"How are you doing, knucklehead?" Pheo went in where Ryu rested. He was laying down on the rocky floor. He groaned before turning around, seeing Pheo give him his meal. "Great, three more days or so and I can finally go back to beating you at everything."
He grabbed a piece of bread and started gnawing down on it. It made Pheo wear a warm smile that he was still able to be as lively as ever even with the injuries he had. "Three more days and that extra bit of bread of yours gets revoked."
He sat down and looked around. Ryu got a bit of special treatment, he had his own room during the time he recovered. He made sure to brag all about it to Pheo on how he had his own place to stay.
It isn't enough.
The room was still dirty, infested with bugs and rodents. The dust that makes breathing feel as thick as ever down there was also there. It definitely was no condition for a patient, much less a child, but it should just be enough knowing Ryu.
"Hey, what's your dream?" Ryu asked Pheo. He chuckled, "What's with the sudden question?" He went around, stomping the bugs in the room. "Well it's not that hard, everyone's got a dream don't they?"
He moved to face himself looking up. "Like exploring where no other person has been, maybe getting super rich or being immortal." Pheo got a hold of a centipede while listening, its movements distracted him for a bit.
He tossed it away before answering. "Well, tell me yours and I'll tell you mine." Ryu sat himself up, "Well that's the problem, I don't know mine." Pheo looked at him confused, "So you're asking me mine when you don't even know what yours is?"
"Is there a time limit for deciding?" He asked, "It's just, I haven't really found anything worth fighting for." Ryu had a serious look on his face, it told Pheo that he had been thinking about it for a while now. "So what's yours?"
"I guess it's to help my mom, she's stuck somewhere right now." Pheo thought back to his family. Remembering the purple elixir his dad had stuffed in him.
Was I sold off too?
The thought only fueled his hatred for him, he was sure that the only person who would take care of him now was his mom and no one else.
"Family, huh. Wonder what mines doing right now." Ryu started thinking of his past. "How did you even get here in the first place?" Pheo asked, he wanted to switch the topic to something else, there was nothing good for him looking back at his past.
Ryu thought for a bit before responding, "Well, I actually wasn't abandoned. I got distracted by a street performer in a place I was visiting. I ended up lost and asked Narfius for directions."
Pheo looked at him in disbelief, "What?" he laughed hysterically moments after. "So you got here because of some magic tricks?" Ryu nodded, already knowing that Pheo would tease him for it.
It took a while before he stopped laughing, "You finally done?" he asked Pheo once he calmed down. "I'm sorry but, that's just so you" he wiped a joyful tear off his eye. "Since I said how I got here, you might as well share your story"
Pheo's expression glitched a bit. "I was probably sold. For why, not really sure." He wanted to skip the topic but he knew he had to talk about it to Ryu eventually. They began talking back and forth about what they've gone through so far and what they would eventually do in the future.
After a while, Pheo stood up. "Alright I think I've had enough of you for today". Ryu tried to get up as well, but stopped midway from the pain. "Same time again?" Ryu asked before Pheo went off.
He took a moment, "How would you even know what time it is here?" They both laughed at the question's stupidity. "But yeah, same time." He said before leaving the room. He left to see Don standing outside.
He laid his back at the wall right outside of the room, as if waiting for him. "Are you done talking?" he asked him. Pheo nodded his head, "Let's go." Don handed him the pickaxe and led him to the mines.
There was something that Ryu didn't know, something that convinced them to let Ryu rest. He started to mine by himself, with Don watching him just in case. "You should know that what you're doing is admirable'"
Going back to the aftermath of the fight...
"The hell is this?" Parquatz said as he went in. He walked in to see Ryu sleeping soundly while everyone else was working. Don went to him, "His condition is not fit for work as of right now."
Parquatz looked at him as if he said something stupid, "He's a slave." He brushed past Don and was about to go to Ryu before Pheo went in front of him. "He can't," He held both of his arms up. "He's all beaten up."
"Is that so?" he had an annoyed look on his face, "Then lets just get rid of him right now then to save on food." He grabbed his eraser from his pocket, but a hand reached out preventing him from pulling it out.
He followed it to see that it was Warhound grabbing him, he noticed how battered he looked. "The kid's done work ten times the others, we can't get rid of him if we want this plan to go through fast."
"Tsk." Parquatz shook Warhound's hand away. "If he's that good at his job, then I'm sure he could do a regular kids' job just fine." He brushed Pheo off and was about to slap Ryu wide awake, but felt someone's small hands try to stop him.
He looked back to see Pheo desperately trying to pull him away. "Stop!" He shouted out, "Please, he's just fought somebody, he isn't able to work right now!"
"Fight who?" Parquatz asked, "Nevermind, it doesn't matter." He tried to shake him off, but Pheo was persistent in stopping him. "Get off!" Parquatz said as he punched Pheo in the face, making him fall to the ground.
He went to face Pheo, "Why the hell does your opinion matter? You're a slave!" He shouted out at him, then looked at everyone watching. "Every one of you little bastards are slaves. Not people, but PROPERTY!"
"What if I can double my work?" he brushed off the blood that dripped from his mouth, "Will that work then?" Parquatz looked at him, he laughed at the thought of a slave negotiating with their captor.
"You think doubling your work can do that?" He pointed to the tunnel that Ryu made. It was long, something that not even a grown man in his prime can confidently say they could do.
Pheo's eyes suddenly steeled themselves, "Oh, I know I can do that. In fact, I'm sure I could do better than you." He tried going after Parquatz' pride, and it worked.
"Alright then, you get your terms IF you do double your share and do that sleeping kid's share."
"What?!?" Pheo shouted in confusion. Parquatz raised both of his hands up, "If you can do so much work, then why should you hold back? Or do you want to do the work of four people instead?"
Pheo took a look at the hole Ryu made. It was something that he had to do eventually if he had to catch up to him. "Fine!" Pheo shouted out, his face was full of anger that couldn't exhaust itself, and Parquatz loved it.
"It starts now by the way!" Parquatz shoved Warhound away, "Make sure I don't catch you slacking." he threatened Pheo as he went out, waving his hand lazily. The loud cling of his pickaxe hitting hard ore snapped Pheo back to the present.
Since then, he's been working just like what he currently is, a slave. Luckily, the rock formation where he was mining was full of different minerals and ores that he already learnt of.
Its properties, structure, and hardness made Pheo able to determine precisely where to hit in order to maximize efficiency. "You know, you've already long past your friend's record a few days ago." Don told him, "I'm sure that this should be enough to convince Parquatz."
"Why don't you take a few days off to rest?" He offered Pheo a break. He has already mined further than Ryu ever since they entered this place.
This isn't enough.
He wanted to become stronger, at least strong enough to stand beside him in a fight. Pheo looked at Don, his eyes the same as it was when he looked at Parquatz. "In order to become as strong as him," he stopped and shook his head. "No, to surpass him."
"I must continue."
His motivation was not only fueled by the anger he had against Parquatz, but also about the fight.
If only I was stronger.
Pheo thought to himself. He has always protected himself before, dreaming of his mother to finally break free from the icy prison that shacked her from him.
Don saw the fire in his eyes, the mix of vengefulness, determination, and desire to protect made him reconsider his previous opinion of Pheo. He wasn't a kid who attached himself to the strong, he just hasn't awakened his potential yet.
Unlike now.
Pheo's attention broke as he heard the sound of something dropping below him. He looked and saw a stick that had a blunt edge and a firm handle. "You're wasting your effort, swinging that pickaxe like an ape." Don voiced out. He raised a stick against Pheo, the same kind as the one on the ground.
"Don't you have a bigger picture in mind rather than just proving Parquatz wrong?"
"Why would you care?" Pheo asked him.
He was one of the wardens that kept them captive. Eventually, Pheo would have to face him if he wanted to escape.
Why would he help someone who has a reason to rebel?
"Pick it up," Don told him. Pheo was hesitant, but the demanding tone in his voice compelled him to grab it. He quickly went on guard as soon as he saw Don was already inches away from him.
Pheo barely managed to block Don's swing. He shook from the impact, his eyes widened from the realization that he was being serious.
"Sloppy!" Don shouted out. He began to constantly swing at Pheo, barely giving him time to keep himself from falling. Each strike was swift yet felt heavy, he tried to watch Don's movements but it was unpredictable.
His movements were fluid. In the rare chances that Pheo was free to attack, he could see no openings. Pheo then stumbled, making Don take the chance to sweep his feet. He fell to the floor, his throat was inches away from Don's stick.
Don's eyes were unforgiving, it made Pheo shudder a bit. "Get back up." Don gave him time to recover. He felt his hands burning, he looked to see tiny scars were already there.
"I didn't know you get stronger each time you get beaten up." Pheo got back up, going straight for Don as soon as he could. He went for a strike, but it was easily parried by Don.
"There is no greater way to learn how to fight other than experiencing it yourself." Don shoved Pheo's sword away and struck him in the stomach. He coughed in pain as he flew back to the ground.
"You are as fickle as a leaf," He commented. "Goes to show why you lost against me."
Pheo's anger welled up, "Then why the hell are you even doing this!" He quickly got up and went in for another attack. Don met his strike with his own, clashing with each other with neither side backing off.
While Pheo's eyes were full of rage, Don's eyes were thick yet collected. Don shifted his sword, making Pheo fall over by himself. "Are you not angered from your weakness? From the embarrassing actions you're displaying?" He provoked Pheo, trying to fuel him further.
"Shut up!" He got back up, gripping his stick harder than he should.
"Of course I am!" He mustered out amidst the pain he was in. "This sinking feeling, this knot in my throat that twists itself over and over again as I could only watch when Ryu fought Warhound…"
Pheo stopped for a moment, noticing that he was shaking in anger, his voice trembling. "Even when I finally moved after Ryu called for me, I barely did anything." He admitted, "I only talked back when it was Ryu who was doing all the work."
"It's so pathetic, it's so miserable, it's so... so... so..."
He couldn't muster anymore words, he had already dropped his weapon. He felt like he was falling with no surface to crash on.
"That feeling, do you resent it?"
Don dropped his stick, reached his arm out and placed it on Pheo's shoulder. It made him even more frightened at first, but it soon calmed him down. He kneeled down to match his height. "I can't promise you the strength that you yearn for, but I can teach you my way of being strong."
"The only person who could promise you the strength you desire, is you" He grabbed Pheo's shoulders and stopped him from shaking. "Now tell me," Don's tone was serious. "So you resent it? The feeling of helplessness?"
Pheo looked at Don, one look can tell him that Don was being serious. That's when Don saw Pheo's eyes turn to one of a warriors, one that has resolved themselves. It was then that he was sure of what he would say.
"I want to become stronger."
He lifted Pheo's stick back up, "Pick it up."
Don smiled warmly at him, he knew that this decision Pheo made would soon spark waves. "Now watch me closely." He said before they started fighting again, with Pheo quickly learning from each loss he had.