Chapter 581: Their Sad Lives
When Laz had awoken, he didn’t know how much time had passed, but he quickly noticed a guard standing outside the cell.
"What?" Laz asked, again wondering why he understood them and they him. It’s not like they spoke English in ancient Greece.
"Food’s here. There is extra for the girl as she is allowed to stay with you till morning. Don’t tire yourself out too much kid. Now that your a ticket item, they will call for you soon," the guard said with a laugh as they slide several trays through a small gate on the bottom of the floor.
Laz got out of bed and stood up, stretching until he felt his back stiffen and remembered his condition. He then bent over to pick up the trays and set them on the small table, revealing some juicy pieces of meat, fluffy potatoes, a mixture of greens with dressing mixed in and several warm and buttered pieces of bread.
Laz went over to the girl who was still sleeping in the bed and shook her awake before turning back to the table and sitting down. There was a large pitcher filled with wine and from it, Laz poured himself a drink. The taste going down was smooth and fruity, but Laz felt something in his body flair up as a result. The black flame, still battling the green flames within himself, flared suddenly and burned the wine, causing small bits of smoke to escape from it that Laz coughed out. The smoke was pinkish in color and floated up into the air before disappearing.
"What the fuck?" Laz said, sniffing the wine really closely. Laz didn’t have much experience with wine, but he did with various chemicals. While he didn’t smell anything, he felt like he didn’t want to risk if the flame could prevent it from harming him again.
The girl sat down across from him, her clothing a bit skewed as she reached for the jug of wine. Laz raised his hand to stop her and just said "no."
"Well... if you don’t want to share... can I at least have some food?" She asked, her face a bit downcast, wondering if he was mad at her for not pleasing him last night.
"Check to see if anyone is down either end of the hall," Laz said, picking up the jug. She did as asked and looked both way, but mentioned not seeing anyone.
Laz poured the jug down the drain, leaving just a little bit in the bottom of it. He then grabbed both their cups, rinsed his own and filled them with water from the tap of the bathing area before sitting down again.
"Sit and eat," Laz said, taking a big sip of water before diving into the meal.
"What was that?" She asked, her face confused.
"Poison, drugs... I don’t know. Something of the like. Either way, it wouldn’t be beneficial for us so best not to chance it. I doubt it was meant to kill us so if something happens later, just act like your sleeping and don’t do anything, understood?" Laz said, taking a deep look at this girl.
She had dark skin and eyes, but there was fire in them that was hard to miss. She didn’t fully concentrate on the food until Laz had tried a bit of everything and only then did she start to eat some.
"Wanted me to die first if the meal was poisoned?" Laz asked with a laugh.
"You seemed to have sensed it before so it just seemed like the safest bet," she said, shrugging her shoulders as she chewed on a piece of bread.
"You seem different than those other slave women," Laz said, seeing if there was some information he could get.
"I... Uh... I just got here..." She said, stuttering.
"Well... how did you end up... here?" Laz asked.
"I was captured."
"And that’s it huh?"
"What more do you wish of me? My life story?" She seemed mad as she shot Laz a glare.
"Well. Glad I got my money out of you. Ah well. Least after tonight, I don’t have to see you again. Guess that’s one plus side to all this," Laz said with a sigh, wondering what he said to piss her off.
"I’m sorry. I’m... really sorry ok. I’m... I’m just trying to adapt and this was my first time being picked and I’m glad your not... you know... forcing me and everything... cause some of the nicer ones warned me that the men we serve can be... brutal... and I was just worried, but you’re not and now... once I leave here... I’ll be back to waiting until the next time... so I’m... I’m just scared..." She finally started to say, rambling on.
"Alright. Alright. I got it. Relax. So you just got here huh? And since you said you got captured, I’m guessing you aren’t part of this empire or whatever it is?" Laz asked.
This strange question seemed to cause the woman to calm down as she looked at Laz again, this time much more deeply.
"What?"
"You... how do you not know?"
"Know what?"
"You grew up in the empire, right?" She asked, raising her eyebrow.
"Nope." Laz just gave a one word response.
"Then... where are you from? The Empire controls almost the entire world with there being very few places that are free from their reign, such as my people, far south of here."
"Let’s just say it’s a long... long ways away from here."
"How long are we talking? My people have sailed the seas for years, looking to find another land to escape from the Empire’s constant attacks. The only reason we have remained free so far is there is little value in the desert where we live. But you... obviously don’t come from the same place," the girl said, making note of Laz’s skin.
"If I said I come from a different world, would you believe me?" Laz asked, a half smile on his face.
The girl looked at him, staring into his eyes. Laz didn’t flinch or turn away, just curious to see what she would think.
"Perhaps I do. Afterall... we... my people... aren’t regarded highly in the Empire. For one of us to be picked by one of the victors, it’s highly unusual," she said with a sigh, not really believing Laz but not dismissing him either.
"Compared to the other two... obviously knowing nothing about them... but I find you’re more attractive than either of them. And that is strange?" Laz asked, now genuinely curious.
"We are... all on the same tier. Neither of them are bad people... just... slightly broken after the time they’ve spent here. Both would have been considered beauties in the past... but this kind of life will drain anyone of their life after a while. Since you’ve had one win, you got us who are worth one win. As far as the Empire is concerned, I’m on par with them... at most..."
"Well that’s kind of fucked up..." Laz said, wondering how such a beautiful young woman could be on the same level as those poor, broken, starved and mostly dead women.
"Heh. Maybe you really are from another world if that’s what you think," she said, smiling for the first time.
"My name’s Laz. What’s yours?" Laz finally said.
"My name is Rain, named after the lifegiving fluid that comes from the heaven’s," Rain said, a slight smile on her face.
"Well. This has been fun. But I guess it’s also goodbye then? I doubt I’ll see you again after tonight," Laz said, pointing out their situation.
"Not... necessarily. Since you’ve already chosen me once, I’ll be set aside for your next victory. That way, if you win again, I’ll be one of your choices again. Of course, the other women will be more beautiful as well so It will be up to you who you pick," She said, her dark skin going almost red from the admission.
"Why would that be?" Laz asked.
"If you... end up liking a girl... then they want you to fight harder for her. Because if you die, the girl will go back into the open pool where she can then be selected by others. Of course... usually... that doesn’t really happen during the first choosing. Normally, this one is just meant for... sex..."
"So... If I keep winning, I can keep choosing you? Or I could get someone else and they get more and more beautiful every time huh? So If that’s the case, for someone to keep choosing the same girl... they must really like her, huh?" Laz said, understanding this was just another method of manipulation.
"Yes. But... after a certain level... all of the woman are extreme beauties. Some... are even fallen goddesses... compared to them...what good is a normal woman?" Rain asked. She had heard from many of the others in the pool. They didn’t hate one another or try to sabotage one another. Instead, they shared in each other’s sorrow and tried to help each other. Perhaps some might think that a pecking order might exist with something of this nature, but when anyone could die on any day, or come back badly beaten and half dead, leaving you at the mercy of others, making enemies just wasn’t a good idea.
"Slave. Sorry to cut your night short, but you will be coming with us," said one of the guards who was followed by a man dressed in full battle armor. Rain shrunk away from this man a little bit but Laz didn’t say anything, standing up and offering his hands to be chained.
Once his arms and legs were chained, he turned back to Rain and gave her a small smile.
"Maybe I’ll see you again? Thanks for the company," Laz said with a laugh as he followed his captors out of the iron cage door.
