“Wait, waitso you actually decided to join the Liberators? I didn’t take you for a freedom fighter.” Renmurmured, his face didn’t seem all that surprised from the news. I shrug in response, it’s not like I joined for the cause of Liberating the deserts, or fighting to free other slaves. It was simply the only way I could see myself getting the power I wanted, needed to survive in this world. AndDa’inhadpromisedjust that but first, she told me to prepare for our departure. Which wasn’t for another 24 hours, how they could tell the time with the sun always in the sky I had no clue.
Her terms were simple yetdictatorstyled,questioning about where I came from and how I had supposedly crossed theLayfrontborder. I figured explaining my situation honestly might help me, having a powerful ally on my side to help in mysearchhad its merits.But after explaining to her I had come from another world through a black hole she didn’t seem to believe me and assumed I had either gone crazy in the mines or simplyjustdidn’t want to tell her.
Her other terms were as followed, Imustjoin the Liberators, I must obey each and every rule enforced by her and the Captain, I must listen and obey to any and everything she says, and finally, I have to travel toDenebaytomorrow. Some of them seemed a littlestrictbut considering I had already agreed to them I didn’t complain, I was getting three meals a day and a fresh set of clothes so there really wasn’t a reason to.
“Why not join? You could get rid of those rags and enjoy a decent meal for once.” I ask slurpingmy soup, it tasted of beef something I hadn’t tasted in weeks, yet it felt like a lifetime. “Well……gray is my color, and I would be known throughouthistoryas thehandsome prince who saved the desert.” Pondering theofferhe glances over at Celeste, “what do you think?”
Listening to the conversation she gave a small shrug, unlike before in the mines her hair wasn’t disheveled and fell to her shoulders in a clean manner. The rags she had worn were replaced by a leather tunic that stopped at her knees, “doesn’t matter to me what you do, but you can count me out. I already found a job here atthe blacksmith, Taro offered me the job this morning.”
“You got a job with the blacksmith?But…aren’tyou a girl why would he offer you a job?” He said it jokingly but she was notamusedsimply scoffing at him, “because I’m a girl I can’t be a blacksmith? Anything you can do I can obviously do better Ren.” With that she stormed away, walking through a crowd of villagers. “I think you made her mad.” Imurmurpatting his back, “so you are you in or what?”
For once Ren seemed unsure of himselfI could see thatas he staredintothe crowdwhereCeleste haddisappeared. “You know Finn, both you and Celeste are the only friends I have.” It was surprising hearing Ren talk seriously for once. “But I don’t think I can join, you’ll be leaving and if I go Celeste will be here all alone. I don’t worrytoomuch about you but Celeste……she hasn’t been the same since we left the mines, she needs me. And I know it’s whatBatorwould want.” He looked meinthe eyes as he spoke not looking away for a moment.
I knew he had thought about it and accepted hisdecision with a nod followed by a pat on the back, “I think it’s for the best. For both you and for Celeste.” I knew the path I would walk would not be void of blood, and I was glad they wouldn’t get mixed into the violence that I knowwas ahead of me. “Don’t worry I’ll be sure to see you off tomorrow, but I’ve got a job to get to.Apparently,someone left the pig pen open last night.” With that, he ran off leaving me to mythoughts.
Da’inhas given me coin to buy supplies for travel, although I didn’t understand fully how the money system worked here. From what I observed in the market and from thehagglers,thetriangleshaped coin wasworth the most, the square is worth only a quarter of a triangleand the smallcirclecoin only being worth 1/10 of a square.I didn’t know what the names were so I called them Tri,Sqa, and Circ. There were other shaped coins which I assumed were worth more than the triangle but I hadn’t seen many of them and figured no one wanted to spend that much money onanything.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
She had given methree Tri pieces and told me to buy a weapon and as many bandages, I could carry, I’ll admit itfrightenedme a bit but my determination wouldn’t flinch fromthe talk ofpain so easily. With only 3 Tri pieces I couldn’t afford a weapon made from a blacksmith so I walked through the market until I came across arun downshop, a majority of the weapons covered in rust. “Welcome to Rudy’s wares we sell anything from knives to swords how can I help you?” The man was scruffy, his hair droppingover his eyes and hisbeardwasgrizzly, he sat on his stool and his eyes seemed to be lost in the clouds as he spoke.
He didn’t seem too interested in helping so I simply nodded andrifledthrough the junk he had, looking for something that wasn’t rusted or above 2Tri. Thereweremostly broad swords in the shop, and Iimmediatelydismissed using one. With my thin arms and body, there was no way I’d be able to useit, there were old whips but that brought backunpleasantmemories. The knives anddaggerswere in the best condition but I didn’t want to use anything thatremindedme of my torture sessions withWickum,Ifelt cold just looking at them.
There was a wide range of weapons, from sticks toboomerangs, staffs, axes, swords. Some I didn’tevenknow how it could be used as a weapon. Nothing felt right, thenagain,I suppose I’ve never gone shopping for something to possibly kill someone with. It was gnawing at the back of my mind, I had to commit murder in order to survive. The choiceseemed to get heavierwith the realization, that I would possibly to a life, many lives if the need arose to accomplish my goal. “I guess if I’m going to be a killer, I might as well be the best killer I can be,” with that I decided and walked away from the shop towards the main building.
Walking through the curtain a smokyaromafloated through the room, sitting at the bar a man sat talking to a hooded figure. The armor he wore unlike the other Liberators was polished, revealing your reflection when glanced at. His short black hair was neatly trimmed absent of sand surprisingly, even hisbeardwas neatly trimmed around his face. With hisbulgingmuscles he could easily over power me, that’s what I thought until I realized his arm was missing. Right below the elbow, nothing was there and I wondered what a cripple could possibly due in the Liberators.
He puffed on a short pipe, blowing smoke throughout the room causing me to cover my mouth. The smell brought back memories, and mygrandfather’simage surfacedvaguely. Entering theroom,I could see he was talking with the hooded man, the black cloak reminding me of the mines kept me on high alert.Da’inwas standing behindher father staringdeeply at the man, she seemed jittery andcontinuouslytapped her foot, before seeing me at the entrance.
“Over here Finn, come and meet the Captain.” Striding over I could feel the eyes of the cloaked man on me, he made noattemptsto hide his obvious fascination. Standing besideDa’inI look at the armless man, his eyes were sharp but his smile friendly as he pulled out the stool, “I hear you joined theLiberators I’m CaptainRafuel,come on have a seat lad I’ll pour you a drink.”
“We don’t have time to drink, we have to prepare for our departure tomorrow.” The air seemed thin in the room, evenso, I responded,“It’s nice to meet you, Captain.”
The captain released a sigh before looking atDa’in, “you never were one to take iteasy,thereason I brought you here was to meet thebeast-menyou’ve been so skeptical about.” Nodding his head towards thecloakedman he let down his hood revealing his face.
Perhaps if it had been any randombeast-manit would be fine, for I wasn’t expecting to come face to face with my demons so soon. Because when he dropped his hood I knew who he was, he was the one who had captured me in the desert, the one who had introduced me and Leo to our horrible fates.