The cold and damp prison cell was filled with the sound of a lone voice, hurling insults and threats at anyone who dared to come close.
Norman sat in his cell, a collar tightly around his neck. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself at the situation he found himself in. "You fatty bastard, you better get rid of this collar or else when I get my opportunity, your only purpose will be to support me as cannon fodder," he taunted, unable to contain his laughter.
As he ranted and raved, the guards outside his cell exchanged worried glances. They had never seen someone act like this before."Ignore him," one said to the other. "He'll calm down soon enough."
"Calm down? You said he's doing this for entire day. I can't even sleep peacefully. Is he mentally retarded?" the other guard replied.
"I don't know. He was quiet like the others when he was brought in, but suddenly he started rampaging. Maybe the thought of being a slave was too much for him," the first guard said, trying to make sense of the situation.
"That might be true. Judging from his features, he does look like he came from a wealthy family," the second guard observed.
both guards stopped talking abruptly and bowed their heads towards the corridor.
Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the corridor, and the guards around other cell snapped to attention. A fat man in rich clothing waddled down the hallway, followed closely by a retinue of armed guards. Everyone in the prison knew who this man was - he was the owner of the slave trade, the one who held the power of life and death over all those who were unfortunate enough to fall into his clutches.
The fat man stopped at a certain cell and asked the guard next to him to open it. As the guard opened the cell, the fat man entered and stopped near Norman, who was clearly different from the other slaves. The fat man gestured for a chair, and the guard quickly brought one in for him to sit on.
The fat man looked Norman up and down, taking note of his black hair and pale skin, and his good body shape. "What's your name?" he asked. "I heard you've been causing trouble among my men."
Norman's laughter subsided as he glared at the fat man. "You fat toad, you better shut your trap and let me out, otherwise-"
"I will regret it? Is that what you were going to say?" the fat man interrupted. "Most young men like you are hot-headed.
They don't understand their situation and think everything is within their grasp. But let me tell you one thing, whether I will regret it or not, I don't care. When I opened this business, I prepared for death. Regret is a small thing.
You better think about yourself since you are nothing more than a slave. Your opinion will only be counted as a dog barking. Now, where were we again? Ah, yes, your name. But now it doesn't matter. You better explain why you were disturbing my men."
Norman stopped his tirade and glared at the man. "Why should I tell you? You don't deserve to know."
The fat man chuckled. "You're a feisty one, aren't you? That's good. I like my slaves to have some spirit. But let me warn you - that spirit will be broken soon enough."
Norman snorted. "I doubt it."
The fat man's face hardened. "You doubt it? You doubt my power? You doubt the fact that I hold your life in my hands?"
Norman stood up and stepped closer to the cell bars. "I doubt that you can break me. I doubt that you can make me submit to your will. I am not like the other slaves you own - I am a free man, and I will not be treated like an animal."
The fat man's eyes narrowed. "You are nothing but a dog, barking at the wind. You think you have power? You have nothing. You are less than nothing. You are a piece of property, and you will do as you are told."
Norman laughed bitterly. "Is that so? Then why did you bother coming here? Why did you bother asking me my name? You don't care about me. You only care about what I can do for you."
The fat man's face twisted into a snarl. "You dare to question me? You dare to speak to me in such a manner?"
Norman smirked. "I dare to do a lot of things. I dare to stand up to you. I dare to defy you. And I dare to make you regret ever laying eyes on me."
The fat man's anger boiled over. "You insolent little worm! You will pay for your impudence!" He turned to his guards. "Take him to the punishment chamber. Give him a taste of what's to come."
The guards opened the cell door and rushed in, grabbing Norman roughly and dragging him out. Norman didn't resist - he knew he had no chance against so many armed men. But he didn't care. He had already made his point. He had shown the fat man that he was not afraid, that he would not cower before him like so many others.
As he was led down the dark hallway, Norman felt a sense of calm wash over him. He knew what was waiting for him in the punishment chamber - a room filled with instruments of torture and pain. But he didn't fear it
Norman grinned mischievously at the fat man. "You want to know the reason why I was disturbing your men, huh? Do you want to know why?" he asked, drawing the fat man in closer. The guards tightened their grip on their weapons, ready to attack at any suspicious behavior.
Norman took his time to answer, enjoying the suspense he was creating. "I wanted to piss you off. Hahaha!" he burst out laughing, unable to contain himself.
The fat man stood up from his seat, his face a mix of annoyance and amusement. He instructed the guards to leave Norman's face unscathed, and then left the cell.
"That was worth it," he thought to himself. "At least I got a good laugh out of it."