“Be quiet.” He glares holes into me. “Are you trying to tell me what to do?”
“N-No, not at all, but–”
“Then keep your mouth shut and get to work.”
As I step forward, he shoves me towards the stalls and departs. I watch him leave, utterly confused by his behavior. Why is he treating me so badly? I’m used to General Etheron acting like a cunt most of the time, but I don’t know how much more I’m willing to take if his servants start treating me like shit, too.
Oh, well. I try to keep my mind off things while working. It stinks so bad and I have to pause every now and then to prevent myself from vomiting everywhere, but I’m working. Slowly, but surely.
The time by myself gives me a chance to comb through my tangled thoughts. I want to feel happy about what’s happening. If the dark elf doesn’t want me anymore, that means I can go home.
Yet, there’s a small feeling in my heart that feels as if I have some unfinished business here. I don’t know how to explain it. I’m not too sure I want to explore this emotion, either. I need to get out of here and I can’t risk growing attached to a place that never accepted me in the first place.
The other dark elves treat me with scorn. They murmur things behind my back and some of them are bold enough to sling nasty insults to my face. If they know General Etheron doesn’t care about me anymore, they’re going to ramp up their intimidation tactics.
Dark elves will never like humans. We’re just slaves to them. The manual labor I’m doing right now is testament to that. I don’t want to clean up equus shit while living in constant fear for my life. I want to leave this place, but I have to wait. Until he gets back.
I wonder what’s going to happen between us when he does. Hopefully, it’s short and sweet. I don’t want issues with the dark elves anymore, but life has different plans for me.
Footsteps approach from behind me. I stop working and pause, listening closely. When I turn around, there’s a small group of five dark elf servants who approach me. One of them carries a wooden bucket with water sloshing around.
I sigh. I need some water to clean the stables. Maybe I’m wrong about these dark elves. There might be some of them who aren’t too bad after all.
“Thank you for bringing water,” I say, wiping the sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand. “I was planning on getting some once –”
The dark elf servant carrying the bucket flings its contents in my direction. Cold water douses my entire body, stunning me.
The other servants that flank him start laughing maniacally at my frozen state. They encircle and corner me, as if I’m their prey that they can’t wait to devour.
“Did the human bitch really think we brought the water for her?”
“In a way, we did. Just not in the manner she hoped.”
“Who cares about what she thinks? She’s going to be out of here soon.”
My head spins while their conversation continues. My hands can’t stop trembling and my vision is blurred. I don’t understand. What are they doing?
“W-What’s going on?” I stammer out. My jaw can’t stop quivering. My teeth clatter together loudly. “I-I don’t understand. W-What did I do?”
“Look at her.” One of the servants mocks me by imitating the way I’m trembling. The others laugh. “She’s pathetic. I don’t understand why General Etheron is so obsessed with her.”
“She’s just like all the rest. Nothing special.”
A dark elf shoves me forward towards one of the stalls I was cleaning. I’m unable to fight back.
“General Etheron doted on the human too much. We have to put her in her place.”
“Doted?” I rasp out. “I’d hardly call it that.”
“Quiet, bitch.”
One slaps me, so I spit on the face of the nearest dark elf. Their fury overwhelms me. Hands grab my body, one of them clenching a fistful of my hair.
They wrestle me to the ground, dragging me back to the mansion.
