9 Chapter 8

So Tian is in a bad situation. If theres anyone reading this, please leave a comment. Please.... just so I know youre there. Im starting to regreg ever posting or writing this.

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Four days into their journey, the clouds hung low in the sky. The sharp outcrops had slowly given way to smooth lands filled with knee high grasses. Horses roamed the lands a plenty, their heads popping up as they passed. They saw remnants of cities in greater number than their own home. The buildings had long since caved in and turned to dust, but the foundations still stood as ghosts. They crossed huge ditches and Tian's stomach twisted when he realized what lay beneath them. His own people, the Kukouk had been buried there after the massacres. Tian reached out for Axel's hand unknowingly right as the ground gave way.

He fell in, dragging three other people down with him. Tian couldn't help but scream as he stared down into a small cavern filled with endless skulls and bones. It was less like a cavern and more like a small sink pocket where the bodies had started to grow back into the Earth. The bones stared back at him, taunting him in warning. Bugs crawled through the openings of the skulls, sickeningly.

"Tian!" He heard Axel shout from above. The three other people helped him to his feet, pushing him towards the light.

"Don't look Tian, we are at the Forbidden forests. Or what remains of it. This is the burial mounds," one of the villagers whispered. "Don't look. You don't want to know how horrible the human race truly has been."

A Warrior from before stared down at him with a nasty look in his eyes. He ordered for a rope to help them climb up, but they could only go one at a time. Tian could easily pick the adult bodies out, but as he stared down at the smaller bone piles he could tell that they were children there to. The humans truly had massacred anything similar to a Kukouk. Children, Women, Men it hadn't mattered. Then they'd thrown the bodies away into these gigantic graves so bugs could eat at them instead of laying them to rest. He didn't even know any of the people's names here, and yet, he was still overwhelmed with immense grief. How many had been like him? Half human and half Kukouk?

He knew the stories well, some of the mass graves had been filled with living people. They'd sealed the tops of the graves and waited for suffocation, except, the Kukouks' lungs were hardwired for places without very much oxygen. The evidence was in the walls where they had scratched and dug with hardened nails to escape. They didn't all die by asphyxiation down here. Nor did they die from dehydration, because the ceilings dripped water and there were water pools near their feet. The people here had died from painful, gut wrenching starvation whilst being packed in with dirt and rock. Maybe they hadn't been able to move for a while, but they had dug until they'd found everyone. Some were still partially buried in the dirt. Maybe they'd died before they were thrown in.

"The poor people," Tian whispered as he peered down at a set of skeletons still intact. Perhaps a mother or father cradling a very young child in their arms. They were on their sides, and probably had waited for the inevitable. The oxygen must've run out at some point, and those that hadn't died from other causes had ssuffocated. What a horrible way to die.

"Tian are you ok?" Axel shouted down once more, but a warrior pushed him back with a hiss.

"Tian, go first," a woman named Jeanie stated as a warrior came down to start unhooking their chains.

"No, you guys go. I'll be ok."

Once the chains were undone from around his wrists he turned towards the bones. He could feel the energy radiating from them, slipping through the small cavern like the wind that howled through the trees. They reached out to him, pulling him towards a specific corpse. A warrior shouted at him, but the captain waved him off without hesitation.

Tian kneeled in front of the bones right as a faint glow started to emanate from the ivory objects. Strange symbols started to peer through the bones, and when Tian reached out towards them, the symbols started to peer through his own skin. He fell back in shock, trying to shake the images burning into his skin. It didn't hurt more than like a pinch, but the light was scary. His eyes flashed gold and suddenly a hundred different thoughts entered his head that weren't his own.

There was screaming, panicked voices rushing past him. Men digging at the crushing ceiling above their heads. A little cried for a mother who'd passed on already, chanting to herself how shes going to die. But there was one voice, whispering into his head that reminded him of the father he never had.

"I know you," Tian whispered, eyes glowing gold at the same time as the skull. "You're… you're my grandfather. Moraklis Ashturokma, the last surface chief. Your body was buried here?"

The skull didn't answer, thankfully. But he could still hear the small voices bouncing off the walls. Screams, wails and the sounds of hard objects scratching against the surface of rock. He heard suffering and it burned inside his eyes. He clutched his head and pleaded for it to stop, his lungs couldn't get enough air in them anymore and his whole body was overcome with a horrible tremor. He pressed his palms against the bones and suddenly a pulse went through the other skeletal bodies. The bones nearest to him lit up briefly and Tian could see throughout the whole cavern. There were hundreds of other mass graves all around them. Their spirits were filled with agony and pain, unable to pass. And they screamed and they pleaded to invisible assailants. Children wailed and children died right in front of him. Tian choked, and it felt like there was dirt in his mouth.

Hands were on his shoulders suddenly and he was being drug away by a warrior. "You're freaking weird kid. Wolves, and now you get off on a bunch of disgusting bones?" The man kicked a skull away from their feet with a grunt.

Spirits appeared throughout the cavern, all pale skinned and golden eyed. He heard someone gasp from above him, but he couldn't pinpoint the voice. He was the only one who appeared to be able to see the hundreds of spirits inside the cavern. Their arms were outstretched towards him with hope still in their eyes.

"Tian Ashturokma!" The spirits whispered throughout the cavern.

"Deliver us to the light!"

The boy was drug to the rope and strapped on right as the bones started to turn to dust. The last warrior climbed up after him without a second thought. And briefly, Tiantok's father stood, looking up at him with glowing lines similar to his. Then he was gone in a blink of an eye and Tian was hauled to the surface.

The man that had helped him last night was peering into the dark cavern before looking over at Tian with widened eyes. "You're the one."

He was gone as sudden as he came, racing towards his horse. Tian stared after him in shock. The what?

They hadn't even got a break to rest their bodies after the fall. The chains were back around their wrists and they were being pulled behind the horses once more. The air around them was heavy and irritated with rain. They kept trekking through already muddy paths with immense hunger in their stomachs and a painful thirst. It scratched at the back of their throats, but they had no choice but to keep walking or they'd get whipped. The warriors ate and drank joyfully,  Occasionally tossing scraps of food to his people, but the hunger wasn't painful enough yet for their pride to disappear. Axel was the first to spit on the scraps resulting in the men beating him until he collapsed. Axel snapped at anyone who dared to help him. Tian had no choice but to keep his head forward and be as obedient as possible to avoid any injury to his body. During the daylight hours, bleeding would be noticeable. During the nights, the warrior who'd ordered Marie's death came like clockwork to check him over for wounds and cover what he could with his own blood. He cleaned out Tian's shoes religiously in whatever water he could find so his bleeding feet wouldn't be seen.

"It's going to rain soon," the warrior stated, looking back at the others, specifically Tian. "We need to find shelter soon."

The warrior's gaze made Tian uncomfortable every time, it made his skin itch. His feet were sore from walking, and he prayed they didn't have much further to go. But the warrior was right, the clouds were even heavier with rain then before. They moved slowly across the sky, and the foreboding feeling of a terrible storm had all of Tian's nerves going haywire. There was already mist settling on anything it could touch. Tian knew what he was asking without having to think, is the make-up water proof? Tian shook his head quickly and the warrior paused for a brief second.

"We need to find shelter quickly, it could get bad," he said towards his men.

"We've marched prisoners in worse," one of the men commented. "Besides that bastard there killed our men, they deserve to get drenched."

"Not this long of a distance. We must take cover before the rain starts."

"What's wrong? Scared of getting wet?" Another warrior snapped shaking his head. "Fine, what fucking ever. Take the garbage to the tree lines. You're the worst to work with, fucking asshole."

"Thank god," Axel whispered from in front of Tian.

They were drug up a sloping hill shooting for a long, dense tree line. The sky thundered and crackled above their heads and the unmistakable smell of rain filled Tian's nose and with a sinking realization he knew he wouldn't make it. The same understanding passed through the entire line on the chains and they broke into a run. The chains around his arms snapped harshly and he was being forcibly dragged right as the heavens broke up and rain started to pour down onto their shoulders. Those at the front of the lines tried going faster, but the makeup was already smearing and trailing down his back. The crusted blood against his wounds was giving way to the purple underneath. Eventually, when Tian knew it was too late he stopped. It sent a chain reaction through the whole line. The warrior that had been helping him stopped as well and turned his horse around. He seemed to be contemplating something with a frown. He kicked the horse closer right as the other warriors gathered around.

"Why have you idiots stopp… Anthony! Get your ass over here now!"

The warriors were all around Tian now, pulling him from the line to throw him down. "There's still monsters left in this world after all!"

"This thing's mother spread her legs for a beast. Holy shit, the fucking bitch got fucked by an animal!"

"SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!" Tian roared, lunging straight for the bastard's face. He was immediately struck down. The warriors started to punch and kick him until blood spewed from his mouth. They grabbed the strands of his hair and drug him to his feet only to hit him again.

"Look at it! Tan skinned but branded by the fuckers marks. Hiding right in the open. Its own village helped it!" The beatings didn't stop, though. He could barely see anymore, the pain was too much.

He was afraid of closing his eyes, he didn't want to die. He could hear his own bones snapping, ribs turning inwards. He was already starting to swell up and bruise, but they wouldn't stop. Fists turned into the butts of rifle and his blood started to pool all around him. He heard Axel's muffled screams and turned his head to watch the redhead get struck down as well. He tried to fight his way over to Tian, but with chains, he couldn't go far. They tried to force Axel down but the idiot bit their hand.

His own people rose up against the soldiers, trying to reach for Tian with outstretched arms. Tears welled up in his eyes as they fought against the warriors only to get hit by the butts of the rifles. They screamed and pleaded but it only fueled the warriors on more. The beatings didn't stop, more joined in and he never knew he could bleed that much. He curled in on himself, but it only made it worse. They slammed his head into the ground before firing a shot into the air. The gun clicked and it was put to his head.

Suddenly, everything his mother warned about came true. He was going to die just by the color of his blood and the marks on his skin.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP OR I'LL BLOW THIS BASTARDS BRAINS OUT!"

Everyone went quiet, even Axel. The warriors snickered before kicking Tian in the stomach once more, making acid rise up in his throat and burn what was already dry. The dry heaving was worse than the pain in his body.

"Please, you've taken everything from us. Don't take our son from us as well," Jocelyne pleaded, getting onto her hands and knees to put her head down in submission.

Axel got to his knees as well, gritting his teeth as he did the same thing. Everyone else followed suit, even Darrick who Tian had always had a mutual hatred with.

"You want me to spare this fucking filth? The fuck is wrong with you? This is a fucking Kukouk bitch!" The warrior roared dragging Tian's limp body to his feet. "It's even lower then you! Didn't your fucking parents ever teach you where these things belonged? They ruined our world! Took our gold and used it for themselves!"

"You fucker," Axel spat raising his head. "He's a hundred times better than you ever will be! You've killed children, and you think you're better?"

"You little bastard!" The warrior slammed the gun against Tian's head and the boy cried out as more blood streamed down his face. "Look at this bitch's blood! It's not even fucking human! It's PURPLE! People don't have purple blood you fucking idiot!"

"Don't listen to them Anthony. Kill it and be done with it," Another man commented with a shrug. "We don't need to be branded as someone who found a Kukouk spawn. We'd never get paid again, any willing employer would think we're cursed. Kill the piece of shit before anyone finds out."

"I feel bad for the mother. Maybe the Kukouk raped her? They're animals after all, they'd do that to an innocent woman."

"His mother must've been ugly as fuck to attract the animals to her."

"This one is probably 17 or 18. That must mean they know where more of those damn Kukouk are. This bastard is living proof," the warrior dug the barrel of the gun deeper into Tian's head.

One of the warriors turned to Jocelyne with a raised, loaded gun.. "Is this the only one? Or have you all fucked Kukouks? Got any diseases from them that we should know about it? Disgusting."

"Kukouk gonorrhea," One of the younger warriors laughed. "Because they fuck their own sisters."

"They didn't fuck their sisters, idiot! They fucked their mothers!" Another laughed, slapping his knee. "Greedy, lustful bastards."

"They fucked both, its why they all looked the same. You could compare their faces and there'd be nothing different!"

"What the fuck do you know?" Axel spat. "You haven't seen a Kukouk since you bastards obliterated them all."

"So what? Our world is a hundred times better without those monsters around. They were waiting to kill us, you know? Biding their time for the human race to die out so they can take over. They deserved what they got!"

"Your fucking Capital is the monster. The Kukouk people were innocent! At least we were intelligent enough to realize that!" Axel argued.

"You fucking bastard! Anyone you ugly bitch, tell me where this fucker's parents are!"

"Tian came to us many years ago when he was young and dying. He's the only one. He was preserved in time, there are no other Kukouk people alive. So, please, don't hurt my boy," Jocelyne pleaded. "I'll do anything."

"Anything?" The one with the gun grinned. "Then you'll clean up what's left of his brain. This caliber of bullet really splatters that important goop, you know. You'll have to pick him up with a fucking straw."

Suddenly another gun was put to the back of the man's head. "Drop it Tanner."

The warrior with the face mask was much darker, his hair hung low in his face as the rain poured down his shoulders. It clung to his muscular body, making him appear wolfish. He stood among the puddle of purple blood with his shoulders squared and a nasty look was planted deep in his eyes.

"The fuck you doing RT?" Tanner snapped, but he was too afraid to turn and face the man. "You have the fucking guts to point a gun at me?

"We sent a messenger ahead with the number of slaves. What do you think will be waiting for us if we come back with only 38? The boy lives. I will not get in trouble with the Prince and the General for your ass. Drop your gun or I'll bury a bullet so deep in your skull that what remains of your intelligence will get sucked out by a tiny magnet. If you've got any left."

Tanner threw his gun down and turned to face RT, and the other lowered his gun. He suddenly launched at RT. Fists flew, but the man easily side stepped and grabbed Tanner's collar before slamming him into the mud. Tanner swung his legs out in an attempt to knock RT's feet out from beneath him only to be caught and drug. Tanner got to his feet only to slam back into the mud once more, this time with RT's face mask in hand.

Lightning flashed across the sky as RT stood above him, full face in view. The bottom half of his jaw was scarred horribly and the scars stretched down his neck only to disappear at the collar of his shirt. Rain streamed down his face making his ebony skin glisten.

RT fell to his knees, driving his elbows into Tanner's stomach. The sound was a horrific fleshy tone. Tanner curled in on himself choking and spluttering for air with blood beading up in between his lips. RT stood above him with his head held high.

"Do not forget who fought your battles for you. Do not forget that I was the one chosen a thousand times by the King instead of you! If you ever cross me  again I'll take you down before you knew what hit you. Your nothing compared to my strength. A tiny maggot."

The rest of the warriors stepped back, keeping their heads low. Tanner attempted to get to his feet, wobbly and weak, but RT kicked him back down. He stepped back before turning towards where Tian laid.

The boy lay on his back, choking as the water poured into his mouth and nose. However, the rain paused for a brief moment as he stared up at the man who'd saved him. Lightning flashed behind RT's back once more. The rain started to loosen the mud caked to his face, but the lines of his people stood out bright and proud in the darkening sky. RT kneeled down beside him, gathering him up in his arms easily. He cradled him close to his chest carefully, but no matter how gentle the man was, all of Tian's bones screamed. He choked on his own blood, unable to stop the water from streaming in between his teeth to drive it back down. Tian wheezed as RT stood up once more before heading for the trees.

"We make camp here until the rain stops," RT snapped, glaring at each and every man that dared to meet his eyes.

Tian stared up at the man with his swollen eyes. Everything hurt and he didn't have the energy to even be angry. He wheezed. "Why?"

RT looked down at him, the scars against his beautiful skin rippled. "You'll understand in time. I had no choice to bring my men to your home Tian Ashturokma. I truly am sorry."

Tian was laid on dry ground and he watched hazily as a tent was constructed around him slowly. RT worked fast. He passed out soon afterwards, warmer than he'd been in quite a few days.

Tian awoke to gentle prodding. His eyes opened sorely to greet him with RT squatting in front of him. The man had his mask back on once more and the emotion was gone from his eyes. It was almost like earlier hadn't happened if it wasn't for the excruciating pain moving gave him. He was laying against something soft instead of the cold ground. A blanket was wrapped around him which must've been why he felt so warm while he was sleeping. His clothes were all missing and panic welled up in Tian's chest only to find them sitting folded up beside him. They were dry and cleaned miraculously. Gentle hands were at his ribs, feeling every single one before retreating.

"Your ribs are no longer broken. The Kukouk body was always filled with millions of extra stem cells to regrow and mend major wounds in only a few hours. You would have died from your injuries last night. Now, you must get up and rejoin your people. You're their leader now, get up," RT ordered before manhandling Tian to his feet.

Tian was so sore he could feel every muscle in his body. Each step felt like a punch to his gut, sucking the oxygen out. He could barely stand to put what was left of his clothing. Most of it was stained in his blood or ripped, and Axel's jacket… it was in bad repair. RT helped him into a large black shirt, possibly his, before pressing something into his hands.

"You dropped this last night," he said simply before stepping back, voice once more muffled by the mask.

Axel's compass. He'd almost forgotten it. The front of it had cracked, but it had survived. After everything that had happened, at least that had still survived.

"You know, helping me won't make me forget that your men killed Marie. I'll never forget that," Tian hissed, looking up at RT. "I don't know who you are or why you're helping me so much, but it doesn't matter to me. You will all pay for what you did to my people and to the woman who treated me like her own son."

"Don't let your revenge get the best of you, you're needed by more people then you ever knew," RT replied simply before turning his back to Tian. The boy shook his head before straightening his shoulders. "You can hate me all you want, but it will always be my mission to ensure your survival." He said that more quietly, and Tian barely heard it.

He limped his way out of the tent, shielding his eyes as the sunlight bared straight into his soul. His head ached, cascading everything in painful hues. His whole body shuttered, but he kept his head up as he passed the men who beat him. The blood had dried to his skin like a curse. The men scoffed, turning their heads or to spit at him. But with RT behind him, hands crossed over his chest, they were powerless to attack him once more.

"TIAN!" His people cried out, hands reaching out to him. He was pulled down, against Jocelyne's chest. Axel hugged his back, and one by one, the people filed in to crush him in a hug. "I'm so sorry they hurt you."

"I'll kill them," Axel spat against his back. "I'll rip their heads from their necks."

"Did that one man give you this shirt?" One of the village women asked, pulling at it. "It's different than ours. Heavier? Why is it so heavy?"

"GET YOUR ASSES UP!" The men shouted before whipping the nearest people to them. "We have to make the checkpoint by today so you fuckers better be ready to run."

Tian's people rose, each sporting a bloody wound or a vicious bruise. Across from them the men were getting their horses ready. The chains were drug to the lead horse, making the people stumble and trip behind the horses. Tian lurched forward as he felt a whip against his own back. The sharp sting woke him from his thoughts.

They made the checkpoint by nightfall. Waiting for them were working trucks. More men stood ahead of them with readied guns. The horses came to a stop and the men slid down before handing them off to a group of younger men. They stared up at the soldiers with wide, excited eyes before leading the horses over to a bunch of large trailers.

"Where's the rest of your squad?"

"Dead," RT answered.

"DEAD?" One of the men raged. He didn't carry a gun, nor was he like the others. This man was wearing a white pristine suit with crisp edges. It practically oozed money and power. It was made of a shiny like material Tian had never seen, and whenever the sun hit it just right, it exploded into a mirage of color. His face looked pale and he had shiny black hair that was slicked back with a filmy looking gel. His creepy eyes were hidden by black thick rimmed glasses but Tian couldn't shake the feeling of being stared at like tiny ants beneath his expensive boots.

"They were killed Darvious," RT replied with a sigh.

"They were my men! I paid over a million units for this expedition and the men I paid for are dead? Do you know how much it will cost me to give to their families for compensations? I should have never paid for you as a leader."

"We are warriors, not mercenaries. We know the cost of our jobs now shut your damn mouth. You have your slaves."

"Fucking bastard," Darvious spat before turning to his men. "Load the savages in the trucks."

Their people were shuffled forward and being thrown into the carriages behind the vehicles. RT brushed against Tian, pressing something into his hands and throwing something over his shoulders to cover his open wounds before disappearing inside one of the vehicles. Tian looked down at the paper in his hands.

"Be prepared." Was scrawled across it.

"Be sure that as many of these bastards make it to the capital alive! I want my money's worth."

Axel helped him into the carriage with an outstretched arm. The stench was absolutely horrendous, there were feces everywhere. Absolutely disgusting. They had no choice but to kneel down in the stench and try to ride out the rough roads. There were small slits along the sides of the carriages letting in a tiny bit of light, but the carriage remained dark. The group was divided for the first time in their long journey, but secretly, they were all glad to have been off their feet. They were all given a small amount of water, but hunger ravaged even the oldest.