Terrible Fates (BEN Drowned story)

Chapter 17

The entity crawled over the edge of the bed and I ended up falling over the other side in my attempt to avoid it. I fell to the floor on my back and groaned from the ache of my bruises. The second entity rushed over to help me but I yelled at it and kicked it away. Just as I stood to run out of the room, Zalgo appeared next to me and chuckled.

Elizabeth, is that any way to treat your precious servants?

"What?" I grumbled. His expression was as placid and pleased as ever.

They were once my servants, but now they are yours. They're the ones who have been tending to your arm.

I glanced down at my bandaged limb and I could feel it gaining its sense of touch again. Glancing at the strange humanoids, I questioned, "What are they?"

My creations. They do all of the things I don't want to do, like cleaning--other chores of that sort.

"So, they're maids? Or...butlers?" I murmured, staring at them intently. They looked feminine but I couldn't be sure what their sex was with their robes and their...whatever their species is. They could be nothing, for all I know.

Servants, yes.

Zalgo walked towards them and circled the two, who stood together again. The humanoids seemed unfazed by his presence and I guessed they couldn't see him. He placed his hands on their shoulders and smiled at me.

This one is named Sudryl.

He motioned his head to the entity to my left, the one I elbowed.

And this one is Zazel.

He motioned his head to the one I originally kicked. With a gentle air, he patted their heads, then returned back to my side.

They do not know how to speak your language. They have developed their own.

"It's a wonder they can speak at all," I retorted, regarding their lack of mouths.

Their sound is telepathic, I presume. They probably communicate with those long appendages from their heads.

I shot the well-dressed man a look and muttered, "You made them, but you don't even know how they work?" He shrugged.

Why should I care how they exist? What matters is that they abide to me--well, to you now.

"So how can I communicate with them?" I asked.

Well, Zazel was trying to show you how, until you so rudely avoided him. Her. It. I don't know. Like I said, I don't care.

Rolling my eyes, I walked forward towards the one named Zazel. "Teach me how to communicate with you," I told the servant.

Zazel and Sudryl shared glances, before Zazel gently grabbed both of my hands. Then, they kneeled down and placed the backs of my hands against their forehead. I stood still, waiting for something big to happen, like a foreign sensation or flashy magic. Nothing happened so I sighed and craned my head to look at Zalgo.

"I'm not getting anything," I muttered.

Impatient as always, Elizabeth.

"This is ridiculous," I hissed and pulled my hands away from Zazel.

"My apologies. I did not mean to anger you," a soft voice whispered out and I froze in my place. Zazel looked up at me, still kneeling.

"Was that you...?" I said under my breath.

"Have I angered you, Master? If so, you can punish me," they said in that delicate, airy voice.

I shook my head and looked at Sudryl. "And you?"