Chapter 7 - Threats

"Back to your pits bitches," the chief of the whip guards shouted and the women jogged down the stairs. Axena kept her eyes on Lixxini, she wanted to see how she'd be dealt with, positively and accordingly or negatively but she couldn't. While on the rungs, she observed the silence that was upon them all, all to herself.

When they finally came to their cell which was locked immediately, sheer silence was invoked as though someone had called for it and that if otherwise, the lives of the perpetrators will be lost. If someone had, in respect to the lost soul of Ix, it would be for one minute but it went on to about a quarter an hour, just heartbeats and sighs and ahems from the women.

Axena wobbled her way through the women and finally found Lixxini at a corner. She was like a drenched bird, with defence and contempt in her eyes but confined to the corner as though she was awaiting the harsh attack of her captor. Her eyes wiggled left to right in her socket, and she rested her back on the black walls that made the cell seem as though a long-term wood-burning happened there. Axena stared at her with a lot against her. First for the self-centredness idea that brought about Ix's death and then the way she hid herself when they were building up a fighting squad. With her skills, Axena knew they stand a chance. Lixxini returned the stare. 

"You want a cloth too?" Lixxini spoke after she returned the stare. 

"You should have one by now if it's true," Axena replied and stepped close. She rested her shoulder on the wall and stood at akimbo. 

"Just you wait. If it's to fight every day to get a thing, I would. You'd always see me in the ring," Lixxini answered and abhorred her recent relaxed pose. She now stood with her feet apart and Axena scoffed.

"What if no one wants what you want? You'll be bound to stop wanting, isn't it?" Axena questioned, maintaining her akimbo stance. 

Lixxini smirked. She looked at the women whose eyes were fixed on the cell gate, some sitting on the damp floor, some resting against the wall and some extremely tired lying on the floor. "I already spoke with the chief. There is a rule here, blood must be spilt. If I want a thing and no one does, for my sake, for blood's sake if blood is a being. For those spectators' sake, who would cheer at every swing of the sword, and every landing of the axe on another. A competitor will be forced into the ring, and if so favoured by the chief who will soon be my rung to the top, I might choose a competitor. If you don't want that fate, keep off!" Lixxini said and now, most women had turned to face the duo as Axena now stood to face Lixxini, both inhaling each other's tension. 

"If you want a duel, let's do it in the ring," Lixxini said with a smirk. 

"I honestly want to. But you may be a piece, a needed one in the intended game in my mind. Do you want to be an infamous slave or you…"

"Let the victor step forward," a call came from a familiar voice, Somba's. Axena turned and Lixxini walked through the women, kicking the ones on the floor and pushing the ones on her way, thus, a path was created for the odd one as they now behold her. She walked through and stepped before the cell door and stood to face Somba. 

"What is your name, victor?" Somba queried. 

"I'm Lixxini, daughter of…"

"Not necessarily required. The governor has fulfilled his promise and this is your request. A cloth around your girth as you wanted. But you'll still be bound," Somba said. 

"How often can I get into the ring," Lixxini asked and Somba smiled. 

"The ring does not get its fill of blood, neither do the people of Tipotha. You want to fight every day, you got it. A price for a day," Somba said. 

"What does it takes to buy my freedom?" Lixxini queried. 

To Axena, Lixxini asked a question that was of interest to her. A cloth around her girth with her hands bound was not freedom, and a freed hands with close inspection wasn't as well. Roaming free in the forest, bowing to none, dining with Culix was freedom to which nothing measures up. She was about to say all these to Lixxini before Somba interrupted. Lixxini might be a piece, a member of the fighting society she was forming with Xylin and Plinx who were now stunned, perhaps cooking up the idea of the ring. 

After a while with stares from both parties, Somba spoke with doubts in his voice, "You fight, and fight, till a lord purchase you. You spend some time in check, if you're trusted, you can work under the lord. If you have more coins and reverence, you can buy yourself off the slave trade, but you can lose your freedom if there's a charge of injustice placed on you," Somba answered and squeezed in a bale of fabric through the squared spaces in the door. 

Lixxini bent and picked it up then walked through the path that had been made earlier for her and reclaimed her earlier position. 

"Any question?" Somba asked and waited for answers. 

"Can I get three things at once? Out of bond, clothes, and out of this place?"

"Do you know about our men? Are they safe?"

"What if…"

The women spoke out of turn and Axena walked towards the door. Somba prepared to answer, but he wasn't allowed to. Questions were thrown and she listened to them all. 

"One at a time," Somba said repeatedly and the noises grew. 

Suddenly, the whip guards showed up and stood before the cell. Axena quickly turned, before she did, she saw a guard biting his lips when their eyes met. She stepped back into the crowd. Utter silence befell the cell and the air reeked of rum. 

"Now, every gender with lips between their laps are what we're after. All but one, Lixxini. She's under watch," the chef of the whip guards spoke and the women cringed together. All stepping backwards. The fighting squad were scattered. None expected the sudden entry that had been concealed by the chatters of questions. They were struggling to smuggle themselves within the crowd but it was late, Xylin, was the most exposed as she was unable to withdraw. 

Axena reached the mid-region of the cell where she was hidden and lowered her head, her eyes to the floor but her ears attentive. 

"So so we have volunteers? Axena heard an audible gulp. "Oh, Somba, how many have you had?" 

"None, sir," Axena heard Somba's mild response. 

"Why? You're acting out a good knave, isn't it? Here, in all Tipotha, power is the currency for life. A farm lord out there paying a coin that wouldn't ascertain a day's meal get women bedded and have their husbands hold the fan. You're here as a prison guard. These are your meals, they should be," there was a pause and Axena stretched to see what was going on. She saw Somba standing and riveted on the spot, with his eyes set at the chief of the whip guards. 

"Listen y'all. Somba would answer all questions you have. You can ask about what time the governor poops and how long he spends while peeing. You're entitled to know about the kingdom you serve. Also, he gets to eat you when he wants. Again, except one - Lixxini."

Axena signed, Lixxini was somewhat free, she admitted. 

"So, Somba, I had one yesterday. She was sweet and tight. It's unfortunate that she died in the process and I'll have to pick another. But, after you, boy. There must be one you admire isn't it? Point her out and she shall be yours."

There was silence. 

"You grew on a farm. You were bred on cow's milk. I know your story. Would you want to taste a woman's…"

"I already did," Axena heard Somba's voice 

"What?" the chief interjected and waves of laughter came from the whip guards. "Somba is not as perfect as his looks," the chief said and again, his team laughed.

"Did you only suckle or you…" he whispered. 

"I only did touch some, and suckled on some when they wanted answers," Somba said. 

"You see that? Power! That's what it would earn you if you have it. Did you want to…" he whistled again. "I'll take your silence as a yes. Pick one of them out, you shall have her," the chief said and unlocked the cell. 

Axena huffed and again stretched to see. She saw Somba making a slow entry into the cell and she could hear his literal whispers 'I'm coming for you'.

She maintained her ground, Somba was walking in her direction and she avoided their eye contact. Somba would pass her by, and she held the helm of his cloth and whispered. "Somba, I prithee to give me tonight. Take me tomorrow. Ix was a friend and I'm mourning. I freely give you my body, I wanted to. Come get me tomorrow," she said and after a huff, Somba walked on and held another, dragging her out of the cell. 

After Somba, the whip guards went in and pick random women, they were whipped as they were dragged out of the cell and out of view. The chief waited to resume the lock and made a tsk in triplicate.