The Contract
"We're so sorry!"
"Please, forgive us!"
"Please forgive me! I was scared!"
I heard some voices, crying for forgiveness.
I opened my swollen eyes and saw the faces of the other slaves. They were all crying and asking for forgiveness. My wounds were already treated. They were wiping my body with a wet towel. Everyone was worried about me. After they used me and watched me get beaten up to death, they really have the guts to cry in front of me!
"Please forgive me! I didn't mean to blame you for the thing I did. I was scared. Please forgive me."
It was the youngest.
I saw her kneeling and bowed her head to the ground as she asked for forgiveness. I am so furious at her. I really was. But why did it fade away like nothing happened?
I don't understand.
"Please forgive us," another slave uttered.
My anger suddenly faded away and got replaced with empathy. And then I realize, if she didn't lie for being the real culprit, the master might have already murdered her. I never thought about it but still, they used me.
"Here, take this."
Someone handed me a glass of warm water which the girls take and help me drink.
"It has painkillers. It will ease the pain."
After I drank everything, I look up and realize it was Euro. I was embarrassed looking at him after I told him the other night to go away.
"I know the thing they did was horrible and I am asking for your forgiveness on behalf of them. I am not expecting you to forgive them that instant but I want to tell you that they regret doing it."
I don't know if I should just let it slip that easily. I was beaten up badly because of the false accusations. But they only did it because the master might kill her. Maybe they know that the master is always holding back when it comes to me. I don't know why but I can't say I'm thankful for it.
I really do have a soft spot.
What's wrong with me?
No matter how angry I am, something always makes me calm down. I don't understand it.
Euro then sat on his heels and whispered in my ear, "When you get better, we have to talk!"
After he said that, he then left.
Days later and after I regained my strength, Euro woke me up in the middle of the night and took me outside of the stable.
"Why are we outside?" I asked as I yawn.
"Izac, I don't know how I can help you with your problems but I learned something that might help you get the answers that you wanted so much."
With those words, my sleepiness vanishes and was replaced by curiosity and wonder.
"What do you mean?"
"Izac, I keep sneaking in the master's office whenever he's not around. In there, I discovered a contract he signed that deals with you," he informed. "Izac, the contract will soon expire. That means you'll be sold to another person weeks from now."
I have no idea about the existence of that contract. Maybe that's the reason why I keep being sent away to another master every three months.
"It's so weird for a slave having a contract with such odd conditions written on it."
Conditions?
"Izac, the one who made the contract intentionally wanted to make you suffer," he said. "It stated there that the owner of you can do whatever they want as long as they won't kill you. The more pain they inflict to you, the more money the maker of the contract would give."
I was stunned by the revelation he said.
Why would the creator of the contract want to make me suffer?
I don't understand.
"Izac, you must escape or else you'll end up suffering again," he warned.
There is too much information to digest. I don't know what should I do.
"Izac, I also found something that the master was hiding with such great care. I found an old paper with some weird statement written on it. I wasn't able to read the whole text since there were written symbols that are unknown to me. I was able to read some of the text because it was written in my native language. I came from a village near Hayasaka Mountain. I am still young when I was kidnapped and that's why some of the texts were unknown to me."
"The writings stated that there is a place where everything is found. The statement is more like a riddle which I am not able to answer," he informed me even further. "It was so unrealistic and unbelievable but if it was a fraud, the master wouldn't hide it and keep it extremely safe."
He's got a point.
"It is written that; A body of water that holds the gate where all the answers are found. Flowing continuously and endlessly. A massive river, friend nor foe. Water of life, known for calmness and destruction. Enthralling beauty, depth deeper than a mountain, endless horizon. Warm and shallow, cold and deep. Celestial Entity, Mother of Earth, Tree of Life, Primordial wisdom, Child of the Creator, Mother of the Chosen, all will be answered."
A body of water where I can find the answers to my questions?
What kind of body of water is it referring to? A lake? A stream? A river? Where can I find it?
And how did the master obtained such information?
"There are still more written on that paper but I can no longer read them. But what surprised me the most was, there was a text where you were mentioned."
"And because of that, I learned that you are someone important to this world, Izac. Someone who must live and succeed in his mission. You must succeed in your task no matter what happens," Euro said with a tremor in his voice. "All I can do is help you find what you are looking for."
I think he knew my secret. I'm not talking about the ability of my eyes, that was just a fraction of what I'm capable of. I am referring to something else. A secret that I keep hiding. A secret that will make my life even worse once unveiled.
"Euro, do you know?" I nervously asked for confirmation.
I don't know what I should feel right now.
"Yes," Euro replied with a shaky voice. "It was clearly written on the paper."
Euro knows my secret. And I understand why he's scared.
I'm dangerous.
But now, I'm scared for him.
I'm scared because every time someone knew about my secret, they always die. Wait, if that information was on a paper hidden inside the master's office, does that mean the master also knew my secret from the start?
"Did the master knew about it?"
"No, he wasn't able to read the text. No one can read that language, only I and my people can read such language. But I heard him ridiculing you for being able to do things like that. I think the maker of the contact has told him before about you but I think he refused to believe it."
I don't know how I would react.
"Don't worry, I am the only one who knew about it. And I think the master doesn't believe that you can do that sort of thing. He just sees you as a slave, nothing more nothing less. But if he discovers it, you'll be in danger," he said. "All I can do for you is to look for clues in the master's office to help you. You must escape and run far away from here and go search for that water or something."
"But how about you? What if the master punishes all of…"
"Don't worry about us. I will protect them. I'm already planning to escape along with them."
I was the one who wants to drive him away. I was the one who wants nothing from him. I was the one who wants to be alone. But, Euro, still chooses to help me despite me being mean to him.
"Euro—"
Suddenly, Euro got knocked down by a heavy blow on the head.
"So, you want to escape?"
It was the master.