Chap 1 – Freedom of Thought
"Normally they throw you in the Shade, you must have been quite good today." Aged man
Caravans came in and out. Shipping in new slaves and old slaves alike. The area was called Axis, the epicenter of all slave trade and shipment. Once called the Chocobo Farm, but brutally converted into a region of evil. The land was expanded and the stables were kept. Fences were put up around the area, almost like a prison…it was a prison. Watch guards on duty 24/7. Thousands of slaves inside this region of hatred, slaves for different purposes and different motives. The slaves were completely unaware of what would be done to them as paranoia loomed the sandy dry air.
"I didn't say you could stop!" The guard yelled.
"Fuck you…your lucky I'm even doing this for y—"
The loud crack of the non-blade side of the spear was heard as he yelled in pain.
"Why don't you open your smartass mouth again?" The guard said cocking back once again.
"Hit me again, its not gonna make me work any harder!" He yelled with a sarcastic tone to his voice."
Before the guard swung the spear forward, the man started moving once again.
Every day was like this, as the blunt side of spears and the cracking of the whip was put on you no matter what you did. As the day ended so did the work, the noise and yelling subsided and the cool breeze of the night desert was felt.
The man threw him into the cell…once a stable. His back hitting directly on the concrete corner. He let out a yelp of pain as he clutched his back and spasmed his body forward. He fell to the side and laid his head on the cold hard floor. He had never been put in a cell like this, normally he was in a cell by himself, in solitude. But as he peered his eyes to the right, he caught a glimpse of another slave looking through the crack in between.
The man was maybe in his thirties, his teeth were retched and stained many disgusting colors. His clothes consisted of raggedy slices of cloth, exposing his left shoulder and only barely hiding his chest. The man's eyes were sincere and kind, his voice was husky and deep, he had somewhat of a royal accent. He had obviously aged much faster than his age indicated.
"Normally they throw you in the Shade, you must have been quite good today." The polite man stated.
The shade was a room in the Forman's room. Any sound made would result in a very horrible beating. The room was a dark, wet and cold cell, there was no sunlight and the only sound heard would be the snoring of the Forman, or water dripping from the pipes above.
"How did you know that?" The resister said.
"We all admire you for your courage, you fight back when others do not." The man stated with a smile.
"What is your name?" The aged man asked.
"Kai."
"Ah, you represent the ocean…the sea." The man said scratching his the back of his neck.
Kai perked his head up in disbelief. Memories and thoughts suddenly flooded his already muffled mind.
[I]Kai, you are one with the sea, one with the ocean. Enemy or foe, the Sea is your promised land.[/I]
He shook his head side to side to relieve his mind of the past.
"Yea, I believe I do." Kai managed to sputter.
The old man was about to say something when he left the little crack and silence fell upon the building. The sound of footsteps were heard. The obvious pattern of heel to foot, two sounds for each step rang in Kai's head. The guard stopped in front of Kai's cell. He stood sideways as he peered in. He looked forward and kept walking.
Kai let out a sigh of relief. He waited for the pattern of steps to go away and whispered for the man next to his cell.
The man came back with a sheet of paper.
"What's this?" Kai asked grabbing the paper from the mans hand.
"I do not need to explain, for you will see the significance."
Kai un-rolled the wrapped cylinder of paper and observed the lines and boundaries of a place. He sat confused, not being able to decipher the map.
"Okay…now what the hell is thi—"
It finally clicked as Kai's eyes lit up in both gratitude and excitement. He surveyed the map, his escape route was now possible. The time intervals of guards passing and switching were written on the detailed diagram. Just a little studying and he was ready.
He looked at the man and smiled.
"I have observed this facility for over fifteen years, I have memorized patterns and tendencies. But never have I found a young man like you, your will for survival and will to resist has inspired young and old around Axis…" The man closed his eyes for a moment, "But a dream had, is not a dream come true." With that the man shuffled away from the crack and layed to rest for the night.
Kai was left pondering the man's quote. Kai was sitting upright, his back against the cement wall, his head was relaxed, the back of his head touching the hard coldness.
Kai stood six feet tall, his hair was a dark black, flowing over the blue and white patterned headband given to him by his deceased father. Kai was a very handsome young man, his facial features were perfectly proportional, he was a woman's dream. His eyes were very eccentric, outside of the pupil was a bluish green, but changed colors during his mood and feeling. His skin was naturally tanned. He was very muscular and his endurance was matchless. The clothes he was provided with was fairly elegant…well before he's had to go through endless hours of planting and cultivating. They were almost robe-like, but were much tighter so they couldn't fall off during labor. The robe used to be a cream color, but slowly deteriorated and was now a brown spotted and scuffed rag. The "Robe" was slowly loosened in time and his middle chest to his stomach was open, revealing his chiseled chest and obvious six-pack stomach.
He looked into the air as he saw his breath exit his mouth in white clouds. Kai blinked his eyes as his eyelids were getting very heavy, with his prop of impending escape in his arms, the dream of freedom danced in his mind.
"Normally they throw you in the Shade, you must have been quite good today." Aged man
Caravans came in and out. Shipping in new slaves and old slaves alike. The area was called Axis, the epicenter of all slave trade and shipment. Once called the Chocobo Farm, but brutally converted into a region of evil. The land was expanded and the stables were kept. Fences were put up around the area, almost like a prison…it was a prison. Watch guards on duty 24/7. Thousands of slaves inside this region of hatred, slaves for different purposes and different motives. The slaves were completely unaware of what would be done to them as paranoia loomed the sandy dry air.
"I didn't say you could stop!" The guard yelled.
"Fuck you…your lucky I'm even doing this for y—"
The loud crack of the non-blade side of the spear was heard as he yelled in pain.
"Why don't you open your smartass mouth again?" The guard said cocking back once again.
"Hit me again, its not gonna make me work any harder!" He yelled with a sarcastic tone to his voice."
Before the guard swung the spear forward, the man started moving once again.
Every day was like this, as the blunt side of spears and the cracking of the whip was put on you no matter what you did. As the day ended so did the work, the noise and yelling subsided and the cool breeze of the night desert was felt.
The man threw him into the cell…once a stable. His back hitting directly on the concrete corner. He let out a yelp of pain as he clutched his back and spasmed his body forward. He fell to the side and laid his head on the cold hard floor. He had never been put in a cell like this, normally he was in a cell by himself, in solitude. But as he peered his eyes to the right, he caught a glimpse of another slave looking through the crack in between.
The man was maybe in his thirties, his teeth were retched and stained many disgusting colors. His clothes consisted of raggedy slices of cloth, exposing his left shoulder and only barely hiding his chest. The man's eyes were sincere and kind, his voice was husky and deep, he had somewhat of a royal accent. He had obviously aged much faster than his age indicated.
"Normally they throw you in the Shade, you must have been quite good today." The polite man stated.
The shade was a room in the Forman's room. Any sound made would result in a very horrible beating. The room was a dark, wet and cold cell, there was no sunlight and the only sound heard would be the snoring of the Forman, or water dripping from the pipes above.
"How did you know that?" The resister said.
"We all admire you for your courage, you fight back when others do not." The man stated with a smile.
"What is your name?" The aged man asked.
"Kai."
"Ah, you represent the ocean…the sea." The man said scratching his the back of his neck.
Kai perked his head up in disbelief. Memories and thoughts suddenly flooded his already muffled mind.
[I]Kai, you are one with the sea, one with the ocean. Enemy or foe, the Sea is your promised land.[/I]
He shook his head side to side to relieve his mind of the past.
"Yea, I believe I do." Kai managed to sputter.
The old man was about to say something when he left the little crack and silence fell upon the building. The sound of footsteps were heard. The obvious pattern of heel to foot, two sounds for each step rang in Kai's head. The guard stopped in front of Kai's cell. He stood sideways as he peered in. He looked forward and kept walking.
Kai let out a sigh of relief. He waited for the pattern of steps to go away and whispered for the man next to his cell.
The man came back with a sheet of paper.
"What's this?" Kai asked grabbing the paper from the mans hand.
"I do not need to explain, for you will see the significance."
Kai un-rolled the wrapped cylinder of paper and observed the lines and boundaries of a place. He sat confused, not being able to decipher the map.
"Okay…now what the hell is thi—"
It finally clicked as Kai's eyes lit up in both gratitude and excitement. He surveyed the map, his escape route was now possible. The time intervals of guards passing and switching were written on the detailed diagram. Just a little studying and he was ready.
He looked at the man and smiled.
"I have observed this facility for over fifteen years, I have memorized patterns and tendencies. But never have I found a young man like you, your will for survival and will to resist has inspired young and old around Axis…" The man closed his eyes for a moment, "But a dream had, is not a dream come true." With that the man shuffled away from the crack and layed to rest for the night.
Kai was left pondering the man's quote. Kai was sitting upright, his back against the cement wall, his head was relaxed, the back of his head touching the hard coldness.
Kai stood six feet tall, his hair was a dark black, flowing over the blue and white patterned headband given to him by his deceased father. Kai was a very handsome young man, his facial features were perfectly proportional, he was a woman's dream. His eyes were very eccentric, outside of the pupil was a bluish green, but changed colors during his mood and feeling. His skin was naturally tanned. He was very muscular and his endurance was matchless. The clothes he was provided with was fairly elegant…well before he's had to go through endless hours of planting and cultivating. They were almost robe-like, but were much tighter so they couldn't fall off during labor. The robe used to be a cream color, but slowly deteriorated and was now a brown spotted and scuffed rag. The "Robe" was slowly loosened in time and his middle chest to his stomach was open, revealing his chiseled chest and obvious six-pack stomach.
He looked into the air as he saw his breath exit his mouth in white clouds. Kai blinked his eyes as his eyelids were getting very heavy, with his prop of impending escape in his arms, the dream of freedom danced in his mind.