Kathel… living in the kingdom of valoria. Age 11. State : poor and job : thief.
Kathel with her other crime partners usually went to markets or any shop of fruits they could find and steal from them.
Totally they were 6, she was the youngest in the group.
Their way of stealing was normal. One distracts the shop owner and the other from behind takes the fruit.
The other way was to throw a gold coin on the ground while the owner was busy picking. They had the time to steal with as many hands as they could.
It wasn't just they steal and eat the fruits but rather they sell them and give free to those who are in need.
Usually people were catching up to their crimes and got aware of them.
Although they were young it didn't mean they could not be stopped even young children were to be punished if they did any crime.
The punishment for such crime was rather to be sold to the soldiers as slaves or the other way was to work underground like the workers.
"Hey, kathel what do you think? Don't you really want to stop stealing?"
Another girl said to Kathel, who was older than her.
Both of the girls were sitting under a small shelter created out of a rough blanket, it was night time and the sky was filled with beautiful stars.
Even the galaxy was somewhat visible since there was no pollution.
Kathel had her hand back on the ground supporting her upper body to be up while the lower body to be straightforward on the ground. She was staring at the stars in the sky.
She replied to her friend,
"you're worrying for nothing, even if they try to catch us we are invisible. We can hide well from them and they will be like where did they go?"
The older girl replied while she also was staring at the sky. "but if we get caught we will be sent underground to work. We don't know how cruel they would be"
Thud…
Kathel moved her upper body down to the ground with her hands under her head as pillow.
"Nah, we can't let ourselves be caught that easily, this world is cruel for people like us if we want to survive we have to take the risk"
"Life is not about thinking that everyone will be kind and will give us shelter and food just because we are poor and have no parents"
The girl lay down on the ground, her eyes were filled with guilt and worries.
She wanted to convince Kathel to not do bad things but what Kathel said was neither wrong.
The situation of that time wasn't that amazing or great.
Prices of food and everything else are skyrocketing. Since Poor are allowed to work underground or do something on their own, no one's gonna help them.
The income even when working underground remains the same no matter how much they work or if the price of food has increased.
Even if other jobs' income increased , theirs remained the same.
Then who does the work for others if Poor's are doing work underground?
Slaves, poor aren't completely slaves but slaves are those who have completely sold themselves to the kingdom.
While both of the girls were talking, kathels eyes were slowly closed down, her voice while talking was getting lowered and then turned off.
The other girl noticed it quickly as she didn't speak further knowing that kathel slept.
She said in her mind.
Will everything be alright for us? I can't get this feeling off me that something big will happen tomorrow.
Next morning…
Their route had started once again. "alright listen Caseous you will distract that owner as usual, since he seems to be a newcomer you can get him easily"
Orion said. Orion was the oldest in the group while the other 5 were younger than him and Caseous was 4th on the list.
While they were discussing their plan.
The girl from the last time who was with kathel came running to them.
"Lumi what's up, why are you sweating so much and scared?" Orion asked.
Pant… pant…
Lumi was taking heavy breaths, but there was something urgent as she tried to speak even when she looked exhausted.
"We need to get out of here quickly!!" pant… "those people are coming to catch us!!"
Orion and the other 4 looked worried, Orion asked "who? Were they after you?"
Thud…
Lumi fell to her knees, her face was getting sweater, it wasn't just that she was tired. Then Orion noticed the blood coming from her leg.
"Caseous grab lumi we are getting out of here immediately, those market guards seems to have fou—"
Woosh… something with alot of speed came from behind.
Stab…
Orion was stabbed on the back from behind. It was an arrow.
Augh!!!...
"D*mmit, they have found us quickly!"
Although he was stabbed, he still stood on his ground as he shouted at his group.
"Get out of here it's not safe if you didn't run you will get killed"
Others were scared and frozen in one place, Orion shouted onces more "are you all deaf?! Run if you don't want to die"
It seems to be quite late for them to run. The soldiers guarded and surrounded them from every place…
Orion looked at the soldier with an anxious look. Sh*t…
One of the soldiers came further, Pow… he punched Orion in the face.
Thud… Orion fell to the ground.
"Take them all, none should be left out."
He looked at Orion. "Your play has ended child, the crimes on you are more than average, it means you have to get your punishment".
"The underground"
The punishment was given to them, and it was ordered that they must spend 4 years working underground.
They were sent to the underground, everyone was surprised when they saw such young children's working.
Their job was to dig and work on the construction of a tunnel.
Time passes by… it was a fix 4 years during those 4 years they had to face many hardships and suffering.
They were getting less food and more work. Even getting beaten by other workers and guards.
The tunnel was completed but the end of it was unknown.
Kathel was now 15 years old.
All 6 of them with some other workers were told to stand next to the start of the tunnel.
One of the guard start, "since you will be given freedom today why not we play a game with you"
What kind of games does this ba*t*rd wants to play now? Kathel said in her mind. She had a serious expression towards the guard.
The guard was sitting on the chair and giving them a smile as he talked.
"All you have to do is show your back and run towards the inside tunnel"
"It's just that simple and you will be given your freedom".
The words of the guard were suspicious not only to Kathel but also to Lumi and Orion.
But others hearing this blindly agree, they were happy about their freedom.
"All we have to do is run and we will be freed!!" Caseous joyfully said.
"Now run"
Everyone turned their backs at the guard and ran.
Tap… tap… tap…
All of them just kept running without knowing that behind them, many men had their bows and arrows ready and aimed at them.
"Release" it was just the command of that guard, the arrows were shot at everyone running.
Woosh…
Stab…
Augh…
A direct hit on lumi's head. Thud… she insisted died while falling to the ground. It wasn't just her but Caseous and some other people fell to the ground dead…
Everyone stopped and with their terrified faces looked at the dead bodies of their friends.
"Lu—lu—lumi?" Kathel said as her eyes were filled with tears. She moved her hand forward which was shaking in fear.
Before she could do anything else another arrow shot in her direction.
The guard's smile widened, giving a devilish smile.
"garbage, do they really think they could get their freedom that easily? They are just products that are used and thrown away"
"They don't deserve to get a life but death in the end, so there's thing for me to be sad about"
Stab…
The arrow which was coming at kathel, Orion came next to her and took the shot in the heart.
Kagh!!!
Kathel was frozen on the spot. She didn't know what to do as she saw Orion fall to the ground.
Thud…
Huh?!...
All of them were dead, except for Kathel.
She stood on the ground not even moving or blinking.
"Just shot her, she should have been the first to die, what a waste"
Huh?!!...
Why isn't anyone shooting their arrows?
The men who were shooting the arrows were standing behind the guards. When he turned his head around to see his men.
He was filled with horror, seeing his men all laying on the ground dead.
Woosh…
He heard someone moving quickly towards the tunnel where kathel was standing.
"I don't understand old man, why are you making me wait for years just to save this girl?" Joseph stated, he seems to be grown a lot but looking still young.
"More than 80 years old man. Maybe 100 can't even remember"
Jack replied, both of them were wearing the armours but reaper jack still had his face covered like usual.
"Sometimes you have to wait for long to get something good"
The guard who looked anxious said in his mind. Who are these two and how did they kill my elite men so easily?
As he finished his saying, Jack's sword came directly at him and stabbed in the forehead.
Insisted death…
"Take the girl we are leaving," Jack said.
Kathel hesitantly asked although the mental state she was in didn't look like she could say something or think.
"Who are you?" her eyes were completely dead… even her emotions on her face.
"I will example that to you later, for now let's leave this rusty place"
And that's how the three loyal dog members started their new journey.