Merna Things have been quiet since the gathering. The Master had left me in charge of running the estate in his absence. I was fully well aware that Ashur, Kudiya and Zefer were keeping an eye on me. Reporting back everything that I was doing to their father. I would like to say that my encounter with Ashur was the cause of their change in demeanour, but something told me that was not the case. Kudiya and Zefer would not keep eye contact with me for longer than three seconds. Any eye connection with Ashur was knowledge of what we had done in the old section of Chaos’ home. I took Chaos’ leave more of a test to see if I was able to maintain and follow the orders he had set for me. Besides a few times, I got grunts from the hunters who were not too keen on a human born telling them what needed to be done, work was completed promptly. My favourite time was strolling around the border. It gave me time to think about what I had spoken about with Puabi, regarding Camile. After the gathering, I noticed a sudden change in Puabi’s attitude towards me. It was a mixture of fear and wanting to be friendly towards me. Though it was weak, she did have the gift of sight. What she saw in me frightened her. I guess in her mind it was best to be friends with me, then make me an enemy. Giving my head a shake, I got back to work. One of the tasks that had been left to me was getting the next auction prepared. I was given instructions to make sure that the location was ready and everyone was prepared. Emma and Camile were one of the many that were to be sold after the upcoming blood moon. It was my job to go to the individuals and inform them of the Master’s order. In the short time that Emma had been here, she was showing signs of her pregnancy. The mages that were in charge of this area were all too happy to hear that Emma was going to leave. Even though she spent every day tied/tied to a pole, this did not stop Emma from causing a ruckus. I wish I could force myself to feel pity for her, but for the amount of time she runs her mouth and fights back, I could not bring myself to shed a tear. I was holding the chart in my hand, “do you know the species that she carries?” I needed to document what the mage had to say. “It will please the Master that it is carrying a Bugbear offspring!” The Mage gave me a toothy grin. “Do you know the gender of the unborn child?” I said as I was ready to get down the answer. “It is not clear … Everything indicates a female, but not all is lost … there is still a profit to be made. Not every offspring will be of the weaker gender.” The mage declared to me.I placed my writing tool down on the clipboard, “not everything is about physical strength, there is mental strength as well.” “Once again … weak!” The Mage made it clear that I was one of those weaklings that he could not stand. “I would love to see you say that to my face once the war has begun!” I did not wait for the Mage to say anything else. I had to do the next hardest thing. I would have to tell Camile that she was chosen to be sold at the auction. Chaos knew that he would bring in a hefty amount of gold for Camile. Of all those he was going to sell, he knew he was going to make more with her. I had entered the domain of the pleasures. My eyes scan the females! They were gossiping and laughing until I stopped in front of Puabi. “Camile?” I spoke her name trying to keep my voice from cracking. This was going to be harder than I had originally thought. I had played this scenario in my head, preparing myself. “Merna!” Camile had a glowing smile on her face. It broke me to have to say this, “I have to inform you …” I cleared my throat, swallowing the saliva that formed in my mouth. “The auction that is upcoming … your name is on it!” The room went silent, if a pin had fallen, you would have heard it hitting the floor. Puabi glared at me with shock, but something told me she knew this was coming. ‘He is punishing me!’ I could hear Puabi’s thoughts. “He promised that he wouldn’t sell me unless he needed the gold!” Camile started to wail as everything started to connect. She was to be sold and would no longer be residing here. My face was flat, lacking emotion as Puabi and I had our eyes locked, ‘I tried, his price was my freedom … I can not sell myself, not even for Pierre!’ I linked Puabi. Glaring at Camile, I saw the same vision that I had been seeing since we got here. Puabi got up from her spot, guiding a wailing Camile off of the cousin, ‘he is punishing me! Chaos warned me not to get attached to her. And I did the opposite of that!’ ‘I am so incredibly sorry!’ I linked Puabi as I turned to leave the location knowing that I had work to complete. There was something about selling Camile that got under my skin. For all in purpose, Camile had done nothing wrong inside and out of the Master's domain. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I know that innocent individuals get hurt all of the time. Yet I could not shake the feeling that I had to do something about this situation. ‘Was it possible that the Master knows and is punishing Puabi?’ I thought to myself as I strolled silently along the hall walls. As far as I knew Camile had shown herself to be useful. When she was not entertaining the hunters, she would be in the kitchen, surviving meals or messages. I even heard that she reorganized the storage unit, taking her skills in business and utilizing them to make a functional system here. What I did not understand was why would the Master just sell her when Camile seemed to be useful here. *** I exhaled as I rested my hand on a tree close to the portal. Glaring at the doorway that would allow me out of this place. I found the exit a while back, each time I came to the portal I thought about Camile … Pierre and my oh-so-close to freedom. After thinking about all three situations, I would exhale, glance behind me, and think about the shitty life that I had before here. Study the portal, and think about my time here. Each time, I pivoted away from the chance of freedom and headed back to the Master’s home. There I would organize the next set of duties that would have to be performed, and organize the paperwork. After everything was completed I would bathe and dip my nose once again into paperwork. Frowning, ‘I thought my end goal was to leave this place?’ I thought to myself. I sat at the table tapping my finger on the table trying to dive into the work that sat before me, I just could not get myself to concentrate. I was glaring at the list of families that were going to come to the bidding. My mind replayed the event with Puabi again. ‘You are distressed!’ The mother of all mothers' voices entered my mind. ‘Mother!’ I acknowledged her presents. Chiming in my mind, ‘What is bothering you? I would have thought that your conversation with your friend Pierre would have soothed your worried mind.’ I huffed out all the air in my lungs. ‘I never had the chance to speak with him. He was on an assignment! Yet, it is not Pierre that has me bothered, it is another human born!’ ‘A friend? I thought you did not have friends, only enemies!’ She quoted my favourite saying. I smiled and started to chuckle, ‘she is not a friend just someone I believe is going to be wronged. There are two lives that will be shattered with one action.’ ‘I see … tell me everything!’ My creator's tone was soothing. After telling Mother everything I let out a breath of frustration. ‘I know that Puabi would care for Camile and Camile would be a valuable member of this group.’‘I know Chaos very well, when he says he is going to do something … it means that it is final. The only way that you could possibly change Camile’s fate, is to give Chaos what he is wanting.’ I snorted, ‘the cost he asked of me was my freedom and obedience. Camile will go to the highest bidder! I have already seen the possible outcome and it will kill her. It is a shame since Camile just started to smile again and … well you know what is going to happen.’ ‘Give what Chaos wants for her!’ My mother had a hint of humour in her tone. ‘You know what he is wanting, my freedom! Or gold!’ I stated facts. ‘My dear child!” She cooed, ‘What did you see? What is the highest bid for the female?’ ‘I see the bid starting at thirty thousand gold pieces. By the time the male mage says sold I hear ninty- seven gold pieces. That is when two hearts break and Camile dies!’ I tried to not get emotional. Emotions would not solve this issue. ‘I see! Well my dear, to save two hearts and a life, you will have to give Chaos what it is that he is wanting.’ My creator stated to me cheerily,/ as if it were a trifling matter. I started to laugh sarcastically, ‘there is no way that I can get over ninty- seven gold pieces. I wouldn’t even know where to go to get the gold.’ My mother cooed again in my head, ‘All you have to do is ask my lovely daughter!’ I started to understand why my mother was so cheery, she had a plan that all I had to do was ask for help. ‘Mother … where do I go to get gold?’ I tried not to seem desperate. ‘I will give it to you!’ She started to laugh. ‘And what do you want in return?’ I knew that nothing comes for free, she told me this several times during my growth. ‘Nothing! This is what parents do for their children after all.’ Again I could hear the laughter. It was almost like this was a joke that I was unaware of. ‘Nothing …’ I hesitated, ‘I have never known anything to come free in this realm or the Earth realm.’ ‘I have my reasons! They do not concern you but my brother!’ Mother chuckled with mischief. ‘He is going to be pissed!’ I pointed out with a grin on my face. ‘As you so elegantly put it, yes! Chaos has always been known to get whatever he wants. He is not used to others outsmarting him.’ She started to howl with laughter.‘Nor questioning him!’ I added with laughter. Both of us laughed for a while before I brought my mind back to the task at hand. “Thank you!” I whispered as I started to get the paperwork completed. ‘What you need will appear when the time comes … I ask for only one thing … make sure my dear brother knows who supported your funding!’ My creator sounded a bit upset, ‘he did not even think to invite me to his gathering! I was offended by not receiving a card!’ ‘This is personal payback that he has no idea why he is being targeted!’ I could not help but laugh. ‘Now you are getting it! He deserves everything that comes his way! Also when he is ready to punish you, let him know if he wants more, he better make sure you are unharmed!’ The hint of humour was gone. Even though my gift of sight was strong, my mother was always much better than mine.