[1st POV]
As soon as the punishment is over, I have a promise to fulfil. I asked Ajak to send me on a separate mission with Druig. She asked me why, as they don’t really need a separate mission right now.
“You’re joking right?” I questioned and chuckled. “When I was travelling to Atlantis, the road that I picked was through Africa, and there were a ton of Deviants on the way. I couldn’t even begin to tell you how many times I was close to dying because I had no power.”
“Really?” Ajak raised her eyebrows, then she looked at Phastos.
Phastos cleared his throat, and showed the map. There were some dots in Africa, not as much as the rest of the world, but still quite a bit for a region that has been visited.
“It seems you and Thena didn’t do a good job after all.” said Ajak in an accusing tone, in a nice way of course. “What are you doing in those years huh?”
“Nothing.” said me and Thena at the same time.
Ajak just chuckled and sighed. “Fine, you can go.”
“I’ll go too then.” said Thena.
“Me too.” Makkari added.
Ajak shook her head. “No, you two are needed here.”
Thena then gave me stink eyes as I stood beside her awkwardly. “Sorry, boys only.” I said as I winked.
Thena just hummed rather menacingly, and didn’t say anything anymore.
“What’s our route then?” questioned Druig.
“Eh, let’s go anywhere in no particular order.” I shrugged.
“Pluto, you have to plan this, otherwise I will cancel my permission.” warned Ajak.
I sighed. “Fine, we’ll go to Iberia first, then to Numidia, then to Carthage, then to Egypt, then go home. Easy.”
“Wait, if I come, I’m not going to fight then?” questioned Druig.
“You’re coming with me Druig, because those areas are full of humans, I need you to brainwash them if I get seen.”
“What about the others?”
“We’ll be going north, where the humans have a relatively low development..” Ajak answered calmly.
“Alright then.” said Druig as he crossed his hands. “It seems I have to deal with you for the next century or so.”
—
[3rd POV]
A little boy was running in the middle of the night in between the trees. He looked desperate, he was crying all the way, and was pissing himself, but he persevered. Behind him however, was a grown man who had a thick beard. He is chasing the little boy with a wide grin on his face, as if he is enjoying it. He had a sword in his hand, waving it provocatively.
“Come here boy!” shouted the man with a laugh.
“No!” shouted the boy while sobbing as he ran faster and faster. The boy then stumbled, rolling on the ground, dirtying his ragged clothes. The boy quickly sat up, and seeing that the man was approaching fast, he quickly backed off while still sitting, and threw everything around him to prevent the man from getting closer.
“Stay away!” shouted the boy desperately.
“You’re the only one from your village left.” said the man, “Just surrender boy, pray to whatever gods you believe in that you will get a good master.”
“No!” The boy kept fighting back, throwing rocks as leaves scattered on the ground.
“I’m sorry boy, but this is the way of the world.” said the man, but he looked like he wasn’t sorry at all.
When he was about to tie the boy up, the boy saw that the man was suddenly dazed. His eyes were glowing golden, and he had an expressionless face.
“Run, boy.” said a man with black and red clothes as he approached. “Save yourself.”
The boy was afraid of the man, as he looked quite cold. The boy, however, nodded vigorously. “T-Thank you! Thank you!” he said as he ran away to the depths of the jungle.
The man with the black and red clothes is of course Druig. He stared at the dazed man coldly, and said. “What should we do with you now, huh?”
“Don’t do anything, Druig.” said a man with black robes, it was Pluto. “Let him be.”
“He’s a slaver, Pluto.” said Druig calmly, but rage was starting to slip out. “He’s selling his own kind.”
“I know how you feel.” hummed Pluto. “But do you honestly think that these guys think they're the same kind? Their nations are at war with another, it is normal for them to be like this.”
Druig clenched his fist. “Wars… Is this what we taught them? Violence to solve everything?”
Pluto raised his eyebrows in amusement. “Are you suddenly a pacifist?”
“No. but… it feels empty, we taught them how to build societies, technologies, concepts, yet they resort in violence almost all the time.”
“I think it’s the nature of humans to fight for power,” said Pluto. “But, if it bothers you, we could save individual humans, but we can’t interfere with the conflict as a whole.”
“Why save individuals while I could save them all by ending the conflict right here and now?” questioned Druig bitterly.
“You know why, Druig.” said Pluto, sympathising with his travel buddy.
Druig clenched his fist, and said nothing.
Pluto sighed as he patted Druig’s back. “Look, you never really travelled right as far as I’m concerned… you’ll get used to this.”
“I don’t think I could.” said Druig weakly. “I can imagine my future self couldn’t handle the burden of millions of people’s death, while I could stop it in an instant…”
Pluto flinched as he heard that. “Yeah… me too.” he murmured, not loud enough so Druig could hear it.
—
As they travelled in the dry lands of Numidia, Pluto and Druig were only wearing thin clothes and turban to cover their faces from the dust. Their supplies were thinning, and it was running fast.
They arrived at a small village. It was deserted. Empty like a ghost town. Corpses of cattle that have been eaten by predators could be seen, the wells have dried up, and things were scattered everywhere, as if the inhabitants quickly abandoned this place overnight.
“No luck in this place either.” sighed Druig. The truth is, Pluto and Druig were trying to find supplies, or rather people who would sell horses for them, so they could travel quickly.
“Can’t we just use constructs?” questioned Druig.
Pluto shook his head. “Too eye-catching, this isn’t 2000 years ago Druig, we can’t freely use our powers anymore.”
Druig sighed as he heard the answer. They continued to walk through the village, but then they stopped as Pluto noticed something.
“I hear… two faint heartbeats.” said Pluto.
Druig frowned. “Where?”
Pluto pointed at a small house beside them. “There.”
Druig nodded, and both of them walked slowly there. They entered it, and saw a boy and a girl, holding each other so tightly. The two looked really young, probably not around 10 years old.
They were thin as hell, they wore minimal clothes, their ribs were showing, and Pluto could see death approaching them.
The boy barely stood up, defending the girl behind him. “S-Stay back!” he shouted weakly, trying to muster as much energy as he could.
Druig and Pluto looked at each other, and Druig dropped his bag that was full of supplies.
“What’s your name, boy?” questioned Pluto calmly.
“I- I said stay back!” the boy insisted.
“You’re brave, I could tell you that.” Druig commented as he unloads the food that is in his bag. “Here, for you two.”
The boy and the girl looked at the food with hope in their eyes. The girl was about to take the food, but the boy prevented her, as he was suspicious.
“W-Who are you!” shouted the boy.
“We’re just travellers.” answered Pluto. He took a dagger that was hanging around his waist, and threw it to the boy, making Druig confused.
“Take the food and the dagger,” said Pluto, he pointed at the dagger, and said. “You know what to do with it, right?”
The boy narrowed his eyes, and quickly snatched away the weapon.
“Come on Druig, let’s go.” said Pluto as he turned around, leaving the kids alone with the food and drink.
After that, Druig questioned him. “What’s the dagger for?”
Pluto looked at Druig for a second, and said. “For suicide.”
“W-What?” Druig was surprised at his answer. “You want them to commit suicide?!”
“They’re lucky they met us.” Pluto said. “They will leave for a few more weeks. Who knows what those weeks would bring to them…”
“What do you mean?”
“You think humans are as nice as us?” questioned Pluto. “That little girl would be the target of rape if a group of mercenaries or something passed the village. I’m just giving them a chance to not be tainted.”
Druig gulped. “Should we bring them with us instead?”
“Don’t be foolish.” shook Pluto’s head. “We can’t take care of them, if anything, we’ll only bring more danger to them… deviants, remember?”
“We should at least bring them to a nearby city.” said Druig.
Pluto sighed. “They’ll be slaves. It’s better if we leave them there, their destiny will be in their hands, and theirs alone.”
Druig clenched his fist. “This war makes people suffer…”
“It’s the height of the war.” nodded Pluto. “Everyone is desperate, the Romans and the Carthaginians alike. They’ll raid their own villages if they have to.”
“I could stop them with one motion…”
Pluto scoffed. “You want to be punished like me? I was lucky that I wasn’t killed by Arishem, you know, who knows if you’re the one who broke the rules.”
Druig was thinking about it even though it means death, but ultimately, he decided against it.
[1st POV]
As soon as the punishment is over, I have a promise to fulfil. I asked Ajak to send me on a separate mission with Druig. She asked me why, as they don’t really need a separate mission right now.
“You’re joking right?” I questioned and chuckled. “When I was travelling to Atlantis, the road that I picked was through Africa, and there were a ton of Deviants on the way. I couldn’t even begin to tell you how many times I was close to dying because I had no power.”
“Really?” Ajak raised her eyebrows, then she looked at Phastos.
Phastos cleared his throat, and showed the map. There were some dots in Africa, not as much as the rest of the world, but still quite a bit for a region that has been visited.
“It seems you and Thena didn’t do a good job after all.” said Ajak in an accusing tone, in a nice way of course. “What are you doing in those years huh?”
“Nothing.” said me and Thena at the same time.
Ajak just chuckled and sighed. “Fine, you can go.”
“I’ll go too then.” said Thena.
“Me too.” Makkari added.
Ajak shook her head. “No, you two are needed here.”
Thena then gave me stink eyes as I stood beside her awkwardly. “Sorry, boys only.” I said as I winked.
Thena just hummed rather menacingly, and didn’t say anything anymore.
“What’s our route then?” questioned Druig.
“Eh, let’s go anywhere in no particular order.” I shrugged.
“Pluto, you have to plan this, otherwise I will cancel my permission.” warned Ajak.
I sighed. “Fine, we’ll go to Iberia first, then to Numidia, then to Carthage, then to Egypt, then go home. Easy.”
“Wait, if I come, I’m not going to fight then?” questioned Druig.
“You’re coming with me Druig, because those areas are full of humans, I need you to brainwash them if I get seen.”
“What about the others?”
“We’ll be going north, where the humans have a relatively low development..” Ajak answered calmly.
“Alright then.” said Druig as he crossed his hands. “It seems I have to deal with you for the next century or so.”
—
[3rd POV]
A little boy was running in the middle of the night in between the trees. He looked desperate, he was crying all the way, and was pissing himself, but he persevered. Behind him however, was a grown man who had a thick beard. He is chasing the little boy with a wide grin on his face, as if he is enjoying it. He had a sword in his hand, waving it provocatively.
“Come here boy!” shouted the man with a laugh.
“No!” shouted the boy while sobbing as he ran faster and faster. The boy then stumbled, rolling on the ground, dirtying his ragged clothes. The boy quickly sat up, and seeing that the man was approaching fast, he quickly backed off while still sitting, and threw everything around him to prevent the man from getting closer.
“Stay away!” shouted the boy desperately.
“You’re the only one from your village left.” said the man, “Just surrender boy, pray to whatever gods you believe in that you will get a good master.”
“No!” The boy kept fighting back, throwing rocks as leaves scattered on the ground.
“I’m sorry boy, but this is the way of the world.” said the man, but he looked like he wasn’t sorry at all.
When he was about to tie the boy up, the boy saw that the man was suddenly dazed. His eyes were glowing golden, and he had an expressionless face.
“Run, boy.” said a man with black and red clothes as he approached. “Save yourself.”
The boy was afraid of the man, as he looked quite cold. The boy, however, nodded vigorously. “T-Thank you! Thank you!” he said as he ran away to the depths of the jungle.
The man with the black and red clothes is of course Druig. He stared at the dazed man coldly, and said. “What should we do with you now, huh?”
“Don’t do anything, Druig.” said a man with black robes, it was Pluto. “Let him be.”
“He’s a slaver, Pluto.” said Druig calmly, but rage was starting to slip out. “He’s selling his own kind.”
“I know how you feel.” hummed Pluto. “But do you honestly think that these guys think they're the same kind? Their nations are at war with another, it is normal for them to be like this.”
Druig clenched his fist. “Wars… Is this what we taught them? Violence to solve everything?”
Pluto raised his eyebrows in amusement. “Are you suddenly a pacifist?”
“No. but… it feels empty, we taught them how to build societies, technologies, concepts, yet they resort in violence almost all the time.”
“I think it’s the nature of humans to fight for power,” said Pluto. “But, if it bothers you, we could save individual humans, but we can’t interfere with the conflict as a whole.”
“Why save individuals while I could save them all by ending the conflict right here and now?” questioned Druig bitterly.
“You know why, Druig.” said Pluto, sympathising with his travel buddy.
Druig clenched his fist, and said nothing.
Pluto sighed as he patted Druig’s back. “Look, you never really travelled right as far as I’m concerned… you’ll get used to this.”
“I don’t think I could.” said Druig weakly. “I can imagine my future self couldn’t handle the burden of millions of people’s death, while I could stop it in an instant…”
Pluto flinched as he heard that. “Yeah… me too.” he murmured, not loud enough so Druig could hear it.
—
As they travelled in the dry lands of Numidia, Pluto and Druig were only wearing thin clothes and turban to cover their faces from the dust. Their supplies were thinning, and it was running fast.
They arrived at a small village. It was deserted. Empty like a ghost town. Corpses of cattle that have been eaten by predators could be seen, the wells have dried up, and things were scattered everywhere, as if the inhabitants quickly abandoned this place overnight.
“No luck in this place either.” sighed Druig. The truth is, Pluto and Druig were trying to find supplies, or rather people who would sell horses for them, so they could travel quickly.
“Can’t we just use constructs?” questioned Druig.
Pluto shook his head. “Too eye-catching, this isn’t 2000 years ago Druig, we can’t freely use our powers anymore.”
Druig sighed as he heard the answer. They continued to walk through the village, but then they stopped as Pluto noticed something.
“I hear… two faint heartbeats.” said Pluto.
Druig frowned. “Where?”
Pluto pointed at a small house beside them. “There.”
Druig nodded, and both of them walked slowly there. They entered it, and saw a boy and a girl, holding each other so tightly. The two looked really young, probably not around 10 years old.
They were thin as hell, they wore minimal clothes, their ribs were showing, and Pluto could see death approaching them.
The boy barely stood up, defending the girl behind him. “S-Stay back!” he shouted weakly, trying to muster as much energy as he could.
Druig and Pluto looked at each other, and Druig dropped his bag that was full of supplies.
“What’s your name, boy?” questioned Pluto calmly.
“I- I said stay back!” the boy insisted.
“You’re brave, I could tell you that.” Druig commented as he unloads the food that is in his bag. “Here, for you two.”
The boy and the girl looked at the food with hope in their eyes. The girl was about to take the food, but the boy prevented her, as he was suspicious.
“W-Who are you!” shouted the boy.
“We’re just travellers.” answered Pluto. He took a dagger that was hanging around his waist, and threw it to the boy, making Druig confused.
“Take the food and the dagger,” said Pluto, he pointed at the dagger, and said. “You know what to do with it, right?”
The boy narrowed his eyes, and quickly snatched away the weapon.
“Come on Druig, let’s go.” said Pluto as he turned around, leaving the kids alone with the food and drink.
After that, Druig questioned him. “What’s the dagger for?”
Pluto looked at Druig for a second, and said. “For suicide.”
“W-What?” Druig was surprised at his answer. “You want them to commit suicide?!”
“They’re lucky they met us.” Pluto said. “They will leave for a few more weeks. Who knows what those weeks would bring to them…”
“What do you mean?”
“You think humans are as nice as us?” questioned Pluto. “That little girl would be the target of rape if a group of mercenaries or something passed the village. I’m just giving them a chance to not be tainted.”
Druig gulped. “Should we bring them with us instead?”
“Don’t be foolish.” shook Pluto’s head. “We can’t take care of them, if anything, we’ll only bring more danger to them… deviants, remember?”
“We should at least bring them to a nearby city.” said Druig.
Pluto sighed. “They’ll be slaves. It’s better if we leave them there, their destiny will be in their hands, and theirs alone.”
Druig clenched his fist. “This war makes people suffer…”
“It’s the height of the war.” nodded Pluto. “Everyone is desperate, the Romans and the Carthaginians alike. They’ll raid their own villages if they have to.”
“I could stop them with one motion…”
Pluto scoffed. “You want to be punished like me? I was lucky that I wasn’t killed by Arishem, you know, who knows if you’re the one who broke the rules.”
Druig was thinking about it even though it means death, but ultimately, he decided against it.
