't see it again."

Marlina looks down at the braxl, still chirping as it lay across her feet, and a slight grimace forms on her face. "Then I suppose a name would be pointless."

Elek's lip curls in disappointment; sometimes, his logic can be a curse. He has an idea and reaches into the sled, pulling out a piece of cloth used to carry remains. Tearing off a long strip, he softly whistles to it as he loosely ties it around its neck. "There, now you can tell which one this is, and you can spend more time with it when we return to Englias."

Marlina smiles at his gesture and nods. Elek helps move the braxl so she can assist him in loading their things back into the sled, and then they'd be on their way to the flower patch to continue the exhumation. Now that the Alvohala Crimsons were gone, Elek joins her for the rest of the work. Once there is enough for Elek to inspect, he identifies the remains as those of a female Colonial in her late thirties, adorned with a woven band from one of the apothecary guilds. She was likely here for the same reason Elek harvested the flowers himself. By the time they finish, with Marlina uncovering a decent amount the previous day, the sun has just risen a little while ago. On their way again, they head west once more.