⚜ Serendipity Finding something good without looking for it

Below me, there was cold stone. Stone? Right, I had… fallen. I had been running through the forest in a desperate attempt to escape when I tripped over something. And now I was…. Was I in a cave? I must have been. It was cold, but less cold than running through the snow. There were people around me. I could hear them. Smell them. One gently touched my wrists, hands rough but shockingly warm.

“Escaped slave,” a too-close voice sighed.

“Where did it come from?”

“What is it?”

“Uh, looks like a man.”

“No man is that beautiful.”

“Maybe a woman, then?”

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

The rough but warm hand brushed my curls from my face.

I softly moaned, shifting on the cold ground. They could see my face. Whoever these people were, they would be overcome with their need for me soon. I forced my golden eyes open, trying to see through the darkness. Indeed, there were people around me. A few of them were barefoot, while others had leather and fur boots.

“They’re waking up,” the man crouching beside me said. “Quick, get Waylon, and tell them to bring a healing potion!”

When I tried to move, my body barely responded to me. And I was so cold. So, so cold. All I knew was that I had to get out. I had to get away. I groaned as I struggled to force my aching body to move.

I felt their hands on my body, moving my cloak and tunic. The man tried to lift me up. My heart began racing, and my stomach twisted. In a burst of fear and shock, I forced myself off the ground and began running, stumbling a bit over the loose stones. I heard them call after me, but ignored them.

Wherever I was, it was dark, only lit by sparse lanterns. Even though my entire body screamed in pain from my desperate escape and brutal fall, I kept running. I felt like I would collapse at any moment, but I kept running. I had to keep running.

The lanterns became fewer and farther apart, and I was soon left in complete darkness. I leaned against the cold cave wall, gasping for air and listening for signs that I had been followed. There was nothing, just the distant crackling of torches and flowing of water. Water? Was there a river down here? I slowly followed the sound. My entire body was protesting, but I kept moving.

Soon, I came to a cavern. The rushing water echoed off the dark walls. By now, my eyes had mostly adjusted, so I was able to see the edge of the river. I collapsed beside it, reaching down and cupping the freezing water in my hands. I eagerly drank, splashing the water on my face.

After I had my fill, I slowly laid down beside the river, curling up and wrapping myself in the surprisingly warm cloak. Everything was so cold. I curled up tighter, breathing into my hands and pulling the cloak tight.

For a long time, everything was silent except for the rushing water. I wasn’t getting much warmer, and I needed to rest. But I couldn’t rest. I couldn’t bear to sleep when I was likely being hunted by those people. My body was exhausted, but refused to slow down even a little bit. I wanted to sleep.

Instead, I cried. Was this real? Had I really gotten away? Away from Bianor, away from being used to sway those who disagreed with him, away from the dark dungeons and harsh baths?

And yet here I was, in the darkness.

I cried hard but silent.

Eventually, I heard something. A voice, echoing off the walls of the caves.

“I know you’re around here somewhere!” The man called. I quickly shut up. “It’s okay! I’m not going to hurt you! I’m sorry about my clanmates earlier, they’re just a bit… excited. It’s not every day we get a visitor…. I know you’re probably cold and afraid, so just come out and we can talk about this. I have blankets and food for you.” Then I felt the warmth from the torch he carried, and he softly gasped, “There you are. Are…. Are you awake?”

I didn’t make a sound. My heart raced and my breath hitched.

“Hey, it’s okay,” the man said, voice soft and gentle. “My name is Stefan.” He set his torch on the ground, then draped something over me, an action which made me flinch. A blanket. “There, that will make you a bit warmer. Can you understand me?” I shakily nodded. “Okay, good. Welcome to the Rebellion. You’re safe now. My friends won’t bother you. Are you injured anywhere? I can help, if you are. It’s very cold outside, and you barely have any clothes.” When I didn’t answer, Stefan softly questioned, “Do you have a name?”

I hesitated, then tried to mumble, “A-Augus…. August….” The word felt strange and foreign on my tongue. I forced it out anyway, wanting the familiarity, despite how unfamiliar it felt. “It’s…. Augustus.”

“Augustus?” I nodded. “That’s a lovely name,” Stefan said. I felt myself blush; had anyone ever complimented my name before? “Augustus, can I maybe take a look at your wounds? I was told that you have… what appear to be shackle scars.” I rubbed my raw wrists, very aware of the pain. “I have some bandages and balm here. I can help.”

“Don’t look,” I mumbled when he tried to move closer. “Danger.”

“Danger?” Stefan echoed. “You? Dangerous? I highly doubt that.”

“Too pretty,” I rasped, trembling. “Don’t look.”

“O-okay,” he was obviously confused. “But your wounds need treatment.”

Slowly, I stuck my feet out from under the blanket. Stefan moved closer, and soon took my raw ankles in his hands. He gently rubbed some sort of cold and stinging balm on the peeling skin, massaging it around, then wrapped my ankles and feet in cloth. I was quick to retreat under the blanket. I pulled up the blanket, making sure to hide most of my face, before sticking my hands out. Stefan did the same with my wrists, refraining from looking at my face.

“Do you have any other injuries?” He softly questioned. I shook my head. He moved away to sit out of my line of sight, then put something in front of my face. “It’s fruit. A bit old, but you need to eat.”

I stared at the fruit for a moment before grabbing it. I eagerly bit into it, savoring every bite. It had been years since I had any food like this.

“Well, you were hungry,” Stefan lightly chuckled. “Can you maybe explain what you meant when you said you were ‘too pretty’? That looking at you is dangerous? You don’t seem dangerous.”

“Beast,” I mumbled through my bites. “Need flesh.”

“You… eat people?”

“Need flesh.” There was no use in hiding it. “Can live without it. Weak, though, very weak. Can… charm and… seduce. Used….”

“Hmm, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anything like that,” he wondered aloud. “A creature that seduces people and then eats them to retain their strength? So… is there some sort of name for it? Or are you just… like that?”

“Lust beast,” I breathed the term they used for me so often.

After a moment, Stefan said, “How about you come sit in my room? No one will bother you there. I certainly can’t leave you here.”

I took a deep breath, then nodded. I finished the fruit, slowly sitting up. I kept my head lowered as Stefan stood. Once I was standing, he led me out of the cave and through the dark caverns.

“You were a slave to the Ussuni Empire?” Stefan asked in confirmation.

“Escaped. Ran.” My bare feet ached and pounded. I limped every step.

“That must have been scary,” he seemed sympathetic. “Don’t worry, Augustus, you’re safe here. We’ll find out what you are. In the meantime, no one will hurt you.”

“You don’t understand,” I mumbled. “Bianor stopped me from feeding, but now I’ve fed.” My mind flashed back to the slaughter that was my meal of the mistress. I still smelled of blood. “I’m stronger now.”

“Who’s… Bianor?” Stefan slowly questioned.

“...The emperor,” I softly replied. Did they really not know his name?

Stefan stiffened, pace slowing for a moment, “You mean to tell me that you were the emperor’s slave?”

I huddled under the blanket and cloak, and whimpered, “...Yes?”

After an ominous moment, he asked, “What can you tell me?”

“...Not much,” I eventually whispered. Memories flashed through my head, forcing me to lean on the wall for a moment. He was my brother. The emperor was my older brother. I had been enslaved by my brother. And I had gotten away. After however many years it had been, I had gotten away. I was free. My limbs held no shackles, I could see where I was going, there were no rough hands on my arms…. I was free.

“Augustus?” Stefan glanced back.

“I-I’m fine,” I mumbled, keeping my head down.

“Oh, please,” he scoffed. “You were the emperor’s slave.” He glanced back at me, and I quickly hid beneath the blanket. “It’s okay to not be okay, you know. You’re safe here. And, I might know someone who might be… unaffected by your appearance.” That got my attention. “Here’s my room,” Stefan said, leading me through a creaky wooden door and into a small cavern. There was a large bed, a desk with a lantern on it, and a chest. “Just wait here, okay? I’m going to go get Cornelius; I have a feeling he’ll be unaffected by you.”

“H-how do you know?” I whispered, glancing at him.

“That man is completely oblivious to anyone’s moves, if you know what I mean,” Stefan chuckled. “Besides, he can’t… get in the mood, even if he wanted to. So yeah, I don’t think he’ll be affected by you. I’ll be right back.”

And then I was left alone. I looked around the room. I looked at the desk, stepping forward. Books. I picked one up, looking at the title. I put it back down. Why was I even trying? It had been so long since I had even attempted to read words.

I looked around the rest of the small cavern that served as a bedroom. As I looked at the bed, I realized it was big enough for two or three people. There was a second trunk on the other side of the room. Two people lived in this room. I slowly approached the bed, looking at the blankets. They looked soft and warm. I had been in beds, of course, but never for sleeping. And I could never quite remember what they felt like.

“Augustus?” Stefan was back, just on the other side of the door. “I have Cornelius here with me. I’m gonna send him in, okay?”

A man entered the room. He was dressed in brown and green, with light blonde hair. I turned away, head lowered, cloak and blanket tightly wrapped around me.

“Hey, there,” Cornelius softly said. His voice seemed familiar. It took me a moment to place; the man I had heard when I first woke in the caves. “My name is Cornelius. I’m a friend. Don’t worry, I don’t feel any sexual feelings, so it’s very unlikely I’ll be affected by your abilities. As a matter of fact, I find sex pretty gross.”

When I said nothing, Cornelius stepped around me to try to get a look at my face. I backed away, pulling the hood over my face. He carefully took my wrist. I whimpered, despite the gentle touch. He gently reached out and pushed part of the hood away, getting a rather good look at my face. I looked away, frozen in fear.

After a long moment, he chuckled, “Well, you are cute, but I still feel nothing sexual.” That got my attention. I glanced at him in confusion. He smiled and shrugged, releasing me, “Yeah, I’ve never felt anything sexual for anyone. And it would appear that you are no exception.”

I backed away, holding the cloak and blanket tighter around me.

“You… wanna take a seat?” Cornelius offered, pulling out the chair. “You don’t look like you should be standing, honestly.”

I hesitated, then fell down into the chair, legs practically giving up on me. I didn’t blame them. I pulled up my bandaged and bruised feet to curl up on the chair, wrapping the blanket around my legs.

“Your feet must be pretty cold, and they look hurt,” Cornelius sat on the edge of the desk. “Did you really run all the way here from Empire lands? Through the mountain pass?” When I nodded, he rummaged around in his brown leather bag, then pulled out something small and colored a dark red. “Here, you must be hungry.”

Curious but cautious, I leaned forward and sniffed it. It smelled like some sort of meat, mixed with something else. My nose wrinkled on instinct.

“It’s just jerky,” he lightly chuckled.

“What’s… jerky?” I softly echoed, taking the bit of meat and inspecting it.

“He speaks!” Cornelius faked surprise. Then he relaxed and smiled. “It’s meat soaked in honey and syrup, then dried. Lasts a long time, so it’s perfect for winter.”

I nibbled on the jerky, and quickly looked to him for more.

“Okay, okay, I got a bit left,” he pulled out the small leather bag, opening it to hand me the rest of the jerky.

I eagerly ate it, now painfully aware of how hungry I was. It was unlike anything I had ever tasted, and it felt like I couldn’t get enough. It tasted like the faint memories of spring, tickling the back of my head, like the warmth of the hearth and gentle hands rubbing out the eternal ache in my back. I gulped down the last of the jerky, wishing there was more.

Cornelius chuckled a bit, “You’re really cute, you know that?”

My wide eyes shot to him, and my stomach dropped.

“N-not like that,” he quickly said, waving his hands in a frantic way. “I mean, cute in a childish sense. That sweet, childhood innocence that too many lose to the Ussuni Empire.” Slowly, I regained my stomach, and my eyes relaxed. I glanced up at him, curious. He seemed sad.

He suddenly stood up off the desk, leaning down in front of the chair. He gently and slowly reached up to grab the hood of the cloak. I closed my eyes tight for a moment and turned my head away, whimpering, as he pushed the fabric away from my face. My red curls bounced up wildly, practically jumping from their secure hiding place under the hood. My hands were trembling madly.

Finally, Cornelius let out a soft breath, “You poor thing.” He carefully pushed my curls away from my face. He tucked them behind my ear. I opened my eyes a bit and glanced at him. He stood up, taking his hands away from me. How long had it been since someone had touched me so gently?

He took the leather pouch that had once held the jerky, “I’ll go get you some more food, okay? And some proper clothes. You must be freezing in that thing,” he motioned to my simple easy-to-remove tunic under the cloak. It had grown torn and dirtied in my escape.

I just nodded. He smiled at me, brushing a stray curl behind my ear before leaving me alone in the room. The moment he left, I missed him.

I sat curled up on the chair for quite some time, listening to the voices echoing off the walls of the caves. There were screeches of laughter at times, momentarily scaring me. All I could do was sit and wait.

I glanced up at the bed. I slowly got off the chair, walking towards it. I felt the soft blankets. I crawled up onto the bed, curling up on it. I huddled under the cloak and blanket, closing my eyes. I fell asleep almost instantly.