During those 3 years Borst was treated as something less than human, used and abused to the point of breakage. Every part of his body craved for the pain to go away, every part, every orifice, every extremity, everything hurt.
His normally peasantry vocabulary had been altered by constantly being around the mad man he despised this unescapable damnation he was stuck in .He would be fed meals willingly or not via a tube down his nose; he would never starve, he had physicals performed on him everyday to ensure there was no lasting damage, he was be forced to drink water if he didn't comply, there was no escape, and he hurt by the gods did he hurt
"why do I have to suffer? What great offence did I commit to deserve this, this pain, this suffering just make it all GO AWAY!" he strained his voice to scream the last part out.
Then he glowed.
Brighter and brighter then ever before. His power, his Mach had finally awoken, he owned something again this is his, something that no one could ever take away from him.
His body felt invigorated wounds closing and body healing, the pain of fractured bones and ripped finger nails was slowly going away, he felt numb to everything but alive, more alive then he has been for the past 3 years.
It felt... Absolutely wonderful.
As he felt his power surge in his body he felt absolutely perfect, with his newfound power in him he leapt up to the bars upon his cage that allowed moonlight to filter into his room, which didn't help the near constant darkness that surrounded him regardless of it being day or night.
He began to pull.
The bar creaked and bent much like his own bones that wearing creaking under the immense amount of pressure he was putting on them until finally both of them gave way.
Borst didn't even scream. Instead he merely laughed.
"Just you wait you bastard, I'm coming directly for you once you notice I'm free and the broken and malformed bars you'll know ill be coming back for you, and when I do, I will break you over my knee and force you to endure even a modicum of the suffering I have been subject to... Oh I hope you sleep with one eye open Marick, because one day ill be there, fist poised to strike you down, and try to put up a bit of a fight it would be as satisfying if you don't" he proclaimed to world creating his own fate that he would follow through on, a savage and primitive smile painted across he face static as he enjoyed this fear he was about to instil in the pompous prick.
It was delightful.
His broken arm still dangled across his body as he Mach wasn't developed enough to heal these broken bones in seconds he continued to flush his power throughout his body he ran, and ran, and ran, and ,and ran, and ran until his power completely wore out his legs begging to fracture and break but he wouldn't allow them he shall escape and be free!
He flopped to the floor his legs stopped working.
Even then he continued to move, his chin dragging him across the floor he was completely set in his escape he then reached a cliff with nothing for his nothing to grab onto he lay there asleep cold and cold
But he felt alive and that's what mattered.
He was spotted laying atop the cliff by a rather aged sailor, he massive bulk began to make its way up the cliff scaling it rather than going around it. With each foothold and ledge he grabbed he would launch himself up several more feet before arriving at the boys location.
The mans pearly white hair blinding the young boy as he awoke to the sound of a crash as the man landed next to him, the man then hoisted him onto his shoulders, he began to scream and flail his healed but still marginally broken limbs at his would be kid-napper. Until he gave in and sobbed the man hearing this sudden change of attitude sat the boy down and began to talk.
"what the matter lad?" he poised the question with a sort of innocence one would expect when talking to a young child but that only enraged young Borst more.
"Don't talk to me... Your obviously here to take me back right..?" his melancholy voice juxtaposing with his childlike and innocent appearance, his skin a flawless pearly white no signs of aging or injury anywhere on him at least from what Otto could see.
"Lad what kind of nonsense are you spitting? I don't work for no big wig up in their ivory tower, I work for myself by myself and you look like you could be my next project" he stated with a smile.
"Are you going senile old man? Believe it or not I'm done being anyone's project" he spoke with a fierce look on his face, teeth bared for him to see.
"I see in regards to the old comment..."he then forced him onto his knee and began spanking the young boy during thias however he felt the boy go limp and almost like he resigned himself to his fate the hopeless glance in his eyes was heart breaking ."I'm not OLD! IM IN MY EARLY 30'S you cocky little shit" he said it with such comedic anger as he left the boy with a red arse, the depressed glance was gone as he reverted to his much more bratty persona.
"Owww what the hell you old greying geezer" he retorted.
"You wanna try me again brat?" As he spoke an aura of pure rage appeared around him.
"Alright I'm sorry but the white hair did throw me for a loop... As I think it would do anyone" he apologized but not before justifying it and taking a jab at him.
"Well whatever, I'm the craftsman Otto Blade!" He stated to the boy, the reaction was instantaneous eyes widening in shock but he subsequently cooled himself down, and stared at him giving him his complete attention.
"Your from Ausfalle right? Then i only have one request please me take with you to Ausfalle! And teach me i need to get stronger, I need to..." he prostrated himself before Otto displaying himself in such a weak and vulnerable position would bring shame to any man but it was nothing compared to what he had endured for 3 whole, humiliating, tortuous, years.
'This boy has clearly been through a lot' Otto though to himself 'the hopeless glance he had in his eyes is one which no boy should ever have..' And he was a project whatever that could mean, however he knew the kinds of people that existed out there. Otto lost himself in thought for a while before coming to a conclusion
"I shall take there upon one condition!" the young man waited on baited breath "You become my son!" the breath the boy was holding immediately left him and he fell over, out shock or the outlandishness of the request. "you have eyes that no boy should ever possess I'm not going to pry but you'll never make it in the world in the sorry state your in, so you'll be my next project, I'm gonna make you into a man!" he exclaimed.
'This parenting stuff cant be that hard, Malty always makes such a big deal out of it so ill show just how responsible a parent I can be! So i get to show up Malty, save a young man, and become such an awesome ideal of what a man should be they'll be singing my story for ages to come!'
'Wow your so awesome Otto!'
'Thanks I know'
"Old man with that smirk and proposition you just gave me, your sounding a little bit paedophilic.." Otto immediately lost his smirk and flopped onto the floor seemingly dying out of embarrassment ' he.. Called me... The great Otto...' tears comedically streaming down his face.
"... But I've got nothing else to lose so lead the way... Pops?" it wasn't actually a question he was posing, its just the word felt so unfamiliar on his tongue. "by the way my name is Borst" he tacked onto the end.
Otto's mood did a complete 180 as he jumped up onto his feet smile beaming like the brightest sunshine "of course my boy now off to the ship!".
They walked throughout the rather average looking port town but that didn't stop the boys eyes form widening in wonder, the smell and taste of the fresh air felt unfamiliar on his tongue. The townspeople seemed happy going about their daily businesses carefree and without worry to anything that could disrupt this peaceful time.
"now lad could you please tell me what your Mach is?" he proposed the question to the young boy.
"fine Otto it like fixes me? It like makes my body work at beyond its limits like all the time, and repairs me when i get cut and stuff" he replied with.
"sounds like the Mach of a warrior young Borst, and its not dissimilar to my Mach which i have dubbed 'Craftsman'! It allows me to perfect anything i work on and I mean anything, by working out my muscles craftsman had activated and allowed me to raise me physical limit to their absolute maximum, ithi9nk it only works on what I perceive as work and what I think perfection is" He said proud of his amazing ability.
"I gained this ability through the constant expectations people shoveled upon me and now I am, I create and own perfection!"
"That sounds like complete bullshit" the boy said with a deadpan expression on his face.
He then proceeded to get his mouth washed out with soap.
"Now boy following these 7 years I'm going to train you, you desire power yes? Then i shall give it to you but be prepared for absolute hell!" he said a demonic smirk possessing his "perfect" face.
"You cant scare me you old codger! Lets go!" he spoke with such sincere happiness that Otto let the young man smile after all he won't smile when he's through with him.
Back to the present...