Born to Serve - 03
#4 of Born to Serve (Unfinished)
Soft shoes made very little sound as Maya pressed onward along the docks. Though she paused to read the names of the ships, her neck kept turning involuntary behind her. A sick panic gnawed at her stomach as she came up empty again and again. If the inquisitors found her, the fact that she had fled would automatically mean she was guilty. Though it would likely have happened had she turned herself in, it was guaranteed now ... so she moved to the next ship ... and the next ... and the next ... until her feet hurt and her shoulders ached and she wanted nothing more than to fall back into her bed in her room.
A small stack of crates became a seat for her and she began to wonder if she should stop and buy some food from a vendor. The sun was rising and she pulled her hood farther down in an effort to block out the direct rays. A small smile came to her features as she sat there, it had been a long time since she had experienced the sunlight on her skin. Memories of running through the jungle returned once more, and she breathed in the humidity and stink of it. The words of an old playmate sang in her mind and an old nursery rhyme came to her lips.
"Kuu-Kul, Kuu-Kul, Kuk-Kukul-Chon, Kuu-Kul, Kuu-Kul, K'uk'ulkan," she could not remember the meaning, but the words were still there, and as she whispered them to herself a tiny fluttering noise caused her eyes to flick open, a tiny shadow darted past her vision and then landed near her on the ground. For a stunned moment she stared at it, as a small snake coiled lazily and blinked up at her with impossibly yellow eyes. Its scales were covered in blue-green feathers and feathered wings folded into its back. They stared for a moment and then it flicked its forked tongue at her.
"Good morning," she said politely as an amused look appeared on her face. The little creature flicked its tongue at her. Swinging herself off of the crate, Maya moved around to where the little feathered serpent was and crouched. "Aren't you a curious little thing?" she spoke softly and then the sounds of footsteps caused her to lean hard against the wall which she was already leaning against. The silhouettes of a three or four men passed by where she was hidden and a moment later, she peaked out at the backs of the inquisitor and three goons.
Adrenalin flooded through her limbs and she ducked back into her corner, and her breathing suddenly increased in repetition. She then took in as deep of a breath and she could and let it out slowly until she felt like she was back in control of herself. Then she looked back down at the little feathered serpent. "You're good luck. Aren't you?" Her words were followed by a tiny giggle that allowed her to recover more of her wits.
Looking back to the docks, Maya took another breath. "Courage," she whispered to herself and she swallowed back all of her doubts and fears. Moving down the dock, she walked along the peer until she found the name of the vessel. It was the wrong one, but whining would do her no good here, so she moved to the next ship ... and then the next one ... and then ... Theodotos.
Maya breathed a little victory hiss. Then she noticed a group of shadows which appeared to be stalking through the alley she had just come from. These shadows caused a sharp intake of breath and then Maya moved and crouched behind another stack of crates. The inquisitor and his men came out of the ally and scanned the area. Their eyes were narrowed, sharp, and fanatical to the point that Maya began to guess that, if they caught her, they would not bother torturing a confession out of her but instead move straight to the execution phase. While this would be less painful than the alternative ... she did not want to die just yet.
Moving carefully to the edge of her hiding place, Maya watched until the men moved past her and then dashed across to the edge of the dock. There she crouched behind another stack of crates and tried to make her hard breathing as quiet as possible. In the desperation of her situation, she was certain her heavy breathing could be heard by half of the city, but the men did not turn toward her, choosing instead to investigate a nearby warehouse with all the zeal of those whom believe their course to be true.
An ember of hope sparked and ignited Maya's courage, allowing her to emerge from her hiding spot and rush down the dock towards the _Theodotos. _ The sailors whom stood around the plank gave her an odd look as she approached and she tried to remember the words needed to greet the men.
"Yahsu," she said to the men closest to her. "Kalee mera!" Their expressions lightened a bit and they returned the greeting.
"Where are you off to?" one of the men asked her in Greek, and Maya paused a moment to translate both the question and her response.
"I ... am traveler," she said slowly as she searched for words that would make sense. "I look for ... boat ... uhm ... ship ... I travel on ship."
"Do you speak Italian?" one of the men asked her in the language, and Maya breathed in relief and gave him a smile.
"Yes, sir," she said much more easily in Italian. "I am looking for passage across the sea."
"Where are you going?" he asked with a furrowed brow. It was a good question and she had no idea how to answer. Her hesitation caused him to look past her to where the inquisitor and his men had entered the warehouse and then he smiled. "Do you care where we're going?"
"Not really," she admitted, her eyes glancing nervously back at the warehouse. "I just need to escape this place and never look back."
"We can arrange that," the man said and then he turned to the others and spoke Greek words that were much too fast and complex for her to pick up. The other men nodded and they shuffled her on board. Maya's heart was beating fast as she stepped onto the deck and she was quickly noticed by everyone on board. "This way, pretty," the Italian speaking sailor told her.
"Maya," she told him firmly, but politely.
"Maya," he repeated, "you can call me Joseph."
"It is a pleasure to meet you Joseph," Maya spoke in the practiced tones of one of her favorite languages, and her smile was practically beaming by the time they reached the double doors on the far side of the ship's deck.
"Seren," Joseph called as he knocked and a moment later, one of the doors opened.
Maya gazed upon the man which her escort was now speaking quickly too and she understood that it was the smell of him that made him unpopular with the women. His skin was almost as dark as hers but his eyes were bloodshot with fatigue. When he glared at her, she gave him the type of smile she was certain he rarely received from a woman ... but his stare went on a little longer than she would have liked it to.
Finally, he nodded to Joseph, went back into his cabin, and closed the door. Maya moved her eyes toward her escort and chose to ask the question with only her eyes.
"Yes, yes ... don't worry," he said. "He was just concerned about who was chasing you."
"As long as his displeasure was not my fault," she said in a tone that did not display confidence.
"They're inquisitors," he told her as they moved toward one of the sets of stairs which went down into the hold, "it does not need to be your fault."
A moment later they were beneath the deck of the ship and Maya felt her dread easing away. They moved past a few other crewmen whom all looked hard at her and then they reached a heavy locked door.
"This will be your room for the trip," Maya's escort told her as he undid the heavy deadbolt and pulled it open.
"Thank you," she said with a smile. "May I ask ... how much will this trip be?"
"Don't worry about it," the man said as she stepped into the doorway, and then, as she looked inside of the room, several pieces of information all clicked into place all at once. The most telling of which was the name of the ship ... Theodotos ... which she thought had been death. _ As Maya peered into the poorly furnished room with the two young women whom were obviously prisoners slumped in a corner, she remembered the word _Theodotos meant slave.