Update 2015/12/30: So I got some PMs regarding the sensitivity of the subject matter. Well, I knew what I was getting into when I first envisioned the story. I'll keep it tasteful, but if you still have reservations, you might want to consider this to be a brief warning about the themes that come up.
Elsword – Lord Knight
Rena – Hmm… Whichever your favorite Rena is.
On the top of a grassy hill between Elder and Lake Noahs, sat a small house. In it lived Elsword, who was once a powerful knight, with many achievements and accolades. However, in his final mission at a foreign country, he had sustained an injury that would forever remove him from the fields of battle. While he can still walk, run, and jump, any serious combat he cannot do. It's a tragedy, especially since Elsword had barely entered legal adulthood, many of his achievements acquired in adolecense. Still, the Velder military had given him an honorable discharge, and during his time, he had saved up a lot of money. Even after purchasing his new home and buying all the necessities, he had enough money to live the rest of his life very comfortably. That's not to say he's rotting his life away, he spends his time coaching would-be knights on a once-in-a-while basis.
*knock knock knock*
Elsword is wearing a black sweater with white shorts, sitting at a table enjoying some late afternoon tea. He was quietly enjoying his blueberry tea (with three sugars) when he heard a knock on the door.
"Huh… I'm not expecting anyone…"
Elsword walked over to his door and opened up. There was a masked man with white hear and a creepy looking eye. He was wearing a long black rove and he had several padlocks around his neck.
"Glaive? What are you doing here?"
Glaive served as a weapons dealer. Although he was rather shady, he had provided lots of quality weaponry to the Velder military. Though of course, he provided for both sides of the battlefield.
"Hello Elsword… I heard you're living around here now. I happened to be in the area and thought I would say 'hello'…"
"Right…"
Elsword always has his guard up when around Glaive. He's just too suspicious, even if he had been helping out Velder's military a lot.
"Remember out at sea when I almost drowned? You saved my life back then."
Glaive started letting out a chuckle.
"Kekekeke…. You saved me even though you were the one who is the most suspicious of me in the army. I suppose it is in the nature of a knight after all. Kekeke…."
"Uh huh… So what is it? I highly doubt you came here to say 'good afternoon'."
"No need to be grumpy. My thanks have been delayed until now, so I have a gift for you… May I come inside before we discuss further?"
"…sure…"
Elsword is still suspicious of Glaive, but if he's here to give thanks, then it's probably not all bad right? Elsword steps aside and lets Glaive in.
"Thank you. Hey you! Get over here!"
Glaive after entering, turned to the door and raised his voice, unkindly telling someone to come inside. Shortly after, a girl walks in. She was a somewhat tall, thin girl with shoulder length green-blond hair and green eyes. She's barely wearing anything, her upper body to her upper legs covered only by a brown ragged dress, with one of the straps somewhat torn. Her most prominent features were the various scars on her legs, arms, hands, left side of her chest, and face. They all seemed to be caused by chemicals or by scalding. Her elongated ears indicate that she is an elf, them to having been scared. The elf looked at Elsword blankly, lacking emotion, cheeks stained with dried tears and scars here and there.
"A wealthy man died somewhat recently. Many people, claiming to be relatives, government officials, and friends came for his assets. With my… uh… 'connections'… I managed to collect some."
Elsword instantly knew where this was going.
"I'm a merchant as you know, and I buy and sell anything. When it comes to people however, it'd be fine if the goods in question was for manual labor, but as you can see, she's not fit for that task. I have considered selling her body off… But with scars like these, it will be immensely difficult to find a buyer. At this point, I had considered disposing of her, but even I have a conscience and sense of compassion."
Elsword was not convinced.
"I didn't want to hold on to her, but I didn't know where I can hand her off to. Keeping her around would only lead to more problems for me in the future. I was doing some business in Elder, when I heard that you started living in the area."
Glaive looks around the inside of Elsword's home.
"Looks like you're living on your own still. It's probably none of my business, but I figured you might be a little bit lonely… A bit sudden, yes… But would you take her in?"
Elsword was still in a little bit of shock, but after some thought he ultimately decided to take her in.
"…sure, I don't think I can leave her alone…"
"Many thanks Elsword… This will be good for both her and me. She's a slave with nowhere else to go. You can have her be your personal maid, or you can treat her like a toy to be thrown away. I have no objections, and neither would anyone else. Well, I shall take my leave…"
Glaive bowed and promptly left, closing the door behind him. The elf suddenly spoke.
"Thank you very much for taking me… My name is Rena… I cannot do heavy labour, but I will do anything you ask of me. My previous master took pleasure in hearing me scream…"
Rena looked down on to the floor and whispered.
"…please be gentle with me…"
Elsword led her into his home and sat down on a chair. Rena sat down on the floor and stared at nothing in particular.
"Still… What should I do with her…?"
Elsword closely examined Rena. Her hair has been unkept for a long time. While Elsword only saw the front side of her, he examined her back, and saw that there are several scars there too. Speaking of front and back side, Elsword was initially distracted by the various scars on her body, but he now notices that her chest looks as though it would be quite difficult to find a bra that can properly contain it…
"Umm… if Master wishes, then…"
Rena took notice of Elsword's gazes and started to slowly take off her top.
"No, don't…"
Elsword raised a hand to stop her.
"Ah!"
Quickly in response, Rena raised her own hands to shield herself from what she assumes to be a hit from Elsword. Elsword pulled his hand back.
"This is gonna be hard…"
Evening had just rolled in and Elsword's stomach started to growl.
"Ah… I should make dinner."
Elsword made his way to his kitchen. As he was about to open his nasod refrigeration unit, a question crossed his mind.
"Err… What should I make for Rena…?"
Elsword thought about it for a few moments.
…
…
…
…
"I'll just start cooking for two…"
Elsword prepared two plates of hamburg steak topped with some vegetables, some seasoning, and a glass of water for both him and Rena. He asked the elf to sit at the table and placed her portion in front of her.
"…Will there be a guest tonight master? Should I go hide somewhere?"
Elsword sat down at the other side of the table.
"Umm, no that's your plate."
"…my plate? But master made so much… I don't understand…"
"Just eat up okay?"
"…alright…"
Rena picked up her knife and fork and awkward started eating. The two ate without saying anything.
"Master… Thank you for such a luxurious meal. It's the first time I have ever ate something that delicious and full…"
"Don't worry about it…"
Elsword did the dishes and took a bath, pondering what to do tomorrow.
As Elsword exited his bath partially undressed, Rena was waiting in front of the bathroom.
"Umm… Master, where will I be sleeping?"
Elsword has a guest bedroom that he never really tidied up when he moved in.
"Let's talk about that after you take your bath, okay?"
"Bath?"
Rena looked inside the bathroom. The bathtub had been drained of water.
"Umm… I have never used this kind of bath before…"
Elsword's home was pretty technologically advanced as far as homes go. It had a sophisticated plumbing system and a ceramic bathtub with handles and faucet that can expend hot water, cold water, or a temperature in between.
"Oh, that's fine. I'll start the water for you."
Elsword pulled a lever to plug the drain, and twisted the hot and cold water knobs to let out warm water. Elsword waited few moments before the tub was a little more than half full and shut the water off.
"I'll leave you to it then. I'll go get you a towel alright?"
Elsword exited the bathroom as Rena stood before the bathtub.
"…Does Master want me to go in?"
Rena learned not to trust large amounts of liquid in a large container. All she had known those large containers held was hot scalding water or oil. Rena nervously held a finger out and dipped it into the water.
"Eep!"
Rena expected the water to be seething hot, but it was unexpectedly warm.
"It's… not hot…"
Rena dipped her finger again. Afterwards, her hand.
"I'm not getting burned…"
Rena looked back at the bathroom door, expecting reprimand and punishment from Elsword. But nobody was there. Rena then started taking off her ragged clothing and soaked herself in the bath.
"…It feels good…"
A few minutes later
Rena heard a knock on the bathroom door.
"Hey Rena, are you done with your bath?"
"Yes Master."
Rena quickly got up and off the bathtub.
"Here, I got a towel for you."
"Towel..?"
The bathroom door slightly opened and Elsword stuck his hand through the crack with a towel. The door was unlocked because Rena had not locked it.
"Here, you need to dry off, or you'll get a cold."
Rena slowly reached for the towel and grabbed on to it.
"Um…"
Elsword lets go and took his hand back, closing the door.
"Come out when you're done okay?"
Rena looked at the towel. Plain orange white colored towel with a blue pattern on it. She had never received a towel before.
"…"
Rena dried herself off, put on her ragged clothes, and exited the bathroom. Elsword was waiting outside with his red pajamas with Velder symbols printed on it.
"Thank you for the bath Master…"
Rena handed back the towel.
"Umm… where will I be sleeping?"
"Oh, you'll be sleeping here."
Elsword led Rena to a free bedroom. Inside was a bed and a closet. It was quite featureless. He never did get the opportunity to decorate it.
"You can use this bedroom."
"Master… I'm fine sleeping on the floor. Is this really okay giving me a bed?"
"Don't worry about it. It's not like I have guests staying over anyway."
Elsword was about to go to his own bedroom to sleep.
"Master… What will we be doing tomorrow?"
"I'm still wondering about."
"…will you be hurting me tomorrow?"
Elsword looked at Rena's eyes. They were filled with distrust and fear. She thought that everything she was given so far was to give her a false sense of security.
"Don't worry about it. I don't do those kinds of things…."
"I see… Good night Master…"
Elsword left the bedroom and went to his own. He lied down on his bed in thought.
"She had been through a lot. What kind of person would do such things to her..?"
Elsword remembered the scars on Rena's body. As he envisioned them, he tried imagining what kind of pain Rena had felt when she got them.
"I should try to make her comfortable for the time being…"
Elsword nodded off to sleep.
Hey everyone. A new series from me. Shouldn't be a super long one. It won't be that bad of a story. Maybe.
Thanks for reading.