Life

A fresh wave of anger washed over him. They give him a stupid name, work him until his muscles ache, and don't even plan to feed him. Now they wouldn't even give him a place to sleep? After everything, this simple lack of care felt like the biggest insult of all.

He was Scrounge, the thing that works in the orchard. And when the work was done, the thing was to be left outside in the dirt.

He kicked at a loose stone on the ground and grunted. "Stupid monsters," he muttered to the empty orchard.

Finally, with nowhere else to go, he walked to the far corner of the fenced yard, as far from the hut as he could get. He sat down, leaning his tired body against the bolted wood fence. The grass was damp beneath him. He hugged his knees to his chest, both for warmth and for a small sense of comfort. He was angry, he was tired, and he was completely, utterly alone here.

He eventually drifted into a very uncomfortable sleep. The ground was hard, and every little night sound made him jump.

He woke to the sound of the hut's hide flap being pushed aside. The sun was just starting to rise, with the sky turning a light blue. The male Lizardman walked out. He was carrying a wooden bowl.

Kai got to his feet, his body stiff and sore. He expected an order, a command to start working again.

Instead, the Lizardman walked over and placed the bowl on the ground in front of him. Inside was a steaming, thick stew of some kind. It smelled good, like meat and it had strange vegetables in it.

"Eat," the Lizardman grunted.

Kai stared at the food, then at the Lizardman. He was confused.

The lizardman seemed to notice his hesitation. He gestured to the empty corner where Kai had been sleeping. "Bad for work," he said, his voice a low rumble. "I'll give you a tent tonight." He then pointed at the baskets Kai had made. "Work was good, at least."

Before Kai could process or say anything, the two other children, the boy and girl, burst out from the hut. They ran straight for Kai, their faces alight with the same excitement as yesterday.

"He's awake!" the girl shrieked. She immediately started poking at his stomach. "Still squishy!"

The boy grabbed his cheeks, squishing them together. "Look, his face makes funny shapes!"

Kai stood there, enduring the pokes and prods.

"Enough!" their father's voice boomed.

The two children froze, pulling their hands back.

"Go inside. Now," he commanded, pointing a claw back at the hut.

They grumbled and protested but obeyed, shuffling back inside with disappointed looks. The male Lizardman watched them go, then gave Kai one last look before turning and leaving him alone with the bowl of stew. As he ate the first real meal he'd had in days, he felt so much relief. Maybe, just maybe, he could escape soon.

He finished the stew quickly. It made him feel much, much better. After, he went back to his work, picking the heavy fruit and weaving the waxy leaves into baskets. The motions were becoming more familiar now, and very automatic. It left his mind free to wander, and his thoughts were a mix of anger and planning.

"Stupid fence," he muttered to a basket he was weaving. "Stupid fruit. I fucking hate this."

A few hours into his work, Sesh came out of the hut again. He walked over and sat down nearby, watching Kai work.

"My father's name is Vorlag," Sesh said casually, trying to make conversation. "My mother is Jix. The other two are Kalx and Rilla." He swished his tail.

Kai just grunted in response, not looking up from his weaving.

"My sister, Rilla, is the one who cut you," Sesh continued, his voice softer. "She doesn't mean to be mean. She just doesn't understand."

"She understands how to poke," Kai said flatly.

Sesh was quiet for a moment. Then he leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I could do it tonight. Unlock the gate. After everyone is asleep."

Kai stopped working. He looked at Sesh. This could be it, if it wasn't a trap. He would do it anyways if it was one. It would be better living the rest of his life as a slave.

"But it's a risk," Sesh added quickly. "My father sometimes gets up in the night to check the orchard. And even if you get out, there are sometimes gatherers in the forest at night. They look for glowing moss."

Kai's mind raced. He could be free possibly. Tonight. But he would be alone. What about Briar? He couldn't just leave him.

"I can't," Kai said, his voice low. "My friend... he was with me. Briar. I have to find him."

Sesh tilted his head. "Your friend?"

"He was sold right before me. To a family with two children," Kai explained, hoping Sesh might know something. "Do you know who that might be?"

Sesh shook his head slowly, his expression full of regret. "I am sorry. There are... many families. So many. I would not know which one." The village was bigger than Kai had realized. Finding Briar would be like finding one specific leaf in the whole forest.

He felt a wave of disappointment. The choice was terrible: escape alone and leave Briar, or stay a slave and hope for another chance, a chance to find his friend. Could he trust him to escape too? When they got caught, all the life seemed to have drained out of him. He shook his head. No, I have to trust he'll escape. If I try to save him, I'll only get myself and him in worse trouble.

Later that afternoon, just as he was finishing his last basket, Vorlag came out of the hut. He was carrying a bundle of sturdy poles and a large, thick animal hide. He dropped them on the ground near the corner of the fence.

"Your tent," he grunted, and then went back inside.

Kai stared at the pile for quite some time. They expected him to build his own shelter? Seriously?! 

First, he had to figure out the frame. He tried standing three of the poles up and leaning them against each other, trying to make a simple cone shape like the tents he'd seen in pictures back home. But every time he let go, they would wobble and fall over with a clatter. He tried again, digging the ends of the poles into the soft dirt to give them some stability. It helped a little, but it was still wobbly. He needed rope. There was no rope.

First, he had to figure out the frame. He tried standing three of the poles up and leaning them against each other, trying to make a simple cone shape like the tents he'd seen in pictures back home. But every time he let go, they would wobble and fall over with a clatter. He tried again, digging the ends of the poles into the soft dirt to give them some stability. It helped a little, but it was still wobbly. He needed rope. There was no rope.

He looked at the pile of leftover basket leaves. Maybe? He grabbed a handful and started braiding them together, making a crude, thick cord. It wasn't strong, but it might work. He tied his makeshift rope around the top where the three poles met. He pulled it tight. The frame stood on its own. It was a small victory, but it felt huge.

Next was the hide. It was heavy, and dragging it into position was not easy. He draped it over the frame, trying to get it to lay flat. One side was longer than the other. He had to pull it off and try again, turning it around. Finally, he got it centered. He used more of his braided leaf-rope to tie the edges of the hide to the bottom of the wood poles, pulling it tight to create the walls of his little shelter.

The day was turning to night by the time he was done. The tent was crooked and ugly, but it was a shelter. A place that was his. But the frustration of the day's work, of his entire situation, was still definitely there. He looked at the last pole lying on the ground. He kicked it as hard as he could.

"Aaargh!" he yelled.

"Shhh!"

The sound came from right behind him. He spun around. It was Sesh, standing by the orchard gate.

Sesh put a claw to his snout. "Be quiet! My father will hear." He was holding a small, flat piece of metal. He slipped it into the lock on the gate. There was a quiet click. Sesh pushed the gate open just a tiny crack. It was unlocked.

Kai froze, staring at the dark pathway visible through the opening. His mind couldn't quite catch up. It was real. The gate was actually open.

"Is this… a trap?" he whispered, the words barely heard. It had to be. It was too easy.

Sesh shook his head, his dark eyes wide and serious in the moonlight. "No trap. I promise. But you have to go. Now. Before he wakes up."

Kai took a hesitant step toward the gate. His legs felt shaky. Even if this lizardman was lying and it was a trap, it was better than nothing. This was it. The moment he had been dreaming of, the one he thought might never come. Freedom was literally a few feet away. But he was still fearful. The village was dark and quiet, but it was not empty.

He reached the gate and put his hand on the rough wood. He looked back at Sesh. "Why?" he asked, needing to understand. "Why are you doing this?"

"I told you already, because it is wrong," Sesh said simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Now go. Run east. Towards the flatlands. Avoid the forest until you have to, and hope you don't get spotted by a dragon." He held out his scaled hand. "I never got your name."

"It's Kai," he replied.

"Good luck, Kai."

He had used his real name. Kai looked at the outstretched hand. He reached out and took it. The handshake was quick, the scales cool and dry against his skin. This creature, this "monster," was showing him more kindness than he had ever expected.

"Thank you, Sesh," he whispered, somewhat meaning it.

He gave Sesh one last, grateful nod. Then, taking a deep breath, he slipped silently through the gate. He didn't look back. He couldn't. He moved low and fast, sticking to the shadows of the huts. His heart pounded in his ears, a frantic drumbeat counting down the seconds until an alarm was raised. Every rustle of leaves, every distant grunt from a sleeping Lizardman, sent a jolt of terror through him.

He was out. He was free. But the escape had just begun. He needed to get to his village somehow. But he didn't no where it was at all. And it was unlikely that he would survive that long to find it, but he would still for sure try.