So I did already release this edited last time, but I made some more edits (just small stuff), so have a double release~
I stir fry the vegetables quietly, shriveled carrots and wrinkled potatoes sizzling in the dark sauce as I shift the pan back and forth on the open flame.
The woman in charge makes her way toward me, her stocky figure not hindering her ability to make her way through the outdoor kitchen in the least. "How're ya' holdin' up, duck?" She asks, patting me lightly on the back.
"This batch is almost done, where should I put it, Ma'am?" My voice is quiet, but it carries. She hefts a large bowl full of mixed vegetables toward me to pour my set in.
She lets out a hearty chuckle as she makes her way back to the holding table where food has been piled high. It looks like they're depleting their food stores just to please Master Naga, which he probably knows, as his brow is the slightest bit furrowed when people aren't looking.
"Ma'am, is the whole village coming?" I ask, carrying the now-empty pan into the tub for washing.
She nods excitedly, calling "Sure is, duck." over her shoulder as she bustles over to me to toss a ball of fire onto the kindling below the black steel wash pot. I don't tell her that I could have lit it myself, instead thanking her before rolling back my sleeves and scrubbing the grease and sauce off of the pots and cutlery piled high onto the table beside the wash pot.
Master Naga makes his way over to me, resting a hand on the top of my head as I work. I take comfort in the warmth and weight of his hand, having to straighten repeatedly as my body subconsciously seeking out the large buffer against the cool night breeze.
Noticing my movements, Master Naga chuckles quietly. "Are you cold, Shiori?"
I shake my head quickly, "No, Master Naga." I have no desire to inconvenience him further on my first assignment. It's only a light chill, and the warm water I'm up to my elbows in is helping to keep it at bay.
He shifts closer, chest bumping my back with every breath. "Are you sure you're not cold, Shiori?" He asks quietly, a fan of warm breath buffeting my ear, so similar yet so different from when Master Theodore did it not an hour earlier, sending a surprised jolt down my spine. "You're shivering."
Most of my interactions with Master Naga include him teasing me in one way or another, pressing me to answer questions, or sending me to talk to the nature spirits about one thing or another.
This, however, feels a bit more like the courtship I've seen between some of the slaves or past masters who had me serve them than his usual actions. I can't help but wonder if he’s changed his mind.
"I'm fine, Master Naga. If you take your seat at the head of the table they will be able to begin the feast." I scrub hard at a particularly stubborn bit of burnt meat, not sparing him a glance over my shoulder despite the eyes I feel boring into the top of my head.
"How can we start without you, Shiori? You're my Head Priest, after all."
I frown at the water as I set that pan onto the rack to dry before fishing out the next one. Head Priest or not, it's not a slave's place to sit beside their master for a meal. The only time they may be permitted to eat together would be if a slave was taste-testing dishes for poison, and even then they would be standing.
“Yes, Master Naga.”
Though it is not my place to sit beside my master, it is even less so to argue an order.
I ease myself onto the stool to his left cautiously, ready to rise at the slightest indication of Master Naga's disapproval. However, it doesn't come, even after the food is served.
Master Naga rests one hand atop my head, fingers rolling through the ends of my hair mindlessly, eating with the chopsticks in his right hand. The Ma'am from the kitchen and a few of the other village women titter amongst themselves as they watch Master Naga add a few vegetables to my bowl of thin broth.
I remain still, only murmuring quiet thanks as I continue to eat, though my heart feels like it's going to climb up my throat and out of my mouth. Master Naga smiles as he eats, praising the village's food, to which the Ma'am in charge blushes a pretty pink that makes her look years younger, sun-darkened skin taking on a healthy glow as she hedges that, Oh no, Master Naga, it’s that sweet little Priest of yours that did most of the cooking. It's so refreshing to see a young noble boy who knows homemaking.
I keep my head down, finishing my small portion of food before rising and collecting discarded bowls and empty alcohol cups to wash, avoiding conversation. If she asks me what family I'm from I'll have to explain that I'm a slave and she will surely feel uncomfortable.
Master Naga's eyes follow me, but he doesn't express any disapproval as I scrub the bowls clean, tossing fresh sticks under the washing pot and inconspicuously sending a spark into them with my bare toes.
The atmosphere is lively and cheerful, flushed faces and harmless banter so unlike the tense happiness or malicious jabs I grew up with or the quiet isolation of the shrine. It's a bit unsettling, but not in a bad way.
As the others finish, some of the women bring over their bowls and help me wash while the men crowd around Master Naga who has a pleasant, if a bit distant, smile on his face. They're all too drunk to be much help, so I turn my attention toward the women around me. After all, women tend to have more of a network amongst themselves to distribute information that can help protect their families since they're home more.
"So why did you and Master Naga come to see the Lord?" One of the younger girls asks as she dries one of the bowls I pass her, black eyes bright beneath long black bangs.
The others don't even bother to hide their interest in our conversation as I continue washing.
"We came to investigate the Lord's involvement in the Sacred Beast killings. But when we arrived, we heard that it was more than just the Sacred Beasts that were dying and Master Naga wanted to know what more we could do for you all."
They all pause almost imperceptibly, glances exchanged amongst one another behind my back.
"You know," I begin quietly, recapturing their attention, "I'm a slave."
That catches them off guard, eyes snapping toward me as I move to pass the bowl I'm holding off for drying.
"I've served Master Theodore before, so I know that even if you aren't a slave, if he orders you to do something, you can't say no. Master Naga knows too, so if you or your families were ordered to do something..." I let the sentence trail, "You won't be punished."
More glances, silent communications that I understand all too well.
"You can promise that?" The Ma'am's voice is clear and cutting, a harsh contrast to the warmth she'd been speaking with all evening. Even still, I'm not put off. It is understandable that she would be hostile at the thought of being wrongly punished.
I nod.
I am the head priest of Naga shrine. I can speak on behalf of my god when he is not present.
She gives me a reluctant nod in return. "They're wolves. There had been a few that attacked travelers when they strayed into their territory, which is right beyond the border of our village. It really cut into our profits. The land is beautiful, so tourism was our main source of income. The Lord met with a passing apothecary who sold us the poison. He ordered the men to lay the poison out at the edge of the village. If they didn't, he said he would kill our children."
Rationally, it would be a foolish decision to kill off the children, but they know as well as I do that Master Theodore has never been one to think about gains and losses, only his passing whims.
But a piece of their words catches my attention. An apothecary.
Apothecaries are herbal healers, much more available to the public than the healing of a god. Most gatherings of humans have at least one, just like a blacksmith or seamstress, but unlike other professions, they are held to a certain standard of moral codes. The apothecary couldn't even claim ignorance of the type of beast that was to be eradicated because Sacred Beasts require an extremely potent toxin to kill, not a run-of-the-mill pest poison.
"By the time that worthless bastard realized that all the animals were being killed and their corpses were polluting the water and soil as they rotted, it was too late. We can't open up the inns because we only have low-quality food and they can't go out to the good scenery or they'll be at the border where all the rotting corpses are!" One of the young women huffs, crossing her arms over the frayed chest of her dress.
Several of the women — notably the younger ones — nod in agreement, but all of the older and wiser ones quickly hush them, silencing their treasonous thoughts. Though life as a commoner is easier than life as a slave, they must still bend the knee to their Lord, even if he is an overgrown child who has implicated them in a crime against the heavens.
I merely continue washing the fresh load of bowls that have been brought over.
"If it was only one batch of poison, why is there still a food shortage? The report we got was about the killings several months ago."
The women glance at each other guiltily. "Well..." one begins, "It's just that-"
The ma'am from the kitchen silences the girl with a look. "Perhaps the beasts are cursing us." She says quietly, taking the last bowl from my hands and drying it before scattering the women back to their husbands and fathers.
I make my way back to Master Naga, the next step already formulating in my mind.
Getting the truth out of someone is something of a specialty of mine, but it's not something I'd wish to do to the villagers who have emptied their pantries to honor my master.
Master Naga has a knowing smile on his face as he sees me. Waving me over, he threads a hand through the length of my tied-back hair.
"Shall we retire for the night, Shiori?" He muses, blue eyes and white hair a stark contrast to the fading light and dark wood of the village. "You've had a long day."
I bow lightly. "I shall do as you command, Master Naga."
He chuckles almost despite himself before turning to the drunken men around him.
"My head priest grows weary, so I'll be taking him to the inn."
He wraps his arm around my shoulders as we walk away from the flickering light of the torches.
"So?" He asks softly, once we're far enough away. "What did you find out?"
My report is concise: the villagers' lives were threatened by Master Theodore, so they laid poison out for the Sacred Beasts. The poison was purchased from a suspicious apothecary and despite it supposedly having been several months, the damage is only getting worse, which means they're lying about the frequency of the poisonings.
Master Naga hums thoughtfully as we approach the inn.
We pause our conversation as one of the innkeeper’s little children brings us to our room before running back down the steps to theirs.
"You weren't able to get any information about the apothecary then?" He asks, sitting down on the bed.
I shake my head. "I will need either Master Theodore or one of the guards on shift when the apothecary visited the manor."
He looks over at me, surprise flashing across his light eyes before a scowl twists his features, likely at the thought of Master Theodore's conduct earlier.
"My ability is electrokinesis, Master Naga," I explain to his unasked question. "The human body is full of tiny electrical impulses. With the proper questions, the mind will bring up the memory I'm looking for, and using a high voltage charge, I can view it."
A wicked grin twists his lips as he hears the words high voltage charge.
I suspect we will be using Master Theodore should he not be forthcoming with the information on his own.
I add another line to my list of things I know about Master Naga: incredibly possessive.
Master Naga leans back, linking his hands behind his head and sending a small bead of water to extinguish the candle in the window. I move to the doorway, readying myself to stand guard when I feel a glare against my back.
I look back, wondering if I forgot to do something. "What are you doing?" There is ice in his tone.
"Standing guard, Master Naga."
He heaves a sigh. "No need, just get some sleep."
I nod, sitting cross-legged on the cold wood floor before another sigh has me looking up again.
"Why are you on the floor, Shiori?"
I blink in confusion. "You told me to sleep, Master Naga."
A third sigh. If he continues, he will get light-headed. Do gods get light-headed?
"On the floor?" His lips are pursed in irritation as he looks at me.
I swallow. I have made a mistake, but I don’t know what it is.
"I'm sorry, Master Naga, please punish me for my mistake." I bow as lowly as I can from my position.
"Come here, Shiori."
I rise swiftly, feet leading me over to his side before I can process his meaning. Did he change his mind about my not serving him as I thought during the feast?
He wraps his arm around my waist and flips me onto the bed beside him.
I blink hard, eyes fixed on the ceiling as I lay there stiffly.
He tugs the blankets out from under me before pulling them up to my chest.
I'm in Master Naga's bed but he doesn't seem to want me to serve him?
My dark eyes widen in horror as I realize that I haven't washed yet. My filthy body is currently contaminating my master's sheets.
"Don't panic, Shiori. I can practically hear you panicking." Master Naga murmurs, rolling toward me with closed eyes, "Just sleep. you've had a long day."
Perhaps it is because my master commanded it, or perhaps because I am tired from the day, but my mind quickly dulls, eyelids heavy and limbs curling in on themselves sleepily.
As my consciousness slips away, I can't help but nestle closer to the warmth that surrounds me.
Yes, my master is very kind.
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