Pariah - Chapter 1: Confusion
#1 of Pariah
Pariah
Chapter 1: Confusion
There was something that was wholly unnerving about the entire thing. He didn't like it-- a wrenching feeling deep in his gut made him almost want to refuse-- but no, he couldn't, he wouldn't, it was not appropriate, nor should the thought even have passed his mind. Still, with how... hastily the paper seemed to have been written, and with how crude the wording of it was, he didn't know how serious he should take it.
Or perhaps, it was far more serious than he could have ever imagined. Still--
Teodor set the paper down on a small table beside the chair he was sitting in, and let out a sigh. The minute he had opened the letter and read the first few words, he had demanded for privacy. Complete, and utter privacy-- which was perhaps not exactly unknown to the servants of House Fog, but altogether a little worrisome. He had even told Dapple to not bother him until he was to call him back, and he had politely (although rather sternly) asked Chelm to do something, anything, to occupy Dacien.
Another sigh. He knew the thought impossible-- this matter concerned the entire Council, and would most undoubtedly reach the Patriarch himself. Why then, would he have come to him first? He tried to recollect the entire situation, thinking hard, and came up with nothing. Blank. He could come up with extremes, the black and white of what could possibly be explanations, but those didn't seem to fit-- the only thing left, thus, was the unsettling gray of the uncertain in the middle. And for one who didn't like, and yet was so accustomed to gray, this kind displeased him in the very most.
"Dapple?" He called out, and the door to the lounge opened. He beckoned the other minotaur over, and smiled warmly at him as the ninja knelt beside him.
"Master are... is..." Dapple started, but he seemed wholly unable to figure out how he should ask the question that was on his mind. Teodor did say after all, that he was to ask questions, but this one seemed far more difficult than any.
"I will be fine, my Dapple. Perhaps simply a little stressed, you would like to help me with that, I would assume?" The smile on the other minotaur's face seemed almost all too predictable.
"Why me, my Lord of Gates?"
"Please, just Parth." Forgivingly. Teodor could almost imagine the smile that accompanied the name. "And surely you need not ask why I came to you first?" The voice in his head was almost plaintive, but at the same time stern.
"I do. And yet, why now? Do you not know the things... no, you do not. A lot is happening, and happening very fast." He was sure that Parth could imagine, if not hear him rubbing his forehead and muzzle, as if he were stressed-- which he undoubtedly was.
"I do know, Teodor."
"Yes... Yes, you would. However intrusive that may be, my Lord of Gates."
"Parth." Correctively this time, no longer as forgiving. "And it is simply because of that, that I have chosen to take this up now. You know this as well as anyone."
"I do, I do. And yet, the Council is still trying to deal--"
"They have dealt with it, have they not? The matter is finished with, and life continues on. I simply bring another matter to their table. And this one is wholly relevant, I assure you."
"From what your letter said, I can only assume it is relevant. At least, to one matter, not the other. Would you be able to..."
"No. However I will start to watch for any developments on that front, is that suitable enough?" It didn't seem so much like a question, but it still sounded like one.
"You need not ask me if anything is suitable enough, Parth. You are, after all, the Lord of Gates."
"And yet you sound like you wish it so, Teodor. In any matter, you know where my loyalties lie."
"Why do you say that like it is a bad thing, Parth?"
"I don't, you merely mistake my tone for another."
"Forgive me, then. It would be much easier to tell if we were face to face, you know." Although, something about this all almost told the minotaur outright that there was far more to all of this.
A laugh.
"I do, I do." The other voice said, almost as if it were mimicking the way Teodor had said it earlier. "Speaking of, now that he is no longer "there" , will I still have a chance to meet him?"
"I do not see why not. I'm sure you could... entice the council well enough to have them focus on you, rather than him."
"As if they didn't have enough on their plate already. You said it yourself, that the Council is still... recuperating after matters that perhaps they could have dealt with far earlier."
"You could always bribe the council members into holding their tongues with information--"
"You'd do best to take that back, Teodor. Even as a joke. You know my situation."
Another sigh. "I do, I do. Forgive me."
"Accepted."
"Still... I miss the old days."
"I still acknowledged it as a joke, Teodor, no matter how distasteful."
"No... I mean the old days, Art."
"... Forgive me."
"There is nothing to forgive."
"No. Please, forgive me. I am bringing matters I should not between two friends that have not spoken in a very, very long time."
"Then you are forgiven. I'm sure there will be enough time between now, and our next meeting, Lord of Gates. Which also reminds me, do you--"
There was a silence. "I do not wish to discuss that no, nor do I have the time. Alexandros beckons me, for something rather important it seems."
"Of course. Would you like it if I... brought it up to each Council member individually, and informally, or--"
"There will be no need, my plans to arrive at Labyrinth are already set in stone. They know of my arrival."
"A place to stay?"
"I have not thought of one yet. However, my arrival may simply be just that, arrival, and then presentation. I do not know how long I will be there."
"May I--"
"Would you still, if I asked you not to?"
"Yes."
"I'll have to discuss this further, Alexandros is getting rather impatient."
"Later, then, we shall discuss it later."
"Until then, Teo."
"Yes, until then, Art."
"No no no... no! This... this will not do." Various robes, formal garb, and wear were needlessly tossed out of a closet, the voice belonging to the perperator within. "Alex... Alexandros! Come here, is this good enough?"
A rather tall, and built minotaur stepped from around the corner, toweling himself off after an apparent bath. Two humans followed from behind, one taking the towel from him and the other helping him into simple breeches. "I don't see why you're making so much of a fuss over things, Parth." The minotaur's voice was very low; basso, but also crisp and clear, it had less of a rumble to it, and more of a simple, powerful sound. "You have no need to impress them with fashion. That's not why we're going."
"I understand that!" The voice shot out from inside. This one was far higher pitched-- baritone, perhaps reaching into the octaves of tenor, though it was mature. Matured, yet high pitched. "Still, I'd rather they not thing of the Lord of Gates as a pitiful excuse of a Lord, much less--" The voice stopped.
"Parth. Come here." The minotaur said, almost commandingly, but not overly zealous. "Come on. I know what you meant."
"They do, don't they?" Parth said from inside the large wardrobe. "I mean, they obviously know, and of course they'd think that way. While perhaps the less learned don't know, it's..."
The minotaur walked over to the wardrobe, and simply thrust an arm inside. He felt around for a moment before he pulled Parth out, the human clutching to a rather elegant red robe, with gold lining and silver sequins. "If they know, then, why do you insist?"
"They know. I'm not sure just how much of Clan Lycaili knows." Parth admitted, rather defeatedly. He just held out the robe at the minotaur. "Here, this one will do." He moved to pick up the other garments he'd thrown on the floor, when the two human servants quickly scurried over, and knelt to pick them up. He waved his arm at them-- not qu ite lashing out, but obviously not in a good mood. "I can do this myself! Gah, Alexandros, must you insist--"
"Yes." The minotaur said, as he turned around and simply held out his arms. The two slaves took that motion as a request to help the minotaur put on the other required clothing, slacks, undershirt, tying the robe, leaving the third human to pick up the scattered clothing, throwing it back into the wardrobe. "I know you do not condone it at all, but--"
"Yes, yes, we've had this discussion before. And yet you still insist that we need to bring your guard--"
"Our guard." The minotaur corrected. Parth shot him a glare that made the servants flinch and stop their work for a second, only serving to make them finish up faster, before prostrating themselves by the wall. He looked over with that same stare, and just sighed.
"Yes, yes, our Guard. I suppose it is needed, in these times. Are you ready then, my Alexandros?"
"If you are, my Lord of Gates." The minotaur said. The human shook his head, and clenched a fist, before he just turned on his heel. He walked over to the door to the hallway, and stopped. "They are assembled in the foyer, awaiting our departure."
"They know how, my Lord of Gates?" Parth asked, looking at the minotaur. The much larger male seemed irked at being called that, but just smoothed out his robes and nodded. Parth rubbed his temples, and closed his eyes, standing like that for a few minutes. "It is done. The way is secure." He turned to the two male slaves, and eyed them curiously.
"Drive." He said, addressing the first. Drive turned his head up, though he was still prostrate, staring at him with those deep black eyes of his. His long, newly-washed hair hung neatly combed to the sides of his face, and his rippled form didn't seem the least bit troubled by the position. "Inform Cook that my Lord of Gates and I will not be returning for an indefinite amount of time. See to it that the rest of the house is well fed and taken care of." The man just nodded, and put his head down again. "You are also free to wander the house as permitted, however no one is to ever leave the grounds, understood? In any circumstance. You should have enough food to last you months, and if then and only then, I do not return, I will allow you and Grain to accompany Coin to obtain supplies. Is that understood?" Another nod.
"Grain." Parth repeated, the second slave looking up at him. Grain was smaller and thinner than Drive, and in his gaze there was less of Drive's... blankness, and more of a curiosity, or perhaps a fear. Or just ignorance. "You are to follow Drive's instructions, and continue as you have been the past few days. I expect you to impress my Lord of Gates and I once I return." Grain seemed confused at the naming, looking over at the minotaur than the human. "Is that understood?" The tone didn't seem forgiving at all, and Grain just nodded. "Good." Parth said no more, and simply opened the door into the hallway, exiting the room. He left the door open, however, and there were no sounds of his footsteps echoing down the halls.
Alexandros moved towards the door, and looked back over the slaves. "You may rise, and are free to do in the house as you wish, so long as it will not displease Parth, or I." He said. That seemed, at least, more concrete than what the human had explained. Grain looked up at him, and he couldn't help but shake his head, and smile. "I will explain upon my return, but until then you are not permitted to even speak of what happened in this room to anyone else. If I find out you have, I will be very displeased. Do I make myself clear?" Grain just nodded, not liking the emphasis the minotaur had put on that. The horned one stepped through the door as well, and it shut behind him without his hand even reaching for the handle, leaving the two in the room.
Grain and Drive waited for a goodly amount of time, half an hour at least, before they opened the door to the room. There was nothing wrong with it-- and outside was just hallway. Grain looked over at the other slave, who just shook his head, and exited the room, with Grain in tow.
"Master will explain once he returns. Has Master ever gone back on his word?" Grain shook his head. "Then be patient. All will be revealed in due time."
Time. Everything always took time. Grain thought, although he just followed Drive to... wherever he was going. I just have to be patient.
Alexandros stepped through the door, hearing it shut behind him. Parth was there, waiting patiently, only a few feet away from the doorway. The minotaur jumped slightly, the door shutting rather loudly behind him. They were in the backroom of a building, the walls lined with cases, bottles, and other items. A storage room of sorts, or perhaps a backup pantry, though the room itself was far too large to be a simple pantry, perhaps a cellar? It was dark, and the sound of the door slamming was still echoing throughout the room.
"It has been far too long." Parth said, as he moved towards the centre of the room, candles suddenly illuminating themselves, hung on holders from the ceiling. Or... the floor. It was a cellar, and the human simply walked around one of the support beams that held the building above up, staring back at the minotaur. "What is it, Master?"
"I don't like it." Alexandros said. "It's like a wrenching feeling, deep with--" He stopped, and just sighed. "Don't get into it. I know. Where is our Guard?"
"Your Guard." Parth corrected. "Warlord Crannog was transported to a privately owned garden within Labyrinth."
"Is that even safe? What if--" Alexandros started.
"They were not transported INTO the garden, so they are not tresspassing. The gates of the garden were simply similar in size to the front doors of House Fo--..." Parth seemed unhappy at the word. "Forge."
"But what if someone sa--"
"No one did." Parth interjected, quickly. "Yes, I'm sure." He added, before the minotaur could continue. Parth walked over to a barrel, where there was a garment laid on top of it. It was a rather long, but plain white robe, with wide, droopy arms and a large hood that looked like it could very well go over his face. The edges of the robe dragged along the floor, and it made the human seem slightly more filled out, or at least, that he was concealing something. Effectively, the overly-baggy robe was just that, a large robe, but it was serving its purpose. "Now, my Lord of Gates, I trust you have it with you?"
Alexandros flinched at the title. This seemed completely wrong, but he just nodded, approaching the now-cloaked Parth, and handed him what had been concealed in the robes he'd put on. It was quickly snatched, and placed under the robes Parth wore, and it looked like he had done nothing to his size. "Shall we then, my Lo-... Parth?"
"If my Master wishes." Parth said, as he watched the minotaur kneel on one knee in front of him. Parth smiled, and just reached up, his hand barely protruding past the baggy robes, and he placed it on the minotaur's forehead.
That feeling only seemed to entrench itself in Alexandros' mind, before everything went black.