His Hidden Jewel

Wiping the sweat from my brow, I grabbed the last large basket filled with fruit from my master's orchard. It’s hot outside, but I never mind, I enjoy the fresh air. I'm often stuck inside my masters' manor for too long that I feel suffocated. Not out here though. The purple sky feels open and gentle on my skin, not cold like the lifeless stone manor. I set the last of many baskets down in the storage room where my master keeps all the fruits he sells. He only sells two kinds personally from his manor; gogiki and bobomellons. I've always wanted to try them but i wouldn't dare after the first, and only time, master caught me trying to sneak a bobomellon. My back ached for weeks after the whipping I received. I assume theyre quite popular with how many and how quickly master seems to sell them. I hear footsteps and I instincgly cast my gaze down. “Slave, are you done yet?” My master asks, his dark, mellow voice, a voice I've heard my entire life. “Yes master. The total ended up to 5,000 gogiki’s,” I say, looking between the baskets. “And 1,036 bobomellons.” My master is a creature called an earth elemental. Elementals are humanoids that grow feathers in their hair, have pointed ears and fangs, tan skin, and colored markings all over their body. My masters markings and feathers are a dark green, which indicates that hes a earth elemental, though that is all I know about elementals, or most creatures really. My master withholds a lot of information about the outside world from me. I've been able to get him to talk a little of the world a few times, but he'd often stop himself mid-story and then just dismiss me. But that never stopped my curiosity. “Good. Let’s see quality” master says as he investigates every basket. “Hm, adequate. Get them cleaned and ready for profit, then start on dinner. Bring up a drink to my office as well.” Master waves me off, and I bow, hiding a smile. While it wasn't a compliment towards me, I can't help but feel proud knowing I single-handedly grew those fruits. “Yes mast-“ Knock. Knock. I frown, I don't remember anyone being scheduled to come by the manor today. “Go answer the door too. Tell whoever it is to come back another time, I don’t have time for guests today.” He waves me off. “Yes of course master, excuse me master,” I murmur, leaving to answer the door. I open the door just enough to speak to the person on the other side, making sure not to be seen at all. Master says I'm not allowed to be seen at all, master says that I’m an ugly monster and I can’t let any other creatures see me or it would tarnish his image. No one has seen my face except master and my parents when they were alive. Though they died so many years ago I can barely even remember their faces. “May I help you?” I ask gently. “Yes I’m here for Lord Bezing..” A cold voice replies. Something about the visitors voice sends shivers down my spine. I swallow. “My lord is busy at the moment and wishes not to be disturbed. He asks that guests visit another time and to please set up an appointment beforehand.” I answer politely back, determined to not let the visitors oddness not affect me. “If that is all I wish you a-“ “Yes I am quite aware I am here under no appointment, but I’m sure Lord Bezing can make the exception for an old friend. Tell him that Lord Verdinin is here to meet with him and that I’m growing more impatient by the second.” While the lords voice remains cool, I can sense the hidden threat in his tone and words. My gut is telling me that this visitor isnt someone I should try to continue to usher away. “I shall go inform my master, one moment please my lord,”I shut the door behind me and head back to the storage knowing master is still in there, deciding which baskets to start selling first. “What is it?” Master asks irritability. “Master, the visitor insists on speaking with you, he says his name is Lord Verdinin...” I gently utter, my fingers squeezing the raggedy fabric of my dress. “Verdinin! Damn I should have known he would just drop by.” Master growls, grabbing a nearby basket of gogiki and throwing it at the wall. The berries splatter all over the wall. I watch with annoyance as the purple juice drips down the walls, knowing I have to clean up the mess and count the gogiki again for inventory. He makes so many messes, I feel like all I do all day is clean up the messes he makes in his rages. Master takes a few deep breathes before straightening himself. “Charity, you know what to do, don’t leave until I get you. No matter how long it takes, you stay in there. And when I do excuse you, I want you to clean up that mess, throw away any half or slightly damaged berries and recount the gogiki for inventory.” I nod quickly at masters hard voice, already expecting to do that all. I had learned my lesson from last time. “I’m going to meet with the visitor, now stop looking like an airhead and go!” “Yes master, excuse me,” I hurry off the instant he finishes. Whenever master has visitors over I have to hide in a small cubby under masters wine cellar. I couldn’t leave the cubby no matter what, not until master comes to get me. A few years ago a small group of guests unexpectedly showed up at masters manor. I was stuck in the cellar for three days straight during that time. And when master didn’t come after the second day, I eventually grew fearful that my master was killed knowing or missing and I left the cubby in search of him. My master luckily, or maybe unluckily, caught me before they could see my hideous face and when he did catch me, his anger was worse than I have ever witnessed. He whipped me till I felt like nothing but a pool of blood, my back felt shredded. He even bit me multiple times. Being an elemental, master has venom in his teeth which he can inject into other creatures through biting them. The venom makes you extremely ill and causes intense vivid hallucinations; a very miserable experience. I felt like I was dying the whole time and I was depressed afterwards when I realized I hadn’t. Once I close myself into the cubby, I curl into a ball, closing my eyes as I lay my head on the cool floor. I can't stand the close walls of the cubby, even after all these years of hiding in it I feel like they're closing in on me and I'm suffocating. I try to force myself to fall asleep every time, I might as well take all the sleep I can get. OooooooO My eyes snap open when a bright light shines me awake. “Get up,” masters voice snaps. I’m instantly on my feet, and bow my head, ignoring the dizziness I got from getting up too fast. “Get started on breakfast, I'm starving, that lord bastard wouldn’t stop pestering me all night.” My master mumbles irritability. Hearing his unhappy mood makes my feet hurry just a bit faster; master can so be unpredictable when he’s in a sour mood. Especially when certain people come to visit. “Yes master, right away, excuse me.” I answer quickly, heading towards the kitchen. I made him a giant platter of food, making sure to include all his favorites in hopes to raise his mood. When I finish, I bring the platter of food to his office, where he usually is at this time, and knock. “Master, may I enter? I’ve brought breakfast,” I say gently but loudly. “… come in.” I enter his office and set his breakfast down. His desk is covered in papers, which is odd. He never usually has this much paperwork this time of year. “Here you are master.” “For today I want you to finish preparing the fruit for profit, groom the flower beds, and complete your daily inside chores. I also want you to deep clean the guest bedrooms.” My master orders calmly as he overlooks papers on his desk. “Yes master.” I bow but my masters words stop me before I could excuse myself. “Charity, come closer.” Odd, master usually never likes me close to him. I take a step forward. “Closer Charity,” he sternly orders. I hide a frown under a stoic mask, but I step close enough to be only a breaths away from one another. Master grabs my chin and pulls my face eye level with his. “Look at me...” My eyes widen in shock at his order but I can’t pull them away from my feet. I've never looked him in the eyes. “I said. Look. At. Me.” Hearing the hardness in his voice, I muster up my strength and look my master in his face for the first time in my entire life. His face was angular and his eyes were a bright yellow. I never expected yellow. He watches me with an expressionless gaze. I’m not sure what he’s thinking and I’m a little fearful to know. After a long moment of staring at me, master let’s go of my chin with a sudden disgusted look. “Take those disgusting eyes off of me.” He commands and my eyes tear away from his. I’m unsure why but I feel humiliated and embarrassed. It must be hard for my master to stare at my face, I should be thankful he has kept me as a slave despite my unsightly appearance. “You’re dismissed.” He waves me off. I don’t need another moment. “Excuse me master,” I mumble and leave the room as quickly as I can. I head down to the storage room to finish the fruit. I walk over to the baskets of the fruit, and stop for a minute, still reeling from that odd interaction with master. My hands grip the sides of the baskets hard, and I stare down at my reflection peering off the shiny berries. My throat burns and I tear my eyes away, no longer able to at my wretched appearance. I look nothing normal like master, my ears are round, not pointy, my skin is all one color, I don't have markings like master, and I don’t have fangs my teeth or feathers in my hair. “Well, aren’t you a treat.”