CHAPTER 3: The rejected path.

Blood... Brains... Bones... Flesh...

Rip... Tear... Kill...

Look at what you've done...

Look how bloody your hands are..

You murderer. Hahaha....

Twelve-year-old Kev jumped up from his pile of clothes, his rag clothes drenched with sweat. He has been having this dream every night now for many months, yet it still scares the living world out of him.

He got up with shaky legs and cleaned himself dry.

The sun has not risen and everywhere is silent, except for the snoring of other kids he shares the small room with. It stank of death, blood, wounds, and they only thing they fed on... Stale bread, violence, and hunger.

This small room is located beside the store room of Zak's mansion. He has a very large farm, the largest farm in the realm after The God's farm.

He makes use of slaves... Boys strong enough to hold a stick, or strong enough to get flogged at the slightest mistake. He sometimes buy his slaves from a slave merchant but most of the time, they are either kidnapped or stolen from parents that defaulted Zak or when they didn't pay back loans on time. He uses the loan as a means of gaining more slaves for his service.

"The God gave me the power to do as I wish," he will always declare loudly in his booming voice.

So, Kev, as unfortunate as always, happens to be part of these slaves. He actually thought he had died and was in hell when he opened his eyes in the largest plantation he has ever seen, with boys his age yelling and crying to the sound of whips on their bare backs...

With a sickle in hand, he was flogged to work as soon as his eyes were open.

He fought back tears as he remembered the occurrences that led to this. Wish a mage will just erase it from his brain.

Oh my god, Brain... Victor... Nooo...

*****************************

"How pathetic," Kev thought to himself as he looked round the room. He sighted a stubby boy amongst them, the bully of the room, snoring the loudest. He goes by the name, Kraff.

So, Kraff made Kev lick his dirty toes the night before, as a form of showing his superiority among his peers and Kev, as little as he is, is always looking for a way to pay him back.

"Well, maybe it's tonight," Kev whistled to himself.

He tiptoed to Kraff's corner, stepping on a few sleepy heads, jumping over some till he got there. He brandished a pocket knife that Victor gifted him for protection. He never used it though. But, these past weeks, some little bravery has seeped into his heart and he felt he is not "a little boy" anymore.

Wait... This means death. Zraff and his friends will kill me if I do this. I don't want to die yet... I am still a little boy... No... I'm not.

I will be brave like Victor and teach these little sons of monkeys how brave I have become. I will...

"Hiyaaahh!!" Kev swiped the knife down so fast it sliced Kraff's big toe off. The bloody toe landed on a sleeping figure next to Kraff.

In a flash, the whole room turned upside down. Kraff jumped up from his sleep, on one foot and let out the loudest cry ever, as he clutched his bloody toes. Kev made for the door and Kraff hopped towards him, pointing wildly. This time, the whole room is awake, but nobody stood up to catch Kev. They all just looked on in wonder.

Yes... I like that look. This is me, Kraff...

"You like those toes now? Should I still lick them?" Kev half-laughed as he mocked.

"Get himmm!!!" Kraff shouted louder than before and as if they were being controlled, every boy in the room rose at once, shouting like in battle.

Shit.

Kev turned on his feet towards the long hall. The kids followed. Damn, this will be a long night.

His heart started racing faster than his legs and the boys seems to race faster than his heart. They are closing in.

I am so slow. I'm weak. Run, Kev. Run.

The hall does not seem to have an end. It goes on and on. Just when he thought about branching to one of the rooms (how dangerous), something whistled past his left ear and landed on the carpeted floor with a soft thud. It was a loaf of bread.

What the freaking hell? You're wasting bread to catch me?! You malnourished zombies.

Suddenly, there was a loud road coming from the boys as another object whistled past Kev's right ear. It is a spear and it came from opposite him. It is not from the boys.

Damned god, the guards. Gah!

How did I forget about the guards?

Another spear traveled fast past Kev and it hit another boy.

At once, the chasers and the chased turned to run for their lives. The sound of spears flying, and the screams of dying kids filled the hall.

Zruffy.

Why am I even thinking of Zruffy at this moment? Run, Kev. Run!!

More boys fell dead as they doubled back to the direction they were coming from. Another spear went flying... This time, directly at Kev. Just then...

There's an open room by my right...

Kev shifted his little weight on his right leg and turned fast for the open room but the spear was faster. It hit the meaty part of his left arm, a little above the elbow and it went right through. A big chunk of flesh and muscle went with it. He dropped on the floor as the guards behind started closing in.

"Ahhhhhhhh!!!!" He cried in pain.

Blood... Bones... Flesh... Mine, this time around. This pain is unbearable. Kill me.

Yet, he crawled on his knees and he continued on to the open room.

"Stop him!!! Stop him!!!" A guard shouted commands at the other guards and they picked up pace.

Another spear was sent flying, but missed Kev by inches. The guards ran wildly towards Kev like they were being chased themselves.

What is with this room? Why are they trying so hard to stop me?

Kev crawled in the room and closed the door behind him. He could hear a guard shouting a frustrated "noooo" faintly.

Kev sat down, his back against the door, exhausted. His right hand was holding his left arm. He could feel his bones against his touch and the smear of blood causing through his whole arm.

I will die. Damnation!

Then...

He heard a slow hum. A feminine voice, with a musical tone to it. That ethereal voice. The familiarity.

"Zruffy?" He voiced, bewildered, surprised, amazed, and happy at the same time. "It's been 5 years, Zruffy. Five freaking years! Why did you do this to me?"

Zruffy made a chuckling sound.

[Welcome back, Kev. Let's begin]