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The fates have designed your way, and Selene brought you forth from the earth and gave you life. As an Alpha you will live to rule, as a slave, you will live to serve, for always till fate and time reunite you in the fields from which Selene first brought you forth.
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[Shade Shadows]
Sweat littered my forehead in shiny sheets as I stepped off the ladder to examine my work. I had cleared one full row of shelves of books from top to bottom. The row spanned nearly half of the vast room, and my arms ached from the mere load.
I felt like I had worked 24 hours straight. But of course, time seemed to be held in suspense as there was no sun in the sky to tell me how long I had worked.
It felt like I was stuck in a timeless loop that was dipped in a pitch-black world.
No stars to litter the sky, and no bright moon either. If it weren't for the lanterns lit up by the soldier in the court, it would be impossible to even see the ground from this height.
Not that there was something to see. Trees had fallen from the storm and the soldiers and guards were hurriedly trying to clear the grounds.
Strangely, however, no matter how much I despised dark days I couldn't help but admit there was a certain calmness in them.
A safety perhaps.
Knowing that here in the darkness is where I thrived. That I blended into the shadows and for a moment I may not even exist.
That these feelings deep within me may just be dreams of realities I whip in this vast imagination of mine. That one day I would wake up from this nightmare and open my eyes to a beautiful garden filled with people who saw me as their equals.
Like all this, everything to this point in my life was nothing but a bad dream.
My back slid down the shelves till I sat on the ground, my dusting cloth sprawled before me, head in my hands as I yawned.
I was tired and my back ached from lifting books all day. Coupled with the darkness and seclusion, it felt like I would lose my mind.
I tried reading but even that seemed to wear me down after a few pages.
I closed my eyes longing for something more in this vast library. So vast I felt so alone.
I was beginning to doubt any other masters existed within these walls, at least not at this particular moment.
I hadn't seen a single one after my unusual master. The so-called King favorite. I longed to see someone, reassure me I wasn't alone in the vast darkness...Where time was void.
Even Diane had flown away this morning and hadn't returned in a few hours.
This had been a disappointment. I thought it was a peculiar bird but perhaps it had gone now.
My hands touched the floor stopping on something wet. I brought my fingers up to the light, realizing it was some reddish-brown mud. My eyebrows arched, noticing some scarce bits here and there, by the shelf, and even a handprint against it.
My eyebrows arched at this. How could wet mud have gotten into the library? Was it I that tracked it in?
A steady thud drew me from thoughts.
Cleaning my fingers off the cloth, I walked towards the large doors, faster than I normally would because I was dying to see someone else, even if it meant I would have to bow a thousand times and be called a Keffer and all and any manner of names that would fit.
I opened the door, immediately lowering my head at the sight of the armor, knowing this was one of the guards.
Silence loomed as I awaited orders.
"Shade-"
The voice came out more like a question, his tone was deep and silvery. My eyebrows arched at the direct name call, my gaze slowly lifting and emerging into familiar blue eyes.
It was the King's guard. The guard I saw last night and the same guard I saw just this morning. The one who was missing all this time and was back, the one by the pump.
"Is it not?"
I nodded, slowly, unsure of what to say. Knowing guards were normally tough on slaves I decided not to test anything, lowering my head again, "It is, Sir."
Silence loomed between us and I stared at my toes, unsure of why we were just standing there. Was I in trouble? Had he overheard Vale and me discussing our escape-
"A pretty name." he finally grunted, causing my eyebrows to arch at the absurd remark, my gaze snapping up to meet his but he had already turned, walking off.
I took this as my cue to follow, closing the door behind me, I treaded in silence behind the guard.
There was something strange about him. Why would he say a kind word to me? I would not dare call it a compliment.
That would be too good to be true.
I already know this guard. He watched the other slaves bully me. I already know him by the look in his eyes when he looked away. It is the look that I see every day.
I am of no importance- lesser than none.
Why then did he seem kind today? Why was there a different look in his eyes? Why did I notice his eyes only yesterday?
"Liston," he spoke glancing back at me for a moment as his armor clanked with every heavy step
I glanced at his back as we walked down the halls. Unsure of what he was saying.
"That is my name if you wish to know." he hummed.
I was only further confused. Why would he give me his name?
I knew not what to say so I merely hummed. Unsure of this conversation. Unsure if I was comfortable talking to a guard this way. I uttered a singular word.
"Okay."
I noticed his pace gradually slowed, allowing me to easily catch up. I was a bit feeble this day: I had woken up late and not had my breakfast, neither was lunch served for slaves unless supper. 2 meals a day.
"I wish to apologize."
I froze at these words. Words such as those are never supposed to leave the mouths of selfish guards.
I gazed at him through hooded eyebrows pacing only slightly behind him, lest it looked like I had thought myself an equal to him.
"I should have stopped the other slaves from letting you pump water into all their buckets."
I blinked at this, my throat running dry.
Part of me thought I was still in the library, dreaming and I would wake up and keep cleaning.
For in what world would a guard apologize to a slave- A keffer no less?
"I do not deserve your apologies, Sir. It is not your job."
He grunted at this, "No.." he paused, "It's mere decency to be kind. And I am a decent man am I not?" his gaze shifted to mine and I caught it unaware-
Certain humor danced in them as he spoke. Pleasant humor not one of spite, but I could not register this in real-time.
Instead, I stumbled over my words, "Of course, sir. Quite noble."
He nodded at this turning away, the soft smile that had grazed his lips pursing into a thinner line- silence filled between us for only another second before he spoke once more.
"My vision of the world was just- blurry. I see better now-" he states, glancing at me, "I see my errors."
I held his gaze before they shifted back down, my pace slowing further behind him when I heard the clanking of another round of guards.
They passed us by, and I kept my head low.
I glanced at the King's Guard, not truly convinced as we moved down the stairs to where more guards passed.
We did not say another word and I was delivered into the hells of Luciferous kitchen. A hot furnace waiting for my touch.
Barnabas was keen to throw me a shovel.
I caught it this time.
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I could not stop thinking of the weird encounter with Liston. The King's guard. I wished to think that the world could be so kind once in a while- that it would throw me a bone.
But I had been a Keffer all my life. All good things passed that of AMA and Vale we're evil things disguised in a beautiful lie.
Shall I not tell the tale of Gabriel the Alpha's son? Was it not him I found wounded in a field when we were nothing but pups?
Trapped in a bush of odsgrave thorns, "the wolf's prison".
Was it not I that freed him? What did that do for me?
He was kind for a moment, a moment when no one was looking, and then for a lifetime in the eyes of everyone, I became the Keffer that I am today.
Shall I make the same mistake and believe a King's guard, out of the blue would decide to be kind to me?
I shook my head as I lay on the weed mat, darkness lingering outside.
I was aware of the stories whispered amongst the slaves- of how they do things to get extra bread, wine, and treats from the guards.
Is that what this is?
Am I a trophy bargained about between guard's lips? Perhaps a trophy is of high esteem.
An ugly bet of some sort.
I shook my head, pulling myself closer. I shall trust no one but Vale.
Friendship with a master, Leaning on Barnabas, and accepting Liston would all be foolish. I nodded in the darkness.
And I was desperate...
Not foolish.
--------------
When the sun kissed my cheek in the morning, a smile voluntarily crossed my face.
There was nothing to stop the good feeling that whispered through my body. This time, I pumped for the slaves and rested in my own joyous world.
The Kings Guard, the one named Liston, was not at his post this morning.
Hence it was not his shift I figured.
I only thought of it for a moment before brushing the thoughts of him away. He could have been drunk last night that he thought to make conversation with a Keffer.
It was a mistake he was surely embarrassed about this morning had it been as a result of a horrid bet amongst guards.
Stooping so low.
My throat run dry, but I kept my spirits alive, bidding Vale to join the others and not stay behind this time.
It was getting far too suspicious.
With defiance still in her eyes, she moved toward the bathhouse and I kept pumping, my gaze trailing to the library tower, knowing I would soon be trapped within its walls.
Would I be visited this time by the master? He had not come yesterday since his abrupt leave.
I scoffed at the thought. Who leaves without saying goodbye? Only a man who has had no company about him. The Master was such a man.
And why did I wish for it? For a farewell. What did he owe me? Of a friendship, I had initiated all on my own?
I wiped my brow off the sweat, staring at the library's high tower for a moment.
He owed me nothing, I reassured myself.
Absolutely nothing.
My gaze darted back to reality when a blurry flutter spun by me, perching on the pump, beady eyes blinking as I looked at my diamond-shaped raven in surprise.
"Diane." I breathed. A small smile erupted on my face, my high spirits returning, "Hello."
She cawed back and I grinned.
This was a good sign. I was not going to be alone this morning.
Getting my bucket, I moved toward the bathhouse.
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Cleaning the Library as vast as this sometimes took my breath away, but perhaps not as much as looking down at the maze and the gardens from this height.
Diane was perched beside me as I sketched the maze. My third time trying. It was certainly harder than it looked. I could not get the lines correctly and my failure of this could leave Vale and I trapped in a haunted maze of shadows.
I crumpled the paper, with a sigh, watching it drop to the floor where three others lay couples near it.
Shutting my eyes, I opted to take a short break and allow the slight rays of the sun to kiss my face.
From this height, it seemed to be shining for me and only me. I lifted a hand toward it so it felt as if I could touch the sunlight, a small smile on my face as the rays twisted passed.
After a few moments, I opened my eyes to Diane's soft caws. Glancing at the bird, I smiled at it, my fingers shifting through its silky black feathers.
I sighed, looking back up at the view. Up here it felt calmer, but if I wasn't going to draw a proper map I might as well get productive.
Stepping down the ladder, I continued dusting
Grabbing a handful of books I trod between rows toward my usual table, thrifting through the books as I walked humming to myself while checking the titles.
I looked upwards as I reached the table, stopping abruptly in my tracks when I spotted the figure of the master seated by it, causally flipping through a set of books I had earlier disposed of.
Because of this abrupt movement, and the surprise of it all, the top book in my arms toppled to the floor, with a large splat drawing his attention to me ...
Gaze beautifully trailing slowly down to the book.
"I see I've startled you, yet again," he spoke blankly.
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