How unfortunate, I'm going to be spending an entire week patrolling the outer ring while I'm stuck with Kamik– that one guy I tried to avoid at all cost.
The good news was that he is strong, which means I don't have to worry about wild animals and beasts– I can sit back and enjoy the fight between Kamik and whatever was going to be killed by him. I just hope he doesn't pick a fight with a zorell.
The bad news was that Kamik himself is more dangerous than those beasts and wild animals. A single punch from him can fold me in half, and he is very likely to punch me. Just like how he might punch me any second any second now.
"I can't accept this! First, I'll deal with you and then I'll talk to the elders about it." said Kamik.
He was fuming with anger.
Being superior at everything compared to everyone of his age made him think that he can pass judgements on whoever he wants.
He walked towards me with his fists clenched. He's already aware that I lack strength and that he can easily snap my neck with little to no effort.
However, he was a sincere and proud idiot. That made him easy to exploit.
"Are you going to forsake your duty, honorable young warrior?" I asked in a serious tone.
"What are you talking about!? Why would I do that!?"
He was visibly shaken when I accused him of abandoning his duty. Barbarians don't tolerate deviation. Not being able to fulfill the elders' orders and killing yourself meant the same thing .
You might be better than the other kids, but you're still just a kid, 'lil Kamik.
"Young warrior Kamik, it is binding on us to carry out the duties given to us by the elders, even if it means beating an old lady with a stick. And you dare to abandon your duty because of a personal grudge?" I deepened my voice and darkened my expression to make the act more believable.
"N-no, that's not…"
He lowered his head, loosened his fist and lost the clarity in his speech. The guilt trip was successful. I hit a barbarian where it would hurt the most. Saying this to someone else might put me 6 feet underground, but since achieving the role of Leading Guardian happened to be the only thing he ever thinks about, it made him easy to exploit.
I could have ended it there, but I got a little too engrossed with the bullying part. So I messed with him to my heart's content.
"What kind of behavior is this, my comrade? You remind me of the terrible humans who tried to kidnap me and sell my organs when I was little. I believe you remember the incident four years ago."
"Those humans! How could they!?"
"Those humans stole my left ball when I was five years old. It is a memory that haunts me every night, it hurts down there whenever I take a piss. Imagine living with a missing ball. Why are you reminding me of those lower beings, comrade?"
Kamik's face turned pale in shock and regret after listening to my– totally believable –story of tragedy and hardship. (lol)
"No, comrade. That's not what I…" He trailed off, questioning himself whether or not he had the right to speak at that moment.
"Why am I still here? Just to suffer? Every night, I can feel my my missing left testicle–"
"Forgive me for bringing up something sensitive… comrade!" Kamik interrupted just when I was about to get to the good part, "It was ignorant of me to doubt the decision of the elders. They chose you because they saw something special in you. Comrade, I look forward to working with you." His eyes gleamed determination.
Tch! It's a shame that I didn't get to finish that dialogue. Anyway, I'll be safe as long as I don't reveal too much and avoid him as much as possible. If he finds out that I use zaryûn, I'll be done for.
"Comrade, let's walk around the outer ring, just to make sure nothing strange happens. We can't let any other barbarian experience the suffering I've been trough" I said, to divert his attention.
"You are right, comrade. Let's do that!"
I inwardly let out a sigh of relief and picked up my unusually large backpack and swung it across my shoulder– it was packed to the brim. After glancing at my backpack, Kamik opened his mouth to ask something, but held himself back from asking any questions, fearing that I might say something traumatizing again.
"Comrade, let's walk through the whole ring once, just to make sure nothing strange is happening." I said, wanting to divert his attention.
"Sure, comrade."
We walked and walked. Walking around the outer ring just once felt like forever. Not having fully recovered from my previous injuries made things worse. My legs felt like they might detach from my body if I walk a few more steps. On the other hand, Kamik was still in a state of excitement. He looked like a kid who finally got his hands on a toy which he had wanted for years.
The sun was about to set and Kamik's enthusiasm didn't die down one bit. Encountering other barbarians who were patrolling the outer ring motivated him further– what a pain. I was weary of him the whole time, fearing that he would challenge me to a dual. I could hear my anxious heart beating harder than how my parents once beat my little brother when he accidentally downloaded a virus on an office computer in my previous life.
When we walked past the ruins of the old colosseum, I had the feeling that he might drag me into it and break some of my already broken limbs in another one of his one-sided duels. I also had to stop him from walking as I might die from walking if this continues. Without a doubt, this maniac would choose to patrol throughout the night without taking any rest.
"Kamik, why dont we take some rest, its almost night time"
I haven't even eaten anything since morning. Recovery is non-negotiable if I want to escape this jungle alive. I don't plan on dying until I become rich enough to own an entire city.
"What are you talking about, comrade? Rest? Why would we want rest while we're on a mission given to us by the elders themselves?"
"I know right? That's what I thought too. But after putting some more thought into it, I realized that we won't be able to give our best tomorrow if we don't rest today, and if I can't give my best in a mission that the elders themselves gave me– I'm as good as a human" I replied. Being called a 'human' was equivalent to being called a 'cockroach' to barbarians.
I hate lying. I never thought of lying as an option even in difficult situations. But in this new life of mine, it became my primary tool of survival. It fills my gut with guilt whenever I lie, but it was better than having that same gut ripped apart by barbarians. Only a select few people among the barbarians know that I'm a human.
"Hmm… you are right, comrade. I can see why the elders are very interested in you–- you are smart. Let's find a place to camp."
We both looked around for a suitable place to camp. I froze when I saw the ruin of the old colosseum, I didn't want to go anywhere near that thing. Unfortunately, it seemed to be the only place nearby that could keep us warm.
I turned to Kamik, planning to distract him so that he wouldn't see the colosseum.
"Kamik, look!" I pointed my finger at some random direction, "I found the perfect place to–"
"Lets camp in the colosseum." He interrupted.
I'm done for. I thought, as I was still pointing in the direction, standing there like a statue. Kamik did not wait to hear my opinion. He grabbed the back of my collar and ran to the colosseum, dragging me who was flabbergasted, still pointing at something with the same expression I had two seconds ago, just like a statue.
There was no guarantee that he wouldn't challenge me to a duel once we got to the colosseum. The thought of having to fight him hit me harder than a truck.