A frail young man got on all fours, bowing the lowest he could and pleadingly, his voice escaped his lips, "Don't do this master!"
Looking down on the young man was a grey-haired man clad in black armor, with a scar across his lips, he scoffed. "How dare a wretch like you speak to me?!"
The grey-haired man then crouched to his level and gripped his firm hands on the young man's neck and lifted him off the ground. "How dare you tell me what to do?!" Condescension dripped from each word the man uttered.
The young man was now finding it extremely hard to breathe. When he lifted his arms in attempt to free himself from the grey-haired man's strong grasp, he was kicked to the ground like a ragdoll. He bounced off the ground twice before he could try to stand up in the dust cloud he had created. He fell back down to the ground, only raising his head to spit out a mouthful of blood. He ignored the pain he felt and turned his head backwards facing the grey-haired man, who slowly approached.
Behind the grey haired-man was a gruesome scene that caused his heart to tighten. The rage he felt grew like wildfire. The macabre scene portrayed, people attired in the same armor as the grey-haired man mercilessly slicing and dicing the young man's friends. Blood spilled left and right like fountains. The settlement they called home was burning, set ablaze by these knights.
The young man's eyes scanned a little more before he locked eyes with one of his friends who had always been of help to him. A man in his 40's, without hair. In his eyes, he saw nothing but gratitude, not even the slightest bit of fear. The man opened his mouth and mumbled, "Thank you Vim. You were more of a king than our current ruler."
After his words, the man was beheaded by one of the black armor-garbed men. The young man, Vim, had his eyes closed immediately after tears were about to fall from them. The memories of the man who had been killed surfaced. He knelt upright with his eyes still sealed shut.
The grey-haired man took a step forward and reached Vim. "They call you their King. That alone is treason to the empire. Vim, king of the slaves?..." The man took a long pause before continuing, "Look, I have a heart as well. Since you have seen a few of the people you cared about get slaughtered. Why don't I show you mercy. Accept just one more crime. You'll be responsible for the princess' attempted murder."
The man's words solidified Vim's suspicion. "So all this, was to frame me for another crime."
"You know how loyal I am to the empire. Yet, you want me to accept a crime as grave as attempting to murder the princess?!" His fists clenched, his finger nails digging into his skin.
He continued, "You could have told me this before starting to massacre my friends and family!..Okay! I'll take the crime upon myself. But I will take your head along with it!"
The declaration, to the grey-haired man, was nothing but a threat, but to the slaves, it was an order for rebellion. Vim's eyes opened and they raged intensely with resolve and determination to fulfill what he had just said. His eyes weren't on his opponent but instead were on a little girl who stood behind the building a little further away.
When the girl's pink eyes turned scarlet, the slaves sprang up to their feet and started there assault on the black armored knights. In the slaves' eyes, an otherworldly glow could be seen as they ruthlessly slaughtered the knights with their bare hands.
The grey-haired man saw this and his eyes widened in shock, "Impossible, slaves shouldn't have powers!"
Taking advantage of the man's rattled state, Vim got up and unleashed a barrage of punches onto the grey-haired man. Each punch was heavy and as fast as a speeding train. The man was unable to block, taking all blows that Vim let loose in full fury.
And when Vim finally stopped, he observed as the man didn't bend a knee, and stood motionless. His eyes looked up to the grey-haired man and noticed that the man's eyes turned white and blood slithered out from his nose and mouth. Vim was about to attack again, but realized what he himself couldn't believe. The man was standing there, lifeless.
He took a step back and fell to the ground on his butt, his eyes not leaving the grey-haired man.
When the slaves finished their fight, they looked at the grey-haired man. They had utter respect for Vim but defeating this man, increased their respect and loyalty to him. Their look of disbelief was dismissed by Vim's next words.
"Everyone leave this place. I'll take the blame for all this. And Ruby, deactivate your powers." He said while he stared at the scarlet eyed little girl with black hair. The girl was about to run towards him but one of the slaves grabbed her and ran off with her, while she cried and struggled with all her might to go to Vim. The other slaves followed suit and cleared their settlement-turned battleground.
Vim sat alone, surrounded by roaring flames, the dead bodies of slaves and the knights. The only thing that was above his height was the standing grey-haired man's body. He looked at the bodies and screamed in anguish, "No!!!"
...
Some time passed when seven more knights robed in black armor flew above Vim and his settlement like gravity had no hold on them. They effortlessly landed infront of Vim. The knight who seemed to be the leader, took a few steps closer to the standing dead body. "You're Vim, king of the slaves?" The simple question carried so much weight. It was as though his heavy voice was forcing Vim to keep his head staring at the ground.
Even so, Vim dared not look at the man. All the power he had left mysteriously disappeared as soon as these men appeared. He felt like he just had to bow.
The leader flicked two of his fingers and the six Knights behind him, quickly surrounded Vim. Seconds later, green chains materialized and restrained the powerless Vim.
"The man you murdered, he was my mentor." The leader looked into the grey-haired man's dead, white eyes. "I only see surprise in his eyes. No pain... For that, I will not take your life. Take him away." He ordered.
After his words, the Knights vanished with Vim as their captive.
The leader looked at the grey-haired man. In his eyes, a yellow glow lasted for less than a second, and immediately vanished. The grey-haired man's dead body evaporated soon after.
The leader looked around and couldn't help but be surprised, "How did one man slaughter all 12 blessed Knights. And my mentor who was far beyond a blessed one?" He took off his facial armor revealing his short grey hair and a confused face.
...
Blessed - The first title given to anyone who gains magic powers from being exposed to radiation from the magic stone in the middle of the kingdom of BRADAD's castle. The power isn't exclusively for everyone, but for those within range, and since the slave domain is the most peripherally located area, no slave holds any power. Blocking the radiation and keeping the nobles in and slaves out is the giant 130 feet wall built by the king of the Bradad. To maintain order, the higher gods who refer to themselves as judges, who also created a system to tell mundane from blessed. With that, the powered humans can tell who is nobility, and who is a slave.
...
Vim, now seated in prison, had his back leaned against the chilly walls. A metallic bed with a mattress at the corner was the only furniture present, the prison had a heavy pungent smell, like that of a morgue. On the prison floor, blood was smeared like paint. And keeping him locked up were the prison bars that glowed red and emitted heat.
Vim sat on the floor, a short distance away from the bed with his worries. 'Hope they didn't discover Ruby. She's the only blessed we have...hope they didn't notice, please.'
Piercing through the silence and his thoughts, was a smooth yet smug voice, "Vim, have you finally decided to come join me in prison? Haha, glad you're facing suffering with me"
Indifferent, Vim instinctively responded softly with the correct name. "Fero... Nice to speak to you again."
Opposite to Vim's wall, a handsome young man, Fero, with his hair uniquely cut to the side smirked. He was seated on his bed, leaning against the wall. Was that relief Vim sensed in his friend's voice? Fero didn't respond to Vim like he was supposed to and just stayed silent. Instead, he mumbled, "Status."
He waited a second before a green holographic screen began to substantiate before his eyes.