Chapter 45: The Second Task
The night was dark.
“I pray to you.” The young man’s voice echoed in the cellar. He squatted in the corner of the iron cage, trembling. “Merciful God, all glory belongs to you. Please forgive me for my sins and take me out of this quagmire-”
There were only a few torches in the cellar that was lit. The ventilation was terrible, and the air was filled the smell of excrement mixed with physical decay. One by one, standard cubic iron cages leaned against the wall with men and women inside that was either sitting or lying down. Most of them were sluggish and quiet. The mud was mixed with dry blood stains. And now, there was a brilliant blond hair that was disproportionate to the environment.
“What’s with that look in your eye?” the man roared, stepping on the blond young man’s neck. “Unconvinced, boy? Have you looked in the mirror? With such a face, you’re still wandering in the Frontier Forest at night; this is your fault.”
“Oh— were you planning to sell me?” the blond young man, Jesse, said lightly. His throat was trampled on, so his voice sounded a little muffled, but his eyes were full of banter. “Please be sure to find a gentle buyer for me. I’m afraid of pain.”
The man moved his foot away and kicked Jesse Dylan hard in the abdomen. “Respect,” he emphasized in a coarse voice. “Respect, little boy. I’m not joking around.”
Long blond hair covered the young man’s face and no one could see his expression at this time. Considering that the face of the “commodity” couldn’t be injured, the man spat and mended his feet. His strength was strong enough that Jesse let out a muffled groan as he slammed his back into one of the cages. He coughed a few times as blood flowed down the corner of his mouth. The light golden hair glowed like silk from the light of the fire as it fell from his cheeks.
“…You know everything. You can do everything. You spread love and compassion to the world…” the boy in the cage shivered and prayed faster.
The smile on Jesse’s face disappeared and his expression was mixed with just the right amount of fear. “Please… Please stop. I shouldn’t have looked at you like that. I’ll listen to you—”