Ramon's pace this morning was especially rushed. He had felt confident the morning before that his ward would be well on her way to enlightenment in mere hours, but noon came and went with no word from the servants.
Fine.
Then evening came. Nothing.
He HAD been happy to see she was finishing her meals. She had the appetite of someone already completely transcended, but still, there was no word from his subordinates.
Through the night, he had suffered in silence as he refused to give in and go check on her for himself, and he had given the zealots no order to bother her. That way she could get as much uninterrupted sleep as possible. To busy himself, he decided to visit the library to read. He had made himself as comfortable as possible on his old bed tucked away in the corner, removing the ribbon from his hair to let it hang more comfortably around his shoulders. Then this morning, after fumbling with it multiple times, he just couldn't manage to make his shaky fingers tie it back properly, so he shoved the thing irately into his pocket.
At this point, it was now or never. He was about to know whether he had succeeded in carrying out his lord's wishes or whether he had failed miserably…
As he rounded the corner to the terrace that lead to his room, both his heart and his plaga were growing especially restless. Gold eyes bore into the metal door in front of him, and he sent a mental command to his left hand to go and open the door before him. The creature did this in a blur and the door opened well ahead of Ramon as he anticipated what he would find.
As he stepped inside, he found Gail sitting up in her bed, looking as if she had been awaiting his visit.
"Mornin'!"
Ramon tried to keep her chipper mood from discouraging him. He had to remember that this plaga wouldn't change her personality like the others would.
"Buenos días, señorita," he came to stand at the foot of her bed, "I trust that you are quite well rested."
"I am, thanks," she smiled as if she were exchanging pleasantries with a friend, "Your hair looks nice! I like it down!"
Ramon felt a strange heat rise in his face, and he was EXTREMELY thankful he could no longer blush very much. He was not at all accustomed to compliments, and they always came with the assumption that he was being mocked. He had become good at picking out the liars, but he had to admit, he wasn't sure he could tell with her. She seemed genuine, but she was a charmer, and charmers were good at lying.
"The steak last night was fantastic!" Gail went on, realizing the personal compliment had made him uncomfortable, "What kind of cut was that? It WAS from an ANIMAL, wasn't it?"
Ramon chuckled at the question, finally approaching her bedside, "Do you think me such an ungracious host as to make a cannibal out of you without your consent, Miss Crane?"
Gail shrugged playfully, "No idea!"
"That was a butcher's cut imported from beyond Valdelobos borders. The best and most rare cut, as there is only one per steer."
Intrigue glinted in her eyes, "Valdelobos. That's what this place is called?"
"Valley of wolves," he translated with a nod, "It is the reason the village remains so remote. Those native to here have learned to thrive alongside the magnificent beasts."
She simply nodded, staring pensive for a moment.
"Now, to the side of the bed, por favor, my lady…" The request took her out of her thoughts with a start before she complied.
Ramon was only slightly less careful this time as he held her eye open. Still black as pitch. Not a damned thing…
He didn't ask this time before snatching her arm and searching fervently for any sign that his plaga had taken her. He willed himself to see straight through her arm, to find the one little black vein he was missing. But he already knew it wasn't there.
Without warning, he reached to press his palm to her belly, closing his eyes and shifting his hand's position a few times, as if searching. The sudden contact had Gail frozen, heat rising to her cheeks. Now this REALLY felt like a pregnancy…
His hands began to shake again, and he slowly retreated, bringing one to press to his chest. His thoughts came in a speedy cacophony as he turned to pace slowly away, before spinning to eye her in befuddlement.
"This is not possible!" He glared accusing, reddening eyes toward her, "What sort of creature ARE you?! EVERY member of the animal kingdom is susceptible to las plagas!! HOW can you REJECT it so?!"
"I didn't do it on purpose!" Gail defended herself with a glare, gripping the edge of the bed.
As she moved to uncross her ankles that had been crossed beneath the covers still draped over her feet, one of the Verdugo hissed. Ramon turned to the creature, eyes narrowing, and Gail realized that they were communicating. His eyes were red now, "Is that so?"
Before she could react, he had ripped the covers from her legs, and visible beneath the bloodied hem of her shift was an already half healed dog bite.
"You INSOLENT creature!! You HAVE been out of your room!!"
She swallowed, "Yes," she answered flatly, "…only in the garden."
His narrow shoulders rose and fell in absolute fury, "ONLY the garden?! Or are you certain you weren't snooping about my dining hall?!"
She swallowed the lump in her throat. He HAD suspected her before.
Then, his eyes darted from her to the wall that obscured the garden from them and back. If she had escaped alive then…
His fists clenched, "If you have harmed ANY of my wolves, I'll-"
"Absolutely NOT!" Gail glared in offense, "It was MY fault. One of 'em got a little excitable is all! I wouldn't hold an animal accountable for being an animal; what do you think I am, some kind of monster who hurts dogs?!"
Ramon's anger only subsided a sliver, "I don't know WHAT kind of monster you are! How in the fires of HELL did you get out?!"
"WELL…" Gail huffed, attempting to calm herself in order to possibly calm HIM, "First, I picked the lock with the pendulum leader in the clock," she motioned her head to the clock on the side table, "I've fixed it working again, but it's probably off by a few minutes now."
Ramon stared at her in absolutely shocked bafflement.
"You and your minions were in the dining room, so later, I used my silverware to rig the iron door to the garden open. I actually got rid of that squeak it was making before when I fixed it back, so you're welcome for that…"
"You…" Ramon for once did not have words.
"You knew I was an engineer, right? Did you think the dirty boiler suit was just a fashion choice?" Gail instantly realized that this wasn't helping her plead her case as Ramon's burning scarlet eyes only seemed to get angrier. She shifted tactics. "I didn't leave, though. And I didn't break anything. If anything, I made things better. Well…except the cutlery, you probably won't wanna use that again… B-but there was a loose hinge on one of the kennels that I tightened too! Those puppies will break their way out of those real easy, someday, though, what with the tentacles and such."
Ramon was trying to calm himself from hyperventilating now, and he sat himself a couple feet from her near the end of the bed.
"Do you know how VEXED our Lord Saddler will be that I have failed to unite you with your plaga?"
Gail's brow furrowed, "Well, it's not like it's YOUR fault. The plagas they tried at the lab didn't work either."
Ramon turned a now tiredly irate face toward her, "You KNEW, then?!"
"Look! What was I supposed to say? "Please! M'lord! It's physically impossible for me to join your cult! Please kill me now!"?"
"You COULD have told me it had failed before!"
"What reason did I have to-" Gail gave a start, and her eyes widened as if she had been briefly electrocuted. "What the…" she placed her fingers on her temple, "L-Lord Saddler?"
Ramon took in a quick breath. He felt him. It WAS Lord Saddler headed this way. He quickly stood. And Gail had felt him too. Was she transforming after all?
He was shaken from these thoughts as Gail grabbed him by the shoulders, face suddenly deathly serious as black eyes pled with him. "Listen! I'll do whatever you need me to! I can fix that trolley you said was busted! I'll install indoor plumbing in EVERY room! Just tell him not to kill me!"
"I do not TELL Lord Saddler to do or not do ANYTHING!" He cocked his head, "And I am to TRUST you, engañadora?! You have LIED from the beginning!"
"I've lied enough to stay alive! Yes!" She squeezed his shoulders, not quite hard enough to hurt, "Look, I'll stay here as long as I have to…but I will not DIE here!" There was a strange speeding and slowing of her words in her urgency that he hadn't heard from her before.
It was too late, however. Lord Saddler stepped into the doorway. As he appeared, Gail released her hold on Ramon and snatched the coverlet to hide her injured leg.
Saddler's gaze was sly, as if he knew there was something amiss here.
"My SPLENDID Lord Saddler!" Ramon bowed low, removing his hat, and Gail had the presence of mind to make a bowing motion awkwardly from where she sat, "Welcome to my home! I do hope things are running smoothly!" There was a clear shakiness in his voice, and Gail was beginning to panic. Even if he DID chose to make a plea to spare her, could he convince his despot she was worth it?
"I believe you are well aware, my boy, that there is a kink in the proverbial armor of our consecrated ambition."
Ramon had to force himself to not crumble to his knees, "I…apologize for my insufficiency, my benevolent Lord," he gripped the brim of his hat so hard he knew it would leave crushed wrinkles, "Please know that it was not for a lack of effort."
Saddler smiled down his nose to the tiny man, "My devoted son…" he stroked large fingers down the side of Ramon's head, threading smooth locks of hair between them before letting them fall to his shoulder, "Do not be discouraged by the failings of the wicked." Pale eyes were on Gail now as he stepped slowly in her direction.
She bowed her head, "Please, I can't help it if my-"
Ramon was pushed aside, hat knocked from his grip and back flat against the wall as Saddler now obscured his view of her, but he heard her choking and wheezing as Saddler's back straightened to lift her by the throat from the bed. Suddenly, Ramon wasn't so keen on remaining silent to passively let her be choked out. He scrambled to come to his Lord's side and kneeled, gripping the end of his garments.
"Lord Saddler, please… With all reverence, I plead for this lost sheep's life!" He didn't look up, but he felt Lord Saddler's eyes on him, "Truly, she is beset with the most heartbreaking inability to assimilate, but she may still be useful yet."
Ramon trembled at what his Lord might do in response to such boldness, and the seconds of silence felt like ice being poured down his back. Then he suddenly felt something touch his cheek. As whatever had touched him finally raised his head to look at his Lord, he realized it was a tentacle.
"Such a soft heart you grow for your pets, my dear Ramon. Tell me, what would you have this depraved creature do to serve us?"
Gail was blacking out, and her limbs flailed of their own accord. For the first time in a very long time, he felt pity.
"She has shown herself to be an excellent mechanic! And I very much need someone more capable than the lowly zealots to keep the more advanced machinery in my castle maintained! Spare her, my benevolent father…please!"
Gail was nearly unconscious when she felt the pressure on her trachea release, and she collapsed onto the bed, gasping and coughing, her vision black and swirling.
Ramon was visibly shaking now, and as the tentacle under his chin receded, he pressed his head to the folds of fabric in his clutched hands, "Thank your graciousness. She will be put to righteous use, my Lord."
Now it was clawed fingers beneath his jaw, and a thumb stroked the man's cheek affectionately, "You may keep your pet for now, my boy," he glanced between the Verdugos then back to Ramon, "Do see that she is well supervised."
Though Gail still hacked uncontrollably, her vision began to clear. But her head pounded and her throat felt as if it had been not only crushed, but had a steel brush forced through it.
"Yes! Thank you, Master!" Ramon remained bowed on one knee, "Your grace knows no bounds!"
"Your faith is admirable, my child. Perhaps you may lead this lost lamb to salvation yet…"
Saddler strode to the doorway, and Ramon arose but never lifted his head, "You are kind to me, my Lord."
Then, as quickly as Saddler had arrived, he was gone.
Ramon snapped to face his Verdugos, "Agua, rápidamente!"
One went immediately to fetch water, and Ramon scrambled to Gail, who was on her side, still gasping for air. She was beet red, and the white of her left eye was completely saturated with blood.
"You must try to sit up, querida," he reached to prop her pillows against the headboard, then took her hand to support her as she pushed herself up with the other. Once she was supported upright, her coughing began to subside little by little.
The Verdugo came with a glass of water clasped in enormous claws, and Gail would have found it a somewhat funny sight if she hadn't been so preoccupied.
Ramon took the glass, holding it to her lips. "Slowly…" he reminded her, and she took small, slow sips, which finally ceased her coughing fit, and she continued to pant, taking the glass into her own hands.
"You are PREPOSTEROUSLY lucky," his tone was irritated but amazed, "…and so am I."
"I know…" she croaked hoarsely between breaths and small coughs, "Thank you… There was a…a second there I thought I h-…HAD died… Y-you…you DEFINITELY saved my life…"
Ramon felt a jolt at her gratitude. Again, flustered for words, he finally resided to a simple, "You are welcome."
"So…" she tried to clear her raw throat, "…when and where do I start?"
Ramon looked puzzled, "Start?"
"I'm your mechanic now, right?" She gave a raspy huff of laughter, "Or your pet; I was a little unclear on that…"
"Oh!" He had admittedly completely forgotten her end of the deal, "Concentrate on recovering from strangulation first. I can't have you dropping dead on the job."
"An understanding boss! That's a good start! ACK!" She entered another coughing fit before taking another drink of water.
"I think perhaps you should stop talking," Ramon smirked with a mischievous glint.
Gail smiled, swallowing and resting her head back on the pillow, answering with a thumbs up.
"The servants will check on you as they have been throughout the day, and believe me, there will be guards at both doors, so no more snooping around. I will return this evening if you are recovered enough to discuss our arrangements." His Verdugos exited ahead of him as he approached the doorway before turning to her, "Do not think that I will be more lenient now that you are my underling. If anything, my expectations of you will be much higher."
She smiled, not raising her head, but giving a two fingered salute.
Ramon allowed the door to close, and he released the breath he realized he was holding. He stood rigid for a moment, looking toward his garden, but not taking anything in. How had she convinced him to risk his standing with Lord Saddler for her? He couldn't think of a single person since his old life before Los Illuminados that he would have done that for, save for maybe his Verdugos.
But he knew that he wouldn't have wanted to endure watching her be strangled in front of him. She was tricksy. Deceptive, honestly. But something about her…
He shook his head and refocused. He couldn't trust her just because they had reached a truce; he would be a halfwit if he did. And she had been able to sense Lord Saddler's presence without adhering with her plaga. Even before he himself had noticed… No, he would be more wary of her than ever. And he could only hope that she would not do anything to cause his Master's wrath to befall her again. He wouldn't be able to save her a second time.
Spanish translation:
engañadora - deceiver
Agua, rápidamente! - Water, quickly!
querida - dear
Note: Just wanna thank Sniperbro1998 for the comments! I'm happy you're enjoying because I'm having a blast writing!
