Arc 1: From the Ashes
Chapter 2: The Union (??? Pov)
The man was right, my life sucked. It hadn’t been that long but in the past few days, I had woken up in the void, watched my parents die in front of me, and then was captured and placed in the slave trade. I needed a break.
My mind drifted back to that couple. I didn’t even know them, yet why did I feel so much guilt? I blamed myself for not being able to protect them. If only I wasn’t a child, maybe I could have. Maybe, I could’ve saved them. I gazed downwards at my pathetic body. I was covered in filth and dirt. Gray threads hugged my frail body, which was black and blue all over. Judging by my size, I assumed I was around maybe a year old.
My thoughts were interrupted by a guard banging on the cells with a wooden spoon. From head-to-toe dark plated armor protected his body, and under his right arm, he carried a metal bucket. Reaching into the bucket, the guard tossed an assortment of things at us, food. The other members of my cage rushed to the front, pushing and shoving. Like a pack of wild animals, they began devouring the scraps. My stomach rumbled as I realized I didn’t know when the last time I had eaten had been, if ever. Getting on my hands and knees, I crawled over to the pile of slaves and tried forcing my way in. I don’t know what I expected as I was hit backward by a stray hand and slammed the wall behind me. I coughed as I felt the impact of the stone wall and I keeled over. I glanced back up at the dogpile which was starting to clear up. At this rate, I wasn’t going to survive.
*****
I stared at where the food used to be, hoping to scavenge whatever was left of it, but not a scrap remained. My stomach growled again and I bit my lip to focus my attention elsewhere.
In the corner of my eye, I saw someone sit down beside me. I glanced up at my visitor, an elderly man. His hair flowed down to his shoulders and probably would’ve been the color of snow if it wasn’t for the soot that contaminated it. Like every other person here, his tattered clothing hung loosely around his body. “Here.” The man offered me a piece of stale bread and what seemed to be a clear ball. Hesitatingly, I took it from his hands. The ball jiggled as I touched it. “Th-Th…” I stammered before what felt like the hundredth time I realized, I’m a toddler. Goddammit, so not only can I not walk, but I also can’t speak either? So instead, I gave a slight nod at my newfound companion who gave me a slight smile back.
We quietly chewed on our meals, savoring what few bites we had. After I finished, I stared at the clear ball in my other hand. The old man must have noticed my confusion, as he tapped on my shoulder to get my attention. He took his orb and, bit into it? I took my own ball and followed suit. The ball exploded and cool refreshing water flooded my mouth. I drank the rest of its contents feeling somewhat refreshed after the recent events.
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For the next few days, the old man cared for me; giving me food and water when meals were distributed and shielding me from…traumatic incidents. I wanted to thank him, or at least figure out his name, but I still had not learned how to talk. So, we sat together in silence as we watched the days go by.
*****
“Get up.” From the depths of my sleep, I heard the old man whisper to me. I sat up, rubbing my blurry eyes, and spotted all the cages opened and the slaves walking out. They were heading into the door across from the exit.
What was going on? Leaning on the old man, I walked out of the doorway and into a large room where we were strapped into metal chairs. Placing strange devices on our heads, I felt something being taken from my body as I got weaker and weaker.
*****
“WAKE UP.” I heard someone snarl at me before slapping me across the face. I clutched my hand to my cheek and opened my eyes; I was face to face with one of the dark-plated guards. He was preparing another punch when the old man appeared. “Wait.”
Walking over to my chair, the old man stood between the guard and me. “I’ll take his punishment.” There was nothing I could do as I watched the guard beat the old man down to the ground.
I wanted to help him. The old man was laying on the ground, bleeding from multiple locations. Grabbing my clothes, I began taking them off, trying to stop the bleeding, but the old man stopped me and shook his head. Getting up, the man started stumbling back to the cells. I followed him, trying my best to walk myself as to not hurt him anymore. We both collapsed in the cell, unable to walk any farther. When everyone else fell asleep, I alone curled into a ball and let the tears come to my eyes.
*****
I was laying in the corner of the room when it happened. The cell door opened, and two guards dressed in that black plating walked in, inspecting the prisoners. They seemed to have found what they were looking for when they grabbed someone, the old man. He was still recovering from his wounds and didn’t struggle as they lifted him up and started escorting him out. No… I couldn’t let them take him. Moving as fast as my 1-year-old body would allow, I rushed over to one of the guards and grabbed their leg, trying to stop their attempts to leave. “What the hell…” the guard muttered before punting me across the cell. I hit the wall with a bang and collapsed on the ground. “No…” I stammered. The guards walked out of the cell and locked it, taking the old man when he turned back and mouthed, “We will meet again, Child of the Light.” He gave me one last smile before the wooden door closed shut.
*****
A few days had passed as I sat in the corner of my cell watching the others eat. I hadn’t really been hungry, and it wasn’t like I would be able to reach the food. I spent my listening to the guards’ idle chatter, which normally wasn’t that interesting, however today was different. “I heard [The Oracle] appeared again.” One of the guards mentioned. “mhm, another cart of slaves has been stolen. I don’t understand why someone would do such a thing.” The other responded. Though the news brought some happiness, I couldn’t smile. My thoughts were only focused on hoping the old man was alright.
After the old man had left the other slaves had taken notice of my precarious situation and began to save a bit of food and water for me. Even as each one disappeared one by one; they were quickly replaced with other unfortunate souls who continued to take on the responsibility of providing me enough care to survive. I was the only one that remained as the flames were extinguished. The residue left behind.