Chapter 8 "Burn"
Ninkun's fiery blue eyes be held for the first time in a long time, his old home. In the two years since it had been burnt down by the overseers, the ruins had worn and crumbled away, but the foundation remained. It had to have been a year since Nin had visited this place. The pressure on him had been turned up drastically then, the overseers had placed an official bounty on Nin, and he was now wanted for 100 pieces of silver. Not the most money that had ever been offered, but enough that Nin could only go into public in disguise, and had been forced to avoid this last memory of his previous life, since it was well known it had been his home, and the neighbors were no friends of his.
He strode on long legs into the clearing cautiously, it was still just before dawn, the sky turning a soft blue. He kept his head bowed, his long dark hair falling out of his hood. He looked over at the large tree maybe 20 meters away, at the base of which an old wooden plaque marked his mother's grave. Nin squeezed his eyes shut and fought the tide of emotions that swept through him. He missed his mother every day, and hated that he was forced to avoid her resting place. His heart had begun to burn with anger towards the beasts that had taken her from him. He was growing weary of running and hiding. He wanted them to pay. He turned and went to the plaque, kneeling over it, and placing his hand on it. He brushed away the dirt and leaves, and traced the words "I love you" with his fingers. "I miss you." He barely whispered to nobody. He shook his head, whipping his hair around his face, then with an audible breath he steeled himself, and suppressed the tears in his eyes, refusing to let them fall.
He rose and wrapped his jacket tighter around himself. It was spring, his favorite time of year, when the short but harsh desert winter gave way to fair temperatures and the return of animals. The morning was brisk, but that's not what put the chill in his body. He felt like he was being watched, a constant gnawing at his mind that came with being wanted. That's why despite his desire to see his mother's grave and their old home, he had avoided it for over a year. He started off again at a quick soft pace, keeping his head routinely bowed. As he reached the road and began heading north, he passed the home of the old neighbor man who Nin despised. The old bastard was known for sitting in his window or on his porch and just watching. Nine years ago he had just watched the attempted rape of Nin's mother, and last year he had vehemently squealed everything he knew about Nin's family to the overseers when they had come questioning about Nin's whereabouts, so Gin had told him. They had given the geriatric fucker a nickname: geriatric fucker.
Nin stared hatefully at the window. Just as he was about to drop his gaze, he noticed movement. He did not break his stride or otherwise give away that he had noticed anything, but looked harder into the window and saw the man was staring at him from deep inside the room! "Fucking pig." Nin hissed under his breath. He was so overcome with rage that his cautiousness went to the wind. He turned and threw back his hood, staring the creep right in the eyes. The bastard's eyes went wide as he saw Nin's furious stare. Unable to endure it, he got up and hobbled through the dark room to the window. Before he could slam it closed, Nin raised his middle finger in the universal gesture for "fuck you." Nin moved now at a quicker pace, knowing he had given away his location, but he didn't care. He chuckled to himself as a satisfied feeling swept through him, and he liked it.
Yes, Nin was growing tired of running and hiding. His life in the woods had made him strong. He was a fast runner, and had quick feet despite being very tall. He was also wiry strong and could climb trees very well. He had been practicing for a few years now with a bow and become a good shot, and could wield a knife very well also. He fed himself mostly by hunting and gathering, though he would steal at times if it was necessary. He lived in the trees, sometimes sleeping in the cave by the river he had discovered two years ago, or just laying out on a thick branch. He had sharp ears, and his lifestyle forced him to be very wary.
Nin tried hard not to think of the future. This life was what he knew, and he had resigned himself to it. All thoughts of leaving this land had been chased away by his encounter with an eldritch creature on the western road two years ago. He still had nightmares at times, and knew he was now doomed to remain here. Still, he hated this place, and felt he would find no peace here. The debate in his mind raged from time to time, but always to an impasse, so he tried to avoid it. He was tired of living by secrecy, and thoughts had crept upon him of taking the fight to those who were hunting him. Those who had stolen the one person he had loved.
Somewhere out in these forests, Nin's last remaining relatives were living no different lives. His father and brother, whom he had not seen in two years, also were being pursued by the overseers, and by all accounts had not been caught. Nin tried not to think of them also, and had not returned to the glade where he had found them living two years ago, not knowing if they had moved on from there yet. He had no desire to see them, especially his brother. Nin did not want to know how closely Rinkun resembled their father now.
As for Gin, Nin had still not pursued any romantic relationship with her. It was difficult to do so while living this way, especially since she still lived at home. Nin remembered his last encounter with her father, who had caught them in the middle of an impromptu kiss and attempted to strangle Nin before chasing him away. Afterwards he had all but imprisoned Gin inside the house, and Nin barely saw her for about six months after. Furthermore, he had gone to the overseers and told them of Nin, and not long after the bounty was set. Nin and Gin had seen much less of each other over the last two years than when they were kids, though they were still close, and helped each other whenever they could. She still wanted him, but had not attempted any further romance, knowing Nin was still unsure of his feelings. Nin deeply cared for her, and loved her even, and saw no other potential for a partner, but something held him back. Maybe it was fear of losing his only friend, maybe the lack of options made him feel forced into loving her. He did not know for sure, but for now things were at a standstill.
She was becoming desperate though. She was reaching the age where she could marry, and knew her father would likely sell her off once a good opportunity came. She wanted no other man than Ninkun, and wished badly that he would decide to be with her. They could run off together, she thought. Go somewhere he wasn't wanted and start a life. When she had mentioned leaving together to him many months ago, he had vehemently refused. She didn't understand why, but thought maybe it had to do with leaving his mother's memory, or maybe it was a reason she didn't know. He refused to speak about it.
Nin moved on towards the village. Little had changed on this well traveled road over the years. The strong winds from the surrounding desert still kicked up the dust into your every bodily orifice, and the rapists and thieves still meandered here at times, though they kept mostly to the markets. The sun was at times merciless in the mid-day, and the nights could be utterly chilling during any season, such was the strange climate of this temperate desert oasis. Nin's hood was now drawn up again and the long morning shadows still sufficed to hide his face. The road was now mostly empty but for the occasional drunk passed out on its side, and a few women heading early into the market since early morning was the safest time to travel. Both of these had no interest in Nin so he went in relative safety for now.
The shadows were significantly shorter when Nin reached the Village gate just on time. The gate had just opened, allowing him to slip inside anonymously. Nin was well practiced at arriving at just the right time to not draw attention to himself, one of the many skills he had acquired during the last two years. He avoided the center of the square, hugging the vertical wood posts that made up the market walls. He went at a steady pace, and waited for himself to become unnoticeable, just another face in the crowd. He pulled back his hood since it made him look suspicious, here very few people knew his face so he was not in great danger of being recognized.
After about an hour the sun was now fully up, the hour around 8:00 am. The market was nearly full now, and Nin meandered into the center a bit more, keeping his ears wide open. He was trying to pick up any gossip regarding his current situation, whether the Overseers had raised the bounty, or lowered it. How prevalent was Ninkun's name on the minds of the public. Another hour passed, and Nin heard very little of worth. An Overseer's daughter whom Nin had not heard of was set to marry a lord from the capital city and most likely would he would be moving there, which would vacate his position here. Power struggles were too common to be worth paying attention to especially for an outlaw. Also, a very bold rapist had attempted to overtake a very well known Overseer named Barach's young wife, and been beheaded in the middle of the square yesterday. Many of the street vermin were actually paid by some of those power to attempt to shame other Lords in such ways, and when caught were usually not shown more than thirty seconds worth of mercy.
Nin was growing hungry. He tried his best to ignore it but soon his stomach was audibly singing its discomfort. Nin was a fairly skilled pick-pocket, and sometimes could even swipe a piece of fruit or dried meat from a poorly watched stand. He tried to avoid doing this however, one because the penalty for being caught was usually being hung by the wrist from the scaffold until the hand became damaged beyond future use, or sometimes the more brutal merchants would kill you on the spot with little consequence. Apart from this, Nin had an unexplainable moral aversion to theft. Being raised in this land should have left him completely unopposed to such behavior. Nin cared little for the ones he stole from since many did worse deeds on a daily basis, but even so, he was ever wanting to distinguish himself from the stereotypical Easterling, so he rarely resorted to crime. Unfortunately, he at times found it unavoidable, especially in winter, when starvation was not an improbable fate.
This particular morning, Nin was still feeling very defiant after his encounter with the geriatric fucker, so he decided to pick something if he found a chance. He watched for one as he continued to eavesdrop on the market folk. His mind was rather busy this morning, thinking of his change in attitude, and what should his next move be if indeed he was committed to getting more bold. He still did not know the identity of the overseer who his father had crossed, and he felt this was the first thing he should try to discover, and he pondered how it could be done. The time passed quickly, and he continued not to hear anything regarding himself.
The hour was approaching 10:00 when Nin felt someone approach him from behind. He skillfully checked his rear unobtrusively, and recognized the only friendly face he knew in the world just as she reached him. Gin took his left arm in hers and fell casually into step beside him. Her curly dark hair was wild as usual, Gin paid little attention to it, but Nin found it an attractive style on her. Her tattered brown dress and hood were loosely fitting in the typical style of eastern women. She smiled at him, it had been nearly a week since they had seen each other, "How have you been?" Gin began the conversation. "I flipped off the geriatric fucker this morning." Nin told her with a devious glint in his eye. Gin raised her eyebrows in honest shock. "Do you joke?" "You know I never joke." Nin replied with a chuckle. "Isn't that dangerous?" Gin said with concern. Nin scoffed, "Our lives are always dangerous Gin, this place is hell, and I have had enough of running…." Gin looked at him hard. "Nin. I don't want to lose you. Please be careful." Nin stared back at her, and Gin saw the fierce resentment burning in his blue eyes, therefore she gain said him no more, being filled with empathy.
The two of them walked together a bit longer with some uneventful conversation. Nin stomach growled even louder now, enough that Gin heard it. Reaching in her pocket she pulled out two apples she had bought that morning. Nin smiled and thanked her as he bit deep into the fruit, savoring it. Gin took smaller bites of her apple and watched in contentment as he devoured his hungrily. It was then that she noticed something unexpected and disturbing, a large crowd beginning to gather in the center of the market, which was not in of itself unusual, but it was who was at the center of it that made her freeze: Taurun, Nin's father. Nin saw her stop and followed her eyes, and for the first time in two years, beheld his father surrounded by a growing mob.
Taurun was bound at the arms, his face was set in an ugly scowl, his lower lip was swollen and bleeding, as was his nose. Despite the scowl, Nin saw the fear in his father's face. He went absolutely still, his heart seemed to stop beating. Two very large men held Taurun while three others were beginning to erect a small scaffold next to him. A few paces away, the overseer Barach was standing with several bodyguards around him, glaring at Taurun in triumphant hatred. The mob was chattering ever more excitedly, Taurun was caught, and they were preparing to kill him. Realization dawned slowly on Nin, a chill ran through his body right to his toes. He knew not at all what to feel.
Barach turned and addressed the crowd, "All of you bear witness! This is the fugitive Taurun, who has eluded capture for two years following the cowardly abandonment of his home and family! This nave treacherously backed out of a barter struck with your lord Barach, receiving a great payment, and failing to complete the task to which he was set! As punishment, he shall be immediately put to death! Furthermore, let it be reminded the offenders two sons are still at large! Such treachery no doubt does not skip generations! The bounty on these two is raised now to 200 pieces of silver a piece! Let it be known that the lord Barach honors his bounties! Good Abado, step forward and claim your reward for information leading to this dog's capture, 300 silver coins!" The crowd gave a cheer of approval as a short merchant with a large scar along his cheek stepped up and was handed a significant sack of coins. "And now!" Announced Barach, "Let the offender hang!" The crowd gave a greater roar and as was traditional at executions all at once raised their middle fingers to Taurun, some of the men jumped forward and dropped their pants, exposing their asses and cocks, and taunting Taurun with foul remarks. One young woman jumped right up onto the now complete scaffold and exposed her breasts much the mirth of the already frenzied crowd.
Nin watched the repulsing events in disgust, his heart felt absolutely gone. His stare had gone cold and blank. Gin clutched his arm in terror, realizing that Nin was now among the most wanted men in the village. Nin wanted to look away from his father's face, but could not bring himself to. Taurun's expression was a mix of cold hatred and absolute terror. Though he despised the man, Nin could not stop the pity that welled in his gut, he was about to be truly orphaned.
Taurun was dragged now up to the scaffold as the jeering continued. Barach stood with crossed arms, his large bald head raised in arrogant satisfaction. One of the henchman took no time in wrapping the noose around Taurun's neck and violently pulled it taunt, causing Taurun to audibly choke and gasp. The man then kicked Taurun in the balls, dropping him to the ground with a grunt of agony, and bringing another cheer from the crowd. The executioner pulled on the hanging rope, dragging Taurun back to his feet. He then turned to Barach waiting for the order to drop the trap door. Barach walked up to the scaffold and smirked at Taurun, who glared back in pure hatred. Barach then reared and spit in Taurun's face, and turning on his heel raised his hand to signal the executioner to end Taurun's life.
Nin turned his face away now, unable to watch more. Gin buried her face in his shoulder and gripped his arm even tighter. The executioner tied a blindfold around Taurun's face, and Nin waited to hear the inevitable opening of the door and his father's demise, but suddenly a cry of fury went through the crowd. Nin opened his eyes, and they immediately went completely wide with horror at what he saw. The executioner was now lying on his stomach on the scaffold, his head reared back in a blood-curdling scream, a large knife stuck up to the hilts in his back. Behind him stood Rinkun, blood from the executioner's wound had sprayed on his face, a dark horrifying smile smeared there.
Nin's mouth dropped as Rin reached down and pulled the knife from the dying man's back with a sickening sound and more blood poured from the wound. Rin swiftly went to the hanging rope and began to cut it, the other henchman ran to the scaffold and began to jump on as the rope broke. Taurun became aware he was free and stumbled back in disorientation. As he fell off the back of the scaffold, Rin gave a cry like a predator cat and leapt at the nearest henchman with the bloody knife. The henchman was caught off guard by the leap and unable to stop the knife from disappearing into his neck. Thus more blood sprayed across the scaffold as his arteries were severed. Rin swift as a cat pulled the knife out again and turned to jump off the scaffold after his father, but first the next henchman seized the back of his tunic.
At this moment Nin, forgetting himself, started to run towards the scaffold, all grief towards his deranged brother, and his own safety forgotten, seeking to protect Rinkun. His arm was wrenched from Gin's hold, but she reacted immediately. Like an arrow she took off after Nin, and leapt at him, landing on his back, and catching him off guard. Nin was much larger than her, but in his surprise he lost his balance and they collapsed together. As this happened, the henchman who had caught Rin had in one motion thrown the boy like a doll back towards the other men. Another of them caught him, and though the boy thrashed madly, held him firm. Rin tried to slash with the knife, but the man had him by the wrist, he squeezed hard, twisted and jerked Rin's arm, there was a crack and Rin's wrist broke. In the sudden pain Rin dropped the knife and squealed though he continued to fight as if possessed.
Barach seeing the attempted rescue now rushed up to the scaffold with murder in his eyes. As the henchman continued to hold Rin, Barach seized the knife he had dropped. Nin now managed to throw Gin off him and stand, just in time to see Barach put the knife to his brother's neck. Nin gave a cry of despair as the knife was dragged across, opening Rin's throat. Barach stepped aside to avoid getting Rin's pouring blood on his clothes. As life drained from the boy, the henchman threw him to the ground where he lay in a heap. Nin watched as his brother died, suddenly unable to move again.
Taurun meanwhile had recovered from his fall, and as Rin was killed, was now stumbling away from the scaffold blindly. He was not aware of his son's death as he attempted to save himself. Barach now turned and was aware of Taurun running. He swiftly motioned to one of his body guards, and the man pulled a large bow off his back and fitted an arrow. Nin was gasping in horror, his entire body shaking, as he fell to his knees. The bowman jumped onto the scaffold and drew the bow, aiming for Taurun. The dart was loosed, and it flew with true aim, striking Taurun in the back of the neck. He was dead before he hit the ground, and so the rescue attempt failed.
Nin heard the arrow strike his father, but his eyes were glued to his brother's body crumpled in the dirt. The crowd now went silent in the aftermath. Nin continued to gasp and tremble, the sickness rising in him. He then pitched forward and vomited into the dirt. The events at the execution had preoccupied all the villagers from noticing Nin and Gin despite his actions. She now came upon him again, and seizing his arms attempted to drag the heavier man away, knowing he could at any moment be noticed. Nin had no energy to resist her and stumbled back to his feet, spitting vomit from his mouth. Together he and Gin turned and fled the market. They bee-lined to the gate, where the gate keepers were also staring at the fight. They did not notice the two rush through the open gate until they were already well on their way up the road at dead sprint. They called after them in vain, but did not pursue them, turning their attention back to the market.
Barach went to the body of the boy he had just murdered. "Show me the boy's face." He ordered one of his guard, and the man stopped and dragged up the head by its hair. Barach saw now that it was indeed Rin, and smiled evilly. He chuckled, "Just saved myself 200 pieces, it is a good day indeed." He turned then and strutted away as other henchman came and dragged away the boy's body. The overseers all held large fenced in properties, most located further east behind the village. A small private gate was located in the east wall, which was closely guarded and only the Overseer's were permitted to use it. This was where Barach headed while his guard followed him. Before he had taken ten steps however, another henchman ran up to him calling, "My lord!"
Barach turned and addressed the runner coldly, "What is it." "The gatekeeper just spoke to me, he says that a few minutes ago, a young man and woman ran through the gate, he is unsure, but believes the man may have been the older son of Taurun!" Barach's eyes went wide, and the evil smile slid back onto his ugly face. "Bring the gatekeeper to me at once! And fetch a copy of the boy's description! Gather the hunters, I want this boy followed." He ordered, and the henchman ran off again at once. "It seems my fortune is indeed boundless today." Barach thought to himself, and suddenly feeling rather generous, he pulled a small sack of coins from his pocket, and headed for the tents where the whores stayed.
