Chapter 23: Zeffik VS Nick

Zeffik Minaj has known as long as he lived that he was different from other people. From a young age of four he was the size of a teen, and when he was seven he was looking like a man with a baby face. People kept assuming his age wrong and who could blame them? No one would immediately figure him as a half-giant after all. And for as long as he knew, he was a hairy boy. He had started to shave ever since he was kindergarten, making him look fiercer and menacing than the average kids.

Children either back away because of how different he was or bully him because how much he was a softie. Taunting him with the nickname "Skunk-ape" or other names they like to call him. Zeffik cried many times for them to stop but they never did.

Zeffik was never one who'd resort to violence first. He was raised by only his kind single father, "It's never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is if it doesn't hurt you. Because that would me he ain't got nothin' to pull you down."

"But I am hurt," Young Zeffik protested.

"Then you've got to be tougher, there are people won't stop hitting those who are weak and don't retaliate. So let them say what they want, judge what they want, but stay kind, thoughtful, and true to yourself. Commit to love not hate. But most importantly, never doubt that you're worth just as much as everyone else."

Those words had long been forgotten when at the young age of 10, Zeffik lost his father to an illness and became an orphan. Life got harder from there.

Zeffik was never a violent child. In fact, he preferred to spend his time reading. Mostly books about herbs or bodies. It might have been the cause of his father death that had pique his interest first, but Zeffik indulge his time to learn more about being a doctor. The fact that he reads and learn better than most of his schoolmates only worsen the bullying.

Zeffik to paid them no mind, but when they cross the lines and rip apart his favorite book, enough was enough. So he made his first punch. Now I must remind you while Zeffik knew his heritage as a Half-Giant, he didn't know what that entails other than being taller, burlier, and hairier that his peers. He didn't know he was capable to be tens of times stronger than them too so he never meant to almost kill his classmate.

That one punch he hit him with was diagnosed had caused his bully to suffer broken bones and ribs, punctured organ, a broken nose, and jaw.

Parent and children turned their pity to fear at the display of his uncontrolled power and the Chief was forced isolate him from the other. He thought he would live the remainder of his day in the small caged room, at the edge of the village, far from the rest of society. The only solace he found in his isolation was finding a peaceful place for him to read peacefully.

Then everything changed when his village was attacked and he was carted off with the other adults to become slaves. They noticed his gigantic proportion of his body and instead of being turned to regular slaves, he was instead being put with the Slaves Fighters. Becoming an object of betting in a Fighting Ring for the tough and rough fight for people's amusement.

If Zeffik wasn't a Half-giant, people would have questioned why someone so young was here in the fighting ring. Yet even if they know, they probably won't care enough to do something about him. So by the age of 13, Zeffik was thrown to the world of gladiator fight. He was scared, so scared. He was ordered to fight when he still has trauma from the last time he hit somebody. Zeffik shook his head to deny the order, but that didn't matter. All they needed to do was throw him in the ring and he'd fight. They always fight in the end.

As long as they want to live, they would fight.

Zeffik was no exception.

His first opponent was a bald man that wore only tight underpants. His skin was barely visible by the tattoo of roses, poetry, skulls, and other gothic themed drawing and he had worn a gold hoop earring on his left ear and his lip. Zeffik had called him in his head Canvas Man, just so he could be less scary.

His first fight involved lots of stumbling and running around. With Zeffik desperately tried to be out of reach from his opponent. The crowd laughed and jeered at him for his display.

He wanted nothing to do with all this, so he decided that if playing along would stop all this then he'd fight.

So at the last moment he turned. Wrap his arm around his assailant. Lifted him above his head like he weighs nothing, and threw him outside the ring.

The audience was stunned by that performance before the cheering commenced. Zeffik couldn't help but smile, thinking it was all over.

He couldn't be any more wrong.

Again and again, he tried to plead his way not to fight future matches until tears bursting from his eyes and snot dripping from his nose. But again and again, he was ignored and fight he did.

The reason?

He did not want to die, simple as that.

Fear of death made him to fight.

Yet as decades passed, he had then realize that he was so focused on not dying. He had forgotten what it is like to truly live.

. . .

In the wake of leaving Roy and Spade Kreuz to their battle. Nick, Hope, and Aquila rushed their way from the sky toward the carriage that held the kidnapped princess. The Sky Way made the view, speed, and traffic easier for them to move along and caught up with the kidnappers. And because they were flying in the sky, Zeffik and his masters didn't realize they were being followed until they landed right on to their open carriage in a cool fashionable manner. The two captors had fear crept into their heart when they saw the flash of anger glinting through their eyes.

It would have been easy picking from there to snatch the Princess away and fly off to the horizon where people waiting for their return.

There's only one problem.

The moment they touched down, Nick was hit with a severe case of transportation sickness. The original trio occupant was dumbfounded from the fact while Aquila slapped his hand to his birdish face.

Zeffik used that moment to snatch the back collar of Nick and throw him away with inhuman strength that Nick and Hope went sailing like a bullet. Hope managed to extend her wings and slowed them down, even maneuvering mid air to flew straight back.

The Master of Slaves already took the first opening, drawing out a knife to the Princess neck with his other hand gripping on the horse's reign so the Spirit wouldn't move to touch him without risking the princess.

"Zeffik, go and take care that other bug! I'll handle the Bird Brain here." Zeffik nodded and jumped out of the cart and landing with dust and dirt floating from his impact. He noticed them coming ever closer so he picked up a rock and was about to aimed it dead on to his head or at the flying cat's head. He was about to throw it but stopped himself. He always do that. Despite the many he killed and the anguish guilty feeling he felt, he could never straight up to kill people. Not as long as he had a choice. Especially not to an animal, and such a cute kitty cat. A flying kitty cat. But still a kitty cat. And Zeffik always had soft spot with a kitty cat.

When they flew close enough, Zeffik threw the rock. Hope was flying Nick when she then yelped alongside of him as a rock passed them by and missed only by an inch or two. Nick looked down and squinted at the tall man and decided he couldn't risk to go further with him on the lookout and throwing rocks at them.

Hope flew them with around before flying few inches above ground ahead of Zeffik. He had a second rock in hand, seemingly ready to throw it. An easy smile plastered on his face, "I could have hit you if I wanted," he said simply like it was a fact of what the weather was today.

"Why didn't you?"

Zeffik shrugged, "I could...but that wouldn't be fair."

Nick smiled at that admission, being Roy's bodyguard is not an easy job. It can change from the most boring job by following him around like a puppy one day to kicking all kind of asses on the next. It help Nick kept himself on high alert at all times, and he could always count on Hope to keep him that way or watch his back whenever his mind wander off somewhere else. The kind of asses he had kick from those time could range from the craftiest, the swiftest, even to the downright moronic bunch that would make him - as Roy often said - questioned his faith in humanity.

But a fair man like him? That was a first for Nick and he couldn't help the small bud of joy inside him. He asked Hope to put him down, she compiled and Nick then began stretching his legs, arms, sides, and all his other muscle, much to Zeffik's confusion.

"What are you doing?"

"Stretching. Can't pull a muscle while I fight yeah? Are you going to interrupt me?"

"Oh no...please continue, I don't mind waiting," Zeffik replied.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Nick continued doing just that and he was beginning to brim in with excitement. Despite the situation, this man was interesting. No one had ever let him do something as simple as stretching before so it shows the kind of man he is and Nick felt regrettable that he had to fight him.

"So, what's your name?"

"You want to know my name?"

"Off course I do, what else am I going to call you?"

Zeffik was taken a bit back by that statement, how long ago did anyone try to bother asking his name instead of calling made out ones. Not since Spade, he recalled. "...Zeffik Minaj is my name," he gave his name and Nick gave him a wide grin in response. A grin so innocent and true that made him so confused. Zeffik wondered who is the boy in front of him that would smile at his enemy and doesn't strike or revolt in disgust at the first sight of him,

"Nicolas Glade at your service, or in your case, ready to serve you a knuckle sandwich." Nick punched his right arm to his left palm and ready his battle stance.

They faced each other, waiting for a beat or two. Then, Nick lunge with great speed, speed that would surprise how much he paced himself, in just one blink he was capable to be in arm reach of Zeffik. The Half-Giant man was surprised but did not made any attempt to move away, even went as far as inviting him with an open arm. Making Nick slightly hesitate as he pulled in his crystallized arm with spikes on his knuckles.

"Crystal Dragon's Hammer Fist!" he cried while punching at his gut. To his surprise, Zeffik didn't budge, heck there was no grunt or sign of pain from him either. Nick didn't feel like he was hitting a steel body or anything or a blob of fat. It felt like any other muscle body which was puzzling why a tall man with normal muscle wasn't hurt by his magic.

Making use of the boy's surprise, Zeffik held Nick's head and gave his crushing grip that would make even rock crack from his grip. Nick yelled in pain and retaliated by a series of his hammer fist. No reaction.

Changing tactic, Nick jabbed his assailant's eye, causing him to let go. The few seconds made from blinding him gave Nick the chance to bring his distance from him and launch his second attack.

"Crystal Dragon's Roar!" A torrent wind mix with sharp spikes of crystal hit Zeffik, but he only needed to cover his face and his body only moved back a few inches from the attack. Much to Nick's bewilderment. Just how tough was this guy?

To make matter worse, Nick had pushed him into a cluster of rocks and boulders so now he was armed with rock missiles at his disposable. Showing off his super-human strength, throwing rocks after rocks at him which Nick swiftly dodge one after another with practiced eased. If he had felt grateful how Roy pushed him in his training, that's something he will bring to his grave rather than admitting.

He closed their distance once again and this time he used the Roar in much closer range, but even then, he only suffered a small scratches before Nick had to buckle himself from being grabbed by the collar of his shirt and thrown away like a rag doll.

"Jeez, just how tough is this guy?" Nick got up from the bush that cushioned his fall and Hope was flying next to him to check on him,

"Are you still alive Nick?" Hope asked him.

"Alive and kicking!"

"Nick, that man is weird. You use magic on him and yet nothing seemed to affect him."

"I know, he's literally thick skin," Nick grumbled out.

"What are you going to do nyu?"

"Keep attacking until I figure something out." With that last note, he got up and rushed at Zeffik once more with renewed vigor and ignoring the exasperated cry of his name being called by his cat. He made attempt to look like he was going to attack full front and Zeffik's arm was ready to restrained him but did not expect him to jump at the last second, somersaulting in the air with a mid form crystal attack at the ready and aimed at his hunch form.

"Crystal Dragon's Talon!" Nick cried while a giant crystal spike formed and kicked it down to his enemy's back.

To his shock, Zeffik caught the crystal spike with his bare handed and only grunted from the force. He then used that very same crystal as a makeshift bat and struck Nick with it, which made him landed to the same exact spot he last left Hope.

"Back already nyu?"

"Oh I'm just...y'now... warming up," Nick lamely replied. But Hope's expression was one of disbelief and there was no changing her mind what was true. He staggered back up and dashed back to the open road, this time he grew out a sharp crystal from his arm (making him look like a shiny wolverine). Nick went to slashed his torso and was taken surprised again that even after he tear open the man's shirt, the scar he made look more like it was caused by a giant paper cut. Nothing serious is what I mean.

Nick kept attacking but nothing seemed to faze him. Zeffik reached out to try and squeezed him, intending to snap both his leg and arms so he wouldn't be able to do anything. Yet Nick managed to slip free from his grasp at the last second, Zeffik was surprised but shrug it off as luck. Once more, he wanted to grab a hold of him with his big hand, this time so he could threw him high in the air and let the fall do his work for him. But again, Nick twisted and turn, and he wiggled free from his grasp. Once might be a coincidence, but twice means it's either fate or intentional. "You're very quick" he observed.

"Thanks, that means my training paid off. If I can't do that then Aniki would be even harsher on me." The thought of that was enough to make Nick shudder. He then attack the man again, this time by shooting out a small missile of crystal from his finger tips like a machine gun. Again, that seemed to cause no effect to Zeffik and Nick couldn't help but gauge at the end.

"Are you even human?" Nick couldn't help but voiced out, unknowingly making his opponent winced.

"Because I'm not. I'm a half-giant," he stated with a hint of resignation in his tone.

So imagined his surprise, when Nick's eye lit up at the word. His smile brighten in awe at the prospect, "That's so cool!" Nick exclaimed, "Hope, did you hear that?"

"Hear what Nick?" Hope came flying over to his side.

"He said he's a Half-giant! I didn't even know giant even exist."

Hope face made identical awe expression as her partner and looked at him in wonder with stars glimmering in her eyes, "So Cool!"

"I know right?"

While the pair was off admiring at his unique species, Zeffik was left dumbstruck by the reaction he never received. No one had ever look at him in fascination when they figure what he is and the reaction thrown him off. Then, as irrational as it sounds, irritation began to build inside him. Making his muscle tense, his face scowled in anger, and his knuckles white.

Zeffik made to grab a tree next to him and with one hand, manage to pull it out from its roots. Making the pair dumbstruck at the sheer display of raw power before they realized they needed to move away or they'll get smashed by a ten foot tall tree.

"Don't make fun of me!" Zeffik yelled out and continued pulling tree after tree that Nick was forced to dodge and far from capable to retaliate.

"When the hell did I make fun of you? I just complimented you!" Nick yelled back in protest between dodging and jumping off thrown trees.

"I'm a half-giant! What part of me do you feel awe? I'm a freak of nature. An abomination. a Skunk-Ape." and with every name he called himself, Zeffik threw another tree. Names after name he was called. Tree after tree he recklessly throw that he even mixed it with boulders he got his hands on. Nick dodge silently, but his eyes darken at every seconds that tick by as he listened to him.

Either it was luck on Zeffik's side or carelessness on Nick's side, one tree finally go to him. Eliciting a cry of worry from Hope. Nick might have still managed to wiggle his way out from being crushed by one tree, but Zeffik hadn't stop yet. Either because he wanted to make sure Nick stayed still or was drown in his own madness and misery. It might have been a bit of both.

"I didn't ask to be born as I am!"

Finally, when the attack cease. Zeffik was left panting, unsure himself what got him worked up so much from his words. He looked upon at the mountain of trees he made and was sure there was no way he could get out of that. He turned his back and was ready to catch up with his master.

"A Liar."

Zeffik paused his steps. His head tilt at the voice he was sure he had mistakenly heard.

"A Troublemaker. A Waste-of-Space."

Wide eye, he turned and found three propping crystal pillar jutting out from the crevice of mountain of trees.

"The Widemouth. The Delusional One."

Every title he said, another crystal jutted out. Breaking apart trees to halves or splinters. And for inexplicable reason, fear grew in Zeffik's heart. Fear of what, he couldn't tell. It was certainly not for defeat, win or lose he never cared for that. Not of death, he welcomed it when it was his time. So what kind of fear is this that this young boy managed to stir in his deep soiled heart?

Finally, at the center of the crystal pillars, bursting out while standing on a bigger and taller crystal pillar than the rest was Nick. An easy grin made its way on his lips, "You're not the only one who had been called names." Nick jumped, and with flick of his arms throw a number of sharp crystals at him like shurikens.

Zeffik raised his arm to cover his face from the attack, seeing as the attacks was nothing special even after all the build up he made, he put down his arm just in time for the shards around him to shine brightly and blinded him. His hand reached out to closed his eyes and Nick used that chance to sealed his arm to his head with quick work of his magic.

"You're also not the only one being shunned. To be the only one different and to be treated differently because of what you are and what you say."

Zeffik struggled from his bound, but his position made it hard for him to use his full strength.

"Crystal Dragon's Trail!" The ground began prodding out crystals after crystals in (somewhat) straight line and sealing Zeffik's feet next. Afterward, he began summoning small pillar of crystal after crystal surrounding him. First it had block his front, then his back, then one slide underneath his armpit, then another between his leg, it continued blocking his steps and sealing his movement. The last two was cross between his neck and pas the gap his sealed hands made until Zeffik was undeniably trapped.

"And you're not the only one who had a hard time in life."

Zeffik tried struggling but he quickly realized that there was no way out of his predicament and sagged in defeat.

"Please, make it clean and swift as possible."

"Huh, what are you talking about?"

Now it was Zeffik who was confused, "Are you not going to kill me?"

"What?! Off course not. Don't be ridiculous, why would I do that?"

"Is that not the custom when one has defeat the other?"

"That's only to sick people who doesn't have a heart...is that how you end things with other?"

"Not if I could help it, Spade also thinks the same but Master doesn't always share our view."

"Well your 'master' can eat his sock." Zeffik couldn't help but chuckle at the image that came into his mind when he heard his words. "Anyway, you stay there while I go with my cat to where the Princess is and rescue her as we should."

"Wait!" Zeffik cried before Nick could managed to called out Hope, "When you said about having being called names...what do you mean by that?"

Nick was silenced, his face turned solemn at the memory of his village being destroyed right before his eyes. He would gladly resign himself to the the jeer and insults thrown in his ways if that was it took to bring the people back. As much as he didn't like most of the villagers, no one deserve that kind of ending.

"I didn't have anyone back in my village. I was always one being left out, shunned because how much of a freak I was and for telling a part of my life they don't believe. I didn't have anyone to ask for help or to confide, I was just so...alone. It was suffocating. It was borderline torture for me and I never want to go back to those days again. So Aniki, Roy-sama became more than just a master to me. He became a family, and someone worth fighting for." Nick was looking down on both his arm, full of leftover scars and blisters from training and fighting throughout his years with him. "It's the same thing for you isn't?"

Zeffik was looking long and hard at him before tucking his head down in defeat, but in a whole new sense. "No, I'm not the same as you," he said, "I'm nothing but a bought slave with no free will of my own." At this reveal fact, Nick was shock since he hadn't caught on what his collar mean. Zeffik continued, "Yet, even without this collar, I wouldn't have fight back my master...because I don't have any other reason to live. Not having anything to live for...it's scary. And this is the only way I know how to live my life." At that moment, Zeffik came to realize why he grew an irrational fear of the boy. It was because he caught the similarity between the two of them, of one who had lived alone and know what lost felt like. Yet unlike him, he had grew a life worth held his head high. Unlike him, he grew to be his own person. Zeffik felt if circumstances had been different, he could turn to be his kind of person. Zeffik chuckled ruefully, "It's my complete lost."

"You bet it is. Honestly why the hell did you pick today to kidnap the Princess? It's Aniki's 16th birthday and you ruin it!" Nick protested with annoyed huffed.

"We couldn't help with that since that was the requested date," Zeffik plainly answered. The answer made Nick paused, complementing for a long time. Unease grew and he whistled out as a sign it's safe for Hope to come close. Obviously there is something more to this kidnapping than meets the eye, and Roy is somehow related to this. Warning bells rang at the back of his mind, but was cut off when Hope yelled out "Roy-sama!"

Nick perked up and turned with a pleased smile, ready to boast at his victory, but dropped immediately when he saw the state of him. Lots of blood was flowing from his head, the sleeve on his left arm was burned off and revealing his burned arm, there were tears on his clothes that revealed the countless cuts and bruises, and his left eye was swelling.

All in all, he look like shit.

"Aniki! What happened to you? Are you okay?" Roy stopped and gave him a flat look, making Nick winced, "Sorry, standard question." Hope came over to him and offered to fly him but Roy just shrug her off. Unfortunately Hope decided to ignore that and lifted him up either way and Roy was too tired to argue. He looked around as he assessed the situation before turning to Nick.

"Is Aquila with the Princess then?"

Nick nodded, "Yeah, I think we could still chase after her. Aquila should at least be stalling them."

"With this 'Master' holding her hostage, I doubt so. I managed to refill my ethernano on my walk here enough to teleport the two of us far enough to chased after them." Roy then turn to Zeffik, his heart managed to leap a bit when his green eyes locked with his own hazel pair, giving him a soul searching gaze you wouldn't expect from a young man like him. "So how is he?"

Zeffik scrunched his eyebrows in confusion at the weird way he put out his question while Nick notice the tone of his voice and knew what he was asking for, "He is awesome! Did you know he's a Half-giant, like, I didn't even know giant eve existed and he barely got hurt no matter how many times I threw spells at him. Also, he doesn't seem to like working as a slave, actually that was a stupid point, nobody likes being a slave."

Roy nodded then turn to the Half-Giant Slave once more, "Spade had asked me to help free him from being a slave, do you wish the same?"

Zeffik's jaw drop at the daring question he made, not sure what to say and Roy was attentive at his reaction. "You hesitate, does that you mean you have nowhere else to go and no purpose to fulfil?" The accuracy hit home and his face must have given away his answer, Zeffik felt ashamed that a boy a little more than half his age could read him like a book. "Tell me, what's your name?"

"Ze...Zeffik Minaj."

"Then Zeffik, what's your dream? Surely you must have one even as a child?"

The question threw him off, never had someone asked his dream and suddenly, memories from oh so long ago of him reading his way when he was a child, secretly helping out small animals when he found them injured and practice his first aid, even during his days at the Fighting Ring he carefully watched the doctors there applying their knowledge to their 'merchandise' and even help out his fellow fighters.

"I...err...a doctor once. It's a pipe dream now but why do you ask?"

"Then keep holding tight of that dream, you'll need it once I set you free and have you be your own person."

"Wha…" Zeffik couldn't say more since Roy immediately grabbed on to Nick and the three of them flashed out before his eyes. With himself still stuck in the crystal cage, his pair of hands still stuck sealed to his head and cover his was left in silence before the chuckling that rumbled in his chest grew into laughter.

Because for the first time in his life, he's looking forward for his future.