tales of blue and red

The man was still alive enough to show shame at his appearance, not that it was his fault. Chimera had seen the affects that slavery could have on a being. They sometimes forgot themselves and their own self care. He wouldn’t hold it against the man, but he would expect him to be clean from here on out. Chimera was meticulous with his own grooming and he expected his family, his servants and his guests to follow the same suite.

It took time to heat the large copper cauldrons of water and while he did so, he paid little attention to the filthy man, allowing him to rest upon the mats on the bathing chambers floor. Once the bath was filled enough with steaming water, he tempered it with some cold water until it was very warm, but it wouldn’t scald the emaciated mans no doubt sensitive skin. “After your bath, you will be fed and housed,” he spoke to Erystotle. “Nothing will be expected of you until you regain some of your strength.”

Moving out of the chamber, Chimera called for Dalila. He trusted the woman to do what needed to be done. Also, as a former slave, she would understand the man’s plight and would no doubt be able to work with his timid disposition. When the mottled woman arrived, Chimera briefed her quickly and quietly. “He’s in bad shape,” the King started off with. “Our new servant,” he added after. “Please bathe him, feed him. He’ll be kept in the small chamber next to my own, you know the one.” There was something about the man that had pulled him in, drawn him to the brute’s pearlescent light. Leaning forward, Chimera placed a sudden kiss upon Dalila’s forehead. “Thank you,” he spoke softly. “I’ll get the basics so that he can eat and rest. Take him to the servants chamber once you’re done.”

Moving from the room, Chimera didn’t look back even once. He collected furs and cushions. Food and drink. Small items that he believed the man might need. Anything else could be collected later. Once done, the Fenmyre King sprawled out on the wide porch of wooden slatting and stared up at the eternal night sky, wondering as this strange feeling that had surfaced within him.


"Chimera"