Jungles of Cambodia

December 24, 1974

12:12pm South-East Asia UTC

Chapter One - Den of Tigers

The air was disgustingly thick with the scent of blood, gun powder, and the dying in the heat of the jungle air. Guns were heard firing off not too far from where a good lot of soldiers stood guard; their guns constantly at the ready. A few feet away down a small slope was a spot specially sanctioned off for the disposal of the dead; prisoners or their own. The Khmer Rouge were a nasty lot and Pol-Pot was a name to be feared just as much during this troubling time. Cambodia was riddled with issues right now and their Vietnamese neighbors were adding tremendously to the growing problem. Grenade explosions alerted some of the men as a few moved away from the slope and disappeared in the thick of the trees. Sitting by a large hole that was ten feet wide and twelve feet deep was an eleven year old boy propped against a tree. His clothes were a bit ragged and torn but it was to be expected when out in conditions such as these for very long. Liver brown eyes were gazing at the bushes a small rifle propped in his lap with his finger near the trigger. Twice this week tigers had made their prowl following the scent of food and attacked four men. It was this young boy's job to keep an eye out for the local wildlife amongst other duties that were less desirable. So far all the boy could note was that these radicals were not fans of 'free-thinking' in the very least; you were either a socialist or dead. When brought to this place the child understood this was survival so he didn't fight the system.

"Nhean pay closer attention you cannot space out." A man's gruff voice snapped his thoughts back and he turned looking over.

"I am paying close attention so I don't fail to see the tiger." Nhean answered without much inflection in hi s voice. The man jeered and walked away and a moment later bodies were brought down the hill to be disposed of. Nhean stood and slung the rifle over his shoulder taking careful consideration of how he would line up this procession of corpses. Kneeling down he looted through one man's things and started to take whatever looked valuable. This was very important because anything worth the smallest bit of money was useful. Grabbing one young woman's body by her feet he dragged the lithe form to the hole and dropped her in with a cracking sound. These noises of bones breaking and crunching soon became just another sound of the jungle after awhile. As he reached the body of a young man he stopped noticing the faintest bit of movement in the man's fingers. Dragging the man by his feet he started towards the hole but was startled as the man's eyes snapped open. Nhean released his hold on the man as if he were afraid the injured fellow was going to lunge at him.

"Please…don't kill me." The voice was croaked and pained and he sounded as if he were straining to speak. Nhean stood there and collected his thoughts staring down at the man with an expression that could read many things.

"You deserve it though and that is what I have been told. If I don't listen I will get hurt again and I can't do that." The black haired boy responded with almost the innocence of a child and yet seemingly jaded. He reached and started to drag the man back to the hole and there was little his victim could do because he was so weak. Without a second thought he dropped the man down watching his body contort, crumple, and then there was that crunch as he landed. Nhean tilted his head watching gravity take its toll and seemed fascinated by the expressions of death. Continuing on with his work he finally disposed of all twenty bodies and brushed his hands off. Resituating his gun there was a panging tightness in his stomach reminding him that he needed to eat as soon as possible. Walking with careful steps keeping his head up he ascended the slope and emerged near the building he resided in with several others. It really wasn't his intent on being in Cambodia during this time it just ended up that way. Whether he liked it or not this was his home away from home and there was no returning or running away; this was it. Going inside he realized food was limited to the fruits and vegetables from the land and whatever meat they could get their hands on that day. Nhean all but forgot what different animals he had probably eaten and all but wanted to forget given some species.

"You know my friends and I have been thinking and you don't look fully like we do." One man stated out of the blue taking a seat beside the boy. Nhean tensed momentarily and put his piece of fruit down glancing over almost warily. What were they getting at were they suddenly going to kill him out of the blue? He kept his silence and continued eating wanting to leave this conversation at a minimal at best if he could.

"Yea, you are what half something else aren't you?" Another inquired looking Nhean over.

"Japanese." He said once and placed the fruit back down wiping his hands on his pants. The man looked at each other and snickered a bit looking back at him with leering expressions. One man nudged another one whispering something that made the both of them snicker a bit

"What is your real name then huh? You called yourself Nhean but that can't be entirely accurate." The man next to him pointed out. The boy knew he was frowned at for his half Cambodian and half Japanese heritage but they did not need to rub the salt in the wound. He debated on not answering or at the very least being vague which would be his better option than keeping silent. All the more one of the man nudged him hard in the ribs glowering some at him.

"Speak." Was all the man said.

"Nagakura Tatsuo…." The boy's voice was quiet but audible enough for them all to hear. A few quirked an eyebrow at such an interesting name. Most Japanese boys and men they knew had very typical names like Taro, Shunichi, Akira, and the likes but this one had a very peculiar name tacked to him.

"So what does it mean?" One man inquired taking a bite of fruit.

"Nagakura can be written two ways. One with the kanji for long one with the kanji for eternity, my last name is written with the kanji for eternity. My first name Tatsuo is written as Dragon Boy…I blame my mother for that one." This was possibly the most any of them ever heard this boy say and some just sat there curiously looking at him. Well the boy did not seem very Dragon-like and his last name reminded them of some old samurai story from his homeland. Nhean sat there for a moment before standing up to go elsewhere and away from their prying questions. As he made his way back down to the slope he frowned some carefully making his descent downwards.

"I want to be back in Kyoto." He muttered to himself recalling a much less violent life living there. Kyoto was an ancient city that still upheld many ancient traditions and boy his mother was a stickler for tradition; at least from what he remembered. From the time he was seven he was whisked away on a 'trip' by his father and never returned home. If he had known he was going to be kidnapped there would have been no way he would get on that plane.

The sun began to set casting an eerie stillness and darkness on the area and this is when the primal animals came out to play. Still, Nhean could not leave his post and he almost hated the fact he was stuck outside like some wild animal. Did they not trust him? They knew his father so they should at least treat him with more dignity. Scowling he made the most against a rock and tried to keep his eyes opened fixated on that cluster of bushes. Tigers were nighttime creatures just as much as in the day and these tigers knew people were stalking around here. Nhean though found himself fascinated by the tiger which he never saw in real life prior to this. Such graceful, elegant and intelligent predators they truly were astounding. Their very nature dictated that they were the top predator with the best camouflage in the animal kingdom and the most frightful. He amused himself with thoughts of how difficult would it be to keep a tiger cub for a pet and then train the little guy to be strictly his own. Letting out a deep yawn he stood climbing the tree nearest him after slinging a rifle on his back. If he was going to sleep there would be nothing fruitful of waking up with his torso being chewed off his ribs. Propping the gun between two close branches he stretched his feet out and closed his eyes falling asleep far quicker than he anticipated.