CHAPTER 9: LIN KOLN

“This will be your new room,” Lin Koln, said as he showed them an empty room with a simple bed.

“Thank you sir.” Oka said as she and Kram walked in. “What will be our tasks here.”

Lin Koln rubbed his chin. “I guess I first have to explain what you are to me.”

“You probably think you are our new master.” Kram said.

“Kram!” Oka admonished.

“It is fine,” Lin said. “No, I am not your master but if people ask, for your safety say I am. You are my labourers who owe me a debt.” He explained. “You will work on this farm and pay me the money I used to buy you, after that, I’ll pay you… if you decide to continue to work. You are allowed to go anywhere you want but avoid Highrock Town at night. The people there are uptight about slaves.”

“Thank you, Sir.” Oka said, not fully understanding.

Lin nodded and left.

Oka sat down on the bed and Kram sat beside her. “How long do we plan on staying here, Mother?”

“I don’t know.” She said. “This Lin Koln person seems nice. We might settle here.”

“Oh no you don’t!” Kram leapt up and started kicking and punching the air.

Oka tilted her head as she stared at her son. “What are you doing, Kram?”

“The last time someone said I would settle, I settled!” Kram made did a flying crane technique. “I am defeating the bad mojo that makes humans settle. I will not settle into someone believing they own me!”

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“Son, no one will ever own you.” Oka said.

Kram stopped and looked at his mother.

“You are too special to be under anyone’s thumb.” Oka said.

Kram nodded. “Rest Mother. I’m going to do a little exploring.”

Kram walked through the field, looking at the dark skinned men and women working all over the farm. He walked further to the edge. He whistled and waited. For a while, there was nothing before a goat’s head peeked up and ran to him.

“Two Horns,” Kram said as the goat came to his feet where it rubbed against him. “Still alive you bumb animal.”

“That goat loves you, huh?”

Kram looked at the woman. She was 19, perhaps 20. Her long hair curled to her shoulders and her cocoa butter skin glistened in sweat, along the exposed part of her neck, belly and legs. She carried a basket of food on her head.

“He doesn’t love me,” Kram said. “He’s just happy to see a familiar face in the hard times.”

“You are quite an odd child.” She said as she dropped her basket. She offered the goat a beetroot and Kram took one for himself. “What’s your name?”

“Kram of the Wood.” Kram said.

“Kram Wood.” She said. “Nice to meet you. I’m Loma Lon.”

“Have you been here a while?”

“Since I was 12.” She said.

“What is Lin Koln’s deal.” He asked, the beetroot he bit into crunching in his mouth. “Something is up with him.”

She smiled and shook her head. “Everyone who comes here thinks that. He is what he presents himself to be, a man who buys slaves but has no interest in buying slaves. He brought me, when a pedophile tried to get me at 12, he then brought my father, so that we wouldn’t be separated. He tries to buy families, puts them here and allows us to make a community.“

“Why does he do it?”

“Story is that he fell in love with one of his family’s slaves.” She said. “He even married the slavegirl. His father found out and sold her off to a crueler master. He went to save her but it was already too late. She was caught trying to escape to get to him and was killed.”

“That makes more sense. So, he now uses his strength to protect the people who was like his love.”

“Yes. Slavery is an abomination.”

“It is natural.” Kram said. “The strong will put the weak in chains where they belong. If the weak believe otherwise, then they should fight to prove it. I won’t wait for anyone to save me.”

Kram began walking away.

“Two Horns, come! You have a harem to rebuild and I have to get stronger to get out of here!”