209 The City of Slaves (1/2)

The boy stood up and stretched his lean body while he rubbed his strained neck. He has been carving binding spells on the iron collars on his work table for the past four hours non stop. His workshop lit brightly by huge open windows that occasionally brought in some breeze from the plains.

”M- Master Aslan?” A slim girl barely the boy's height gently knocked on the door and entered with a tray of steaming food. ”It's your midday meal.”

”Ahh... Teresa!” Aslan gave a bright smile and quickly gestured her in. He quickly swept the stack of iron chokers to the side of his work table and even helping her take the tray off her hands. He set the tray down on the table before pulling another chair over for her to sit.

The girl quickly refused the seat and hurriedly rejected the offer, ”M- Master Aslan... I got work to do at the kitchens!”

Aslan shooked his head and firmly pulled her down to the chair, ”Sit and share some of the food! I can't finish them all!”

”B- but...” Teresa looked flustered, ”It isn't my place to dine with you...”

Aslan sighed and looked at the rusty iron collar around her neck. She wore a simple grey homespun coarse dress and a somewhat whitish gravy-stained apron. Her hands were rough from constant work in the kitchen galleys. She had a heart-shaped face and large greenish eyes that attracted Aslan a lot and her blonde hair was bun up in a knot.

Aslan thought that if she cleaned up and dressed better she will look quite pretty. ”Eat!” He pushed the platter of meat and boiled roots with gravy and the small basket of freshly baked bread in front of her.

”B- but it is not proper!” She insisted, her hands gripping her apron tightly. ”If the housekeeper sees me sitting here and eating your meal... She will have me whipped!”

”Relax, I will protect you!” Aslan patted his chest as he gave a reassuring smile at the frightened scullery maid. ”Quickly eat while it is still hot! You need more food, you are all skin and bones!”

The girl sighed and gave in, picking up a piece of bread and nibbling at it nervously. Aslan cut half the steak and pushed it to her and watched her savourly her food with joy.

After the meal was over, Teresa quickly packed the plates away onto the tray and quickly retreated out of Aslan's workshop, bowing as she closed the door.

Aslan's smile vanished as the door closed and he thought back to the day he was rescued by Raman and his men in those strange magical wagons of theirs in the forest. Raman promised him revenge and Aslan bent the knee to vowed to serve Raman with all his ability as long as he can get his revenge.

Aslan sighed and looked at the stack of collars he was assigned to put spells to bind the restrained to the will of its master and with a sudden sweep of his hand, he flung the collars onto the stone floor, the iron collars rattling loudly in the workshop.

”ARGHH!!!!!!!”

-----

Stronghold of the Cabal

Teressa moved quickly back to the kitchen where she placed the dirty dishes into a wooden tub and she went out to the courtyard where a water pump sat. She worked the pump and water splashed out into the wooden pail under the hose.

When she was caught by the Orc slavers that raided her small village, she thought she will become some worker for the Orc mines or worst sold to the Empire to be a toy to some nobles.But instead, she was brought here and traded for some strange shiny cylindrical but exotic looking items that filled a large wooden chest.

When she first came here, she was assigned to some Orc foreman that was very generous with his whips. She and hundreds of others were forced to make bricks with mud, straw and crushed rocks.

Over time, she found that there were as much as ten thousand slaves laboring away to build a city in this wide plains. The first to be built was the Stronghold, where she briefly caught a glimpse of some fat man in strange clothing that the Orcs seemed to follow.

All the slaves were forced to bow and touch their foreheads against the ground when the ”Sul-tan” was in their presence. Those who refused were whipped to an inch of their lives and returned to work for their masters. Those that attempted to escape and were caught by those large wolves of the Orcs were crucified. Their rotting bodies left nailed on crosses were purposely left, staked around the camps of the slaves to remind them of the consequences of defying the ”Sul-tan”.

When the city buildings finally were built, the Sultan announced that the slaves can have their own homes and even pay! They can buy their freedom back with the money they saved and no longer become a slave but a free man and even citizenship in the city!

Teressa looked at the magical binding contract that stated she owed the Sultan a debt totaling 57 pieces of gold crowns and if she repaid the amount in full she will become free. The breakdown cost of the debt was even listed out from the cost of buying them to food, lodging, and even welfare.

To every commoner, a single piece of gold crown already represented a large amount of wealth. Yet this contract gave hope to everyone for a chance to gain back their freedom if they work hard enough to save up.

But she, like many did not realize there was a very fine print on the contract that said there was an annual interest fee of 25%. So she signed the contract as the other offer was to be a slave for life working in mines or construction, stating her skill sets and was given an iron collar that binds to the contract she signed with her own blood.

Slaves with useful skills were sorted out and assigned jobs that could make use of their knowledge and skills properly. Those that were unskilled were sent off to some mines and farms to become laborers.

She was lucky to be picked to work inside the palace of the Sultan, the Stronghold of the Cabal despite barely having any skills or useful knowledge only then knowing how to cook. She got assigned to be a scullery maid, cleaning pots and pans while doing other menial household chores.

Every week, she earned a pitiful 4 copper coins which food, lodging, and clothes were deducted from the total pay. Her meals which were mostly leftover bread and soup and she shared a room with three other girls working in the Stronghold too.

Teressa found that the city was built very differently to the only city she ever been to that her parents brought her to when she was just a child. The roads were laid out perfectly and the slaves have to follow the instructions given strictly or be punished.