Chương 14: Friend vs Friend.

He ran, just ran. Faster. His breath burned in his chest and legs didn't stop. Finally… He could be free, he could see them again. Freya, his daughter. His steps didn't stop, body moved on its own. … But as he reached, his legs slowed down. Then stopped Two figures stood ahead. He looked up and recognised him, he was talking to drago. No… no. Why? It can't be — Zaku? Why are you here? For a moment, time stopped. Zaku turned, just slightly. Their eyes met. Nothing had changed, not his face, not his eyes.

It was still cold, distant, like the ten years of time never had passed. Oren breath caught in his throat. His body stayed frozen. Why? Zaku turns his gaze towards Drago and nods his head. Oren's eyes widened. Zaku turned and started walking towards Oren. Say something. Anything, If I don't speak up, nothing's going to change, not him and not me. Oren opened his mouth, but Zaku never looked. Just walked past him, like he wasn't even there.

That suffocating pressure, that presence he felt, was the same from the day when Zaku had betrayed him. He tried to speak, but the words caught in his throat. Drago's voice snapped him out of the moment.

"Hey!"

"Why are you just standing there, hurry up…" Oren flinched.

"You don't want to keep me waiting do you?" He rushed forward to Drago to give him fruits, he sat down on his knees, his hands trembling with fear. For a moment he didn't move, then his eyes shifted at Zaku, just for a second. Zaku had stopped and turned back to look at him — just for a second, but then he kept walking out of the hall entrance. Oren's chest tightened as he watched him leave. Why was he here? Was he… trying to keep me away from my family… again? He bit the inside of his cheeks.

I can't let that happen, I have to get out of here… I have to find them. If Drago finds out that I plan to escape, he will kill me. But how will I escape from here? Then an idea clicked into his head. I'll run when I go out to chop some woods, nobody will suspect me then, that's the only chance I'll get to escape. Oren waited patiently, after some time.

"Go now!" Drago said, waving his hands off.

"I've got things to do." Oren stood up and turned, he began to walk.

"Hey" He froze.

"No woodcutting today."

"Understood?" Everything inside him dropped. Oren didn't move for a second, but then he nodded. Everything he planned was ruined within a second. How? How did he know what I was planning? Zaku. His fingers curled into a fist. He must have told him to keep me here. But you can't stop me Zaku, not this time. The hatred towards Zaku rose inside him. ten years, for ten long years he endured everything in silence.

This time his mind didn't think about the consequences, it only thought of getting out of this place somehow. As he walked, he planned another way to escape. He was determined to escape no matter what. He grabbed his axe and started walking like always, like he was going to chop wood. But as he was about to leave he heard two voices. Both of them were Drago's men, talking.

"Drago wants us to keep an eye on misfits, so no one can escape." The voice reached his ears.

"Didn't the king give an order to exile all the misfits. So why is he keeping them here?"

"You know Drago, once he decides something he doesn't listen to anyone."

"Yeah that's Drago." Footsteps walking away. Oren heard what Drago's men were talking about, his body dropped and trailed down along the wall as he sat hard on the surface. He grabbed his forehead with both of his hands, and didn't know what to do. Now that Drago's men are everywhere. He was trapped. He knew that his men would not let him go, there was no other choice besides him sneaking out of the place. So he had decided to sneak out of there. He stood up, and breathed heavily.

He leaned forward and kept his body attached to the wall. He saw where the Drago's men were patrolling, how many guards were present before the exit and who were they. Oren had spent ten years learning exactly where those wall's edges were. Where the surface was thick or narrow. All those things he learned, was in hope that one day he might escape them and go back to his family. And for him the day was today. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

As he moved further, he found there were two guards walking ahead of him, he carefully walked behind him, and gripped his axe tightly, in case he had to attack he wouldn't hesitate. That's what he thought — He took shadow steps and kept distance from them; But then — Both of those men turned around. Oren looked around, his body moved on instinct and hid in a narrow gap between two walls. His heart slammed against his ribs as the steps were getting closer in his direction. He didn't move, didn't breathe.

Just barely…. Barely kept himself in, waited for the right moment and hoped that his men didn't see him. They stopped, inches apart. His one eye closed suddenly and his teeth clenched. Just a gaze to the right and he would've been discovered. He held his breath and didn't make a sound. Those seconds felt longer. They finally moved; he thought he would get caught in those moments but he managed somehow. They walked by without discovering him. Oren didn't move from that narrow gap, not yet…

He waited for a few seconds until the distance between the guards increased. He stepped out, slowly. Air had left from his lungs, he moved ahead and saw two more of his men were blocking the exit. He had to make sure to leave from here before those two guards returned for their patrolling. Not enough time. His eyes scanned around, quickly. An idea popped into his head. He grabbed a flame torch attached to a wall and lit the hanging cloth and kept the torch back.

Flame spread, while he moved with those shadow steps ahead towards the opposite direction. He saw the storage room ahead, near the exit and hid behind its door. Within a minute, a guard shouted "FIRE!"

"FIRE!"

"Huh.. how did it happen?" Both guards saw fire and ran towards it. The exit was empty, the fire gave him enough time to escape before other guards rushed in. Oren hurried and stepped out and ran. He didn't look back. His legs didn't stop. Just kept moving faster and left Drago's hideout without anyone noticing. He was out, and finally free. Tears blurred his vision, and a small smile came to his face. He ran towards his house, towards his family as fast as he could. I made it… I made it.

"Hey." He stopped.

"Where do you think you're going?" He tried to move but his body didn't respond and completely froze on that spot. The thoughts collided with each other then his mind went blank. He had recognised that voice it was one of Drago's men. How? How did he find me? He thought that all of the Drago men were inside. But never considered the possibility that some of his men were patrolling outside just in case someone tries to escape. A realization hit him like thunder strikes down a tree.

He understood that Drago had planned everything to stop any misfit who tried to escape. The man approached him.

"I asked where were you going?" Oren breathed heavily. The man looked at him, his eyes staring at him.

"I don't recall any misfits working today. Drago clearly said no work for any misfit." He leaned towards him.

"Then what are you doing out here?" Oren didn't move, just stood still.

"Let me guess, You were trying to escape weren't you." He swallowed hard. The sound of footsteps got closer. A figure approached both of them.

"Leave him to me." His heart skipped a beat. Those words, that voice sound familiar to him. No… Oren turned back slowly, it was Zaku.

"There's been some commotion inside," The man hesitated for a second.

"You can go in, I can take care of him."

"But —" the man said"Don't worry, I got this — our men are all around the city. There's no way he could escape. And besides, my hands have been itching for two long years." Zaku looked at Oren. The man smirked.

"Yeah, okay."

"Go." The man rushed inside. Silence. Both of them didn't move. Both of them just looked at each other.

"It has been a long time." Zaku said.

"ZAAAKU." After two long years the words that came out of his mouth were his name. It sounded heavy.

"You haven't changed a bit."

"Let me go Zaku." He pointed his axe towards him.

"Let me go to my family." One more of Drago's men approached them.

"Hey what's going on —" He asked Zaku then looked at Oren.

"You, what are you doing here… you were supposed to be inside." Oren took two steps back and began to run.

"Did you honestly think there was an escape for you?" Zaku cast a spell. A large layer of water appeared; it looked like a wall. A wall made of water. Oren turned around and began to run. Run faster. But, Zaku's water wall had blocked the path behind him. Oren turned at Zaku, his teeth clenched. Frustrated by his magic, he ran towards the other direction. Behind him, he heard "You block the east side, I'll follow him." Zaku's voice reached his ears. Oren ran faster.

His steps echoed and breath got heavier every second. He looked back, Zaku followed. He ran left, and a water wall appeared rising from the ground. Zaku had blocked his path. He didn't stop and ran ahead then he tried going to the right. Zaku blocked his path again. Every path he went. Blocked by Zaku. Oren's breath shortened, his lungs burned as his steps stumbled. He almost tripped but he balanced himself somehow and kept running. Why? Why won't he let me go? He turned sharply, took a narrow path in the alley.

It was dark. Zaku followed behind his steps, He had lost him. Nothing there, just silence. Oren had hid himself from him. Zaku began to look around where Oren had gone. He held his breath, as Zaku came closer.

"Oren…" His footsteps were nearing him. Then it stopped. Another footsteps sound echoed in his ears, he looked up. It was the same person who headed east.

"Did you find him?" The men asked.

"No, he's fast." Zaku replied.

"He probably went in the direction towards his old home…." He paused,"My… home." Oren's jaw tightened. Your home, It was mine! You took it from me. You took them from me.

"Alright you stay here, I'll go and see." The man said. The footsteps were fading away. He curled his foot fingers where he crouched and hid. Breathing heavily. No…. He will kill them. My family… Freya. I have to, I have to get there before they kill them. Zaku, this time I won't let you… The memories came back to him of the day when Zaku betrayed him, when he sold him, when he endured those suffering. Zaku footsteps were coming in his direction. He remembered those words ZAAA… KU, you will pay for this, one day.

You will, I swear it. Those words just repeated in his mind, to make Zaku pay for everything he had endured. Everything that had happened to him was because of him.

"Oren…?" No response. Zaku moved ahead.

"Oren, where are—" Oren stepped forward. The axe raised and swung. … Red… A pain stung his hands. … Zaku looked down. Blood dripping. … An axe buried inside his stomach. … Oren stood there. Breathing hard. His hands were trembling. Zaku's eyes lifted. Their eyes locked. For a second no one moved. … Blood spilled from his mouth. No anger. Just a faint smile.

"You…" Oren breathed heavily.

"You brought this on yourself." He said loudly, fingers holding tight on that axe.

"My family could've escaped." He removed the axe and Zaku dropped to his knees, falling onto his stomach, bleeding.

"It's your fault." Zaku coughed blood.

"It's ALL your fault!" He said louder. Blood spread on the ground then touched Oren's feet. He breathed heavily. Zaku opened his mouth to say something to Oren.

"Live…" Zaku coughed hard.

"don't… let… them." The Voice faded. … But his hand moved. Slowly. Trembling, weak. … A clay tablet. Oren looked, but didn't take it. … Zaku's hand dropped. … His eyes closed. … Silence. … Oren stood there, watching.

"No!" A voice reached his ears. A figure stood there, covering their mouth. Oren had recognised that voice and turned. It was Freya. She ran past Oren and dropped beside Zaku.

"No, Zaku." Her hands were shaking.

"Wake up!"

"Wake up!" She shouted. Oren's chest tightened.

"Freya..." Oren's voice cracked.

"Why did you do it?" Freya eyes teared up.

"Why did you kill him?" Oren froze.

"Why Oren?" Oren spoke.

"He was —" She interrupted him.

"HE WAS TRYING TO SAVE YOU, OREN!" The word pierced through his chest. His heart got heavy and pounded fast, he stepped back. No! That's not true. It can't —"He made a deal! To save you!" Her voice broke. The land slid underneath his feet. Oren remembered Zaku standing there with Drago.

"NO!" The axe slipped through his fingers. He grabbed onto his chest, his heart hammered faster.

"And you killed him." She said loudly, with her broken voice.

"YOU KILLED HIM!" Tears rolled down his eyes.

"NO!" Oren dropped to his knees. He couldn't breathe, the weight of that guilt was crushing him. He looked at his body. Then it flashed before his eyes. His faint smile.