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Once there was a lonely child with no parents or serfs to speak of living in a luxurious home that was long abandoned to the forces of nature. This child was not tall even as he grew with age and brittle with neglect. By the time he was old enough to reach the top shelves of the library filled with books he was never taught to read, others began to trespass on his land on a simple dare inadvertently meeting him as well. After a while, enough people began screaming demon so the church had become involved with him.
The church was not unkind as with more of they did not know what true kindness was. Manners that were taught were simply having to say things as humbly with a 'please', 'thank you', 'Sir/Ma'am', and 'Lady/Lord.' Punishments weren't overly cruel as so much as they did not know of cruelty but have known necessity. Nonetheless, he had frozen to death on his second winter there due to childish pranks that were thought to be harmless as he began to think he was burning up in the frost.
They did not know of enough kindness to give him a name other than Boy. Perhaps that was all the naming he needed on second thought. But moving on these are all the circumstances that had been made to create such a special boy as Hector.
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Waking up after death was unsettling in a detached way. More so waking in a larger more delicate form. Was he now an adult? How strange. He dearly hoped that there wouldn't be too many misunderstandings with this, but he already felt like there was after the tall scrawny woman had called him a puppy the same way the others would used the name boy for him.
Was that his moniker here? Puppy.
Internally he shrugged, it wasn't the worst thing to be called he presumed. Still, he lifted a hand to his head to check for any dog ears just in case. He could have been cursed with a form of a half dog half person type creature. He was chest became a bit lighter at the discovery of still being human like with no dog ears.
Puppy looked around his room and found himself wanting something warmer. In the purple tones of the room, Puppy was unsatisfied by the cooler hues that were solely included in the design of the room as though no warmth was ever allowed here. It made him feel...feel empty? Somehow.
Makes sense since dogs were pack animals. Never were meant to be all on their own, not that it doesn't happen. Terrifying really, being alone that is. The stillness of his area was too much for his chest. The wasn't any piece of him that was satisfied with his surroundings which obviously means that he needs a change of pace from this bed. Perhaps a nice walk since Puppy was a puppy. Puppies need walks after all.
He made slow motions to slide off the bed till eventually he fell to his hands and knees. There was no shame in the slow crawl to the door, Puppies have no shame after all. He made it as far as the dresser before he had made the tactical decision to hide at the sound of footsteps. Inside the dresser. It was like there was no air there which was optimal for the most part. These strangers weren't like him if they were anything like that scrawny flower woman was acting as. Worse than any human he remembers, perhaps even worse than Ma'aria.
The thumping of different sets of boots vibrated through out the dresser. The pace of his heart tried to speed up as they passed his hiding spot. Gods, this was going to be the end of him. He didn't have the talent of the Thief to hide in such a cramped place with people searching for him.
"Where is my forgemaster, Camilla?"
The darkened voice shook his core beliefs of what could possibly be true. It was only him to be found in this room but he was no smith so far as he could remember. Perhaps there had been another with that moniker and that one panicked seeing him and ... yeah, definitely couldn't be him. Hopefully. Maybe Puppy should pray to Zeus to come fuck some sense out of these people? No, that would be a good way to have lightning strike him down in this dresser and give away his position.
A softer set of footsteps crept inquisitively around the room. A calm voice followed to match the steps, "Perhaps, Hector considering his injuries has found himself in greater trouble with his unknown attackers."
"Or perhaps, if you had let me speak past 'he's awake' you would know that he's confused and clueless." A sharper voice had cut through with the severity of Artemis's weapons towards a fiend. Her voice could easily be matched to clips of heels on the stones below her. She sounded much akin to the scrawny woman with the name of a flower he's never had the chance to scent.
Distantly, he wondered if she got close enough if she would also smell akin to the flower she was named for? If she was a follower was Persephone and her ways, not that he dare to claim to completely know of what Persephone had for her followers do for her rituals. He probably should learn soon since he is a follower of Hades and Hades is the husband of Persephone. It would be more respectful to do so he supposed.
Refocusing his attention to the matter at hand, Puppy found that there was a pair of feet near his dresser. "Clueless and confused?" There was no room for air here. He was the air, he was the dresser, no reason to look here. Nope none. Gods, that voice was too low to be holy but too good to be sinful. What kind of trapping is this?
Hades below, hear me, should I die because of such of a voice, know that I had done as much as I could to live and rise against it. Puppy prayed gently into his hidden soul. There was no way he could just go against a deep voice like that with that kind of authority. He may not remember much but he knows that he is not a man of much strength yet. Gods, if that man tells him to reveal where he's hiding then he might just flop on right out to that man's feet.
"I suspect that he had forgotten most if not all of his faculties due to the attack and the fever he was riddled with thereafter, My Lord." The woman had so eloquently replied. The hum that followed might as well reverberated though his chest with how his heart wanted to jumped out of his chest. What was this feeling? What is happening right now?
The calm steps that followed after was not what he was expecting to travel quietly through the room to search for him. "Hector?"
Oh, thank the Gods, it's not him they're searching for. Just that Hector fellow. Maybe Hector was his Master, should he help them look for him then, but then if Hector was his Master why would he leave him (Puppy) behind? Maybe this place isn't safe. They had mentioned injuries, but then they could of easily been talking about Puppy then since he had injuries as well?
Fuck it all, he should just try to leave, shouldn't he? But they are still here. How should this go? Flop out as planned and run for it? No, too easy to get caught. Flop out with distraction and run for it? No, same as plan one. Flop out and - fuck it, Puppy's staying here until someone finds him. This is too much work now with too little reward.
Without Puppy's notice, the calm man had drawn closer up until that man had the full on audacity to knock on top of the actual dresser where he was hiding in. "Hector, why are you in there."
Gee, I don't know. I felt threaten? Wait, no, he's Puppy - not Hector - isn't he? Not a question for him then, don't have to answer, ha. Was that even a question though? It was phrased like one but didn't have the tone of one.
Maybe if he stays really quiet and very still they won’t notice he’s in here? Another knock. “Hector?”
Fuck
Another round of silence. The footsteps belonging to the man with the most holy sinful voice came to join the calm one’s near the dresser. His dresser.
Oh dear, please no. Don’t do that. The quiet made it much worse than it had to be. It almost felt as though they were speaking with no words yet it had felt as oppressive if they hadn’t at all.
A shift of clothing and a third thump. Not of footstep but almost the same kind as the one Puppy made when he slipped off the bed. Kneeling, perhaps? But why kneel, then? Oh no, was he the one causing trouble and not Hector?
Was this why they were calling for Hector? To reprimand him for being bad. Oh no, oh dear. Don’t hit the Puppy please.
“Camilla, leave. We’ll deal with this on our own.” A small humph was heard before the dainty steps faded out pass the closing doors. “You can come out now, my friend.”
Friend? So no hurts coming to him then. Amazing! But he’d like to stay inside the cramped place for a bit longer. He could be allowed that, right? There’s nothing wrong just it’s a bit too cold out there and the heat’s all trapped in here so. Yeah.
“I’m going to open the dresser now so we can see you.” Please don’t. I don’t want to be seen right now. “You were hurt very badly, Hector.” The voice went on.
Hector this, Hector that. What about Puppy? Or wait a moment
The doors open and Puppy found himself face to face with a man with the sharpest ears in known existence with the whispering question burning in his heart.
“Is Hector supposed to be my name, sir?”