Servitude: The Hydrangea Chapters

Chp 15: The Unexpected Acceptance

Marlina nodded, Elek would then rest on his sleeping mat. Once he had fallen asleep, Marlina would slip through to where the braxl was asleep. Stepping out of the cave, only a few steps from the entrance, she looked across the barren desert but was able to see due to the moonlight. She was tempted to return to the flower patch and resume digging, so Elek wouldn't have to be out under the sun as long as he was yesterday. By the time she'd return there on foot, he'd probably wake and wonder where she was. It seemed stressful enough for them to traverse the wastes, let alone search for someone. In only a few days of being around those in Englias, she's learned so much, and they were patient with her. 

During her time in Urush, there were plenty of times when others gave the impression that her vocation and naivety were... deserved. In these past few years, plenty of monarchs wouldn't even let her through the front doors of their castles, with little to no explanation as to why. Most times, she'd be called a filthy intruder and to go back to the Colonies. It had confused her for some time what that exactly meant. Not the definition per se, but what she had done to be seen as such. When she would ask why, many had become offended. As if whatever was done was so insignificant in her mind that she was making light of it. When she would manage to explain she honestly had no idea, she would just be told that her people were greedy tyrants. 

For those who did allow her in their castles, she was kept out of sight and assigned the most grueling of tasks. Though she is physically more resilient than most, it didn't bother her as much as those who don't share her anatomy. She noticed that once she had been discovered residing in these places, or her strange body was exposed, she was cast away. Now that Elek had explained why, it became clear.

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

Her eyes were downcast, detest starting to rise in her as she replayed those moments in her mind, her inability to feel had her not notice the braxl's tongue flicking around her. It wasn't until its tongue would seek for a snack along her arms that she noticed and looked toward it. It seems to be comfortable around her, even if it only recognizes her as a giver of treats.

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

Following Marlina to the sled, the braxl's fan-like ears and head showed confusion at the metallic sounds of her steps on the stone floor. However as it followed her, it would show more curiosity than fear as she would step into the sled. There was a brief struggle for Marlina to get the box open with her lack of hands, and the braxl's tongue would flick its tongue at it with anticipation. If she could smell, the odor of the rotting flesh would be overwhelming but seemed all the more enticing to the braxl. So many larvae that had overtaken it in such a short time. Having to press the pieces between her wrists to pick them up, it would wait before it would take each piece and gobble it up. Noticing one of its ears flicking and shifting, like something was agitating it. Looking behind its ear, it would seem some bugs were anchored and nestled there, which Marlina hesitantly tried to brush off, being stubborn and not removing with ease. When a chirp instead of a whistle would come from the braxl, she would use 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 would use its tongue to find her arm and nudge its head against her arm in a way that it wanted the other one done too.

Seeing how it was chirping and wanting more, Marlina couldn't help but smile, her eyes lighting up from its behavior, seeming unafraid of her. "You want more?" Doing her best to be careful, she scraped her metal body against the rougher parts of its scales along its neck. Whole scales would come off, but it seemed relieved, seeing scales beneath that were fighting for space with the older ones. The further down its neck to its back that Marlina went, the more it pressed itself against her. Enough to force her to sit on the side of the sleigh and it lay across her lap, crawling across it to allow her access to the rest. Once satisfied, it would keep chirping as it would lie on the ground over her feet, making her unable to get up and walk around. With it wanting to be so close to her, she wasn't sure what to do or if she would upset the braxl if she attempted to move. So deciding against it, she would keep still until it decided to move, which became a couple of hours. Hearing Elek shift and yawn, his head would soon peek into the area, seeing what was happening and the braxl's cast-off scales all over the ground.

"Seems it has warmed up to you, that is a relief."

Marlina has noticed that Elek doesn't call the braxl by a name, just 'it'. As far as she knew, people usually name animal companions or steeds.

"Does it have a name?"

"Not particularly. Braxl are reminiscent of a community. They have learned that Englias is a safe place that feeds and shelters them when needed, being intelligent creatures that communicate our haven to other braxl. The ones that do come end up leaving to return to their nests for mating and breeding, so they come and go so frequently. It's likely once this one wishes to find a mate, we won't see it again."

Marlina looked down at the braxl, it was still chirping as it lay across her feet, there was a small grimace in her expression. "Then I suppose a name would be pointless."

Elek's lip shifted from her disappointment, sometimes being as logical as he was could be a curse. Having an idea, he would reach into the sled and take some of the cloth he's used to carry remains, tearing off a long strip and softly whistling to it as he loosely tied it around its neck. "There, so that you can tell which one is this one and you can spend more time with it when we return to Englias."

Marlina smiles at his gesture, then nods. Elek helped move the braxl so she could help him load their things back into the sled, then would be on their way back to the flower patch and resume the exhumation. Now that the Alvohala Crimsons were gone, Elek joined her for the rest. Once there was enough for Elek to inspect, it was a female Colonial in her late thirties, with a woven band from one of the apothecary guilds. Most likely here for the same reason Elek harvested them himself. By the time they had finished, with Marlina uncovering a fair amount the day before, the sun had just risen for a little while. On their way again, they would resume west once more.