Slave Girl 2: Chapter 124 (Patreon)

With growing frustration I try to throw Toke off of me but his grapple was locked in and the only way I could change that easily was to allow him to lift me and slam me back down onto the stone platform. An option that very well might knock me out cold which was the last thing I wanted right now. Given my vantage point, besides Rosa, I was the only one thus far that could see that anything was amiss. With Rosa’s cry and my reaction Cassie could tell something was wrong but she couldn’t see what. The others all watched the bout with the same level of interest, probably thinking my shouted call for pause was just a delaying tactic to gain the upper hand again. As best I could while holding Toke at bay I watch as the ribbon of blood reaches the disk of copper at the center of the platform and gradually encircles it.

“Master! Quin! Get away!”

“Rrr! Toke! Get off of me!”

“No handshakes.” He hisses as he wretches me from side to side. “No truce. We end this as warriors!”

With the bulls head now framed by a perfect circle of blood the ring affixed through the nose of the engraving lifts as if by some invisible hand. The blood settles a moment then slowly begins to creep inward through the grooves of the relief, drawn toward the lifted ring like oil down the slopes of a shallow bowl. At one point the dark crimson fills every line of the fearsome monster’s visage. The filled outline lasts only a moment though as it quickly fades around the edges. The blood continued to be drawn inward yet there was no pooling or overflowing the grooves. I realize that Toke’s life fluid was being pulled into the holes where the ring was attached to the plate. The minotaur was sucking the blood into it’s nostrils!

The flow was swift and steady for a couple of seconds until suddenly it slows. A sort of spasm ripples out through the blood and at its edges the sharp congealed outline begins to thin.

“Rosa!” Cassie barks. “Stop!”

Glancing back I see my slave fangs bared with her hands outstretched, the pattern of her horns aglow and her eyes ablaze with green power while locked onto the magic of the minotaur plaque. It was Rosa who had hindered the flow of blood…at the cost of revealing her secret talent! No!

I wasn’t the only one who had noticed as one by one my men were turning their heads to see the eldritch light shining in the demon’s fierce eyes. At the edge of the firelight with nothing but darkness behind her the flickering form of the lithe horned figure with its glowing eyes and horns looked like a nightmare come to life. With weapons gripped and ready in their hands my crew turn toward this unexpected sight.

“Witch!” Gasps Lucas.

Sensing the shift in mood and focus Cassie turns around to face her brother and the other men. In a blur an arrow is nocked in her bow and half drawn. “Don’t you take one step forward!”

“GNGH!” I lose focus on what is happening as Toke digs a punch into my ribs. “Fuck! Get off of me man! There is more at play here!”

“Get back!” Shouts Cassie.

“She’s a witch.” Lucas says, a tremble of dangerous fear in his voice. “Rosa is a witch!”

“Miss Rosa?” Oeneus says. “Wh-What’s going on? What are you doing?”

“Come away from her Cassie.” Lucas pleads. “She’s cast a charm you. On you and Quin. She’s…”

“Idiot!” Cassie cuts him off. “Stand the fuck back! All of you! I swear to the gods I’ll shoot!”

“Rahhh!” Refocusing on my stubborn obstacle. I twist, he turns. I feint, he counters. At last I resort to clubbing down on him but in his current position all I can make proper contact with is his upper back and shoulders. “Let…me…go!”

Beyond our battle a shouting match was now taking place as Cassie faced off against her brother and some very confused men.

“Get away from her you bathtardth!” A goblin squeal enters the row. With an incredible agility given her roly-poly roundness Colly weaves through the men to join Cassie in standing between them and Rosa who was still focused upon the platform. In on chubby hand she holds fist sized stone and in the other a short curved dagger. “Nobody toucheth Rotha!”

“Stand aside, slave!” Lucas barks. “Cassie…”

“Lucas! Lower your gods damned weapon!”

“Would everyone calm down!” Shouts Aristocles as he attempts in vain to lower the temperature on this heated exchange.

Behind it all I see my Lady, her face contorting with effort. “I…can’t…!” Her body shudders and she staggers back, her focus is broken. “Master, run!”

My gaze snaps back to the plaque just in time to see the last of blood drawn through the bull’s nostrils. After a moment of still the ring begins to rise, pulling with it the copper plate to which it was attached. It doesn’t simply lift the plate but stretches the metal as if were as supple as wool cloth. I’d once seen a waterspout tornado form over the sea near Paestrum and the way the bull’s long nose sprout out from the flat surface reminded me of that. From muzzle the form emerging widens into the eyes, ears, horns and neck of mythical minotaur. Still going the thick neck comes next followed quickly by shoulders wider and thicker than mine. The green patina cracks along the pattern of the labyrinth and as the metal expands the gleam of clean copper is revealed in the spaces.

The raised voices fall hushed as all attention turns from Rosa to the magic that we could now all see clearly. At last even Toke senses that something momentous was afoot and gives up his hold to rise and stand at my shoulder. Over the course of no more than a feather’s fall we watch in awe as a great figure of copper is pulled from the earth to stand looming in the center of the ancient platform. Once the hoofed feet find purchase on the now blank face of copper where the relief once was the ring stops rising and shifts to pull the bull-man’s wide face to look forward.

Clink.

The force manipulating the ring releases it to let it fall naturally to hang from septum to the thing’s upper lip. In that moment a prickling buzz that filled the air fades away, only noticed now because of its absence.

All goes still and quiet as we gaze upon a grand statue of copper that hadn’t been there just a moment ago. It stands inert, all signs of life and magic completely absent now, as the drizzling rain wets and runs down its metal surface as it would any other statue.

“She did this!” Cries Lucas.

“Shut up, fool!” His sister shouts. “Idiot!”

“What is this sorcery?” Whispers Toke at my side as he wipes his mouth and chin of blood.

“Blood magic.” I say as I cautiously take a half a step to the side to get a better look at its front. “It ate your blood and came to life.”

The figure was that of the legendary Minotaur alright. It’s nude body was that of a massive and muscular man and it’s huge head that of a long-horned bull. It’s fresh copper gleamed in the light except for the mottled patches of blue-green patina that once formed the surface.

Onto the platform steps Julian and Aristocles to inspect this sudden new presence among us. All of us were wary at its miraculous appearance but the completely static figure now looked to be nothing but a statue. Torch in hand Aristocles holds the light closer so we might see it more clearly.

“It’s an ugly bastard.” Quips Oeneus.

“Never mind the damned statue!” Lucas says in frustration. “It’s one of her tricks. She’s trying to distract us.”

“I don’t think Miss Rosa is a witch.”

“Then how do you explain…!?”

“Quiet!” Barks Aristocles, his eyes narrowing as he leans toward the figure. “This is no magic illusion.”

“Careful Ari.” I say in a low voice as he reaches for it.

Ignoring my caution he touches it with the tips of his fingers. “The craftsmanship is…flawless.” He whispers, before raising his voice for all to hear. “But it is craftsmanship. This was forged by men.” He traces a finger just along the curved bottom of a pectoral muscle. “Here. This was molded in pieces and forged together.”

“What is it?”

“An idol? A relic? A treasure? I’m not sure.” He says. “It is said that the monster once had a cult of its own.”

“And still does I bet.” Lucas says. “One horned demon to summon the other.”

“Would you shut…up!” Cassie exclaims. “You don’t have a clue what you are talking about.”

“Cassie.” He pleads. “Come away from her. From them.”

“It wasn’t Rosa.” I say, sickened to my core that this many people now knew of my beloved’s most dangerous secret. “She was trying to stop it. It was Toke’s blood that activated the magic.”

“A blood sacrifice to open the secret vault.” Aristocles says. “Sounds like cult behavior to me. Quin, your villa is rife with symbolism of the cursed monster. Perhaps this was once a center of worship.”

“Cursed monster?” I mutter. “This land has a cur…mm, nevermind.”

“Perhaps the magic was used to store and hide this statue until the cult could reclaim it.” He gives the surface a thudding knock of his knuckles. “This item alone would be worth a fortune, Quin. A fortune! And I have just the contacts to find a buyer of bronze statuary.”

“This is no time to think about business, Aristocles.”

“Spoken like a poor man.” Aristocles chuckles. “We may find even more buried below it now that the lock has been picked.” He looks down at his leg to where Colly now clutched.

"That'th a BIG penith!"

"He he he. Why yes it is." He says with a kinky smile. “Go ahead, dumpling. It’s just a statue.”

As Collywaddle reaches out to touch the leg I turn my attention toward Lucas who still had his focus on the mother of my child. And that was about to end. I hop from the platform and march his way.

“Our fight.” Grumbles Toke.

“We deal with this first.” I say as I step in on Lucas and push him back from Rosa. “If you’ve got a problem with her…”

“I do.” He says bluntly. At his sides his shield and wooden sword remain at the ready. “You are not yourself, Quintus. Perhaps you haven’t been for a very long time.”

“Lucas.”

“Think about it!” Lucas points to me but is speaking to the others. “He got this piece of land. A stranger from far away. Nobody had even heard of him. Was he even related to Paullus? Nobody here would know. And did Paullus die naturally? He wasn’t that old. Who knows!”

“You’re losing it, Lucas.” Gyasi says.

“He suggested this place for us to train. He did. This place of all places. He goaded Toke so that they fought on this particular midnight. And he blooded Toke over the center and held him there until there was enough of it on the ground.” His eyes narrow. “Just as his Mistress commanded him to do.”

“You were the one who brought Toke here in the first place.” I reply. “You were the one who wanted to train.”

“Were my thoughts my own? Or hers?”

“You’re paranoid.” Quique says. “It’s Rosa! It’s Miss Rosa. She’s one of us.”

“Master Lucas.” Rosa says, her voice small, soft, and placating. “I am not the monster you believe me to be.”

“Do not speak your poison, witch, lest I cut out your foul tongue!” Lucas seethes. “The cult you speak of is here, Aristocles. It is right in front of us.”

“You little son of a…!” I go to disarm him, forcibly.

“Master!” Rosa’s voice cracks with the Lady’s authority and stays my advance. “Now is not the time. We should get away from here. I do not like that…HAH! MASTER!”

Her frightened gasp makes me turn to look at her. Once more her wide eyes are focused on the center of the platform. Aristocles, Colly, and Julian were all around the towering statue to closely inspect what they believed to be an valuable treasure while Toke was down on one knee recovering from the blows I’d landed on him. What none of them had noticed was the that the bull’s great head was moving and looking down at the torch bearing man directly in front of it!

“Aristocles!” I call out, too late.

He turns to look at me as above him in one smooth arcing motion the living copper statue raises its long arm to bring it down on top of the unsuspecting man’s skull with savage violence. I watch in helpless horror as Aristocles’ skull is crushed down into his shoulders. The crunch of bone, the sickening squish of soft gray matter, and the splatter of blood upon the wet stone announced in an instant that my friend was no more.

Chapter 125