Kean tried to avoid more danger, wanting to set himself free of Gaulmer's grab. No matter how hard he tried to push himself away, it just didn't seem to work.
There was visible rage building up in the eyes before him, showing clear intent of beating him with no pause in between.
Let me go, let me go, damn it!
While they were both in their own confrontation, the people around them just stood by, watching the scene unfold, it was like watching a street performance between clowns.
There was a wound forming on Gaulmer's nose, letting the blood flow down from both sides onto his mouth, tasting it with his tongue by sliding it across his upper lip.
After swallowing a good amount of it, he let one hand go of Kean and grabbed him by the arm. Gaulmer then turned his back to him, throwing Kean over him and to the ground.
The brute weight followed that action by jumping on-top of him, hindering Kean from any movement and making it unable to stand up.
Kean was blinded by the sheer impact of the fall on the ground, lying in a position where the sun shone directly into his face.
He was only able to see the shadow-like figure on top of him.
The figure raised both of his arms high into the air, forming a fist with one hand and holding onto it with the other, then swinging it straight into his face creating a blow so powerful it could have knocked him out.
"Come on, hit harder!" shouted one.
"Let him get what he deserves!" screamed all at the same time.
For the other children that were on the training field, watching those two unfold in their little argument, was as exciting as torturing a little animal.
Torment the weak by showing them their powerlessness.
After every repeating hit that got delivered to Kean's face, his face started to swell up, changing colors as the damage got greater.
His right eye started to turn red as blood, purple as the flowers and blue as the night sky. It swelled up making it hard to see correctly. It seemed for him as if he started to see time in a different manner.
Kean was incapable of thought, the impact to his head turned his mind into a puddle of mush.
His skin started to dry up and it started to sort of crack open, there was blood flowing out from every new opening.
His nose was hit into what could seem like a newfound shape, after every strike that was dealt, it deformed itself and blocked the airflow.
He lay there on the ground, unable draw a single breath through his nose, even the smallest gust of wind that would enter his nostrils felt like his lungs would crush.
He wished from the deepest part of his soul for his torment to vanish into the air, to be relieved of the feelings he had to bear in that village.
Kean wanted to cry, to let the frustration out of his body, but because of his deeply swollen eye, it was close to impossible to let even one tear stream out.
Mother...please help me.
The brute weight stood up and took a few steps back, he was observing Kean like an artist his work.
It became all silent and for a faint moment Kean heard a noise that could seem to resemble the rustling of chains.
"That was enough for today, everyone back to their objective!"
The instructor ordered every child to return to their previous state, it wasn't because he wanted to help. It was because they had already wasted enough time on someone like Kean.
He didn't deserve more attention.
"But mister Grieler, we can't let a weakling like him think that he can walk openly around here... he's the town's failure after all!"
"It is instructor for you, young man! And it doesn't matter if he is a failure or not, what does matter is, if we should waste our precious time on him. Do you understand!"
"Yes...I understand instructor."
The brute-weight lowered his head, hiding his embarrassment from Grieler.
The instructor turned around putting his hand on the back of Gaulmer and walked with him to the others.
After everyone went back to their own problems or something of that sort and Kean was still on the muddy ground, there was but one person who came to his help; or so it seemed.
It was a rather young girl with a sharp look in her eyes, fiery eyes, hair as shiny as the polished leather. She was amidst every other human in that place the only one who gave him some sort of sympathy.
She kneeled down slowly In front of him and reached her hand out to him, giving him a look of pity.
Kean turned his one eye to her, his vision was still blurred from the blood that surrounded his iris. He could not see the face of the person in front of him, either way he took her hand and they stood up together.
He didn't need to be able to use his eyes to know who it was, just by the kindness alone he knew who the person was.
"Are you alright, Kean?"
"I'm... fine."
"You really have to watch out what you do or else it will always stay like this." She took a deep breath and with a strong tone told him: "If you can't fight then don't get in the way of others! You see everyone else cause trouble like you?!"
"... It wasn't my intention... to start something like this."
Kean had trouble forming words without feeling a strong pain in his mouth. So he tried his best and talked as slow as his tongue allowed him.
"T... thank you for helping me stand up, Amisa"
He forced his still bleeding mouth to make a smile of gratitude, but it just looked horrendous from the previous beating he took.
"Don't do that," she muttered, "It looks disgusting! Now go and cover that face before others have to see it"
Amisa was always sort of nice to Kean compared to the others, she looked out for him and was very much liked his parent's.
If the village people weren't so strict about hating me, then she would surely be like a sister to me.
And at that exact moment he had that exact thought.
Ahh... Wouldn't that be nice.
Kean looked around, hoping that he would be unnoticed, so that he could walk away without causing more trouble.
When he saw that the coast was clear, he started to walk away.
Amisa stared for some time at Kean as he walked away, her face changing to a soft expression. Maybe she was pitying him or it could have been that she remembered something pleasant while observing him.
---
Not even ten minutes later, Kean was standing in front of the nurse's tent. It was located near the center beside the conference hut. It had about 12 infirmary beds, half on each side. It wasn't nearly enough for the people in the village, not even enough for a third of the population.
This will be the second time this week that I go in, the nurse will surely shout at me for wasting to much supplies. That damn Gaulmer!
Kean stood still for some time , he was contemplating whether he should go in or not, but since he had a terrible face to show for it would be worse for him to let everybody see him like that.
I would rather walk around with my whole face covered than look like a deformed monster. Then it would just become worse, and i also don't want to worry mother more than she already does.
Before he gathered enough courage to walk in, someone approached him from behind. It was a middle-aged woman, short brown hair, with light clothing on.
She put her hand softly on Kean's shoulder, her palm had a soft and warm sensation, it was rather soothing. She turned to him looking directly into into the eyes, then her glance went onto the injuries.
She gave him a perplexed look and grabbed him so that she could drag kean inside the tent.
"Tell me, what happened now? Did you start trouble again?!"
"No...not really, it was just a heated argument."
"I have lived long enough to know the difference between a fight and an argument, you look as if you were beaten without an end. Treating you has really become an everyday activity for me, you really have to stand up for yourself or avoid any endangerment! If possible try to make both."
"Yes, in time I shall learn how to, nurse miss."
Kean sat down on the chair beside the entrance, the nurse took out a small bag with medical equipment and placed it on the table beside him.
"You still haven't memorized my name, even after coming every week?!"
"I'm not very good at remembering names of elderly people"
"It is nurse Tanrel for you! Young man."
Nurse Tanrel pinched his already swollen cheek, just enough to sort of burn her name in his memory. Kean upon that, closed both eyes trying to resist the pain.
She took out an ointment from the bag, and smeared it across Kean's face. It was cold upon the touch and then turned hot as if it was cooking the skin.
Kean started to shake all across his body. He thought he would surely die from the ointment.
Even though nurse Tanrel has used this 'medical cream' many times to treat me, I still can't get used to that burning. And like every time she tells me to be strong. I would like to see her have this thing, smeared all across her face!
"It is almost over, only the bandages and you should be fine to go. Your nose will take some time compared to the other injuries, since it is mostly broken. So please try and take care of yourself more, if you don't. I'm afraid that your nose will never work like it used to."
"Maybe I could try living in a hole like the rats do, that way i don't run into any danger."
Kean gave a bit of an attitude towards the nurse. He tried to be somewhat funny while hiding the truth, that taking it easy would be no simple task. If he could live in a crammed hole, he definitely wouldn't, since it reminds him of the tales that were told about the early humans. Also it would be very dirty and moist inside, without any source of light.
I don't like the idea of living like rats, also carrying around diseases would get me beheaded. So if I had the chance to either live underground or on the surface with an abysmal face—I would choose the surface, well I think I would.
While Kean was lingering in his own thoughts, the nurse had already finished with bandaging him. It covered his whole left eye, the bandage going all around his head. Not only was his nose also covered, but his chin too. It was clear that he was in no state to even talk, much less do anything stressful.
Suddenly a new person entered the tent and in a worrying tone asked:
"Oh my what happened to you?"