It was morning again, and I was met with that same comfortable silky, smooth surface. Pure heaven. But I was also greeted with something else too. Something that was latched onto my body, which was even softer if I dare to say...
I opened my eyes and found my face, close against...Istoria's!
We were practically kissing, just without our lips making contact – she was that close. I tried to hold my breath. What if it smelt bad and she woke up to the smell of it. She'd think I'm an absolute weirdo and degenerate that didn't bother with his hygiene.
She then moved a little, and I soon found out that she, was the thing attached to my body. Her leg had moved over the lower part of my body. Trapping me.
It was like spooning...but in reverse. Not that, I knew what that felt like. I guess I did now though.
I tried speaking to her, to get her to wake up. I felt embarrassed. And then the question arose in my head... 'What if we...did it?'
My heart began running laps just at the thought.
I shook my head of any indecent thoughts, 'No. Idiot. You've only just met, and besides, you're her master...that'd be an abuse of power...'
I began to wiggle my body out of her grasp. It took a while of course, but when I finally did, she had turned opposite, fast asleep. I'll admit, she did look cute...but it wasn't the time to stare at her. Plus, it'd be creepy.
As I turned the cover over though, I realised she and I were completely...naked!
In that moment, I couldn't hold it. It was too much for just only waking up...
"Ahhhhhhh!" I screamed, at the top of my lungs.
I found myself falling off the bed and banging my head on the floor as impact.
***
Accompanied by Istoria, we made our way to the dinner hall for breakfast. It was pretty early. I didn't know how time worked in this world, maybe like ours I suppose, but I could tell it was around seven.
If you get up early enough times you learn this kind of stuff.
Me and Istoria were in deep conversation. Though it was more like an argument between a mother and child.
"...but why did you have to strip me and then yourself down?!"
We had only known each other about a day now, and we were getting along pretty well. Though, I guess since it was forced in the first place, we had no other choice, and I mean...she was easy to talk to.
"Well, it's tradition to sleep nude where I come from...plus, it isn't too unusual for a Master and his servant to do such activities from time to time..." she informed, with the same light, soothing voice, and formal tone I had heard since we met.
My face grew red and hot as she said this.
"Activities?! What does that mean?!" I shouted nervously, shaking my head and hands.
"Master, I'm a little worried about you passing out...I thought maybe you were just tired, but, since you said it's happened before, I'm a little concerned..."
I blushed. Someone I barely knew was worried for me, although, it was just her job.
Twelve months from now, I would be back home and she'd be serving someone else with just as much kindness.
Istoria leaned in front of my view as we walked.
My head was down and I bared the look of sadness, she invited me with a welcoming smile "what is wrong, Master?"
"Please, just call me Aiken..." I pleaded.
"Unfortunately Master, I must remain formal with you throughout your stay here at the Manor. No matter what" she said, pleased with herself. She had her hands behind her back.
She seemed to be warming up to me, like I was to her.
"You still haven't answered my question though, Master..." she reminded me.
"Oh, uhm..." I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to come up with something. I wasn't going be straight-up and say I hated the idea of us having a one-sided friendship...I mean, that is what this was. "I'm just nervous, yeah...nervous. I haven't seen my friends in a while..."
"But Master, it has only been two days?"
"It feels like forever to me though..."
We entered the dinner hall.
You'd think a manor, with nobles would be full to the brim but, there were only seven nobles, two of which I had met, and then Ms. Dulce and my classmates, who were sat further down the table.
As I looked over to the table of Lords, who were eating in silence and grace, one of them seemed to take notice of our entrance. The only female lord. She had pink hair, with highlighted pink cheeks and was the only one without any armour on. She wore very revealing clothing.
I quickly took my gaze somewhere else as she smiled at me with a tempting stare.
Eudon looked up and ran up to me and embraced me with open arms. Juliet wasn't too far behind and did the exact same thing. I was overwhelmed with joy.
"Look who decided to wake up...you idiot. You had me thinking you died for a second" Eudon playfully joked.
"I'm thankful you're alright Aik..." Juliet said, blushing. She failed to make eye contact with me though.
Like the rest of my classmates and myself, they both wore similar garments – however, unlike me, theirs actually fit and were the perfect sizes.
"C'mon, let's sit down...there's a lot of stuff we need to catch you up on!" Eudon said, excited.
"It's only been two days; how much is there to learn?" I asked, though I was open to the idea of pretty much anything at this point.
"A lot actually, c'mon!" Juliet said, grabbing my hand and pulling me down to the dinner table. Eudon following behind us.
I tried to speak up, and introduce Istoria but, when I looked up, she was already heading to the kitchen – I assumed, to help with food and beverages. I wished she had joined us even so.
I sat with my friends, where the rest of my classmates were – including Arlo. A face I hadn't missed.
"How are you feeling Aiken?" Ms. Dulce asked, she seemed concerned but happy to see me, nonetheless.
"Better now, thanks Miss."
"Please, Aiken call me Hibiki" she said.
"But Miss, we shouldn't call teachers by their first names-"
"-Please Aiken, I think we are way past the laws of school now. We're somewhere far more beyond some set of rules..." she elaborated. I understood her viewpoint, but it was the respectable thing to do. Respect isn't lost, not even when you cross the barriers of science.
Anyway, servants came out from the kitchen and began doing what they do best...serving!
There was a wide range of foods and drinks distributed out to us and the seven lords of the manor. It was like back home almost, you know – eggs come from chickens, milk comes from cows, sausage comes from pigs...but, it was different. In this world, most delicacies came from a family of beasts called Dires.
They were basically a more animalistic, mutated version of some animals back home. Therefore some foods that were presented were insanely big, such as the sausages. Apparently, they were cut from just one Dire Pig.
I had three, but they were big enough to fill up just one plate.
The servants also handed out beverages including, beer, milk, and water. Ms. Dulce took the beers off of us all, trying to be a responsible parental figure more now, than one of authority. Thanks to the change in setting, she had lost that. It didn't matter anymore. But she still tried her best regardless.
I had finished my food and was pretty full of just the sausages. A maid, another animal person, this time she was a cat, approached me. She purred as she spoke, "would you like anymore sir-purr?"
Right, they all had the same formality as Istoria to no surprise.
"Uh, no thank you."
"If you need anything else, please ask-purr" she told me, with the most gracious tone.
"I will. Thank you."
The cat maid walked off looking for someone else who actually needed her assistance, I guess.
"It's weird, right?" I heard a voice call from my side, it was Eudon.
"Huh?" I murmured.
"The maids. Servants? They are all animals..." he said.
"Really, I hadn't noticed Eudon" I said, sarcastically.
"Idiot. Listen! They are ALL animals...serving humans. And they are all women!" he said. And he had a point, I hadn't really taken any notice until he said that, but it was clear now.
All the maids were some sort of animal. And we were all humans, to my own knowledge.
"That's because they chose to" Juliet butted in.
"What?" Eudon asked, confused.
"Well, it was one of the first things I asked when we arrived here." Juliet took a sip of water, before continuing "boys are dumb. You don't think with your brains at all. Probably because all of that blood is rushing to your-".
"-that's, enough Juliet" Eudon cut her off before she could finish what she was saying, though, I had a pretty good idea what she was going to say. "We get the idea, alright".
It got me thinking for a second. Eudon wasn't wrong. All of the maids were female animal-human hybrids. It was odd. I was intrigued.
Having already finished my breakfast I took my dishes and began making my way to the kitchen.
"Where are you going?" Juliet asked.
"Uh...the kitchen."
"Why?" she asked, with a smile.
I gestured to her with the dirty dishes in my grasp, it was obvious.
"Hurry up, yeah? We still need to catchup!" Eudon shouted over.
I entered the kitchen and was met by a maid; this one was of a wolf breed it seems. She had grey fur and big fluffy ears. As soon as she saw me, she sported a look of concern.
"Sir?! What are you doing in here?!" she was distressed.
"Uhm, I was just coming to wash up my pots is all..." I said, quite obviously.
She took the dirty dishes out of my possession and rushed to a nearby sink and started cleaning, vigorously. "Sir, you shouldn't do such things. It's taboo for a guest, like yourself, to be doing a servant's job!" she lectured, however her voice was too light and cute that I didn't feel like I was being lectured at all.
"But I insist" I told her, rolling up my sleeves and washing my hands clean.
I moved her gently out of the way and began cleaning up my dirty dishes as well as others.
The thing is, I was used to doing stuff like this. I mean, I grew up in an orphanage that was ran by a fat, little woman with no sense of humility or kindness in the small heart she had.
Doing domestic tasks like cleaning up, to me, was like second nature.
Come to think of it, I had completely forgotten I was an orphan at this point. To think even more about it, I guess the rest of my classmates were now orphans too – for the time being.
I wondered what was happening back home. Were there search parties looking for us? I bet everyone has someone back home that misses them dearly. Hoping for their return. Not for me though. I'd be surprised if there was.
Enough of the sob story though...
I stood washing the dishes intensely. I hadn't noticed that a crowd of maids had formed around me, that stood watching me like I had just killed someone in front of them. They were completely surprised by my actions. None of them clearly had enough confidence to tell me to stop, all except for-
-Istoria.
"Master Aiken?" she said, lightly taking hold of my shoulder.
I turned to her and smiled.
"Oh, Istoria-" I noticed the crowd of other animal maids that stood watching me in silence and terror, "-what's going on?"
"Master, you really shouldn't do such things..."
Istoria took my hands and began washing them of the dirt that was on them. Her hands were soft and delicate and had me almost mesmerised.
She then proceeded to pull me out of the kitchen, but like a stubborn child, I held back.
"Master, this isn't your duty."
"And why is that?" I pushed. Although I came into the kitchen to clean my own dishes, but my mind was stuck on what Juliet had said. Surely, they weren't doing this at their own accord.
Granted I did my own cleaning back in the orphanage, but that wasn't by my own choice. I was forced too. If I had grew somewhere less strict, or rules, I would've been a lazy bum and let my carers do all of it for me.
Although, that might just be my bad logic.
"Because the job is ours to do, not yours" she exclaimed.
"Really? And why is that?" I pushed further.
She had probably caught on to what I was trying to do. Istoria said with a harsh tone, "we choose to do this, Master. I understand your concern, but we do this of our own wishes..."
Istoria's eyes were locked narrowly on to mine. She was serious. I decided to give up and she dropped my hand. Though, this wasn't it. Something felt off still. The gaze of hers felt different from what she was saying. Like she was implying something else entirely with her eyes.
Despite knowing I wasn't going to give up, for the time being, I was going to apologise "Sorry."
"You don't need to apologise to a mere mai-"
Her words were cut off by a loud bang.
The abruption was coming from the dinner hall. Like an explosion or big impact. My instincts kicked in and my feet ran.
My friends...i was worried.
Entering back into the dinner hall, I found Arlo stood on the dining table looking down on one of the animal maids. It was the cat maid that had spoken to me just a couple of minutes before. He looked enraged at her for some reason. Her body was spread out on the floor, a plate of food was now broken with its contents scattered across the floor.
The cat maid bared a red mark on the side of her face. Like she had been slapped ruthlessly.
Seeing this completely filled me with anger. Regardless of if she was in the wrong, knowing him, he was the culprit of the situation. My legs lunged into action and I was ready for a fight. Granted, I wouldn't win – but I couldn't just stand around and do nothing. He noticed me coming towards him and he smiled.
He simply laughed and jumped off the table, before sitting back down.
Arlo was finished with me. But I couldn't say the same for myself. I wanted a fight. "Arlo, you fiend! Fight me! Come on!"
He simply ignored me and got back to eating his breakfast.
I ran towards him, getting ready to throw a punch but Suman, out of all people, stood in front of me and stopped me in my tracks.
"Hey Suman! Get out of my way!"
"I can't."
"Why!? Are you just going to ignore what he did?!" I argued.
"I get that you two are not new to fighting one another, but he is not the same anymore."
"Not the same?! That idiot has always been the same! I mean look at what he just did!" I argued.
Arlo spoke, digging back into his food "hey Suman, let the cry-baby try...I'll soon put him in his place..."
"You know I can't do that..." Arlo muttered.
Ms. Dulce was now stood up, trying to pull me away.
"Listen Aiken, I think now's the time we show what else happened..."
"Screw that!" I shouted, pushing her back.
I pushed past Suman and made my way to Arlo, who was sat comfortably – eating away. As I came nearer, he glanced at me and gave a small smile. Like he was enjoying it. It angered me even more.
I threw a punch, putting my everything into it.
The next thing I knew, I was hitting a wall of rock-hard ground? The bones in my fist cracked loudly and I howled in pain.
I fell in to a foetal position, grabbing my wrist.
'What the hell was that?!'
Looking up, Arlo had a dim aura conjuring from his hand that was touching the wall of ground. At least, I think it was ground. It was muddy, had a lot of roots, soil.
What was happening?
Eudon and Juliet ran to me. Though, Eudon was more focused on Arlo.
"You're not allowed to do that!" he shouted.
"Listen, he was warned – this is no one's fault, except his own..."
The wall melted into a form of brown liquid and disappeared into Arlo's hand.
Arlo then proceeded to continue eating his food.
'What just happened?'