Realization hit Kaleb like a punch to the gut. They had planned this from the start... This wasn't just a test of strength or skill; it was a setup. He wasn't meant to walk away from this fight. From
Realization hit Kaleb like a punch to the gut. They had planned this from the start... This wasn't just a test of strength or skill; it was a setup. He wasn't meant to walk away from this fight. From outside the ring, Kaleb heard the voices of Rayna, Atara, and Eliora, their protests growing louder as they demanded that the fight be stopped.
"This isn't right!" Rayna yelled, her voice shaking with fear.
"He's going to kill him!"
"Stop the fight!" Atara added, her voice frantic.
But their cries fell on deaf ears. The crowd was dead silent, the guards indifferent, and the commander, William, stood by with a satisfied smirk, watching as Kaleb was pushed to the brink.
Kaleb's heart raced and panic started to creep in as he realized just how alone he was. 'They want me dead,' he thought, gritting his teeth.
The weight of the situation settled heavily in his chest, but he pushed it aside, focusing on the fight. He couldn't afford to lose, not here, not like this. A particularly vicious swing knocked him to the ground, and Derrek loomed over him, ready to deliver the final blow.
"Guess this is as far as you go, slave!"
Kaleb's mind raced, and in that moment, as Derrek's blade hurtled towards him, a surge of energy welled up from deep inside him, the mana within him roaring to life like never before. But something was different this time. The mana didn't just come forth, it flared uncontrollably. And it shimmered gold, brighter and stronger than anything he had ever experienced.
Kaleb rose to his feet, his mana swirling around him in a golden aura. He could feel it, the power he had sought to bring forth was now at his fingertips. William stood dumbfounded.
"How is a slave using mana?" he exclaimed.
Derrek's eyes widened in disbelief, but before he could react, Kaleb was already upon him. With newfound speed and strength, Kaleb launched his counterattack. Every strike was heavy, cutting through Derrek's defenses like a hot knife through butter.
Derrek began to falter, his sword wavering as Kaleb pressed forward. A swift strike knocked the wind out of him, and with a final, calculated blow, Kaleb sent him crashing through the ground, unconscious.
The crowd fell silent, stunned by the sudden turn of events. Kaleb stood victorious, panting heavily, as the mana surrounding him faded. But before he could savor his triumph, a sharp, unbearable pain ripped through his body.
'That wasn't easy.' He thought 'If I hadn't figured out how to use mana I would've….'
"Argh!" Kaleb screamed, clutching his chest as he fell to his knees, writhing in pain, and collapsed to the ground.
'The mana! It won't stop!'
He screamed at the top of his lungs as he writhed in pain.
'It's too much! I can't control it!'
His vision blurred as the pain became too much, and the last thing he heard was the sound of the girls calling his name before everything went dark.
***
Kaleb slowly opened his eyes, the familiar dim light of the shed filling his vision. His body ached, as he sat up, noticing the three girls, Rayna, Atara, and Eliora all huddled around him, fast asleep.
'What the hell! What happened to me?'
The subtle rustling of blankets woke the girls, and their eyes snapped open one by one, filled with relief at the sight of him being awake.
"You're finally awake!" Rayna exclaimed, her voice trembling with a mix of joy and worry.
"How long was I out?"
She "Kaleb, it's been two days." She said, reaching for his arm.
"Two days?" he asked, his voice hoarse as he wiped his face.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke.
"We thought... we didn't know when you'd wake up."
Atara let out a sigh of relief, rubbing her eyes as she tried to hide her tears.
"You scared us, idiot. Don't do that again," she muttered, though her tone betrayed her overwhelming relief.
"I didn't mean to worry you guys... I'm sorry."
Feeling the tension floating in the room, he felt a pang of guilt.
"I'm sorry," he repeated, softer this time, his chest tightening at the sight of their saddened expressions. He leaned in to embrace them when Atara winced, rubbing her back, clearly uncomfortable.
"What's wrong? Did those guys do anything to you while I was unconscious?"
"Well, We skipped two days of work just to watch over you, and Laura wasn't exactly happy abut it"
"So?"
"So, she decided that ten strikes of the whip each was an appropriate punishment."
His eyes widened in disbelief and the disbelief slowly turned into a simmering fury. His gaze hardened as he struggled to maintain control over his flaring emotions Rayna waved a hand dismissively in an attempt to calm him
"It's not the end of the world, Kaleb. We'll manage. Besides, it's not like you haven't been through worse."
Kaleb frowned.
"That's not the point, Rayna." He shot back, shaking his head as he tried getting up.
Rayna placed a hand on his chest to stop him. "Don't be mad, Kaleb. You've been through so much and this time, we decided to take the hit."
"The whole reason I've been doing all that was to prevent you from getting hurt; you guys getting flogged was just counterproductive!"
Rayna's snapped. "We were flogged because we chose to stay by your side. We knew the consequences, and we made that choice." Her voice cracked as she continued.
"Why can't you understand that?"
She stood up abruptly and raised her voice, pacing angrily "I've been keeping quiet all this time but it's getting out of hand"
Atara placed a hand on his shoulder, her voice gentle but firm.
"This is why I was opposed to your deal with the count. We're not helpless little girls Kaleb!"
Kaleb ran a hand through his hair, his frustration clear.
"You don't understand what you're dealing with. Atara, you've been sheltered your whole life, and as for you two—this world doesn't care if you're stronger than a human, you're still seen as... less. If I hadn't been here..."
His voice softens, as frustration lingers.
"I'm trying to keep you all safe, can't you see that?"
Rayna's eyes widened, and for a moment, her whole body went still as Kaleb's harsh words hung in the air. The hurt flashed across her face like a crack in glass, brief but unmistakable. Her lips parted as if to respond, but nothing came out
"Helpless?" she whispered, barely audible. Her usually bright, confident eyes were now clouded with confusion and hurt. "Is that really what you think of me? Of us?"
Her shoulders sagged as if some invisible weight had been placed upon them, and she took a small step back, distancing herself from him.
"After everything you've said and done... That's how you see us? Like some helpless animals you take pity on?"
Her hands trembled slightly as she struggled to keep her voice steady, her eyes filled with a pain she couldn't hide.
Eliora, silent up until now, spoke softly from the corner. "You went too far, Kaleb. We might not be as strong as you but we're not as weak as you think."
Kaleb clenched his fists, looking away. "It's not about being weak…"
Rayna shook her head and turned away from him.
"I thought you actually cared, Kaleb. But I guess I was wrong."
The silence between them felt like a thousand invisible walls.
Only then did the door creak open...
Just then, the door creaked open, cutting the tension in the room. Kaleb's eyes flicked to see a figure stood in the doorway. A guard entered, glancing around before locking eyes with Kaleb.
"Am I interrupting something?" the guard asked, smirking slightly.
"Who are you?" Atara demanded, her voice firm as she stepped forward.
Kaleb squinted, "Wait, I know you! He said, recognition dawning on him.
"You're the guard I made that bet with."
The guard's smirk widened.
"Name's Miller." He leaned casually against the door frame, his demeanor relaxed.
"And what do you want with us?" Atara shot back, her eyes narrowed.
"I'm not here to cause trouble," Miller replied, raising his hands with his palms forward in mock surrender.
"Why are you here then?" Kaleb asked.
"I came here to offer you some help."
Kaleb exchanged glances with the girls, confusion etched on his face. "Help? Why would you…. Want to help us?" he asked.
Miller straightened, his expression turning serious. "Let's just say I empathize with your situation"
The girls stared at him in disbelief, their eyes wide. Atara scoffed, crossing her arms.
"That's hard to believe. How does a guard working for the count empathize with a slave?"
"I admit, my circumstances are a bit.... strange. But trust me, I'm only here to offer you a bit of help, and I'm sure, given your… unique circumstances, you'll need all the help you can get."
Atara's guard was heightened.
"Usually the ones that tell you to trust them are the people you should trust the least"
Miller tried to hold back but couldn't help letting out a chuckle.
"Well, I can't exactly argue with you there"
"What kind of help are you talking about?" Kaleb asked.
Miller's gaze flickered to Kaleb, then back to the girls. "I have information and resources that could change your situation. But it'll come at a cost."
"What kind of cost?"
"I'll explain everything, but first, let's talk somewhere a little less.... public. it wouldn't look good if I was seen here for too long. Meet me at the back of the stables at midnight tonight if you're interested."
With a casual wave over his shoulder, Miller sauntered out without even the slightest glance back.
As the door clicked shut, Kaleb turned to the girls, his expression serious. Noticing his determined expression, Atara was the first to protest.
"No! Absolutely not!" She declared "We don't know anything about this.... guy or what his motives are."
"I'm going to meet him tonight Atara."
Rayna looked uneasy but didn't speak right away, while Eliora simply observed, her eyes thoughtful.
"You said it yourself last time that I'm going to do things you don't agree with. This is one of those times. And If there's even a sliver of a chance he can help, I'm taking it."
Atara threw her hands up in frustration.
"You're being reckless again! What if it's a trap those guards set to get revenge or something?"
She clenched her fists and didn't argue further, biting her lip in frustration as she turned away.
Outside the ring, Kaleb heard the voices of Rayna, Atara, and Eliora, their protests growing louder as they demanded that the fight be stopped.
"This isn't right!" Rayna yelled, her voice shaking with fear.
"He's going to kill him!"
"Stop the fight!" Atara added, her voice frantic.
But their cries fell on deaf ears. The crowd was dead silent, the guards indifferent, and the commander, William, stood by with a satisfied smirk, watching as Kaleb was pushed to the brink.
Kaleb's heart raced and panic started to creep in as he realized just how alone he was. 'They want me dead,' he thought, gritting his teeth.
The weight of the situation settled heavily in his chest, but he pushed it aside, focusing on the fight. He couldn't afford to lose, not here, not like this. A particularly vicious swing knocked him to the ground, and Derrek loomed over him, ready to deliver the final blow.
"Guess this is as far as you go, slave!"
Kaleb's mind raced, and in that moment, as Derrek's blade hurtled towards him, a surge of energy welled up from deep inside him, the mana within him roaring to life like never before. But something was different this time. The mana didn't just come forth, it flared uncontrollably. And it shimmered gold, brighter and stronger than anything he had ever experienced.
Kaleb rose to his feet, his mana swirling around him in a golden aura. He could feel it, the power he had sought to bring forth was now at his fingertips. William stood dumbfounded.
"How is a slave using mana?" he exclaimed.
Derrek's eyes widened in disbelief, but before he could react, Kaleb was already upon him. With newfound speed and strength, Kaleb launched his counterattack. Every strike was heavy, cutting through Derrek's defenses like a hot knife through butter.
Derrek began to falter, his sword wavering as Kaleb pressed forward. A swift strike knocked the wind out of him, and with a final, calculated blow, Kaleb sent him crashing through the ground, unconscious.
The crowd fell silent, stunned by the sudden turn of events. Kaleb stood victorious, panting heavily, as the mana surrounding him faded. But before he could savor his triumph, a sharp, unbearable pain ripped through his body.
"Argh!" Kaleb screamed, clutching his chest as he fell to his knees, writhing in pain, and collapsed to the ground.
His vision blurred as the pain became too much, and the last thing he heard was the sound of the girls calling his name before everything went dark.
Kaleb slowly opened his eyes, the familiar dim light of the shed filling his vision. His body ached, as he sat up, noticing the three girls, Rayna, Atara, and Eliora all huddled around him, fast asleep.
The subtle rustling of blankets woke the girls, and their eyes snapped open one by one, filled with relief at the sight of him being awake.
"You're finally awake!" Rayna exclaimed, her voice trembling with a mix of joy and worry.
"How long was i out?"
She "Kaleb, it's been two days." She said, reaching for his arm.
"Two days?" he asked, his voice hoarse as he wiped his face.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke.
"We thought... we didn't know when you'd wake up."
Atara let out a sigh of relief, rubbing her eyes as she tried to hide her tears.
"You scared us, idiot. Don't do that again," she muttered, though her tone betrayed her overwhelming relief.
"I didn't mean to worry you guys... I'm sorry."
Feeling the tension floating in the room, he felt a pang of guilt.
"I'm sorry," he repeated, softer this time, his chest tightening at the sight of their saddened expressions. He leaned in to embrace them when Atara winced, rubbing her back, clearly uncomfortable.
"What's wrong? Did those guys do anything to you while I was unconscious?"
"Well, We skipped two days of work just to watch over you, and Laura wasn't exactly happy about it"
"So?"
"So, she decided that ten strikes of the whip each was an appropriate punishment."
His eyes widened in disbelief and the disbelief slowly turned into a simmering fury. His gaze hardened as he struggled to maintain control over his flaring emotions Rayna waved a hand dismissively in an attempt to calm him
"It's not the end of the world, Kaleb. We'll manage. Besides, it's not like you haven't been through worse."
Kaleb frowned.
"That's not the point, Rayna." He shot back, shaking his head as he tried getting up.
Rayna placed a hand on his chest to stop him. "Don't be mad, Kaleb. You've been through so much and this time, we decided to take the hit."
"The whole reason I've been doing all that was to prevent you from getting hurt; you guys getting flogged was just counterproductive!"
Rayna's snapped. "We were flogged because we chose to stay by your side. We knew the consequences, and we made that choice. Why can't you understand that?"
She stood up abruptly and raised her voice, pacing angrily "I've been keeping quiet all this time but it's getting out of hand"
Atara placed a hand on his shoulder, her voice gentle but firm.
"This is why I was opposed to your deal with the count. We're not helpless little girls Kaleb!"
Kaleb ran a hand through his hair, his frustration clear.
"But you are helpless! Atara, you're a spoilt brat and you two are beastmen! If I wasn't here god knows what would have happened to you by now! If you don't allow me to keep you safe, then what's the point?"
Rayna's eyes widened, and for a moment, her whole body went still as Kaleb's harsh words hung in the air. The hurt flashed across her face like a crack in glass, brief but unmistakable. Her lips parted as if to respond, but nothing came out
"Helpless?" she whispered, barely audible. Her usually bright, confident eyes were now clouded with confusion and hurt. "Is that really what you think of me? Of us?"
Her shoulders sagged, as if some invisible weight had been placed upon them, and she took a small step back, distancing herself from him.
"After everything you've said and done... That's how you see us? Like some helpless animals you take pity on?"
Eliora, silent up until now, spoke softly from the corner. "You went too far Kaleb. We might not be as strong as you but we're not as weak as you think."
Kaleb clenched his fists, looking away. "It's not about being weak…"
Just then, the door creaked open, cutting the tension in the room. A guard entered, glancing around before locking eyes with Kaleb.
"Am I interrupting something?" the guard asked, smirking slightly.
"Who are you?" Atara demanded, her voice firm as she stepped forward.
Kaleb squinted, "Wait, I know you! He said, recognition dawning on him.
"You're the guard I made that bet with."
The guard's smirk widened.
"Name's Miller." He leaned casually against the door frame, his demeanor relaxed.
"And what do you want with us?" Atara shot back, her eyes narrowed.
"I'm not here to cause trouble," Miller replied, raising his hands with his palms forward in mock surrender.
"Why are you here then?" Kaleb asked.
"I came here to offer you some help."
Kaleb exchanged glances with the girls, confusion etched on his face. "Help? Why would you…. Want to help us?" he asked.
Miller straightened, his expression turning serious. "Let's just say I empathize with your situation"
The girls stared at him in disbelief, their eyes wide. Atara scoffed, crossing her arms.
"That's hard to believe. How does a guard working for the count empathize with a slave?"
"I admit, my circumstances are a bit.... strange. But trust me, I'm only here to offer you a bit of help, and I'm sure, given your… unique circumstances, you'll need all the help you can get."
Atara's guard was heightened.
"Usually the ones that tell you to trust them are the people you should trust the least"
Miller tried to hold back but couldn't help letting out a chuckle.
"Well, I can't exactly argue with you there"
"What kind of help are you talking about?" Kaleb asked.
Miller's gaze flickered to Kaleb, then back to the girls. "I have information and resources that could change your situation. But it'll come at a cost."
"What kind of cost?"
"I'll explain everything, but first, let's talk somewhere a little less.... public. it wouldn't look good if I was seen here for too long. Meet me at the back of the stables at midnight tonight if you're interested."
With a casual wave over his shoulder, Miller sauntered out without even the slightest glance back.
As the door clicked shut, Kaleb turned to the girls, his expression serious. Noticing his determined expression, Atara was the first to protest.
"No! Absolutely not!" She declared "We don't know anything about this.... guy or what his motives are."
"I'm going to meet him tonight Atara."
Rayna looked uneasy but didn't speak right away, while Eliora simply observed, her eyes thoughtful.
"You said it yourself last time that I'm going to do things you don't agree with. This is one of those times. And If there's even a sliver of a chance he can help, I'm taking it."
Atara threw her hands up in frustration.
"You're being reckless again! What if it's a trap those guards set to get revenge or something?"
She clenched her fists and didn't argue further, biting her lip in frustration as she turned away.