Fiction: Yellow Flowers and a Bag of Bones

Chapter twelve: The master and his servant

The relatively small room was filled to the point of bursting with people, most of them looking as rich and sophisticated as Chiyo-sama. It made me wonder if this was some sort of hidden society, seeing as I had never seen anything like this in Ixero. Maybe it was just that the cities were different. It still struck me as strange, however, that I hadn’t noticed something like this going on at all. If I had known, then maybe I could have been able to stay away from it altogether, which would definitely have been preferable.

Separated from the rows of chairs was a small stage, where one man and one woman already stood, looking just as misplaced as me. Good to know I wasn’t the only one who objected to this kind of thing, at least. Chiyo-sama led me up to the stage and fastened the leash to the bar in front of me, before she walked down to sit in the middle of the front row.

I cast a glance to the two beside me, but they were staring straight ahead, both rather angrily – to me it seemed like they had more of a clue as to just what this ceremony was supposedly all about. With nowhere to go, all I could do was to look out over the crowd. I didn’t see anyone I recognized, but that hardly surprised me. There wasn’t many who looked genuinely interesting either, apart from the whole rich as fuck factor. One man caught my attention however, possibly just because he was sitting next to Chiyo-sama, or because he leaned over and muttered something to her after taking one look at me. She smirked and turned her head, leading the two into a rather long conversation that seemed to get more and more heated as time went on. I had no idea what was going on, and even though I strained my ears to hear what they were talking about, it was impossible to make anything out in the din of voices.

However, the noise died away suddenly when the door opened again, and three men stepped through the door. I very nearly burst out laughing, considering that the one in the front looked like some kind of futuristic priest, dressed in purple and silver and carrying a bouquet of flowers. It wasn’t until he got closer that I recognized him as William, the florist from Ixero. The two others I had never seen before, but they were both dressed in brown and gold, carrying various items that looked highly useless and equally highly ceremonial.

More confused than ever, I looked at William, as if I expected him to give me an explanation. But although he did a slight double-take when he saw me, he didn’t say anything, nor did he come to my rescue.

Instead he walked to stand in front of the stage, facing the crowd, and he took a slight bow before turning around again. I opened my mouth to ask what the hell was going on, but Chiyo-sama stared at me as if she knew that I was about to say something, and I kept quiet, just watching as William too a small vial from one of the men and walked up to the woman, making her drink from it. By how she grimaced I guessed that it couldn’t have tasted too nice, something which I found out for myself when William moved over and repeated the action with both the man beside me and me.

The liquid was bitter and cold, leaving my tongue almost numb for several seconds. I had no idea what it was supposed to do, but considering that I didn’t feel any difference, I guessed that at least it wasn’t alcohol or drugs of any kind. The next thing William did was to take a small box, dipping his fingers in what looked like wax before stroking it over first our lips, then our hands. At least it didn’t hurt, but it was still difficult to understand just what all of this was supposed to mean.

His last action was easier to understand, however. The third of the men heated up what looked like a smaller version of the same branding iron cowboys would use on cattle, and I shook my head, for the first time actually trying to get away. The two beside me tried the same thing, but William looked at us and uttered a few words in a language I couldn’t understand – it sounded like Spanish to my untrained ears, but I wasn’t sure. Regardless of what he was saying, it seemed to make it impossible to move, something which made me more than a little angry; this place wasn’t supposed to have these kinds of features – it was bending the rules to the point of breaking them. Granted, I had planned on bending and breaking the rules as well, but at least I was going to do it hidden, instead of out in the open like this.

I glared at William, who I had talked to several times and who I regarded as a casual friend. It was difficult to believe that he had something to do with all of this, but as he looked back at me calmly, he still looked like the guy I knew, apart from the coldness on his features. “Don’t worry,” he said. “This won’t be so bad.”

Without hesitation, he took the iron and pressed it to first the woman’s forearm, then the man’s, and then mine. The heat made the skin sear and there even was smoke, but it didn’t hurt at all. Maybe that had been the point of what we had been given to drink. Still, I didn’t like the idea of being marked, even if I didn’t quite know what it meant yet.

I looked down and examined the mark on my arm; it was a simple four leaf clover, not at all big. It would be easily hidden beneath a wristband or a watch, but it was there. I wondered if it was completely permanent, or if I would be able to find a way to get rid of it. Though as I glanced over at Chiyo-sama and her satisfied smirk, I had a feeling that it wouldn’t be easy to do anything about it.

“They are branded, they are ready,” William said to the small crowd, addressing them with a small bow. “The brand creates an unbreakable bond; they’ll be yours for as long as you wish.” He trailed off into Spanish again, holding what really did sound like a sermon. I didn’t really care about what he was saying in Spanish, because his English words were more than enough to think about.

Unbreakable bond. I did not like the sound of that.

After William was done with his sermon, he bowed again and led the two men back outside, and was followed by most of the crowd. An aristocratic man came up and untied the woman’s leash, greeting the remaining ones in the room before leaving. The ones left were Chiyo-sama, the man she had been talking to at the start of the ceremony, and a man standing at the back of the room, merely watching what was happening. From his clothes I could tell that he was a servant, though his appearance otherwise didn’t quite fit.

Chiyo-sama and the man walked up to the stage, and this time it was possible to hear what they were saying, seeing as all the other noise was gone. “You can’t do this, Chiyo. You know she has claims on him; she’s been following him ever since he came here. She’ll kill you for doing this,” the man said, keeping his voice calm even if it was obvious that he was angry.

“Calm down, Jensen,” Chiyo-sama replied, running her fingers lightly over my arm. “I know what I’m doing. And I know that my sister had her eyes on this one, but so did I. Unlike her, I had the courage to actually do something to make him mine, instead of merely leaving him little flower trinkets all the time.”

I frowned a little, because it was obvious that these people knew who I was, that they had known who I was ever since I came here. It wasn’t an idea that I particularly liked – that meant that I had been watched closely all along, which in turn might mean that these people knew exactly what I was up to. Definitely not a good thing.

And Chiyo-sama’s words sent off warning bells in my head – the green rabbit had told me that it was one of The Four Sisters that was the one who left me flowers. And if she was Chiyo-sama’s sister, then that meant that Chiyo-sama was also one of The Four Sisters. Which in turn probably meant that I was in deep shit. I was far from ready to take on The Four Sisters yet. I didn’t know enough, I didn’t have the necessary information or the means to win over them.

The man named Jensen shook his head and untied his slave – or pet or whatever the hell we really were – looking angry, but also slightly afraid. As if Chiyo-sama’s sister really was someone to be scared of. Didn’t exactly bode well for me, if I was suddenly going to be in the middle of a catfight. The very idea was almost amusing to me in the midst of all the chaos – it wasn’t as if I was used to being fought over. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Chiyo. You know this is a bad, bad idea. There were plans for him, now they’ll have to change. You’ll have to face the consequences for this,” he said sternly, and I couldn’t help but smile over the way Chiyo-sama’s expression changed to one of petulance and stubbornness.

“He’s mine. All mine,” she replied and untied my leash, nearly yanking me with her. There wasn’t much I could do but follow, though I turned my head and looked back on Jensen and his servant. I felt like asking for help, but I had a feeling that it wouldn’t do me much good.

Chiyo-sama kept me locked up after the ceremony as well; though this time I was kept apart from India and Indigo, getting my own chambers. I wasn’t sure whether to be grateful or not about this; on one hand it was nice to have some space all for myself, but on the other hand it was incredibly boring without any company.

After a few days of this solitude I was pretty much ready to climb the walls. Or at least hit them very hard in an attempt to get out.

The brand on my forearm faded slightly, and the redness around it disappeared, but it was still highly visible. Most of the time I hid it beneath long-sleeved tops or a wristband, because I didn’t like the fact that it was there. It crossed my mind that the four leaf clover represented The Four Sisters, it would certainly make sense, but I tried not to think about that possibility too much. It was simply too frightening.

I quickly got used to the fact that the door to my suite never opened – food was pushed in through a small opening in it, making me feel like a prisoner. So when the door suddenly opened slightly and someone pushed in through the narrow opening, I got up from my couch, keeping my distance warily. “Who’s there?”

The dark figure pushed back his hood, and I recognized him as Jensen. Of all the people I might have expected to come to my rescue, he certainly wasn’t one of them. I didn’t really know who he was, apart from guessing that he was rich and influential; he had to be, otherwise he would never have been able to get in here. Maybe he was a boyfriend of one of The Four Sisters.

I took a step back from him, imagining that this intrusion couldn’t possibly mean anything good. “I don’t want any trouble,” I said as he stepped forwards, closer to me.

“Shut up,” he snapped back at me. “I have to be quick, or Chiyo will notice what’s going on.” He took up a small iron bar from his pocket; it looked like the one William had used, except that this one had a cross at the end instead of a four leaf clover. I shook my head a little because I didn’t exactly feel the need to be branded again.

“I don’t think---”

“Don’t be difficult. This will break the bond, and you’ll be able to get out of here. That’s what you want, right?”

I nodded, because he was right, that was exactly what I wanted. But still, experience had taught me to be cautious, and that people generally didn’t do anything without getting something in return. “Why are you doing this?”

Jensen looked up from heating the branding iron, smiling faintly. “Because Chiyo’s not playing by the rules, and because you’re not meant to be locked up in her house. And because I’d rather not see two of my sisters go insane and fight over some guy. No offense, but I just don’t get it. I know they both have plans for you, but I don’t agree with them. So seeing as they’re not playing by the rules, then I’m not going to play by the rules either.”

Before I had the chance to say or do anything else, Jensen grabbed my arm, pushed up my sleeve and pushed the red hot iron to my skin, holding it still long enough to cover the four leaf clover completely. The skin was red and sore when he pulled the iron away, but at least there was no trace of the clover whatsoever. I sighed in relief and flexed my arm – I was still marked, granted, but as far as I know the cross didn’t have any particular significance.

“But I’m still stuck in here. Maybe you can come and go as you please, but I’m fairly sure that the dozens of guards are going to stop me from getting out,” I said, figuring that if Jensen was going to help me just to get back at his sisters, then I might as well take full advantage of it.

He grinned and put the iron back into his pocket, digging up a deep blue jewel instead. Considering my previous experience with big gems such as that one, I took a step back, shaking my head. Jensen grabbed my arm though and pulled me closer again. “Don’t worry, this will get you out of here again without problems. I suggest you stay on the lookout for a while, though. Chiyo is going to be looking for you. I’ll have my servant check up on you; maybe give you some help so you can avoid getting caught again.”

I nodded, not really objecting to the idea of getting help. Even if it was help from the brother of The Four Sisters. Just how someone named Jensen could be the brother of someone named Chiyo I had no idea, but it was hardly the most important thing to worry about at the moment. “I have no intentions of being caught again. I just wasn’t thinking of the possibility of getting kidnapped.”

“You should be prepared for anything. And just so you know – if you get caught again, I’m not going to lift a finger to help you. You’ll be on your own.”

“Fair enough,” I said, and as Jensen held up the blue gem, I didn’t protest, even if I was still slightly wary of it. He pressed it, and it started to glow, just like the red jewel that Chiyo-sama had used to capture me.

And just like with the red jewel, everything went dark after a couple of seconds.

I woke up again in my apartment, on the hallway floor, without the slightest idea of how I had gotten there. Apparently my arrival hadn’t been quiet, because moments after I woke up Rei came running, eyes wide and surprised, and he dropped to his knees beside me, talking so quickly that I couldn’t possibly understand a word he was saying.

“Calm down, kid, I’m not dead,” I choked out, trying to get to my feet, something which was rather difficult with Rei clinging to me.

“I was so scared! You’ve been gone for weeks, where have you been? Why didn’t you tell me where you were going? Where did you come from, what have you been doing, why are you wearing that? Kaaaai,” he whined, before he flung his arms around me and hugged me in a way that made me fall back down onto the floor again.

I couldn’t help but laugh, and lifted him off of me as I got up and walked to the living room so that we could at least sit on the couch. “I’m sorry, Rei, I didn’t meant to disappear like that. I was kidnapped.”

“Kidnapped?”

“Yeah. I’m pretty sure it was by one of The Four Sisters. I still don’t really know what she wanted with me, but she kept me locked up in her house, and it was impossible for me to get out or even tell you where I was. I promise I didn’t do on purpose,” I said fondly and ruffled Rei’s hair. I had missed him more than I was really willing to admit – it hadn’t been until I had spent so much time away from him that I had realized just how used I was to having him around me all the time.

He looked at me doubtfully, but then sank against my side, his head on my shoulder. “I almost thought you had just disappeared like so many other people lately. It’s been so scary, Kai, you have no idea.”

“People have been disappearing?” I asked. This was news to me; I was terribly out of the loop with no idea about what had been going on outside of the chambers I had been locked up in.

Rei nodded eagerly. “Yeah, at least thirty people just in Ixero have vanished without a trace. Nobody knows what’s going on at all. There was even a public announcement by the Town Elders, but they don’t really seem to know what’s happening either. And there hasn’t been anyone new coming ever since you disappeared. Everything’s been very, very strange and I was all alone and scared and you’re never allowed to leave me again, please.”

I wasn’t sure whether to just hug him or laugh at him, but when Rei took a deep breath and started coughing violently from it, I couldn’t help but laugh, although his story was no laughing matter. I wrapped an arm around his shoulders, being far more at ease with the contact now than I had been when we first met, allowing him to stay close to me.

“I can’t promise that nothing will happen to me again, but I do promise that I’ll do my best to make my way back to you, how does that sound?”

He hesitated, not looking very happy about the thought that something might happen to me, but then he nodded. “Okay, I guess that works. Can I come with you everywhere you go from now on?”

I laughed again, shaking my head. “Of course you can’t, silly. I have work and other things to do and it would be dangerous for you to come along. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you, you know. You’re my friend; I want to make sure that you’re okay.”

“But you’re my friend too, I want to protect you,” Rei protested, and there was something about his expression that made me feel very loved. Apparently, even after everything Rei had been through, he was still able to care about and trust people. I certainly didn’t want to do anything at all to break that trust – Rei deserved to have someone who simply cared about him and nothing else.

I started to explain to him why he couldn’t come along to protect me, but didn’t get far before the doorbell rang. The first though that hit me was that Chiyo-sama had discovered that I was gone and that she was coming to get me back again, but then I realized that she would probably not ring the doorbell, so with Rei close behind me I went to open the door.

“Hello,” the man in the hallway said pleasantly, and I recognized him as Jensen’s servant. I guessed that meant that Jensen really was going to keep his promise and give me some help to avoid being kidnapped again.

Despite Rei’s whispered protests I opened the door and gestured for the man to come inside, leading him to the living room. He sat down on my chair while I sat back on the couch with Rei curled up close to me – sometimes he really reminded me of a kitten.

“Mr. Jensen would like for you to have this,” he said and reached out a necklace with a small multicolored jewel. I took it and looked at the jewel; depending on how I held it, it reflected different colors back at me, sometimes it even looked rainbow-colored.

“What does it do?” I asked, putting the necklace around my neck. I wasn’t normally one for jewelry of any kind, but well, if it was going to help me stay under the radar, then I would wear a diamond tiara.

“As long as you wear it, then Chiyo-sama – or anyone else – won’t be able to locate you. That is, unless you’re careless and she spots you on the open street, of course. This just shields you from her somewhat unconventional methods of finding you. I would suggest that you move, however. This will be the first place she looks for you,” the servant warned, and I nodded. I had already figured as much.

“Thank you,” I said, meaning it wholeheartedly. Without this, there was a chance that Chiyo-sama would have found me and kidnapped me again in a matter of minutes.

“Not at all. I’m sorry I can’t be of more assistance, but Mr. Jensen told me to not give you any further help or information.” With that, the servant got up, bid up farewell and walked out again, closing the door behind him. I didn’t protest; I had already gotten the help I needed.

Rei looked both suspicious and worried, and I couldn’t exactly blame him, seeing as he didn’t know as much as I did. I sighed softly and got up, nudging Rei with me as I started to pack a bag with the things I would need the most over the next weeks. I filled him in on exactly what had happened, giving him all the details and then some.

He nodded and commented and helped me pack, and no matter how much I protested and told him that it wasn’t him Chiyo-sama was after, it was me, he refused to listen. He was coming with me, and that was final.

Maybe the best idea would have been to tell him no and leave him here – he would be safe enough in my apartment. However, I couldn’t bear the thought of disappointing him, and besides, he would be scared and alone. And with the constant disappearances, I would probably feel better if I knew where he was at all times.

So less than an hour later, the two of us were walking across the hillside outside of Ixero, heading off to one of the other cities in the distance; me in front and Rei half a step behind me.

I thought that I should feel like an adventurer, but all I felt was scared.


~tbc~