The forest canopy covered most of the sky, blocking the light from the rising sun. It must have been a beautiful morning.
Well, not like I thought about those things. All I had before me was a straight road back to life. I simply had to persist.
And so I did, until I suddenly felt an arm across my chest hindering me from moving forward. I stopped abruptly, too hungry to be so surprised.
Once again, I hadn't noticed him get so close to me.
"Where do you think you are going?" Sabe asked me.
With my half-opened eye, I looked flimsily to my right where Sabe stood, with his left arm stretched out before me, preventing me from taking another step.
"I won't make it" I said bluntly. "I just can't do this"
"I remember telling you that you won't be leaving here. Are you also quick to forget?"
My eyes widened a bit in surprise this time.
"What?" I said too weak to sound taken aback. "What do you...you can't possibly be serious. Are you really going to hold me here against my will?"
"Against your will?" Sabe retorted. "Don't be stupid. Master Ashar wouldn't have sent you here if you didn't willingly make a pact with him"
"A pact I made willingly?" I asked, too weak to think back. But I had to, since things were looking too horrid for me now. What pact did I make? I really couldn't recall and so I asked him.
"What pact are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb, you fool. I'm not going to argue with you here" Sabe said. "We're going back. From now, until master Ashar says otherwise, this is your home. You are even free to die here if you please"
Those words resounded in my ears like bells. It sounded to me like I had long since walked into a perfectly executed kidnap. That thought had me feeling like a cornered animal that could only fight and bite its way through at that point.
I staggered backwards to get a full and clearer sight of Sabe.
"You bastard. You shouldn't joke like that"
There was no way I was going back there. Even though my gait was inept, Sabe could see it written clearly on my worn out face. I was ready to get through him to continue on my way.
"Are you going to try to attack me again?" Sabe asked.
"I never made any 'pact' with that geezer" I muttered. "So, you should just get out of my way"
Sabe looked on at me for a few seconds before sighing.
"The agreement you made with master Ashar is your pact. I'm sure you must have somehow agreed to let him train you. If that wasn't the case, then you won't be here"
That sounded ridiculous to my ears but my famishment prevented me from thinking too much about it. At that point, there was only one thing to do.
I couldn't remember the last time I had a serious and physical fight with someone. That was probably during my early teenage years. And now, here I am again, very much intent on fighting my way past Sabe. A fight that I would be taking much seriously. A fight that felt like my survival was hinged on it. I summoned all the strength I had and charged at Sabe, not interested in any other thing he had to say.
I threw my fists at his face but my attack must have been too clumsy. It didn't even reach him. I recollected myself and went at him again. It didn't reach him. And so I kept flailing my fists for a hit.
"Even on a full stomach, you won't be able to win against me. What now makes you think you can hit me in that pitiful state you are in?"
"Shut up and stop moving"
"I haven't moved from this spot. You're the one trying to attack and then moving backwards each time"
'Ohh' I thought to myself. I hadn't noticed. My legs were so unstable that i kept on staggering. I had to pull myself together properly.
"I didn't know that" I said, taking corrections. "I'll get serious now"
I breathed in deeply and focused my mind on Sabe as much as I could. I couldn't tell why but my deep breaths felt a bit different at that time. It was as if I could literally feel the air circulate through my body. I felt some kind of lightness and clarity despite how hungry I was at that time.
I could attack well now. I knew it. If I threw my fists at him again, it would definitely reach and then, the actual fight would begin. He was most likely underestimating me now. But one can't tell just what a cornered animal can do. Although, in this case, I was the cornered animal unfortunately.
My feet stabilised just as I got ready to pounce. And looking at Sabe, i could tell he was anticipating my attack this time. He had better be!
I took a deep breath again and in that moment, I lunged at him much swiftly. It almost felt like that time I had been attacked by the Yaomo on that bus. My hunger and anxiousness had faded away. And when I got close enough to Sabe, I threw my fists at his face. At that time, I was sure I was the only one attacking and I expected him to deflect or dodge. But he didn't and I could see my fist closing in on his face.
And just when I thought I had landed the first strike, I felt a deep, heavy and painful pressure on my chest. It was so powerful that it drove me back. No, it didn't just drive me back. It threw me backwards. I could feel my body get carried off the ground like I had been violently blown away.
Next, I collided with a tree. The impact must have been so strong as I lost consciousness immediately.
That was the third time I had been knocked out by Sabe, all in less than twenty four hours.