Rihan Daniel (5): My Tribal Tattoo Symbol

"Why are you having so much fun playing this game?" Alvi ventured to open the conversation at one night. I remember that day was the new year of XX82. That means I've been Alvi's guard for almost eight years. Quite a long time as a fake low-level guard.

"From here you can see a lot of things. A good and a bad moves. Want to try?" I offered knowing Alvi would refuse.

"I'd prefer if you would bring more books for me next time," said Alvi without hesitation.

Alvi's words almost made me choke on the hot chocolate I was drinking. "Again?" I'm quite shocked. The pile of books I brought two days ago was finished. This speed of reading makes me speechless.

"Can not?" Alvi looked disappointed.

I sighed. "What kind of primitive life did you go through as a child that you became so obsessed with books?" I pretended not to know Alvi's background.

A prison guards were low-level soldiers who barely knew any too personal information. For example, the background of a prisoner.

"I've been here since I was 3 years old. The guard before you always treated me harshly. I'm already very grateful that they don't hit me at night." Alvi protested. But behind the protest is hidden a deep trauma.

"They hit you?" I just found out about this one issue.

"Every day after I come back from the lab. They beat me several times before locking the prison door. There are also those who forced me to do that…." Alvi seemed hesitant to continue.

"I see." I frowned and nodded in understanding. No wonder, the stress of being a low-level prison guard makes many Arinas act harshly on prisoners.

The level of violence that occurs usually ends in rape. They thought that if the research prisoners especially the women gave birth to their children, then their status would rise greatly because the power that Samsara needed would completely fall into their hands.

Alvi squeezed her hands tightly. "But every time I open my eyes, the guard has rotted away and my body feels so tired."

"What happened?" I asked curiously even though I already knew most of the stories from the reports. Lady allowed me to read them all. It's just I curious about Alvi's point of view.

Alvi shook her head not knowing.

I smiled as I leaned back. "Fine then, I'll try to bring some books to you." I end the overly sensitive topic and return to the original one.

Alvi's face suddenly lit up with joy. She smiled widely without her knowing. "Really?" She looked enthusiastically.

I nodded silently and went back to the chess. "Tomorrow I have business trip for five days. So I should be able to bring some new books." I added.

Suddenly, Alvi fell limp. Her enthusiasm evaporated without trace. "Five days huh..." She repeated glumly.

"There will be a substitute guard. I hope you can patiently wait for me to come home." I'm trying to cheer up.

"Can I ask you not to go this time?" It was the first time Alvi had asked me even though in the last eight years I had gone quite often and left her with a substitute guard. My business trip or rather said secret mission usually no longer than three to seven days. Lady herself can't rest assure having to let Alvi be guarded by another soldier.

"What's wrong?" I asked in surprised.

Alvi squeezed her fingers. "I don't like them."

Her honesty made me smile amused.

"You are very good to me. I feel safe and comfortable when you are around." Alvi said in frank without dare to look at me.

I feel the same way either. Here in this small prison room, I seem to be able to rediscover the real me. Maybe Alvi doesn't know, but it's because of her that I've been able to survive this far.

"Five days is not long, Veena. I promise I'll be right here after I get home…" I promised.

Alvi nodded in understanding. The next five days were going to be very dark and scary for her.

*****

The annihilate and assassination mission was never an easy job. Bunny the number 13 is the executor and I act as a back-up if needed.

I put on my mask while watching the massacre from a dense tree in silence. Lady reigned since she was afraid that Bunny was too crazy of killing and forgot his main objective. Honestly, this task is a little tedious but much better than having to join the killings down there.

The groups consisting of several influential families were instantly slaughtered by Bunny in a matter of hours. In contrast to Lucie who always execute in neat, Bunny likes to expose all his craziness.

The pink fluffy rabbit costume that Bunny was wearing had turned as red as blood. He was brushing the sticky blood off his costume when a messenger approached. They seemed to talk to Bunny for a while before looking around as if looking for something, or someone.

I appeared behind them. "What's wrong?" I asked feeling they were looking for me.

"Master Lucie, Lady requests you to return immediately. Right now," the messenger spoke politely but hurriedly.

"Something happens?" To be honest, Lady never sent anyone to ask me to come back in the middle of an unfinished mission. Something bad must have happened in Samsara.

"Subject 4-42-1…" The messenger replied with profuse sweating.

Damn! I should have guessed. But my little heart still refuses to admit that bad feeling. Why I not fulfill Alvi's request not to go that day? I regretted my decision even more.

Anger began to rise as I couldn't think rationally the whole way to Samsara. Without realizing it, my eyes had turned red.

"Master Lucie, your eyes—" The messenger noticed the oddity. But before he could finish it, I already shouted.

"Shut up!" My accumulated anger towards Samsara made me immediately slash the messenger. The messenger's body collapsed in the next second with blood spreading from his chest. Luckily that time only me and him at the scene. Bunny himself had to stay to clear his own trail at the massacre's scene.

Seeing the messenger fall down unconsciously, I jolted awake. A long black chain seemed to be hanging around me as if it had a soul of its own.

"What's this…? What happened?" I shook my head refusing to believe what I had just seen. I've never acted recklessly to the point of killing. Did anger make me blind?

My feet unconsciously dragged me to the edge of the river. I felt my blood rushing hot in my body. I took off my mask in depression, washing my face several times before finally staring at my own reflection on the river's surface. A pair of red eyes looked back at me like the eyes of Dragons.

I know those eyes belong to mine, but I've never had my irises as red as magma. Plus, the tribal tattoo symbol is clearly engraved on the apple of my right eye… I stared at the reflection for so long that I finally realized that the gigantic monster that had been sleeping in my blood had finally awakened.

After all these years, when I thought I no longer had business with the Dragons, the tribal tattoo symbol showed its existence. This blood seems want to keep binding me to the people I once betrayed.