Chapter 51
Chapter 51:
Lesh didn't need to wait long though it seemed, Butcher had returned with what could just barely pass as a blanket for Alice when the old an form the before came from the prison side with a young looking girl helping to support him, looking closely it was clear that the old man was missing a leg and that was why the young women was helping.
The girl in question had fiery but matted red hair, and various scratches and bruises a littered her form along with vast amounts of dirt, if cleaned up Lesh had no doubt she would be a stunning beauty by human standards. Her outfit though could generously be called scraps of fabric only barely held together but enough to mostly cover her modesty at least.
Seeing the hulking forms of Butcher and Carnage the girl was visibly hesitant in coming closer, but the old man seemed to convince her. "So, you are a pair of chosen representatives then? I thought it would only be one, but I can see and understand why its two of you instead." Lesh asks in a calm and cold tone looking at the old man's loss of leg and nodding as a sign of sympathy towards him.
the pair looking between him, the beasts, and the bodies on the ground before the old man focused back on to him, matching his gaze before nodding back slowly.
Having a proper look at him the old man was rather thin, bones visible against his leather like skin, eyes sunken and mostly closed with his long eyebrows, a clean head void of any trace of hair and a rough messy grey beard down to his stomach adorned his face.
"What happened to them?" The girl couldn't help but ask, fear lacing her voice. The old man though seemed to keep calm and just nudged the girl giving her a look.
"No no, its fine and an understandable question, I may have let some of you free and given Blade to you lot to get your revenge, but I am a stranger with unknown intentions who you have just walked over to and found four women and a man unconscious with two large demon looking beasts with him." Lesh says, a faint laugh as amusement tints his tone, gently ensuring Alice is covered properly he dusts himself off and signals for Butcher and Carnage to patrol and keep their current area protected from any stragglers Alice could have missed along with trying to find where any items and valuables could be hidden.
"The blonde one in the blanket is a companion of mine, the two big guys you already know, the girl in broken armour was a comananion we met earlier and ties in to the guy on the floor over there who pulled a gun on me and even shot me, so I had to disable him, the two girls on the floor and the broken armoured girl seemed to have been broken by him and under his control somehow, I don't know if it's an ability or just how he 'trained' them by forcefully raping them repeatedly and breaking there wills or something, but either way I will be making him suffer for it." Lesh calmly tells them, venom lacing the word trained as he ground out the word, the old man spitting at the unconscious form of Vick after hearing all that.
"But why didn't you do that to Blade? She allowed that and more to happen to us so why spare her?" the red head couldn't help but ask getting a laugh from Lesh.
"And why should I have ended her or caused her even more pain? Yes she attacked me but I was on her turf, other than that she had done nothing to me or confirmed her actions towards all of you other than referring to you as her merchandise, even if she let her men rape the women and beat you it had no real relation or impact on me, but it did for all of you, that is why I left her there unable to fight back, to let you all get your own vengeance upon her." He explained, as even if her actions where just as atrocious she didn't show it infront of him or revel in it like Vick clearly had.
"What happens now? Are we now forced to follow you or be traded by you? To be used for various rituals or cannon fodder against your enemies or as free labour? The two beasts of yours would be more than enough to keep us in submission so what are your plans now for us?" The old man finally spoke, his tone horse from thirst and lack of use filled with suspicion and resignation.
"Well, that's up to all of you, I'm not going to force you all to follow me or give empty promises of better times or such crap. If you lot want to go out on your own your free to do so, but those who chose to follow me will need to earn their keep and prove useful, I'm not a charity or good Samaritan, hell the only reason we bothered to come here was to avoid this lot giving us trouble down the line and take any of you prisoners with us that choose to follow." He harshly told the pair, getting a frightened and shocked look from the girl but a nod of understanding from the old man.
"And how would one earn there keep as you say?" He asks getting a look from the girl who held her free arm infront of her body protectively.
"It depends on the person, helping build and fortify the place, scavenging, defending, fighting, hell even cooking or tailoring would be acceptable, as long as they can do something useful it would be acceptable, but they would not be allowed to leach off our protection and supplies." Lesh says calmly trying to explain things.
"And the women? Will we be forced to serve you and anyone else you say? Paying our keep with our bodies or will we be traded away?" The red head meekly asked, her tone clearly filled with fear well trying to seem strong.
"Nope, previous rules apply for the women same as everyone else, if they can be useful then they can come but if they expect to be pampered or treated like flowers in a greenhouse, they will either be kicked out or flat out rejected, as for the more carnal desires it would require consent on both sides and no tempting or manipulation." Lesh says, his tone carrying a sharp dark edge at the end sending shivers down the girl's spine.
"Would we have proper homes and food or be forced to sleep outside and be fed the bare minimum like when we were in cages?" The old man asks, pressing on, keeping neutral and not showing weather he had any interest in the offer or not.
"My current residence isn't exactly the best but that is why labour will be needed, to fix it up along with establishing our own area, people would be responsible for helping one another build residence's even if its just shacks at the start and proper decent housing later one, food would be what we have on hand but a small matter of standing, for example a tailor or cook wouldn't get the exact same amount or type as those who had spent the day building or those who had risk there lives to get the food, its not to say would get scraps but more a matter of contribution and what has been put in equalling the amount and type they would get, but as I said they would still get decent meals and not scraps or crumbs." He explained with brutal honesty.
"those who would be willing would accept and work to build a base up together with whatever experiences they have well having a level of protection and those who refuse are free to go and try to make there own place in this world, but know this, those who do join cant suddenly back out after a week, they would need to pull there own weight for at least a month before having the option to leave and go their own way and if they think that means they can leach or slack off well receiving free food and shelter they would be given to our resident tree girl Elena to serve as food for her and the other plants I have." Lesh adds making sure the old man and girl fully understand slacking leaches would not be accepted.
"We will go tell the others, but you promise to let those who don't accept go without any problems?" the old man asks wanting to make fully sure.
"You have my word, I swear it upon my very being that none of us will hinder or cause problems for any of the former prisoners if they choose to leave, but they will not be accepted by us at a later time if they suddenly decide to come join us and their safety will not be guaranteed if they choose to attack us." he tells the pair, making it clear that well nothing will be done to them as long as they don't strike first, those who try to cause trouble will be taken care of. With a nod the old man tells the red head to take them back and inform everyone, asking Lesh to be patient as there will no doubt be some who would choose to go with him.