Damned (Book 2 of the Ashes Saga)

The Everglade (P2)

My actions did not end with simply posting Marix's head outside my barracks. Between the gift from my Master and the respect I gained, I had the courage to pursue each one of the men that had participated in my humiliation. It took work ransacking Marix's home and tracking them all down, but I did it nonetheless. Some were captains, others were guards and opponents that knew I would kill them in the arena if they challenged me openly. One by one they dropped like flies. I slit their throats as they slept and left my initials on their corpses' with their blood. The information in his house led me to a few, but once they caught on that I was systematically executing them, they started to sell each other out. They were all gone before the next tournament and nobody stopped me.

With my elevated position above most of the population, even some of the guards, I did not do much work besides smithing. I hardly needed to compete in the arena anymore, as none sought to die. Time was slipping through my fingers while I waited for my Master to return to me, but he never showed. When a captain with duties beyond the Everglade demanded I attend cleaning responsibilities in Vince's castle, I was as surprised as I was insulted. I didn't let it show. Cleaning duties were mundane and below me, but I hadn't left the Everglade once since I was placed there. Even the smallest chance of seeing my Lord was enough to make me tolerate it.

The gate between the Everglade and his palace was one I was all too familiar with. I had spent the first part of my time staring at it longingly, hoping I could escape to freedom. It was stone and black iron, guarded by two demonic katoma. They were clever choices to keep us out, as they could sense someone coming from far off. I presented the proper documentation and they allowed me to pass. I remember how dirty I felt as I walked through his palace's west threshold for the first time.

The entrance was polished and spotless; most of his castle was. There were more guards than I had ever seen in the Everglade and they noticed me. I was taken aback by the number of approving nods I got as I made my way to his larger dining hall. A few guards had to direct me through the maze of hallways. I recall how incredibly awestruck I felt at how beautiful his home was. Only the finest craftsman could have made all of his intricate furniture and artwork. The architecture was sharp and everything was carved from dark obsidian. No palace in the world looked as his did. It reminded me faintly of paintings I had seen of the Femoran capital, but with his own touch.

The dining hall I was set to clean was nearest to the front entrance and it had been clearly unused for years. The table, ornate silver and black chairs, candelabra and giant fireplace were coated in thick layers of dust. I could tell beneath the throw rug that even the ground was filthy. Being so near the door to freedom was tempting, but the thought of being close to my Master was far more overwhelming.

And so, I started with the table first, scrubbing meticulously until every bit of dirt was wiped away. I was not used to cleaning, but I found it to be almost meditative. There were no thoughts in my head beyond the pleasing flashes of my enemies dying and my Master's beautiful face as I did my chore. I would have done anything to look for him. Moving to the fireplace, I noticed a small bronze mirror face down on the mantle. I couldn't resist the urge to glance into it.

Evyan culture may have had a fascination with mirrors, more so than the other races of Praetis, but not priestesses of the light. We had little as far as possessions, nor time to spend on vanity. Truthfully, I may have only seen my reflection a few times in my life before I peered into the mirror. I looked far different than the foggy memories I had of my appearance. Years of hardship had starved my face and caused my eyes to seem overly large. I looked empty beyond everything else. There was no light in my being; I was merely a shell.

The creaking sound of the front entrance being pulled open was enough to distract me from how distraught I felt. I did not desire to get into a fight over not cleaning, but I could not help the curiosity that drew me to the threshold of the dining hall. It paid off in my favor, as my Master's form was instantly discernable when he came through the massive doorway.