《The diary of a monster hunter》


 The world

    The air around me smells like moulded cheese and piss, the cold iron bars dig against my tender flesh as I massage the swollen slave brand. "Wake up you miserable brats, today''s your lucky day" I hear a grunt voice bellow.


    (An hooded silhouette walks towards us, footsteps like a dancing nightingale in the autumn wind. Pita pata.)


    "Are these all you have?"


    "Yes sir''ah, fresh of the boat from Calabar, fine pieces if I were to say so me self."


    "Healthy?"


    "As a landlubber can get, arrived this mornin, premium stock ain''t none one touched the lasses yer has me word sir''ah"


    (The man lifts his head, the morning rays reflects off his face revealing a pair of eyes dark as night itself. He takes out a gold coin tossing it to the merchant.)


    "Sir''ah..thi"


    "Pack em up I''ll take them all"Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    "Ri...right away sir''ah"


    (The merchant stumbles as he hands the keys to the man, he looks up and down hoping to remember every detail, ensuring he will never forget his figure. -A voice pulls him back into reality-)


    "Good carriage! I''ll take it..."


    (The merchant watches helplessly as the Man disappears along with a carriage full of slaves.)


    (Endless chatter fills the carriage. Blessed by sipher eleven goddess of the wind the excited voices of children permeates into the surroundings.)


    "Who is this man?"


    "I reckon he''s a noble..didn''t you see that gold coin? Never seen one in me life."


    "Noble? What bullsh#t didn''t you see his eyes?...have you seen a noble with charcoal eyes?...he''s got to be those demon kin from the east"


    "Gasp..yo..u mean those demon kin?...The ones loved by Nor the goddess of darkness?"


    "Aye...ive seen one before, hair and eyes like the night"


    "Shh...let''s not speak...what if he hears us...I heard that demon kin loves to torture sick and weak people by stabbing iron rods into them..."


    (Yet the children''s chatter were not doused, like adding wood to fire the conversation became more and more exaggerated...)


    "Hey Jacque what do you think?"


    (Curled in the corner, a small boy lifts his head, ponders, and says a phrase that immediately doused the flames.)


    "Why did he buy us?"


    (Outside the carriage, sitting on the drivers set, a strange glint can be seen from the man''s eyes...Good seeding...He sighs, looks into the horizon and mumbles)


    "Maybe...no...it must work...it has to."


    (And so it begins...The dawn of a new age...from the mumbles of a madman)


    Prologue end

 Chapter 1- A journey begins

    The sun hung high in the sky as the radiant rays leaked though the wooden shutters. The hut was not large, but one can see that it is well managed due to the lack of dust on the furniture. A worn candle lay melted on the hard-Oak table next to a worn old bible¡­a middle-aged woman forces the shutters open, gazed lovingly at a young boy asleep in the corner in a large bundle of hay.


    ¡°Jacque its time to wake up¡±


    ¡°Just a few more seconds¡± Jacque groaned


    ¡°Rise and shine. It''s high noon already, the cows need milking and we¡¯re fresh out of fire wood. If only your father was still here¡± the woman sighs ¡®when the enlistment came, I told him not to go¡­he promised he¡¯d make a fortune yet after you were born your dad never came back¡¯.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry ma I¡¯ll set off right now, with the blessing from Sypher, the goddess of wind I¡¯ll be back by dinner¡± Jacque beamed.


    Jacque jumped up from his hay bed, eyes shifting towards the kitchen. he notices a piece of black bread and a few slices of cheese. Eyes beaming, he shoves the food into his pockets, pushes the door open and sets off with a crude axe.


    ¡°Jacque make sure to come back before dinner, you knowyou mustn¡¯t stay in the wicked forest at night. Make sure not to wander to deep okay? ¡°


    The young boy stops moving, his eyebrow twitches slightly. Turning around he smiles at his mother waves his arm and hurries off.


    Ma worries too much, when I grow older I must stay by her side to take care of her, with dad missing who will be the pillar of the family? Jacque thought as he ran down the road towards the wicked forest.


    The little village of Escanor, located 10 miles west of port town Calabar. The humble village marks the boundary of the wicked forest. Representing the outer branches of humanity. As to why such a forest was named ¡®wicked¡¯, this was due to a myriad of ghastly rumours surrounding it, rumours so vast that even as I drink in an inn in Calabar can I savour the astonishing tales of the forest, rumours that send a chill up your spine, whist igniting the curiosity of others. From the dilapidated moans of a female wraith to the harrowing cries of ghouls, sounds of weeping children to the creaking noises of wood¡­but listen¡­always listen¡­everyone who speaks of the rumours have always heard it¡­a gentle sound¡­almost¡­impossible to catch but it is there¡­always there¡­the crying melody of a flute¡­ HA surely you jest, why would villagers go into a forest where even the bravest of men tread carefully you may ask. Yet the answer is simple¡­Greed¡­yes, a beautiful sin, the wisperwhod (wisper-hood) of the wicked forest is renown throughout the human territories, living wood, hard as iron itself, blessed by Mal god of nature, cursed by Nagul (XD) god of death to be ashen forever. This black wood is the raw material for the sentient liveships. It is as if a pie fell from the heavens and handed on humanities doorsteps¡­Yet surely you aren¡¯t here to hear me blabber about the 100 uses of wisperwhod¡­no no, you are here for a story, a tale. And I have one just for you an absolute true story of Jacque the Warrior of Oblivion¡­ ¡­ hmm¡­ this name¡­may need some work¡­


    As Jaq walked towards the wicked forest he took out the black bread from his pocket and nibbled on it. The curse Nagul casted on the wisperwhod is indeed strong¡­even the bread baked with its wood cannot escape its curse, good thing the taste isn''t affected he thought otherwise he really would go up to Nagul and slap him. Jaq was not an ignorant fool, he knew the rumours of the forest however he also knew that by selling wisperwhod even his broken family can survive, but deep-down he knew that money was not his reason of venturing the cursed woods.Stolen novel; please report.


    Hmm? You want to know why? Sigh¡­alright. Tis a sad tale really, hmm let me see:


    <u>There once was a priest,</u>


    <u>Who prayed to the gods,</u>


    <u>O bless these people, protect them lord.</u>


    <u>Down came a star, falling though the skies.</u>


    <u>Untainted blood once a year,</u>


    <u>A dull axe one can wear.</u>


    Tragic isn¡¯t it, a sacrifice for the greater good, it¡¯s worth it right, don¡¯t ya think? One child for a prospering village¡­she wasn¡¯t even 5 when it was their turn¡­ that the thing with you humans, deep down you are darker andvile than any beast, yet one thing, a sliver of light in the darkness. Hope¡­ yes indeed¡­. the rumours.


    ¡°its real, the rumours are real¡± Jaq drones on aloud, villagers on the path gazes at Jaq sympathetically, shakes their head and walks on.


    I know its real, I¡¯ve seen her, that evening I was late for dinner, in the corner of my eye, hiding behind the trunk of wisperwhod it was her, she hasn¡¯t aged a day. This time I must find her¡­Ma would be happy, the more Jaq thought the happier he became before thirty minutes he arrived at the wicked forests.


    ¡°Work hard young man, humanity needs you for you are the future, as the workhorse of industry the magic association will pay 10 coppers for one bundle of wisperwood¡±, Jaq recalls the red and blue poster pinned on the town bulletin.


    ¡°Todays a good day, I can probably gather 3 bundles¡± Jaq finished his bread prayed to the gods, and walked into the forest.


    The air was humid in the forest, as Jaq tread amongst the rows and rows of black trees the damp undergrowth as if sensing a foreign existence groans quietly. Pita pata¡­listen¡­the sound of leaves shoved forcefully by a powerful set of legs, PITA PaTa the sound grows louder, heading towards Jaq. As he hears the strange footsteps he smiles and pulls out the cheese from his pockets¡­


    ¡°hmm¡­SOOO hungry¡­hmm¡± a low monotonous voice echoes though the quiet forest. Pita pata, the nearby bushes part and a human faced bird swaggers out¡­the bird the size of a rooster with human feet as wings and human hands as legs¡­if any visitors sees this ¡°bird¡± they would undoubted be scared sh*tless, yet Jaq remained unusually calm. He tossed the cheese at the bird and waited for it to ¡°him¡± to inspect it.


    ¡°guide of the forest, blessed by Mal, you are the most beautiful of creations, as per the contract of the star, please take me to the land of promises¡± Jaq flattered the bird for about ten minutes, who was circles the cheese, it gave a slight nod, using his ¡°feet¡± in a fluid motion he picks up the cheese and eats it then proceeds to swaggers away beckoning Jaq to follow. This bird known to the locals as the ¡°guides of the forest¡± is slightly intelligent and like a parrot can mimic human phrases, the locals of the village discovered that by giving the birds food they can show them where the best wisperwhod ripe for harvest are. However, this bird is extremely prideful, and only after severe flattering would the bird show you the way. Jaq was thankful that after many generations the guides which was influenced by the population of humans required lessflattery than its predecessors. Legend has it that when the first chief discovered the bird he ass-kissed for 4 hours straight before the bird finally stopped staying ¡°I your father knows the way¡± truly a fearsome opponent. As Jaq wipes the cold sweat from his forehead he follows behind the swaggering guide as he heads deeper into the forests.


    As Jaq ventures into the forest on his quest to collect wisperwhod the faint sound of a flute, carried by the gentle wind spreads though the forests. In a faraway land a king holds a piece of parchment and frowns ¡°are you sure Escanor is no more?¡± the eunuch stutters ¡°ye...es your majesty¡±.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ as long as Mt Qing exist we won¡¯t run out of wood, tell the ministry to buy as much wisperwhod as they can, go quickly¡±


    ¡°this servant obeys¡± the eunuch stands up, bows, and hurries towards the door.


    ¡°WAIT¡±


    ¡°your majesty?¡±


    ¡°keep it under wraps, I don¡¯t want the public to know¡­REMEMBER¡­he¡­no¡­they cannot know¡±


    ¡°I understand, this servant will excuse himself¡± the eunuch walks out the palace and into his room, he takes out a strip of paper and writes: ¡°Winter has come to the continent of Europa, it is done¡±, he rolls the strip, ties it to a pigeon and watches as it flies away.


    ¡°if there was another way I would take it¡­all for the survival of mankind¡­liege I hope you will forgive me¡± the eunuch faces the palace and gives a deep bow¡­


    End of chapter 1

 The map so far...

    This link shows the current map of the human territories. If you guys like this kinda stuff ill put more effot into making a better map


    Im also currently making a bestiary and building the lores of magick in the world, if you guys have any prefered creatures or certain spells this is ur chance to inform me. ill do me best.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    if you guys want specific lore on certain stuff i.e: liveships, information/stats of the "guides of the forest" give me a pm and ill send ya the lore. (may take a while as work in progress)


    https://imgur.com/iEB6nQt

 Chapter 2- The Reunion

    Chapter 2- The Reunion


    As Jacque and the guide brave though the harrowing woods, the earth groans beneath them, a low rumble of the earth jolts the guide awake, it collapses on the ground feeling the tremors passing though with its human hands¡­after a while the guide jumps up and groans


    ¡°Hmm¡­trouble¡­bait needed¡­live¡± ¡­It stops, Jaq can see its beady little eyes scanning the surroundings carefully before finally landing on Jaq. Wide eyed, as if realising something, the ugly bird lets out a shriek, with uncanny speed the bird turns around and darts into the forest¡­


    ¡°what in the world¡± Jaq blurts out. Something is wrong, this has never happened before, a sound that can frighten the guide which thrives in the forest is not good, I better hide for a while and observe the situation.


    The young boy¡¯s eyes scans the surroundings and very quickly in an experienced manner, he rolled his sleeves up and scampered up the widest wisperwhod tree he could find.


    ¡°I wonder what caused such a strange noise¡± he thought


    As the rays of the setting sun touched the black trucks of wisperwhod, like a longing lover, a heavy sigh can be heard¡­echoing throughout the forest. High up upon the branches of a stout yet wide tree sat a small skinny boy. Traces of doubt and worry can be seen on this face.


    Was I too worried? maybe it wasn¡¯t anything. Maybe the guide was just over sensitive, after all it¡¯s a monster¡­who can predict what a monster will do right? Jaq comforted himself, the sun has begun to set yet he still haven¡¯t gathered a single piece of wisperwhod.


    At this rate I¡¯m not even going to make it back in time for dinner, Ma is going to be real angry with me this time, unfortunately my ass is really going to bloom tonight... Still¡­why did the guide run? Surely it cannot be for no reason.


    Jaq has always been a curious boy, he knew the area well and was adamant that the guides would never abandon their duty for no reason.


    ¡°there must be a reason¡­


    As Jaq pondered, a sudden thought passed his mind. The guides of the forests were known to be prideful¡­could it be that it thought my cheese wasn¡¯t good enough for him and wanted to teach me a lesson and scare me¡­yes¡­that must be it, god dammit I knew monsters can never be trusted just wait till I catch that chicken¡­but what was that noise? Hmm no matter, it was probably caused by a fallen tree!¡± Jaq could not help but curse out.


    Sigh, what a na?ve young boy¡­wisperwhod is known to be as hard as iron, would a tree who survived the curse of the death god, and blessed by the god of nature be so easy to fell? Na?ve, simple minded, stupid¡­


    ¡°it seems I over estimated this chicken, his plot has been foiled, I should get busy with gathering¡±


    As Jaq was about to climb down, in the corner of his eye something seems to have moved, he felt a chill up his spine as cold sweats started rolling down his forehead. would seems as if time had stopped, as he stood there like a frozen statue, his mind froze as if wanting to play dead, hoping that whatever¡¯s behind him would leave him alone.


    ¡°Do you really think that the chicken ran away for no reason?¡± a sweet voice rang out, it carried a playful tone, as if teasing Jaq to turn around, it was a voice of a young girl, its tone filled with a sense of longing and reminiscences, yet like a recording crystal the faint scent of unlife (basically undead tone/flat tone/ unnatural) cannot be masked.


    Jaq knew this voice, a distant memory in his mind, the voice of his missing sister, an uncanny voice that seems to be exactly as he remembered 2 years ago.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°why not turn around? You know its so boring here we haven¡¯t had a proper chat in so loooong, don¡¯t you want to see me?¡±


    Realising that he was not in immediate danger the surge of adrenaline flooding his system dies down, giving Jaq control over his body again.


    ¡°you¡­who are you, your voice sounds familiar, yet I can tell something is lacking¡± Jaq could not help but enquire about the strange voice, he has heard of monsters that prey on children by tempting them so he dared not turn around for it is said that as long as one does not stare into the eyes of these creatures known as Dryads, they hold no power over you.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a Dryad you fool¡­get that though your numskull¡±


    Jaq was shocked. This creature can read minds?? If not a Dryad, is this another monster? What sentient creature would be so bored for them to wander into the outer layers of the forest? Jaq curiosity peaked, and he could not help but steal a quick glance at the creature. But before he could turn his head the playful voice laughed.


    ¡°ha¡­you scoundrel¡­when I tell you to look you don¡¯t look¡­not I tell you not to look, you actually dare to peek at this maiden, what a coward, you don¡¯t even have to balls to take a look? well this miss wont entertain you anymore¡­humph¡±


    ¡­The young boy turns his head only to see that nothing, but air stared back at him¡­his mind blanks out, the creature is nowhere to be seen.


    This¡­right now Jaq was seething¡­


    ¡°Waaaah¡­do you mean I don¡¯t want to look, if it wasn¡¯t that this grandpas body was frozen into a popsicle I would have instantly looked¡­if it wasn¡¯t to all the dangers and negative rumours which caused this grandpa to mistaken you for a Dryad you think I would be scared huh, what do you mean I¡¯m a coward. Do you have the guts to appear in front of this grandpa right now?¡± Jaq bloodshot eyes glinted with a fierce light, trying to stabilise his raging emotions he took a few deep breaths and muttered


    ¡°If the tiger doesn¡¯t show his prowess, people will think I¡¯m a sick cat. Let today be a lesson for you, don¡¯t mess with I Your Fa..¡±


    ¡°hmm¡­you called?¡± the playful voice said


    A young girl appeared from thin air right in front of Jaq, she wore a tattered blood stained white dress with a ripped hole down her chest. Looking at her chest Jaq face instantly bleached, he could not help but tremble, his knees felt weak as he collapsed on the wide branch. Shuffling back as far as he could, he curled into a ball holding his head and started praying. The girls rib cage has be spread like a pair of wings, spreading as wide as possible (Viking torture method called the blood eagle), inside her chest cavity was nothing, not even a heart can be seen.


    The girl, who was floating beside Jaq seems to have noticed his pale face, nodded with a sense of understanding.


    ¡°Ah you must be thinking, where my heart. The answer is quite simple¡­¡±


    The girl lifts her delicate hand and grasps her hair, she then opens her skull, reaches in¡­and removes a still beating heart...


    ¡°I normally keep it in here, damn heart keeps falling out¡± the girl said a matter of factly


    ¡°who are you¡­¡± Jaq finally speaks, it was a quite whisper, no longer containing the sass he displayed earlier. Just these words seem to have drained the remaining energy he had, the words trembled and shook in the air, only a whisper could be hear.


    ¡°Me? I¡¯m your sister¡­has your brain gone to mush? Look at me I haven¡¯t changed a day¡±


    ¡°what. Are you?¡± Jaq having recovered from the initial shock how looked at the girl carefully. He couldn¡¯t help but suck his breath in. indeed she was exactly like she was that day. When the village priests preformed the ritual, and took her heart and brain.


    ¡°you should go back to the village, ma will scowl you, it¡¯s getting late¡­won¡¯t be safe here in the forests with the full moon out¡± the girl changes the subject.


    ¡°what about you sis? Come back with me least ma will know you still as carefree as before¡± Jaq wanted to say but looking at his grotesque sister the words lay stuck inside his throat.


    The girl smiles at Jaq, puts her heart back into her skull and fades into the shadows¡­


    Jaq head was throbbing as a myriad of emotions erupted within him, he hated himself for his cowardly behaviour¡­this was his sister, she sacrificed herself for the village, let the priests pull her apart¡­a young girl who just turned 5 suffered so much, was she lonely in the dark forests? All by herself for 2 years? How could he have the guts to shun her¡­if it wasn¡¯t for her their family would have starved to death¡­ Jaq thought back to the worried expression on his sister¡¯s face as she told him to go back quickly. His heart tightened, Ma was always strict on his studies and his sis was still worried about him even after she died¡­


    Jaq wiped his tears turned towards the village and ran¡­


    ¡°I need to tell ma, sis is still with us¡­it doesn¡¯t matter if she¡¯s disfigured¡­we can get used to it¡­


    The silver rays of the moon illuminated the forests, giving it a eerie atmosphere. The hooting sounds of owls, the melody of the wind as they danced around the ancient trunks. Pita pata. A set of light footsteps echo though the dense dark forest.


    ¡°Almost there, Ma wait for me¡­¡± the boy thought¡­


    End of chapter 2

 Chapter 3- The Pride of Rosathornia

    Chapter 3


    As the boy ran, the silver moon hid behind the grey clouds. The only source of light was snuffed out like a flickering candle. The young boy slowed to a crawl, carefully feeling his way around as he wobbled forwards. Crash, the boy trips¡­


    Ouch! Jaq tripped and feel onto the hard, cold ground, it felt slightly moist, yet the night was still young, and the silver dew was not out. An unpleasant aftertaste of iron can be felt rolling in his tongue, he immediately spat out the dirt, grabbing the hard stick which he tripped on he levered himself up whist rubbing his sore bottom.


    A steady wind blew across his face, as the man in the moon poked his head out of the clouds. The silver light touched the ground, revealing a field of mangled bodies. Amongst the corpse stood a boy, he looked no more than 10, he stood like a statue grasping a long leg bone of a skeleton...


    ¡°Ma, where are you?¡± Jaq¡¯s face twists with agony. Wincing as he took a step forward, waddling across the sea of corpses and headed towards his house¡±.


    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± his ghastly sister asks curiously


    Jaq ignores the voice as he bites his lower lips. He eyes freezes upon a tiny shack in the distance, looking closely one can see that walls of the shack have been torn apart and the roof has collapsed under its weight, seeing this it was as if<u> Qur the God of mischief</u> forcefully ripped his ribs apart and shoved a seed of dread deep into his beating heart his vision wavers, he feels short of breath as Jaq faints amongst the corpse¡­ tears streaming down his face.


    The next morning down at the harbour a small caravel arrives. It was a standard merchant ship, made of mortal Oak wood, compared to the vast ships the deceased villages had seen before this ship really would not hold a candle to them, it had only one mast and flew a humble white flag with a faded yellow lion on it, if you look closely you could see that the lion was not even symmetrical. on its mast a once crimson rose has now degenerated into a dull orange, the ship looked unremarkable in every way. It was run down, the furbishing shabby and the captain who just stepped out was a fat stout man. The captain and the ship could relate to an unhappy marriage, as the man was well fed and well-dressed the mundane ship was so poorly maintained¡­ I could guess all the money really did go into his stomach.


    ¡°hurl anchor ye swashbucklers, nice and slowly, hide ye weapons let me scout the area, you numb skulls stay back, ya hear me ye bunch of maggots!¡± the fat man fiddles with the gold ring around his forefinger. He wipes the sweat on his large forehead and tightens the buttons on his purple sea worn vest. His slight frown can be seen on his face as he grunts ¡°where is everyone, was harvest so good this year that these rats party all night?¡±, he couldn¡¯t help but massage his gold ring, this mood relaxed as he gave it a few twirls. His mouth crooks into a smile, his eyes narrow as he thinks of the rich harvest of wisperwhod waiting for him, quickly he turns around confirming that he was indeed the first and only ship here, he licks his lips and mumbles happily ¡°time is money. These suckers, don¡¯t they know the early bird guts the worm? Ah well I better check on the village, this time ill surely make a killing!¡±


    As the merchant arrives at the village he gasps at the scene in front of him. He was not a na?ve young man like before, therefore he did not faint. Yet the scene in front of him causes him to instinctually take a step back. In front of him laid the mangled bodies of 200 or so peasants, their bodies riddled with holes and hoof marks, like a jumbled puzzle: severed limbs, broken bones, crushed organs, littered the ground, the ground stank of iron and faeces. In his life as a travelling merchant, he had never seen such a messed-up scene in front of him.


    ¡°looking at these bodies, obviously a herd of wild beasts trampled though the village these bodies still have flesh, so it must of happened recently, looking at how the other ships never came they probably knew something was about to happen¡­damn¡­how could this be¡± the merchant pondered at the possibility that his competitors knew something about this puzzle in front of him, yet after a minute he stopped.


    ¡°The smell of blood is strong here, soon scavengers will come for a free meal¡­since I¡¯m here I can¡¯t return empty handed.¡± The merchant turned and ran as fast as he could back to his ship, with his round physique it was quite a show for the crew when they saw their captain half running, half rolling towards them.


    Pant, pant ¡°you idiots, hu..pant¡­hurry up and help me. Shits gone south, the village is gone we have to salvage what we can and get the fu*k out.¡±


    The men stood like idiots, dazed by the words of the captain ¡°what do you mean gone?¡± one men could not help but ask.


    ¡°Stop asking just move, salvage what we can and bring it to the ship¡± the merchant practically roared at the poor crewmates.


    ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t forget to smash the head of the corpse, we don¡¯t want them to turn into unlife, with the wicked forest around who knows what could happen¡± the merchant warned.


    ¡°Cor_pses?¡± the crew stares questionably at the merchant


    ¡°YOU RETARDS, DIDN¡¯T I SAY THE VILLAGE IS GONE? OF COURSE, THERES CORPSES, NOW HURRY AND GO BEFORE THE SCAVENGERS COME¡± the merchant shakes with anger. His fat jiggles up and down as he glared at his crew, countless drops of saliva plasters onto their poor faces.


    ¡°right away captain¡± the rag tagged crew consisting of a coalition of common folk quickly grabbed a cart and large sacks and ran towards the village, from grabbing resources to gathering equipment not a single bit of teamwork could be seen.


    From the distance the horrible sound of bones breaking can be heard. The sullied ground became more grotesque as the mushed brains of the fallen victims splatted out. The blood and fluid wetted the dry ground once more releasing the horrid smell of rotten flesh.


    ¡°boss, we got a live one here!¡± a sailor shouts at the top of his lungs.


    ¡°A live one? that¡¯s impossible, who can survive such disaster?¡± the squad leader could not believe his ears, hopping off the cart he runs towards the sailor.


    ¡°Is this the one?¡± he asks curiously.


    ¡°Aye boss that¡¯s him, found him fainted among the corpses¡­the sailor hesitates for a bit, still burst out in the end ¡°boss I found him holding onto this¡± reaching out he pulls out the bleached thigh bone.


    ¡°walking amongst the corpse, holding a bone as a talisman, boss do you think this child is a necromancer?¡± the sailor looked worried


    ¡°we should Ki¡­¡± but before the sailor could finish, the boss hurls a fist at him, sending him flat on the ground¡­


    ¡°you fool, he¡¯s nought but a boy, what necromancer. Didn¡¯t you hear the Captain? (Salvage what you can) The boy¡¯s bones are pretty good, he¡¯ll make a fine slave.¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The men return to the ship by noon, pushing a cart full of miscellaneous goods ranging from: wisperwhod, the dull iron axes of the village, and a fainted young boy.


    ¡°captain we¡¯re back. harvest ain¡¯t good this year, just these 40 bundles of wisperwhod. But we did get all their axes, look at the handles cap, made of the finest wisperwhod I¡¯ve seen, and the head is crafted from iron! My eyes aren¡¯t bad right¡± the squad leader stuck his chest out and boasted.


    ¡°hmm a decent harvest, we won¡¯t make a loss here¡­hmm what¡¯s this¡­a survivor?¡± the merchant probes.


    ¡°Ah yes captain, found him lying with the corpse, thought he¡¯d make a fine slave¡± the squad leader quickly explained to the captain, not daring to mention a word about the suspicion that this lad was a necromancer. Necromancy was deemed as a forbidden magic in the kingdom, just one mention of it could get your family line snuffed out. What makes matters worse was that many experts believe that necromancy was curse magic. And those who encounter necromancers will have their lifeforce slowly withered away. This lifeforce which in turn strengthens the user. This was the reason that the sailor thought Jaq was a necromancer, Amongst the corpse he was the only survivor one alive, why wouldn¡¯t he be suspected.


    But why would the squad leader make such a serious mistake? Was he truly a kind man? Showing sympathy to the boy? Maybe¡­but this ain¡¯t a fairy tale, the real reason is much simpler. He gets a cut of the profit; more money equals more profit. Such a fine young slave can probably earn him a few silvers, of course he¡¯ll gamble it, his salary was merely 50 copper a month and it will take him 2 months just to earn a silver, it¡¯s a pity that the survivor wasn¡¯t a girl. Everyone knows that nobles have weird tastes a and young girl could sell for much more. Sigh¡­how unfortunate, the poor squad leader probably could only shake his head in regret.


    The merchant looks his lieutenant thoughtfully, he smiles and says ¡°I¡¯m in a good mood today, you¡¯ve done well, throw him in with the others¡± with that he tosses the squad leader five round silver coins. These printed silver coins had a rose on one side and a lion stamped on the other, this was indeed the authentic silver coin released by the greatest bank in the kingdom: The Imperial of Rosathornia- The capital of Europa. The squad leader stares at the coins in his palm, pocketing them with one smooth motion¡­


    Jaq¡¯s eyes snap open as he gets shoved into a cramped cage. he massages his bruised elbows and looks around. Beside him 12 children all around his age laid curled up into a ball on the damp wood.


    ¡°where am I¡± feeling nauseous he stumbles as he struggles to stand, eventually balancing himself by leaning against the rocking wall.


    ¡°Not in Escanor, probably a ship¡­can¡¯t you feel the rocking¡­listen¡­can¡¯t you hear the squeaking wheel?¡± the sweet voice of his sister tells him.


    ¡°huh why are you here?¡± looking puzzled Jaq stares at his sister and asks her


    ¡°oh, look a crazy one, I wonder who¡¯s he talking too¡± the children exclaim


    Jaq looked at the 12 wide eyed children and then at his sis¡­it seems they cannot see her.


    ¡°I¡¯m Calvin, I¡¯m the oldest here, not sure bout you but we are all orphans, the orphanage we were in was too poor, and as the oldest bunch we were sold to the fat merchant. This ship is headed towards a town called Calabar where we will be sold as slaves, don¡¯t frown it¡¯s not as bad as you think, I hear even slaves have wages, or at the very least we won¡¯t starve to death.¡± The boy replies with a smile.


    Thump, Thump, the sound of heavy footsteps can be heard, from the distance, a door hinge squeaks and groans. A person descending a flight of stairs could be heard, getting closer and closer to the children¡­


    ¡°Hey boy your awake now? That¡¯s unfortunate¡± the man had a set of broad shoulders, he had a long blond goatee and had neat hair locks can be seen poking out of his black bandana. The man smiles and looks at the Jaq, one could see his crooked yellow teeth caused by many years of being out at sea. The children huddled together as they saw the man approached the cell. When Jaq saw this, he could not help but feel anxious.


    ¡°I¡¯m squad leader Ragnar, the one who saved your ass. Kid don¡¯t take it personally, but captains got orders for you get be branded, I¡¯m just following orders, if ye got beef take it with the cap¡­Don¡¯t worry I¡¯ve done these many times, it¡¯s pretty much painless.¡± The man brings over a black iron pan and lights a fire inside it, he then goes opposite of the cage and takes out a branding rod from the cupboard, setting it gently inside the fire.


    ¡°Don¡¯t struggle kid, I don¡¯t want to hurt you. this can be done very easily¡± Ragnar tries his best to comfort the child. He was after all a father and hated this part of the job. But regardless a man¡¯s got to eat; perhaps as squad leader if he doesn¡¯t show that he can take orders maybe tomorrow he¡¯d be replaced, sigh¡­everyone had their hardships and he could only hope that this child would co-operate.


    Calvin and the other children looked sympathetically at Jaq, they themselves had experienced the pain of being branded. no one will willingly go and be branded. therefore, as soon as Jaq saw the iron brand his heart sunk to the lowest depths of the ocean. ¡®can¡¯t you do anything sis?¡¯ Jaq pleaded in his mind, but it was no use. His sis looked at him and vanished.


    As Ragnar unlocked the cage and reached out his thick arms to grab him, Jaq ducked under them and ran towards the stairs, like Icarus who flew too close to the sun, the liberating feeling of freedom was short-lived¡­as quick as the wind the powerful arms clamped onto his nape and wrestled him to the moist wooden floors of the ship.


    ¡°Boy, why do you have to struggle¡± Ragnar sighed


    Jolted by the loud noise of the floorboard beside Jaq all the children¡¯s eyes flashed with joy and lust. They clung to the bars of the cage, tongues out and panting heavily, saliva dripping from their open mouths as they stared wide eye at Ragnar and Jaq. Like a bunch of beasts waiting to be fed.


    ¡°clench your teeth boy!¡± Ragnar took a pincer and clamped onto the nail on Jaq¡¯s left pinkie, with a fluid motion he yanks it out.


    Time seems to have stopped for Jaq. He looks down, staring at his bleeding pinkie, watches as the blood drips drop by drop onto the wooden floor, he turns to look at the children¡­lead by Calvin, the faces showed traces of ecstasy. rage filled his heart, he burned with wrath, how dare they¡­how dare they laugh, how dare they feel joy while I¡¯m in misery. Why. Why. WHY.


    Searing heat brings Jaq back into reality as Ragnar places an iron bar on Jaq¡¯s pinkie, cauterising the wound.


    ¡°Boy this is going to sting¡± as Ragnar pushes Jaq on his stomach he grabs the brand and presses it on Jaq left shoulder.


    ¡°Ahh stop it hurts¡­¡± tears stream out from his face, his stomach tightens, forcing out a wave of excretions, a wave of nausea hit him as Jaq nearly faints again. Lifting his head, he sees the laughing children¡­he hates them so much¡­how could do this when they have experienced the injustice themselves¡­stop¡­don¡¯t look¡­STOP¡­


    ¡°Hey dumbass They aren¡¯t going to stop looking¡± his lofty sister has appeared again, ¡°they too suffered from the same pain as you. no, they suffered from more, think bro, they didn¡¯t have parents they never felt what love was yet right by now watching you suffer the same pain as them no doubt makes them feel good, a bond will form as you¡¯ve all been though the same pain now.


    ¡°Sis your too na?ve. I agree they didn¡¯t have parents, so they probably didn¡¯t know what love feels like but what about me. I watched as our parents, our village, OUR BIG FAMILY, all die in one night. I tasted what love is like yet only to have it taken away from me. Have I not suffered enough?¡± Jaq thought back to his sister.


    The girl stopped, pondered for a while, walked up and patted Jaq¡¯s head and whispered ¡°since you know what love feels like, then like Ragnar you should lead by example. Show them what love is like¡­forgive them bro¡­you have all suffered so much¡­are you not tired¡­forgive them brother. Few things in the world that are equal: Love is one, the other one is Pain. You merely adopted the pain whist these children were raised in it (XD) they have suffered enough pain, to them watching others suffer is a release for them. They will only consider you as brothers if you experience the same pain as them¡­Pain is stronger than love and will bond you as brothers!¡± The young girl looks at Jaq one more time before fading into the background.


    Ragnar lets go of the brand, opens the cage and gently places Jaq inside. The children surround Jaq, nobody talks. Ragnar looks at the 13 boys in the cage and sighs, his mind drifts to his homeland, to his wife and his 1-year old son¡­its been 10 years¡­his son should be the same age as Jaq now¡­he shakes his head, puts out the fire and walks away.


    ¡°Welcome to the gang. Ye one of us now¡± Calvin rubs his nose and holds out his hand.


    ¡°That¡¯s one hell of an induction¡± thinking about his sister Jaq reluctantly smiles and slaps the bigger boys hand: ¡°Call me Jaq, I¡¯m not much of a talker sorry¡±. Calvin looks at Jaq and smiles ¡°don¡¯t worry ye fit right in, welcome to the pride¡±. Jaq nods his head and limps towards a free corner of the cell, he sits down and looks at this branded shoulder.


    A circle of thorns with a lion head in the middle


    What I ironic symbol he snorts ¡°The king of beasts trapped by mere thorns?¡±


    End of chapter 3