Chp 6: Waffles!

   Jangus bathed in despair. He washed his hair in sorrow. Shaved his face in guilt. Marza was comforting Bug in the adjacent room. He could hear her bawling through the thin walls. His heart seized at each sob. His stomach wrenched each time he heard her sniff.

   ...Jay is one of the good guys...

   ...Yes, I agree. Whatever he was in the recent past…

   The words echoed violently in his memory, paining him with each syllable. Whatever he was. What had he been? What was he now? Everything he knew was a lie. But he had known that for some time. Is that what he was, then? A living lie? And when you strip away the lies, and lay the soul bare… nothing? Gods, the evils he had done… The lives he had taken…

   ...just another burner…

   He shook Heyden’s voice from his head as he buttoned up his expensive, ruffled shirt. Bug had settled down some, though occasionally low, pained moans could be overheard along with Marza’s reassuring voice. “Hush now, Sophia. There’s a good girl. Neveryoumind.”

   Whatever he was… He didn’t want to be that anymore. He couldn't. The girl probably wanted him dead. Maybe that was the best way. It would be so simple… and he certainly deserved it. Heyden’s poison was still in his pack, somewhere. It worked quickly, if a little messy. A shocking thought came to him, of Marza witnessing the mess. He was willing to bet that her anger would be enough to bring him back from the dead, just so she could kill him again. He looked at himself in the mirror. A sorry spectacle. Pathetic.

   ...capture or kill?...

   That was the question, then. Wasn’t it? How had he ever been so cavalier about it before? “Because it wasn’t your life, a*****e.” He said out loud to his reflection. Other-him looked back in disgust. He went to his gear, piled in the corner of the room. Heyden’s poison was right where he had left it: alone in a side pocket. Jangus could feel the hard lump the needle made from the outside. He snapped open the side pocket.

   Knock knock knock

   “Right out!” He shouted hastily, retrieving his hand. Even as he answered, the door opened without any hesitation or courtesy of waiting. Marza’s small figure entered the room immediately, and with a wave of her hand the door shut behind her. “Aw, I missed it already? Shame… Well… Sophia is quite upset.” She put extra emphasis on the name. “Understandably so. Could you even imagine? The poor child. Of course, it’s all your fault.” She paused here, eyeing Jangus as she waited for a challenge she would not receive. “Well… at least marginally. She wants you dead, you know? Or she did. But I explained everything to her. Yes, yes.”

   “You… explained it to her?” Jangus could taste the confusion in the words.

   “I explained how you came here to join us. To repent, and to forsake your wicked ways. To pledge your life in service of The Promissory, and the defense of all the Purebloods of the land. She was quite impressed… quite impressed. She’ll need time, but she’ll come around. Or she won’t, and you’ll just have to live with what you’ve done.”

   “How I…How...I...” Jangus began to speak but failed.

   “Pledged your life in service, yes. Just like you told me.” The annoyed tone was tempered with patience.

   “Like I… told you?” The confusion was thick and sour on his tongue, and prevented the words from leaving.

   “Oh, come. Don’t be coy. You can’t keep secrets from Marza. I know things about you that you don’t even know.” There was that barracuda smile, again. Lustful and hungry. “I know what you want. I know what you’ve done.” She approached Jangus, little more than half his height. “I know your parents, and I know your children. I know your past, your present, and every one of your futures.” She reached up and toyed with the ruffles on his shirt, her black eyes shining.

   “My futures?” Jangus asked, voice quavering now.

   “Mmmmm. Your futures.” She answered, her hand slowly caressing his chest through his shirt. “I brought you here to save you from them.” She smiled at him coyly, and gave him a wink. He saw it this time! For sure, he saw it! This made the sudden pain that shot through his testicles all the more surprising, as she grabbed his balls and squeezed harder than a creature of her size had any right to be able to do. He gasped deeply, but did not cry out in pain.

   “And, now... You. Owe. Me. Do we understand each other?” She cocked her head to the side as she intensified her grip.

   Jangus shook his head affirmatively, as high pitched noises involuntarily came out of his mouth. Marza’s eyes seemed to glisten with delight.

   “Good.” She released her vice-like grip, and Jangus fell to his knees. “We have reached an understanding.” She took his face in both her tiny purple hands, and forced his face up to look upon her. His eyes were shut tight. Marza laughed, and pressed her lips against his. Jangus opened his eyes in surprise and alarm. Marza laughed again, and turned to exit the room. “Come, Mister Feldspar… If you can find your feet. You may prove to still have some use to this world, yet.”

   Robin’s office was immaculate, and decorated all in gold and cream. He sat in a large swivel chair, behind a great metal desk. Two hands were clasped across his belly. Marza had excused herself at the door, to return to her apartment and the care of Sophia.

   “Marza tells me you’re looking for work.” He motioned for Jangus to sit, with his third hand. His fourth raised a cup of tea to his lips, which he sipped expectantly, while watching Jangus.

   “Marza… She… She’s something.” Jangus replied, crossing his legs.

   “In-deed.” Robin looked long and hard at the man, and his eyes proved to be even darker and deeper than the woman’s.

   “She, uh… Yeah. Yeah, I guess I’m looking for work.” Jangus still did not know what to make of his current situation.

   “You guess?” Tell me, are all Stonebloods this indecisive? Or just the ones that join the Shroud?” His question was pointed. It didn’t take a genius to figure that out.

   “Sorry, I… I don’t know what I’m doing here. Marza said…” He was cut off by Robin’s deep voice.

   “Marza said you were here to join The Promissory, and provide whatever aid you could. She said you had pledged your life to the girl. To her and all Purebloods. Did she deceive me?” He drummed his fingers on his belly.

   “No, no. It’s just…” again, Robin did not let him finish.

   “No small thing, to take an Oath like that. If you asked me, I’d say at best, it was made under duress. Would I be far from the truth?”

   “Duress? No! I… Bug. I mean, Sophia... I have… This is… atonement.” Jangus made the realization as the words came out of his mouth.

   Robin sipped his tea, all the while evaluating the man. “If I could trust you… You could be quite the ally. Quite the asset. An ex-Shroud agent? Who better to send to find the Purebloods before the OSR gets their hands on them? If I could trust you, that is.” Jango remained silent, as Robin continued to study him. “They’re looking for you, you know. Your Partner, and the rest of them. He tracked you all the way to the ocean. What do you say to that?”

   “Heyden’s a hell of a tracker. But he aint too keen on magic. Chances are he thinks we fled by boat. That makes you safe. From him, at least. They’ll send more though. They don’t like losing one of their own.”

   “Mmmm. In-deed.” He took another sip of tea before continuing. “You understand my predicament. I can’t trust you, so I can’t very well let you go. You would either get yourself killed, or bring the entire OSR down on our heads. Either way, the blood would be on my hands. And I WON’T have that.” He pounded the table for emphasis. “I won’t have it.” The blackness of his eyes was cold and infinite. He patted the table gently, as if to apologize, and his attitude softened visibly. “So. Tell me. What can you do? Besides hunt and kill innocent men?”

   “I… I…” Jangus tried to reply.

   “Let me guess. You don’t know. Right? You’re beginning to prove quite tiresom…”

   “Waffles!” Jangus shouted, without even meaning to.

   Robin paused, looking at the man in confusion. “I beg your pardon?”

   “Waffles! I can cook! I learned when I was just a lad. I never done it for no one but meself before, but I can try!” Jangus offered, in desperation to find something he could still do.

   “Waffles?” Robin raised an eyebrow.

   “Yeah, Waffles. Eggs, too.” Jangus waited for an answer, while Robin drummed his fingers thoughtfully.

   “Very well. Report to the kitchen. Tell Parnald to put you to work. I’m sure there’s a pot or two you could scrub. You can labor as a scullion until I can divine your character with more… certainty.” Robin sounded bored as he gave his final answer.

   “Thank you, Mister Driftmark. I know I don’t deserve…”

   “Now.” Robin said forcefully. Jangus knew his queue. He nodded the rest of his thanks, and politely stood up, bowing his head as he exited the room. The kitchen was easy enough to find, with all the comings and goings centered around the night’s feast. He followed a serving boy to the lower level, where he found the Kitchen and the Chef, who identified himself as Parnald Widebottom, with a burp and a smile. Jangus was put directly to work, scrubbing pots, just as Robin had promised. He found the work strangely fulfilling, and months passed without him realizing it. When he was finally summoned back to the director’s office, it was in good faith and trust. And Jangus had found a new purpose for his old skills.

Reviews

[Papaya]

Progressing beautifully here.
Do Marza and Jangus do it?
I feel like there's some sexual tension that needs to be relieved between those two.

[Dripping Chocolate Madness]

I feel like if she wanted to, then yes.
Unfortunately that's as far as their story goes for now. But I've been rolling some stuff around for them lol

[Papaya]

I think I'd be into reading that.

[Dripping Chocolate Madness]

Gross. That's gross.
You're gross.
;)

[Papaya]

Yup. Pretty much...