1 LOST

"Make sure you keep this amulet safe. This is our last legacy; guard it with your life. You are special Zagan, always remember that." she tilted her face sideways.

"They are coming. Run... Zagan, Run."

I didn't want to leave her behind. I swear I didn't want to but what could I do? I am so young and helpless. Everyone in my clan has been wiped off the surface of the earth except this woman, Leah whom I considered my mother. This war has been going on for decades and my survival has been a miracle, a miracle that might not last.

Looking back at the helpless expression on Leah's face as she laid on the ground in the woods urging me to run, tears welled up in my eyes but looking at the amulet in my palm, I knew I had a responsibility now and I must guard this amulet till my last breath.

Born abnormal, with speech deficiency and claws, Zagan lived a secluded and boring life. Away from kids and away from the outside world. His father, the king of the Leo clan would always lock him up at the highest room in the tower. Saying that he wasn't fit for exposure. He considered him a disgrace. Or so Zagan thought.

No one in the castle was allowed to speak about him; anyone who dared to was sent to the great pit to be devoured by Ocelots, Jaguars, panthers, and other monstrous species. So literarily, no one dared to even think about his name.

No one even knew what he looked like except Leah, the maid who was assigned to him and his father the king; even inquisitive people never dared think about him. He was rumored to have a dark fortune with many deaths in his future.

His biological mother died by his Father's sword after birthing him in exchange for his life but even after that, his father despised him and never treated him like his own. In fact, he was treated worse than an enemy.

Zagan had two older brothers, Andres and Axel, and a little sister, Rivera whom he didn't even know and had never seen. He was called Zagan which meant, 'demon king'.

Running and fighting for survival, Zagan who was chased by the Lynx clan kept running until he lost his balance and fell into a deep well. Thankfully, he wasn't hurt but had no idea if he was safe or in a more dangerous situation.

Hearing the sound of horses matching, he became more frightened. Zagan sat on the ground and hugged his legs tightly. Remembering the sound of Leah's scream, tears welled up in his eyes. He had no idea on what land he was or how far he had gone. Luckily for him, he had speech deficiency so he made no sound.

The horses came to a halt and a man with a deep bass voice that could send chills down one's spine asked

"Where's the boy?"

"Commander Julius, I am sorry... We... We lost him. We were trailing him but all of a sudden, we lost sight of him. It was almost as though he vanished."

"Are you saying a mere twelve-year-old boy just vanished into thin air?" his voice louder than before. It was clear that he was running out of patience.

"It's my fault commander I'm willing to take the punishment." The soldier from before spoke again.

Having said that, the commander swiftly grabbed the soldier by the jaw with his left hand, subduing him, and with his right hand, he slashed his favorite dagger across the soldier's neck as blood gushed out all over. "Umm! I wasn't planning on sparing you either."

The soldier fell to the ground with his hands around his neck as he gasped for air until he breathed his last...

"He was a traitor and has been spying on the Lynx clan. Gather the horses and all the soldiers. We must find that little boy before sunset." Without any delay, the sound of horses began to move again.

Zagan remained in the same position hugging his legs and making no sudden movements. Even after he couldn't hear any sound of horses, he stayed there for hours. Sometimes, he would hear some footsteps and other times the sound of horses and spears.

It was just a few hours to sunset when he saw someone peeping into the well. It was a soldier. Making no movements whatsoever, Zagan inhaled quietly before exhaling. The depth of the well made it difficult for the soldier to see Zagan. After a while, he stood up and unbuckled his pants, and finally relieved his bladder. Disgusting.

Zagan couldn't care less. All he cared about was his safety even though he was lost.

"Found him yet?" Another soldier asked.

He buckled his pants and said, "No not yet. I wonder what's so special about that boy that we had to destroy an entire clan just in search of him."

"Silence!!" The former cautioned as he murmured. "Do you want to get your tongue cut out? If the commander hears you, you would be as good as dead meat."

"I know. I know but you can't deny the fact that this mission is somewhat confusing. I'm sure that even you think about it sometimes."

The soldier glared at his counterpart. Signaling him to stop spouting nonsense.

At that very moment in the well, a giant viper was approaching Zagan. This viper was extremely large and seemed to have found its dinner. Zagan who initially had his head bowed, looked up when he heard a strange sound. When he saw the strange creature, he began to fidget. He has never come across such a creature because of his isolated life but the sight of it coupled with the darkness gave him the chills.

He remained rooted at the same point but as the viper came closer, his fright increased and he shut his eye tightly. He knew he was probably not going to survive for a long time but who knew he was going to die by this creature. No! He still has a responsibility. He would never fail Leah again. He failed her once by leaving her in the woods but he isn't going to fail her again. At the thought of this, he immediately opened his eyes, determined to stay alive and something flicked in his pupil. He stared straight into the viper's eyes as it drew closer and all of a sudden the giant viper stopped as if it saw something in his eyes that scared it. After a while, the viper began to retreat and started crawling to the top of the well.

The strange sound of the viper was heard from the pit which attracted the attention of the soldiers.

One of the men raised his hand signaling a halt. He wanted to hear properly where the sound was coming from.

As he drew closer,...