" The mighty dragon was slayed by the dragon slayer. And finally the people were free.
" Wow! Such a great story, Musan." A man praised.
" Thank you, thank you" Musan says, as he made a slight bow. Everyone in the ship praised him. Musan was indeed a good story teller. He has been entertaining everyone in the ship, since they set sail. He told them different interesting stories. Mashgad sat at a corner in the ship. He had been listening to Musan's story. His eyes were emotionless, he looked really indifferent at the moment.
" Hi, my name is Patmos. What's your name?" A boy about his age asked.
Tilting his head to the side, he saw a boy smiling. His smile were innocent like that of a baby. Mashgad looked at him and turned away almost immediately. He was not in the mood to chat with anyone. The thought of his mother and Diana, his friend, played constantly in his head. He missed them dearly.
" I'm from Pehu, the capital city of the eastern kingdom. Where are you from?" He asked still smiling. But Mashgad didn't answer his question, instead he stared at the sea blankly.
" Are you hungry? My father packed some fruits for me. Do you want some?" He asked, offering him an apple.
" I'm not hungry." He replied indifferently.
" But..."
" Leave me alone!" He yelled, gaining everyone's attention in the ship. Patmos was frightened, he stood up in haste, walking away from where Mashgad was.
" I see someone is aggressive. What is your name boy?" Musan asked, but Mashgad didn't answer. " I know it is hard leaving your family to a place you don't know. I can relate, because I've been there." He placed a hand on his chest, while he said the last sentence.
" My name is Mashgad, I'm from nowhere." Mashgad replied in a firm voice. Hearing his reply, Musan giggled. He was not surprised at all, he was just like Mashgad when he was a boy.
Musan was a slave in Meelan, he was separated from his family when he was ten. At the age of ten, his Master sold him to a slave Master in Topaz. He was placed on a ship like this to Topaz. He went through hell there. He was set free after twenty years. Ever since then, he traveled from one place to another, telling stories.
" How old are you, Mashgad?"
" Ten."
" You know Mashgad, when I was your age, I was separated from my family as well. It felt like the end of the world. But do you know what kept me going?" Mashgad looked at him with uncertainty, but he didn't say a word.
" Hope! Hope that I would be free one day and go back to my family. I endured the pain, I fought to stay alive, because I had faith that I will be reunited with my love once one day. But sadly, after twenty years, I was free, but when I returned home, my family had been sold to a far away land I didn't know of. I tried to look for them, but I couldn't find them." He paused for a while, before he continued. His eyes were wet with tears.
" They believe that been black was a curse, they treated us like animals, they made us do their hard work. Our lives to them was like that of a chicken. They believe they own us. But they're wrong. Being a black is not a curse, it is a gift, a gift that this world didn't deserve. Don't let them tell you who you are, the only one who can define you, is yourself." He walked closer to Mashgad. He placed his hands on Mashgad's shoulders.
" Look at the water, son. who do you see. A black who is a slave?, or a black who could make a difference? Don't let them define you because of your skin color. We're blacks and we should be proud of it." Mashgad stared at his reflection on the water. Tear rolled down his cheeks. He was touched by Musan's words.
" We have reach shore, get ready to aboard the ship." A voice spoke, bring him out of his thoughts. He wiped his face with both hands.
" Thank you." Mashgad muttered, before he aboard the ship. From a close distance, Musan spoked.
" Here we're my friend. Welcome to Topaz, the land of skull. I guess we say our good byes here. See you soon, Milord!" He made a slight bow. Mashgad gave him a surprised look. Why did he refer to him as Milord. Seeing the expression on Mashgad's face, Musan laughed out. This man in front of him was really strange.