The wind pierced my skin as I sat in the dark, leaning against a wall in the colosseum. Kamik –who was in front of me– was trying to start a fire. He had been trying for an hour. Only if I could use zaryûn magic to start a fire, but using magic before becoming an adult could get me killed for breaking the rules. I had no option but to sit and watch.
Krik krik
"Comrade, give me a hand. I'm not able to start a fire." Said Kamik.
You already dislocated my hand, you stupid brat!
Right now, we were on the second floor of the ruined colosseum. The place was neat. Guarding barbarians and barbarian warriors most probably use this place for practice and entertainment.
I had already convinced myself that I'll have to survive this night without a fire. If he's going to take too long to start a fire, then I won't have the time to eat. If I eat too late, then my body will focus on digesting that food instead of recovering my body during my sleep. And recovery is non-negotiable if I want to escape this jungle.
I needed to escape this jungle ASAP. I can't wait for too long-- Kamik will get suspicious the more time I spend with him. My time patrolling is limited too. So escaping tomorrow might be my best bet. I don't feel like dying in a place like this. Sure, I'll get all the recognition, resources and gratification of all kinds of needs if I stay here but that won't last long. When the time comes, they'll make me lead the conquest of the Kingdom of Centore- its what their prophesy says after all. Heck. I don't even know if I really am the chosen one.
Why would I choose to do that while I have the choice of escaping this jungle, finding a city or finding my family, getting rich, getting women, and maybe own a whole city? What if my family is a royal family? I'll own a whole country then.
Foosh
"Look! Comrade, I finally lit a fire!"
I crawled towards the fire, dragging my bag along with me. I didn't care to respond to Kamik. At that moment, there was only one thing on my mind- FOOD!
"Comrade, I've been wanting to ask something for a while a while…"
"Not now." I replied
"Can I know what's inside your backpack?"
You're gonna ask anyway, huh?
"You'll see." I said, as I pulled a whole damn chicken by its neck, out of my backpack.
"Woah. Are we going to have grilled chicken, comrade? It's been a long time since I got to eat anything other than eggs and wild herbs!" He said. Kamik was full of excitement. His family raised him solely to become the perfect candidate for the role of Leading Guardian. He must be living a very strict life. It was refreshing to see the childish side of him. I was starting to think that he isn't that bad of a person.
"Calm down, Kamik. We should slaughter it before preparing it for eating."
"But isn't it already dead?"
"Not at all. This is my pet chicken 'Honey Glazed Barbecue' and he happens to be a wicked little bastard." I said, as I pinned it to the ground before giving it a hard spank.
Bakk bakk!
The chicken came back to life, and the first it did was to try to attack me. Sadly, the unfortunate little thing was pinned to the ground by its neck.
"It's not dead, Kamik. It was just pretending to be dead, so that it can get its best shot at me."
"Why does it hate you that much, comrade?"
"Who knows?" I shrugged.
Actually, I do know.. It's because I never let any of its eggs hatch. I crack it open and apply it to my hair and scalp to nourish it. My hair doesn't look majestic for no reason.
I searched my bag for honey and home-made barbecue sauce but I couldn't find them. I had forgotten to pack them when I left my house in a hurry. Kamik figured out that I was searching for ingredients to cook the chicken. He then pulled a tightly packed, small, cylindric, ceramic bottle from the pouch around his waist and held it out in front of me.
"Comrade, let's try this sauce on the chicken." He said, "I've never tasted it on anything other than snakes, but I believe it will taste finger-licking-good on chickens as well."
"Let's try it out then. Better than nothing."
***
It was a shame that I couldn't turn my beloved pet 'Honey Glazed Barbecue' into a honey glazed barbecue. But Kamik's Barbecue sauce –or whatever he called it– wasn't bad either, I was lovin' it. If anything, I want to taste it with snake meat. Maybe Kamik should start a fast-food joint called 'KFC: Kamik's Fried Chicken'. This special ingredient of his had serious potential, he could give the fast food joints from Earth a run for their money.
We heard a horn sound. It was the horn that marks the time to sleep. Barbarians are very health conscious, which obviously means they don't compromise their sleep. That's why they always sleep early. Without wasting any time, we slept at opposite sides of the camp fire. The campfire might save me if he starts rolling around while he is sleeping. Hopefully, the fire would kill him before he breaks another one of my limbs while he's rolling around in his sleep.
But I didn't put much thought into that. I was just happy that Kamik didn't challenge me to a duel because we were in a colosseum. Trying to light a fire kept him occupied.
I woke up late at night due to my injured shoulder. Without knowing, I had been leaning on my right shoulder the entire time I was sleeping. When I turned left –in the direction of the campfire– I noticed that Kamik was missing.
It was the scariest jump scare I've ever experienced so far in this retarded life of mine.
What!? Where would that weirdo possibly go at a time like this?
Maybe he went to the center of the colosseum to train. Maybe he challenged some other barbarian who was passing by the colosseum. I didn't care who he was fighting, I was just glad that I wasn't the one he challenged to a duel.
"Comrade…" I heard a sound behind me.
!*&#?
"I –Kamik– challenge you to a duel. Nigga, lets settle this like warriors!"
Oh sh*t! He's challenging me to a dual at midnight!? Are you more retarded than me!?
I turned my head with a creak, only to realize that that bozo was talking to the wall in his sleep, mistaking it for me.
Is this guy for real…? Let's pretend he doesn't exist. Trying to help him might get me in trouble.
—THE NEXT DAY—
Kamik and I packed our things up, preparing ourselves for the patrol. Kamik was tired, his eyes like those of a dead fish. Sleep deprivation was truly terrifying—it could even toy with a guy like Kamik. That's good news to me. Now there's no one to come after me even if I escape.
"What's wrong, Kamik? You don't look so good." I said laughing, as I slapped his back.
He staggered forward, not being able to balance himself. I put my arm around his shoulders and together, we walked past the colosseum's exit.
"I… I don't… don't feel so good…"
"Come on, Kamik. Where did all that energy from yesterday go?"
It was a nice and sunny day. It also happened to be the day I'm going to start my escape. Truly, it was a beautiful day. I can't say the same for Kamik who was looking at the ground with his bloodshot eyes, open mouth and hunched back. The dysentery medicine that I mixed with his food yesterday must be working right now.
All there is left to do now is to escape this wretched jungle.