„Lek, go give her some water, she needs to be in high energy tomorrow," Lit said.
„Yes, sir."
Zazuza was struggling to escape but stopped when she heard one of the men approaching.
„Hello, darling. I see you're all tied up. Get it?" he took off the gag and Zazuza spat out the awful taste.
„Here you go, sweetie." He grabbed her face and pulled her chin up while pouring water from a flask.
Due to his incompetence or ill intent, some water got up Zazuza's nose and she began to choke.
„You know, Lit said that he doesn't expect to get too much for such a common face. But I can see your
true potential. There's nothing a nice dress and make-up can't fix." He began to stroke her hair and
Zazuza bit his hand.
„Aah!" Lek screamed.
„What was that? Are you having problems with the prisoner?"Lit asked.
„No, sir! I just stubbed my toe, is all. It's very dark, sir."
„Watch yourself."
Lek's expression turned sour, and he covered Zazuza's mouth with the gag.
He grabbed the metal flask and slapped her hard across the face while letting the flask drop by her feet.
„Oh no! I dropped the flask! How clumsy of me!" Lek yelled. „Found it!"
„As I said, nothing a little make-up can't fix."
Zazuza kicked the flask into the tree and it made a loud hard noise as it kept bumping into objects.
„Lek! What are you doing?" Lit asked.
„All is fine, sir. No need to worry about me."
„Go get the flask and stop messing around. Did the prisoner drink, yet?"
„Not yet, sir. I'm on it, sir." Lek said, sycophantically. He then turned to Zazuza, grabbed her hair, and
told her:
„Listen here, I will return, and when I return you will obey, or else you won't see daylight."
A gang of men was walking through the forest on horseback.
„Tell me about our employers, Uluki. What are they like?"
„I have no idea other than they paid my family."
„What? I expected you to be much better informed than me."
„We're the first of our tribe in 100 years to reach this far into the west." An old advisor intervened.
„There are records dating back to 200 years from the Imperial Palace's geographer, Yen Zen. He
wrote extensively about the Aquiline traditions and beliefs. The Hydranians had a few mentions here and there, but nothing worth mentioning." The advisor added.
„Oh, I do remember something about him mentioning their tricky nature and serpent's tongue."
„What's that about?" the captain asked.
„They worship the 9-headed serpents. They believe that people are like hydras because if you cut off one
„head" another one will avenge or replace it. Each head, as they say, is a mask: a learned behavior they use as they think best. That people can be taught to adapt to the situation, rather than to be themselves wholeheartedly."
„Sounds tough. I can't imagine what that feels like to play pretend all the time. Do you know what the 9 heads are called?" the captain was becoming more and more curious.
„I don't remember their names, but I know what they represent. The bottom four represent fallen
ancestors, they slither around your ankles, dragging you with them. The top four are the descendants,
their violent bites are amplified with each twist and turn. "
„That sounds pretty cool." Said the captain.
„What about the 9th one?" asked Uluki.
„Oh right!"
„I see you've been listening. The 9th one is the mother, she represents the unending desire for revenge against anyone who dares touch either. If you see her coming... it's too late for you. Her vicious gaze turns men to snakes, who then are bound to join the Hydra."
There was a moment of silence among the men as they walked through the forest.
„Look sir, there's a fire nearby: I can see the smoke. Let's change our route." Said the soldier.
„No." Answered Uluki.
„Where there's fire, there's bound to be bandits. Where there are bandits, there is bounty. If there is
bounty, we're bound to break their bond. " the advisor pitched in.
„What are you saying, sir?" asked the soldier, confused
„Let's just go steal their stuff is what I'm saying."
Back at the camp
„So did you find anything of value when you checked on the prisoner?" asked Lit.
„Just rubbish, sir. A plain white mask is the only unusual thing worth mentioning. It's probably worth a few coins to a circus or a band of actors."
„May I take a look?" Lek handed the mask to Lit. He was focussed on its eery facial expression: two
closed eyes and a large, exaggerated frozen closed-mouth smile.
He took the mask, hovering above his face, and said this while holding it with his hand:
„Welcome all to the White People Show!"
„Tonight, we're here to bitch and moan about everything bad that has ever happened to us. Our guest star tonight is... Lek! Lek is a poor bastard, who has done no wrong in this world other than being born a Leecher. Is that right Lek?"
„Haha, you got that right, sir."
„ Tell us about yourself, Lek."
„Well.. when I was a little, and my grandmother lived, she was a fortune teller. She would cover her
hands and cheeks with leeches and she would be able to get a glimpse into the future. Her eyes would turn inwards, and I still remember her warning me when I was four: a woman will bring your downfall. Heads will tumble, so I made sure, to bring them to their knees instead."
The men all laughed until they saw something flying towards the campfire. It was a head. They ran about with their swords and were ambushed by a small army.