Chapter 3: 3 – Arrival

“Hey! Are you there?”

Words...

“Elf! We are talking to you! Are you here with us?”

“This new elf you bought... they ripped you off Dear.”

Different language...

“They did... Didn’t they?”

“Eh? What?” The elf managed to put his mind to work.

“*What?* You say yes my Lord, no my Lord, what do you need my Lord?”

“Go, go now. Help in the kitchen or somewhere useful.”

“And return to us with the correct attitude.”

A small humanoid dressed as a butler approached him. He thought it a children at first but its white hair and old, wrinkled face told him otherwise. It had eyes too big for its small and lightly malformed face. This unnerving visage spoke.

“Come... “

“Uh... Who...?”

Yet I understand. My head’s fuzzy... it hurts... Is this a dream?

A middle aged, above average looking woman gazed at the well dressed man sitting next to her. He looked at their recent arrival, then turned to her.

“Oh my dear wife, you and your soft heart. You saw the elf and couldn’t resist.”

“You know me...”

“Let’s hope it’s not a total waste of resources.”

The small humanoid dragged the weakass elf into the kitchen. He seemed both confused and angered by this elf’s attitude.

My hands I can see them! I can touch my body!

“Hey! You elf.”

“Hmm?”

“What the hell are you doing! Step it up or the Masters are going to be very thorough with you and then with me!”

The small humanoid’s words made no sense at all, nothing did. They captured him, he died, he died some more, until he met those gods.

What a nightmare.

“Serve them well, be a good slave and you might live, tranquil for quite sometime.”

No response.

“Slave?”

“What?”

“Why do I always get the slow witted ones! Ferrallia save me!”

“I... I....”

“What?!”

“I feel like puking!”

“Oh my Wise Gods! Use the servants’ bathroom.”

He stood still, with his thoughts dispersed and his frail body resenting the transposition.

“Don’t stand there, down this hall, second door to the left!”

As directed he went to find some quiet private place to gather his thoughts and his stomach contents.

So dizzy... a chest pain... My body... I feel it different.

Despite being a servant bathroom it exuded elegance and wealth. A marble sink with a large decorated mirror on top stood right out as he entered, coming second a deep ocher colored toilet took his attention. A faint cinnamon smell tickled his nostrils but he had no time to contemplate nor he cared. The contents of his stomach threatened to come out.

“Blarrghhh!”

And again.

“Blarrghhh!”

He tried to calm himself down.

“Fuck-!”

A sharp stomachache made his knees wobble, his body bent forward almost hitting the big, expensive mirror with his face. He grabbed the sink with both hands and clenched it hard, keeping himself from falling, until the pain subsided.

Don’t tell me... those...

“A mirror!”

In an instant his current situation’s passed from an abstract fantasy to a tangible reality. Long ears, tall, a slender body, a sick complexion with half his face covered by cloth. In the visible part he recognized a different version of himself. A dark green collar glowed around his neck, a device of some sort.

Is this what an elf is supposed to be? Seems quite similar to a human. Not bad... but repulsion on my right side...

He saw no straps on the clothe covering his face and simply pulled it off. Not a single word nor lament would help him. What those gods did, fair or not, laid engraved on his cursed face. With no more than a gentle push the clothe attached itself to his face.

“Those motherfuck-!”

The damned stomachache flared up again.

“Aahh! This pain again! Aarghhh! You, you... demon-gods!”

This pain... a curse... Let me be calm. Think... I’m alive. Whatever else, this is the most important aspect to consider. I’m dressed as a butler, the midget said I’m a slave. Hmm... without doubt the work of those demon-gods. And my body feels so weak... being alive is exhausting.

[Weak, ugly and tainted. What a fitting end to your bloody career.]

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It appeared behind him, a reflection besides his. A face he knew well. An old acquaintance.

“Oh... You’re still here.”

[I never left.]

He heard the little person’s voice coming from the hall.

“Don’t slack off elf, whatever is it you have, you’ll have to hold it until our duties are complete!”

You little piece of s-

He doubted.

Shit!

No more.

“Aahhrggghhh!” The sound of pain echoed down the hall.

“Or take more time, but not too much!”

It triggers even by thinking about it!?

He took his time enduring excruciating pain. After it subsided he refreshed himself with water coming out from a fountain-like piece of furniture, he went back to the dining room. He reasoned he needed to gather more information and surmise his possible courses of action.

If everything what those demons said ends being true then they put me in deep trouble. Troubled in a new world, yet alive. What a thought!

Regardless of his situation he needed more knowledge to grasp the full picture of his peculiar circumstance and talking to people gave him good results in the past.

“Here we are, Lords of House Liame. The elf was just feeling unwell, but everything is back in order. Right?”

He didn’t respond. He limited himself to a simple nod as he felt violence rising.

“As long as you know your duties and fulfill them, I think you will have no troubles here,” the Lord kept speaking to a battered mind. “We bought you this morning and we expect much. We are not fanatically intolerant like many in this city, we think the inferior... lifeforms, like you putrajados, can be of some use and we treat you accordingly. That’s why you are here. Show some potential, as low as it is.”

“And gratefulness.”

“Oh, of course dear. As my wife says, it is by our mercifulness you are fed and have a roof where to lay and rest.”

“But this elf seems so weak, the merchant told us it can’t use magik. Imagine an elf without magik! And with such a weak body... Wasn’t it a waste of money?” the daughter of the House spoke. A boisterous, fair-skinned, blond, young human girl. She smiled towards the elf slave.

“Let’s hope not. Or we’ll have to dispose of it.”

What a nice f-freaking family!

He had waited for the sharp pain but none came. Did he find the demon-gods’ limit on swearing? He wondered for a moment and then returned to his usual thoughts.

[More than we deserve.]

Its figure walked freely.

We...?

He paid it no more mind and return to his pending business.

You all better thread carefully or I’ll knife your necks while you lot sleep.

[Going back to the old ways, I see.]

Can’t say I missed you.

[Same here.]

“H-he still deserves a chance!” said the youngest master of the House. A frail, pale boy sporting a dull haircut and pitch-black hair.

He seems short for his age and sick... An affliction? Congenital disease? Everywhere the curses of the demon gods. Or simple bad luck. Might be the same thing.

“Awww... son. Yes *he* does.”

“Dad are we going today? You promised!” the blond young girl asked.

“I did. And I keep my promises.” He smiled at her.

“Yay!”

“Head Slave-Butler Gnome bring the elf too, it needs to start learning its duties. Make the usual arrangements, we are going out. And give it something to eat first, it seems likes it’s dying already.”

The gnome, acting as Head Slave-Butler, had under his watch all slaves in the House. They also had several human servants whom garnered wages and lived in their own houses. All the non-humans served as slaves. While not unusual to have slaves, in Saint Jaulea most of them felt the violent grasp of their masters, treated worst than livestock many didn’t survive for longer than a few years. House Liame broke convention, along with a few other Houses, on slave treatment and acted less harsh on them. This House consisted of ten servants; four humans and six slaves. Of those six, one gnome, two elves, two feralis and a half-orc served under House Liame. A big entourage for such a well established House.

Head Slave-Butler Gnome prepared the carriage, notified the slaves, and made the elf change clothes. He also explained the duties expected of him while accompanying members of House Liame. Those consisted of carrying things, helping if any change in plans took place, grabbing the ladies skirts when ascending or descending carriages or stairs, being invisible when not needed and the most important one; observe his surroundings and see how the other Houses reacted to their presence. Aggression, admiration, indifference or whatever other small details popped up, slaves had to report them. The other Houses scrutiny fell on their shoulders. They prioritized people’s reactions towards the family and any potential danger or opportunity. Upon returning they would give a full report on what they observed.

What a load of bull...

He left it unfinished. Better safe than sorry. The thoughts of axing their heads filled his mind but he knew that to beat the demon-gods and this freak family he had to play the calm, long game.

I need to cut loose or cut them loose fast and this world... seems less advanced, but they say magik exists, whatever it... ends up being. The other strange being... the gn.... toy adult... whatever, creeps me the f-f-freak... out.

[Too much for you?]

You wish.

But one thing preoccupied him. Head Slave-Butler Gnome had explained to him a slave collar hanged around his neck and that doing anything against their masters or moving far away from them would activate it, exploding in an instant. A small and safe detonation but strong enough to kill the bearer.

Is this really a magik item? Magik... Sounds like fuck-

“Aahhrr!”

He took his time to gather his strength again as his slave-peers looked nervously at his indisposition.

“Hey you... new elf....”

I cannot even insult to my hearts content! You... demon gods!

[You can stop cursing anytime you know.]

Oh you, shut up!

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