AS THE SUN BLAZED AGAINST MY NAKED BACK AND THE HEAT OF IT BEGAN TO DRY MY DAMP SKIN, I FORCED MYSELF TO PUSH ASIDE THE THOUGHTS OF THE PAST IN ORDER TO FOCUS ON THE PRESENT.
IT HAD BEEN SIX DAYS SINCE I CAME TO THIS WORLD.
THE MEMORIES OF MY LAST LIFE PLAGUED MY DREAMS BUT THEY WERE FADING FAST, LEAVING ONLY A FEW SHARDS OF MEMORY THAT HAUNTED MY SLEEPING MIND, BUT I PUSHED THOSE AWAY AS WELL.
MY MEMORIES FROM BEFORE THE ATTACK WERE STILL COMING TO ME SLOWLY, GRADUALLY RETURNING PIECE BY PIECE AS THE HOURS CREPT ON INTO THE EARLY MORNING.
AS I WAS FORCED ME TO STAY ON MY KNEES, AS THE CHAINS ONLY ALLOWED THAT POSITION TO BE OF ANY COMFORT BUT EVEN THEN MY LEGS SHOOK FROM DEHYDRATION AND EXHAUSTION
I STILL COULD NOT BRING MYSELF TO LIE DOWN FOR THE FEAR I WOULD BE WHIPPED AGAIN.
IT WAS A SORT OF GAME BETWEEN THE GUARDS AS THEY WHIPPED THE SALVE THAT WAS FOUND LYING DOWN IT DIDN'T MATTER, ANYWAY.
ALL THEY NEEDED ME TO DO WAS ENTERTAINMENT, SO WHOEVER YELLED THE LOUDEST OR STAYED THE QUIEST WAS BEATEN AND WHIPPED MOST.
MY EYES SNAPPED OPEN AS AN EXCRUCIATING PAIN ERUPTED IN MY TEMPLES, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO KEEP THEM OPEN.
THIS PAIN WAS DIFFERENT.
THOUGH IT FELT SIMILAR TO THE AGONY THAT HAD ONCE ENGULFED MY BODY AFTER BEING TORTURED FOR FOUR YEARS BEFORE FINALLY KILLING THE MAN IN WHITE, THIS PAIN WAS FAR WORSE.
AS I TOOK A MOMENT TO MASSAGE MY TEMPLES, TRYING TO EASE THE INTENSE HEADACHE, MY GAZE FLITTED AROUND IN CONFUSION AS I THOUGHT ABOUT MY SITUATION.
I HAD PASSED THROUGH, REINCARNATED OR RE-BIRTHED OR TRANSMIGRATED OR SOMETHING.
I DIDN'T KNOW THE CORRECT VERB FOR PEOPLE IN MY SITUATION TO USE, BUT I GUESS IT DIDN'T MATTER ANYWAY, WHAT YOU CALL IT, THE MAIN POINT WAS I WAS NO LONGER ON EARTH NOW AND THAT TERRIFIED ME BEYOND REASON.
TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT I HAD SOMEHOW OCCUPIED THE BODY OF A FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD BOY WITH STRAIGHT WAVEY HAIR, HAZEL EYES, AND A PALE GHOSTLY COMPLEXION, OR SOMEHOW THIS BOY HAD AWAKENED HIS PAST LIFE'S MEMORIES AND, IN SOME TWISTED WAY, HE HAD BECOME ME.
I WONDERED HOW I HAD GOTTEN HERE AND IF IT SOMEHOW ALL MIGHT BE A TRULY HORRIBLE DREAM.
IT DID FEEL REAL, THOUGH ALMOST TOO REALISTIC.
I TRIED MY BEST TO REMEMBER THE EVENTS THAT FOLLOWED, THE EVENTS THAT LED ME HERE.
THE BOY'S NAME WAS JOB AND HIS LIFE HAD BEEN WELL HOW DO I PUT THIS NICELY?
RIGHT A SHIT SHOW FROM THE VERY START AT SIX, THE BOY'S MOTHER LEFT HIM AND HIS FATHER,
THE MAN WHO HAD BEEN IN CHARGE OF RAISING THE BOY WAS A MONSTER.
IT WAS THE SAME FATHER WHO HAD TAKEN IT UPON HIMSELF TO MAKE THE BOY'S LIFE A LIVING HELL.
HE ABUSED HIM IN THE NAME OF TRAINING HIM.
HE ABUSED HIM BOTH PHYSICALLY AS WELL AS MENTALLY,
AND THEN AFTER YEARS OF TORMENT AND TORTURE WHEN JOB WAS TEN YEARS OLD, HE WAS KICKED OUT OF THE HOUSE AND THROWN OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER BY HIS OWN FATHER.
WHY DO YOU ASK?
BECAUSE THE OLD MAN WANTED TO REMARRY.
JOB NEVER SAW HIS FATHER OR ANYONE ELSE EVER AGAIN.
THEY SHATTERED HIS ENTIRE WORLD IN A FLASH, AND THERE WAS NOTHING FOR THE BOY TO FALL BACK ON BUT HIMSELF.
HE WAS ALONE, HOMELESS, AND BROKEN, BUT JOB WAS STRONG.
HE MANAGED TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE DESPITE THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF HIS LIFE.
BUT HE NEVER FORGOT, NO, HE NEVER FORGOT WHAT HAD HAPPENED.
SO IN ORDER TO DO THAT THE BOY JOINED THE MILITARY AND BEGAN SQUIRING FOR SOME KNIGHTS.
THERE JOB'S LIFE WAS ROUGH AND PAINFUL, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE BOY WAS CONTENT;
HIS LIFE CONSISTED OF THE TWO THINGS HE CRAVED MOST: STRENGHT AND ACCEPTANCE.
BUT THEN THE BOY'S LIFE TURNED UPSIDE DOWN WHEN SOME SORT OF ATTACK ON THE FORT WHERE JOB WAS SQUIRING CAUSED THE BOY NAMED JOB ASTRENL, THE FORMER CITIZEN OF THE EMPIRE OF DORMA, TO BE SOLD AS A SLAVE TO THE FAR EAST WHERE SLAVERY WAS PREVALENT.
JOB SPENT HIS TIME LIVING IN FILTHY, DIRTY LABOR CAMPS UNDER THE COMMAND OF A CRUEL MAN NAMED KRELLE, A BRUTAL SLAVE MASTER WHO WOULD BEAT THE BOY WHENEVER HE FELT LIKE IT.
BY THE END OF THE FIRST YEAR, THE BOY WAS BROKEN.
JOB EVENTUALLY STOPPED CARING FOR ANYTHING ABOUT HIMSELF.
HE ONLY THOUGHT ABOUT THE PRESENT AND HE STARTED HATING AND RESENTING THE OTHER SLAVES THAT LIVED IN THE MINES WITH HIM, NOT ONLY BECAUSE THE MEN BEAT HIM MERCILESSLY EVERY DAY BUT ALSO BECAUSE THEY HAD MORE FREEDOM THAN HIM.
HE HATED THEM FOR NOT KNOWING ANYTHING EXCEPT HOW TO WORK FOR THEIR MASTERS.
AND THE JOB WAS SOLD ON A SLAVE SHIP THE CRUELEST AND MOST DEGRADED PLACE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD IT WAS THE FINAL STRAW FOR JOB AND ALL HOPE SEEMED LOST, BUT THEN A LITTLE KID WHO SEEMED AROUND 14 OR 15 JUST GAVE UP, AND THEN CAME ME.
OH, AND DID I FORGET TO MENTION THAT THIS WORLD HAS MAGIC, OR SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR TO IT? AND THIS BOY, ME HAD AND COULD USE THIS MAGIC, AND ONCE I KNEW THIS AT FIRST I WAS ECSTATIC, I THOUGHT ABOUT USING MY NEWFOUND POWERS TO HELP A SLAVE REVOLT. TO FREE ME BUT WHEN I STARTED SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING IT, I COULDN’T BRING MYSELF TO DO IT.
FIRST THING I WAS ON A SEA SHIP, WHERE WOULD I GO HOW WOULD I SURVIVE
SECOND, THE OTHER SIDE HAD MAGIC TO AND FROM THE BOY'S MEMORIES THEIRS WERE MORE POWERFUL AND DANGEROUS
ANYWAY, THE STORY CONTINUED, BUT I'M GOING TO SKIP AHEAD TO HERE BECAUSE I CAN'T FIND THE RIGHT WORDS TO DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED NEXT.
TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT THE BOY'S LIFE WAS TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, AND MISERABLE AND BY SYMMETRY SO WAS MY LIFE BECOMING TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, AND MISERABLE,
MY FACE ITCHED FROM THE STARCHES AND RAIN AND MY BACK HURT FROM THE SCORCHED MARK WHERE IT WAS BURNED ON MY SHOULDER BLADE AND MY LIPS WERE CRACKED AND BLEEDING.
I COULDN'T STOP CRYING AND MY NOSE WAS RUNNING CONSTANTLY.
MY FEET WERE BRUISED, BATTERED, SCRATCHED, BLOODY, AND RAW.
EVERYTHING HURT.
IT ACHED, THROBBED, IT STUNG, IT THROBBED, IT WAS SORE.
EVERY PART OF MY BODY FELT LIKE FIRE. NOT TO MENTION THE FUCKING BLOODY MEMORIES THAT ARE NOW HAUNTING ME.
MY BODY TREMBLED WITH FEAR AND MY TEETH CHATTERED LOUDLY, AND MY ENTIRE BODY ACHED BECAUSE OF THE CONSTANT, THROBBING PAINS THAT RADIATED IN EACH NERVE ENDING AS I LAY HERE.
AS HARD AS I TRIED TO IGNORE IT, I KEPT FEELING THE STING OF THE WHIP AGAINST MY FLESH AS IF IT STILL STUNG.
THE THOUGHT ALONE WAS ENOUGH TO MAKE ME WANT TO SCREAM BLOODY MURDER, YET I WAS INCAPABLE OF ANY OF THOSE SOUNDS. AS MUCH AS I TRIED TO STOP THE TEARS FROM FALLING FROM MY EYES, THE HOT DROPLETS SPILLED DOWN MY CHEEKS AS I STARED UP AT THE BLUE SKY THAT SHONE BRIGHTLY OUTSIDE MY CAGE.
I WANTED TO LEAVE, BUT I COULDN'T.
I HAD TO SEE THIS THROUGH. THERE WAS NO TURNING BACK NOW, I NEEDED TO SURVIVE.
TEARS FLOWED FREELY FROM MY EYES, SPLATTERING ONTO THE WOODEN FLOOR.
IT WAS NOT AS IF I COULD GO BACK TO MY OLD WORLD, IT WAS NOT AS IF I WAS BROUGHT HERE THROUGH SOME PORTAL OR SPELL OR WHATEVER THE HELL IT WAS THAT TRANSPORTED PEOPLE TO ANOTHER WORLD.
I HAD DIED, THAT WAS IRON CLAD FACT, IF OF NOTHING ELSE I WAS SURE OF THIS.
I WAS DEAD,
LYMPHOMA WAS THE NAME OF THE BEAST THAT HAD DESTROYED MY HAPPY LIFE, IT TOOK EVERYTHING THING FROM ME.
MY FAMILY, MY FRIENDS, AND EVEN MY FUTURE, I WAS ALONE FOREVER, BUT I HAVE TO CONTINUE ON AND FIGHT AGAINST THE MONSTER THAT HAD RIPPED MY WHOLE LIFE APART.
AND FIGHT I DID UNTIL THE VERY END UNTIL TILL THE DAY I WOULD HAVE DIED AND THE FACT OF THE MATTER WAS, I ALREADY HAD.
I HAD LOST EVERYTHING.
I HAD LOST MY HOME, MY WIFE, MY FRIENDS, MY JOB, MY LIFE, MY FUTURE, MY HAPPINESS, MY EVERYTHING.
I HAD LOST EVERYTHING AND THE HOSPITAL WAS THE MAJOR SOURCE OF MY LOSS IT TORE ME APART, PIECE BY PIECE UNTIL THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT BUT DUST THAT WAS SCATTERED AROUND MY LIFELESS BODY, WHICH WAS NOW LAYING HELPLESSLY INSIDE OF A CASKET.
"OH, GOD..." I WHISPERED QUIETLY AS MY BREATH HITCHED AND A SOB ESCAPED MY THROAT.
"PLEASE HELP ME." MY VOICE SOUNDED WEAK, AS THE GUARD INSPECTED THE CHAINED PEOPLE FOR THEIR NEXT SOURCE OF ENTERTAINMENT I TRIED TO MAKE MYSELF THE LEAST OBVIOUS CHOICE.
I CURLED INTO MYSELF AND THANKFULLY, MERCIFULLY IT PAID OFF AS THEY NOTICED SOME POOR SAP SLEEPING AND BEGAN WHIPPING HIM WITH VIGOR AND ENTHUSIASM NOT SUITABLE FOR A HUMAN BEING.
AS THE SCREAMS FILLED THE AIR, MY MIND ONCE AGAIN WANDERED TO THE PAST.
BEFORE THE CANCER, MY LIFE HAD BEEN PERFECT AT LEAST TO ME IT HAD BEEN,
I HAD A JOB I LOVED, A LIFE I CARED FOR, AND THE LOVE OF MY LIFE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN IN THE WORLD,
I WAS A GOOD PERSON, HONEST, HARDWORKING, HONEST... I WAS EVERYTHING MY LIFE I WANTED TO BE,
NOT TO MENTION MY WIFE M BEAUTIFUL SWEET ANNE, OH GOD HOW MISS HER AND WOULD GIVE ANYTHING TO SEE HER ONCE MORE
HER BEAUTIFUL SMILE, THE SMELL OF HER PERFUME, HER SOFT TOUCH, AND THE SOUND OF HER VOICE,
I WISHED WITH ALL MY HEART THAT WE WERE TOGETHER AGAIN.
IF YOU DISCOVER THIS TALE ON AMAZON, BE AWARE THAT IT HAS BEEN UNLAWFULLY TAKEN FROM ROYAL ROAD. PLEASE REPORT IT.
SUDDENLY THE WHIP LASHED ACROSS MY BARE LEGS AND I WINCED FROM THE EXCRUCIATING PAIN BUT I SAID NOTHING.
MY SILENCE SERVED ME WELL.
FOR AFTER A SINGLE STRIKE THE GUARD LOST INTEREST IN ME.
I WAS ONLY 37, AND SHE WAS 34 OUR LIFE TOGETHER HAD JUST BEGUN WHEN
I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER,
AND OUR LIFE TOGETHER CAME TO AN END
FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR I UNDERWENT CHEMOTHERAPY TREATMENTS THAT HAD NOT TO EFFECT AT ALL ON ME,
EXCEPT FOR BANKRUPTING ME WITH ALL THE MEDICAL BILLS THAT I HAD RACKED UP AND ALL THE MEDICATIONS I HAD CONSUMED.
SHE KNEW ABOUT THESE ILLNESSES AND TRIED HER BEST TO HELP ME AS POSSIBLE.
AFTER ALL, SHE WAS MY GIRLFRIEND, MY BEST FRIEND, MY SOULMATE, MY WIFE, AND THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON HAD EVER MET.
AND I COULDN'T LIVE WITHOUT HER.
SO WE GOT DIVORCED, WE LOOKED AT OUR SITUATION AND DECIDED DIVORCE WAS THE BEST OPTION IF I DID NOT WANT TO BURDEN MY WIFE WITH ALL THE DEBT, SO THAT IS WHAT WE DID, AND SURELY THREE MONTHS LATER I WAS NEAR DEAD LYMPHOMA HAD KILLED ME
AND NOW I AM STUCK IN A CAGE IN A BRAND NEW WORLD, THERE WAS NOWHERE I COULD RUN TO.
NOTHING WAS FAMILIAR, NO FRIENDS TO COME AND SAVE ME.
NO ONE WOULD HELP. I'M ALONE. AGAIN.
I DON'T DESERVE THIS, I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG.
I DESERVED BETTER THAN THIS.
CRACK! THE SOUND OF A CRACKLING WHIP WOKE ME UP.
THE SOUND OF FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING ME MADE ME CRINGE, I WAS FRIGHTENED AND CONFUSED.
A TALL MAN IN ARMOR ENTERED MY VISION FOLLOWED BY SEVERAL ARMED GUARDS THAT SURROUNDED HIM.
THE MAN HAD LONG BLACK HAIR TIED UP IN A PONYTAIL, AND HE HAD A THICK BEARD THAT COVERED HALF HIS FACE.
HIS EYES WERE PIERCING BRIGHT RED LIKE A CAT'S, HIS MOUTH WAS FILLED WITH LARGE, WHITE SHARP TEETH, AND HE WORE THE TYPICAL KNIGHT GARB OF CHAINMAIL, SWORD, PLATE ARMOR, HELMET, GREAVES, AND BOOTS.
MY HEART RACED AS HE APPROACHED AND SPOKE.
"IS THIS THE ONE?" HE ASKED IN A DEEP, RUMBLING VOICE.
"YES, SIR," THE GUARD STANDING CLOSEST TO ME NODDED IN AGREEMENT,
"HE IS THE ONE, YOUR LORDSHIP," THEY SPOKE IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT LANGUAGE FROM ANYTHING I HAD EVER HEARD, AND YET SOMEHOW I UNDERSTOOD THEM.
MY BREATH HITCHED AS THE KNIGHT CAME CLOSER, HIS STEPS ECHOING OFF THE WOODEN FLOOR.
MY HANDS SHOOK AND MY ARMS WERE TREMBLING VIOLENTLY AS HE REACHED INTO HIS LEATHER BOOT.
"COME," HE SAID SOFTLY, HIS ACCENT THICK. "YOU WILL BE A PERFECT GIFT FOR HER LADYSHIP."
THE KNIGHT THEN REACHED INSIDE HIS LEATHER BELT, PULLED OUT A SMALL DAGGER, AND THEN PLACED IT AGAINST MY NECK.
I GASPED SILENTLY, SHOCKED AT WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
MY GAZE DARTED FROM SIDE TO SIDE AS I WAITED FOR WHATEVER IT WAS THAT HE WAS GOING TO DO.
I COULD FEEL THE BLADE PRESSING AGAINST MY SKIN, SENDING SHIVERS DOWN MY SPINE.
MY CHEST TIGHTENED, AND THE ROOM GREW WARMER.
SWEAT STARTED TO FORM ON MY BROW AND TRICKLED DOWN MY FOREHEAD.
THEN THE KNIGHT GRABBED MY CHIN ROUGHLY AS HE FORCED ME TO LOOK AT HIM.
TEARS STREAMED DOWN MY FACE IN FEAR AND TERROR AS I STARED AT HIM IN THE EYE, TERRIFIED BEYOND BELIEF AT WHAT I WAS SEEING.
WHAT WAS HAPPENING?
"WHAT HAVE I DONE?" I WHIMPERED.
THE KNIGHT'S FACE MORPHED INTO A BRIGHT SMILE THAT ALMOST BLINDED ME.
"SO HE SPEAKS, AND HERE I THOUGHT YOU WERE A MUTE." THE KNIGHT SNEERED MOCKINGLY BEFORE RELEASING HIS HOLD ON ME COMPLETELY.
HE TURNED AND MOTIONED FOR ONE OF HIS GUARDS.
THE GUARD BEHIND HIM KICKED ME IN THE STOMACH CAUSING ME TO CRY OUT AND GASP FOR AIR, AND IN AN INSTANT, THE SWORD DISAPPEARED FROM MY NECK AND MY KNEES BUCKLED.
ANOTHER GAURD GRIPPED MY COLLAR ROUGHLY PULLING ME TO MY FEET, THEN BEGAN DRAGGING MY LIMP BODY FOLLOWING RIGHT BEHIND THE GUARD.
"YOU BETTER PRAY, THAT YOU ARE WHO WE THINK YOU ARE," I HEARD A GRAVE VOICE FROM SOMEWHERE.
IF I WAS SCARED BEFORE NOW, I WAS TERRIFIED OUT OF MY MIND,
I FELT SICK AND DIZZY AND I WAS SWEATING PROFUSELY UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE IRON CHAINS BINDING ME TO THE WALL.
I WAS NOT WHO THEY THOUGHT I WAS, AT LEAST NOT ANYMORE, AS THEY DRAGGED ME AWAY I SAW A FLASH OF GREENISH GOLD, AND THEN A LIGHT, BLINDING LIGHT, FILLED THE DARKNESS.
THE WORLD AROUND ME BEGAN TO BEND AND SHIFT AS I HIT MY HEAD ON SOMETHING.