Chapter Fifteen: The Mordecai
"He's handsome." A childish woman's voice spoke as Aaron feels a soft stroke on his chin.
"Oh, he is indeed…" Another speaks. "He awakens"
Aaron rubs his head. His eyesight is blurry as he comprehends the two women above him. In a moment, his eyesight clears as the women he sees are covered head to toe in black soft leather armour. Face covered cowl only revealing their eyes.
"Rena?" He mutters, their bodies are differently shaped compared to her. Neither of these women is Rena.
The woman on the left is short and stout. She seemed happy, giddy, and playful. Her eyes are a beautiful green. Not as bright as Fred's but they can still grab a person's attention.
The other is tall and slender. Her armour deliberately shows her body as it looks like a silhouette. Aaron couldn't help but admit her voice sounded sexy and alluring. Stirring his body like the women in the palace of Love.
"Who are you?" Aaron asks weakly.
"Who do you think?" The tall one replies.
"The Mordecai?" He whispers. Trying to sit up he feels paralysed from the neck down. Trying his hardest to remain calm and not panic. Only his head can move. Trying to gain a sense of his surroundings, the room is dark and smelt of mould and moisture. The only light that is given is the torches lit up around the room. The roof looks like old stone that has not been cleaned for thousands of years. We must be underground...
"Do not fret, it is only temporary." The short one giggles.
Aaron continues to stare up at the women. He resigns knowing there is nothing he can do. As his mind clears, he remembers Mali. In a small panic, he tries to look for him, however, he felt like a prisoner in his own body. No limbs were moving no matter how hard he tried.
"Where is he?" Aaron asks in anger. He knew Mali can take care of himself, but he was bought to protect him... Sadness and dread filled him. He failed Iolene when she got trapped in the mirror and now, he failed Mali... The man who saved him. Can I do anything right?
"Oh? Mali? He is just in the other room. He is fine." The child-woman says, she then turns around and knocks on the door. A slender man damsel carries Mali who is already awake but weakened. Placing him next to Aaron's bed.
"I should have seen this coming..." Mali said in jest, sounding drunk. Hungover from alcohol or drugs they possibly gave him. Aaron could not tell. "So, I suppose it is useless to ask you all who you are? Where we are? And why do you need us?" Mali asks as he laughs.
"Walls have ears, little man... The world stirs and we have just found it to be true. A gold heir survives. Avery the queen failed to tell us this upfront, overhearing that a prince has graced her presence." The sultry woman says.
The short woman stares down at Aaron looking down at his gold mutated eyes. "Oh, handsome prince... Son of Aelius and Laelia. Future Emperor of Loan. People will pay for you... Especially the Shadow Emperor." She then laughs again.
Aaron holds his breath in shock. Do they seriously think it's me?! ME!? He had no words to say. Having no idea of what to do. Mali said nothing and tried his hardest not to laugh, much to Aaron's relief.
"Just be glad it is us that found this knowledge first." The small overconfident girl says. "We will go easy on you." With a smooth movement, she places her hand on his crotch and begins to rub. Aaron wanted to try and push her away but couldn't. The giddy girl giggles as she feels him harden. "Got you!" She laughs.
Aaron groans with frustration. It felt good, but he is not in the mood for sexual play. If he could push her away. His body not moving on his command.
"Stop it cake..." The sultry woman says annoyed.
"But he is so handsome!" Cake complains as she is excited.
Mali is delirious and sees cake play with Aaron. Begins to complain and whine that women don't touch him unless he pays them. He begins to cry as Aaron tries to sooth and comfort him. Hoping that he will return to his senses. Mali in a tantrum runs away as if he has regressed to being a child. The man and the short woman leave to tend to Mali.
The sultry woman sits next to Aaron stroking his cheek. Leaning forward to his left ear. "I know you are not the prince…" Aaron felt a small sigh of relief. Saying nothing she whispers on. "Queen Avery paid a great deal for my services. I am the only Mordecai member she trusts. Avery deliberately hinted at you because she knew we were listening." The mysterious woman grabs a cup and forces Aaron to drink a clear potion. It tasted so bitter Aaron almost spat it out.
"This is an antidote for your paralysis. Once you can stand, we will kill the other two Mordecai members." She whispers without emotion.
"The other two? Aren't they your friends?" Aaron asks. The man and the stout woman. He hated killing other people. But it is what he is trained to do. He accepted as he drank the potion. A tingling sensation can now be felt in his arms and legs. Relieved as he can begin to move his fingers and toes.
"The other two are nicknamed cake and saw, we were allies until our needs changed. We do not have the luxury of friends. They know to much as you have figured out. They are the only ones who have this knowledge, and they plan to sell you for a pretty coin."
Aaron can lift his right arm. He can hear the other two speaking with Mali. The small man yelling nonsense annoyed them both.
The woman places Aaron's greatsword underneath his body. "Ugh, you are heavy..." She exerts.
"Excuse me?" He snaps back. The sword felt uncomfortable as the handle pokes into Aaron's back.
Cake returns as she playfully sits next to Aaron's bed. "You know if weren't so expensive I would marry you in a heartbeat! I will make an excellent wife and possible Empress!"
Feeling dread, the last thing he has ever thought is marriage. He needed to get out of here. Aaron begins to feel his legs as he moves his knees. Cake begins to notice and begins to react as the tall woman stabs her cleanly in the spine. Cake collapses without noise or a speck of blood. Her body lays on the floor, surprising Aaron how quickly she died. Seeing the dagger, it is small just longer than his hand.
Aaron struggles, he manages to stand up. His balance leaving to be desired he falls onto the bed. He hated feeling helpless like this. His body is higher resistant to various poisons. As he was trained with Master Isil. Many died as they choked on the poison, he was lucky and only felt like he was going to die, and did not. But what the three gave him is unique and he has not learned about It. The Mordecai do have their own secrets and they are secrets for a reason.
Trying again the woman helps him to stand. "Do you have a name or a nickname I can call you?" He asks nicely.
"Stiletto." She speaks. Aaron now standing on his own. It felt so taxing, pins and needles wrecked his body as every step ached. Trying to distract himself from the pain. He looks at her daggers. One being thin like a needle, making sense of her name. However, it is not the only weapon she has. She has two other much larger daggers.
Aaron walks slowly, taking a deep breath. Almost tripping over Cakes corpse. Apologising for touching Cake. An excitable person now lying-in silence forever. He felt sorry for her, even though she helped kidnap him.
Aaron quickly realised it should not have been Cake to worry about. Saw reveals his daggers, uniquely designed they are sharp with jagged edges. Mali still incapacitated looks on as a fight brews.
Aaron struggles to lift his sword. Stiletto reveals her Obsidian daggers. The blade is black as abyss with her handles dark grey crack with black draconium glowing.
"Traitor..." Saw says to her. "The king paid you gold beyond our wildest dreams and you turned your back on him." In a moment he jumps towards Stiletto. Waving his daggers, Stiletto replies in kind and unsheathes her two larger daggers. They begin to fight as the daggers clash on impact.
But the fight ends as Stiletto slides and slices behind his knees. He collapses bleeding and quickly dying. Aaron tends to Mali who is still incoherent. Giving him a piggyback.
Stiletto then guides the two out of the massive cave system. It is obviously underground, but it felt endless. There are many rooms, the sconces are not lit up. Stiletto guiding with the only torch.
Aaron asking questions about this maze, but she did not answer a single one. Mordecai secrets shall remain so.
"No last name?" She asks.
Aaron had barely any secrets, he had nothing to hide about himself. As much as Aaron would love to have a last name. His father Lord Caspian did not permit it. A nameless bastard he shall forever be. Even if his father accepted him his last name would have been Summers. For the season he is born in.
"No…" Aaron said.
The three walk through the passageways. Aaron and Mali have no idea where they are. It is nothing like the underground roads underneath Constant's home.
"It is nice meeting you, Aaron. We will be working together, at the Queens' request. Go back to Mercer Mansion. Study the nobility, Constant should have the attendees. If any of the Mordecai tries to contact, you. Do not trust them. The king has bought most of them. The gold heir remains secret for now… I shall tell you; I do not know who it is. Only that they are here…" She looks at Aaron with her beautiful basic blue eyes.
Mali trying his hardest to regain his mind. Looks up at the woman and smiles cheekily. "You sound sexy…"
"Will he be alright?" Aaron asks worryingly. The thought of looking after him like as a child forever is a prospect he never imagined.
"He will be... Saw gave him a large, concentrated dosage, strong enough to deal with a priest. Yes, Mali...I am very aware of who you are tiny man..." The woman says stroking his cheek.
"Oh... You do?" He snickers. "Well, that is bad." He says sarcastically, "but then look at me. I am a tiny man with a large package. It is hard to miss... I mean look at it." He says as he tries to get off Aaron's back and take off his pants. Aaron yelled at him to stop.
They walked through the endless caverns as Mali sang many folk songs. Trying his hardest for the other two to join.
They stop in front of a random wall; nothing distinguished it from the rest. Stiletto asked the two to close their eyes. Aaron did as bid, while Mali refused. Stiletto then had to blindfold him. It was pure darkness for the two. Aaron tried to listen, but he heard nothing. She told Aaron to walk forward. He did as bid. It felt like he is once again walking on soft ground. He can feel the warmth from the sun and birds chirping.
She told them to open their eyes, they are now underneath an open sky. Aaron scopes the sun's position that it is early morning. They are in the old commoner district. Many of the old huts and buildings have been overgrown by plants. Looking to his east he can see the highest hill where the Palace of Voices overlooks the city.
"We shall part ways here, but Aaron..." she turns and looks at him. "Queen Avery has been labeled to die at the gala. Her days are numbered, the Shadow Emperor has paid the Mordecai handsomely uniting it together once more. Twice as much of the amount Avery has paid us over our service to her. King Gauthier will attempt to rule alone henceforth once she dies."
Alone… Aaron heavily doubted it. If the Shadow Emperor paid Mordecai's allegiance, he will have a world of knowledge at his disposal. This cannot happen. Iolene's war could easily end before it began.
"Why kill her then, why not now?"
"Mille Voix loves a spectacle dear boy." She walks forward close to his face. "A death of a Queen in front of the highborn masses from around the world is the highest goal of the sport. Many of our kings and Queens have died in such fashion. Avery herself heavily partakes in it. After all, it is how she and her husband became monarchs."
Aaron nods as he understood.
Stiletto turns around to leave when Aaron blurts out a question. "If the Mordecai is bought. Why are you helping us? What do you ask in return?"
"I have my reasons…" And in a flash, she races away, disappearing into the thick forest. Mali whistles with amazement.
"Was that the whore you chose earlier?" Mali jests.
"No."
Aaron gently drops Mali as they gain their bearings. Mali spins in circles as Aaron grabs his hand. The old commoner district is massive. As Aaron sees an old statue of an old Queen. Surrounded by weeds she stands in a proud position, most of her face is flat as details eroded away. Curiosity he wanted to see the name on the plaque but can only make out H, l, e, n. The date has also faded. The two move forward.
Aaron Learned from Stein that this area was once a bustling hub of common folk before slavery. The century of cruelty it was named… Many innocent commoners were kidnapped and trafficked into slavery. Many slaves I have met probably had ancestors who lived here… For there are no willing slaves. Only taken and conditioned to be so…
Going to the direction of the palace it was late afternoon when they finally make it back to Mercer Mansion. The servant opens the door as Iolene rushes to Aaron embracing him.
"Where were you?!" Iolene shouts. "Lexi, Iymp, Beau, Stein, and Constant are all looking for you two!"
"It's a long story..." He said simply. "I will tell you when everyone is here. But Iolene can you please help Mali? He is kind of drugged..."
Iolene quickly noticing his delirium drags him into his bedroom. Placing her hands on his head she emits gold draconium energy. Mali then drifts into a dreamless sleep as her and Aaron for everyone's return. But in both of their minds, each lingered... Iolene thinking of Lei as he has not appeared either. Aaron dwelled on Fred who he has not seen since the Hall of Love.