Chapter 1: A Path Awakens.
“Push young’n, push!” A lady in white shouted to a woman in mid child birth. A final squeeze is all that it would take to release the child into the cruel world of Deramia the lady clad in white thought but yet she still had the new mother push with all her might. Giving her motivation every step of the way. “Just a bit more Elunia, one last push!”
A final push with a strained scream and the new born child is out. A child similar to the mother yet different in a unperceivable way. Instead of a black tail clad in scales there was white, where the eyes were supposed be shut they were wide open ready to look at the ugly world in full glory. White eyes along with the child’s pale skin would be seen as a bad omen but for the mother to be she only saw a precious child, her child.
“Nil, I name you Nil, my baby boy.” The mother covered in beads of sweat barely whispered out of exhaustion of the pain. Holding her child in her arms after having the child placed there she only smiled and held her child close. The lady in white seeing the sight felt a slight warmth invigorate her soul but moments later died down to dull that she easily put into the recess of her mind knowing what she had to do next. A male child born to a slave is still a slave after all.
“Elunia my child, it’s time.” The lady in white said softly as she began to reach for the child. Knowing the fate of the child the mother never to be silently whispered words that no one else will ever here.
“Nil, my child warrior.” As she released the child the baby’s eyes went slightly wide as he stared at his mother’s red eyes that still withheld her tears within. The baby began to cry as it was carried from its mother across the wooden village into a cart with other woman of white with horns, antlers, slit pupils and tails.
“The last one?” a lady in a white gown asks the lady holding baby Nil as she climbs on to the open cart.
“Yes, Lady Priest.” Lady Priest only nods sending her long ears to slightly vibrate from the motion and allowing a feral smile to befall her face of perfection showing sharp teeth throughout her jaws; she looked inherently evil. Another woman in white tells the cart driver to get a move on and with a quick twist of his whip the cart rolls into motion. The lady in white who birthed Elunia’s child tries to quiet the crying Nil to no avail until she uses his given name. The child instantly goes quiet and begins to lapse into a restful position as it begins to close its eyes in rest remaining unhindered by today’s events. The narrowing of the child’s pupils catches Elunia’s birth maiden’s attention for a slight second before she believes she only imagined it.
Four Years Later…
“Why are the children still not working!” a man in steel armor gives a man wearing silk cloth asks in an impatient tone. Waiting for an answer the man who spoke paces back in forth in hardly restrained anger.
“Because you useless fool they will die within the month carrying the rocks and lose me the money from the payment made you imbecile!” The man in cloth lets out his own rage unrestrained.
“Sir! The mines are slowing in production, without more workers we will fall behind!” the man taking a chance tells the silk cloth noble his fears as his voice rises. The noble already knowing this and ready to burst at his seams yells at his Slave Master.
“Get out!” The Slave Master with no choice does a stiff bow and exits the room leaving the noble to his Ledgers. Looking through the ledgers the noble understands his problem but with having to fund his army he cannot produce anymore coin for more slaves within the mines. Sucking his teeth in disappointment he decides his money is worth far more than a hundred guards as he releases the most incompetent. Calling for his master scribe through one of his castle slaves he awaits in patience for him to arrive while making slight tweaks here and there to afford more workers.
A knock on the door makes the noble smile in primal hunger.
“Come in!” he says covering his smile as if it was never there.
“You called for me, My Lord?” The scribe asks as he maintains his bow of respect. The noble looks on with triumphant for this obvious sign of respect as he speaks.
“Of course, I called for you!” The Noble says impatiently. “I need you to make ledgers stating that the anyone who works at my mines will make five copper a day and make sure they understand that any age will be allowed to work.” The scribe quickly hides his grimace at the last words. Not about the age of work but about the fact the common man would have to work with slaves. However, knowing his place he only nods and quickly leaves the room commanding the nearby slaves to quickly spread words to his scribe apprentices that the Lord has commanded a duty.
The lord back in his office begins humming to himself for his bright idea of shaving off the cost for the city guard to make workers for his mine, soon enough he will be able to hire even more guards as five copper is nothing compared to the fifteen a guard gets a day. Humming as he writes in his ledgers he quickly becomes engrossed in his money making duties he can’t help be believe himself a genius.
***
“Jak, toss here!” Nil screamed as he played with the others his age. Nil ran all around their small enclosed cavern as he tried to catch the ball from the much nimbler children. Not one for giving up he chases as he shouts for the ball when suddenly the ends up in his hands. Unable to contain his excitement he holds onto the ball with a proud and innocent smile. Running around the other young boys he is soon tackled in a ferocious way ending with the ball made of twigs being squashed beneath him. The other kids looking at the ball and back at Nil make distasteful faces as if they ate something sour or spoiled as they gang up on him. The ring leader Jak holding far more than a scowl on his face begins to kick young Nil screaming,
“You ruined our ball! You squashed it with you lard! your pathetic being needs to learn!” The other kids join in, obvious anger guiding their actions as Nil cries in pain. The kids kicking and punching as Nil rolls into a ball crying at the cruel punishment given for being happy, happy for finally receiving the ball. The ball that was purposely being kept from him for this exact purpose. He cried for someone to help him but yet no help came even as he heard is own bones crack and crunch from the other kid’s onslaught of a beating.
“Pl-ea-se s-t-op!” Nil cried but yet the beatings continued in even more ferocity. “It hurts!” Nil cried but Jak answered as he kicked Nil in the face.
“Should of thought before squashing our ball!” Nil cried as the attacks continued. It was not his fault that he was tackled on top of the ball, or the fact the weight of them all squashed the ball! Jak saw it differently. Nil while being one of the shortest was the heaviest. Broadest of them all. His strength physically unmatched by the others and a weight envied by the other kids he could only make the boy who made him feel inferior feel pain. The beating continues until a Slave Driver hears the cries of a beaten Nil. Stopping the fight Nil is placed in the corner to heal.
‘Why are the others mean to me, I just want play!’ Nil wailed in his mind. ‘I just want to play…’ Nil thought as he tried to sooth his aching body. Feeling the red liquid drain from his hurting nose he wipes beneath to dodge sharp pain of touching his nose. The other kids look on in anger as they try to fix their twig ball. Nil looking one more time at the ball and other kids surrounding Jak only one thought remains. ‘I just want to play?’.
***
Eight years after Nils was born.
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Snap. Uh. “Move faster you slave!” Nil felt the whip. Dropping the rock he just carried ended in another snap and a groan from Nil could be heard once again. Quickly picking up his rock he tosses into the basket held on his back. The straps digging into his armpits he ignores the slight irritation as he continues to pick up the shiny rocks. Trying to gain ground away from the Slave Driver he picks up rocks as he moves quickly through the mine as he hears new arrivals cough from the congested air. Ignoring the horrendous coughing Nil does his duty unnoticed as he grabs more and more rocks, quickly tossing them into his basket on his back. His physique hardly changed. Broad in the shoulders, large arms and thick legs from having to carry the weight of ore in his back basket for the last year has made him even thicker. The meager meals he receives for his work hardly giving him his body’s needs. Yet, day in and day out for the last year he has entered the mine and gained muscle, replacing his baby fat with strength. His eyes no longer holding the round pupils of his birth but a slit like a snake’s. His tail having become half his wait drags behind him as he places more ore into his back-basket. A ringing could be heard a few hours later. Most miner’s shoulders relax as the tension of their tightened muscles relax knowing the end of the day. Nil shows no such relaxing as he must now carry his gatherings to the Task Master for approval of his meal. Finally making it from the cave he finds the Task Master on duty. Shrugging off his basket he places it on the table before the man’s eyes. The task Master slowly counts each ore Nil picked up and soon hands him a copper coin to hand to the cook after receiving his meal. Nil could also keep the coin to pay for freedom but then he would have to go hungry and due to the rules, he wouldn’t be able to buy seconds. Nil not including this coin has one copper coin stashed away for when he truly needs it. Finding the cook Nil trades his coin for the oat slop and devours it hungrily. Placing the wooden bowl with the others he silently makes his way to the mine caverns. The caverns being where slaves sleep and rest when not in the mines. Finding his bed he falls into it and immediately falls to sleep as his body rests for the same grueling work tomorrow.
***
Twelve years after Nil was born.
“Up you little turd’s!” a man wielding a whip shrills. Nil wakes from his unrestful dreams knowing today he would become a miner. Wielding a pick as he finds ore and the kids seven and older pick up his work.
“Following behind the other twelve-year old’s with Jak being the ring leader grabs a pick from the wooden weapon holder modified to hold the picks he makes his way into the mine. Finding the red X painted on where he is supposed to dig he begins. The other kids follow him and soon only the screech and scrape of the picks hitting stone could be heard. Within an hour, Nil is drenched in sweat from striking the rock wall over and over. Blisters forming on his hand and splitting as he continues his work. The lunch bell rings as miners get three meals he eats. Finishing just as the chime meaning the end of the lunch he returns to the same sight and begins to smack the pick against the wall. Having saw over the years how far the other miners were by this point Nil begins thinking himself slow in his work. Picking up the pace, not wanting to feel the bite of the Slave Driver’s whip speeds his pace as he hears the cries and moans of pain from his fellow slaves that used to abuse him. Little did Nil know that by the end of the day the wall he was taking chunks from was far deeper than the others and having produced more ore than the others. Nil having turned in his pick at the end of the day was hardly capable of lifting the bowl into his mouth due to the pain his hands brought him. Slowly but surely, gulping down the oats he begins to here murmurs from the guards and soon the slaves begin talking. Nil listens in on the conversations of the older slaves all around him. Catching only a few words he soon understands that the human kingdom has finally declared war. Unsure what this means for him he finishes and does what he can to remain alive and avoid punishment. However, as times passes more slaves leave and never return as young as fifteen. Nil keeping his head down and doing what he is supposed to do remains in the mines watching everyday no more than three people are dragged from the mine and tossed into a cart. These people either looking horrified or grateful as the cart moves toward the southeast.
***
Fourteen years after Nil’s birth.
“What do you think is happening? Think the humans will free the slaves like us?” Jak’s second asks as the pick up their picks. Jak looks at his second with a small glare as he shrugs his shoulders for the closest guard in trepidation. Nil only shakes his head at Geru’s stupidity. Talking about freedom is a quick way to the whipping post. The whipping post being the most painful as the leather tip of the whips are separated and the ends replaced with hooks, made to maim and soon kill the target as they scream in unimaginable agony with each strike the hook tears flesh from the unclothed back of worthless slaves. Nil shudders at the thought. Grabbing his pick, he enters the cave knowing in six moons he will have a choice to join the other army in combat in the north after being pushed back by the humans, if the war does not end soon. Finding a new wall within the mines he finds an X and begins to strike all the while preparing for the day he will be forced into the war. No one above the rank of Slave Master has visited the mines in the last year but everyone after a year of random slaves taken have realized the slaves taken don’t return. Nil knowing nothing but the mines and the Slave Drivers keeping their whips close at hand for the less enthusiastic slaves in their work takes his anger out on the rocks before him. No rhythm, no exact strike, just wild swings ending near the middle of the X. Soon the red X disappears and Nil keeps on striking his imaginary guard. His imaginary Slave Driver defenseless before his onslaught. Breathing and groaning with every strike the lunch bell rings. Grabbing his usual oat slop he eats slowly having learned that to eat fast meant losing his lunch. By the time the lunch bell dings symbolizing the end the wooden bowl is returned and he begins anew in the same spot with calloused hands and a bucket of dirty water to drink next to him. Jak and his followers still bother Nil but never alone. Not only has his strength become known throughout the other slaves but his reflexes seem unnatural compared to his slow speed. Fights have been started by throwing a punch out of jealousy only for Nil to quickly punch back after dodging the strike making the unlucky striker stumble from just one blow. Most not believing Nil’s strength due to being below average in height tested him to only feel the weight of his strength behind each blow he dealt. Slave Guards having made bets on previous fights making quick money on new guards who chose the taller, more athletic looking opponent of Nil’s. Nil known widely through the other slaves for his strength just let him be as Jak’s jealousy grows unhindered as the boy who he beat up grows in fame. Nil still understands when he is outnumbered but yet he still tries to fight never wanting to feel the same heartbreaking thought when he was four years old. Nil having remembered that day clearly never forgot how he just wanted to play. Just wanted friends and earn his place among the others as a friend. Nil still wants the companionship but yet will never admit it to anyone, especially himself which is why he fights. Ferocious in his return swings some people believe him to be human from all the stories of war. Ruthless and without pity they call Nil when a fair fight is made. Nil still only wanting companionship is yet seen as a monster by the others near his age. Only losing to the greater experienced adults and yet even they respect his strength.
The thoughts over take him as he continues to strike the grey rock before him in his frustrations. ‘Why must I have been a slave!’ ‘Why would I be given up!’ ‘why does everyone my age resent me!’ Little did Nil know he was not resented or given but taken and envied. His eyes remain with slit pupils and with white glowing irises that seem to unnerve not only fellow slaves but guards as well. His tail now dragging the remaining length of hit tail on the ground as he walks leaving a trackable trail everywhere he goes. His major difference was when he was a baby and his teeth fell out. Instead of the usual canines of humans his teeth grew fangs. Upper and lower and his tongue became more narrow than others. His skin far harder and more smooth almost like silk. His hair coming in a brown so dark that it is thought to be black till cut to the normal bald all slaves receive until cut once it grows out more. Finishing his work for the day he hears something he never thought he would hear as he slurps his usual oat slop with gusto.
“Did you hear? The Lord’s are commanding all slaves of the age fifteen to join the army!” Nil knowing what this means hides his smiles as he slowly slurps his oats knowing his life as a slave just might end.
***
Fifteen years after Nil is born.
“Slaves of the age of fifteen step forward!” The Slave Master believing there is a lack of slaves in front of him goes with his next order.
“Any slave found to be fifteen or older will not only suffer immeasurable pain but shall be placed on the frontlines no matter their talent!” The man howls in a rumbling voice. Nil having stepped up the first time ignores his instincts and looks for the cowards. Noticing as two step forward he waits to see what happens and when nothing does he looks forward again hoping his lack of attention was not noticed.
Luckily, he escapes the Slave Masters eye.
“As you all know your King needs soldiers to fight the barbaric humans! You lowly beings shall earn a chance to not only gain freedom but a chance at fame!” The Slave Master shouts in a howling voice in a pitch that does not match his size. Slowly looking over the slaves he notices one that catches his eye. Standing shorter than the rest but far stockier, almost like an ale barrel but without the roundness, shoulders like a horse to go along with his body. ‘Seems not all will be hopeless against the onslaught…I hope.’