Time to Leave
28
AUG/20
The Next few weeks and why they leave:
Each day for the next couple of weeks were pretty much the same. They were falling into their rolls quite well. Lord Vashir, the master from Balic, Ippi his personal valet, and Arnia the servant girl assigned to Lord Vashir. They had decided to let her stay in the room with them. They convinced her that she was not what Lord Vashir wanted in a bed slave, but he understood her role in the house, and she could stay. Oni and Mar’iya stayed in character at all times within the house. This was likely the only way they would not be caught. The only time they spoke was within their minds. Both felt very alone even with each other.
Arnia would bring Breakfast and lunch into the room, but Vashir would take dinner every day with the Lady of the house. Oni always grabbed a few things to add to his backpack for later. He moved nuts and dried dates there most often as they would last a long time. He was planning to leave, even as he gained weight within the house. He was gaining his Slave 15 as the two weeks continued.
Oni left the house each day to go to the market and preform. He made sure Herman could see the area and watch over him. One of three different nameless Mul’s came when he was finished to shake him down for money. He was lucky as he always had a little extra for himself. He would go buy a few supplies and head back to the house. He saw a bunch of items he wanted, but they would take months at this rate. Oni started to think about his time here in months.
One day on his way back to the house he decided to go a different direction. He came across a huge section of beehives. These were the spearjax bees. They are very aggressive, and many have been killed. They were the most prolific bee, honey wise, so people would take the risk. Oni found the owner and offered to recover honey for him. He started to recover honey for him every day. Oni was able to keep two jars over the course of two weeks. Oni was able to move into the hive and recover honey as a friend.
Mar’iya had a couple of things he would do to fill his days. He was trying to find out more information about himself and his family. At this point it was as much to survive as it was to know. He was also just innately curious about house and city politics. He sought out information about the Stone Face Bandits, and the Hermit’s path. He needed to be subtle so gaining new information was slow going. He was masterful at using previous knowledge as if he always knew it.
Some days Mar’iya would spend the day within the House itself. This works better early on but started to become more difficult. The Lady of the house was becoming more and more distracted over the two weeks. Mar’iya made sure to never be rude but distant. It was the wise course.
Some days Mar’iya would head over to the Temple. On those days he would take Dave and Sora with him. He was building an uneasy bond between the three. He could not figure out a way to bring Oni into that bond, but he would work on that when he could. After many trips to the temple, he did believe that both David and Sora were looking for a way out. Neither had a way out and Mar’iya had to practically plant the thought through careful word play. An artform he had learned as a child but had no memory of it.
Some days he would head into the city just to explore and find new ways to gain information. He had a favorite tea shop. David and Sora often joined him when he did. They explored many parts of the city. Mar’iya avoided the market and the Flying guard. He was worried that his two guests would see Oni performing. He did not want to give that up. He had to avoid the flying guard as he might find Pakku and he would not keep Mar’iya cover. The house was becoming increasingly uncomfortable, so getting out was good.
Everything was going great. Well it was not going terrible. They had both found a space that was making it work. It even started to feel safe. They both started to wonder if they could stay here forever. Oni had mildly forgotten his disdain for the master slave relationship. His stomach was full, and it was nice. That is when is all had to change.
Oni was in the market. He was performing his final acrobatic roll, which ended in a big fireball into the air. He tumbled through, he landed on his feet and blasted fire six feet into the air. It went perfectly and market folks started to drop the coins. Oni looked out into the crowd. He saw something familiar. Something of pain. He felt small, and angry. He saw Selise. She was on the far side of the market looking at him. She saw through him is disgust, knowing he had killed the tribe. One of the Mul walked up and she was gone.
Oni paid him and packed up. Had he seen her. He was not sure. Maybe his grief or guilt had placed her there. He was not sure. He had to see if he could find her. He moved quickly to the far side of the market, where she was. There was no trace. He looked around. He moved through the crowd. Many of these folks now knew him and tried to talk to him. He was the fireball juggler. He loved the name, but he could not stop to talk. He moved through the crowd some more. He came around a stall and sitting at an open-air café was Agis.
Agis,the Sachem was sipping a cup of wine. Oni moved back, making sure he was not seen. He moved to another part of the market. He had to make sure it was him. This was not like the illusion of Selise, this was Agis. There he sat in fine silk robes. Dread filled Oni to the core. If Agis was here and in such fine clothes, he was somehow to blame. He was what had brought them to the desert and now killed the tribe. He could not be seen. Agis could not know they were here.
Oni knew Mar’iya had planned to have tea on the far end of town. Oni could charge over there and find him. Oni could not run, but he moved with purpose to find Mar’iya.
Mar’iya was in the tea house. He and David were playing Dragonchess. Sora stood guard near the wall. David was going over the different houses repeating the same content he had said the day before. Mar’iya was quite adept at having David continue without really paying attention. David generally just went over the same set of family members. He was trying to appear to be giving new information, but it was the same set of stuff over and over.
Oni came walking out into the street across the way. He made eye contact with Mar’iya, stumbled and headed back a little to be partially out of sight. That is when David said, “you know Agis, the Sachem, is the house “Mage” for the Whithall’s.” David was in the middle of one his normal rants and Mar’iya nearly missed it. He did hear though just as he saw Oni. He reached out with his mind to Oni and asked, “What’s up Oni?”
In a panic Oni: Agis is here in the city.
Mar’iya: I know, it turns out he is the wizard for House Whithall
Oni: that is bad, if he sees us, we are fucked
Mar’iya: I agree, it is now time to leave.
Oni: How convenient that he is a part of the one house that has not had anyone kidnapped
Mar’iya: I heard that one of the houses hired a rogue for some reason. I bet it is them. Those fucks are kidnapping family member. I think it is time to do our plan. I will get us moving. You head back to the house.
Oni rushed back to the house. He arrived and plenty of time to go up the run and prep his backpack. He looked over to Mar’iya’s tiny bag and prepped that too. He made sure to add a little extra water to both. Once they were ready, he set them close to the door but a little hidden. He wanted to be able to leave in moments. He headed back downstairs just as Lord Vashir, David, and Sora arrived. He bowed as they passed and followed them into the main entertaining room.
David had a surprised look on his face. It was not normal for Vashir to come here without going to his room first. He came in and went to the right of his ladyship. Sora stopped at the door. Lord Vashir came up to Lady Meshah and bowed lower than he had the entire time they had been in the house. He bowed lower than all of the bowes together. She looked up; she was starting to be pretty broken by this point. She broke the silence, “Vash”. She said it like a question. He rose from his bow.
He reached into his center and spoke more as Mar’iya than Vashir, “My Lady. I wish to try and help you. I know you did not want to burden me with this, but I know about your daughter. And. I know that you have not been able to heir anyone to rescue her. If you will let me, I would like to take David and Sora and my valet Ippi and try to rescue her. I have some clues that one of the other houses has caused this, and I’d like to find proof. Please let me do this for you, for everything you have done for me.”
He stood waiting for her to respond.