"Hey, Alex! Do you want to come and play with sticks? We could go down by the lake or near the plains, which is open. " Egor asked me, with his big ole jolly self.
"Yeah… sure, Egor. Let's go down by the lake. " I told him, as I looked for the perfect stick.
As we made our way down the slopes of the forest, we talked about what kind of adventures we could get into when we grew up. I told him I wanted to be a knight and to no surprise at all, he wanted to be a baker or a cook.
"Well, this looks as good a spot as any, eh, Egor? " I asked him for reassurance.
"Sure thing, Alex! " We practiced and played; all till midday.
After hours of sticks, I hadn't won a single match, as I began to get frustrated. I kept trying and trying, but still… nothing. So, we decided to take a break and turns out Egor was pretty good at sticks, which made me wonder if maybe I was the one who belonged in the kitchen.
We looked off at the lake, as we skipped one rock after another. The view from here was incredible. Being in nature and one with it was very peaceful. The surrounding forests with tall oak trees, the stillness of the water that was see through and clear as glass. As the sun shined and reflected off of it, fish jumped in and out of the water, splashing in the distance, as the cat tail plants on the edge of the waters blew back and forth from the howling winds.
I swear I could have lived in this moment forever. As I breathed in the fresh air, listening to the noise of nature, I heard the faint chattering of men heading down towards us.
"We should have taken his coin after we killed him, Leon. That fat fuck wouldn't have noticed or been able to do shit about it, boss! " one man said to the other.
"We needed to get out of there, we couldn't risk losing what we had already stolen from that whore! " the other one said, sternly.
As we heard them getting closer, we tried to hide from them, but there were no good hiding places. So, we realized we were done with it. We were both scared, as we heard a yell, "Hey, boy, and you… Pig! Stop right there. " The thief said, as they appeared out of the forests. They were your average thief scum… missing teeth, dirty from head to toe, dressed in all poorly stitched outfits. Egor was so scared that he hid behind me with piss running down his leg.
"We don't mean you fellas any harm. Really! We swear! We will just be on our way. " I said, as we tried to walk past them, peacefully.
He stood there in front of us and spoke, "Where do you think your going, huh? " aggressively, as he pushed me into the mud face first and said to Egor, who was shaking through to his core, "What's the matter, piggy? You scared? " he asked, as he laughed at him, he was quivering at his lips. He then struck Egor in the face.
I got up and tried to stop them, but I was just a boy. So, I couldn't do much… they then beat the holy hell out of him and I, almost to death. They left us there, lying in the mud, as they walked away laughing.
We laid there for a while, trying to get some strength to get up and head home before it turned to nightfall. Finally, I got up and helped Egor up, who looked scarred for life… me, I was in a rage, this was the day that I learned just how dangerous this world really was. I decided on this day that I would become the lion… it was either kill or be killed.
We limped home, which took us a lot longer than normal, because I had to carry Egor home on my shoulder practically. We finally arrived at the farm just in time, as I walked Egor into his room and onto his bed. I said goodnight, as he still was sore and tired as well as a little scared.
I told his mother what had happened, as she cried and went to comfort him. "Thank you, Alex! For bringing him home. Are you okay? " she asked, as I told her I was fine and that it was just a couple of scratches. Even though I had bruises all over my body, with a black eye to contend with, too.
I walked home after that and made my way through the door, as I found my father passed out in his room… clearly on cheap opium or drunk on ale. I couldn't tell, honestly. As I saw him lying there, clearly not giving a shit about whether I would have come home or not. I began to feel my hair stand straight up and my body going numb and cold. I walked to my bed, dirty, cold, alone, and in pain, and laid there for a while, as I felt, little by little… parts of my soul chipping away. That was the day I changed into what I am today… a monster, capable of doing anything I needed to stay alive.