Chapter 22: The Only Male in The Gang
Of the fifty yinglet ladies I've came to know in this hidden underground prison, I've come to understand that there was a sort of pecking order among them. Let me tell you about a few notable ones I've gotten to learn about during meal time.
Yanara, obviously, was the most hopeful lady out of everyone. Possibly even the friendliest one here, despite her... eh... earlier courtship attempt.
Na'shei, bless her heart and soul, was an incredibly gifted yinglet. She was gifted due to the fact that she found a way to pick the locks on the cages and free herself during her early years of confinement. It was because of her wily sense of freedom that the wardens devised a new method to prevent her escape from her cage: A chair with a big rock in its seat and propped up to her cage's door. It effectively prevented her from escaping. She has been in there ever since, unless under watch during meal times, or bath days, or that she was allowed out if her behavior was compliant and good. She had gray fur, with white hair and tailpoof that seemed to be recently cut short. She had deep green eyes, and seemed to be enthusiastic about any human technology. Especially the lock on her door.
Then there was the bully and her subordinate, who are named Scankre and Mex. If there was disorder happening in the cages, she and her lieutenant would certainly be the first to break up the fight. That or muscle whatever kind of snacks that is usually hidden or made behind the wardens' backs. Down in the dungeons, there is no shortage of cave bugs in the depths of Arisota's Hold. Scankre had a fur pattern that was aggressively mottled between brown and dark cream, yet her belly was a predominantly pale cream colored, save for a spot of brown shaped like a heart on her left thigh. Her eyes were yellow, and her hair and tailpoof were black, but was cut short.
Mex had orange fur with pale beige stripes going down her sides, and a paler beige hugging her belly. She had calming blue eyes and deep brown hair and tailpoof, but was also cut short. Unlike the more brutish and stern Scankre, Mex happened to be more of an intellectual sort, willing to remind Scankre on who did what, and listening to what the latest gossip is. However, she was also quite infatuated with me for reasons I can't explain, but might be more apparent to any third parties that might observe the exchanges between us. Between her flirting, her offerings of herself to be preened by me, and tickling my chin with what little of her tailpoof that remains, I get the impression that she might cause the most trouble for herself and ger own clique. I'm at least thankful Scankre can be there to reel her back and keep her in line. Most of the time.
There was also these two other yinglets that were identical in appearance, named Teeny and Neety. They claimed they had two more sisters that shared the same appearance as them, whom were named Eetyn and Eenyt, but had made their escape a while ago. The both of them had reddish-orange manes that trailed from the hair on their heads, lined their backs, and then ended at their tailpoofs. Their fur color was white, save for a few spots of reddish-orange on their sides and bellies. If it weren't for those spots, I probably couldn't tell them apart. Asides from their spot placements, they both had yellow eyes, black teeth, and easily excitable dispositions. Like the others females here, Teeny and Neety had their hair and tailpoofs cut short.
Zens was the oldest female yinglet within this prison. There used to be another that was far older, but nobody knew what fate had befallen her. Some speculated that Feefeefeefee had freed her during their escape, or that there was a health complication which resulted in her removal from the prison. Regardless of this other yinglet lady's condition, Zens became the next one to be the go-to for advice since she heard 'a-thing-or-two' from the wardens and Zuddle himself. Apparently, good behavior gets you some privileges with your captors. If they caught the females causing a commotion, then Zens would be the first they would detain and wheedle whatever information out of her to determine the culprits. Zens had silky and wispy pale-cream fur all around her, while her hair and tailpoof were silver and cut short. She used to have two pink eyes, but one was missing. The reason why was because of an unfortunate injury she received upon her hatching day, and not due to some birth defect that would have labeled her as an odd one. She also has unusually large ears, which had given her the unfortunate talent to be an early warning system, alerting the females in the prison that there was company coming, or that a warden might be on the other side of the only door into the prison. Her ears makes me wonder if she could hear me whispering to Yanara. Worse still if she also happens to be one of those yinglets that can't keep a secret.
The reason why I'm describing the appearance of these six yinglet ladies was because we have already finished our doubled-ration meals and have begun a sort of communal slumber pile. Since there were pillows everywhere on the bottom of the cages, and that the wardens didn't see the need to give them any beds to sleep in, the yinglet ladies have decided to use the pillows as their bedding. In place of blankets, they used each other as sources of warmth. Now with myself brought into this prison, Yanara and the six other yinglet ladies I described were more than eager to invite me to their cuddle puddle-er... I mean sleep pile.
Hardly anyone rests easy on their first night in prison anyway.
I hardly had any sleep as I kept my composure during the hour. Scankre was more than willing to let me use her lap as a pillow. ... That is to say she was the one to announce it was time to sleep, pulled me along to her sleeping spot, and then locked me in place. Mex sided up with Scankre, letting her feet dangle on my shoulders and neck, and gently rubbed them. Teeny and Neety laid next to me on my left and right sides. They grabbed a good hold on my arms, and they looked like they would begin preening me, if I hadn't told them otherwise. Zens was coiled around my left leg, Na'shei was coiled on my right leg, and Yanara had my tail all to herself.
Alas, there was that pecking order I mentioned. Since Scankre was the meanest bitch in the yinglet prison of Arisota's Hold, it meant that she had the say-so on most matters. One of such matters included having me become part of her circle, evident by the sleeping arrangement I was currently having with Scankre, Mex, Zens, Teeny, Neety, Na'shei, and Yanara. Since Yanara became fast friends with me, that had meant that I have already became part of Scankre's circle.
I sighed.
Mex wanted to be coiled up on top of my chest as we slept, but was dissuaded by Scankre. I can hear Mex grumbling every now and then. "Come onnnnn, Scankreeeeeee~. Can I be Roy's blanket pleeeeease~?"
"No." Scankre bluntly hissed monotonously.
"Whyyyyyy~?" Mex asked.
"Because you might take advantage of him." Scankre replied.
"No I wooooon't~. Roy needs a blanket, and I am zhe softest one in our circle~. I can lay on hiiiiim~." Mex whined.
"If I see anyone mounting Roy while he sleeps, I'll bite zhem hard. If anyone comes and blocks my sight of Roy's underfluff, I will bite zhem hard too." Scankre warned.
Mex whined again. "Zhose bites are not fun!"
I gulped. "Uh... I uh... I appreciate zhat you would watch over me, but couldn't I just lay on my stomach instead? Or get a pillow?"
"No." Scankre answered flatly. "Zhey could reach under where I couldn't see."
"... I uh... I see." I hesitantly said. I then sighed. "I hope my clozhes dry soon."
Zens chuckled softly. "Oh cheer up, dear Roy. At least your wizh Yanara in our circle and not being hoarded by zhe ozher circles. You would not get even a wink of sleep!"
I rolled my eyes. "Pfft. If zhat's true, zhen I probably wouldn't have to be worried about waking up sore."
Mex laughed. "Zhat's funny, because you wouldn't be sleeping~. Not at all~. Nope nope~. Heeeee~"
Yanara sighed and rolled her eyes. "Gals, please be quiet. Roy needs to get used to resting here, and all zhis talking is not making him go sleep faster."
Mex whined again. "But I wanna know more about himmmm~! Teeny, Neety, you two are curious about him too, yes?"
"He smells nice. I want to put my nose on his." "He has nice soft fur too. I want to put my nose in it." Both the sisters said as they clutched my arms. So much for scratching my nose.
Na'shei squeezed my foot into her chest. "Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo~."
Yanara squinted at Na'shei. "Na'shei, why are you hugging Roy's foot wizh your chestpuffs?"
Scankre growled. "Na'shei, are you being bad?"
"Lemme have zhis." Na'shei whined. "Is no fair zhat you all get zhe good spots. Yanara and Zens and I are so far away from Roy's cute face and everyzhing. All I have to play wizh is his foot."
I can feel my eye twitching uncontrollably. Yup. The first night in prison is always the most difficult. On the other hand, at least I'm not being passed around like a lit cigarette. "Na'shei, you are allowed to hug my foot but PLEASE stop rubbing on it like zhat. I want to sleep."
"Awww, okies. I'll keep your foot safe in my bosom, near my heart, where my love for you wells in~." Na'shei sing-songed as she crossed her arms and legs over my limb.
I looked down at Yanara. "Yanara, please answer me honestly. Is it going to be like zhis all night?" I asked earnestly.
Yanara smiled sweetly. "Oh I would hope so very much! And maybe we can rotate around so I can be at your side?"
Teeny and Neety hugged closer to me. "No." "We got dibs zhis time. Wait your turn."
"Aw. Well... Maybe next time zhen." Yanara said with a sad yawn as she used my tail as a comfy pillow.
Even though I was in an incredibly comfortable position, my anxiety was a different story. I was much like a man in a desert, driven by a heady thirst, and seeking whatever well they could find close by. However, there is a chance that the wells in question were poisoned, and he had no idea what kind of danger he would put himself in if he imbibed with reckless abandon. To throw away any form of inhibition now...
I shook my head. The difference between me and the man in the desert is that he had biological needs. I, on the other hand, am happening to be suffering from new yinglet instincts that I was still getting used to. I need to get some sleep, and I have no choice but to trust Scankre to watch over me.
"Hu-hu-hu-hu-hu~." Giggled Na-shei.
"GO TO SLEEP." Warned Scankre.
Weh.
Mogen sighed.
It was never good when he was summoned for a meeting. Then again, he never expected to be in this position in the first place. Even though he was payed with enough grains to be hush-hush about it, he never would have thought he would be among the few that would play the part as dungeon keepers, let alone being in charge of keeping a bunch of scavs from starving themselves and preventing them from cannibalizing each other. If only he were so lucky.
He was with three other people, and he knew that a fourth would be along soon. There was the sleuth that came along and dumped the yellow scav into Tyther's care. And then there was Mogen's co-warden, Tannello. And finally, there was Tyther's co-warden, Jorgef. Because of the erratic sleeping schedule that yinglets tend to have, Zuddle thought that it would be best to have at least two wardens working shifts to ensure the safety, security, and health of the scavs. They were all currently sitting at a square table in a room that was smaller than was comfortable, but it served the purpose for hosting this meeting.
As usual, Tannello groused first. He had the same attire as Tyther, Jorgef and himself. He had a slim build, yet had a square chin. He had dark skin, black hair, and hazel eyes. "I bet this meeting has something to do with Tyther. I bet thirty grains on it."
"That or it could be another yinglet he found, and perhaps he wants to put you through the usual rigamarole on how to wipe their ass." Blithely said the sleuth.
"So does that mean you're in the bet?" Tannello smirked, fishing cash from his pocket and putting it on the table.
The sleuth rolled her eyes and shooed at Tannello's money. "Take that gambling addiction elsewhere. I'm here at the behest of Lord Zuddle, and I believe he wouldn't approve if I were to indulge."
"Mm-mm." Jorgef shook his head, also waving the money away. Jorgef had a buzz cut of blond hair with pale skin, and had soft green eyes. Out of everyone in this room, he had the largest build that was more muscled than Mogen, and easily towering over Mogen by half a head.
An annoyed Tannello slightly harrumphed before pocketing his cash. Meanwhile, Mogen groaned in annoyance. "Whatever we were summoned here for, it's important."
At that moment, a door opened to reveal Vice Fortmaster Lord Zuddle. Allowing himself into this room, he brought a chair to the table and sat himself in it before he began the meeting. "You have all arrived. Good. Let's begin. Warden Mogen. Warden Tannello. What is the condition of the prisoners?"
Mogen coughed first before beginning. "The scav population is behaving normally. They haven't cause any problems with each other or us for today."
"And what about the new inmate? Has he done anything notable during his stay?" Zuddle asked.
Mulling it over, Mogen remembered something. "The new inmate was flirting with one of the female yinglets. However, my intervention seemed to have thwarted his courtship progress."
Tannello chuckled as he leaned into the table. "Okay okay, I got a question. Are we really gonna let a boy scav have free access to the girl scavs? Typically, it's not a good idea to have children in a confined environment. Much less some ratbirds. You all realize that they lay eggs, right?"
"I'm sure our lord has a perfectly reasonable explanation." The sleuth turned to Lord Zuddle. "Care to enlighten us?"
"Of course, my sleuth." Zuddle said with a humble nod to the sleuth. He then turned to face everyone gathered at the table. "First off, I would like to remind you that certain protocols must be respected to ensure that your efficiency of managing this secret underground prison remains optimal. Sleuth. I believe I had told you to tell Tyther that the yinglet needed to be washed before he was integrated with the yinglet prisoners. Care to explain why Tyther was forced to take his leave of his post?"
"It slipped my mind." The sleuth simply said. "But then again, it is considered against the laws of sleuth conduct for anyone to learn the name of one of our members. I simply decided that the best course of action was to... rectify this problem. Roy shouted my name before I left the room, so I took the opportunity that was presented."
Zuddle sighed. "Was that the only reason you had him come into contact with the poison that was clinging to Roy's fur?"
Mogen, Tannello, and Jorgef slowly turned to stare at the sleuth in surprise. The sleuth was unflinching. "Despite his overtures to woo me into his bedspread, I must remain professional under my station as a sleuth. For an outsider to learn my name would be a compromise to my talent. If all our names were to be tracked outside our sleuthing headquarters, then we would be out of business, and our lords would have no reliable eavesdroppers to rely on."
"Indeed." Zuddle said, slightly glaring. He then composed himself. "With that said, Warden Tyther has suffered from mild poisoning from the King's Bane powder extract. He will make a full recovery, but I had to do some budgeting to ensure he has enough medicine to calm down his symptoms."
Tannello sighed wistfully. "So he's gonna use some vacation days and sick days. Wish I were him."
"With Tyzher out of the picture," Zuddle continued, annoyed. "That will mean our manpower is diminished. In order to ensure that the prison is in working order, I wish to change the shifts until Tyther comes back to us. His co-warden, Jorgef here, will begin working with you two. To ensure that we do not waste time, I'm afraid to ask if one of you can cover the next shift for the next week, and then alternate your shifts with Jorgef."
"You're kidding." Tannello groused.
"Do I look like I'm laughing?" Zuddle replied. He then sighed. "In any case, it will just be for this next week only, barring any unforeseen complications. I will be sure to double your pay for the overtime, and also add a bonus on top of your usual salaries."
Tannello sighed as he turned to the sleuth. "Should have taken the bet, else I would have passed this off to Mogen." He then formed a fist and thudded it lightly to his chest. "Anyway, I'll do the honorable thing and volunteer for the next shift in the next week. I don't have any important appointments lined up."
"Pay for a week and a whole day, you mean. We were called to cover Tyther for today." Mogen reminded, crossing his arms.
Zuddle raised his arm to silence the room. "Be that as it may, I am aware that you are all quite... exasperated and exhausted when it comes to ensuring the safety of the female yinglet prison population. However, I have decided to make a sudden change of plans."
"Here we go." Tannello said with an eye roll.
"You see, Roy has a very unique fur coloration that I wish to use in my other plan." Zuddle explained, a smile forming on his lips. "And if everything pans out in the ways we intended, then it would mean less mouths to feed in the future."
Tannello cocked his head. "Uh... But how would that pan out with getting a boy scav in with the girl scavs? Wouldn't that usually mean we'd have more mouths to feed?"
A chuckle escaped Zuddle as he patted Tannello's shoulder. "Once I have enough of the harvested product, we won't ever have to worry about working in the dark again."
Jorgef grunted with a nod. "About time. How long before this is over?"
"Without Roy, the hair we needed to harvest for this scheme would ordinarily take us around two years. Barring extra costs that would go into buying the dyes needed to adjust the colors of the product to the necessary hue, or any rebellious yinglet ladies that would rather damage their own hair than freely let us harvest it, of course." Zuddle explained. He then pleaded his fingers together. "With Roy in those cages, we could accelerate our harvest operations. We will be meeting our deadline between six months or even within the year." A wide smile then formed on Zuddle's face. "And once I get rid of some obstacles in my way on my part, I will ensure that you four, including the absent Tyther, will be given significant shares of the treasury in Arisota's Hold in bimonthly payments, and be exempt from all taxes. Essentially, you will all earn an early retirement after this is done."
"Which leaves one more question to ask." Mogen interrupted. "We still have the scavs to worry about. Unless you have something in mind to deal with them?"
"Much like the livestock of a farmer, any animal that is no longer useful for its purposes must be culled." Zuddle said with a blank expression. He then took out a knife from his regal attire and placed it on the table. "However, we mustn't let the cells grow too fat with too many yinglets like last time. Once Roy plays his part, I won't be needing my mercenaries ever again."
Rhondy sighed.
It has been a while since she heard from Roy and his trusted confidants, which happen to be a baxxid sentinel and the fortmaster of Arisota's Hold. Of all the yinglets she had ever met in her life, he happened to be an unusual one. Of course, she could tell anyone that his upbringing with the humans had made him into an extraordinary yinglet of incredible intelligence, but she knew better on account of Grabba'lot's testimony of Roy's true specie origin.
Rhondy had never liked humans. They were too big, too greedy, too prideful, too powerful, too advanced, and certainly too smart. As humanity fought and war over resources, land disputes, creeds, religions, ideals and laws, the yinglets could do nothing but watch from the wayside and the shadows in the hopes that they never draw the ire from the terrible, apish civilizations. She could remember growing up with a small fascination to them, but had otherwise quickly learned not to offer her trust so readily. Especially since hearing from one of Zagoon's stories on how he earned his nickname.
But then there was Roy. She had refrained from telling her enclave about who Roy was before his transformation. In reality, it was Roy's secret, and it was his decision whether or not to tell it. But at the same time, something else gnawed her. She was wondering on what Roy might have been before he had turned into a neon yellow yinglet. But then again, because of his human nature, Rhondy would default to ignoring Roy and leaving him for the vultures. At the same time, he had proven to be too pivotal to cast aside. Too useful for the role she wouldn't conceive giving him. Would she even allow him in her enclave? Have a place for him in her flock? Should she tell the high elders back home?
Alas, a cadre of elite warrior yinglets that would find the missing females, bust them out of their confinement, and make their return back to The Great Enclave was nothing more but a fantasy at this point. They have come close to being discovered several times, but have survived thus far. Similarly, they have discovered so much about Arisota's Hold, but have had no access to information that was heavily defended. She will have to exercise her patience, and wait for Roy and his confidants in their attempts to learn or find the identity of the client.
"You are sighing again." Grabba'lot said in earshot. Rhondy turned around to find him counting things from a list while resting inside the makeshift tented foyer. It must have been the scavenged foodstuffs that will be soon added into Sharp Rock Enclave's rations. They were the only ones within the foyer as well.
Rhondy growled as she approached Grabba'lot. "I can't help it, Grabby. I keep zhinking about zhat damn Roy."
"He is fine, Rhondy. He's zhe pet of zhe fortmaster of Arisota's Hold now. So long as he plays his part, he will be well protected." Grabba'lot assured, not looking from his list.
Rhondy turned to Grabba'lot, anger wrinkling her face. "And I have issues wizh zhat. Roy. A pet. I mean, considering what he used to be, it's almost ironic zhat he ends up being someone's playzhing. I would have said zhat zhis would set us yinglets back, but Roy's condition makes it so much more complicated zhan it needs to be. Furzhermore, are zhere ozher humans zhat are like Roy? Non-humans zhat are like Roy? You were zhere when you spied on Roy and zhat wizard friend of his. What else can you tell me zhat happened on zhat day you first met Roy?"
Grabba'lot blinked a few times, turned to Rhondy with an open mouth, paused, shook his head and sighed. "Sorry, but I zhink I... I don't remember much of what happened. Zhe zhings I do remember most zhat happened was zhat zhe wizard brought him out of danger, but had to turn him into a yinglet for some reason. Or did Roy say somezhing about a... Melty Dysfunctional Meaty Oar? I might be remembering zhat wrong. Regardless, I don't know much else beyond zhat." Grabba'lot paused again, looking up at the tented ceiling with wistful thought. "But I zhink zhere was mention of clowns..."
Rhondy blinked at Grabba'lot, opened her mouth, but paused and shook her head. "I zhink I need a ripe clam after zhis. It's not gonna do my healzh well to worry about a yinglet zhat isn't even part of our enclave."
"Not yet, anyway." Grabba'lot corrected, continuing to read through his list.
Rhondy growled. "Okay. Well. Let me correct myself. It will not do me well to worry about a yinglet like Roy." She then sighed, walked up to Grabba'lot, and then patted his shoulder. "... But you're right. As much as I am loazhe to zhe idea, we can allow him to have a place in our enclave."
Grabba'lot smiled cheerfully. "Zhat's good! I wonder if he will be a specialist? We could always do wizh one of zhose."
Rhondy growled again. "Well it's not like we could put him on a pedestal as a new patriarch of our enclave. His human knowledge would make him too valuable, and zhe high elders in Zhe Great Enclave would steal him away in zhe hopes he could advance zheir infrastructures. Roy is too impressionable, and if zhey found out about what he is... It's going to become so much worse for him. I don't know what zhey will do wizh him, but I don't want to imagine what might happen."
Suddenly, Zagoon and Flick bursts into the foyer and landed on the ground, both panting heavily.
Rhondy and Grabba'lot looked at the two patriarchs laying next to each other. Rhondy decided to cross her arms and gave the two a criticizing stare. "Well. Looks like we're not zhe only ones wizh concerns."
Mazhink, Calic, and Oggie calmly came in after the fallen patriarchs. "Ah. Hello Rhondy and Grabby. Looks like zhese two were in a hurry to get here. We came by to see what zhe news is." Mazhink spoke first.
Zagoon had a hard time catching his breath. "ROY. IN. DANGER. CAUGHT. BY. CLIENT'S. AGENTS. WE. NEED. MAKE. PLAN. WIZH. ARRI."
Everyone within the foyer looked at Zagoon in surprise. Once Flick coughed a little and stood up weakly. "What... He said..."
Rhondy reached for the hem of her cloak and grasped it firmly. "Oh no. Oh I really hope he isn't being put zhrough hell."
A/N: It's not hell, but it ain't exactly a freaky heaven either.