The Stormcrow Cycle [Slow-burn Slice-of-Life Tragic Fantasy Romance]

Interlude: Between the Hammer and the Anvil

Author's Note

Tuesday update! Sorry--things were hectic, and I didn't want to upload this draft until it was a bit more polished. Please feel free to leave any corrections in the comments and whatnot, however--it's probably got a few rough edges still. =)

There's implied sexual violence in this chapter, though nothing is described. The usual warnings around Illosian society apply!

18/01/2023: My thanks to Anodyne for the grammar fixes! =)

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It was still dark when Aika rolled off her little mat in the sleeping quarter and shuffled to the basin. The other slaves were also rousing, and someone had already lit the fire in the hearth; Aika could smell bread baking. The kitchen slaves always got up earlier to get the oven going. She splashed cold water on her face, taking care to rub the sleep from her eyes, and then dried it on her apron. There.

She dressed and ate a piece of left-over flatbread from the night before. Basa joined her, and so did Enes and Lyta. "Gonna go serve th' witch?" Basa made her eyes go wide and she made a little spooky noise. "Whoooo. Better take 'er up a snack. Might eat you if she's 'ungry." And then she snickered.

Aika shoved her. "That's not funny!" She chewed her hard piece of bread furiously, then gave up, dipping it in her cup of lukewarm water. "There's something wrong with her. She's...she's not right. She's...she's..." Aika shuddered and hunkered down. "She's got a nasty temper. She pretends to be all nice but she's not. She's mean."

Enes snorted. "That there's a Sander witch, Aika. Don't be letting her curse you none."

"Well, how'm I supposed to do that, Enes?" Aika smacked her friend on the arm. "You're not helping!"

"Don't look her in the eye." Lyta nodded sagely. "And make the sign whenever you can. To keep her evil off you." Aika looked down and curled her fingers, moving her thumb over her bent forefinger and then down. "Yes, like that!" Lyta bit into her own piece of bread and made a face. "Why can't we get something hot for breakfast?"

Enes shushed her. "Don't be complainin'. Least we be getting breakfast—that be lucky enough."

Lyta rolled her eyes. "But Master Gaios is a strategos. I heard House Astros gives all their slaves hot meals. And they get meat every weekend. Every weekend!" She looked down at her bread and sighed. "I want fish. Grilled fish. Or even a piece of salted jerky for soup."

Basa, Enes, and Aika glanced at each other. Lyta was spoiled, but they knew better than to make fun; city girls were all high-minded anyway, and Lyta didn't complain too bad. She worked hard enough, though sometimes she said stupid things.

But she could write her own name and read receipts. That was useful, and she knew all sorts of good things.

"And clothes," Lyta was saying. "They get new clothes and new sandals every six months, and wages every month."

Aika and Enes glanced at each other, though Basa only rolled her eyes. "Go an' fuck kyrios Nikias, then," Basa said, snorting. "Maybe e'll take ya 'ome wit' 'im."

Lyta blinked. "Oh. That's not a bad idea."

Aika smacked her on the arm. "Lyta!"

"What?"

"That's wrong! Whoring is wrong!"

The three girls looked at each other and burst out laughing. "It's not whoring, stupid. It's smart. What, you want to be a slave forever?" Lyta was laughing so hard that she could barely talk.