The door to the mud hut didn`t open ;it creaked with a very high sound and almost broke on entry, even if he just barely used any strength. Interior of bark and dirt, overgrown with roots and moss was his only home. Kaelen made his steps as fast as his stomach allowed him to -
Very slowly.
Eight years of solitary confinement in this place, coming out only to work and coming back only to be reminded of the reason.
The charred floor where his old house used to be and the new one was re-built by the Overseer just so he wouldn`t ever forget.
Kaelen opened a small hatch in the ground to get his emergency food from the cold dirt - a piece of bread and a single almost rotten fruit he somehow had. Along with them, he took the life savings he managed to make, one tiny pouch of bronze coins.
After he "filled" his stomach, and grabbed every other item of any value it was time to leave.
"Father, Mother" Kaelen sat next to two spots on the ground that weren`t covered in moss and rot, leaving just the burned wood on the surface for him to touch softly "I`m going now"
A few tears fell on the ground with a slight sizzle
We can bring them to you
The voice came back as the memories came to him.
His father taking him to the top of the roots to watch the sunset.
His mother`s embrace in the nights
They are not gone
Kaelen simply wiped his tears and stood up
"No" Instead of opening the doors, he kicked them open, breaking them completely "They are" And stormed out of the empty mud shell.
Outside the day was bright. But
People were mostly working away from their houses, children were walking around with scraps around their bodies, sometimes playing ,sometimes picking on adults, mostly trying to steal food from others.
And of course, there were those old enough to work, but not working at all. Instead making profit in the simplest way possible.
"Hi there slave-boy" A group of thugs cheerfully came towards him, hands empty and waving at him. They were illuminated under a shade of one of the roots by a bunch of bio- luminescent bits of mushrooms "Why aren`t you at your master`s feet?"
Jave, Jade and Juda. His friends from childhood, and of course weren`t a fan of what the Overseer was doing in the Swamps.
However, not only did they rejected working, they also rejected anyone who did. And so, after getting taxed at work, he was getting taxed on his way home.
"Kaelen" Jave`s face came now incredibly close to his own "Where`s my god damn money?!"
The obsidian feather inside him and the small gem at his hand trembled a little just as Kaelen`s eyes did.
Money, again. Eight years the same routine. Money taken away from him.
However today, his money was his own. No more taxes. No more thieves.
"Jave" Kaelen looked up towards the taller man "Give me your food" Pointing at his bag with clearly visible bread and meat.
The three thugs looked at each other confused.
"Pfuaahahahahah" Jave laughed straight at his face
"OH, oh Kaely, Kaely" Jade put his arm around Kalen`s shoulder
"Little slaves got jokes now" Juda wiped a tear off of his face
All of them stopped laughing and pulled out crude daggers out of their pockets
"WE WILL GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO EAT YOU BITCH"
3 daggers were pulled back and than jumped forward, one for the eyes, one for the heart, one for the stomach
Kaaelen and the dark feather instead of trembling, were shaking and quaking.
USE US USE US USE US USE US USE US
"FUCK OFF"
He didn`t reach for any weapon, he didn`t move his arms ; only his mouth.
Pressure came from his chest, power came from his hand and its pulsating obsidian jewel.
The words were swift, sharp, and loud as the wind that not long ago filled his body. Soon enough around him weren`t thugs, wasn`t sound - there was void.
Daggers flew away and shattered on impact with a wall nearby, dirt around Kaelen was removed and Jave,Jade and Juda - Gone. Removed from his vicinity.
They reappeared right where they showed up, beneath the dark root, slammed against the glowing mushrooms, now covered up by their blood and vomit.
Kaelen vomited on his own too, a thick black goo came out of his mouth.
Weak
"Shut up" He got up and head up to the thugs.
"What the hell" Jave still had his brain running somehow, barely enough to think and see the figure in front of him. Kaelen came and took the bag out of his broken fingers. "That`s .... mine"
"Yea?" The slave that had to pay his money almost daily just to not get stabbed was not towering over him. Dirty, ragged clothes, ribs showing - he was terrifying in his weakness.
"Look at me" He lowered himself to much his broken body, holding on to his last breaths and his eyes slowly closing.
"LOOK AT ME" Kaelen grabbed his face and forced him to meet his gaze. The terror in his closing eyes was...delicious. More tasty than anything he could ever take from them, ever find in the swamps.
"Its mine now" Jave joined the other 2, dead on the ground, hidden in the shadows of the Tree.
With that, the slave Kaelen was no more.
Kaelen the free man was born.
Kaelen the dark angel was about to be.