Abigail

Along comes the...

Many things have passed since his first victory….

The death of Master Jacob, from a sudden heart attack makes his intention to kill the man, who he put responsible for what had become the fate of Ameena, and the other two girls, were up in the smoke, especially when he saw that the sisters were accepting their fate and enjoying their time at the manor....

And killing Dorian, who now becomes the Master of the House, never occurs in his mind….

He put his frustration towards intensive, hard, grueling training and his fights in the arena, which eventually put him to be the house champion…. The position he never ever dreamed of in the first place…. Never passed his mind, not even once….

And he kept on becoming their champion until one day, like all the champions before him, he met his match at the arena…

He barely survives the fight…. He was badly injured, caused by slashes of the blade of his opponent cut deep into his body....

If the former accountant was still around, he surely would say that his victory was purely by luck…. And he would agree with him….

But Dorian, having a mind of his own, let him heal completely, which took him about six months and then put him in charge as the new Drillmaster of the house….

Which for him was an insult on its own, having to see younger fighters trying their best to be the house champion, trained them, but he was grateful nonetheless.

He knows for the fact, that a scarred fighter like him, is usually sold to lesser owners, demoted to house slaves, and worse, sold to the mines….

Besides, he can see that under Dorian, under his vision, his well-calculated investments, including the one he actually went against, went, which was the production of white powder, the House flourished, became prominent, highly respected, and elevated in its position in society.

****

Aaron was brought back from his daydreams as the Master, after hearing the report from the courier, asked him a question….

“Apologies, Master Dorian, I failed to hear your question…” He said, embarrassed because he was caught off guard.

Dorian just smirks and asks the courier to leave the room before he repeats his question to the drillmaster, who is grateful that the man spared him the humiliation by repeating the question in front of the courier….

“How many kilograms of merchandise has been lost…? Do we have spare to replace the merchandise….?” He asked, with his hand quickly calculating the loss he had to endure from the incident.

Aaron was just about to answer when another rap on the open door stopped him….

And they saw a servant, looking anxious and afraid that her action would bring anger to the Master, since his order was clear, that he was not to be disturbed….

“What is it….?” Asked Aaron, raising his voice, looking at the frightened servant, when from her side, hidden by the door, a soft, yet chilling voice, sounded…

“Ah, Aaron…. Don’t be so mean…. I'm the one forcing her to take me here...."

Aaron squinted his face as he looked at the female figure emerging from behind the door…. He despises the woman with her white, silky smooth skin, raven black hair, with dark mascara, and dark lipstick that smiles towards the angry drillmaster.

Chilling aura radiates from her tall figure that makes her look like one of the supermodels, with a small waist, and padded hips that walk around the servants whose skin shows goosebumps that are clearly visible as she trembles, as the woman’s hand with dark-colored nail polish touches the servant’s skin….

“Madame Ko…. What a pleasant surprise….” Said Dorian, rising from his chair, and welcoming the woman, despite her age, who was over forty years old, who managed to look about ten years younger, who wears a tight gown that fits perfectly to her figure with a long cut on the left side that makes her long sturdy legs with high heels to cover her feet walks in, passed, ignoring Aaron as she kisses cheeks with Dorian before she sits at his plush study chair, as if it was her own…

Dorian gestured to Aaron with a small tilt of his head, telling the drillmaster not to make any move towards the woman enjoying herself….

Dorian takes the seat at the other side of the study desk, smiling politely at the woman…

“To what do we have this honor by your presence, Madame Ko…?” He asks, studying the woman who reads his documents without permission, using them as a paper fan and said…

“Today is very hot, isn’t it, Dorian….?” She said in her low, whispery sound that was heard more like a serpent hiss to Aaron’s ear….

“Ah, where is my manner….” Said Dorian, rising from his chair, walked towards the tray filled with expensive liquor that he poured into two crystal tumblers, handed one to the woman, made a toast and both sipped their drinks….

“Indeed…” Said Dorian, as he returned to his seat… “The sun brings some heat to us, apparently….” He continued, he already had the feeling that the woman was not come for some small talk about the weather….

“Yes….” She said, sipping and nodding in approval at the choice of the liquor…. “And unfortunately, some of this heat seems to hold the deliverance of some of my merchandise as well….” She said, setting her gaze with a grin towards the man…

“I believe that you have no intention of doing that, right, Dorian…?” She said, sipping the liquor….

****

Aaron was about to move, when Dorian raised his hand, still smiling towards the grinning woman, taunting the drillmaster to act….

“Of course, Madame Ko, no intention whatsoever…. It was purely accidental, and I will guarantee you will receive your merchandise, as promised….”

“And what will you do with your missing goods, Dorian…?” She asked, taunting the man…. “Surely you will not let them slide away, won’t you…? Imagine if people knew that they could now steal from the great Master Dorian….” She said with laughter, standing and walking out the room, accompanied by the trembling servant….

****

“That was quick, don’t you think, Aaron…? Makes one wander….” Dorian said, still sitting on the chair opposite his plush chair that seemed to still leave the residue of the chilling aura from the woman….

“Yes…. It’s very convenient she came right at the time we got the news….” said Aaron, looking at the open door, still managing to sense the presence of the serpents that had just left the premise….

“Send our men to the marina, and scout his regular routes… And be sure that you deliver the new merchandise yourself.” He continues as he rises from his seat and is ready to leave the room….

“I will see to it….” He said, dropping all the formalities when another person presented them.

Dorian then walks out the study with Aaron and goes to their secret lab, where there they see the production of the white powder….

Dorian gestured towards the chief of the lab who had come to meet them, and then after a brief explanation, he took three duffle bags and filled them with the products, which then he handed towards Aaron, who easily carried them, and after summoning two of their top ten fighters, went towards the gate of the manor….

“She is nasty, Aaron…. Be careful….” Dorian said as he patted the drillmaster on his shoulder….

“I will, Master…. We will be very careful not to get bitten by that serpent”, Said Aaron as he and the two fighters went to the dockyard.