Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Something About Him ❯ Misconceptions ( Chapter 6 )

***************************************************************** *********

VegoSacomoto~~You Are a sharp one, aren't you! *grin* There is a reason Katan couldn't kill Tobin. The rules of their society are unspoken, but still known. To kill a popular scientist over a lowly slave would be unheard of. Of course Tobin will return, but then, what's a story without a villain?

 

It is exciting that Katan is such a barely-bridled dangerous force. I think that's why I like him so much!

 

Okay, back to Jason's inner thoughts:

***************************************************************** ***********

 

Chapter 6

Misconceptions

 

“Tough words for someone who can't pick his face out of the dirt, but then, I think we've already established your superb acting abilities.”

 

Katan's biting words sent a fresh wave of anger through Jason. He used his arms to pull himself toward the carriage, and Katan moved along beside him, never rushing him, but never helping him. When he finally made it to the carriage, he used the wheel to pull himself up, grasped the back firmly, and shifted his weight to one foot in order to climb in. The pain that ripped through the sole of his foot was blinding. He cried out, and collapsed, feeling Katan's strong arms enclose around him, and lift him gently into the carriage.

 

Jason whined in discomfort as Katan closed a heavy iron shackle that was attached to the carriage wall around his injured ankle.

 

“I thought you said that could do permanent damage.”

 

“Then I guess you better not pull on it.”

 

With that, Katan re-seated himself in the driver's seat, and Jason's world went dark as he collapsed from exhaustion and pain.

 

Jason came to slightly as he was being jostled. It occurred to him that he had been transferred from the carriage onto a hospital gurney, and was being wheeled away at a leisurely speed.

 

“This slave has lost a lot of blood, he's going to need a transfusion. We can probably take some from the boy…”

 

“No,” Katan protested angrily, “I don't know where that filthy mongrel has been.”

Jason didn't know why, but in addition to offence, he felt a twinge of sadness that Katan would regard him so. Not that he'd given him much reason to think highly of him.

 

“But sir, we're having a blood shortage right now…”

 

“I will be his donor.”

 

“Uh…yes sir.”

 

The nurse sounded astonished, and Jason didn't blame her, it was unheard of for Vessels to donate blood. Granted, it did allow the receiver to heal much quicker, but most Vessels would not allow themselves to be weakened, even if it did only affect them for a day.

 

There was very little light coming through the window of the small hospital room when Jason was awoken by a stinging sensation in his feet. They felt as if they had been asleep for a very long time. Jason looked around the room and spotted Mark lying on his stomach in the bed next to his,. He was shocked to see Katan sitting on the floor next to Mark's bed, Mark's hand in his, and his head resting on the bed next to him.

 

Jason let out a barely audible whimper as he tried to wiggle his toes to hurry the waking process. Katan stirred awake and looked at him.

 

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you.”

 

“I wasn't asleep.”

 

For the first time, Jason noticed that the hand that was holding Mark's was glowing with a soft blue light.

 

“Is he going to be okay?” Jason's voice held nothing but true concern for the man that had taken his punishment for him.

 

“Yes, he'll be fine. We'll be able to leave here tomorrow.”

 

Mark's eyes opened slowly.

 

“Master, please, don't waste anymore power on me. I'm feeling much better.”

 

“I was trying to keep it from scarring.”

 

Mark smiled softly at Katan.

 

“You and I both know that doesn't really matter.”

 

Katan grunted in protest but released Marks hand.

 

“How are your feet?” Katan's voice was flat, and disconcerting, he didn't even grace Jason with a glance in his direction.

 

“They're…stinging.”

 

`The anesthetic is wearing off.” With that, Katan got up and left the room.

 

“He's really pissed at me.”

 

Mark gave Jason a weak smile.

 

“Not at you. If it were at you, you'd know it. He gets this way sometimes.”

 

“Great, not only is he spoiled, he's moody.” Jason grumbled.

 

“Hey, show some respect, he's been through more than you know.”

 

“hmph.” Jason grunted, but dropped the subject.

 

A few moments of silence passed as Mark shifted carefully in bed, and Jason wiggled his tingling toes.

 

“So why did you do that for me? You hardly know me.”

 

“I wasn't doing it for you. I was doing it for him.”

 

Jason looked puzzled, and Mark gave him a warm smile.

 

“I knew he didn't really want to hurt you, or scare you, or scar you. He was just angry at Tobin, and he let his anger get the best of him. “

 

“Why would you do that for him?”

 

“I owe him a lot.”

 

“He owns you, you should hate him.”

 

“He has never done anything to deserve my hatred, but he has done much to earn my respect, and my love.”

 

“How can you love someone who took your freedom away?”

 

“My freedom was gone long before I met Master Katan.”

 

“Well I hate him.”

 

“You…should give…him…a…chance.” Mark muttered as he drifted off to sleep.

 

The next day, Katan was visibly weaker than normal. He chained Jason securely in the carriage, and lay Mark gently beside him.

 

“If you struggle at all, I will shoot you up with the same sedatives you were given before.” Katan warned.

 

“Yes Sir.”

 

Katan growled.

 

“I mean, Master. Yes Master.”

 

“Better.” Katan grumbled as he went to the front of the carriage.

 

A couple hours later, Jason gasped as they pulled up to the heavy wrought iron gates of the most beautiful estate he had ever seen.

 

The mansion was huge, and the lawn was green and lush. There was a fountain out front, and large circular driveway around it.

 

“Pretty, isn't it?” Marked asked, smirking at Jason's reaction to the place he already considered home.

 

“Spoiled, moody, and rich.”

 

“Well did you think he was poor, plopping down 10,000 gold to keep you out of Tobin's hands?”

 

Jason looked at mark wide-eyed.

 

“I had no idea he paid so much for me…”

 

Mark smiled. “Get used to it. He drops money like that a lot.”

 

Two doormen rushed forward and helped Mark out of the back, then unchained Jason, and manhandled him inside.

 

Once inside, Katan sunk into a chair by the door, as mark kicked his shoes off in the coat closet, and a female maid rushed forward to remove Katan's shoes.

 

“Katie, please have Estevan prepare a guest room for my new slave.”

 

“Yes, Master.”

 

“Mark, he'll be sleeping in your room tonight. I need him watched until I'm sure about him.”

 

“Yes, Master.”

 

“Jason, you will help mark change the dressing on his wounds.”

 

“Yes…”

 

Katan cut him off before he could finish. “I'm going to go rest, I will see you both at dinner.”

 

With that Katan walked away.

 

Jason stared after him and wondered if he'd ever be able to regain the man's trust, then he immediately began wondering why that should matter.

 

He followed Mark to his room, which was lavishly supplied, he had many nice clothes, books, a lush bed with lots of pillows…he was treated better than any slave Jason had ever met.

 

“What sort of a slave are you, anyway?”

 

“I am an all purpose slave, I serve him as he sees fit. Mostly I perform valet services.”

 

Mark disappeared into the bathroom, returning with an armful of bandages and salve. He unbuttoned his shirt, letting it drop to the floor revealing a bandage that covered most of his torso. He reached awkwardly behind him, feeling for the end of the bandage.

 

“Here, let me help you.”

 

Mark sat on the bed with his back turned to Jason, allowing him to unwrap his bandages. Jason gasped as he revealed not only the recent, almost healed wounds, but a back and chest mangled beyond recognition by old whip scars.

 

“I'm sorry,” Mark apologized, “I should have warned you. I know it's a shocking sight.”

 

Jason's hands trembled in anger as he smoothed the salve as gently as possible over Marks wounds.

 

“How can you say you love him, knowing what he's done to you.” Jason did nothing to try to mask the rage in his voice.

 

Mark caught his trembling hands in his own, and turned to look Jason in the eye.

 

“Yesterday was the first time our master has ever done anything to scar my body.”

 

Mark watched as the shock registered in Jason's eyes.

 

“More importantly he healed the scars that can't be seen, the ones on my soul.”

 

“I don't understand…”

 

“I have been a slave since I was 10 years old. My first master was a cruel, heartless man who expected perfection of me without training me. Every slip up earned me 10 lashes from his whip. When I turned 11, he upped the punishment to 11 lashes, and so on. When my back was too cut open to punish, he would whip my chest. When I was 14, he took me to a public meeting, he was an ambassador, and during the meeting my stomach growled loudly, causing everyone to laugh at him. As a punishment he took me out after the meeting and beat me. The beating went on so long, I knew he was trying to kill me. At last it stopped, but not because he had decided it was enough, it was because a boy, not much older than you are now, was standing between me and my master's whip. Katan offered him money, but my Master said I was going to pay for his embarrassment with my life. Katan again offered him money, warning him to take the deal, and when my master again refused, they entered a Vessel's duel.”

 

Jason gasped, knowing that for a young Vessel to enter into a duel was reckless at best. Duels were to the death, and they were a test of powers and will. A young Vessel would not have the skill or control to be successful in such a situation.

 

“It nearly killed him, but Katan dueled, for me. He won, barely, and he took me in. I became his first slave. He was always kind, and gentle, and patient with me. We did not speak each other's language, so that was a challenge in and of itself. I was scared of everything, I trusted no one, I was like a wild horse, afraid of my own shadow, but he worked with me until I gained confidence, and poise. He taught me to read and write, and protected me. It wasn't easy for him. Since he was so young, word got out quickly about his duel victory, and the other Vessels wouldn't have it, they began challenging him, and of course he had no choice but to except dangerous duel after dangerous duel.”

 

Jason nodded as he began to re-wrap Marks bandages, knowing that the rule states if you turn down a duel you must offer the challenger your most prized possession.

 

“Finally, the other Vessels stopped challenging him, as enough of their comrades fell, instead they began attacking him personally, through investment scams and anything else they could use against him.”

 

“Why were they all so against one of their own?”

 

“Katan is not nobility.”

 

“Really? But he has all this money!”

 

He was orphaned at a young age, and his distant relative took him in, his relative was the aristocrat, and as his only heir, Katan inherited the title upon his death. He was put in this position at the age of 16. Many did not approve.”

 

“I see.” Jason said as he sat back, testing Mark's bandages to ensure they were secure. Can I ask what those words were that you spoke earlier? I know it wasn't Euphorian.”

 

“No, it was my native tongue, Ayerien. When I first came to Master Katan I knew only 4 words, as I was allowed to speak only 4 words since my enslavement. Yes, “honde” No, “Gonoa” Master, “Kajeerah” and please, “wayla.”

 

“You mean that cruel man actually allowed “no” into your vocabulary?”

 

“Yes, for when I was begging. He loved to hear me beg.”

 

Jason's only response was a sad scowl.

 

“For several days after he rescued me, I did noting but cower in a corner, repeating a mantra of “Wayla, Kajeerah, wayla.” Finally Master brought in a tutor, who translated for him. That was the first time I ever saw him near tears, and the compassion I saw in his eyes was what ultimately drove me to reach out to him for the help that I so desperately needed.”

 

By now both Mark and Jason were near tears at his moving story.

 

“So, I don't get it, what made him change so much?”

 

“He has not changed that much. He did go through a dark period in his life, but I think he came through it rather well. I think your judgments of him are rather harsh.”

 

“I saw him shoot a young boy at the auction, for no reason!”

 

Shock registered on Mark's face. “You must be mistaken. Master would never do something like that.”

 

“I know what I saw.”

 

“Perhaps you should ask him, if it bothers you.”

 

Jason scoffed, “Yeah, if you haven't noticed he's not real chatty toward me.”

 

“Give him some time to regain his strength, he will be kind to you again.”

 

Jason nodded, surprised that in his heart he truly hoped Mark's words were true. He wanted another chance to prove himself to his new master.

 

What am I thinking? He's not my master. I'm not a slave.

 

“Now, please, let me repay your kindness by helping you bathe, I'm sure your feet are still too sore to stand for a shower.”

 

“Oh, umm…” Jason blushed and stammered.

 

“No need to be shy, I bathe master all the time, I'm very professional, I promise.”

 

Jason nodded.

 

“I suppose I do stink.”