Blood dripped from Kenway's face and body. He was stripped of his clothes, except for his black and blood smeared pants. His naked chest exposed his scars and single tattoo on his right breast. Cuts were sizzling on his back; they seemed inflicted from a long, thick rope, his hands were bound behind a wooden pole with his knees forced to ground. Kenway was hunched over, staring at the sand that mirrored the shadows of the dancing red and yellow flames five feet from him. The dried blood on his face dripped into the grit and created little red bubbles of dirt. Cheering could be heard throughout the heavily populated campsite. A big, burly man kneeled in front of Kenway, tapping his right shoulder briskly. Kenway didn't dare to look up for he knew the man whom was kneeling right in front of him. The man took in a deep breath and let it out, blowing Kenway's bangs into his face.
"Look son, I need to tell you something..."
The man paused for a moment, searching impatiently for a response in Kenway's face, there was none. He sighed and continued talking.
"Kenway I'm sorry we weren't there to see you grow up. The thought of not seeing my boy grow up completely killed me inside. I know what I did, what we did, was wrong. But you must know why. And that's why I wanted you to come."
Kenway lifted his head and stared directly into those dark brown eyes. Kenway scanned his fathers wrinkled face, wisps of age had started to invade his remaining hair. He appeared to look in his mid to late fifty's. The man looked like an older version of Kenway, though his short brown freckled with grey flowed to his right. This was the first time in years Kenway had seen his father. This wasn't what he had in mind when they were finally reunited.
"Kenway I'm proud of you. I've always been proud, even from the start."
"Then why did you leave me. Tell me why!" Kenway looked up while he demanded. "If you truly loved me you wouldn't have abandoned me. You wouldn't have tied me to this pole and beat me!"
Kenway tried to act tough but he knew that his efforts were useless. A few tears streamed down his cheeks due to the pain and emotion. His tears fused with the fresh dripping blood on his face form the beating. He didn't sob; he just let the tears run down his face.
"You gave up on me. You left me when I needed you the most!"
"You do remember the plan though Kenway, you haven't forgot about us right?"
"Yes I remember the plan. I don't want any part of it anymore! I've moved on."
Kenway's father stood up and stared right into Kenway's blood-shot eyes. Kenway gazed up at the sight of the bulky man. With full force the man lifted his leg, thrusting it into Kenway's chest. Kenway gave a loud grunt and crunched down on his teeth. He slammed his eyes shut at the force of the kick and tried to flex so there wouldn't be as much pain. Kenway's father withdrew his leg and turned his back to his collapsed lad. Kenway forced every breath out of his yellowing body.
"You disappoint me Kenway. I put so much trust in you that you would do the right thing. But now you have been brainwashed by these… these people. They must be all killed, starting with the one person you care for the most. I was going to tell you why we left, unfortunately you probably won't live to hear the whole story."
Looking up in fury, Kenway snarled hatred at his father, cursing every other word. He thrashed to break the bonds that tied him to the cold wooden pillar. Kenway's father muttered something to a guard right next to him. Kenway didn't know what his father said, his voice was too quiet. A few moments later a slender figure appeared right next to the devious smiling guard. The individual was wearing a tattered white dress adorned with a bag over their head. Kenway knew it was a girl because of the outline of her body.
"What are you doing?" Said Kenway in a demanding voice.
"We will start with destroying the things that you love first. Take off the bag over her head."
The face was pale white with freckles cratering her face. Her hair looked just like Kenway's and Roxanna's. The highlights glimmered in the sun, lightening up her hair giving it a lighter tone. Tears flowed down her face and she muttered something that made Kenway's body useless.
"I'm so sorry Kenway. I'm so sorry I let you down baby. I'm so sorry I didn't come back home. I'm so…"
"Shut the hell up bitch."
Kenway's father struck the woman in the chest so hard that she fell over, crashing down to the floor. He stared at the body and smiled, chuckling a bit as he walked back and forth rubbing the scruff on his face. Looking at a guard, the signal was given for a weapon.
"Leave her alone! Leave my mother alone!"
Kenway struggled, trying to break from his bonds. Something hit him in the back of the head and pulled his head back by the hair. A surge of anger and pain took over his body, someone else was holding his scalp back, he could feel the warm breath of the man's delight on the nape of his neck.
"Now son you are going to watch as I take the life of this… this pathetic person that you call a mother." He brought over a wicked barbed wire bat and put it next to Kenway's face, cutting the side of his cheek. "This my dear boy is my trusty right hand man, or should I say woman. Her name is Grace. I've killed many people with grace, innocent people mind you. When the time comes to go face to face with her, you should feel honored. Happy even." He walked over to the heaving woman on the ground. Picking her up by the hair, then maliciously throwing her back to the earth. Her stomach met the floor, producing a small gust of sand which shot out. He stood over her smiling while she pathetically tried to crawl away. He reared back, suddenly striking out with a blow that landed right in the middle of her back. Then another- then another. Kenway bawled his eyes out, staring at his mother being beat over and over with a bloody barbed wire baseball bat. Blood spewed all over the sand, her back was being torn open. The wires dug into skin and tore out more and more flesh with every hit. The soft white nightgown was stained with red and was becoming torn to shreds. One hit smashed the back of her head, forcing one of her eyeballs to explode out of the socket and left a gory cavity on the rear of her skull. The breaking of bones echoed through Kenway's ears. Blood from his mother shot right into his face, hitting the right side of his face and body. Kenway's father was smiling maniacally and making jokes while he hit her with full force. "Looks like you're not going to be making his school lunch anymore." Just being a few feet away the dying woman uttered her final words.
"Kenway… I… Love… You."
"Mother!"
"Where's my brother!? Tell me where he is."
"Roxanna I don't know where he is."
"Dante you need to help me find him."
Dante shrugged and shook his head. He put his right hand on his head and held his scythe in his left.
"Ok… Ok I know where he is, or where I think he is."
"Can you take me to him?" said Roxanna shooting him puppy eyes.
"Fine… Fine let's see if we can find him. But first we need to tell the other guards."
Roxanna jumped in the air and gave a smile that reached the sides of her face.
"Well let's get going."
Walking out of the town they drifted into the sea of trees. The sun was directly over their heads, shining like a flashlight in a dark city street. As they trespassed through the forest, sounds of animals and the leaves swaying in the breeze lightened up the woodland and gave a feeling of comfort. The two stepped over ongoing legs of the trees and various other bushes that blocked their path. Roxanna carried an olive green back pack filled with everything they needed for the journey. She bounced with each step she took and swayed her arms back and forth feeling the cool breeze hitting her face. Roxanna could hear Dante's armor clashing together with every step he took. She memorized the pattern of his heavy footsteps trekking down the path. Roxanna lost concentration and stumbled on a bush that ceased her light blue jeans and tore at her leg. As she struggled to get loose, Dante stood there laughing a few feet in front of her. Roxanna looked at him in discomfort as she grabbed her leg trying to tear it away from the bushes grasp. Dante realized that she couldn't get her leg out and kneeled over right beside her.
"You ok?"
Roxanna looked up grinding her teeth. She transitioned her focus from her leg to Dante a few times before staring into his dark blue vibrant eyes.
"Yeah I'm fine. Can you just get me out? This really hurts."
"Yeah ok but you're going to have to stay still."
"Ok just make it fast, it hurts."
Dante, without letting Roxanna know, pulled her leg out of the bush. The stranded wood cut through her jeans and tore through her skin, but not deep enough to leave a scar. Dante fell back onto the leave with a crunch, followed by Roxanna falling right on top of him. She hit her head on his chest and looked up at him laughing. Dante looked at her and laughed back at her. The two laid there for a few seconds until Roxanna got up and brushed off the remaining leaves and picked the twigs that were on her tattered jeans. Roxanna turned away trying to hide her blushing face.
"Um… uh sorry about that."
"Oh no it's ok. Sorry about your leg. Does it hurt?"
"A little but I'm fine."
"Roxanna we should get going, you know, so we can set up camp. But if your leg hurts too bad we don't have to move."
"No I'm fine, let's get moving."
A few hours passed while they ventured out into the deep woods. The sun was starting to fade and darkness crept in. They approached a dark cave, it was about six feet tall and no wider than eight feet. Since the sun was still out they could see part of the back of the cave. It looked like it could fit about a half a dozen people. Dante searched for some twigs to use as kindling, hoping to find a few short logs if he was lucky. After finding a few of each he set up the logs in the makeshift fire pit he made out of stones by the front of the cave. A rush of wind hit Dante's cold armor and made goosebumps all over his body, covered from view due to his armor. He looked up and saw that stars were poking out, shining like small fireflies. Dante thought about leaving his armor on just in case there was an intruder, but shrugged off the thought after the second wave of wind blew on his armor. He took his armor off and set it towards the back of the cave. He saw Roxanna sitting next to the make-shift fire pit and furiously trying to light the fire. Dante emerged from the cave and smiled at Roxanna struggling. He put on his white shirt, covering his bare chest and slipped on some shoes.
"You need help?" said Dante with a small laugh. He put his hands on his hips and waited for Roxanna to answer.
"Ugh I can't get the stupid thing to light. It won't work."
Roxanna threw the lighter and pouted, Dante calmly walked over to the exasperated girl. He bent down and picked up the lighter, kneeling by Roxanna as he arranged a few twigs and leaves. Quick sparks ignited the lighter and covered the dry kindling with a warm wave of energy.
"First you need to get something small and light it on fire, after that you place it in the middle of the logs." Dante placed the burning brush between the three logs. "Then we blow on it a little to make the fire spread."
"Thanks for showing me." Roxanna smiled up at the long pink haired man.
The fire awoken and spread throughout the logs.
"Hey Dante how old are you? I mean, you don't have to answer if you don't want too. It's just that I've known you for so long and I've never asked your age."
Dante chuckled and hesitated for a moment. He didn't want to tell her but he knew that there was no way he could get out of this situation. She would keep asking over and over. Stuttering for a moment he opened his mouth and answered.
"I'm… twenty six. Why were you asking?"
"I don't know, I was just wondering."
Roxanna retrieved a purple fuzzy blanket that was in her olive bag which laid next to the outside of the cave. She grabbed another one for Dante and the two laid there next to the fire. They lay on opposite sides of the fire. Roxanna stared into the flames trying to find her brothers face and searched for some sign as to where her brother was. She followed the waves of the flames for a while but then rested her eyes.
"Hey wake up."
Roxanna opened her eyes and looked around. She looked around to where she heard the remark but didn't see anyone. Dante was still asleep by the extinguished fire. Opening her eyes wider, she saw a blue ball of light in floating a few yards from her. She stood up, trying to control her shaking legs. Once she gained the ability to walk she quietly stepped over to the light. After following the light for a few minutes she looked back to see if she could see the camp they made but couldn't find it. She spun in circles trying to find the path that she took but it was too dark to see. The blue light disappeared and Roxanna found herself surrounded by the darkness. She felt fear creep into her skin and seep into her bones. Crunching of footsteps echoed behind her and she shot right to the direction.
"Who's there?" Roxanna bent down and picked up a long stick that she held just inches from her face. "Please leave me alone." She pleaded.
"Hey cousin long time no see."
"Sorry about the no upload, school is getting me really stressed out and is taking up a lot of my time. I'm going to upload once every month and im going to make my chapter about 5 to 6 pages long. Thanks for understanding and thanks for reading.