Chereads / The Flame of Phonix / Chapter 18 - 18.

Chapter 18 - 18.

When I was thinking of my luck, General Martin was looking at the briefcase. He got the report from his subordinates some time ago. He never saw something like that nor he could decide what to do. After a long time, he decided to report this to the Emperor Henry. He couldn't erase the idea of this whole thing as a plan of enemy specially when danger is lurking around this empire. He took this and decided to meet the emperor. It's forbidden to meet him after evening. But he felt it was something very important.

When he reached the palace it was night. As the chief general he has the right to enter palace any time. But even he can't meet the emperor at night because this time he enjoys 'Hunting'. It's a game invented by him to make him feel strong, powerful. General Martin never supported it, in fact he hates this game. Although he has been killing all his life, he hates this unnecessary ,merciless bloodbath. He tried to talk some sense into him but he never heard. Every week a black haired girl will be brought here to satisfy his lust. After that she will be killed. General once saw a girl that was brought here. That fear, that wish to live in her eyes was unforgettable. From then he never entered this palace in this night. Because that girl kept hunting him in his dream for a long time. Black haired are born slave but he still cann't figure out why he cann't feel like others.Deep inside his heart he feel bad for them, he feel they are wronged. "Only if he was alive. Arthur, you died but left your thinking in me. Anyway, what's the point of thinking that now?"

When he reached emperor's room ,the royal butler stopped him. "You cann't enter ,General."

"I know .Inform him , it's important."

After that he went to royal study to wait for emperor. After a long time,the emperor appeard completely soaked in blood. General felt nauseaous. He bowed to him.

"Why did you come here this late. You spoiled my entertainment.You better say something important ."

"Your majesty, I do have something important."

He told everything in details also expressed his doubts. The emperor heard everything and said,"So she claimes it to bring prosperity, right?"

"Yes, your majesty. But I don't believe in her."

"Have you killed her?"

"No, they sent her to the weapon factory."

"What are you doing here without killing her? I don't want any threat in my country."

"But your majesty..."

" You are too soft like that bastard. I think you forgot about your vows.Don't forget that.."

"I understood your majesty. I will take my leave. Good night."

He got out of the palace . He entered his carrige. The carrige started to move. He looked outside. A faint crying was heard from afar. He looked at the sky. Only in sky he can find refugee from this suffocating environment.

"Arthur, after your death everything changed. This country has become a plaything to that emperor. He only thinks for himself. He cares for nothing, no one. Arthur, I promised to protect you, promised to fight with you promised to serve you. We planned so many things for this country. But I have to see this destruction everyday. It hurts a lot. Still I can do nothing. If only theres a way to solve this mess...."

He often talkes with his best friend through the sky. Thats the way to relief his pains.

"General ,we have reached."

General got down of the carrige . He walked towards his mansion." Tommorow I will visit the factory and kill her." He said to himself. But he didn't have any idea that he will never be able to do this.

The butler welcomed him. There is not much people in this house. A big house with more than twenty rooms is served by only seven people.

"Would you like to have dinner now?"

"I won't have dinner tonight."

He entered his room. He started to change his clothes. This night he will have to get drunk to sleep. Who knows how many nights he will have nightmare this time. He again asked himself," Is there really no way to get out of this problem?" He sighed and started drinking looking at the sky.

"What's wrong with you?Are you feeling bad?"

One hundread thirty waved her hand in front of me.

"Ah, no.I am fine.I feel thirsty. Can you get me something to drink?"

"Ok. I will go and fetch some water."

One hundread thirty went to fetch water for me. I looked at my feet. I was really scared. I could not erase the image of me being thrown in the furnace alive.

"Here is your water."

"Thank you."

" It will be dinner time soon. Then you will get something to eat."

I drank the water. After drinking that, I felt better. So it's time to inquire about this place.

"One hundread thirty, What do you know about this place?"

"It's the weapon factory of the empire. We make weapon for soldiers of the empire here."

"What is the name of this empire?"

"Sun empire."

"What a grand name for this bullshit place. Do you know why they were saying A black haired can only be a slave?"

"I don't know much. but I heard from others that..."

At that time the door opened. Everyone rushed there. One hundread thirty also ran there. After some time she returned with a bread. "Why didn't you go there?"

I showed her my legs." I cann't."

She divided her bread into two and gave me one.

I rembered she said that she had always been hungry.

"No, I am not hungry. You eat this. I will be fine till morning. Then I will get something with my own feet."

She didn't listen to me and again told me to take that. I couldn't refuse anymore. I took that.

"What were you saying before about black haired people being slave?"

"That's I don't know. I only know that's because of a curse. Here only teen to young peoples are being kept. Older peoples are somewhere else. I heared it from a grandma accidentally. The soldiers took her away right after that. I couldn't hear much."

"It's because of curse? What type of curse do you think? Like they spread disease ?"

I was remembered of the negro being enslaved because of their skin color. Back then many people thought that they spread disease.

"No, nothing sort of that. Only some of the old people knows the truth now. They cann't say because they have to think for others. Soldiers threat them to kill their sons daughter everyday.So they don't say a word ."

I understood it. " Do you know when this trend of black haired slave started?"

"No."

""Then tell me why you don't have a name . One hundread thirty cann't be a human's name."

"Who told you that we are human? We are not human. At least they don't treat us like one. No one here knows anything about their parents. Every year they take three hundread man and women . They force them to have intimate relation.Why? Because they need new slave. But they have to limit the birth. So only three hundread babies are allowed to be given birth . Not one less, not one more. If there is extra they send them to nobles. Nobles kill them and feed them to their pet lion or tiger or dog. Baby meat is very delicious food for those pet.Womens are sometime sent to the nobles for fun. Moreover the emperor rapes and kills one or two black haired women every week. It gives him the feel of power. Men are forced to work untill they die. Once there was shortage of coal. So ,to rise the temperature of furnace they threw useless men and women there.The value of our life is lesser than some sowrd . You must be wondering how I know all of those, right? Those soldiers out there told us everything in detail so that we become frightened. Every week they send us the body of that women emperor killed. Sometimes with head ,sometimes without. They hang her body up there for us to see. It stays there for a whole day. Then they feed it to their dog. Those dogs eat ... Everyday is a nightmare here .Anytime you can get killed..."

She couldn't tell more. I was sitting like a stone,

trying to fathom the depth of the horror.It was horrible than any other horror movie I had seen. One hundread thirty was crying helplessly. I was just thinking " If there is human in this empire, it can only be found here." Tears came down my cheek as I thought about the torture. "How can a empire bring up only monsteres? Is there even a single human out there?"

That time I had no idea that there was one and that very one will become a very important person in my life.