CANSTVER 18TH YEAR 548 ASMERIAN CALENDAR.
Sir Wentworth was sitting in his room; it wasn't anything noteworthy, just a bed and a dresser for his clothes. He intended to only stay for a day or two; he had been in Lexington before he heard the news of the Scottkey's betrayal. He was exhausted from the three days of non-stop riding, The soreness he felt wouldn't go away, no matter how many times he had them massaged.
He grabbed a stack of papers piling up on his bed and put them away in a sack. He sat down on the bed and looked out the window; it faced where the gatehouse was being constructed on the east side. He rubbed his eyes and laid down on the bed; he let out a sigh and rolled over. "Fuck, there's nothing to do. Where's a brothel when you need one."
He stood up and threw on a shirt, and headed outside. The sun blinded him as he walked out of the building. When his eyes adjusted to the sun, he saw nothing but endless slaves being marched into the castle grounds. Many were carrying tents and supplies such as food and water, along with lumber and stone. He walked through the crowd and towards a large man with a whip overseeing the slaves. "You there!" He shouted to get the man's attention.
"Ah, yes, sir?" The man answered as he got down from the box he was standing on.
"What's going on here? Why are there so many slaves here?" Wentworth asked as he looked into the crowd of slaves. "Whose slave's are these?"
"Mister Thompson's, he took over the contract for the construction of the castle. The Scottkey's were going to run the project into the ground by prohibiting large amounts of slave labor, so mister Thompson declared that all of his save would help raise the castle in half the time."
"Huh, I guess businessmen can pull all sorts of strings. I can't imagine this many slaves in one place and not being rebellious."
"Mister Thompson has a plan to keep the deviants in check. You see that camp out there?" The man asked as he pointed out across the valley."
"Yeah, what about it?"
"That's where we're keeping all of these slaves children; if they don't obey, then we'll slaughter them all and then slaughter the slaves who misbehaved." The man seemed proud of mister Thompson's way of guaranteeing obedience. He snapped the whip as slaves went by. Sir Wentworth let him be and headed towards the keep. Or at least, where the keep was being constructed.
There were many freemen there working on the foundation of the keep. Many of them were from Greendale; however, the foremen were from the capital. They were from the Asmerian Carpenters guild. Only the most skilled craftsmen could gain membership in the guild.
There weren't any slaves around the keep, only freemen; this caught him off guard. He didn't question it, though. After all, he was no one to judge as he had never built a castle before. He watched with great interest as the workers went about their day. He watched them until the sun broke noon, and it grew to be too hot for him.
He headed into the slave barracks; he knew that he had a responsibility to ensure Jackson's survival or he'd have to be put on trial. It was rare for slaves to be sentenced to servitude in Asmeria, and if they were, it was for political reasons. Jackson was just one example of that practice. The country was quickly returning to how it was before the civil war.
The basement reeked of shit and piss. The foul odor filled the air with a haze, and Wentworth's stomach fell ill as he went further down the stairs. He finally rounded the corner and looked into Jackson and Ruby's cell. There were two clean plates on the bed, Jackson was standing in the corner, and Ruby was laying down under the sheets and next to the plate.
"Good morning." Jackson greeted Wentworth.
"You knew I was coming?" Wentworth asked, surprised.
"Yes, one of the guards told me before I ate."
"So, are you enjoying your new home? Not so glamorous is it, at least for a famed Scottkey."
"You could also say framed, but you wouldn't know-how. It must have been embarrassing losing to me all those times, after all, I was just a kid and still am." Jackson quipped.
"Mind your tongue, or I'll take great pleasure in lashing you again." Jackson couldn't help but smile.
"I might even ask you to lash me again, after whatever that doctor gave me, I felt the best I've ever felt in my life!" Jackson now laughed uncontrollably. "That was an amazing drug; I just might be addicted to it. Remember that old man in the capital we came across who was so addicted to Xalmine that he tried to rob my uncle."
"Yes, and I remember that your uncle took his head in a single strike. What's the point of this?" Wentworth asked, angered.
"Oh, nothing,"
"I demand an answer now, slave!" He snapped, "How dare you insult me, you little shit!"
Jackson sat down on the bed and said nothing more. Ruby covered herself in the sheets and dared not move.
��You're lucky his majesty demands I follow the law, or else I would gladly dispose of you how I did the senate. You may still be able to breathe, but you don't even own the air that you're breathing. We do, and you'll pay us for that air with respect!"
"Forgive him, master; he doesn't know any better!" Ruby cried as she unveiled herself from underneath the sheets.
"Did I tell you that you could speak you Varin trash. If you weren't sentenced to servitude, I would've executed you along with Scottkey." Wentworth snapped, he grabbed the steel bars of the cell door and rattled it. Ruby quickly covered herself again, and even Jackson backed off. "Now, you will have two guards come here and take you to your worksites. I don't plan on letting the two of you be in the same cell forever. So don't get used to having each other because as soon as your wounds heal, I'm going to sell her off as a prostitute, that is, if she could even attract anyone being a Varin."
"Yes sir, do you have anything else for me, master." Jackson replied with a bow.
"You best watch yourself, boy, that mouth of yours will be your undoing." Wentworth said as he headed off back up the stairs. Ruby waited until she heard the door at the top of the stairway slam shut, then she turned to Jackson, who seemed a little shaken.
"You idiot! Are you trying to get yourself killed?" She stood up and slapped him on the cheek. His head rocked away, and it took him a second to realize what happened. When he did, he just turned and glared at her. She stepped back until she fell on to the bed.
"Slap me again, and you will need these bandages more than I." He said coldly as he stepped closer to her. "I'm sorry that I don't know how to act like a slave yet, but please realize that I do not plan on staying here for long, so learning how to be a proper slave is useless to me, Ruby. Now I need you to help me get out of here, not learn how to stay here longer!"
"But we have to live long enough to do that, please Jack, just try to stop being so… so... you, stop being the free you and try to be the slave you." Ruby grabbed that plate and looked at her reflection in it. " We can't wake up when we want to anymore or eat the food we like or even say whatever we want, Jack. We're nothing but their property now, don't you get that?"
"I do, but I can't accept that, Ruby, I just can't... What if I stay like that? What if I never get my freedom again? How am I supposed to start a family as my parents wanted?" Jackson turned away not to show any emotion and had to force the tears back.
"You can get married as a slave and start a family, that's what my parents did."
"But what happened to them, where are they now? If it were so easy, why did mister Miller have to take you in?" Jackson turned away and stared into the wall.
"They were killed because of me. But it's still pos-"
"Shut up; the guards are coming!" Jackson said as he turned and covered her mouth.
Two guards came down the stairs and stood in front of the door. It was the same two guards from before. "It reeks down here." The taller man said as he opened the door. "Girl, you'll go with him to your workplace now, and I have to take the boy to the doctor." The guard said. Ruby walked with the shorter man upstairs, but the taller man waited until they went out of view.
"Mister Scottkey. you may not know me, but I served your uncle in the capital as an aide." The guard whispered. "There are many of us guards and even citizens who doubt the legitimacy of the crown and who support the republic."
"What does that mean for me?" Jackson asked as he raised an eyebrow.
"Not too much, but if you ever need anything, then I'll do my best to get you it. I owe your uncle a great debt, and I intend to repay that debt."
"How can I trust you? Just saying you knew my uncle isn't enough to gain my trust."
"I'll have to prove it to you when the time comes, but for now, let's pay the doctor a visit." The guard said. "My name is Carter Evans. I live close to your old home as well. so if there's anything you require from your home, I could easily retrieve it."
"There's a book I'd like to have; it's called AIra's Crime; it should be in my room on the second floor." Jackson said as he walked out of the cell. "It's about someone who was falsely accused of a crime and died because of it."
"As you wish, if that's all, let us drop the topic until I return you for the night." The guard said as he outreached his hand. Jackson took his hand and shook it with a firm grip.
He followed Carter to the medical tent just outside the castle grounds. It was a short walk, and the sun felt good on his skin. It was only midday, and the heat was starting to die down as the summer turned into fall. "Hello, Doc, are you in?" Carted asked as he entered. There was no one inside, just crates of medicines and bandages and other miscellaneous equipment. ��I guess not, mister Scottkey, you can come on in."
Jackson stepped inside and sat down on a chair next to the tent's entrance. "Well, do we just wait here then?"
"Yeah, I suppose so. There's no way of knowing where the doctor went. So I guess we have to wait here." Carter said as he sat down on a large sack; however, it made a very unpleasant squishing noise that made Carter jump to his feet. "What the fuck?" Carter set the sack upright and opened it. A foul stench filled the room instantly as he unsealed the sack.
"Oh, what is that, what did you open?" Jackson asked as he stood up and covered his nose.
"Oh, God, I'm going to be sick." Carter said as he stepped away from the sack.
"What are you doing? You have to close it first!" Jackson barked.
"You fuckin do it!" Carter said as he started to dry heave. "Oh shit, that was disgusting."
"What do you two think you're doing!" An older man exclaimed as he ran forwards. "That's my tent, and no one shall enter without my permission!"
"So, you're the doctor?" Asked Carter.
"Of course I am, now what were you two doing?" The man now said as he hunched over, out of breath.
"We were waiting for you." Carter said. "You see, this slave needs new bandages, and we were waiting for you to come back, but I sat down on this large sack that was filled with foul meat and blood."
"You sat on what!" The man stormed into the tent and let out an enraged rant as he saw the sack was open. This continued for almost fifteen minutes. More guards gathered around the tent to listen to the doctor's raging outcries. "Damnit, bring that bot in here!"
Jackson stepped inside, and Carter decided to wait outside. The man was seated at the small desk in the tent. The brown fabric of the tent blew around the flap in the entrance. "Sit down, boy, and we'll make this quick and painless." He grabbed a roll of bandaging from a box next to the desk along with scissors and a white paste. "Now, what's your name, boy?"
"Jackson Scottkey, sir."
"Ah, you're a Scottkey? Well, my grandfather was the head medical advisor to the king during the civil war. Don't worry, though, I hold no ill will towards anyone, mister Scottkey; however, I see his majesty isn't as forgiving as I." The doctor said as he cut away the old and bloodied bandage.
"Thank you, sir, what's your name if you don't mind my asking?"
"I see you're well educated, and you're not like these other slaves who can't put more than two words together. Of course, I don't mind you asking my name. I'm Jeffery Sattery, and I'm the head medical advisor to lord Daniels, raise your arms, but I've been longing to travel more and more these past few months."
"Where to, sir?"
"Gregoria, I hear is rather nice this time of year, I take it that's where you were fleeing off to. I met your father only once before, and I will say this. He was the most brilliant merchant of our time."
"Thank you, sir, ahh, that hurt." Jackson said as he raised his arms. The wounds nearest to his arms opened up again. Mister Sattery wasted no time in wrapping the wounds. He then applied the paste to the bandages and stood up.
"See, quick and painless. You are now on light duty; should any of the guards try to make your labor over the walls of the castle or the gatehouse, simply show them this document. You will be regulated to only the simplest of tasks until you're fully recovered." Mister Sattery said, he grabbed a piece of paper and handed it to Jackson. "Now take care and see me tomorrow, you'll need a new document every day, or they may be able to make you work."
"Thank you, sir, I will take care of these wounds, and I'll recover soon."
"Don't be in too much of a hurry to get better. You have it easy because of your wounds and the conditions of your servitude. Don't waste this time you have." Sattery said as he leaned back in his chair.
"I do have a question, sir."
"And what would that be?"
"What's in the sack?"
"Ah, that is the remains and organs of three Varin Slaves that Lord Daniels requested for study. He's a rather educated man, the fact he was outsmarted by your father enraged him beyond belief. I believe he went on an execution spree. I know he hanged several farmers and their family's, all with the public's support, of course." Sattery said in a grim tone, "You see, as near as I can tell, this king is far worse than the tyrant king ever was. Mainly because he allows madmen like Lord Daniels to rule in positions of power, oh, well, I best not rant too much or I'll be hanged." Sattery laughed and got to his feet.
"I guess my father wasn't as crazed as I thought but still. I don't remember any mass hangings."
"Well, not everyone knew until recently, it was out of town, about as far as Lexington if I recall. This was surprising to me; honestly, I never thought he'd have the patience for that long walk down to Lexington. Farewell, for now, mister Scottkey, remember your name, it's the most important thing you possess now."
"I will, sir, and thank you." Jackson said as he left the tent. Carter was standing there waiting for him. He turned to Jackson with a smile.
"So, uh, what was in the bag?"
"Oh, the remains of a few slaves that Lord Daniels requested. Honestly, it was disgusting. So, what do I do now?"
"I'll take you back to your cell, and you'll stay there until you need your bandages changed again. I don't think Lord Daniels would want you working just yet. Otherwise, Sir Wentworth would have to pay for your death. I don't know why they didn't just make you an exception and kill you. You're their biggest cause worry, but I'm glad they didn't." Carter started for the slave barracks and led Jackson back down to his cell.
As they got to the bottom of the stairs, Carter stopped and pushed Jackson back. Muffled screams were coming from around the corner. They were coming from Jackson's cell. "Shut up, you bitch!" A man barked.
"Davis?" Carter muttered under his breath. "Oh no… DAVIS!" Carter barked as he ran for the cell door. He swung the door wide open, and inside was a man in slave rags, and he was topless and forcing himself on Ruby. Jackson entered the room before Carter could stop him; he had already taken Carter's sword and jabbed the sword straight through the slave's chest.
"Jackson!" Carter shouted. "What have you done!"
Jackson turned to Carter as he pulled the sword from the corpse and it at Carter. "Backoff!" He shouted, he then turned his attention to Ruby, who was almost nude and covering herself in the sheets. Carter backed away from the door. "Hand me the sword, Jackson, do it now before another guard sees you with it!"
"Why, so you can cut me down?"
"No, so you don't get killed by a guard! They won't hesitate to kill you if it's in self-defense, you moron!"
Jackson took a second before the sound of boots rushing towards the stairway frightened him. "Fine, you have my trust." Jackson said as he threw the sword to the ground. Carter quickly grabbed the sword from the ground and stood over the slave. "I knew you'd rape again, Davis just didn't think you'd go for a Varin." He said. Davis looked up as he tried to cover the hole in his chest. Only to have the sword plunged through his skull.
"What the hell happened here!" A guard said as he entered the cell.
"Sir!" Carter said as he snapped to attention. "This slave scum tried to rape the girl and kill the boy. I stopped him as he tried to flee, sir!"
"I see, good work man, take the corpse and give it to Doctor Sattery; he requires such things. But I still need to question you on the matter. Come with me."
"Yes, sir!" Carter replied to the officer. "Do you want me to dispose of the body first?"
"Actually, I failed to see how many men followed me here. Nevermind the body, Sergeant Aaron, take care of this mess and move the boy and bitch to another cell. Next time, don't stop a man from raping a Varin, it's almost the only thing they're good for." The officer said coldly as he looked straight at Ruby.
"Surely, you jest, sir?" Carter said as he exited the room.
"Oh, do you pity the creature? Just because she has the face and the body of a girl. Did you not see the ears she has nor the tail? She's not human, she's the trash of this country and should serve as such." The officer said as he started walking away.
"Either way, sir, she didn't choose to be a Varin; she's just a young girl."
"You know what then guardsman since you're so fond of that animal. You can come right back here and stand guard outside her cell and protect the fuckin thing from being raped again, or would you rather like to have a go at it yourself?"
"Thank you, sir, I will accept my master's orders."
"Good, now come along."