Chapter 2. Little Cannibal


It was a few hour walk to a far away place that Aaro was being carried off to. He hung off his master's back like a baby lamb. After about an hour he became bored again and used to clinging onto the back of this monster. He couldn't get over it's stench. It overpowered his nose, preventing him from smelling the delicious fruiting trees they passed by. It was completely dark, he could just see the moon casting a thin shroud of light over the land.

The packs of Eloi laying out in their small sheds signaled their arrival with greetings of whimpering and yelps. They shut the hatches in a futile attempt to keep the monsters out. His master only huffed and went down below, stumbling on a few rocks on his way down.

He was met by more of his kind. Again Aaro felt his spine tense.

"Brought you your Eloi. Young buck, just maturing. He's a wary one with a temper we only believe in culling all together as you wanted." The Morlock explained, handing Aaro over to them.

"Good, good." One grunted, rubbing a finger across the Eloi's face. He scratched him across the face. Aaro flinched in pain and again tried his tactic.

"No! No! No!" He yelled, batting the Morlocks hand away.

"Good! It's hard to find Eloi like this still around." He gave the small buck a rough pat on the head.

"Just to mention. He was throwing stones and sticks down our holes. Hit one Morlock on the head. I suppose he finds it a game so he's a daring one."

"Even better." The Morlock flashed his teeth and agreed their payment. Thirty pregnant Eloi and a few other valuables were included in the trade. Aaro watched his captor part and leave with the small females guided in front of him.

He gazed up at his new master that was now grunting at him and pulling on his roped hands. A few jerks got Aaro realizing what he wanted and followed. He was placed inside some type of pen with food and water. He plopped down on the moss and straw bedding and peered around.

Soon enough more Morlocks came to see him.

"How mean is he already?"

"Well he screamed at me." The other one answered weakly.

One went over and started to poke Aaro with a sharp stick. With a few jabs he felt that strange burning rise up again and he shoved the stick away.

"Nooo!" He yelled even louder than before, casting them a defiant expression.

"Look at the savage little beast. Such a face." The beast teased him. "You can do better."

He gave Aaro a smack across the cheek and poked him again. The two Morlocks hooted to provoke him.

Again and again he was poked, harder and harder. Aaro felt his anger rage as the pain did. Telling them "no" didn't work at all anymore. He batted at them again and screamed. This time he grabbed the stick and tried to pull it away from them.

"You gotta act like you mean it little stupid flower child." His tormentor laughed.

Aaro found the source, a hand, at the end. He reached over and bit the Morlock's giant thumb.

"Now that's how it goes. Take the bait." He shook his hand free and pulled the stick out of the tiny pen.

"Good enough?" His partner asked.

"For a fresh one yes. Let's go eat and wait later to start his training. I want him to meet my top Eloi buck. It will give him a teaching alright."

Aaro felt his face, rubbing the bloody mark away. He had bruises form where the stick jabbed him harshly. Damned monsters, he thought. For the while he focused on the overripe fruits given to him and ate them. They were soggy in texture, something he hated. The water was okay, not the same as the clean spring water he was used to drinking.

The anger inside him vanished but not without leaving it's mark. Now he felt some sort of resentment embedded inside him. Those dirty beasts left a bad taste in his mouth. The place smelled musty with a hint of rotting meat. So this was the "never return" place. Where were the others than that were taken away?

At least the bedding smelled fresh and like the earth above. He stuck his nose into it and tucked his arms under his stomach. He couldn't sleep, not in this bizarre place.

While he waited for what doom would come to him next, he thought about his childhood. His memories were faint. He remembered following his mother everywhere, picking at the fruit she'd give him. Or when she would run off with some other male and ignore him. Most of all he remembered his first vision of death when his mother gave birth to a stillborn. She would poke at it for any signs of life. It was as still and cold as the stones on the ground. It baffled him. He patted the tiny head, seeing if it would open it's eyes. He figured maybe it fell asleep and if you tried hard enough to never wake up again. Brooding over this he eventually fell into a short nap.

"Get up you." The Morlock grunted at him again, coming into his pen. Aaro pushed himself against the wall. Again he felt hands around his torso. His captor simply hoisted him up and held him close to his hip.

He was thrown into a small pit surrounded by more of those beasts. He noticed another Eloi crouching from across the pit smiling. This one was wearing a red tunic.

The Morlock closest to him made a few sharp snarls. The Eloi male threw himself forward after Aaro.

The young male only suspected some new type of game until he felt his counterpart's teeth sink into his shoulder. He roared in pain and pressed his hands against this Eloi's face and cut him with his nails.

Again he heard them all hooting all around him. Punches flew down on his face and more teeth marks on his neck.

Aaro suddenly whipped his leg up, kneeing the male in the stomach. He grabbed bits of his blonde hair and yanked. He didn't like this game and was going to put a stop to it.

"Stop! No!" He shrieked, grabbing the Eloi's neck and shoving him against the corner of the pit. He could hear his fighting partner hiss at him. "Kill! Kill!"

Aaro pounded his own fist down on the male's nose, breaking it. Soon enough after a few more well-aimed punches his opponent's face was splattered with blood. Aaro now stood over him, flinging his arms around again.

"Okay that's enough. We can see who the winner is." The leading Morlock put himself between the Eloi and yanked Aaro off the loser.

"He's sure something isn't he? Beat one of the top fighters."

"He doesn't back down that's what. Your champion is used to having his opponents back down. It's their nature to flee. This little guy gave him a royal beating." He gave Aaro a pat on the head.

"Stop!" Aaro popped the Morlock's hand. He would swiftly learn that attacking one's owner was a bad idea. The giant hand came down across his face.

"Don't you even think about it flower-boy." He gave his little fighter another pat on the head. This time Aaro held back his aggression. "Good boy."

"Lanky little bastards. Can't believe he beat him." The loser's owner grabbed his fighter out from the ring and left.

"Just wait till he gets into real training. He will be a tough little shit."

Aaro just wanted to lay down and sleep again. His body felt so sore and his face ached. He didn't understand the point of all this. Why not even two days ago he was basking out in the sunlight and feeding on nature's bounty.

"Because he's doing so damned fine now I have much confidence in him. I'm fitting him a red tunic now." His master praised.

"You were real lucky there getting him. Why don't you get him a female to play around with." One suggested, cleaning the blood off the floor with his tongue.

"Yeah he's gotta learn how to be a grown buck now. You should be happy flower-boy. Now you are a prized little Eloi."

Aaro touched his swelling lip. His face was a mess, blood soaked his hair and he was developing a black eye as well. His master carried him off back the same way. He come to see his own master had a large cave with a few sections inside it. Here he had his own mate and children and farther down was his own place to stay. It was lighted artificially for him.

He collapsed back on his bedding and snuggled into one corner for a nap. He could smell his own blood now drying on his face.

There was a shuffle behind him. His master dropped a female inside for companionship.

"There you go. Play nice now." He chuckled, leaving more food and water before he retired for the night.

Aaro felt a calm settle down inside him. He usually wanted to be left alone from his fragile brethren but now he yearned for them. He didn't understand the skirmish he encountered with that male.

The female wore a pitch-black tunic. She didn't look too happy herself but gave him a flat stare. Something was mysterious about this female. She didn't jump at him all gaily like the children but regarded him as someone that you shouldn't turn your back onto.

"Light here, dark there." He pointed out the lighting above his pen.

"Bite, scratch ,cut." The female responded, wrapping her arms around her knees. She had a few marks on her shoulders and neck. She was obviously some older female who knew the ropes yet played rebellious.

"Silly little boy." She scoffed at him. "You in for pain."

"I no understand." He leaned against the wall.

"Fight lots to make you mean. No more sunshine Eloi you." She warned him, no empathy in her eyes.

"Why for? No Eloi do that."

"Morlock's game. Fight Eloi then eat Eloi." She went on. "Fight many times."

"What if I don't fight?" He brushed the drying blood away from his cheek, making it bleed again.

"Eat you then like other Eloi. Only worth keeping alive if fight good." She rolled over to sleep. Aaro shivered to himself, not enjoying this new lifestyle.

He didn't touch his wounds anymore, knowing it would only worsen the pain. He snuggled close against the female's backside. Being used doing this in his own herd, the young Eloi didn't find it intrusive.

After a few hours sleep he awoke. Barely awake as he was used to getting up at the break of dawn. Here it was always dark. The female rolled away from him and continued snoring. For a moment his breath left him, not remembering where he was.

"Oh." He said out loud.

His master's grunting surprised him. The glowing eyes hovering over his pen.

"Awake I see." He placed more water and food down for them. Aaro felt that ugly hand ruffle his hair again. He opened his mouth to scream at him but quickly held it back. He remembered yesterday's beating.

"Had fun with your little playmate? Eloi are such horny little buggers." His master staggered off into the darkness.

The female didn't even wake up at the monster's arrival. She turned herself around, wiping her eyes.

"Morlock make too loud of noise." She complained, fixing her sleeves.

"Stink here, hardly sleep."

"I no smell anything." She was used to the stench of predators, spending most of her life down below.

For once he noticed something unique about her. When she sat off into a shady corner her eyes gave a very faint glow, so faint that he had to approach very close.

"Sun in eyes." He pointed at her face.

She shook her head, not understanding.

"Shiny eyes make bright." He said again.

"Morlock." She figured out what he was talking about.

He still didn't get it but didn't go on about the subject. It was beyond his knowledge.

His master came back again, hooking his arm around Aaro's torso. The Eloi tensed up and kicked out with his feet. With his other hand the Morlock grabbed the female. She hung quietly from his arm. Aaro was given a hard shake until he submitted.

"No struggle stupid." She scoffed at him, annoyed by his lack of handling experience.

The female was dropped off in some pen full of females. Most had little eyes glowing faintly at him. His master carried him off into a large room. There was a strange creature chained to the wall. It had a face similar to his but it's many Morlock features fooled him. It was his first glimpse of a hybrid.

It roared out at the both of them, shaking it's deformed arms. It was a cross gone bad by it's shape. The mad creature's head wobbled about on it's too long of a neck. It was clearly out of it's mind as well.

"Go on and get em." His master shoved him forward.

The hybrid swung it's overgrown claws at him, raking Aaro's tunic to strips. He darted out of the way, against the Morlock behind him. Again he was shoved forward against his will.

"Don't back away. Nab that ugly thing!" He hooted.

Aaro felt the monster's claws cut across his back. He winced and yelled out. Claws dug themselves into his clothing, not letting him go. The young male turned with fists and cuffed the creature's hideous chin.

"That's right flower boy right where the lights go out."

Aaro screamed at the monster and threw his foot down on it's face repeatedly until the monster was knocked clear out.

"Nailed him." He picked up Aaro and cleaned up his wounds with water and wrapped a bandage around his middle. Then dressed him in fresh clothing. The Eloi felt very weak from the loss of blood. His legs shivered under his thin figure.

"Come on you." He hooked a finger around his pet's neck and led him forward. "You can't see but you will learn how to."

Aaro stumbled about, scraping his knees over the rocks that jutted from the uneven flooring. He reached out with his hands, trying to feel for the wall. His master pushed him forward.

"So I smell blood." His master's friend was sitting on a low projecting rock, enjoying his dinner.

"He knocked Old Ugly right out." He tied his prized Eloi to a heavy rock and sat down to join in on the feast.

"He's something I tell you. Make sure you don't make him too smart." The male chuckled, shoving a sliver of leg meat in his mouth.

"I'll get him smart enough to throw his own defenses. I think he'll be able to learn weaknesses of his opponents. Not many of even the top fighters can accomplish that." He kept going, waving his hands around.

Aaro felt the rock he was tied to. It was too heavy to lift up and move around. He reached for the rope around his neck and ran his fingers around the knot. In his youth he, as the others, would twist flowers around vine ropes to make necklaces. He knew the concept of a knot very well.

Before he even was half-way done figuring it out he felt a hand rest around his shoulders. He dropped his hands and faced his master.

"Ha look at that. Damned bastard tried to untie himself." He yanked the Eloi back to him and tied it even tighter.

"Already too damn smart for his own good." His friend chuckled. "Hey maybe he'll eat this."

The two Morlocks tried to force feed him a piece of his own kind. It was the most repulsive thing he had ever tasted. His face screwed and his tongue shot out the offensive chunk of meat. His captors laughed their heads off, slapping their knees.

"You gonna have to get used to that boy. Gonna learn how to eat meat alongside your fruity one. No more being a softy."

Aaro bent over, spitting out the blood. The salty taste of the meat wouldn't get rid of itself from his mouth.

"Now wise up and stop acting like that. I can eat fruit without sharing faces like that." His owner scolded, picking up the spat out meat and eating it.

Again his master grabbed him and shoved another piece into his mouth. He held Aaro's jaw shut and his body down.

"Swallow you stupid fool. It's just one piece. You will be eating much more. It will make you mean!" He snarled, grabbing the jerking legs. When his fighter still refused to swallow he leaned forward and blew into his nose.

Aaro felt the slimy piece of flesh go down his throat. His cruel master released him, letting him fall to the ground. He spluttered up foamy spit and rolled over.

"So sensitive about his stomach. Get up before you make me look dumb." The Morlock kicked him. Aaro got up and growled.

"Yeah that's right. Grrr! Growl at me like the beast you are!" He taunted, jabbing the Eloi in the chest. "Eat another piece. Refuse and I will shove it down your throat."

Aaro was offered another bloody sliver. Again and again he refused, slow to learn what his master wanted of him. He didn't like this food! Why feed it to him!? After the fifth chunk was offered to him he took it reluctantly and gulped it down quickly. Whatever good taste of the fruit he had early in the morning was all gone. He belched, his own breath smelled like that of the Morlock's. He wanted to throw up all over that beast's face.

"Now you learned!" He kept giving him more and more.

Aaro didn't even bother to chew the food, knowing it just made it taste even stronger. He wondered where this food was coming from. It was not fruit. If it was, it was one he would never try again.

He walked forward as the Morlock's hand disappeared behind him. He felt the carcass. His hand ran up something long and cold. Then into something warm and sharp. He felt for more as his hand fell upon the animal's face.

"AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! ELOI! ELOI!" He jerked backwards.

The two Morlocks screamed with laughter again. Such cruel torture was their only satisfaction for humor.

"Little cannibal." His master reached his lead rope and jerked him back.

"Don't start him too early or he'll never be the same." The other Morlock told him.

"That's what I want. I don't want some flower boy. I want a cannibal!"

"He'll get sick."

"You'll be surprised what you can do with Eloi. Such stupid animals that can be formed into anything. If I want to turn a flower into a flytrap then I will." He stroked Aaro's soaking hair. "His ancestor at one point ate meat. He can do it as well."

The Eloi felt his eyes roll back. His head grew light again with the heavy smell of blood. His mouth was greasy with the fresh fluid.

"See this? You will start fighting this. And at the end of every fight you will have to bite off a chunk to prove yourself a fighter." His master lectured him. It would take Aaro a long time to understand the degraded, animal language.