-Break-

One week after they found out each other’s names

Jumping up from bed, I open my eyes and start breathing heavily. Holding my head, I say, “Another nightmare.”

Beside me, Charles asks, “What’s a nightmare?”

“AHHH!” I scream as I am surprised by him. Annoyed I say, “You got to stop sneaking up on me like that, my heart can’t handle it.”

“Ok.”

I don’t really want to tell him I am having bad dreams, so I guess it is time to make something up. With an indecisive tone, “Now a nightmare is-, well umm, it is a dream where you see a black horse, a mare of the night.”

“I see.”

Hearing the bell ring throughout the area, I jump up and say, “WELL WHATEVER IT IS TIME TO GET TO WORK.”

-Break-

Location: Íogair grassland

After receiving a slap from one of the flowers I am knocked down on my ass. On the floor, I say, “OWWWWW.”

Then walking up beside me, Charles kneels down and says, “Nero, you’re bad at this.”

Charles's words strike me like an arrow right in the head.

“You lack coordination.”

Another shot.

“You make the same mistakes over and over again.”

I am bleeding.

“Every time you get it right once, you proceed to smile then instantly fail the second time.”

He’s shattered my bones.

“At first I thought this was normal since I have never had roommates before, but in all honesty, I just think you suck.”

Pierced my very soul.

Feeling furry, I say, “YOU’RE SUPPOSE TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE WHEN THEY ARE DOWN NOT RIP THEM DOWN EVEN MORE.”

“Encourage?”

“It means you stick up your thumb like this, smile and say good job!”

Looking confused for a moment, Charles sticks up his thumb, smiles, and says, “Good job.”

“ I SAID SMILE!”

“I did?”

“LIKE HELL YOU DID YOU’RE FACE BARELY CHANGED, and why is your thumb pointing downwards, and you’re entire body feels so stiff, are you even human? Are you sure you’re not a golem?”

“I see.”

“NO MORE I SEE, get your butt over there and practice how to smile, and learn how to be encouraging.”

“But we won’t be able to finish our quota then.”

“I will be fine on my own, NOW SCRAM.”

Walking away, Charles says, “Good job, Good job, Good job, Good job,” While sticking out his thumb in different directions.

Turning to face the flower, I say, “Time for round tw-.” But in front of me, I see the flowers have withered and died, “OH COME ON I WASN’T EVEN TALKING TO YOU.”

-Break-

Location: Campsite

As Charles and Nero, walk back to their hut covered in bruises with leaves on their backs, Charles says, “Nero.”

“Don’t say it.”

“But you failed to get the seeds we need, so both of us got punished.”

“I said SHUT UP.”

After a moment of silence, Charles says, “Good job.”

“YOU WERE PRACTISING ALL DAY AND IT HASN’T CHANGED AT ALL, ALSO I TOLD YOU TO SMILE.”

“I A-.”

“No, no you are not.”

From the distance, I hear a beastkin shout something at us, without a doubt some profanity.

With my head hanging low, I say, “Let’s just walk home in silence Charles.”

“Charles.”

Looking at him, I say, “What did I just say.”

Pointing in front of us, Charles says, “Look.”

Turning to face, in front of us, I see a group of older men, in front of us.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Dropping the leaves on my back, I say, “You fuckers are back for round two, well bring it on.”

Running forward I prepare to punch them.

-Break-

As me and Charles lay beaten up on the floor, he said, “Good job.”

“NOT THE RIGHT TIME.”

Getting up, we walk all the way to our hut with our leaves and lay down, and within moments Charles is already fast asleep.

“He really can just go to sleep and wake up in mere moments. What a weirdo.”

“But I guess now it is the worst time of my day to begin, let’s hope the one today isn’t bad.”

-Break-

I see it incredibly vividly, the facial expression she made, the blood that splattered everywhere, the words that she tried to mutter with her last breath, and worst of all the feeling of her life ending in my arms.

Claudia why? Why would you do this, you should have just run away, far, far away, because if you did a nice person like you would have lived a long life.

Suddenly Claudia’s body in my arms grabs me and says, “This is your fault, why did you not listen, why did you let this happen to me? I will never, ever forgive you, you devil!”

Opening my eyes, I jump up and feel like I am about to throw up, but then I hear, “Good job.”

Looking to my left, I see that Charles is sitting there with his thumb in a random position. Getting slightly angry, I say, “IT IS NOT THAT HARD.”

-Break-

“-let us live as your pets.” Finishing the prayer, I mutter under my breath, “Still as disgusting as ever.”

Following everyone else who just finished the prayer, we walk with them towards the eastern edge of the campsite where we get food.

After standing in line, I walk up to receive my potato and some water. But as I do I look up and see it is Baine cíche serving the food.

As I try to grab my water I see his hands shake profusely making some water spill out, so in a fury I grab both my water and potato out of his hands and make my way from the area, but as I do I hear behind me.

“GOOD JOB.”

Turning around, I see Charles talking to Baine cíche. Instantly I run back grab Charles food out of his hands, and then say, “Sorry,” While taking him far away.

“Charles I didn’t think I needed to say this but don’t talk with the beastkin, do you understand me!?”

“Yes.”

“I really can’t tell if you understand the gravity of this situation or not but I guess I can’t fault you for being you. Now let’s eat.”

-Break-

Just like every other day, all the slaves within the campsite stand at its gate after they finish their respective meals preparing to be guided towards the fields. But a few notice something that they are taking much longer to let them out than usual.

Turning my head to Charles I say, “What’s going on.”

Charles mutters, “They're doing this a little earlier than normal, where only in the 8th month of the year.”

“What is going on? I need you to tell me, unlike last time when I was blind-sighted.”

“But if I told you what they were going to do last time you’d have done something stupid and would have gotten executed.”

“I wouldn’t, no you’re right I definitely would have. I guess I will just wait and see whatever nonsense it is this time.”

A beastkin walks up in front of us all and says, “Samhain is upon us, and this year due to other factors the preparations will need to be done as soon as possible. Every fourth day starting from today each and every one of you will be made to create a bonfire to be lit, if you fail in making one of a sufficient size by the end of the tenth month you will be executed. Now you will be taken to start.”

With that, we are led through the exit towards our destination.

-Break-

Location: Centre plain

A beastkin in front of all the slaves says, “You will have to cut down the trees surrounding us to get wood for your bonfire. Over there you can see that bonfire made in the likeness of the cursed one Balor, every single one of your bonfires has to be half its height, and each bonfire will be made in groups of your huts. Now slaves get to work.”

Breaking off into each of their individual groups all the slaves get to work, with Nero saying, “They expect us to cut down these trees with these axes are they crazy? I guess we will have to go for the smaller trees, and they split up axes according to people, so how are we going to do this?”

Looking around, I notice something; All the other slaves have started to run towards the thinner trees.”

Grabbing Nero’s hand I say, “We messed up. They have all gone after the thinner and weaker trees before us, we shouldn’t have been standing around.”

Reaching them, I try to walk through the crowd of people looking for a free tree, but I am pushed and shoved away as I head into the area with Charles. In this instant us being children is against us.

Shoulder to shoulder with everyone else, I struggle to even move. This fucking hurts but if me and Charles don’t go after these smaller trees we will not be able to cut down the larger ones, not to even mention we have to carry them towards our bonfire.

Suddenly I hear a scream, then moments later blood flies. Everyone in the area stops to look at the bloodcurdling scream, and in the direction where it originated from, we see a man holding his arm which is bleeding another man holding a ask with blood.

The man holding his arm, screams, towards the guards, “HE TRIED TO KILL ME!”

But the guard merely shrugs his shoulders in response. Under my breath, I mutter, “The hell?”

The man with the axe says, “SEE THEY DON’T CARE. This isn’t my first year here so I know if we don’t get these bonfires built by the end of the tenth month, they will kill us anyways. This is already life and death so if you want to try and take for me you got to put, you’re life on the line.”

Suddenly the air in the area gets tense. Then I see everyone in the area getting their bodies ready to attack, griping their axes tightly.

I have no time to waste because I know for a fact that if we don’t get those smaller trees we're dead. I made a decision to protect Charles so I won’t let us die.”

Grabbing my arm, Charles says, “Don’t kill anyone.”

“Charles, we don’t have time for tha-.”

With his absurd strength, he takes me out of the group of people and runs into the plains.

Breaking free of his grip, I say, “What the hell are you doing if we don’t go and fight we will be killed.”

“Killing people is bad. It is because of death that everyone hates me.”

“Those are two completely different things, this is for survival not for fun. Charles, we don’t have any other options, so I need to go and fight.”

“It will be fine.”

“WELL HOW!”

“Haven’t I gotten this done each year by myself?”

Stopping for a moment, I say, “Oh yeah you have.”

Looking at me with a truly understanding expression, he says, “Nero, are you capable of thought?”

Feeling embarrassed at the innocent question, I say, “Yes I am, and yes I should have thought our options through more carefully. So please show me your plan.”

“I will show you soon but first I think you should dodge.”

Turning my head, around I say, “Dodge?” Then am hit in the face by a fist.

Looking at who it is I see it is the same people who make a point of beating us up all the time.

Getting up off the ground, I say, “Nero you could have told me who they were walking up behind me!”

“I thought about that, but then I felt the idea of you getting punched was good, in hindsight, I don’t know why.”

Did Charles just do something in anger? Feeling tears fall from my eyes, I say, “You can feel human emotions.”

Standing up with excitement, I say, “LOOKS LIKE IT’S TIME TO BEAT YOU GUYS DOWN.”

One of the men says, “The other one usually runs far away each Samhain, but it looks like you actually want to die.”

Charles behind me says, “Nero we need to run or you will die.”

Flicking him on the forehead, I say, “These guys can beat me in terms of physical strength but in actually fighting ability with a weapon they won’t come close.”

“What was that little boy?”

“You heard me.”

Charles behind me says, “Nero I don’t want anyone to die.”

“Don’t worry disarming these weaklings will be as easy as breathing. Just watch.”