Chapter 0 – The Prologue
Written by Koson.
Author's Note:
Hello, this is my first ever Dark Fantasy novel. I will do my very best to write a compelling and interesting story for you all, I hope you enjoy!
I was born a slave. At first, I didn't really understand why anyone would want to live such a luxury. Being beaten, forced to do unspeakable things and having our humanity taken from us no made sense to me. However, slowly I started to realise that we only have ourselves to blame.
We have nothing to push us into wanting a better a life and we don't stand up for ourselves, so because of this we are exploited by many. Those of upper-class toy with us and those who are even simple townspeople use up what's left of us.
Though, my mother thought differently. No matter how much she was beaten or taken advantage of, she would always have a sense of hope. Whether this hope would lead to miracle I did not know, even despite during her early years of youth giving birth to me, she would call me her "little light".
I heard from those who knew her that when it was found out she was pregnant. She was smiling and started living more carefree ever since, despite still being a slave.
People think she must've been demented from the trauma she had gone through. Still, she is my mother and it's been only the two of us. Since I have no father to look up to, I had to dedicate myself to taking care of her.
Sometimes I do worry a lot about her, as her condition seems to get worse by the day. She would spend most her days looking to the clouds, like she was waiting.
Waiting for an answer.
Fabricated on the eastern side of the continent, Grihall. Lies the city of Khodora. An overcast land with Inhospitable steppes, led by King Noctus. In this city, everything was surrounded by giant walls, caged in with only one exit. Naturally in the eyes of the residents, King Noctus and his family were saints.
They have conquered lands, fought off threats to destroy the world and just recently, helped turn the tide in the ongoing war against the demon king and the Reddawns in hell. Their return would not be soon till the demon king was dead as said by Noctus himself.
With King Noctus and his children leading the charge to establish glory to their country and the world, us slaves would've thought we would have it easier to get away with things while they were away.
Though, there was still quite an unnerving number of soldiers that were left behind. We were tasked with work that was manageable for a few months until, Darius Noctus took over his father's position in his absence.
He is a true punisher of slaves and one of the only family members who had returned from the war early due to injury, a dictator who devours the weak. He had the appearance of a prince charming, his body protected in his Omen Brass knight armour and his sword the Grasscutter hanged by his waist.
"Filthy slaves! Your very existence already stains the air of this glorious city, now you wish to steal what is not yours?" (Darius Noctus)
He stared down at the weary and terrified slaves in his line of sight, as he stood high and mighty. Standing next to him was a woman who is a resident of Khodora, and behind them the Khodora knights, standing at ease surrounding the area so none of us could hide from them.
Some slaves couldn't even hold the courage to look at Darius in the eyes, no one else besides us could see behind that gullible face was a menace proclaiming to be a hero.
"Don't you appreciate the food we already provide? Must we allow our children to steal?" (Darius Noctus)
"Children stealing the products of hard work from an innocent, only tells us all why you must stay as slaves" (Darius Noctus)
"On your feet!" He roared (Darius Noctus)
Immediately, we stood firm in the prince's line of sight in rows next to each other. Ruined, malnourished and covered in dirt. We've been working days on end with only bread and water, stealing apples should be of no surprise to them if they were to receive the same treatment.
"Such miserable faces" (Darius Noctus)
"you can only achieve things in life through your own hard work" (Darius Noctus)
"You should know better" (Darius Noctus)
Even though we were just children, Darius didn't hold back with his lecture and his disgust just from looking at our lifeless expressions. He signals some knights to stand by his side with their swords drawn.
"Tell me who the thief is, and you and your families will be set free" (Darius Noctus)
Just hearing the word "free" instantly triggered the slaves into cooperating, they all pointed their fingers directly to the boy in the middle of the line. That boy was me.
With no hesitation, they all constantly barked that I was the culprit, swarming all around me. They were all rushing to be the first to claim my head and be rewarded.
"It was him!"
"He did it!"
I wasn't surprised the other kids would turn against me. They despised everything about me, since I was the only one doing most of the work making it look effortlessly, while they were deemed as shiftless and were punished with beatings and more demanding tasks.
They're just another bunch who feel they are entitled to do less than others if they don't have to the work. Even at the lowest point in life, we must fight for our gain if it means to burn the candle at both ends.
"You, search him" (Darius Noctus)
As ordered, one of the knights approached me and knelt down in front of me then began rummaging through my pockets as he was patting me down. While searching me from top to bottom, the knight happily grinned a creepy smile at me as his rough hands slowly slithered down my thigh.
When he was done, he hid his sinister smile away from the prying eyes and acted as if nothing had happened.
"Nothing found, my lord" (Khodora guard)
This caused an uproar amongst the children around me. They protested and persisted that I was the culprit, their cries for my head and roars only infuriated Darius. His growing frustration translated he was getting tired of this situation and rather be elsewhere than dealing with petty thievery.
"Enough! You, child" (Darius Noctus)
The prince looked in my direction and pointed his finger to me. At first, I thought he believed the children, but he didn't have an aggressive tone like he did towards the others. I didn't know what to anticipate what would happen next.
"Yes, my lord?" (Nuri Rona)
"They seem to hate your guts, so why don't you return the favour?" (Darius Noctus)
"You tell me who the thief is" (Darius Noctus)
His smiling had a worrying friendly demeanour, all I felt at that moment was as if I was speaking to the demon king himself. I assumed this was his way of playing mind games when it comes to interrogating someone. But I have no reason to let myself fall for this act of kindness to those I see as scum.
"They did it" (Nuri Rona)
In the direction I pointed, it was to the children who make part of my life difficult for me. I hate to use the word bullying but I can't concentrate on trying to get me, mum and Adralla out of this place if I'm constantly interrupted by fools.
"What? You little shit!" (Ronny)
Before they could make any approach towards me, the guards surrounded them with swords and caged them in place.
"If you send your men to check under the floorboards of the huts" (Nuri Rona)
"You will see they keep all of her apples in there" (Nuri Rona)
"You bastard, you'll pay for this!" (Zack)
"Silence!" (Darius Noctus)
"Men go" He ordered (Darius Noctus)
A group of the knights searched each of our huts, kicking out any slaves that were residing inside while there.
"Oh Nuri-darling" (Maeve Lightningtail)
As everyone watched the knights' riot through the slave huts, the one person among the children who give me trouble and I despise the most comes from behind me and wraps her arms around me.
"What do you want?" (Nuri Rona)
"Don't tell me you're upset about the day before" (Maeve Lightningtail)
"We're truly sorry, aren't we friends?" (Maeve Lightningtail)
She controls the influence of everyone within the slave camp, her charm and sadistic personality lets her take up the role as queen of the pariahs. All the boys will do anything to receive her gazes, if it meant destroying the livelihoods of their own and others.
"So just tell his highness you lied and I promise I'll actually let you touch it this time" She whispered (Maeve Lightningtail)
"Hehe, I wouldn't want an animal whoring itself to me now, would I?" (Nuri Rona)
"Tch!" (Maeve Lightning)
"Hey" (Darius Noctus)
"Get off of him" (Darius Noctus)
"Y-Yes, my lord" (Maeve Lightningtail)
She finally pulled away from me, purposely bumping into me before going back to where she came from.
"Hehe, that one will definitely grow up to be someone's dog" (Darius Noctus)
"Agreed" (Nuri Rona)
"Hmph" (Darius Noctus)
"My lord!" He shouted (Khodora Knight)
The knights had returned from the huts with not only just the stolen apples, but along with packed gold & silver pouches. Darius's displeasure had reached its level, he looked to the guilty party with such a distain expression.
"That's not ours!" (Benny)
"My lord, please believe us!" (Zack)
"Quiet!" (Darius Noctus)
"Men, give the lady the stolen money as compensation" (Darius Noctus)
"Thank you, my lord" (Khodora Merchant)
He was in no mood to acknowledge her gratitude and confronted the guilty children. He grabbed one of them by the head and slammed their face into the concrete ground, before stomping on them repeatedly till a pool of blood was formed.
"Insolent worms!" (Darius Noctus)
"You slaves will never learn, will you?!" (Darius Noctus)
"How long will you dwell in this state? Till someone answers your prayers?!" (Darius Noctus)
"Uh, my lord" (Khodora Knight)
"You must climb up from the pits of hell, if you even want to think about gracing the heavens" (Darius Noctus)
"My lord" (Khodora Knight)
"Do you hear me?!" (Darius Noctus)
"My lord!" He shouted (Khodora Knight)
Finally, Darius had stopped. He took a moment to catch his breath, the child's face was brutally caved in. I can't even imagine if he was still alive after all of that.
*panting* "All right then" (Darius Noctus)
"Leave the apples on the ground for the slaves to feed off" (Darius Noctus)
"Then take the children to the dungeons and have them ready for tonight" (Darius Noctus)
Everyone was still shocked by the prince's sudden outburst. Though, I doubt it was for the care for the life of a slave. Darius is usually known for being calm and collected out of the 5 children within the Noctus family.
To suddenly see him lose himself in anger like this was quite unnatural. The knights followed their orders at once before Darius could grant them the same fate as he did to that child.
"Spare us please!" (Ben)
The knights escorted the unharmed children away forcefully, while one dragged the disfigured child by the leg. Heading in the direction of Khodora castle, leaving behind the apples on the ground to be dirtied up and inedible as instructed.
Wrestling, shouting and crying was all they could do before they met their final end. Being beaten and bruised up all along the way was all but a blessing compared to whatever they witness during the night.
The residents in the streets mocked them and chanted "Deceivers of Khodora" as they walked past. Before taking his leave, Darius turned his attention back to me once more, despite still showing that sense of displeasure from before.
"Don't think you've done something good here boy, this will come back to haunt you" (Darius Noctus)
"Every sin carries its own punishment" (Darius Noctus)
"I know, my lord" (Nuri Rona)
"Hmph, save that for when you actually face it" (Darius Noctus)
He then joined up with his men. The rest of the slaves who were watching from afar rushed over to the apples resting on the ground and like a pack of hungry pigs. They swarmed and fought one another just to get a piece of whatever they could feast on.
From what the prince said, I tried not to think much on it since in the end I still managed to avoid tragedy and technically saving the rest of us from being executed one by one.
"Nuriiiii!"
As everything had pretty much been settled, I heard the voice of someone familiar calling out to me attracting my attention.
"Adralla?" (Nuri Rona)
Adralla one of the only people I care about in this city was running towards me in a hurry.
"W-What did you do?!" (Adralla Faebalar)
"What?" (Nuri Rona)
"Maeve said you lied to prince and got her friends in trouble" (Adralla Faebalar)
"Adralla, you should know not to lend your ears to her words" (Nuri Rona)
"And I didn't technically lie, she ordered people to steal for her and I simply told the truth" (Nuri Rona)
"But you only picked the ones that gave you a hard time and not the true culprits" (Adralla Faebalar)
"Please, don't let your hatred control you" (Adralla Faebalar)
"I don't want you to end up like my brother" (Adralla Faebalar)
"I thought I told you to forget about the past?" (Nuri Rona)
"Then promise me, you will do what is right no matter how hard it gets" (Adralla Faebalar)
"Seriously?" (Nuri Rona)
"Promise me!" She pleaded (Adralla Faebalar)
"Ok, I promise" (Nuri Rona)
"Good!" (Adralla Faebalar)
Sometimes I will never understand her. The positive energy she brings is something I envy of having, but I know if I keep pushing on till the end.
I will achieve many things and I'll make sure to have the people I care about with me in every step of the way.
THE END
Written by Koson
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