The soldiers stood silent for a long moment, staring at one another and then at him. But suddenly, they all burst into laughter again.
"What? Choosing something…?" one mocked.
He turned his head toward the others as they laughed among themselves.
"Did they even have anything?" another sneered. "They? Hahahaha… They have nothing to live for, nothing to steal, those miserable slaves. Just beggars living on our food. What kind of fate do you think they have? Huh… and this bastard is talking about them rising."
A soldier holding a bottle staggered forward and said drunkenly, "But he did say one thing right… they are really going to become stars today. They are really going to rise, not by their legs, but by hanging like cocks!"
"Hahahahahaha!"
The monkey man also laughed with them and said, "Don't worry… hahahaha… haan, there will always be an exception…"
Another soldier replied mockingly, "Oh, really? An exception? Did you forget what happened two months ago? Someone already tried and the commander cut him in half."
The monkey man replied in a very low voice, only audible to those standing close to him.
"Ahh… that man. He was not cut down… ahh… what would I gain by telling you all? Brains full of maggots, thinking only of women. Just remember, will is everything in this world if you want to rise again."
They only caught fragments of his words, but they paid little attention. Instead, they grabbed bottles from the soldiers behind them and continued drinking, enjoying themselves in their drunken state.
From the back, another soldier shouted in drunken anger, "I think he was talking about that bastard boy who used to give him food."
"I… I already know that. So what? He'll die anyway."
The speaker collapsed to the ground in drunkenness.
Someone nearby grabbed his bottle and scoffed, "Huh… can't even stand on his own legs. But you're right, wasn't he beaten by our leader for stealing something?"
Another soldier drunkenly shook his head. "You all are wrong. That's a false rumour. He wasn't beaten, he was specially dragged away and chosen by the king and the commander for this holy ritual."
"I also heard he survived that place."
"And I heard when a team went searching, the slave-controlling arrow always pointed toward that cave… but the connection was always lost near it."
"I also heard his number was the same as the last one."
Rumours and gossip spread among them as they continued drinking.
The soldier who had fallen to the ground suddenly stood up.
"Ahhh… stop it. I get it. So your prayer was not going to work and stop your babbling also. Bastards, why all are talking about dead ones? He was going to die anyway. So fuck off, but why leave him?"
He quickly threw a stone toward the monkey man. Seeing this, some soldiers laughed, some kept drinking, and others went closer and began throwing stones as well. A few even threw their empty bottles at him.
They continued talking and laughing among themselves.
Meanwhile, the monkey man quietly murmured:
"This eternal sun rises every day, in the heart, in heaven, and even in hell. But for some, it is always darkness. Even when clouds, rocks, or falling leaves try to cover it, it does not wait for its fate to change. It already knows that even through a thousand struggles, it must give its light.
But look at those bastards, always lost in alcohol and women. They never even think of removing those clouds and leaves. Their hearts are always covered by a curtain of darkness. Even a small moon would be enough for them… yet they do not want it.
So why did you bring them here? I am hurt. I am hurt by this.
They never tried to change their fate. They already accepted it, as if it were written on a falling leaf, never thinking of changing it.
Yet still… some fates are broken, not just broken, but destroyed. They wanted to change it by any means. Why not save those who wish to change? Those are the ones who remain true to their fate.
But it is alright. Life is like that. Some will be broken, some will be too fortunate, and perhaps some will destroy fate itself and recreate it.
Or perhaps… fate simply fell far behind his path, unable to understand the path he walks…"
He spoke slowly. Some of the soldiers heard fragments of his words but ignored them, thinking it was just the foolish chanting of a madman.
After laughing, drinking, and talking among themselves, one of them asked drunkenly, by going near him and rising his spear.
"Now tell me, what can your prayers do? His soul will be sucked out for us."
The monkey man did not answer.
.......
In the meantime, more soldiers were arriving, and one of the newcomers asked,"Does it really happen? Do people's heads really fall off?"
Another replied drunkenly,"Not that I heard. I heard their life force is sucked out as well."
"I heard that after that they are hung on ropes and fed to the sea creatures. And from there, a gate opens."
Many of them continued talking and spreading rumours among themselves.
In the middle of their chatter, the orange-clothed man suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahaha… my prayer… hahahahaha… it has already been done. Don't worry… he will not be sacrificed—not anymore. But what about all of you? You will die in the name of your so-called holy ritual… in the sacred crow's hands."
Hearing this, anger rose among them.
They shouted in unison,"Huh… foolish monkey! This bastard dares to think he can kill us. Listen carefully, maggot, the ritual is only for slaves. We gave them food, and now we will take the fruits. Huh…"
Someone threw another stone at him.
He grabbed some stones, dodged others, and even threw a few back at them. Seeing this, more soldiers picked up stones and pebbles and began throwing them toward him. The scene quickly turned into chaos.
While dodging them, the monkey man laughed.
"Nothing will work on me. Don't worry, you will all die… hahaha…"
"Still not in your senses? Throw more!" someone shouted.
At that moment, a soldier stepped forward from the crowd and raised his fingers to silence them.
"Shh… don't screech, monkey. The strong decide what is truth."
The monkey man blinked twice and replied calmly,"Then I must say… you all are weak."
"Don't talk with him, just stone him!" another soldier shouted.
Again, the monkey man asked,"What is this ritual for?"
One soldier yelled back,"A path for the greater good. You, and even a thousand brains like yours together, would never understand it. So just eat the stones! Throw them quickly!"
The soldiers burst into laughter.
"Monkey! Show us some more dancing! Hey, throw it, why did you stop? Throw more! Don't let him grab them. More, more!"
They quickly gathered more stones and pebbles and hurled them toward him.
Suddenly, his eyes turned red again but this time the dreadful aura did not appear.
Some soldiers hesitated when they saw the glow, but they quickly regained their composure and continued throwing stones. The one who had stepped near him had already fallen back in fear after seeing his eyes.
They laughed and mocked him.
In return, the monkey man began to dance among the stones, dodging them while making strange postures and mocking gestures toward the soldiers.
Their anger only grew stronger, while his behaviour became even more playful and childish.
It was a truly strange scene to witness.
..........
But suddenly everything stopped.
From far in the distance, a long, thunderous roar echoed across the camp.
"STOOOP…!"
At that very moment, a cold wind rushed through the area. Dust lifted from the ground and chains scattered nearby clattered faintly against the stones. A shiver ran down the soldiers' spines.
The sounds of torture from earlier had already faded long ago. Now only harsh laughter and angry voices echoed across the rocky ground.
The orange-clothed man turned his head toward the direction of the roar and said calmly,
"Here he comes… the scapegoat is coming… hahahaha… my wish is about to be fulfilled… hunh…"
He looked at the soldiers again and mocked them.
"Why did you all stop? Throw again! Again! What happened? Got something stuck in your ass? Hahaha… See? Didn't I tell you how weak you all are?"
The soldiers burned with rage, but none of them dared to respond. A strange pressure hung in the air, heavy and suffocating.
One soldier whispered slowly, barely able to raise his head.
"How… how is he not affected?"
Another one muttered near him,
"Did you forget? He stole that energy from the previous commander."
"Oh… yes, you're right. If he got that power, then that boy might—"
"That's impossible."
"But it might be possible too… we must report it."
Before they could continue, another thunderous roar shattered the tense silence.
"WHY ARE THE MAGGOTS NOT IN LINE? TALKING WITH EACH OTHER? HUNH… DID YOU FORGET THE PUNISHMENT?"
The soldiers slowly raised their heads.
Through the rising dust and morning light, a figure was approaching.
He wore a lion-headed mask, its carved fangs glinting in the early sunlight. In his hand he carried a massive axe, its blade heavy and dark.
The ground seemed to tremble slightly under his steps.
The moment the soldiers saw him clearly, they hurriedly formed four straight lines, standing rigidly at attention. Fear spread across their faces.
Behind him, one soldier, named Chunni, who was dragging a small boy before came forward.
The commander stopped, staring toward the rock where the orange-clothed man was still jumping and dancing like a mocking monkey.
"What is happening here?" the commander demanded.
The soldier behind bowed quickly and answered in fear.
"Sir… that monkey was speaking badly about the kingdom… about us. He was threatening to kill you, talking about earthquakes, destruction, and many other things. So we decided to kill him."
He pointed directly toward the orange-clothed man, who was still dancing on top of the rock, mocking them with exaggerated movements.
The commander looked toward him.
Then he asked slowly,
"So… what they are saying—is it true?"
The monkey man suddenly sat down on the rock. He rotated his head slowly from side to side, scratching his cheek with his foot like an animal. Yet a strange smile rested on his face.
Under his breath, he murmured softly,
"Time is coming…"
A faint wind moved across the rocky ground, stirring dust around the soldiers' boots.
The commander heard the soldiers' accusations and smiled devilishly beneath his lion-headed mask when he did not get his answers.
"Hey, bastard," he said coldly. "How dare you curse the kingdom? Are you saying you are more powerful than the kingdom itself? Are you mocking the king… and even me?"
He lifted the heavy axe slightly, its blade glinting under the rising sun.
"Are you trying to go against the kingdom with that little thing of yours as a sword? Do you think you can ruin our kingdom with nothing but curses and foolish chants?"
He laughed darkly.
"Huh… little bastard. I have seen many like you. And I have cut them down with this little toy many times."
Slowly, he dragged his tongue across the sharp edge of the axe.
A few nearby soldiers shivered.
Suddenly the orange-clothed man burst into wild laughter.
"Hahahaha… foolish little worm! Ruin the kingdom? Why should I ruin it when it is already running toward ruin?"
He tilted his head upward, staring toward the brightening sky as if calculating something.
"Wait… let me calculate… five years…"
His voice grew louder.
"In next five years this kingdom will fall. King will also die a dog's death. Hehhee..."
The commander's grip tightened around the axe.
"Bastard monkey—!"
But the monkey man shouted again, cutting him off.
"Listen carefully, you bastard!"
The wind swept across the rocks again, lifting the edges of his orange cloth.
"When a king lives in lust, does the kingdom not become owned by lust as well? Killing people for his own gain… selling them… violating women… looting everything."
He laughed bitterly.
"What remains that you still dare to call this a prosperous kingdom?"
The soldiers shifted uneasily.
"Huh… fools blinded by money and desire. You cannot even see the simplest fate, yet you ask me why it will be ruined."
His eyes gleamed as he looked directly toward the commander.
"Such a silly bastard."
Then he spoke slowly.
"Remember this… the kingdom was already ruined the moment that bastard king sat on the throne and drowned himself in lust."
He spread his arms slightly and laughed loudly again.
"So tell me… why would I need to ruin it… when it is already ruined?"
"Hahahahaha…!"
The wind howled briefly through the rocky camp, carrying his laughter across the silent soldiers. His shout loosened the tense atmosphere slightly. Some soldiers were finally able to move again.
This time the commander spoke with amused rage.
"Such blasphemy against the kingdom… to bite the hand that feeds you. Such arrogance…"
The orange-clothed man suddenly made a confused expression.
"Wait… wait… what are you talking about? Bite the hand that feeds me? What are you saying?"
He scratched his head again like a puzzled animal.
"Did you forget that you never gave me anything to drink even once? That boy, the one you selected for the ritual, he gave me half of his food every time. So when did I ever eat your food? That food was his."
A few soldiers laughed harshly.
"His food? Hahaha!" one shouted. "We gave him that food out of mercy. So when did it become his? Are you brain-dead?"
The monkey man burst into laughter.
"Hahaha… brain-dead? I don't think anyone deserves that title more than you."
He glanced across the soldiers.
"Oh… I see. Your mouths are already full of your own filth. No need to speak further. I understand, you all are same anyway."
The commander shot a cold glare at the soldiers. Under that gaze, some of them trembled; one or two even lost control and wet themselves in fear.
The monkey man laughed madly at the sight.
"Listen carefully, you bastard. Food comes from this mother earth. Farmers grow it with their hands. It belongs to them, or better yet, it belongs to every living being that needs it to survive."
He pointed toward the ground beneath their feet.
"So when exactly did it become the kingdom's food? Chu chu… such an unintelligent bastard."
The commander's anger flared hotter.
"Bastard!" he roared. "Hahaha… what nonsense are you babbling?"
The wind swept through the rocky camp again, lifting dust around their feet.
"In this place, after the king's order, my order comes first. How dare you defy my words!"
He raised his arm sharply.
"Throw him into the sea!"
The soldiers flinched and began to move, but the commander suddenly stopped mid-step. He turned back with burning eyes.
"Wait."
His voice dropped into something colder.
"Bring a kharga. Today his death will be the first sacrifice of the holy ritual."
The soldiers froze for a moment before rushing to obey.
But the orange-clothed man only laughed louder.
"Hahahaha! And what will you do with it? Cut my head for your foolish wish?"
He leaned back on the rock, still laughing wildly.
"Nothing will change… nothing will happen… because, hehehe… ahahahaha!"
He suddenly leapt up and began dancing again on top of the rock like a mad performer.
Dust scattered around his feet as he moved.
His voice echoed across the camp as he shouted toward the distant slaves being marched away.
"Do not worry, eternal sun! The time will come soon. They will rise again, all of them, united!"
He stretched his arms toward the sky.
"You will also find them again and again… on the shores of seas, along the rivers. They are the most honest ones, even in their poor lives. They never betray their own kind like these bastards do!"
The soldiers muttered angrily.
"They don't even know the meaning of betrayal!"
His laughter turned sharp and bitter.
"Those who tried to rule them… who took their land, killed their people, burned their homes, looted everything, now they ask why someone would bite the hand that feeds them."
"Bastards… whores…"
His voice rose with strange intensity.
"This eternal sun will come… and devour all of them!"
The commander suddenly laughed as well, though his laughter carried a cruel edge.
"Indeed," he said slowly. "We will devour them."
The axe rested on his shoulder as he spoke.
"And we love doing it. You should understand something, those people depend on us because they are weak."
He stepped forward slightly.
"Only the strong rule..."
TBC...