"Hold it!"
Someone called from behind me. I knew the voice but my mind was waning from the pain. I have to try and focus.
"WHO DARES?!"
"Am I not good enough to ask his highness to wait?"
It's Mr. Alder, I'm sure of it. What is he doing here? Why is he talking to the king like that?
"Oh, it's you, Terrance. What can I do for you?"
I'd never heard the king talk so freely with anyone. Hold up… Dude's name is Terrance? Puuuuhahhahahah!! No wonder he wants everyone to call him Mr. Alde- wait… Terrance Alder? THE LEADER OF THE PAST KINGS CHILD ASSASSINS?!
"I want the boy to be my slave. Can the king grant this old man this simple request?"
"...why this boy?"
"The boy is strong. I plan to venture into the ravenous forest and I need an aide."
Is he trying to save me or claim me? This f***er just wants a labor slave. Should've known nobody named tErRaNcE is a good guy.
"...fine. I will grant you this boy as your slave"
"Thank you your hi-"
"HOWEVER, he will be brought back here every night to be whipped till the morning for my entertainment. Is that clear?"
This ugly bastard. If I slathered you with gravy and threw you in the woods even the wolves still wouldn't want you.
"Will that be a problem… Terry?"
The guards began exuding an aura that was almost suffocating. The king started to stand up.
"... No your majesty, I will abide by your arrangement… HOWEVER"
Mr. Alder let an aura even more terrifying than all the guards combined. He flung the king back into his throne and the guards fell to their knees. If not for the chains binding my body, I surely would've been thrown into the wall.
"Please remember to keep your dogs on a tight leash. Stray that bite will always be put down."
"I-I w-will keep that in mind, Mr. Alder."
"Come on slave. We have work to do."
The guards came and undid the chains. Doesn't this mean I gotta get beat every day? So much savior and did he just call me slave like it was my name?
After not too long of a walk, we finally made it to the edge of the forest. My entire body feels like sh*t and I haven't slept yet. I wonder what he's gonna make me do… He's not the type that likes to watch little go to the bathro-
"Take this"
He suddenly reached out and handed me a small green pill. It wasn't wrapped or anything. He just pulled this lint covered ball out of his pocket and told me to take it. Bro if you think you're about to roofie me and I'm just gonna let you then you got another thing coming. I will call all the monsters in the forest here and we'll go out togeth-
"It's a body nourishing supplement that we in the assassin corps use to avoid sle-"
Before he could finish, I snatched it out of his hand and gulped it down greedily. Did he say the pill the assassin corps use?! You lying son of a-... My dad was the top knight so he knew about these pills. They don't just help you go without sleep, they enhance your body and your ki circulation. Tch. "Body nourishing supplement" my ass.
"Now circulate your ki for an hour and then we'll continue"
What does it look like I'm doing? Shut up and let me do me.
After an hour I felt far stronger than before. The open wounds from the whip had closed and my body seemed lighter.
"What now? Do I need to fight monsters?"
"You? Fight monsters? You mean ones in this forest?! YOU??!!! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!"
"Yeah, why not?"
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAH"
"OKAY I GET IT I'M NOT READY"
"Not even close. But I plan to make you ready. Follow me."
What does that mean? Suddenly, he took off into the trees. He was way too quick to keep up with but I'm not a quitter. I took a step preparing to jump into the trees but as I got close to the branch, it seemed like my body got a bit heavier. Was it just my imagination? I grabbed the branch and pulled myself up.
As I lept to the next branch my suspicions were confirmed. I feel and slammed on my face. I guess the gravity gets heavier the further in you go.
"Be careful. The gravity gets heavier the further in you go."
"Well no sh*t sherlock."
Mr. Alder had reappeared for a split second and then quickly vanished deeper into the forest. That guy is a monster and I didn't even know. Whatever. I need to focus on getting through this. If I can't jump in the trees then I'll just have to run after him.
"If you can't jump in the trees then just run aft-"
"Look f*cker, if you can't give me advice before I figure it out then just SHUT YOUR ASS UP!!"
Once again that bastard just disappeared back into the forest. Even though I'm just jogging casually, every step I take is becoming more and more excruciating. I just passed two weird plants. They look different from the other greenery here. Whatever. Who cares about that? I've started to make footprints in the dry dirt.
It's been an hour and I can no longer even crawl. Just as I stopped, Mr. Alder appeared out of nowhere and sat down next to my limp body.
"You're a tough Lil bastard. Even better than your father and I were young."
"You- you knew my dad?"
"Knew him? Ha! Of course not. I only knew my brother."
"What do you mean?"
"I was never able to be around after he had kids. I never got to meet you until he was gone. But yeah… Leon was my brother… I guess you could say I'm your uncle. Nice to meet you kid."
My… Uncle? He's the captain of the FREAKIN ASSASSINS?! Wait… Dad always said my uncle was an asshole and Mr. Alder is-... Meh, I guess he could be my uncle after all.
"Nice to meet you unc."
"...Is that it? No questions? You don't wanna ask why I didn't save your parents or anything…?"
I hated the world for a long time. But I remember when grandpa died. I cursed dad and said he didn't care and he didn't even try to save grandpa when he didn't cry at the funeral. Later that same night, after my dad thought I was asleep, I heard him outside screaming into the dirt and slamming his head against the concrete. When I went into the living room and was about to go outside to comfort him, I saw my mom at the window looking at him with tears in her eyes. I still remember what she told me that night.
"Go back to bed honey. There's nothing we can do to numb the pain he's feeling right now. Just greet him with a smile in the morning and let him know that you love him. Your father is strong… but right now… we are the only thing that''s holding that man up."
"...no. I don't have any questions. Thanks for saving me, Uncle T."
Suddenly, Uncle T slammed his head into the ground with tears in his eyes
"I'M SORRY!! I WAS AN UNFILLIAL SON WHEN MY FATHER DIED! I WASN'T EVEN AWARE!! I WAS AN UNFILLIAL BROTHER WHEN MY BROTHER WAS MURDERED!! I WASN'T EVEN TOLD!! AND FINALLY, I WAS AN UNFILLIAL UNCLE WHEN MY NEPHEW WAS STRUGGLING SUFFERING AND IN PAIN!!! I WASN'T EVEN HERE!!! I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOUR SIDE AGAIN!!!!!"
Blood gushed from his head from the impact of his head hitting the ground. A tear dripped from my eye as I placed my hand on his shoulder.
"... You're forgiven. Don't carry this burden any longer. Uncle T… Welcome to my family."
Uncle T raised his head and we both sobbed for close to an hour.
"Now you have a choice to make… we can run and leave this place behind and start a new life elsewhere. Or… we can stay and take revenge and overturn not only this small country but eventually this continent or even this entire world. However, if we stay, you'll have to go through unimaginable torture every day. I'll let you decide."
Is that even a question?
"I don't think I could sleep at night if I don't take that fat bastard's life before diabetes does."
"HAHAHAHA That's the spirit! Then let's get straight into it."