When Cien was already done telling what happened in the market, Dreg was also done counting their gain. He told them through hand sign that their gain was enough for them to eat 3 times a day in four weeks. A mixed emotions surface in their heart as they felt surprised, shocked, happy, and excited.
As they were savouring the moment of their gain, someone knock the door as they were startled by the sound. “I will look at it, hide it for now that we gained today and if something happened go to the kitchen you will saw a plank there, open it and you will saw a tunnel” Cien said, he was cautious because no one come here in this rural garbage dump except them.
Cien went to the door and didn’t open but he only said “who are you? Please state your name?”.
No one answered but for some reason he can hear the faint breath and clanging metal.
“Please answer me, I can hear you guys clearly in the outsi-“ Cien anxiously said but stopped when he heard “destroy the door” he instinctively distance himself to the door as the door destroyed by them. He knew that door was easy to be push and destroy because it was rusty and old. “Divina go to the tunnel with Dreg!! Dreg drag Divina here to leave and run as you can!!” he shouted to both of them. Dreg do Cien said unhesitatingly and dragged Divina to the tunnel even though Divina looked reluctant and crying when she saw his brother leaving behind “No brother what about you?!” she was dragging by Dreg forcefully. Cien took the knife on the table and when he saw who is in the outside his face was unsightly. “Why are you doing this Rev?! we didn’t provoke you or went to your territory” Cien said. “I know you are smart enough to understand my intention coming here Cien”
Rev reply as he along with four guys. Cien was probing their intention coming here but his guess was right they come here for the gain they amass in the market.
Cien analysed as he knew that he was very disadvantage if fight escalate, Rev was 8 years old that was 3 years older than him and the four along with him were 7 or 6 years old. He already disadvantaged in number of people, preparedness, and age. “Okay, I’m willing to give all of it to you but please promise me that you don’t touch my sister and Dreg” He relinquished calmly as it was not worth it than their own life, they can do it again if they wake up tomorrow. He put his knife down as he knew his situation that it was not favour at him. “Okay we will do that but we need your sincerity and we will do your demand as a promise” Rev said calmly. Cien knew that Rev is known for protecting his reputation as a person that doing his promise. So that’s why he didn’t feel that he will take his word back. Cien pointed where they hide their gain and the two along with Rev went to the place where Cien pointed and took it. When Rev saw that they already took the gain. He said something to Cien.
“You choose the right choices Cien, if not both of your legs will be crippled or you will become like Dreg that became mute. I don’t want to see you like that” Rev said smiling gently and friendly manner. Cien knew that ‘gently smiling’ were hiding a cruel, sick, and insane bastard. “Thanks Rev, for agreeing and forgive us if we displease you” Cien said, they said that this bastard crippled someone if you didn’t show. manner infront at him or displeased him. “Good, I like that you knew your situation. That’s why I see you as a smarter than other Cien-” Rev complimented Cien but to Cien it was a danger and threat for him. “But you displease me a little bit, first the two left without my permission. Second you didn’t inform me your gain but only informed by someone, it really breaking my heart Cien, it was truly a heartache. Since promise is a promise and I need to compromise, I will not take my word back but the promise is only your sister and Dreg, not YOU” Rev said smiling.
Even though Cien was mentally prepared, he cannot help but shudder when he heard Rev said to him. “But I was satisfied today gain and you give in easily without make things difficult for me, so my punishment for you and I don’t to hurts our friend Cien, I decide that only two strikes on your left legs” he said gently to him. the way he saying is like he was merciful to him.
The two in his back moved and they took Cien, they held him tightly for him not to move or run. Cien didn’t retaliate and let them held him tightly. He was already mentally prepared. If he didn’t do this that sadistic Rev will come back many times to trouble them, as he didn’t feel satisfied without physical things and also if Cien retaliate it make him indulge to do it again. Everyone knew that as he was notorious to every kid in this slum.
The one who going to hit the left leg of Cien was the one who informed about them to Rev, he was smiling and excited. He focused and concentrated his robs wood to hit precise in the left leg of Cien. Cien was shuddering subconsciously and he was furiously sweating. When the rods wood hit his leg, he screamed out of his lungs “AHHH!!” when it was hit hard to his leg and he was crying because of unbearable pain. He resolute himself and he gritted his teeth tightly. It was the last one, as it was readying itself. Rev stopped him and said with calmness “Give it to me” the one who hit Cien give it to him without hesitation to his order. Cien uncontrollably shudder and shiver in his spine, he knew that this will be more painful than before. Rev grin while holding the rods wood, he concentrated and focused to Cien left leg very seriously to hit it precisely. “AAHHHH!!” Cien shouted as his leg hit by Rev and unbearable pain surface like a wave that many times more hurtful than before. He bit his lips accidently at it was bleeding. The two that holding him tightly let go of him and Rev said “Now you know the consequences if I was displease, so next don’t do this Cien, OKAY?”.
“Yes, I understood” Cien struggle said because of the pain on his leg and his lips bleeding. “Let’s go were already done here” Rev said with grin and satisfied look. Cien saw that his left leg was bleeding furiously as he cried when he saw it even though he made himself mentally prepared he was still a kid that make it impossible for him to endure mentally and physically.
Cien thought about a way to stop his bleeding. He thought something. He crawled until he was already in the cabinet, he saw clean clothes in the cabinet. He took and torn it as he covered his wound on his left leg. He felt breathless and tired. He was furiously sweating to this unbearable pain and he wanted to close his eyes because of tiredness, he felt that the pain will fade if he slept.
But he reminding himself that he should not close his eyes, he still gritting his teeth to wake himself up. ‘That bastard sadistic sh*t, If I recovered in this i will give you 10 folds for this’ Cien thought, he looked unsightly. As he was thinking angrily about Rev, he startled as heard noise outside it sound like footstep. He gritted his teeth and he thought ‘This sadistic still not done and satisfied!’. But to what he expected to be Rev, it was Divina and Dreg. “You guys?!” He was shocked and delight that they come back to him. he cried without holding back in front of them as they also cried while hugging each other. “Don’t do that again brother!” Divina said while crying and angrily, she was very worried to her brother and he was the only person in her family. “Okay, okay” Cien saw that his sister was truly furious that he left himself behind. “Thank you, Dreg. for protecting my sister and I’m sorry that our gain was taken by them, I will pay you back for the losses you took” Cien thanked him and apologized. He knew that without help of Dreg by forcing Divina to come along with him in the tunnel, his sister will be along with him hit by rods wood in the leg. He was okay if he was the only one harmed than to see his family or his sister harmed, he willing to use his body if it mean that she will be safe. Dreg hand sign to Cien “Don’t worry about it, I only do my duty as a family”. Cien looked grateful and appreciated that Dreg was here but Divina was very annoyed looking at him because he dragged her forcefully in the tunnel and they left his brother alone for their survival. She felt guilt looking at his brother that she left him without on his side when his life is a stake for them.
----------------------------------------
2 years later.
the bared island, in the no name forest.
It was already start of the winter, as the weather was very cold and very foggy.
In the forest a kid was running in this foggy and white field. Theo was already 2 years old in this year. he was running early morning as he need to do every day. He stopped because he heard a chirping bird in this white field and he saw a chick bird alone that freezing cold in this field of snow. He went to the chick bird and took it slowly “There, there young man, it’s okay I will not hurt you. I will bring you to warmer place just a wait a little bit” he said gently. He looked around but he didn’t saw the mother of this chick bird. He took it and said “You are unlucky to be born in this season of winter and your mother left you freeze death but you are lucky that I saw you” he said and he put the chick bird in his jacket to keep him warm. “We are going to our house to keep you warm” Theo said warmly to the chick bird. Theo went to the wooden cabin they build.
Theo opened the door in the cabin, he saw Ulrich alone and was there looking at the map he sketched for the years he was travelling. Ulrich saw that theo is back, “Did you done your jogging training?” Ulrich asked. “Yes, I already done grandpa but when I coming back, I saw this little chick bird alone while freezing cold outside in the field of snow” Theo said and took the bird in his jacket to show Ulrich. Ulrich was surprised when he saw the little chick bird and said “That chick bird was pretty unlucky and lucky at the same time”. “I also thought so, for it to be alive until I saw it, maybe it was destiny” Theo said smiling while caressing the chick bird. Ulrich come near to theo and inspect what bird it was, he thought something when he saw it. “It was a falcon bird Theo” Ulrich said to theo. “Take care of it and treat it like your companion Theo, not a pet” Ulrich remind to theo. “Yes, grandpa I understood” Theo was very excited and felt joy that he will take care a bird, it was a fresh experience for him. “What name do you will give to that little buddy of yours?” Ulrich asked. “Hmm, maybe Falcony” Theo said proudly when he said the name. Ulrich facepalm himself when he heard the name Theo give to that little falcon, he also felt bad to that little falcon for him to gave a name that very easy and didn’t think hard. “Are you sure ‘Falcony’ you will name to that little bird?” Ulrich asked if he sure. “Yes, that is I want to call him” Theo said proudly and resolutely, he didn’t find the name he gave was ugly or it was wrong about it.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
Ulrich sighed and only accepted it since Theo was the one going to take care that little falcon. Theo put the bird near the fireplace to keep the bird warm. “I will get you a food, wait” Theo said warmly and took old rice that cooked before and give to the chick bird to eat.
After he done taking care the chick bird, Theo looked around and he asked “Where did May and Red go?” he asked curiously to where did they go. “Oh, they went outside to collect woods for the fireplace because we needed many woods today. I think this night there will be winter storm so we needed to be prepared just in case” Ulrich said. Theo was shocked and looked to the little chick bird and said “I guess you are pretty lucky little bird” he said while laughed to this unexpected situation. Ulrich laughed along also to this play of destiny. “What time they will come back grandpa?” theo asked curiously, he wanted to know. “Maybe, this afternoon” Ulrich said to him. Theo heard that they will come back afternoon when he noticed that Ulrich was focused looking to his sketched map. “What are you looking at?” he asked while eating the apple he took in the table. “I’m looking to the map because were already near to our destination and I’m finding the location where at it because it was hard to find it location of this winter” Ulrich said solemnly. Theo shudder when he heard it because he heard it many times the story about it to Ulrich, May, red, mother and some of the people in the house of Azert. If the training of Ulrich was already hard for the kid, then that was the embodiment of danger itself for the kid even teenage will hard to live there for many years because of every danger. He nervously asked “Then when will we arrived to that destination?”. Ulrich looked to Theo, he saw that he was really nervous to this unknown and first time for him. “I estimate that it will take 5 days before we arrive to the entrance” Ulrich said to him, he was worried to him even though he didn’t show it. after Ulrich said, it became silence in the room. “Don’t worry grandpa, you trained me for this for me to come back alive with open my aura root so believed at me” Theo mustered his courage and he knew this will happen someday as he was already mentally prepared and this is the reason he was training for 2 years. He thought there will no coming back and it became a regret for the rest his life.
If he wanted something he need to work and risk for it.
“I really believe at you that you can do it. I’m the one who trained you if I didn’t believe at you its mean I’m doubting at you.” Ulrich said jokingly to destroy this solemn atmosphere. Theo laughed also and scratched his head.
“Do you remember the lesson I told at you about that ‘small world’?” Ulrich asked if his grandson remember the lesson he taught at him, for him to survive to that ‘small world’.
“Yes, I remember grandpa. It already buried in my mind very well” Theo said playfully. Ulrich smiled.
“Good, good. That the way for you to have a higher chance to survive to that small world” Ulrich said. for a moment, a question that theo wanted to know.
“Grandpa I never asked this before, where did this small world come from?” Theo asked curiously. When Ulrich heard the question of Theo, he was also baffled and curious to that ‘small world’.
“I don’t know also, I also asked that when I knew the ‘small world’ for the first time but no still concluded where it came from but only theories. It said in the history humanity of Chaotisch world, it said that it was older than humanity itself to be existed. It means it was already existed in this world, earlier than human that still didn’t exist. It said that there is almost ‘hundreds of portals’ existed to go through ‘small world’ in this whole continent of Fetrias that include our Bared Island but it was not fixed, every decade it will vanish to it position and change its position to other location” Ulrich said what he knew.
Theo was shocked to what he learned, he felt that this world had many strange and wonderful things that cannot explained. He felt that his knowledge about this world was just a speck of dusk to the whole history of this Chaotisch world. He thought that the more he delves to the history of this world, he will glimpse somehow the secret of this world. He felt excited to knew the hidden secret of this world but he also felt shudder that when he learned something about it, his life will change unprecedented.
He vanished that unnecessary thought in his mind to focus only to the present and let his future him self-worry about it. Who knows maybe he may already dead in the future without knowing anything the secret of this world.
Theo changed the topic and said “Grandpa did you already went to the Fetrias main continent?” Theo asked curiously because his grandpa only taught him knowledge about Bared Island and never teach him about Fetrias main continent.
“I wish I do, it’s my wishful dream to adventure and set foot to the Fetrias main continent, but you know this old man is very old already and my body can’t take that long adventure. It’s my regret that I never step foot to that soil of Fetrias continent. So theo, do what you want where your heart wanted to and became like a bird fly high in the blue sky. So that you don’t regret something like this old man. But remember this theo, it’s okay to make mistake as we are human embodiment of imperfect, the only things we can do is learn to our mistake and be a better human” Ulrich said gently to Theo. Theo quieted, he felt the sadness and regret to every word Ulrich saying.
But the silence atmosphere didn’t take long, the door opened. May and Red already came back to their work of collecting woods.
“Hey, what happened? we only left for few hours to collect woods but why the atmosphere like this?” May said casually. Over this 2 year, May become open to her feeling to theo and Ulrich as they didn’t care if she talked to them casually. It also improved the relationship between the four as they together eating, sleeping, and going through this training of theo. May and Red also helped theo training for him to improve further. It became normal for them to talk each other casually but May and Red didn’t cross line because out of respect for them, they duty as a guard, and Theo and Ulrich were the main family of Azert clan.
“Its about my training, we are already not further to the small world. Grandpa said that we going arrive at the estimate of 5 days” Theo said, he didn’t speak out the regret of Ulrich out of respect for his grandpa.
May and Red were shocked and surprised, they didn’t expect that they already near the designated destination by Ulrich. They felt saddened that Theo was going to that small world, they knew how dangerous that small world is because they only barely came back alive that time but thankfully, they went the same time to go the small world so they had advantage in number and teamwork. But Theo was only alone going there to survive for 2 years. Theo saw their face and said “Hey! What’s that look of you guys? do you think I will die or something. I will not die there because I will not let myself die in that small world. Until I done something worth for” Theo said without blinking his eyes and with solemn face.
“I’m sorry theo, we didn’t think something like that, we are just worried for you that something may happen to you that we are not on your side when needed the most” Red said worriedly, he considered theo as his younger brother and he is also the successor of the throne that he served so he was really worried. They also getting along with him and Theo didn’t saw them as only a guard but also a friend so they already fond to him.
Theo laughed “HAHAHA, I’m just joking don’t take it seriously. Did my poker face really that good? That make you guys deceived then rate it to scale 1-5 for me to improve again HEHE” Theo said playfully to Red and May. Ulrich laughed also; he didn’t find this weird because theo was always like this living with him for past 2 years.
May and Red “…”
They felt that their heart was played at. “Sorry, sorry. I just only wanted that you guys don’t need to worry about me because i will make sure I’m coming back alive” Theo said to assured them that he will go out that small world alive and well.
May noticed and heard that there is chirping bird, she set her eyes to the fireplace and she a saw a chick bird that covered in clothes along with rice in his side.
“Where did this chick bird come from?” May asked.
“Ah that, I picked it up in the field of snow when I was jogging because it was freezing to death to this cold winter” Theo said casually.
“How unfortune for this chick bird” May said, she went to the bird and caressed its head.
“I also had bird in my house but I left it for my little sister to have someone in her side when I wasn’t there, so I know about bird very well. That falcon bird looked that he was already 30 days old” Red said. May didn’t find surprised because she already knew but Ulrich and Theo were a bit surprised.
“Oh is that so? Then can this bird come along with me to that small world?” Theo asked Red if it possible.
“Its possible but it will be burden at you for few or many months, because it was still growing” Red said.
“Then I will take Falcony along with me” Theo said resolutely. May and Red were perplexed when they heard the name of Falcony. Theo saw it and said “That’s the name of this chick bird, Falcony”.
May and Red laughed internally but they hide it like a poker face. They thumb up him as a symbol that they like it and covered their mouth. Theo was confused to their reaction, when he was on earth that was always been simple and easy to remember.
“Now let put the small world later, theo starting today your training will be doubled” Ulrich said that shocked Theo. He already barely adjusted to the training Ulrich gave at him but now it was doubled. He was crying internally. He thought if his unluckiness in his past life come along also to transmigrated with him. ‘This is child abuse’ he thought to this cruel training for a toddler like him.
“What are you waiting for? RUN!” Ulrich said and shouted. Theo instinctively ran outside in this cold winter.
“Ulrich is this a good idea? Maybe it might worsen his body condition” May said worriedly. Ulrich was silent for a moment and said after “Don’t underestimated the body and bloodline of Azert as they were not normal to the same age of them”. “The more they trained their body, the better they will excel.” Ulrich added. May and Red were confused because they didn’t understand the bloodline and body that theo different that other the same age.
“At first, I also don’t understand how he can survive to my extreme training, every time I intensify the training, he still had energy to which is weird for me even in my entire lifetime of training other children even the three clan children they didn’t show like this unnatural at all so I concluded that maybe because the bloodline and body of Azert clan” Ulrich said to May and Red to his guess of this unnatural stamina, recovery, and good five senses of theo that better than normal people.
They looked through the door that was open, they saw Theo that was running to this cold white field winter.