《Cairo》


 1 Cairo - The Same Three Words

    As usual, it was a quiet night inside the tavern. The small flame in the lanterns flickered in opposite directions, changing the shadows and bringing some livelihood in this deserted place. However, saying this place was deserted was like seeing an owl flying by during the day. It was strange, but not enough to question. Besides, I would always come in an hour before midnight, so seeing anyone but the bartender was odd in itself.


    \tLike always, I sat down on the far edge of the crescent table around the back end of the tavern, ordering the same soup I''ve been ordering for the past six months. Something about those softly boiled vegetables and thin slices of meat just fancied my tongue in ways I couldn''t imagine, and it would always come out piping hot, just the way I liked it. The bartender called it "Fo," but to me it was just another name for "delicious."


    I took my first smell of the Fo as the bartender sat it down in front of me in a large clay bowl. To me, it smelled like heaven itself. To others, it just smelled like a pile of steamed vegetables, but I didn''t care in the slightest.


    After adjusting myself in the wooden stool and dropping my travelsack next to it, I began to enjoy my night, and my meal. I made sure to keep my hood as low as it could go, keeping my face hidden, and my eyes on the soup in front of me.


    The bartender came up to me while I was patiently waiting for the soup to cool down a bit. She was polishing a glass with a soft white cloth, practically begging for me to ask her something. Her dirty-blonde hair gently rested on her ears like a thunderous waterfall rolling off a cliff. Her lips were red, but not the type women use to impress with lipstick. It was natural, almost as if she was just drinking blood from a heart, or sucking on a ripe cherry. The tiny dots in her eyes resembled small drops of chocolate, ready to grasp another''s gaze at any moment.


    However, she stood out from all the regulars I see on the empty streets. Her right eye had a drastically different color than her left. Her left eye was blue, the type you see on a clear sky on a warm summer''s day. While her right, pitch black, like an empty abyss in the middle of space.


    "So." She said. "Rough day huh?" Her voice always calmed me. There was something about it I couldn''t really put any words to, but it was soothing.


    I didn''t answer. She always said the same three words, and I always stayed quiet. I can tell she was just bored from not having anyone to talk to, but what I do and where I''ve been would only haunt her nightmares even more.


    There were a few others in the tavern, scolding at each other, telling stories, and laughing in their own private booths. Some just came for a late night drink to forget about the mistakes they''ve made. Some were kicked out for being too drunk. Some, like me, just wanted a roof under their heads when they ate.


    Sometimes, I''d get lucky if there wasn''t a single soul in the tavern except me and her. She would get so bored and just talk about her day while I listened and ate my soup. I would never respond to anything she asked me, nor would I look like I''m paying any attention to her stories. All I would say is, "Thank you, Rina." And I would go up to my room.


    This cycle continued every day; where I left early in the morning, coming back an hour before midnight and ordering the same soup. "Hello. Fo please." I would say, and wait for my order. She would bring it out. I''d eat it, listening to her rabble on about her day. I''d say my thanks, and leave to my room upstairs.


    However, this night was different. She looked more serious, and she wasn''t telling me pointless stories I''d most likely forget the second I left.


    "What''s your name?" She asked, almost making me laugh as to how dumb a question that was. Well, it wasn''t that it was a dumb question, but rather how many times she''d ask me that, and how many times I''ve never asnwered it.


    She set the glass down, grabbing another, and continuing her end-of-night cleaning. "After half a year, you''re still not going to tell me your name?" She chuckled to herself, then thought of another clever way for me to talk.


    \t"How about this." She crossed her hands as if she''d come up with the most brilliant plan of all. "You tell me your name, and the next month worth of Fo is free."


    \tFinally, an offer to catch my attention. Fo wasn''t expensive, and money was of no problem thanks to my companion outside, but it was still intriguing to see her try this hard just for my name. Nevertheless, I stayed silent, enjoying my soup.


    \t"One day I''ll get ya. Just watch!" She laughed to herself again. It was a cute laugh. One that''ll probably have no trouble pulling any man out of his shoes.


    \tNormally, I would never look up from the edges of the table, but something about her laugh just made me want to see her smile. I just wanted to know if it was happiness, or a meaningless giggle. I knew her laugh, I''ve known it for six months. This laugh in particular, was different.


    \tI made a motion as if I was taking another spoonful of vegetables, and used that moment for a quick glance above me. That''s when I realized I made a crucial mistake.


    \tHer eyes were directly on mine. I knew she couldn''t see my face due to the shadows, but I knew she saw my eyes. I could feel it. Not from the glance, but from her expression twisting into a merciful pit of despair. Her smile vanished, and the sorrow replaced it immediately.


    \tI took one more gulp from the soup, got up, and grabbed my tavelack. I was actually quite proud of myself for staying in the same place for as long as six months. It was a record. But my nights with Rina and this tavern have come to an end, and I would never come back after tonight. "Thank you, Rina." I said, beginning my ascent towards the stairs.


    \tHowever, another disturbing noise caught my attention. It came from the front entrance of the tavern, and as I looked over, a man with a large sharpened axe came barging in.


    \tHe wore a red bandanna, had a young face, and very well built for his size. He wore clothes that seemed far too large for his body, but he didn''t seem bothered by it, so it didn''t really spark any interest in me. The only thing that caught my attention were his eyes, and what they were searching for. This man''s eyes were ready to kill.


    \t"There you are, little girl!" The man growled towards Rina, approaching at a faster pace than before. "Your debt is due today!" He flipped the axe in his hand a few times, notifying both of us that he knew how to use it.


    \tI looked over at Rina, seeing her face being tortured more and more into hopelessness. She looked worried, afraid, broken.


    \t"H-hey! Cartuja!" She said awkwardly, stuttering in the process.


    \tThe man named Cartuja stopped by the table, instantly grabbing her by the straps around her shoulders, and raising his other hand with the axe in the air. It towered over her like a mountain, and the blade of the head glimmered in the everchanging lanterns.


    \t"Your time is up." He said without hesitating.


    \t"Wait! Please!" She desperately tried to cling onto whatever time she had left, "I just need one more day! Please!" Her cheeks flushed as she begged for her life, and even I could hear her heart pounding with fear.


    \tI usually don''t get involved in other people''s affairs and conflicts, but for some reason, this was different. There were many men that came barging in during the late hours of the night over the past six months I''ve been here. None of them were ever for Rina, but many fights had been settled in this tavern without any interruptions from me, or her. I''ve even got knocked over a few times, and all I did was get back up, and continue eating my meal.


    \tThis man, Cartuja, was a man I''ve never seen before. It''s safe to say I''m only here for a small time period of the day, but she''s never talked about him before. She''s never mentioned money problems, never any signs of danger, and never any concerns for her safety.


    \tCartuja was a man I couldn''t read so easily. Especially with such a minimal time of seeing him, I couldn''t tell what his true intentions were. There was only one thing that was certain: this man was about to kill Rina.


    \tI can spot a fake from a mile away. It''s all in the motion and intention from the swing of a weapon. The eyes also follow their target, and the eyes show what the killer wants to do.


    \t"Your time is up!" He yelled excitedly, swinging the axe directly at her.


    \tHe wasn''t lying. The axe was in direct motion to kill, and there was no way for him to stop it.


    I just couldn''t help it. From what I''ve been through, I couldn''t bear to see the sight of blood on my hands again. So I stopped him.


    \tIt was surprisingly easy to dash in front of him and stop the motion of the axe with my hand. It didn''t even reach half way to her, and that''s when I realized I should have kept to myself. I should have just gone upstairs, and never interrupted.


    \tCartuja was smiling, and Rina exhaled a breath of relief. The axe fell to the floor, and Cartuja started laughing hysterically, "Man you caught him good I tell ye!"


    \tI was confused for a moment, but that''s when I realized that was her plan from the start. It was a test. A test to see what I''d do. A test to see my actions. A test to reveal my identity.


    \tIt just didn''t make any sense. I was sure the axe would kill her. There wasn''t a doubt in my mind there was a full intention to kill. That''s when Rina picked up a small knife from the table, and ran it through her hand.


    \tAs the blade slid across her palm, it passed through like nothing, almost like her entire arm was just made of freely flowing water. That''s all the explanation I needed; she was a gifted one.


    \tI looked over at Rina, and she gave me the most seductive grin I''ve ever seen. "Who are you?" She said, dryly. "Truly this time."

 2 Cairo - The First Step

    I remained still for a moment. Perhaps it was longer than a moment, but no words came out from under my tongue. I made sure to keep my eyes away from hers; I couldn''t let her see into them again.


    "I''m sorry, Rina." I turned, and headed for the exit. I knew there wasn''t much hope of staying for the night, as the outdoors would be my bed for this evening.


    "You can''t just walk away from me!" She yelled behind me like a little girl who just got her lollipop stolen.


    The thing is, she knew I could. I paid for my meals, my stay, and my comfort. If I wasn''t paying, then I wouldn''t stay. I swung my travelsack over my shoulder, and just as I was about to swing the exit doors open, she stopped me.


    "You were in the war¡­ Weren''t you." She said, slowly and calmly this time.


    I took my hand away from the doors, but I kept my back faced to her. I didn''t really know what to do, or say. It wasn''t a question as to how she knew about the war, but why she would ask me. She had to have known what happened to the survivors. There was no other explanation.


    "I was a victim too¡­"


    I couldn''t see her face, but I could tell she wasn''t lying from the tone of her voice. I could tell she was desperately clinging onto the memories from before the war, or perhaps the ones she lost inside it. Either way, I didn''t care.


    "Many fell victim." I replied in a rather cool voice. "Many lost lives. Many lost hope. Many stopped searching." I turned back around, making sure my face was still hidden under my hood.


    She looked confused for a second, as if she didn''t have a reply, but desperately wanted to give one. "What do you mean by stopped searching?"


    To be completely honest, I didn''t know how to describe my answer. Luckily, Cartuja gave me the splendid favor of explaining it horribly from the back of the bar where he sat, drinking his pint of beer like a broken sailor. "He means they''re weirdos who wear hoods and don''t speak a word!" He laughed to himself, but he wasn''t necessarily wrong. He basically got every part right except the only one that mattered.


    "I''m still searching¡­" I whispered, but they could both hear me.


    Rina started coming closer, and I started backing up. She stopped unexpectedly, glaring into the shadows of my hood. "Your eyes¡­" She spoke like an angel from the heavens. An angel that I always wanted, but never found. "I want to see them. Please, let me see them."


    I thought to myself if I should really do it, but I knew it would only make it worse for both of us. I noticed my grip tighten around my travelsack, and my teeth began to clench with anticipation. That''s when I knew that I''ve stayed for far too long.


    I grabbed three pennies from my travelsack, and placed them on the nearest table to pay for the Fo. "Thank you, Rina." I said, and walked out.


    ¡­


    It only took me about ten minutes or so to wander through the empty streets until I reached the edge of the woods. It would''ve normally taken twice as long if it was midday, but the nighttime emptiness made my walk go smoothly without any interruptions.


    After stepping foot into the densely packed trail and reassuring myself of my surroundings, I whistled with a swift motion of placing my thumb and forefinger into the edges of my mouth.


    It wasn''t loud in the slightest, as I was still practicing daily to get the perfect pitch, but it got the job done. It was a quiet whistle, like that annoying sound ringing in your ears when there''s too much silence. I let my fingers dry in the soft breeze of the trees around me, and waited patiently for Mooks to show.


    However, I noticed something out the corner of my eye in the distance. It was barely visible, but the longer I hesitated, the clearer the image became.


    Two red eyes appeared from the darkness like glowing flames in a crawlspace. They rushed toward me, approaching closer and closer with every breath I took.


    I went on the defensive instantaneously, dropping my travelsack and making sure my knees were ready to launch me in any direction. I felt the dirt below me soften as my boots gripped the ground like a pair of shovels, notifying me that I would have to put more effort into my movements.


    However, the red eyes had already leaped off the ground into the air, and all I could see were the vicious white teeth of a deadly beast glimmering under the moonlight above me. I could even see the drops of saliva hit the ground from the jaw of the beast, almost as if he could smell the remains of the Fo lingering in my stomach.


    I wrapped my hand in my cloak as quick as I could and stuck it out for the beast to bite on. I felt the teeth sink into my arm, but there was no gruesome pain that followed the bite. Instead, it felt as if the beast just grabbed my arm with its teeth, kind of like a binky of some sort.


    The beast let go, and both me and him felt stupid.


    "Mooks?" I raised a metaphorical eyebrow.


    The beast sighed boringly, and that brought my tally of being fooled to two times today. It was Mooks. There was no denying it.


    The white fur covering his body like a blanket of snow in December. The glowing red eyes like two cherries fallen into the snow. The sharp, deadly teeth that can eat and pierce through nearly anything. The nose that smells fear from hundreds of miles away, and of course, the self-proclaimed reputation of being the sneakiest wolf in the world.


    "Why are you out here this late?" Mooks asked innocently.


    "Why did you try to attack me?" I also asked innocently.


    Mooks chuckled, but his laugh always sounded awkward since it came from a wolf''s mouth. "Fair enough¡­ Did they kick you out or something?"


    I pulled back my hood, giving him the answer he needed.


    My face was surprisingly not so bad compared to the rest of my beaten body. I would say I have a handsome face, but since I never reveal it, I didn''t have any vouchers to prove my claims. I''ve been with a handful of women, but that was years ago, and an experience I didn''t truly enjoy too much. My hair was dark like a starless sky, and I had a few streaks of white running through random parts of my hair. I had a faint undercut, but it was hard to tell with the length of my hair dropping to the top of my eyes half the time.


    \tI also noticed my clothing wasn''t very welcoming. Having countless knives and small vials holstered along my legs and chest probably wasn''t the best idea I''ve come up with. I usually kept them hidden within the dim light underneath the table, but sometimes I could feel Rina looking when I opened my cloak to eat. My arms had bandages covering most of my previous wounds and scars. However, there wasn''t a chance in hell I''d be taking those off.


    I proceeded to tell Mooks everything that had happened in the tavern. From Rina''s plan to reveal not only my reflesex, but my past as well. All the way to me leaving the tavern without giving her an answer. I made sure to leave out the part about her being one of the gifted, thinking Mooks would do something irrational that I wouldn''t be able to stop.


    "Why would she care?" Mooks concluded after my story. "There are plenty of war victims. Even if she''s one of them, and let''s say you were too, why would she care?"


    This is exactly why Mooks and I traveled together. Our minds think too much alike.


    "However," He interrupted my train of thought. "This is the first survivor you''ve met since the war. Perhaps it would be best to befriend them."


    This is another reason we traveled together. Mooks would usually always suggest something I haven''t considered, making me consider it even more.


    "What good will it do." I said, lowering my head.


    "What good will it do to always run away from opportunities? A life without risks is a life not worth living."


    I gave him a wry look, one that''ll show him he''s right, but I was too afraid to accept it. "Say I go back. Say I tell them about me. Then what? We live happily ever after?" My voice was strong, and Mooks knew what my strong voice meant.


    "All I''m saying is to take a chance. You need some friends. Friends could be your first step in finding what you''re looking for." He smiled, but it looked more like he was hungry rather than happy. Besides, there was no way to differentiate those two states from him anyway.


    I sighed desperately, slouched my travelsack over my shoulder for the tenth time today, slid my hood back in its place, and started heading back to the tavern.


    When I arrived, I told Mooks to wait outside until I gave him the signal of coming in. That is, if everything worked out the way I hoped it would.


    I gently shoved the swinging doors out of the way for my entrance, but there was no one there. Well, besides Cartuja who was clearly passed out drunk on the bar table. Fortunately, my entrance somehow woke him, and he popped up from his seat as if he wasn''t even asleep just seconds ago.


    "Ayy! The hooded dude is back!" He yelled, loudly.


    The back door from behind the bar table swung open, and Rina came out, polishing another unclean glass. She looked confused, but there was a slight tingle in her eye that made her look more excited rather than puzzled.


    I slid down my hood, revealing my face to her for the first time in the long six months that I knew her.


    As soon as I did, the glass she was polishing shattered across the floor, and the excitement I saw on her face vanished. Her expression faded into one I''ve seen far too often when revealing my face. Even Cartuja, who seemed like the type to always have a smile on his face grew dim, perhaps even afraid.


    I didn''t know what I looked like to them. I didn''t know if they were afraid, confused, or a mixture of both. No matter the case, there wasn''t a chance I''d be able to escape their questions now, so I prepared myself, and began to decide my next words carefully.

 3 Cairo - Your Name

    I could see Cartuja scratching his head as if he knew me, or perhaps he thought he did. Either way, I knew I wasn''t a complete stranger to them.


    What shocked me the most was how Rina reacted. She didn''t scream, laugh, or think about where she might know me from. She just stood there, frozen like a statue. Her face showed no signs of fear, but it didn''t scream excitement either.


    After a few seconds, she started approaching me, slowly. She walked as if she saw the light at the end of the tunnel, but I was far from the light she could ever ask for.


    She stopped face to face with me, staring into my dreadful eyes like an open book. She observed me for a moment, almost as if making sure her speculations didn''t fool her. However, after she noticed the scar on my neck, her eyes began water ever so slightly.


    She quickly buried her face into the cloak around my chest, using it in hopes to escape whatever memory burst open inside her head. She sniffled, and I could feel her pain engulf me like the shadows in the moonlight. She cried. Cried like she''s been wanting to for far too long.


    I didn''t know what to do, or how to react, so I let her.


    "It''s you¡­" She whispered, her voice slightly muffled by the cloak. "I finally found you¡­"


    Found me?. I''ve spent six months here, looking at her every day, and there wasn''t a single doubt in my mind I had no idea who she was. Well, besides her being a bartender, having been blessed with beauty, and having an unusual friend.


    "I remember you¡­ I remember watching, feeling things I can''t even imagine¡­ The nightmares I had¡­" She whispered, her words muffled by my cloak.


    My eyes began to widen, and a knot started tying itself inside my stomach. There was only one place she would have known me from. A place I hoped to never have to think about again. A place where lives were thrown out like bags of garbage out in the alleys. A place where hope was lost after a single day inside. The place known as the Gulag.


    Rina stepped back, wiping her eyes on the edges of my rather clean cloak. She then patted them down with the cloth she used to wipe the glasses clean. However, there were still a few droplets left in her eyes, and it''s as if I could see each and every ripple in her eyes light up in the dim light above us.


    "I''m sorry¡­" She whispered, weeping. "You don''t have to tell me anything if you don''t want to."


    I cleared my throat, making sure it was ready for talking. "All I''ve ever done is run away from my past. If I were to tell you about it, I wouldn''t even know where to start." I stopped for a moment, then continued after a thoughtful pause. "Perhaps it''s best for me to stop running away¡­"


    "I only have one request," Her face grew dim as she began backing away from my cloak, wiping her eyes and regaining the strength in her voice. "Your name. I only wish to know your name..."


    My name. A question I rarely ever get, and yet the most powerful question of all. A name tells a lot about a person. It shows their identity. Their meaning. Their sign. It can shape or change a person depending on the context given, but it will leave you something to cherish and hold. A name can be given at birth, or perhaps later in life as a sign of your successes and failures. It can direct you to the right path, give you answers to questions you didn''t know even existed, and it gives you a symbol for what you believe in.


    So what was my name? It''s been so long since I''ve said it that I''ve almost forgotten. Even Mooks just calls me by random nicknames he''s learned to pick up on over the years. His most famous one for me was the ''Gulag Goblin.'' I hated it, so he used it sparingly.


    "My name." I said, thinking about the best way to introduce myself.


    I sighed, walking past her and taking a seat in my usual spot at the corner of the crescent table. She followed me to where our usual interaction happened. I was in my seat, and she was behind the table. I was the customer, and she was the bartender.


    I could tell she already knew who I was. Giving my name out wouldn''t do her any good, and it wouldn''t satisfy the real answers she wanted. To her, my name wouldn''t mean anything except what she could call the monster that I was. I''m honestly surprised she was still talking to me. She knew. She-


    "I can''t imagine what you''ve gone through," She cut me off in my train of thought. "What you did, and what''s been done to you¡­" She stopped, wiped her eyes, and pushed back the faint sobs inside her throat. "Please, I just want to know the name of the man that saved my life¡­"


    Suddenly, my attention peaked. My mouth went dry, and the knot that was previously in my stomach seemed to tighten even more. I was certain I didn''t remember saving any lives in my early years of living in this world. If anything, I''ve destroyed lives. Too many to even keep count at this point.


    "It has to be you¡­" She started again, her voice was soothing as always, but it had an extra tint of sadness I couldn''t get a good read on. "That scar on your neck, I can never forget it... Even in my dreams."


    I reached my hand for my neck, feeling the edges of the smooth scar tissue brush against my finger tips. I can still remember the feeling of the blood pooling out as I lied motionless on the cold floor. I was only 13 years old at the time. I don''t even know how I survived, but I remember the darkness swallowing me, only for me to wake up to the horror I couldn''t escape from once again.


    Now that I think about it, was Rina the girl who¡­ No, it couldn''t be...


    I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. That knot in my stomach seemed to have a bigger impact on me than I could endure. It was like my soul itself was attached to an anchor, and it was dropped to the bottom of the ocean floor.


    It''s been so long since I even thought about my past that I never realized how treacherous it was. I couldn''t tell if I felt sorry for myself, or my mind was just going crazy from the memories.


    Now that Rina said she knew who I was, or perhaps she knew an older part of me, it just made me think more and more. The longer I spent thinking about it, the tighter the knot got. It''s like a puzzle without a solution. It just gets harder and harder with no real ending.


    "Whatever you''re thinking about," Rina said, timidly. Her hands were clasped together beside her heart like she was about to perform a song or step on stage in front of a thousand people. "Let go. You''ll never move on if you don''t let go. It''s what my sister always told me¡­" She became quiet again, and I could tell she was glaring into my eyes, despite me not looking into hers.


    To let go? I thought to myself for a moment. How can I let go? What do I let go of? My life? Memories? The past? It didn''t matter. I couldn''t let go, and that feeling just tightened the knot even further.


    Perhaps it was wrong for me to come back. Perhaps I should have stayed in the woods. Maybe even go on the search for a new tavern with even more delicious soup, but I knew Rina''s was the best anyway. Her hands were made to be precise with ingredients and carefulness. Even the small scratches on her knuckles and fingers showed she wasn''t afraid to get hurt.


    Regardless, I pulled out the only memory I had that kept me going everyday. It was a small, ripped up piece of paper my mom left for me before she passed. I''ve kept it with me for 12 years, only looking at it when I needed the extra push to take another breath.


    ''Find your happiness,'' It read. I didn''t know what it meant, but I knew it was my journey to find it. Whether it was through life or death, I knew that my life meant nothing without it.


    She saw me looking at it, giving me time to direct my next words carefully. However, I didn''t need time. I needed to take a risk, and see where it led me.


    It''s probably been about two years since I last looked at that paper. It was only three words, and yet, It meant everything to me.


    I felt the knot loosen in my stomach, as if the paper gave me instructions on how to untie it. So, I let out a deep sigh, and took the risk.


    "The secrets I''ve kept have cost me more pain than fire and lightning. I''ve told stories that woke even the mightiest of gods from their slumber. I''ve crossed paths by moonlight that most wouldn''t dare to speak of during the day. My mother passed in my arms when I was just a boy, leaving me broken, forgotten and hopeless. I was beaten, tortured, and forced to kill, all before the age of eleven. I was imprisoned in the Gulag for 5 years, and came out alive¡­ My name is Cairo, and all I search for is happiness."

 4 Cairo - A Risk

    There was a long, eerie silence after I finished speaking. A silence that morphed all types of quiet into one uneventful pause. This silence seemed to take all the noise out of the tavern, and replace it with the sounds of beating hearts and shallow breaths.


    That''s how I came to realize, I have said too much.


    "Cairo¡­" Rina whispered beneath her breath, smiling. "I don''t have the right to stop you from wherever it is you plan to go, but I''d like for you to stay for a little while longer." She said as if there was more to staying than just a free room and nighttime meals.


    I continued looking down on the table, unresponsive. I always thought about my actions. How would they affect the future? Would it be in my best interest to do this? What would I achieve by following this path?


    Those were the questions I was always trying to find the answers to. Questions I hated the most, and the questions I would always get helped with.


    It was Mooks. Mooks would always help me decide which path to take. Sometimes I felt like I was following him instead of him following me. It might sound foolish, but he''s never been wrong about the direction I should take. So, I only prayed his undefeated streak wouldn''t end here.


    "PWWHHHHFFTTT" I whistled, loudly this time. If I was trying to impress anyone with my whistling skills, I would have succeeded. Instead, I ended up waking Cartuja again.


    The front doors instantly swung open, and the white fury beast made his entrance from the dark outdoors. His eyes radiated fear onto anyone they crossed paths with. His paws creaked and cracked the wooden floorboards beneath him. His jaw opened it''s deadly bite like a great white shark, and his nose could smell the uncooked meat from the back room like a starving lion.


    "Hello everyone!" Mooks smiled and waved his right paw to Rina and Cartuja.


    Cartuja thought he was dreaming, so he just yawned and walked upstairs. Rina however, remained still as a rock. She wasn''t sure if she was afraid or confused, but the stir of those emotions hindered her ability to produce any sort of movement.


    "Uhm, Cairo?" She leaned in close to my ear, quiet like a tiger approaching it''s prey. "Is that a friend of yours?"


    Mooks wasn''t my friend, nor was he someone I would give my life to. However, he was my companion. A companion I traveled with. Nothing more, nothing less.


    I nodded, and Mooks hopped up onto the barstool next to mine.


    Immediately, Rina backed up against the countless shelves of glasses and aged wine behind her. The sight of Mooks so close must have startled her, but his welcoming smile eventually brought her closer. However, she remained her guard.


    Rina made an awkward gesture as if she were waving, but it looked painful to watch. "Uhm.. Hi there¡­"


    Mooks stretched out his paw, keeping his hungry smile in check. "Hello! My name is Mooks! This is Cairo!" He looked over at me as if she didn''t already know that was my name. "We come in peace, friendly human!"


    Rina slowly reached her arm forward, shaking Mooks''s dirty paw with a twisted expression on her face. "Well it''s very nice to meet you. Mooks." Her tone of voice changed into more of a playful one. That''s when I saw her eyeing me down as if that''s how I should have introduced myself six months ago.


    Rina plopped her hands on her hip, dramatically and with a sassy demeanor. "You never told me you had such a lovely friend." She directed her words toward me, but I remained silent.


    Mooks put his paw on my shoulder, "He''s been through a lot¡­"


    Although it was nice of him to say that, Rina already knew far too much about me. She didn''t know the small details of my time after the war, but I''m sure she could imagine the worst of the worst.


    "Listen¡­" Her voice became quiet again. "Me and a few others are planning to go on a quest. One that''ll yield a reward that only gods can dream of." She paused for a second, pulling up a stool and sitting beside us on the opposite side of the table. "I know asking you to join us would be-"


    "We''re in!" Mooks barked at her with excitement.


    Both Rina and I looked at him with wide eyes and dropped jaws. I however, have had enough of Mooks''s carelessness. "What''s in it for us?" My voice was strong and thick like a bucket of tar.


    Rina hesitated for her reply, but her eyes told more than her words ever could. "The reward is the Jewel of Mynotna. A Jewel that can grant one wish to the holder. Anything they''ve ever wanted, or any question they''ve ever wanted to be answered."


    "What''s the catch?" Mooks was quick with his answer, "Seems too good to be true. And how would you know of such a thing? Will there be others who are trying to get it? Will we have to steal it? Who else knows? Do you have a team?"


    With so many questions at once, even I couldn''t follow Mooks''s train of thought. Nevertheless, he was right. This did seem too good to be true.


    "Well," Rina gave an innocent giggle. "It''s on the bounty board." She pointed to a large, rectangular board nailed to the side of the entrance. It had tons of stapled papers to it, each with a different drawing of some sort, and a different reward written on the bottom.


    Personally, I''ve always thought of it as a chore list, or something similar to the matter. Then again, prior to today my hood always remained atop my head, so my vision never obscured from my next steps forward.


    Rina poured herself a glass of tart cherry juice, sighing and finally feeling more relaxed. "As shitty as this place seems, this is a Guild. It''s just that the others are usually off doing something else, so business here is pretty slow. Aaaand¡­" She exaggerated that last part to draw more suspense, "Everyone just arrived earlier this afternoon after being gone for months, so they''ve crashed for the night hours ago." She took a sip of her juice, making a cringing face, then returning it back to normal.


    "How did you come about such a quest?" Mooks made his question direct, with his voice leading his curiosity.


    "The Bureau is responsible for all bounties that arrive at any Guild. The Bureau is.." She thought of a way to describe them for a moment, then continued. "Kind of like our employer in a way. They send bounties and quests with great rewards to any Guilds in the country, kind of hoping that the Guilds will take care of the mess." She sighed again. "The Jewel of Mynotna was recently said to be sighted in the Catacombs of Nyrvana. So.. the quest to retrieve it was sent out, but no one has found it yet."


    I thought about what she said for a good moment. Then I thought about what Mooks had said previously. This did seem too good to be true. If there was one thing I''ve learned over my miserable years living in this world; If things are too good to be true, then they are indeed too good to be true.


    However, a wish that comes true is a wish I was willing to make. Even if this quest was nothing more than a trap of some sort, or even a dumb joke played on it''s victims. I was willing to take the risk. The risk of finding happiness.


    I got up from my seat, gave Mooks a look of no regrets, and cleared my throat of any anticipation I had remaining. "When do we leave?"


    Rina smiled delightfully, staring into my eyes like a lost soul. "Get some sleep first. You''ll need it for the journey."

 5 Bandanna, Glassess, B****

    As usual, the early rays of morning sunlight couldn''t wake Cairo from his restless slumber. Light alone wasn''t enough to wake this man from the comfort of a feathered bed. So, having Mooks sleep in the same room wasn''t the worst idea they''ve ever come up with.


    \tMooks jumped atop of Cairo, screaming and shouting to his heart''s content, "WAKE UP! WAKE UP!"


    \tDespite the loudness of a wolf''s howl, Cairo barely managed to open his eyes underneath his furry red blanket. "I''m up," he said, unfazed by the noise and as sturdy as ever.


    \tMooks jumped back down on the wooden floor, smelling the fresh scent of the morning dew creeping its way through the windows. "I can''t believe you had me sleeping in the woods this entire time when you had a room like this all to yourself." Mooks raised a metaphorical eyebrow, considering he didn''t have any.


    \tCairo yawned, ignoring him. "What do you want to do for breakfast?"


    \tMooks gave him a puzzled look, "Well, let''s see¡­ Usually, I''d spend the night hunting some poor animal. Then, I''d massacre them for us to eat, and you would do nothing except watch." Mooks said, wryly. "Ring a bell?"


    \t"Let''s hope Rina makes morning food."


    \t"So much for a thank you¡­" Mooks mumbled to himself.


    \tCairo got up from the bed, wearing nothing but a pair of trousers and white bandages circling his arms. Mooks didn''t want to look, as he knew it annoyed Cairo. However, seeing Cairo''s weathered body was a sight he didn''t want to miss.


    \tAt the corner of his eye, Mooks was able to get a glance at all the scars, wounds, and pain that covered Cairo''s body. It was like looking at a trail map, where a mark on the road was just another memory Cairo didn''t want to return to. Mooks realized that one glance was more than enough. So he gulped down his sadness and headed downstairs.


    \tShortly after, Cairo followed, wearing a dull expression underneath his beaten brown cloak. Cairo was used to leaving the tavern early in the morning, but something about seeing no one felt strange, like a story without a proper ending.


    \tCairo took a seat at his usual spot, looking around once again. He noticed things that haven''t really piqued his interest before. Like the bounty board, or even the tiny cracks in the walls that had streaks of sunlight peeking through them. It gave a warm feeling to his heart, a feeling he hasn''t experienced in quite some time.


    \tThe smell of freshly cooked eggs and burnt peppers filled the air like a desperate song. It was pleasant, but almost too much to handle.


    \tMooks came running out of the backroom behind the bar, smiling and galloping onto the open stool next to Cairo. "Food is comin'' in hot!" He howled excitingly.


    \tCairo sighed, slightly relieved his usual breakfast wouldn''t be a pile of roasted deer meat. Even Mooks, who was a natural carnivore, felt a rush of excitement burst through him as he saw Rina carrying out the morning meals for them.


    \t''She looks beautiful.'' Mooks thought to himself as he laid eyes on the seasoned piece of steak entering his tabletop territory.


    \t''She looks beautiful.'' Cairo thought to himself as he laid eyes on the girl walking out with the food.


    \tRina set out a plate of steak next to Mooks, and a plate of sunny-side-up eggs with veggies next to Cairo. "Eat up!" She said with her dazzling smile. "And don''t worry, it''s on the house." She winked, walking back into the back room.


    \tBefore either of them were able to dig in, Cartuja started thumping and pounding on the floorboards when coming down the stairs for no reason other than to wake up the others still sleeping. He yawned, stretched, and cracked a few bones in his body that didn''t seem like they were supposed to be cracked so freely. Wearing nothing but a white top and a pair of shorts leading up to his midthigh, he took a seat next to Mooks like he''d known him for a lifetime.


    \t"Hello stranger!" Mooks stuffed out his paw into Cartuja''s face, "I don''t think we''ve properly met!"


    \t"Sup," Cartuja yawned again, giving a fistbump into the cushioned pads on Mooks''s paw. "Name''s Cartuja. Get use'' to it."


    \tMooks looked at his paw, unsure of what to make of the fist gesture he received. Regardless, he smiled, taking it as a sign of friendship.


    \tRina came out with yet another plate of food, and another, and another. Soon enough, there were two other plates of scrambled eggs sitting alone in unoccupied seats. One had salt and pepper, and one had nothing but the cozy tavern air seasoning it to nothingness.


    \tAfter a few moments, Cairo and Mooks began digging into their meals, while Rina and Cartuja waited for the others to come down. Mooks thought they were religious at first, waiting to thank some worthless gods before they can eat. However, that assumption changed once he saw another person walking down the creaky stairs.


    \tIt was a boy, looking no older than twenty years old at most. His hair was blank white, almost like Mooks''s fur on a sunny day. He wore glasses, had a clean face, and an expression of someone who thinks they''re too high and mighty to be living in a tavern such as this one. His clothes weren''t particularly fancy in any way, but the linen in his shirt was far more expensive than anything else in the tavern.


    \t"Who are these scoundrels eating our food at this early hour?" The boy said, gawking at Cairo and Mooks like piles of trash blocking his way.


    \tCairo ignored him, while Mooks did his best to smile again. "Hello sir! Very nice to meet you! My name is Mooks," He gestured to himself, "This right here is my companion Cairo."


    \tCairo gave the boy a look that sent a chill down his spine. That look alone was enough to shut him up, and Rina only continued Cairo''s remark. "Hey! That is no way to treat our guests, and soon-to-be fellow Guildmates!"


    \tRina gave Cairo and Mooks an innocent shrug, "I''m truly sorry. He''s a bit rude sometimes¡­ That''s Faibel, he''s like the brains of our group in a way?" She made a gesture for him to come over and take his seat.


    \tFaibel humphed, taking his seat next to the plate of unseasoned scrambled eggs. He tied a white napkin around his neck, aligned his utensils, and readjusted his cup of cold water. "Where''s the bitch and the new kid?"


    \tRina took a piece of table cloth and slapped him across the face with it, knocking the napkin under his chin off his neck. "No cussing!" She sounded like a mother, but she was far too young and careless to be one.


    \tFaibel felt one of his cheeks light up with a hint of pain, giving Rina a look that''s too difficult to describe with words alone. It wasn''t a look of rage or anger. It was more of an embarrassed look as if he was a baby who got his lollipop taken away. "Sorry," He said as he picked up the napkin and tied it back around his neck.


    \tMooks and Cairo kept on the low, ignoring and trying to stay silent in this awkward situation. Luckily, their attention dragged onto the stairs again, where another Guild member made their entrance.


    \tThis time, it was a girl. She looked about the same age as Rina, early twenties at most. She had a red ribbon on her icy-platinum hair that showed a mark neither Cairo nor Mooks could recognize. It complimented her blood-red eyes very well, giving her a vampiric sort of look. Her hair was tied in a ponytail, but it looked as if it was more for show rather than for comfort. Her left arm had a full sleeve of tattoos from a culture that wasn''t her own. Her face was pretty, young, and actually quite pleasing to look at. She had a pair of pajamas on, clearly showing her lack of interest in waking up early. Her natural curves shaped her body perfectly, allowing her to be pleased in the battlefield, and the bedroom.


    \tShe had a few bags under her eyes from the lack of sleep, so she didn''t even notice Cairo or the fury beast right next to him. Instead, she just sat down next to Faibel, looking at her scrambled eggs as if she was looking at a pile of puke. "Can I just get a coffee?" She gestured towards Rina with a raspy voice, "No cream. No sugar. Slight hint of almond milk and a pinch of Blue Lotus sprinkled on top. Thanks and hurry please."


    \tBlue Lotus was known to produce anti-aging properties when applied to a heated source. However, all it did was just boost the effects of caffeine and raise your heart rate during any sort of activity for a while.


    \t"Anything else sweetie?" Rina said, sarcastically.


    \t"Hmm.. Can I also get-"


    \tRina cut her off by throwing a cupful worth of cold water in her face. "What was that? I couldn''t quite hear you."


    \t"Ahhhh!" The girl screamed annoyingly, wiping the water off with a tablecloth Rina threw at her right after.


    \tCartuja started laughing, and the girl slapped him in the face for it.


    \tSoon enough, all of them began fighting with each other. All of them except Mooks and Cairo, who patiently scooched themselves to the side and ate their delicious breakfast.


    \t"ENOUGH!" A strong, masculine voice pierced through the tavern like a strike of lightning. "What is going on here?!" A man yelled from the entrance of the Tavern.


    \tHe wore large, black robes that stopped at the tip of his ankles. A red line bordered most of the edges of his clothing, making him seem like a very important figure not to be meddled with. He had a faint stubble wrapped around his jawline, accompanied by a dismissive smirk and lawn-short hair on the top of his scalp. His fingers looked as if he''d crawled himself to hell and back, but the wounds on his knuckles said otherwise.


    \tCartuja, the girl, and Faibel all quickly rearranged themselves into a proper seating posture, trying their best to look as innocent as possible. Rina however, didn''t look fazed at all by the man''s appearance.


    \t"Cairo, Mooks," She made a swift gesture with her hand toward the man, "This is Kalvin, the Captain of our Guild."


    \tMooks, like always, jumped out of his seat and ran over to Kalvin with intentions of making a new friend. "Hello stranger! My name is Mooks, it''s a pleasure to meet you sir!" He stuck his paw out, tongue swinging from side to side with steak grease gliding between his sharp teeth.


    \tKalvin gave Mooks a dry look at first, but kneeled down and shook his dirty paw regardless. "Nice to meet you Mooks. My name is Kalvin. Are you by any chance the visitor that Rina had mentioned earlier."


    \t"No sir. That would be my companion in arms, Cairo." Mooks swung his nose towards the direction of the cloaked man by the table, giving Kalvin enough information to follow.


    \tMooks ran back to the table to finish his food, with Kalvin approaching the cloaked man right behind him.


    \t"So¡­" Kalvin started, "What makes you think you''re worthy of joining our Guild?"


    \tCairo set aside his fork, making a clunking sound as the fork hit the outer edges of the white plate. He observed Kalvin for a moment, then spoke in a low voice. "Worthy? I''m worthy of nothing, and no one. My life is nothing but a meaningless mess that I can''t unravel." He paused for a moment, then continued. "I''m here to assume all of you are searching for something." Cairo glanced around the blank faces staring back at him, "This jewel you all search for. A wish to be granted. You all want something, just like me. I too have a search, one that I''ll gladly give my life for."


    \tCairo took his seat again, feeling the eggs enter his stomach like a fresh breath of air. "If you want me to leave, I will. But if you decide to do so, I''m afraid you will have to forget you ever saw me. And there''s only one way to do that¡­" Cairo gripped the butterknife on his plate, squeezing it as tight as a king''s sword.


    \t"Leave?" Kalvin chuckled, witnessing the pain and anguish stirring inside Cairo''s eyes. "Who said I wanted you to leave? Another member is another adventure. I''m to assume you''ve met these knuckleheads already?" He gestured his gaze towards Cartuja and the rest.


    \t"Oh, I know!" Mooks answered on behalf of Cairo. "Let''s see¡­" He took his guesses from left to right. "Rina." She smiled and bowed. "Then it''s bandanna, glasses, and bitch!"


    \tRina and Kalvin burst out in a sea of friendly laughter. Cartuja actually laughed along with them, while the other girl and Faibel remained silent, keeping their arrogance in place.


    \tThe girl bolted out of her seat, giving Mooks a death stare that didn''t seem to intimidate him in the slightest. She wrung out her wet clothes on top of his head, licked her finger and slid it across the remains of his steak. "Paris. Call me by anything else and you won''t live another day!" She pouted dramatically, walking back to her stool.


    \tLittle did she know, the cold drops of water from her clothes actually managed to give Mooks a nice cold feeling beneath all his luxurious fur. The saliva from her mouth also added a delicious touch to his steak, making it even tastier.


    \tRina finally sat down with her own plate of eggs, beginning her journey of satisfying her hunger. "You guys''ll get used to ''em. They''re a little rowdy since they only got back a couple days ago."


    "A couple days ago?" Mooks questioned, "Where were they before?"


    Kalvin did the honors of patting Mooks on the back and giving an evil smirk that would scare any child that''s up past their bedtime. "We were searching for a passage. A passage that will lead us through the Black Sea."


    Kalvin gave Mooks another pat on the back, feeling the softness of his fur intertwine between his fingers like loose strings of yarn. He then focused his attention towards Cairo, "We leave on the morrow. So in the meantime, tell me about yourself, Cairo." He said with a tint of suspicion in his eyes.


    "About myself..." Cairo said, tediously. "Where should I start?"

 6 Outside the tavern

    Cairo made sure to keep any details about himself that might startle anyone out of the big picture. He kept his introduction short and to the point. Quick and painless. Something he was very well known for.


    \tEventually, another man stumbled himself into the tavern. He had golden blonde hair hanging right above his eyes like a princess in dismay. He was very clean-shaven, showing no blemishes or any sort of disproportion around his perfectly symmetrical face. His eyes were as blue as the sky, and his physique was as skinny as a toothbrush. He didn''t seem like someone who came off as threatening, but the moment Cairo saw him, he could feel another unrecognizable knot turning in his stomach.


    Kalvin wrapped his arm around the man''s shoulder, smiling as bright as the sun. "Cairo, Mooks." He turned his head, "This is Leonidas. Leonidas, this is Cairo and Mooks. They''ll be joining us on our journey across the Black Sea."


    Leonidas barely managed to escape Kalvin''s grip, but he bowed like a servant with the utmost respect. "It''s a pleasure to meet the two of you. I hope we can work well with each other on this nightmarish trip."


    "Leonidas here owns a ship that can travel across any waters, any sort of barriers, and any sort of obstacle that might stand in our way." Kalvin''s tone was ecstatic as if he just witnessed a miracle of some sort. "And guess what? He''s doing this for free! Only, on the contrary, we take him with us." Kalvin gave another chuckle, leaving Leonidas a little embarrassed by it.


    "Rin!" Kalvin called out to Rina, "Whip up another plate will ya? We got a lot of mouths to feed in here!"


    "Comin'' right up!" She gave a salute-like gesture and headed over to the kitchen in the back.


    ¡­


    The remainder of the morning was filled with cheerful laughs and momentary pieces of silence that followed after taking a bite. Cairo remained quiet for most of the encounter, while Mooks tried his best to adapt to everyone''s sense of humor and personality. It wasn''t easy, but he managed to refrain himself from crossing the line of taking a joke too far.


    After breakfast was over, Kalvin invited Mooks and Cairo outdoors to ask them a few private questions he didn''t want the others to hear. It was also a strategy to get Cairo talking, with slight hopes of finding out more about him.


    They met in a secluded part of the woods where Cairo and Mooks usually spent their days wandering and observing. Trees surrounded most of the space, but the peak of a few houses remained in the clear distance behind them. The ground was sturdy like it''s been deprived of any sort of grain or vegetation. However, that sweet smell of pine and maple gave a good enough distraction where everything else didn''t matter.


    Kalvin dropped the friendly expression he wore in the tavern, along with his innocent smirk. "I have nothing against you traveling with us, or being a part of our Guild. However, when you''re with us, I''m afraid you must tell me a little more about yourself. For safety purposes."


    "You first," Cairo answered, respectfully. "We''re both men with secrets. Secrets that could lead to our demise. Isn''t that right, Kalvin Pride."


    Kalvin loosened the tension building in his knees, preparing himself for a possible fight he might not recover from. "I put my life on the line for these kids. Don''t you dare speak like you know anything about me." His voice became deeper, angrier, and more frightening.


    "If you get a hold of that Jewel," Cairo''s voice remained as stale as a loaf of bread. "What is it you''ll wish for?"


    Kalvin exhaled a quick burst of air, catching the edge of his mouth curling upwards again. "I would wish the war never happened. What else-"


    "Don''t lie." Cairo cut him off.


    Kalvin relaxed his posture again, but the tension in the air rose with every second that passed. It''s as if one of them was about to outdraw the other, but neither wanted to initiate a fight. "I wouldn''t make a wish. No wish can change what has already happened. One wish is only good for one thing. I''d need a bucketful of wishes to satisfy me."


    "He''s not lying," Mooks spoke to Cairo, but kept his gaze on Kalvin like a hawk.


    "Now tell me," Kalvin stuck his finger towards Cairo''s neck. "How did you get that scar?"


    Cairo reached for his neck again, almost forgetting there was a scar there. The scar planted on his neck was the most important one to him, and perhaps the only one anyone could recognize. Nevertheless, he took another deep breath of the nature around him and cleared his throat. "I got it during my first attempt to escape from the Gulag. As you can see," He pulled back his cloak, "I didn''t succeed."


    "No¡­" Kalvin''s voice became hollow, sounding like any life that remained was just stolen out of his throat. He began approaching Cairo, then he hugged him. Hugged him like he''s been wanting to for a very long time. "You did. You did more than you could''ve imagined."


    Cairo looked confused, but the longer Kalvin hugged him, the more he began to understand. "You were one of the wardens¡­ One of the people I can never trust."


    Kalvin let go, stepping back a few steps by the sudden onslaught of emotions. "I''m not asking you to give me your trust. I ask that you forgive me¡­ Anything I''ve ever done to you-"


    "Stop." Cairo cut him off. "Begging for forgiveness has proved nothing, nor will it ever prove anything. You did the right thing, Kalvin Pride. Embrace that feeling, that prideful memory of doing the right thing. Because you will never know the feeling of true regret. Regret that drives you to do unspeakable things."


    Cairo turned around, heading back to the tavern with Mooks by his side.


    Kalvin however, didn''t move. He became lost in his thoughts, like a lonely soul searching for something it''s never going to find. "Regret¡­" He whispered to himself, looking up at the clouds rolling by above him. "What did they do to you Cairo? What evil did they embark upon you?"


    ¡­


    Night fell rather quickly that day. The sun barely seemed to shine at all, and the clouds only added more and more darkness throughout the day. The air felt heavy as if there was a feeling of pressure pushing down on everyone. It wasn''t something everyone would notice so easily, but for the small few who had an extra sense in them, it didn''t feel right.


    Cairo found himself sitting alone by the bar in the deep hours of the night. Even Mooks was asleep in his room, meaning the owls and the darkness was fully awakened beyond the tavern doors.


    There were very few lights left out on the tavern floor, as taking any customers at this hour would be fanatic and irrational.


    Cairo sat like an old man without legs, staring at the candle placed in front of him. The tip of the flame flickered and spun in random directions, moving and twisting the shadows around it.


    A sudden gasp broke Cairo from his concentration, and he turned to the stairs to see Rina looking more surprised than him.


    "You scared the hell right out of me!" She startled, trying to calm her breath, "What are you doing being up this late?"


    Cairo reverted his attention back to the flame, "Same as you. Can''t sleep."


    Rina gave a small chuckle, relieving her body of the fear it previously had. She then took a seat beside him, locking her gaze onto the flame reflecting from his eyes.


    "You know," She said, silently. "I was there. Inside the outer walls of the Gulag."


    Cairo''s gaze quickly shifted onto Rina''s, "There were no girls or women in the Gulag. How could you-"


    "They made us watch."


    Cairo''s mouth opened to speak, but nothing came out. He was frozen. Frozen with nothing to say. So he turned back towards the flame, and watched as the wax melted down the sides of the candlestick.


    "Us girls," Rina started. "They made us sweep the floors more times than I took steps during a single day. They made us watch from the floor above yours, they made us watch every single fight. Every death. Every beating." Rina wiped a droplet from her eye, trying her best to hide her feelings under a fake smile. "That''s when I saw you. The first boy to refuse to fight. The first one to take the punishment."


    Cairo''s memory became more vivid in his head, but his face remained the same as always: Plain with no emotions. "Five days without food or water, and a proper beating from one of the wardens. That was my punishment."


    It doesn''t sound like much when saying, but going through a beating with no food or water for five days as a ten-year-old boy was basically hell itself. Even Cairo himself didn''t know how he survived.


    \t"Three years I refused to fight. The three years I regret the most out of anything else."


    \tRina remained silent, thinking back on her days from the Gulag. Her mind wandered with loose questions she never received any answers too, and her heart felt trapped inside a never-ending realm of darkness. "Why do you regret it?"


    \tCairo thought for a moment, "Because. That wasn''t the only punishment. There was another. One they didn''t tell you about it."


    \tCairo sighed, keeping his face still and focused on the flame. "At first. I thought my friends had lost their lives inside the chambers of the Gulag. I thought they met unfortunate endings due to an unfair matchup¡­ But no, it was far worse than that." He paused, gliding one of his fingers back and forth like a sailboat across the candle flame. "They spied on me. Found out who my dearest friends were. And killed them¡­ Killed them like they were nothing but rabid dogs off their leash. It took me three years to find out the truth. And that''s when I tried to escape." Cairo picked up the candle, bringing it close to his neck and revealing the scar protruding from the bottom of his chin all the way down to his collarbone.


    \tTears started flowing down Rina''s cheeks like a silent river. They were tears that needed comfort, redemption, and another soul to guide them on their path. They were peaceful in a way, but the longer Cairo kept his silence, the more she shared the pain burning inside Cairo''s heart.


    ¡­


    Outside the tavern, where no soul dared to walk the abandoned trails of the forest, Leonidas made sure there wasn''t a single living creature alive that could hear him at this moment. He stopped beside a tree, giving one last look around him, and pulling out a small blue orb from the confinement of his ripped bag.


    The orb wasn''t bigger than a melon, being just outside the size of a coconut or a large snowball. It had a faint glow of navy blue circling inside it like clouds on a clear day. Leonidas chanted something under his breath, and the orb awakened to its true colors of white and grey.


    "Hello?" Leonidas spoke to it, "Father, can you hear me?"


    A muffled voice replied, but it was too staticky and disrupted to understand. "Hepgdf¡­ Leoghsias¡­ Hellifhs¡­ Hello?" Finally, the voice became clear. "Leonidas? Can you hear me alright?" A man spoke with a low, tired voice. ??I hope you bring me good news."


    "Oh, father!" Leonidas laughed, "You won''t believe the faces I''ve seen today!"


    "Do tell, boy."


    Leonidas drew a malicious smile on his face, "It seems like we not only found escapees from the Gulag. But a warden who betrayed your majesty, and the boy with the scar who stole your most trusted aid."


    Leonidas''s father drew a grin on his face, beginning to cough and laugh as the hatred in his stomach burst open. "Very well done my boy... Bring them to me, dead or alive. Whichever you prefer. I wish to place their bodies on display as traitors to the kingdom, and traitors of the people."


    "With pleasure, Your majesty."


    The king shut the orb off, gesturing to the slave that held it up for him to take it out of his room. He then sat for a moment, looking at his throne like a masterpiece.


    He sighed, grinning like a man who''s about to have his wish come true. "Oh dear Cairo, how I wish you were here with me," He said to himself. "How I wish you were in my grasp once more." He stopped, looking at the carved wood holstered to his forearms. He remembered how he lost his hands in the first place, and that hatred inside him made him laugh even more.


    "Cairo, Cairo, Cairo," He hummed, tapping one of his wooden fingers against the armrest of his throne. "What will you do now?..."

 7 Cairo - The Gulag

    What exactly was the Gulag? A question I''ve heard far too much. A question most didn''t even know existed. A question that made me remember some of the worst times in my life.


    As I sat there with Rina, who was crying more and more the longer I talked, I came to realize why I hated it so much. It wasn''t the pain and suffering I went through. Nor was it the number of lives lost inside the prison walls. It''s what it stole from me. Things I don''t think I''ll ever be able to find again.


    I told Rina everything, and it started with the first day I was thrown in.


    ¡­


    I was only around ten years old at the time. I was a soft-spoken, lonely boy. My mother had just passed, but I kept that story locked up for another day.


    After my town was ransacked and massacred, the king''s soldiers took any kids left alive as hostages. Or so, that''s what I thought at the time. Instead, they used us to satisfy their urge for entertainment and stupid games that only led to more pain and anguish.


    I was thrown inside a small cell in the deep layers beneath the king''s castle. Floors were made of dry cement, and the walls were made of purely forged steel. A bucket was given for our bathroom needs, and we would get one bowl of strange brown liquid with dirt-smeared water as our daily nutrition. It wasn''t the worst thing-... No, it was by far the worst thing imaginable. If death had a taste, this tasted worse.


    Cells were placed next to each other, and I made some friends along the way to my right and left sides. Every month the cells would switch, and I''d make more friends, calling out to my previous ones on the other side of the lightless hall between us. We''d play games we came up with to pass the time, and we soon began making fun of the wardens patrolling us.


    However, all fun and games came to an end when the Gulag was introduced. Everyone in the cell''s called it the devil''s lair. I personally didn''t care for what it was called, as for me it was where nightmares were made, and fear itself wasn''t enough to give this place a proper name.


    The Gulag was a circular chamber-like room. Walls were made of pure concrete, layered with barbed wire and dry blood scattered from left to right. The ceiling was too high to even think of reaching, but I could always see the second, third, and even higher floors looking down on us. I couldn''t see the people watching, but I always assumed it was just more wardens or men who paid to see the special underground arena.


    Every week, two random prisoners were chosen to be placed inside the Gulag. The goal was simple: The last one remaining gets to stay alive.


    So, prisoners started killing each other without a single thought telling them otherwise. The warden''s watched and laughed, while the ones in the cells just prayed they wouldn''t be put in next. Competitors were chosen randomly, that is, until the first time I stepped inside the Gulag.


    I was facing a friend I''d made on the first day, his name was Clouse, and he too had lost his family in the War. I remember the look me and Clouse had as our eyes danced across our surroundings. I remember the smell of blood and sweat filling the air like fog on a humid day. It was treacherous.


    I remember my hands trembling with fear as I began to cry in front of anyone who was watching, "I-I d-don''t want to f-fight." My voice was broken, shattered like a piece of glass.


    Clouse however, didn''t even hesitate to pick up a small rock off the cold Gulag floor. So much for a friend I thought I had. Luckily, seeing me crying stopped him from attacking, and a warden made his presence around us.


    He was a tall, skinny looking man with no signs of feeling pity. He wore a strange uniform I don''t remember too well, and his hair remained hidden underneath some sort of general''s hat.


    He looked down on me, hitting me with a stale wooden paddle, and talking to me like a pile of trash. "If you don''t fight. No food or water for five days. Then you die of starvation in your cell." His voice was merciless.


    I grasped onto his leg, crying onto the soft leather of his buckled boots, "P-please! Anything but fighting!" I sniffled and sobbed.


    The man drew a smile, then kicked me off into the barbed wire on the walls. "No food or water for five days it is then."


    The pain that struck my back didn''t even faze me, and I thanked him with all my life. Or at least the life I had remaining inside me.


    The first day without food or water was surprisingly quite easy, and I slept for most of the day. The second day became a little harder, and I started feeling aches and pain my stomach kept throwing at me. The third day I couldn''t sleep, and the hunger finally started to kick in. By the fourth day, I began to lick the walls in hopes of finding a small bug that might have lost its place. The fifth day¡­. I don''t even want to talk about the pain I felt. There wasn''t a single thing worse than the dryness in my mouth, and the emptiness inside my body. My eyes were dead, my body wouldn''t move, and my lips felt as if they would fall right off with a single touch.


    Somehow, I managed to wake on the sixth day to a bowl of brown liquid and dirt-smeared water. I looked at it for almost an hour or so before I managed to gather the strength to even reach for it.


    When it entered my mouth, most of it spilled on the ground, as my jaw wouldn''t move to close the food inside. However, once that first taste of dirt entered my stomach, my body rejected it. I puked up whatever entered, and I reached for the water after. It was terrible, but it was well worth the stomach cramps I''d experience for the next couple of days.


    Every other week I was chosen to fight, and every time I would decline my participation. I was so fatigued and dismayed that I didn''t even realize my friends disappearing beside me.


    Three years it took. Three years it took for me to get adapted to the food and the realization of what was truly going on. I also heard a rumor that the war had ended in my first month inside the Gulag, meaning the last three years we''ve been held captive outside the public''s eye. That''s when the final layer of ice I''d been standing on finally snapped.


    I remember the anger that flowed through me that day. The blood boiling through my veins. The anger that awakened inside me. It overpowered me.


    When I called upon the warden, the paddle he hit me with didn''t even inflict any pain upon my body. It''s as if my skin was made of stone, and the paddle was a piece of glass that broke upon it.


    The warden''s face twisted into confusion, and he quickly called for the other guards to circle me. I took this time to look for the first warden I ever met; the one with the general''s hat. But I never saw him.


    I don''t really remember what happened after that, as my mind was empty and my body acted on its own. All I remember is walking out of the Gulag unscathed, covered in blood, and a trail of dead guards behind me.


    I ran and ran through endless halls and deadends in every direction. Any guard that got in my way was dead by the time I even took another breath.


    However, once I finally reached the second floor, my mind went back to its pitiful self like before. The hatred in my eyes vanished, and blood in my heart burned with fear and nerves like never before.


    I saw another hallway of cells. Cells that were filled with prisoners, prisoners I didn''t even want to look at. I noticed an exit at the end of the hall, a window with paper-thin glass. It was my first chance to get out. My first ever sight of an escape from this horrid place.


    However, the cries I heard inside the cells stopped me dead in my tracks. They were cries of those more desperate than me. Cries that haunt my dreams every day.


    I looked around, seeing a giant lever planted on the side of one of the walls. It looked too difficult to pull, and I already started running for the window, but something pulled me back like an unknown force. I don''t know whether it was fear or pity that directed my steps at that moment. Either way, I found myself pulling hard against the lever with my blood-soaked hands gripping the smooth edges of the steel. It took all the strength I had remaining to pull it down, but the joy I felt when I saw all the cells burst open didn''t last longer than a mere second.


    A sharp pain entered my throat like a bolt of lightning. I felt blood pouring out of my neck like a broken fountain in a lively garden. I became dizzy, and my body began to melt onto the cold floor.


    Just as my mind fell unconscious, I saw a knife escape my throat, and the face of the man who the knife belonged to; the very first warden, towering over me with the general''s hat safely planted on his head.


    He looked down on me the same way as when I cried atop his leather boot. Smiling and feeling nothing but pleasure. I saw the other guards rush past him, chasing after the escapees, and my eyes fell into the darkness.


    ¡­


    A slight feeling of raindrops on my shoulder broke me from my story. I turned my head, seeing Rina''s face buried with tears inside my cloak. Her sobs almost made me follow, but crying was something I didn''t know how to do anymore.


    She sniffled, wiping her tears against my cloak. "I-I was in¡­. those cells¡­" She wept, her voice slightly muffled.


    "Perhaps my regret ended up saving at least one life," I muttered. "But one life saved isn''t enough for how many lives I''ve taken."


    Rina''s cries suddenly turned into another direction. Although tears kept their route down her cheeks, her lips curled into the most beautiful smile I''ve ever seen.


    "You didn''t save just mine¡­." She wrapped her arms around me, "That lever you pulled - it connected all the c-cells." She continued her silent sobs around me.


    It connected all of them? I thought for a moment, trying to make sense of the situation. "What do you mean it connected all of them?"


    "There were over 400 remaining prisoners¡­" She wept even louder, smiling. "Every one of them was able to escape because of you¡­ All of us are alive because of what you did¡­??


    I kept my gaze locked onto the candle, seeing it pass the halfway point before completely dying out. Maybe my regret meant more than what I thought... How could over 400 prisoners escape through all the remaining guards?


    I remained silent for a moment, thinking steadily like a stone on a cliffside. I thought about stopping my story there, but Rina turned out to have more answers than I originally thought. So I braced myself, and continued.

 8 Cairo - The Gulag Part 2

    The candlestick was beginning to reach its final moments alive. The flame was beginning to diminish, and I began to hear the wind scraping against the windows. I patiently waited for Rina to simmer down her quiet sobs, but the streaks of dry tears remained on her flushed cheeks.


    "Kalvin stopped all the guards from catching us," Rina whispered aside. "He couldn''t help everyone¡­ But most of us got out, and he continued holding them off¡­"


    "So he was a warden?" I mumbled - putting my emphasis on the ''was'' - already knowing the answer.


    She nodded, "I wanted to go back for you-"


    "It doesn''t matter now," I interrupted her. "Going back for me would have made my attempt pointless. Just be thankful you escaped when you did, because after that day, it only got worse."


    ¡­


    I remember waking up a few days later with the most irritating pain in my throat. I spat on the steel bars that surrounded my cell and cleaned them with whatever clothes I had remaining.


    It took a minute or so to find the right angle, but I managed to catch my own reflection in the steel bar. It wasn''t the prettiest sight, as I was covered in dry blood, dirty clothes, and torn skin. However, I managed to get a glimpse of the tiny pieces of string holding my neck together.


    I could sense that even one small motion in the wrong direction would pull apart the stitches in a heartbeat, so I tried to keep that in mind for what was about to happen.


    Apparently, since I didn''t know what happened to the prisoners on the upper floors at the time, I just assumed they were all captured and brought to a justice of some sort. Even I could hear the faint screams echoing through the hollow walls of the gulag, and even I knew that escaping from this place for a second time would prove no good.


    The warden in the general''s hat approached me in my cell, smiling as always. "Due to your act of bravery, we''ve run into some problems on the upper floors," He chortled to himself as if it wasn''t a problem at all. "Your next opponents will be a little older, and I''m afraid you can''t refuse to fight."


    I remained silent, still angered by the sheer presence of his voice.


    "Excellent." He said as he walked off, throwing one last bowl of disgusting soup in my face.


    The next fight I had inside the Gulag didn''t even last more than a minute. I remember being thirteen or so, and my opponent in his late thirties. It was a weak, skinny man who looked as if he hadn''t eaten in a full moon. Well... I didn''t look any better either.


    In that one minute we were both inside the Gulag, he told me about his wife and kids waiting for his arrival at home. He looked so pitiful, and I knew he wasn''t lying either. Apparently, their house back at home had a secret bunker where his wife and kids hid during the war. The man acted as nothing more than bait to protect his family. He refused to fight me, or anyone else.


    \tThe warden entered, and killed the man without a single hesitation with the wooden paddle glued tightly to his hand. In fact, he looked happy doing it. He was easily a killer by heart, not by request.


    \tSo, my next fight was with another older gentleman. He looked to be about late twenties at most, very well fed, and definitely not planning on holding back.


    \tBy that point, any emotion I had left to feel any pity or remorse was already far gone. The only thing I had left was pain, nothing more, nothing less.


    \tThe man came running towards me at full speed, face full of sweat, and dry soup remains dangling from his lips like a drunken guerrilla. He took a swing at me, barely scraping against the side of my hair as I ducked and hurled myself away from him.


    \tI didn''t know a single thing about fighting, but it''s like I was born to do it. After the next swing, I threw my pathetically weak fist into a fattened portion of his stomach, and the man dropped dead as if he''s just been struck by bolt of lightning.


    \tAt the time, I didn''t know what happened, but in my later years when I came to learn human anatomy, I realized my fist had landed directly in his solar plexus, traumatizing him unexpectedly.


    \tI heard faint breaths escape his thick neck, so I took that time to snap it, freeing him of his suffering.


    \tThe warden came up to me, clapping and cheering as he''d just seen a beautiful performance. "Bravo! Bravo! Very well done!"


    \tI remained silent, still, and tense. That was the first time I had ever taken a life. No, it was the first time I had felt something other than pain. I felt like a murderer, because that''s what I''ve become.


    \tEvery fight I ever entered after that day was a fight for survival. I killed, and killed, and killed. Every time I killed, I grabbed a sharpened rock I had hidden beneath my soup bowl, and I made a mark on my arm for every life I stole.


    \tTwo years passed until finally, the entire second and third floors collapsed on top of us on the bottom floor. Luckily, I was unscathed, and my cell was broken free. Unfortunately, I couldn''t say the same for the others.


    I quickly rushed out, trying my hardest to breathe inside the dust and rubble hovering in the air after the wreckage. I took off my shirt and wrapped it around my mouth and nose, looking for a possible exit around me.


    After a few turns and twitches, I found a fallen rock that led to what seemed like a pathway about fifteen feet above where I stood. I didn''t think it was possible to make the jump at first, but it''s as if my body just moved on its own again.


    I braced my core, loosened the pressure building up in my frail knees, and jumped as high as I possibly could.


    At first, I knew I could only jump about two feet off the ground at maximum potential. However, after I reached the five-foot mark, my body kept going. It kept going higher and higher until it passed the landing I was intentionally going for. I remember hitting my head against another rock sticking out from the ceiling, but I managed to land on the pathway on my way back down.


    My head didn''t hurt, only making my vision blurry for a moment as I came to my surroundings again.


    I probably spent about ten minutes examining my legs after that. Nothing seemed strange, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and nothing seemed any different. So I got up, and began running through the empty pathway that was laid out for me.


    The lights inside the hallways were practically completely blown out from all the explosions and rubble that was scattered around. Big blocks of cement and broken walls covered most of the hallways, along with countless dead guards and prisoners.


    I kept running, and running, and running till I could no more. Eventually, I ended up on the very first floor that led to the ones below me. It was a large, faulty elevator-like room. There were no windows, no signs of an exit, and no signs of anyone around me.


    As stupid as I was, I stepped onto the rusty looking mineshaft elevator and pulled the lever to go up. At first, the elevator didn''t budge, but after a few painful noises, it started it''s journey upward.


    I took this time to unwrap my shirt, placing it back on my beaten body for some sort of protection I thought it gave. Instead, it just uncovered my healed scar and made me look like I was ready to kill anyone standing in my way. Which intern was a good thing, because I was ready to kill anyone in my way.


    I arrived in a weird, closet-like room on the first floor of the king''s castle. The room was dark, and hidden from anyone unwanted ever trying to find it. I opened a shallow wooden door, seeing a shelf filled with used garden equipment and other useless tools blocking my way.


    I pushed the shelf over, making a disturbing noise against the tile floor below me. After searching around for a bit, I found a rigid machete, so I took it as a souvenir for the time being.


    I went through another door, and soon enough, I was standing on the main floor inside the castle walls. Trying my best to stay hidden against the giant walls beside me, I shuffled through endless rooms and corridors like I was a snake in the grass.


    A few guards would block my way every now and then, so I made a cut on my arm for every guard I encountered, continuing my ascent through the castle walls.


    By the time I finally found an exit, my hands were covered in cuts and gashes, and my body was covered in blood that wasn''t my own. I looked like a hyena that just finished it''s breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I was a complete mess.


    I encountered some of the king''s slaves on my way up, but I left them be, thinking it wasn''t worth another senseless scar. I passed plenty of private kitchens, baths, and secret wardrobes only the highest-ranking officials had access too.


    Whether it was a good thing or not, I found out what that brown liquid soup was made of - Cockroaches, carrots, and boiled water. A perfect combination of protein, carbohydrates, and minimal dietary fat.


    After cleaning myself and changing my dirt-covered shirt into a more suitable outfit, I politely asked the slaves where I could find the man in charge. They gave the right direction, and I promised their freedom in return.


    They walked behind me up the royal stairs, acting as my personal slaves so no one dared to bat an eye. I kept the machete firmly planted on their necks just in case anyone questioned why a thirteen-year-old boy had four slaves following him.


    When I arrived at the king''s doors, the guards gave me two more scars on my arms, and I entered freely.


    The number of guards and wardens surrounding the king exceeded my expectations, but my eyes stayed locked onto the bastard sitting on the throne.


    I decided this would be an exception for putting scars on myself, so I slowly began my approach.


    "There you are," I said, plainly.


    The king didn''t even bother to look at my presence as he instantly made a shooing gesture with his hand, prompting the royal guards to take care of me. Surprisingly, these ones actually knew how to fight, but it''s very unfortunate they met me at my current state. As for I had a weapon in my hands.


    Not one guard even landed a single hit on me, but the bastard on the thrown didn''t look impressed in the slightest. Despite him only having two wardens remaining, he looked as confident as ever.


    One of the wardens was the one in the general''s hat, and the other held a brilliant looking katana holstered to his waist. It had a black leather grip, and the blade seemed sharp enough to cut through a fully grown pine tree.


    I didn''t realize it back then, but if I would have fought them, I would have died.


    Fortunately, the walls around the king''s throne burst into a flame of explosions, and the wardens were unlucky enough to be blasted outside of the king''s chamber.


    I never found out what those explosions were, but from the look of it, it looked as if they were on my side. After being blasted against one of the walls, I ignored the lingering pain in my legs and made my way through the rubble to the thrown.


    The king was crying and weeping to be helped as he laid lodged against a giant boulder above him. However, he never even dared to look at me while crying for god''s mercy.


    "You want help?" I questioned him as the sounds of his cries poured through my ears, "Go and find Cairo, he''ll gladly help you." I tightened the grip around my machete, cutting his hands right off like pieces of freshly baked pie.


    He screamed, and yelled, and cried. Cried as if he''d just gotten his toys taken away. It was a coward''s cry, not the cry of a king.


    I wrapped a piece of my royal clothing around my face and left through one of the holes made by the explosion.


    If I were to go back, I would have killed him. After knowing what he''d become after I left, I wouldn''t hesitate as to even¡­


    ¡­


    I sighed, "Perhaps that''s enough for now¡­ I''ll leave the rest of the story for another day."


    I didn''t even realize how lost I''ve gotten in my own words that Rina was already fast asleep atop my shoulder. Her tears remained wet, and her face was as still as the moon.


    I think that was the perfect way to describe it. The moon moves faster than anything I''ve ever seen, but it''s still. Still like it hasn''t moved in over a century.


    That''s what I saw in Rina. She slept peacefully, quietly, motionless. Yet her heart beat loud, and her sorrow moved swiftly through the droplets on her cheeks.


    The candlestick had finally came to it''s undermining end. The light remaining in the bar vanished, and the ever so changing moonlight twinkled through the windows.


    I gently placed her in my arms and carried her upstairs. I didn''t know where her room was, nor did I care to look for it, so I placed her in my bed, trying my best not to wake Mooks from his peaceful slumber.


    After dragging myself down the stairs, I sat down in my usual spot by the end of the table. "Thank you, Rina," I whispered, and fell asleep on the countertop.

 9 Cairo - La Pionera

    I don''t remember falling asleep the previous night, but I woke up with a face full of candlewax and bags under my beaten eyes. Luckily, I was the first to wake, so I had some time to clean myself.


    I headed upstairs, greeted by Mooks patiently waiting outside my room. "Hiya Cairo!" He welcomed me.


    I paused, listening to the sweet sound of his tongue pacing back and forth under the tavern heat. "Morning."


    "There''s a girl in your room!" He barked at me, which in turn helped me become more awake. "Would you like me to drag her out?"


    "No. That won''t be necessary. Let her be."


    \t"Okie Dokie." Mooks rushed past me and bolted down the stairs.


    \tNow I was left with an unwashed body, a face that looked like it had been beaten three times over, and a room I didn''t have the right to open. If there was one thing my mother always said, it was to ''never wake a woman from her sleep.'' I think she only told me that because of the ruckus I always caused in the morning. Either way, I wasn''t going to test her theory just yet, so I headed outside the Tavern to a nearby creek in the woods where I could properly wash myself.


    \tMooks was already there, as that was his usual place to bathe anyway. The sun reflected off the water so nicely that he looked like a random iceberg peeking up from the water. A very deadly iceberg, one that had a pair of deathly red eyes and a row of vicious white teeth.


    \tThe creek was small, running down a hillside that led to one of the town''s bridges. Vast patches of green and brown covered most of our view, and the leaves above us whistled along with the everchanging wind. I saw a moose in the distance, making me realize it was an animal not to be mettled with. However, Mooks howled at it, and it ran away without a second thought.


    \tI was about to begin to untie my cloak and get ready for the sweet feel of stream water when I saw a figure slowly making its way through a narrow pathway in the distance. I squinted my eyes, seeing it to be Leonidas.


    \tLeonidas? I thought to myself again. What would he be doing at this early of an hour, and this deep in the woods. To be fair, we weren''t that deep inside, but who wanders through the forest in fancy clothes at sunrise. I could tell he was holding something in his left hand, a bag perhaps? My vision failed me the further away he got, but I was sure it was him.


    \tMooks noticed it too, bringing his attention towards me as he saw Leonidas disappear beyond the trees. "I wouldn''t trust him if I were you."


    \tI gave Mooks a dry look, "I barely even trust you." I said as I continued unbuttoning the tight combat robes around my body. "You think I''ll trust some freak I just met?"


    \tMooks growled at me, "Whatever, just keep your eye on him. I don''t like him."


    \tI dipped my foot in the water, feeling that nice cold sensation of nature''s tears running up and down my ankle. "That''s probably the first time I''ve heard you say you don''t like someone."


    \t"It means you should stop acting so careless all the time." Mooks hushed at me.


    \tI made a bowl with both my hands joined together, letting the fresh water from the stream fill it immensely. I then splashed it across my weathered face, returning the state of it back to normal. "Whether you like him or not.." I opened my eyes, brushing my wet hands through my black and white hair. "I only have one more spot for a scar on my arms. And Leonidas won''t be the one to take it."


    ¡­


    \tAfter Mooks and I took a proper bath, we headed back to the tavern to prepare for the road ahead.


    \tApparently, everyone had already eaten and packed any belongings they needed for the road. Kalvin welcomed me in, all while preparing the closing sign for their temporary absence from the bar.


    \tI completely forgot this was a place for business. No, this was a Guild. A Guild I didn''t know the name of.


    \tI glanced over at the sign, seeing it read the following:


    "Dear fellow customers,


    I, along with the rest of my crew, are very sorry to inform you about our leave of absence. We will be gone from the premice and any or so inquiries will have to wait till we return. In the meantime, please wait patiently for our arrival back. Thank you."


    Mooks jumped atop the sign, smelling the freshly placed ink like a bucket of honey. "How long do you suspect this journey will take?" He asked, calmly.


    Kalvin stroked the rough hairs on his chin for a moment, talking with his hands more than his mouth. "If we successfully cross the Black Sea, and find the Jewel before anyone else does¡­ Prolly about a week or four. Besides, the longer we''re gone the more the wine ages!" He chuckled loudly.


    Cartuja pounded his fist in the air as if he was holding a torch in a deep cave, "Hooray fo'' mo'' wine!"


    I took this time to observe my surroundings carefully. I noticed Leonidas hiding his eyes below his gracefully long blonde hair. Almost as if he was trying to hide them.


    Now that I think about it. I don''t think I ever saw his eyes. I was sure they were blue, but the longer I looked the more my memory failed me.


    "Cairo."


    How could I not remember the color of his eyes? I knew Kalvin''s were green like the fields of grass outside my old home with my mother.


    "Cairo."


    Paris''s were red, just like Mooks''s but slightly less scary. Rina''s were¡­ Wait, where was Rina? She was the only one I couldn''t see.


    "Cairo!" Kalvin yelled for the final time, snapping me out of my thought process. "The hell is wrong with you! You ain''t gotta be nice but at least show you''re paying attention kid¡­" Kalvin snared, crossing his arms.


    "Sorry," I said, realizing how stupid I looked.


    "Anyway," Kalvin started. "We leave in a couple hours. Pack any things you and Mooks might have and ready up."


    "Where might Rina be?"


    Kalvin gave me a puzzled look, "In the kitchen¡­ Why are you so suddenly interested? Hmm?" His voice sounded as if he was a father protecting his daughter, but the smirk on his face dismissed that thought immediately.


    "Hungry... That''s all." I lied. Lying never felt good, but lies always told the most sincere truths.


    I made my way towards the kitchen in the back, greeted by countless fires, pots and pans, and shelves stocked up with all sorts of food. I was definitely taken back by all the food, considering how deserted this place gets at times.


    As I entered deeper, I noticed Rina sliding a few eggs and veggies off a pan onto a perfectly clean plate. The eggs still had that sizzle and pop from the oil that remained on the plate, making them just that much more delicious.


    "Here," She said, her voice as stale as the look on her face.


    I grabbed the plate gently, "Thank you, Rina." The second my words burst through my lips, she dipped her head down, avoiding any further interaction with me.


    Normally, I wouldn''t question something as silly as this. However, I wasn''t used to her face being so dull. Dull like my own.


    Did I do something wrong? I thought again. Did she find something in my room she wasn''t supposed to? No, she couldn''t have. The only burdens I carried were inside me, and of course, that tiny piece of paper my mother left me all those years ago.


    I ignored it for now, heading back to the bar table and enjoying my meal in peace.


    ¡­


    By the time we arrived at port Bonemount, the sun was already beginning to set in the horizon, and any ships that were planning to leave needed to act quickly before the port closed for the night.


    Dozens of old, broken, and weathered ships filled the countless docks from left to right. Some had missing sails, some didn''t even have a wheel to turn, and some looked as if they were just brought out straight from Davy Jones'' locker.


    Smelly, dried seaweed was scattered throughout the dock like pinecones in a forest. Drunk sailors passed us more often than not, giving us an evil eye saying ''Folk like ye ain''t welcom hee''.''


    Kalvin however, didn''t care in the slightest. He flung his hands in the air as if he was about to perform the most brilliant dance ever created, but all he did was stuff his face into that salty sea smell before him. "Ahh! The waters at last!"


    Carrying our luggage in a small wooden cart, Leonidas led us to his ship on the other side of the docks. Rina kept her distance away from me, and Mooks jumped atop my shoulders due to his fear of the deep blue sea. It was possibly his only fear, aside from the grumbles his stomach made when he was hungry.


    Leonidas stopped the wagon, bowing towards us as he stepped aside to reveal his ship.


    Now when I say this ship was big, I mean it was big. Bigger than the tavern I''d been sleeping in for the past six months. Bigger than the royal gates at the king''s palace. Bigger than any ship I had ever seen - and I''ve traveled across the waters more times than I can count.


    Brilliant white sails sprung open like clouds reaching for the heavens. Golden-white wood and perfectly polished aluminum bordered the main deck of the luminous ship before us. Small squares of opened windows and locked-away cannons were concealed throughout what seemed like the first and second floors of the interior. The bow of the ship had an amazing wooden sculpture of a mermaid crafted to perfection, looking as if she was giving grace to whomever she was looking at. The stern carried the name of the ship, giving its followers what they desired, ''La Pionera.'' A gorgeous name for a gorgeous ship.


    There was a single raft attached to the lower part of the ship, hanging by what seemed like a pretty loose rope. It seemed odd for a ship this size to have only one raft ¡ª usually ¡ª there would be two or even three. Why even attach a raft so close to the water? It seemed suspicious, so I kept that thought hidden inside my head.


    The lower compartments of the ship had plenty of empty rooms that we could use, so I managed to grab a room with Mooks beside me. I got the bed, and he got the floor. The way we always shared rooms together.


    Shortly after, Leonidas let go of the dock and we set sail for our next destination ¡ª The town of Torchmire.

 10 Alone

    By the time La Pionera set sail, it was already nightfall on the horizon. The clouds were dark, the water was sharp, and the winds were gentle.


    Cairo and Mooks sat on a small bench on the stern of the ship, both looking back at the port as they traveled further and further away. They could see the lights on the dock shutting off, and only the faint streetlights in the distance remained.


    The ocean winds surfed through Mooks''s fur like a breeze through a wheat field. He pointed his nose towards the sky, and howled to his heart''s content.


    "The moon isn''t out yet," Cairo said in a timid voice.


    Mooks finished his nightly howl, then made a gesture of clearing his completely clean throat, "It''s a me thing. You wouldn''t get it."


    Cairo sighed, glaring at all the bandages around his arms. He then pulled out the piece of paper, reading it carefully. "Find your happiness," He said, listlessly. "What is happiness to you?"


    Mooks thought for a moment, then spoke excitingly. "Rina''s juicy, marvelous, jaw-dropping steak!"


    Cairo put the paper away, then stood up to approach the railing guarding the ship. "Happiness¡­" He whispered to the wind. "Is that what I''m looking for? Or is it looking for me?"


    Mooks joined him beside the railing, letting the cold ocean breeze comb his fur peacefully. "Maybe both. Maybe neither. Just enjoy what you can. And dislike what you hate."


    "Easy for you to say¡­"


    "Listen¡­" Mooks tried to put his paw on Cairo''s shoulder, but the tip of his paw only reached halfway up Cairo''s chest, so it looked awkward and felt unusual. "Cairo¡­" He dropped his paw back down to the floor, "Stop searching. And start looking... You always search, but you never look."


    "What''s the difference?" Cairo mumbled.


    Mooks chuckled, "That''s for you to figure out." He paused, fixing his gaze onto the water. "What happened between you and Rina last night?... And don''t lie, I''ll be able to tell."


    "She fell asleep, so I took her upstairs and gave her my bed," Cairo answered with an enigmatic tone.


    "That''s a lie."


    "Not really¡­"


    "What are you? A merchant or a lier?" Mooks raised an eyebrow, saliva drooling down his jaw, "Don''t tell me a truth with a lie hidden in it. Even if you don''t consider me your friend, I''ll follow you to hell and back. You know that."


    Cairo sighed again, pausing for a moment to think. "I told her about how I escaped. Nothing more."


    Mooks''s grin turned upside down. "It took me two years to drag that story out of you. You tell her only after six months. That''s one strike to my precious heart."


    "She was a prisoner too."


    Mooks exhaled a breath of relief, "Okay I take the strike back."


    They continued looking out into the waters, aimlessly staring like two birds on a rock. Mooks would howl every now and then, while Cairo remained as still as a statue.


    "Cairo.." Mooks broke the silence between them. "In your room, when you left her there¡­ She cried for what seemed like all night long¡­ I tried to comfort her, but she just used me as a pillow for her sorrow."


    Cairo kept his silence, his gaze locked on the ocean below.


    "You should talk to her. I think you need her more than you think."


    "What''s the point?" Cairo''s tone turned severe. "We are with these people because of one thing and one thing only right? A wish. A wish we might get, or we might not. Either way, when this is all over I''ll be on my way, dragging my beaten body across towns like a sack of potatoes. I don''t want to make any more friends¡­ Each one has caused me more grief and pain than I could imagine. Each and every friend I ever make gets either killed or tortured to a point where they can''t feel anymore!" Cairo screamed, his voice as loud as thunder after lightning. "Friends are nothing more but useless tools your enemies use to break you! They make you feel wanted and secure, and yet the second they''re gone you feel worthless and depressed!" Cairo caulked back his fist, punching the metal railing with all the force he had.


    The railing bent into a fist-like position, and blood started coming down Cairo''s knuckles like tears he refused to shed. His breathing increased, then settled into a lowly pant he tried to control.


    "Uhm, Cairo?" A daring voice came from behind them, prompting both of them to turn around in shock and awe. It was Rina, holding her hands by her chest as if she was about to make a prayer.


    Mooks leaped back onto all fours and began walking away. "I''ll leave you two be."


    Cairo sat back down on the bench, pulling a white roll of bandages from one of his pockets, and wrapping it around his knuckles.


    Rina sat beside him, waiting in the silence for a few moments. She rolled her hair behind her ear, and let the wind do the rest. "Why are you so lonely, Cairo?" She said, her voice as gentle as her touch. "You have a wonderful companion by your side. You have us to share your feelings with. You have memories that some would die to listen to. And yet, you''re so alone that I don''t even know what you''re thinking half the time."


    Cairo stayed silent, listening to her voice as if it were an angel''s harp. He managed to get a glimpse of her eyes under the lantern lights, seeing how mysterious and defining they looked. Her right eye as dark as the night sky above, and her left as blue as the waters below.


    She stood up, heading over to the railing and slowly beginning to raise her hands from her sides. She stopped them roughly at shoulder height, and her eyes began to glow brighter than the stars above her.


    The waves carrying the ship began to rumble and twist as if an earthquake was happening below their feet. The ship tilted left and right a few times, and the water behind it began to rise from the ocean''s grasp.


    Waves circled each other like hurricanes in the wind, the water shifted and twitched, spiraling in dozens of locations, and the sea bowed its head under Rina''s control.


    Cairo knew Rina was one of the few Gifted that remained in this world, and he too shared a deepening secret about what he was able to do. However, seeing how much control, precision, and patience she had over her Gift was impeccable.


    She began creating a shape in the open air out of the water beneath them. Cairo could see a pair of legs begin to form, followed by a torso, and a pair of well-defined arms. Then, a head appeared on top, and Cairo quickly realized it was him, only much, much younger.


    The boy made of water smiled¡ªwaving at Cairo¡ªas Rina controlled and directed him to do so. Suddenly, the boy slowly began to fall apart, and the water leaked back into the ocean.


    Rina''s eyes dimmed their ever so luminous glow, and she took her seat next to Cairo again. "You''re afraid." She said, emotion touching her voice like the sun glazing upon the clouds during a sunset. "Afraid of having those you trust. Afraid of someone caring about you."


    "Last night, when you left me in your room," Rina started again. "How could you leave me there, alone, and after everything you told me... How could you leave me in your bed, crying and wanting more¡­"


    Cairo kept his gaze away from hers. "Emotions are our greatest weakness-"


    Rina slapped him, cutting him off mid-sentence. She pulled back her hand, shaking it lightly to let the blood return to its normal flow.


    "How could you say that!?" She yelled, waiting for an answer she knew she wasn''t going to get. "Emotions are one of our greatest strengths. Your weaknesses are what you choose them to be."


    Cairo widened his eyes, feeling the deepness of her slap hurt more than the pain on his cheek.


    "Come closer," She whispered in his ear, "Don''t be alone anymore," She leaned in, wrapping her arm around his.


    "I''m sorry." Cairo broke free from her grasp, standing up abruptly and fearlessly. "But I.." He shook his head, trying to break free from all his thoughts telling him to stay. His heart was beating fast, asking him to stay a little while longer. However, his body moved on its own, and he walked off back to his room downstairs.


    ¡­


    A few hours passed after Cairo left Rina on the stern of the ship. Most of the crew was already asleep, as Leonidas assured them there''s nothing to worry about.


    In the meantime, Leonidas checked the ship from front to back, making sure there wasn''t a soul alive that was still awake. He then grabbed his ripped up bag that was hidden underneath some ropes on the port and pulled out the blue orb he used to communicate with.


    He tapped it on, keeping his voice as quiet as the clouds above him. "Hello - Father, can you hear me?"


    "Yes my boy," A rusty voice responded, "How are your plans coming along?"


    Leonidas smiled, tucking the orb closer to his chest. "Wonderfully father. They''re all asleep, and we''re approaching the ridge. Just as planned."


    "Drop one of them into the rocks," The king said, tapping his wooden finger against his armrest. "Your choice my boy. My men will take care of any survivors."


    "I''ll drop the one with the scar!" Leonidas chuckled, "I know he''s your favorite." His mouth curled into a devilish smile.


    On the other end, the king coughed, grinning and stopping his obnoxious tapping. "Good¡­ Very good¡­" He coughed again, feeling the coming of his age hurt his throat. "I''ll wait for your news tomorrow, boy. A deed isn''t done until it''s done."


    "Yes, of course, father!" Leonidas said his goodbye, then tucked the orb back into his bag.


    "Who are you talking to?" A masculine voice pierced through Leonidas''s ears so strongly it nearly made his heart skip a beat.


    He turned around, and a chill went down his spine as he saw Cairo standing right behind him.

 11 The Ridge

    Although it was dark outside, I could still see the vast array of mountains being approached in the distance. There was a tiny split inside the mountain where the ocean waters passed over countless rocks and debris, but that split was so small and narrow it seemed impossible for a ship this size to pass through.


    "Who were you talking to?" I asked again as the ship quaked up and down.


    Leonidas made an innocent face, keeping his voice hidden in the back of his throat, "Just some relatives at home. They''re worried sick ''bout me, but I promised them I wouldn''t be returning until after the adventure." He laughed, fakely. "Would you like to speak to them?" He pulled out the orb again, handing it over.


    I gave him a wry look, grabbing the orb from his weak hands. After observing it for a moment, that bastard slipped from my vision like a black panther at night. I jolted my head behind me, seeing his devilish smile staring back at me with a knife pressed up against my throat.


    "Shh, Shh, Shh." He whispered, placing his finger against his lips. "One sudden noise and¡­" He gently pushed the blade into my scar, making me feel the pain I felt all those years ago. As he dug the tiny point of the blade into my neck, the ship seemed to have hit a rock of some sort, making us bounce up and down like sailors in a storm. Surprisingly, Leonidas held the blade steadily, careful not to do more damage than was intended.


    A few drops of blood ran down my neck, and he leaned in even closer. "You still don''t remember, do you?" He asked.


    For some reason, that question caught me more off guard than the knife pinned against my neck. I looked deep into his eyes, searching for an answer until I finally found one.


    It was him¡ªThe warden with the general''s hat from the Gulag. There was no denying that smug look he always gave me. Except he looked nearly twice as old now. His face had a similar structure, and his eyes were still the same as before. So how could I not recognize him at first? Was it the hair? The attitude? The weakness I felt from him?


    "There you go." He said, noticing that I remembered. "I always wondered how you managed to escape for a second time. Who was behind those explosions?"


    I squinted my eyes, perplexed and confused. Even after all these years, Leonidas himself didn''t know what the cause behind the explosions in the castle? This seemed odd, too odd to question¡ªgiven my current state.


    "You look stunned." He beamed. "Have you spent all these years pondering about your life choices? Have you been hiding in the off chance that I was still alive and wanted your head on my paddle?" He cackled, tightening his grip on the blade. "No¡­ You''ve been afraid, afraid of your past and what it''s done to you."


    I gulped, unsure if he was right or wrong. Either way, I felt an odd feeling wrap itself around my heart. A feeling I hated, one that I wanted to escape from for so long. A feeling of being secluded, lost in the world around me as if nothing ever mattered... I felt alone.


    Meanwhile, the ship hit yet another rock, and this time we were both sent flying against the railing. I carefully picked myself up off the floor and noticed the mountainside engulfing the ship inside its corrupted pathway.


    Leonidas quickly sprung up from the floor, flipping the knife in his hand and charging at me.


    When it came to hand-to-hand combat, I was very skilled. In fact, I''d be bold enough to put myself pretty high on the ranking. However, that inner fear inside me prevented me from focusing, and I couldn''t predict any of his movements.


    Leonidas swung the knife from the bottom of his hip, aiming for my stomach in hopes of causing enough pain for me to avoid fighting back. I managed to dodge with a quick step back, then another, then another, and then another.


    I was dodging easily, but my hands wouldn''t fight back. Something inside of me refused to hurt this man, and I couldn''t get a hold of whatever it was. It''s as if my body didn''t want to accept this man as the final scar on my arm... Luckily enough, it didn''t need to.


    After dodging another attack, Leonidas caught me blindsided and sprung his knife into the center of my thigh.


    "Grggh!" I grunted as a knife lodged into my thigh. It felt as if the nerves in my leg had fired all at once, amplifying the pain to an extent I wasn''t used to. The blade was only in there for a second, leaving no room for hesitation from Leonidas.


    He quickly pulled out the knife and flipped it again¡ªthis time aiming for my throat. "You''re dead!" He cursed, however, just as he initiated the swing, a brave hero came to my miserable rescue...


    Mooks leaped onto Leonidas''s back, sinking his teeth into his arm as if it were a piece of steak.


    "AHHHH!" Leonidas yelled in a sea of pain, feeling the pressure of Mooks''s teeth sinking deeper and deeper into his skin. He tried to break free from Mooks''s gruesome bite, swinging and flayling all over like a mad man. He roared painfully, Mooks''s teeth piercing through the layers of his skin like tiny arrows through an apple.


    Blood began to soak through his clothes, and the pain in my leg made me far too slow to help my companion.


    Leonidas tossed his knife into his other hand and plunged it inside of Mooks''s abdomen. Mooks whimpered so bravely it nearly hurt my heart just to hear that painful noise escaping through the tip of his throat.


    As the grip of Mooks''s bite loosened around his arm, that bastard sunk the knife even deeper inside my dearest companion. Blood started seeping from Mooks''s body, staining his luxurious white fur with rivers of dark and red gore. Leonidas forced the knife out Mooks''s body, throwing him overboard like an empty old bucket.


    "NOOO!" I yelled as I tried to get up, but that damn pain in my thigh restricted any sudden bursts of movement I tried to initiate. My leg wouldn''t answer me, and using my other one would only do more harm to the first. I somehow managed to gather the strength to kneel¡ªfighting through the pain¡ªbut Leonidas sunk his knife into my kidney faster than I could react to.


    I wheezed so loudly it''s as if all the breath in my lungs just vanished without a trace. I slowly fell to my knees, and he ripped the knife out of my body.


    I began to fall, but Leonidas caught me in his arms, dragging my pitiful body to the edge of the railing. "Go and die like the good boy you were." He whispered in my ear, hurling me over the railing.


    As I fell overboard, I could see him smiling at me from above. Smiling just the same as when I clung onto his boot, thanking him for sparing my life. Smiling like the time he gave me my most gruesome scar. Smiling as if he knew he''d finally gotten rid of me.


    After that, I let the pain wash over me, and my eyes fell into the darkness.

 11 Cairo - The Ridge

    Although it was dark outside, I could still see the vast array of mountains being approached in the distance. There was a tiny split inside the mountain where the ocean waters passed over countless rocks and debris, but that split was so small and narrow it seemed impossible for a ship this size to pass through.


    "Who were you talking to?" I asked again as the ship quaked up and down.


    Leonidas made an innocent face, keeping his voice hidden in the back of his throat, "Just some relatives at home. They''re worried sick ''bout me, but I promised them I wouldn''t be returning until after the adventure." He laughed, fakely. "Would you like to speak to them?" He pulled out the orb again, handing it over.


    I gave him a wry look, grabbing the orb from his weak hands. After observing it for a moment, that bastard slipped from my vision like a black panther at night. I jolted my head behind me, seeing his devilish smile staring back at me with a knife pressed up against my throat.


    "Shh, Shh, Shh." He whispered, placing his finger against his lips. "One sudden noise and¡­" He gently pushed the blade into my scar, making me feel the pain I felt all those years ago. As he dug the tiny point of the blade into my neck, the ship seemed to have hit a rock of some sort, making us bounce up and down like sailors in a storm. Surprisingly, Leonidas held the blade steadily, careful not to do more damage than was intended.


    A few drops of blood ran down my neck, and he leaned in even closer. "You still don''t remember, do you?" He asked.


    For some reason, that question caught me more off guard than the knife pinned against my neck. I looked deep into his eyes, searching for an answer until I finally found one.


    It was him¡ªThe warden with the general''s hat from the Gulag. There was no denying that smug look he always gave me. Except he looked nearly twice as old now. His face had a similar structure, and his eyes were still the same as before. So how could I not recognize him at first? Was it the hair? The attitude? The weakness I felt from him?


    "There you go." He said, noticing that I remembered. "I always wondered how you managed to escape for a second time. Who was behind those explosions?"


    I squinted my eyes, perplexed and confused. Even after all these years, Leonidas himself didn''t know what the cause behind the explosions in the castle? This seemed odd, too odd to question¡ªgiven my current state.


    "You look stunned." He beamed. "Have you spent all these years pondering about your life choices? Have you been hiding in the off chance that I was still alive and wanted your head on my paddle?" He cackled, tightening his grip on the blade. "No¡­ You''ve been afraid, afraid of your past and what it''s done to you."


    I gulped, unsure if he was right or wrong. Either way, I felt an odd feeling wrap itself around my heart. A feeling I hated, one that I wanted to escape from for so long. A feeling of being secluded, lost in the world around me as if nothing ever mattered... I felt alone.


    Meanwhile, the ship hit yet another rock, and this time we were both sent flying against the railing. I carefully picked myself up off the floor and noticed the mountainside engulfing the ship inside its corrupted pathway.


    Leonidas quickly sprung up from the floor, flipping the knife in his hand and charging at me.


    When it came to hand-to-hand combat, I was very skilled. In fact, I''d be bold enough to put myself pretty high on the ranking. However, that inner fear inside me prevented me from focusing, and I couldn''t predict any of his movements.


    Leonidas swung the knife from the bottom of his hip, aiming for my stomach in hopes of causing enough pain for me to avoid fighting back. I managed to dodge with a quick step back, then another, then another, and then another.


    I was dodging easily, but my hands wouldn''t fight back. Something inside of me refused to hurt this man, and I couldn''t get a hold of whatever it was. It''s as if my body didn''t want to accept this man as the final scar on my arm... Luckily enough, it didn''t need to.


    After dodging another attack, Leonidas caught me blindsided and sprung his knife into the center of my thigh.


    "Grggh!" I grunted as a knife lodged into my thigh. It felt as if the nerves in my leg had fired all at once, amplifying the pain to an extent I wasn''t used to. The blade was only in there for a second, leaving no room for hesitation from Leonidas.


    He quickly pulled out the knife and flipped it again¡ªthis time aiming for my throat. "You''re dead!" He cursed, however, just as he initiated the swing, a brave hero came to my miserable rescue...


    Mooks leaped onto Leonidas''s back, sinking his teeth into his arm as if it were a piece of steak.


    "AHHHH!" Leonidas yelled in a sea of pain, feeling the pressure of Mooks''s teeth sinking deeper and deeper into his skin. He tried to break free from Mooks''s gruesome bite, swinging and flayling all over like a mad man. He roared painfully, Mooks''s teeth piercing through the layers of his skin like tiny arrows through an apple.


    Blood began to soak through his clothes, and the pain in my leg made me far too slow to help my companion.


    Leonidas tossed his knife into his other hand and plunged it inside of Mooks''s abdomen. Mooks whimpered so bravely it nearly hurt my heart just to hear that painful noise escaping through the tip of his throat.


    As the grip of Mooks''s bite loosened around his arm, that bastard sunk the knife even deeper inside my dearest companion. Blood started seeping from Mooks''s body, staining his luxurious white fur with rivers of dark and red gore. Leonidas forced the knife out Mooks''s body, throwing him overboard like an empty old bucket.


    "NOOO!" I yelled as I tried to get up, but that damn pain in my thigh restricted any sudden bursts of movement I tried to initiate. My leg wouldn''t answer me, and using my other one would only do more harm to the first. I somehow managed to gather the strength to kneel¡ªfighting through the pain¡ªbut Leonidas sunk his knife into my kidney faster than I could react to.


    I wheezed so loudly it''s as if all the breath in my lungs just vanished without a trace. I slowly fell to my knees, and he ripped the knife out of my body.


    I began to fall, but Leonidas caught me in his arms, dragging my pitiful body to the edge of the railing. "Go and die like the good boy you were." He whispered in my ear, hurling me over the railing.


    As I fell overboard, I could see him smiling at me from above. Smiling just the same as when I clung onto his boot, thanking him for sparing my life. Smiling like the time he gave me my most gruesome scar. Smiling as if he knew he''d finally gotten rid of me.


    After that, I let the pain wash over me, and my eyes fell into the darkness.

 12 Blood

    Hesitation is the one and only step between success and failure. Hesitation is that tiny moment where one could think for endless possibilities and only come out with a face full of mindless regrets. Hesitation kills, saves lives, and ruins dreams. Therefore, hesitation must be taken cautiously, precisely, and strategically.


    \tLuckily for Leonidas, that hesitation wasn''t an issue. He didn''t even tend to his wound before bouncing himself towards the remaining evidence. It was still dark, so covering the blood across the floor wasn''t a priority. First came the raft, and then the lies to cover his mess.


    \tLeonidas quickly rushed to the stern of the ship, hearing the restless voices of Kalvin and the others below him in the interior. After a few seconds of aimlessly searching for a rope that hung on the bottom portion of the railing ¡ª he untied it ¡ª letting go of the one and only spare raft that remained attached to the ship.


    \t"What the hell happened here?!" Kalvin yelled from the port.


    \tLeonidas rushed back as fast as he could, carefully glaring above him as the ship continued its path inside the split. Some of the rocks poking out of the mountainside ripped through the sails like scissors through paper. "We''re almost through the ridge!" He yelled back, trying to look busier than he truly was.


    Kalvin noticed Leonidas running towards him from afar, slightly concerned but not enough to raise an extra eyebrow. "I ain''t no ship expert, but those noises don''t sound right. All those jumps and hops woke me from my beauty sleep." Kalvin pouted.


    Cartuja yawned, cracking his neck in the process. "There he goes again, dismal-in-distress princess woke from his sleep."


    "I''ll have you know that sleeping is a vital part of recovery and hibernation." Calvin slouched his hands on his hip, making a swaying gesture with his torso.


    "Says who?" Cartuja cackled, "Your mother?"


    Cartuja started laughing at his own joke, all while Calvin directed his attention onto Leonidas ¡ª who was now standing patiently beside him.


    Kalvin looked up, seeing the stars through the small cracks and breakpoints in the rocks above them. He noticed something odd for a moment, but dismissed it when Leonidas asked him a question.


    "Is everything okay? I''m deeply sorry for the unexpected quakes, it''s the only way through the split." His face as innocent as ever, yet his words as powerful as the blade in his pocket.


    "Everything''s fine¡­" Calvin sighed, "Do ya need any help out here? I can stay up for a few if need be."


    "No, No. Please, get some sleep. We should be on the other side within the hour."


    "Where''s Cairo?" Rina stumbled on board. Her face twisted with worry and speculations.


    "I''m afraid I haven''t seen him." Leonidas lied, showing no signs of doing so. "I saw him earlier with the wolf, but I think he said he was going to sleep for the night."


    "Cairo and Mooks both asleep at this hour?" Rina questioned, "Doesn''t seem right¡­"


    "Guess they must''ve had a rough night." Leonidas smiled, acting as friendly as can be.


    "Hmm." Rina hesitated for a moment, deciding that asking any further questions wouldn''t prove to solve anything anyway. She turned, taking a step back towards the inner rooms ¡ª when suddenly ¡ª she stepped into a warm, dark looking puddle on the floor.


    They were on a ship, one that had tedious amounts of water all aboard. However, this puddle was different. It was dense, dark, and didn''t smell like the usual salty seawater she was used to.


    Rina bent down, tapping her finger into the puddle and bringing her finger closer to a lantern hanging above her. It was red, red like a fully bloomed rose. Red like the ribbon in Paris''s hair. Red like a drop of fresh blood.


    Rina''s eyes suddenly went dark, and her mind didn''t know if it should feel angry or afraid. Her heart raced with possibilities, but Leonidas broke her from her concentration.


    "Pardon me," He galloped, "I''m afraid I wounded myself a little earlier while trying to steer the ship under control."


    Rina turned to him, now seeing the bloodstains on his arm under the lantern light. "How did you wound yourself to this degree?" Her face as hard as a rock.


    "When I was pulling the sails ¡ª Silly me accidentally let go of the grip, and my body dragged itself along the rigid edge of the railing end." He laughed playfully.


    \tRina tucked her innocence to the back of her throat, speaking like a queen to a peasant. "Sorry to hear that¡­ Do you need any help wi-"


    \t"Nope!" Leonidas cut her off, "All good up here. Nothing a few bandages and some sweet tea won''t fix."


    \t"Very well, good night." She jerked her head away from him, walking down the steps and carefully examing the drop of blood on her finger. She even went as far as to sniff it, only realizing that her sense of smell wasn''t very well polished.


    \tDownstairs, Paris came out of her room, wearing nothing but her underwear and a blanket wrapped around her shoulder. She yawned, head full of bed-hair. "Go to sleep woman, why are you always up this late?"


    \tRina rolled her eyes, "Shouldn''t you be the one sleeping?"


    \t"Im grabbing some coffee, helps me go back to sleep¡­"


    \t"Coffee makes you sleep?" Rina raised an eyebrow, slightly concerned.


    \t"Decaf has like ¡ª melatonin in it or something. It''s good for the skin and my sleep." She was partially right.


    \tRina shook her head annoyingly, walking past Paris like she didn''t know her. After turning the golden knob on her door, Rina walked inside her private chamber on the lower part of the ship.


    \tA small square window held itself up above her twin-sized bed. A clustered bathroom locked itself beyond a tiny wooden door in the corner. A lamp sat alone on a tabletop, giving light to the shallow darkness in the room like a candle in a cave.


    \tRina sat down, placing her finger below the lamplight. She examined the drop of blood very carefully, twisting and turning her finger under the light around her. The blood was dry at this point, and she knew she wasn''t some blood expert that can quickly determine who''s it was. So, she shut the light off, washed her hands, and went back to sleep.


    ¡­


    \tBy the morning, Leonidas made sure to clean up the remaining blood scattered around the ship. He also bandaged himself, cursing at Mooks in his head as he continued wrapping layers of white around his arm. He also changed clothes, easily avoiding any further suspicions anyone might get if they saw his wound.


    \tThe ship made it out of the split with only a few minor damages around the exterior and the rigid railing on the sides. The main problem revolved around the sales, as some took a much greater beating than the others. Even though there were a few minor rips, any unexpected storm would wipe La Pionera off the face of the planet in a heartbeat.


    \tOver by the small kitchen area on the first floor of the ship, Kalvin decided to do the honors of cooking breakfast for everyone. He wasn''t necessarily the worst cook, but he always picked the most uncultured dishes for different parts of the day. For example, he was boiling potatoes and searing a freshly peeled tuna fish on a skillet over a small flame.


    \tThe flame itself was inside a bundle of sticks in a metal bucket. Perhaps a little overkill for anyone that was actually hungry.


    \t"Don''t worry!" Calvin cheered with a burst of energy, "The bones will melt off anyway."


    \t"There''s bones in that?" Paris made a cringing face as she took another sip of coffee. Her hopes of washing down that morning seafood smell with a sip of caffeine didn''t work out too well. So ¡ª like always ¡ª she skipped breakfast.


    \tCartuja jumped up from his seat at the table, filled with even more energy than Kalvin. "Don''t you worry Kal," He patted him on the shoulder, "Food is food. I''ll be eatin'' anythin'' yu throw at meh." He sat back down, looking around as if he was looking for something ¡ª or someone. "Ayo, where be the wolf and the other guy?"


    Rina froze, completely forgetting last night wasn''t a lucid dream of some sort. Her mind began to panic, and her gaze turned toward Leonidas. "It''s half-past nine. How are neither of them awake yet?"


    "Rina!" Kalvin barked at her, frowning and displeased. "Leave Leonidas out of this. Seriously, show some respect to our beloved companion. I''ve only known Cairo and Leonidas for a couple of days, so I can''t say much about either. However, Cairo is a man who is still a mystery to me. I don''t know his intentions, nor do I care to meddle with his private affairs. For now, we''re following Leonidas, not Cairo. For all I know, he could''ve just taken the raft in the middle of the night and just left without notice."


    "The raft?" Rina''s eyes widened with curiosity.


    "Oh that reminds me!" Leonidas put a finger to his chin, pretending to be in deep thought. "The ship does have a spare raft located towards the back. If you want-"


    Rina quickly burst out from her seat and ran outside on the main deck. Little did she know, Leonidas was smiling right behind her poorly executed suspicions.


    She looked around as if looking for the faint screams of a young child. Her heart racing fast, and her blood boiling furiously. First, she peaked her head over the port-side railing, seeing nothing but floating seaweed and darkness in the depths below.


    The gentle breeze rolling along the waves passed through her hair like windchimes in a field. She turned around, booking it to the stern as fast as she could ¡ª looking for something she didn''t know.


    Metal beams and empty rope lines littered the ship like rocks on a beach. There were so many ropes it didn''t even look like any of them had an end or a beginning. Everywhere she looked, nothing appeared. Everywhere she turned, nothing new popped into her vision. Everywhere her thoughts took her, she knew that deep inside the raft was gone.


    The longer and longer her heart denied the possibility of Cairo leaving, the closer and closer her mind accepted the realization. Cairo had left, and without even saying goodbye.


    She turned back around, stopping by the port to let the wind clear her mind. Her arms leaned against the railing, and her head tucked down against it. Her eyes were closed, but something inside her refused to believe Cairo had left so unexpectedly.


    That''s when she saw it. It was small, so small she wouldn''t have noticed it unless she was leaning against the railing. A tiny red droplet was dried against the white railing, staining it and giving it a luminous glow underneath the sunlight. It was blood, blood that wasn''t Leonidas''s.

 13 My Lord

    The sun stretched it''s ever so glimmering rays onto the sea like a blanket of pure light through a glass bottle. A look at the wrong angle will cause a blinding glare that''ll forcefully back off anyone daring to challenge it. However, once the perfect angle aligns itself along the ocean waves, everything springs to life like a garden of shining crystals.


    At the royal capital of Harvoria, the king sat in his thrown like a man on his death bed. His face ¡ª dull and ill. His robes ¡ª washed and cared for. His hair as silver as the armor of the guards around him. His hands as wooden as the paddles the salves were beaten with. His voice as shallow and old as the thrown. "Slave!" He yelled, sounding like a hag yelling at a teenager.


    A small, shy looking slave girl approached him. Her name was Laena, but the King would never address a slave by their name. Her hair was short, only reaching above her shoulders and slightly below her soft chin. Her clothes were nothing more but a beaten blanket with a white teeshirt covered in dirt and sweat. Her face was young, perhaps too young for a slave ¡ª yet there she was, serving her master.


    The girl named Laena ran over as fast as she could, barefoot and tripping over herself multiple times. "Yes my lord¡­" Her voice as weak and frail as her young body.


    "Fetch me my rift. I need to speak to Leonidas."


    Behind the royal guards stood a massive glass structure filled with exotic items on each individual shelf. Some had no meaning, and some held the deepest secrets one could ever hope to find inside the King''s chamber. Either way, it would take more than just one man to get past this level of security.


    "Yes me lord¡­" The girl named Laena bowed, running over to a beautiful display of marvelous items she didn''t know the history of. The guards let her through, and she grabbed a navy blue sphere about the size of her head, bringing it back to the King within a moment''s notice.


    Laena kneeled on the cold tile floor below her, barely managing to hold the sphere upright in her hands as she stretched it out towards the King. "Her you are my lord¡­" Her hands trembling of weakness and fear.\t\t


    The King snatched the orb out of her hands with his wooden fingers. He set it aside on his armrest, then leaned back into his throne. "Leonidas." He demanded, tapping the orb and seeing the navy blue colors change into different shapes and patterns. "I better hear some good news today."


    "My lord!" Leonidas replied back from the other end. "Good news is all that I bring."


    "Very well, let''s hear it then."


    Leonidas made a strange noise as if he was trying not to laugh, then settled himself and spoke. "Your favorite ¡ª the one with the scar is no longer with us. I guess you can say that he took an unexpected dive off the ship." He cackled quietly to himself.


    "How certain are you?"


    "My blade punctured through his kidney, femoral artery, and that bastard wolf. Then, I threw them off the ship as to not raise any suspicions."


    The king sighed, slightly relieved. "Have you checked the waters?"


    "No. But even if he su-"


    "He''s not dead unless you confirm he''s dead!" The king barked, interrupting his son as if he were another slave begging for mercy. "It doesn''t matter now," His voice seeming calmer than before. "I''ll send a few of my loyal men to scout the ridge. Even if he survived, he''ll be dead once they find him."


    "OH OH OH!" Leonidas galloped with excitement. "Are you sending who I think you''re sending?"


    The King smiled, glaring at one of the wardens by his left. "There isn''t a man alive who can beat the Iron Fist. Wounded or not, that bastard''s head will be on my display for as long as I live."


    Leonidas squeezed his smile so tightly it nearly looked as of he was about to vomit. "I should also mention the next victim who will fall in an unfortunate accident."


    "Do tell." The king replied.


    "There is a girl here who has far too many suspicions about my recent actions. I need to get rid of her fast, but her Gift could be very useful for our defenses."


    "Hmm¡­"


    "She''s able to control water at an incredibly powerful scale of strength. With the right methods," Leonidas chuckled to himself. "We can convert her into one of ours."


    "Hmm¡­" The king entered his usual deep thought. Voices echoing through his throat like bats in a cave. "Not needed. Kill them all and bring me their bodies. Everything else will be decided after the jewel is in our hands."


    "As you wish my lord," Leonidas concluded, shutting his transmission off.


    The king looked down at Laena, who was still kneeling on the cold tile floor. He could see her face show an unusual emotion ¡ª anger. So, he took his wooden hand and slapped her across the face, sending her in a flurry of quiet, yet painful screams. "Make that face again and your head''ll be next." He chided at her, sending her off to the glass case of items with the sphere.


    The King shook his hand, tieing any loose ends around his wrists that might''ve come undone. He then leaned back in his thrown again, calling for one of the wardens on his left to approach him.


    A massive, muscular dark man made his presence. His hair was short, a buzzcut down to the very millimeter of hair remaining on his scalp. His head was slightly squared, his jaw looking like it''s taken more beating than one could endure in a single lifetime. His nose was disproportional to his face, looking like he''s had it broken more than a dozen times in the past two years. This was a man who didn''t like losing. A man who hasn''t lost a single fight no matter the cause.


    "Take two of your most trusted men and scout the ridge by the Black sea for a white wolf and a bleeding man with a scar." The king started, "You may do as you please with them. But bring me the man''s head, that''s all I ask."


    The hulk-of-a-man beside him kneeled, showing no signs of fear or uncertainty. "My lord." He answered, diligently and respectfully.

 14 Cairo - A Four-part Feeling

    It was night again. A four-part feeling crept its way on top of me as my eyes finally began to open.


    The first was a feeling of subtle pain. Specifically in my leg and upper abdominal area. The pain wasn''t bad, nor did it hinder my ability to walk. It was annoying. Annoying like the buzzing sound in my ears when a bee is hovering around me. It was similar to a leg falling asleep ¡ª except instead of the numbness it was more of an irritating pull on my muscles. I was sure my kidney was stabbed clean through, and yet I felt nothing strange happening inside. Was my kidney not functioning anymore? I didn''t know, and I didn''t care.


    The second feeling was the realization that hit me of what had happened. Everything from Rina to Leonidas to falling to¡­ Now. This feeling was possibly worse than the pain in my leg. This feeling was not something I was used to. It was uncertainty, doubt, and acceptance. All things that were too distant for me to understand.


    The third feeling was actually quite nice. It was the feeling that woke me in the first place, and the feeling that continued even after all my thoughts had processed. Mooks was alive, wearing a small brown bandage around his torso while simultaneously licking my face and wagging his tail. I didn''t smile, although this was possibly the first time I actually wanted to.


    The fourth feeling was one that wrapped all the others together into itself. It balanced out the pain with a mellow feeling of comfort. The comfort of Mooks, and the comfort of the mattress I was lying on.


    Wait¡­. Mattress? I quickly sprung my body upright to examine my surroundings, but that ''nonexistent'' pain in my kidney shot me right back into the pillow. "Grrgh." I grunted lowly, trying my best not to make any more noise before I figure out where in the world I was.


    Since Mooks had a bandage, and he seemed happier than when he ate Rina''s steak, I relaxed ever so slightly. "Where are we?" I whispered in his ear, glancing around me.


    It seemed as if we were both in some sort of wooden cabin. A cabin with no windows, bearskins on the walls and floor, and a very short ceiling. It wasn''t tall, but if I stood up there wasn''t a doubt in my mind I''d have to duck down a bit.


    "Some weird old guy came and saved us!" Mooks stopped his licking, putting more focus into wagging his tail and jumping atop me.


    "A weird old guy?" I sighed.


    "I forgot his name¡­" Mooks whimpered, "Wait, no I didn''t! He never told me!"


    I sighed again, "Where is he now?"


    "My my." A crusty voice came from the doorway behind me. I couldn''t turn around, so I waited for this ''weird old guy'' to make his presence. To no surprise, this man wasn''t old at all.


    "What a wonderful looking group you two make." The man said with an accent I couldn''t recognize.


    As he approached us, I managed to finally put a face to his voice. He looked as if he was about the age of a newly-born father. His hair was as red as the strawberries I used to eat on my mother''s farm. He was short, precisely as short as the ceiling above us. His face looked as if it''s been through more than just a war, and his eyes were as dark as a freshly ripe plum.


    I slowly attempted to sit upright again, this time taking my precious time to do so. He watched me carefully, laughing to himself. "My my, a warrior you are, I see. Wounded and thrown off a ship, yet you dare to stand back up." His words sounded like a question, but the way he said it with his accent just made it sound as if he was mocking me. Either way, I ignored it.


    I managed to sit upright, "Why did you help us? We were as good as dead last night."


    "Last night?" The man laughed, "You''ve been in bed, two days now if I reckon."


    Two days?! I''ve been in bed for two days? Is my body seriously that weak it can''t handle a couple of stab wounds?


    "When I found you two," The man started, "Your bodies had lost so much blood I barely thought you''d give a pulse." He chuckled, "Yes yes, very lucky to be alive."


    Blood loss. Of course.


    "Mister!" Mooks yelped at him, "Can you give me more fishies, please! I''m very hungry!"


    "My my, you sure seem to be excited, young one¡­ Ohp!" He pounced, "That reminds me." The man reached into his pocket and grabbed some sort of strange glass vial out of it. Inside was an odd-colored blue liquid I''ve never seen before in my life. He tossed it to me and motioned for me to drink it.


    "Name''s Alastor, former general of the King''s first-class line of offense. Headmaster for the department of Gifted soldiers, and of course," He bowed, "Runaway criminal for noncharitable acts towards the King''s Vault of Glass."


    Smiling, the man exited the room, waiting for me to somehow join him.


    I looked over at Mooks, who seemed to be more confused than I was. Apparently Mooks didn''t wake too early before me, so we were both in the same state of being baffled.


    "Vault of Glass¡­" I said out loud, unscrewing the cap on the vial and hesitating to drink it. I hovered it around my nose for a bit ¡ª it smelled like poison and antiacids. I sighed, drinking it while holding my nose shut.


    Surprisingly, nothing happened. Nothing that made my stomach turn, nothing that made me instantly puke, nothing that hurt me more than the pain I was already in. In fact, I felt pretty good.


    I leaped out of bed and jumped in the air. I jumped again, and again, and again. What the hell did this man just make me drink?


    "You feel it too right!" Mooks jumped alongside me. "I drank that blue stuff and I''m floppin'' and whippin'' all over!"


    Although my body felt good as new, I still had too many questions to place my caution aside. I was also naked except for a pair of small shorts, bandages around my arms, stomach, and leg, and a pair of socks that were torn to shreds. After looking around for a second or two, I noticed my cloak hanging on a hook by the door, so I grabbed it and made my way to the other room.


    A small, yet comfy looking kitchen popped into view with Alastor behind one of the wooden countertops. He had a small chimney-like fire pit behind him ¡ª roaring in flames ¡ª and a cauldron of some sort inside it. The cauldron had boiling water with freshly chopped vegetables and pieces of raw fish steaming and humidifying the room like a cloudy fog. My god did it smell delicious.


    I took a seat at a round table beside the fire, patiently waiting for something to happen. Maybe there was a slow-release poison in the vial taking its effect the longer we waited. Maybe this man was about to capture us and take us to the King himself for a reward. Maybe I needed to stop thinking and start talking.


    "So, Alastor was it?" I asked politely. "Having all those titles and being in a hut like this raises a few suspicions, does it not?"


    Alastor walked over to the cauldron, stirring the ingredients with a large wooden spoon. "My my, curious are we. Maybe a man such as myself wants to get away from all the hardships and Live a normal life between the mountains."


    Alastor loosened the fire a bit, taking a large ladle and pouring the stew into a small wooden bowl. He did the same for another bowl, giving both me and Mooks an equal portion. "Eat up. Then we talk."


    I took his words cautiously, but that fresh smell of the stew won me over ¡ª next thing I knew I was sitting with a belly full of nutritious goodness.


    "I''m surprised you haven''t asked us how we ended up the way we were." I grumbled, feeling my stomach as full as a melon.


    "Heh, All of us get tangled up from time to time." He paused, taking a warm sip of his stew. I could hear the carrots and broccoli crushing and popping in his mouth. "That scar on your neck," He pointed with his spoon. "Tells me more than I need to know."


    "You mentioned something about the Gifted? And the Vault of Glass? Explain." I ordered, realizing how rude and demanding I sounded. "Sorry, I''ve had a lot on my mind."


    Alastor chuckled, taking another sip of the stew. "My my¡­ I''m sure you''re quiet familiar with the Gulag yes?"


    I nodded silently.


    "Why do ya think there were kids in such a place?"


    I didn''t have an answer. I could tell by the look in his face he knew I wouldn''t.


    "You kids were being raised. Raised to be soldiers¡­ The fights would divide the strong between the weak. Those who survived, stayed. Stayed until a rightful age to fight on battlefields. You were a lucky fella. If it weren''t for the explosions you''d be as good as dead by now... Or, you''d be on the King''s side.


    That''s right, the explosions. The explosions I still had no answers too. The explosions that saved my life seven years ago.


    "What-" I started, but he cut me off immediately.


    "I don''t know what they were either. To this day, it''s still a mystery in my head."


    I sighed again. Sighing was a habit I''ve recently come to develop the more I talked to people. It was a way for me to express anything that remained in my body in a civil and righteous manner. It soothed me, and it felt good to do so.


    "What about the Vault of Glass?" I asked, waiting for him to finish his next spoonful of stew.


    "My my, what you wanna know about it?"


    "Well ¡ª for starters ¡ª What it is."


    Alastor stayed silent for a moment, and the only sound we could hear was Mooks licking his bowl in a rhythmic manner.


    "The Vault of Glass is the King''s prize collection of¡­ Well¡­ Items of sorts. That''s how I came about that vial you drank. Got plenty more too."


    "Items of sorts? That tells me nothing." I bickered.


    "You ask more than you tell." Alastor smiled, finishing his bowl of stew. He got up, stretched, and walked over to the only window in his tiny house. The window was small and it was dark outside, yet he looked like he was looking at something, or perhaps someone. "My my, the winds sure are howling tonight."


    \t"What was in the vial you gave me," I asked again. "I''ve never seen anything like it."


    \tAlastor walked back to the table. He grabbed Mooks???s empty bowl and gave him an extra cupful of leftovers. "It''s a healing remedy. Good for internal damages, but smells like death."


    \tI couldn''t argue with him there. It did smell like death, maybe even worse than death. "I feel as if there isn''t a single thing wrong with my body. How can such a small amount of liquid work so quickly and so effectively."


    \tAlastor grinned, leaning back in his wooden chair. "The smallest things are the ones that matter the most."


    \tI was pretty irritated by this point, the only thing keeping me staying was my only remaining question. "What is the Vault of Glass?


    Alastor chuckled privately. "My my, you haven''t even told me your name and here you are, bossing me around like a slave."


    "Cairo." I said, "This is Mooks." I gestured to the wolf below the table.


    "Oh don''t worry, your friend filled me in already. I just wanted to hear it from your mouth." He looked towards the window again, smiling even wider. "You want to know about the Vault yes? Perhaps your attention should be focused more on the gentlemen outside."


    Gentlemen outside? So he did see someone. I didn''t know as to feel afraid or startled, all I knew was that the sudden increase in my heartbeat hindered my ability to think properly. It definitely wasn''t fear, and I wasn''t startled. I was tense. I was uncertain of what to expect. That''s what got to me.


    Taking his advice to the back of my mind, I stood up and made my way to the door. After opening the old wooden door and ducking my head underneath it, I stepped onto what seemed like a beach of some sort.


    My feet sank into the white sand below me, and the fresh smell of ocean waves filled my nose once more. It looked like we were still in the ridge, somewhere deep and away from where the ship had passed by. Many sharp and massive rocks remained scattered about, and the waters seemed to be too shallow for any fish to live in.


    However, as I glance around, I noticed something odd in the distance. It was dark, and the moonlight barely gave me any help, but I was certain I was seeing three men walking toward me. Two of which seemed about my height, the third, however, made me itch my eyes to make sure I wasn''t dreaming.


    In my days inside the Gulag, I have seen a fair share of men that towered over me like mountains to a pebble. This man, however, was no ordinary man. He nearly tripled my height, had hands the size of boulders, and eyes that were ready to kill.


    Alastor came out behind me, slapping me on the back. "My my, looks like you got some visitors!"

 15 Cairo - Iron Fis

    By this time of night, the only light I could see was the one inside Alastor''s house. The light reached a fair distance onto the beach, and it showed enough of what I wanted to see.


    As I stood on the porch, wearing nothing but a cloak, my underwear, bandages around my arms, legs, and stomach, and a pair of house socks, I noticed the three gentlemen stop just at the perfect distance so I wouldn''t be able to see their faces. I didn''t really understand it until the biggest man ¡ª the one who tripled my height ¡ª sent the other two towards me.


    I kept my gaze locked onto them, signaling to Alastor he should probably go back inside. "This might get dirty."


    Alastor chuckled, "Don''t be foolish. Watching fights is what I''m best at! Unless of course, you think they''ll come on in and have a cup of tea with us?"


    I ignored him respectfully, fixing my gaze onto the slow arrival of Mooks by my side. Luckily, he brought me a pair of clothes that weren''t mine. I assumed they were Alastor???s, as they took me a solid minute to squeeze into.


    "My my, you must be careful now," Alastor provoked me with a smile. "The remedy I gave you heals your wounds, but it won''t reduce the pain inflicted upon them."


    I nodded, making my way further into the sand until I stood face-to-face with the two men. They wore green matching outfits that tailored to their knees, then a pair of black leather boots below them. Both wore a stern look, and both looked more surprised than I was. I couldn''t blame them though, I looked like shit.


    "You looking for me?" I asked them, not even slightly intimidated.


    One of the men pulled out a piece of paper from their pockets, examing it for a few moments, then putting it away. The man then nodded to his companion, and he drew his sword from the holster around his waste.


    I sighed, "I''m to assume that''s a yes?"


    The man on the left didn''t even hesitate to swing his massively large chunk of iron at me. He held it so uncomfortably I almost wanted to correct him to at least make a valuable effort out of his swordsmanship.


    Instead, I took a single step back and the sword almost swung into the other man.


    "Are you crazy!" The man shouted at him, "What in the hell are you doing?!"


    "Well we''re supposed to kill him ain''t we?"


    "Yes but not like that!"


    "Yeah well how we supposed to do it then?"


    They kept shouting at each other as if they completely forgot I was even there. The large man in the back still hasn''t moved, making me slightly concerned of what his plan was.


    Was he just using these two to bait me? Were these two his babysitters or something? No, perhaps he was using them to focus on me, watching my moves, and learning my weaknesses. Weaknesses I didn''t have.


    The other man drew his sword now ¡ª the only way I was able to tell was the loud sound the blade made against the edges of his holster. Luckily, this man knew how to hold a sword. He also seemed pretty loose on his feet, and his weight was evenly distributed throughout his body. This was a man who knew how to fight.


    However, the first man pushed him out of the way and started aimlessly swinging his sword at me.


    I took step back ¡ª then to the left ¡ª I ducked ¡ª jumped back this time ¡ª then I realized I was just being mean. On the next swing, I leaned back slightly, watching as the weight of the sword seemed to control the man more than he could control the sword.


    I took this opportunity to leap forward and knuckle him to the jaw. His face twisted and he fell without even making a single squeak.


    All I did was knock him out. I just didn''t know how much force to use so I possibly applied too much for him to handle. Either way, his sword fell into the sand, and his partner looked furious. However, he didn''t attack me. Instead, he thought an introduction was necessary.


    The man bowed, "It''s a pleasure to be in combat with you sir! My name is-"


    "Don''t care," I stopped him. "We either fight or you leave."


    His face instantly stirred with anger and frustration. Even his eyebrows seemed to drop so low I thought they were going to fall off any second. A vein popped on his forehead and he grabbed his sword again.


    Immediately, he went for a low swing, hoping to catch me off guard with an unpredictable move. It was actually quite clever, and it would of probably hit me if it weren''t for the sword getting caught by the sand.


    Nevertheless, even though I was able to dodge the swing, I wasn''t able to dodge the sand that came crashing into my eyes with it. The sand caught me by surprise and lowered my guard, so I leaped back and tried to blink furiously until the sand fell off.


    With the constant blackness flashing in my vision, it became hard to predict and avoid this man''s movements. He noticed it too, finally thinking he has an opening.


    The man swung again ¡ª from the left this time. I ducked, but the man switched his grip mid-swing and the tip of the blade came crashing down on me.


    I felt my heart skip a beat as I just barely pulled my body backward, the tip of the blade nicking my hair like a pair of scissors. I grunted as my body came crashing down into the sand, and I realized that was enough glory for the man to walk off satisfied.


    I propped myself back up, shook off the remaining sand in my face, and waited for his next attack.


    "You''re dead!" The man yelled as he came charging at me with his sword in the air like a marathon runner holding a torch. What a foolish mistake. Arrogance and confidence had stolen his pride away. A simple mistake I''ve fallen victim to too many times.


    He plunged his sword from the sky like a bolt of lighting. No aim. No precision. No chances to withdraw.


    I stepped to the side, palmed his hands with my own to make the blade fall out of his grasp, then heel-kicked his diaphragm and sent him rolling and tumbling into the sand. His body twitched a few times as he wheezed and gasped for air. I watched, and he slowly fell into unconsciousness.


    I guess the King was recruiting anyone at this point. These men were soldiers, yet they couldn''t handle a beating for the life of them.


    I sighed, now focusing my gaze onto the hulk-of-a-man in the distance. Alastor clapped and cheered, as did Mooks by his side. "Would you like some help with the last one Cairo!?" Mooks howled at me. I turned my head left and right.


    The man started to approach me, because what else was he supposed to do. Every single fight I''ve been in has always been the same. The so-called ''boss'' would send his underlings or minion to fight in his place. The minion would either get killed, or do enough damage to me and then get killed. The boss would make his introduction, I would sigh, and we would fight.


    It was so cliche, boring, and always ended the same. I''d rather listen to Mooks howl all night long then go through the same process again. This man seemed like the sort who thinks their all tough and unbeatable because of their size. A man who would cry like a baby when pinned against the ground with no choices other than to beg for forgiveness and mercy.


    "Are you bleeding man thrown off ship?" The man called out to me from afar, his voice as stale and low as the back of a cupboard.


    I raised an eyebrow, a tint of confusion in my eyes. "Does my answer matter to you?" I yelled back. "Do you not care for your men?"


    The man looked down at his fallen soldiers. "What men?"


    I was waiting for him to follow that statement with something like, ''These are just children that are in my way.'' Or perhas something like, ''Men who lose are not my men. They are weakling I don''t associate myself with.''


    He, however, remained silent. No dumb-for-nothing speech. No prideful claims about how many fights he''s been victorious in. No extraordinary mentions about his powers. He just stood there, patiently waiting¡­ I liked this man.


    "Well," I started, "If you''re not here to fight then what do you want?"


    The man came out from the distance and reached inside the fallen soldier''s pocket. His fingers were so big he could barely fit them inside the man''s coat. He pulled out the piece of paper, took a few looks at it, then took a few looks at me. He repeated this process about five times or so, finally making his approach towards me. "You are bleeding man from ship." He grumbled, cringing his forehead.


    "I never said I wasn''t."


    The man stopped about six feet away from me, looking down at me surprisingly respectfully. "Your name?" He asked.


    "Cairo. Yours?"


    "Beljuan. Iron fist for King Richard, second."


    I could tell he struggled with words. His throat was so big and packed with muscle it must''ve restricted his speech to a noticeable degree. His head was actually quite small, meaning his brain was too. Not just because of his head being small, rather the amount it needed to work to operate such a creature.


    Beljuan clenched his fist and raised it in the air as if he was holding a one-handed axe. He then plummetted his fist into the sand, sending a massive shock wave that not only reached Alastor''s house, but sent me flying in the air.


    I was nearly twenty feet off the ground before I could even react. I knew this was going to be one hell of a fight.


    The man stretched his hand out to grab me mid-air. I barely managed to plant my feet onto his big-as-bread finger just in time to give myself a solid landing, because if he managed to grab me ¡ª I''d pop faster than a balloon.


    My landing sent a few pieces of sand into my mouth, and I took this time to spit them out and observe my enemy. He was approaching.


    How was I going to win against a man this big? I thought to myself for a moment. I could use my-... No, that''s only for emergencies only. I could faze him, disorient him using his vital points, maybe even muster enough strength to break a bone or two. I could even throw sand in his eyes to land a hit, but no hit from my body would knock this man out. I could of course ¡ª kill him. But that final spot on my arm was for the king, not for one of his loyal servants.


    Beljuan walked over to a sharp rock about the size of a wooden cart sticking out of the ground. After dusting off a circle of sand around the rock, he pulled it out with ease and rested it on his shoulder.


    "Grrr," he grunted, lobbing the rock underhandedly into the night sky above us.


    Looks like this man was smarter than he looked. Not only would I have to keep my attention on the boulder, which I couldn''t see anymore due to the lack of light ¡ª but I''d also have to keep my attention on him. I wasn''t cross-eyes, nor did I have special powers to make me have ten eyes around my head. This was indeed a very strategic play.


    Forthwith, and without hesitation, he began charging at me like a bull seeing red. Nothing but his eyesight and steps guiding his path.


    Two options laid themselves in front of me. I either dodged his attack and only hoped the boulder won''t land on where I stood, or, I face a punch from his meaty fist straight on and only pray it doesn''t hurt as bad as it looked.


    I decided to take my chances with his punch or even a kick if he was feeling generous. Kicks are usually a lot easier to withstand, but I doubt he would give me the privilege. So, I took a deep breath, braced my core, tightened my back, and placed both my forearms in front of my face. "Bring it," I whispered loud enough for him to hear.


    From the tiny crack between my forearms, I could see his fist clench tightly, almost as if they were marking their target. However, I noticed something else unusual ¡ª his fist was shining. Shining in a way I couldn''t quite explain with words alone. It was like a tiny sparkle under the moonlight, glaring into my eyes and making me squint them.


    That''s when I realized why he said ''Iron fist'' after his name. He was a Gifted, one that can turn any part of his body into forged steel. Even his fingernails seemed to tighten and slide across his ever so solid skin.


    As he stepped beside me, he caulked back his fist so fast I didn''t even see it happen. I gulped, seeing his fist traveling towards my body faster than the speed of light.


    Suddenly, I heard a sharp noise ring through my ears like two rocks clashing against each other. That''s because it was exactly that. The boulder he threw traveled so high it landed at the top of the ridge ¡ª it was a trap. A trap I foolishly fell for.


    I, for once in a very long time, had made the wrong decision.