CHAPTER 82:

Revenge

Chills ran down Jay's spine like he'd been standing in the middle of a hailstorm, freezing water drops and all.

He couldn't believe his eyes, but his vision wasn't lying despite all the times he blinked to try and clear it.

Ronin...

The man from the market back at Shaiya, the one that had implied all those awful things about the Maharaja and Jay… stood in front of the boy. His beard had grown, but it wasn't enough to hide that disgusting, evil smirk of his. It was a fresh memory for Jay yet.

The one-eyed man bent his torso and stared straight into Jay's eyes. "Do you remember me, kid?" He wiggled his visible eyebrow.

Of course he did! Just as well as he hated the guy! Jay though remained silent, too confused by the pain in his stomach and the fact that he'd been tricked… again. No wonder Ronin had been hiding his face under that cloak and used a different name all the way there. Jay would have never agreed to group with such a rat no matter how desperate he'd been for a guide.

"Uhm… Maybe a little reminder will help you."

With raw anger, Ronin punched Jay in the face —way harder than what Jay had done to him the last time they saw each other. The boy let out a whine as hot pain spread through his cheek. The ache traveling through his nerves and installing itself on Jay's skull with a very uncomfortable throb. Clenching his teeth, the restrained boy looked back up, indignation upping up to his levels of confusion.

"Yeah, I think that worked, didn't it?" The man tilted his head back and cackled with malicious laughter which only irritated Jay all the more.

Why? Why was this troublemaker there? What were they all doing? What was happening?

"That's going to leave a mark." Vinay chuckled next to them. "And one that will last longer than yours, right, Ronny?"

'Ronny' glared at his peer, but ignored his comment. Giving a quick look back at the man behind Jay he advised, "Don't let your guard down, he's fast with those scrawny arms."

Jay didn't see him but could hear Clem nodding with a low hum behind him.

"And you," the dealer proceeded, pointing at Vinay and taking giant, angry steps to reach his side. "You're such a big mouth!"

"What did I do now?"

"You are always screwing up our plans because you like to play the main star too much!"

Vinay rubbed the back of his head.

"What can I say? It's the frustrated actor in my veins," he tried to downplay the other's wrath, but upon noticing it wasn't working, he changed tactics. "Hey, if it hadn't been for my acting skills and charming nature we wouldn't have convinced him."

"Shut the fuck up," Ronin spat with anger, silencing his companion.

Despite the man had been the quietest and most innocuous-looking all the time, it was now obvious who called the shots in this gang. The way Ronin disregarded his peer and walked back to where Clem had Jay restrained, cocky smirk on his lips as if he was an all mighty God… it made Jay sick in the stomach.

"You know," Ronin started, catching Jay's attention. "When I spotted you back down in the market I couldn't believe it, I legit thought I was hallucinating. I was about to ignore you when I realized… this was my chance."

"Chance for what?" Jay asked wearily.

"My chance for revenge," the other responded, his eye acquiring a slightly red undertone as he saw Jay's confused expression. "You ridiculed me, in front of everyone! You refused to give me my part of that weirdo's money…"

"Your part?!" Jay snapped, flabbergasted at the guy's audacity. "You don't deserve anything from Kai! That was for the poor neighbors! You don't even live in Shaiya nor care about the people there! You're just a dirty scammer!" Jay berated, body jerking on instinct even though Clem's hold on him didn't allow for much movement.

"Oh, no! Oh, Shiva, did you hear what he just called me?" Ronin touched the back of his hand to his forehead like an overly dramatic old lady, then watched over his shoulder at Vinay who was already snickering at his antics.

When he turned again, his smile seemed a lot more sinister as he looked at Jay.

"Look, kid, we're just trying to make a living. And, hey, if stealing stuff from everywhere and selling it for a higher price works… that's exactly what I'll do."

He bowed gently as if he was a refined gentleman and hadn't just admitted to being a remorseless thief.

"Actually," he proceeded once more. "I think it's way more honorable than letting that royal brat stick his dick in your ass."

Jay grunted as rage filled his veins, hating how this disgusting man was so casually bashing the person he loved.

"Now, if you'll excuse me." Ronin gestured at Vinay. The other man got next to Jay and started groping his body.

"W-What are you doing?!" Jay shrieked as he felt hands around his waist.

"I'm taking what belongs to me," Ronin answered for his companion. "And with interests."

Clem and Vinay manhandled Jay, roughly pulling at his arms and administering a few more hits to keep him from moving, while the latter took off Jay's backpack and the bag of coins, throwing them next at their leader.

Ronin caught the small sack and opened it immediately, his smile dropping as he quickly counted the number of metallic circles inside. He kneeled on the dirty ground and turned the backpack upside down. His demeanor not yet going back to his previous smugness as the man watched a few shirts, pants, and a pair of slippers drop from it.

"Where is the rest?"

Jay was confused at the question.

"The money!" He shouted.

As Jay didn't give the thief the answer he was looking for, Ronin grabbed the bag of coins and walked up to him, shaking the fabric container in front of Jay's face.

"Are you telling me the king drowned you in riches and you didn't take all of that with you?"

Jay ground his teeth with annoyance. "I told you; I shared it with my neighbors."

"Yeah, sure. All of it!" Ronin laughed, not believing a word from the boy.

"Yes! Because I'm not a greedy pig like you!"

"Oh, wow! Did you use that dirty mouth to suck his Majesty off too?"

The group of bandits exploded with laughter.

"I bet that's what he likes. The sluttier the better, uh?" Ronin grabbed Jay's hair and pulled it until the boy's face scrunched up in pain.

"Don't touch me, you damn…!" Jay squirmed with all his might, wanting nothing else but to get away from that devil, but Clem and Vinay wouldn't let him.

"The king's fuck toy is feisty, uh? No wonder he was so generous with his 'gifts'."

"Stop calling me that-!"

Jay bent again as he received yet another punch on his abdomen. All air escaping from his lungs in one sharp huff. Ronny sneered.

The man spent a moment longer looking at Jay's belongings that rested on the ground amidst dirt, grass, and rocks.

"So… You really are a stupid shit and didn't pack anything else, uh?" Ronin rubbed his mouth, a weird mixture of laughter and annoyed groans rumbling in his throat.

After picking up a few pieces of clothes and studying them, he pouted, half bothered-half happy.

"Well, I guess we can still get something out of these. Pretty sure they're high-quality cotton."

The fabric brushed past his soiled fingers and Jay wished more than ever he'd have divine powers to struck that asshole with a lightning bolt. How dared he touch such beautiful and fine outfits with those foul claws...

"Hey, boss, here are a few more, ya' know." Vinay picked at the clothes Jay was wearing. Ronin hummed in appreciation at his friend's proposal.

When the man inched closer to Jay, the boy struggled in his captors' arms —but they were three against one. No matter how hard Jay tried to break free, Vinay and Ronin gripped his legs and forcefully tugged the shoes and pants off him as he whined and yelled, calling for help.

"Don't sweat it, kid. We're not going to rape you. I'd never stick something so valuable in such a filthy hole," Ronin explained

Jay found no comfort in the man's statement.

"Initially," he went on. "We were going to wait till night, beat you to a pulp, take all your stuff, and maybe have some extra fun torturing you, but I guess… we'll have to speed things up a bit." Sharp canines shining out from under that nasty beam that threatened to make Jay spill his guts onto the men.

The three of them laughed maliciously as Jay shook, not just from fear but from the mountain chilly air blowing around his naked legs as well.

This wasn't real. How could have he fallen again for some scummy tricks?!

Ed was right, bad people didn't wear signs on their foreheads, but Jay should have been wiser! He'd been lucky with Mr. Tori and Mr. Ethel —three times in a row would have been too perfect. And now he was being manhandled, robbed, and soon enough… maybe even dead. These guys were too strong for him, he stood no chances in a fight against all of them.

"Uh? What's this?" Ronin's hand moved up Jay's chest as they were about to take off his shirt —and held the harmony ball in his fingers.

Jay's blood froze. The tiny pendant having slipped through the collar during his previous struggles, now out for everyone to see it.

"Oh, he's been grabbing at it all the way here," Vinay commented. "What is it?"

Jay's heart galloped wildly inside his chest while he watched the thief boss lean closer to pay a more accurate inspection to the little accessory. His vile face scrunching up every so often as he studied the tinkling ball in his palm.

"Looks like some kind of charm. Probably some cheap ass jewelry," he ruled, then with a smirk towards his companions he added, "But I bet we can sell it for a nice price if we say it belonged to an important lord or some shit."

'Cheap ass jewelry'?!

That tiny ornament that held so much of Lloyd's memories of his spiritual rebirth… a trinket?! Whether it was true or not, the harmony ball had incalculable sentimental value, both for its previous owner and for Jay as well.

No! The boy screamed in his mind as Ronin's fingers slowly wrapped around the golden starry cage.

He can't take it! Not this too, please! I can't lose them!

Jay felt the chain caressing the skin of his neck as the man started to pull it up and over his head.

Nooo!

Lloyd's last plea reverberated in Jay's skull.

'Don't go.'

The promise Jay hadn't been able to keep back then punctured his heart. Lloyd had trusted him enough to give Jay something so precious, Jay couldn't let these guys take it away —he couldn't let them rob him the very symbol of an exhausting and complicated journey of self-discovery.

He couldn't.

And he wouldn't.