"Kai wake up, wake up, " his mother in a very soft voice tried to shake HIM to wake him up.
"Mother, what's going on? It's still dark outside." Kai asked. He's still very sleepy.
"You have to go now. I already packed your things. Use the back door. Hurry up," she's panicking.
When he felt his mothers fear thats when he fully awakened. He finally sensed the danger. He briefly peeked at the very small crack on their wall. And there he saw soldiers on foot and some hiding horses going towards their house.
"Why are there soldiers in front of our house? And where is father?" he started asking.
"He's outside he's talking to the soldiers. Now go. They're planning to take you."
"But I can't leave, I will never leave you here. What if they hurt you if they failed to find me here? I won't leave." Kai stubbornly insisted.
"Please Kai just do as I say. We can take care of ourselves. Go now. Don't worry they won't hurt us. It's only you that they need."
He finally heeded but as he was about to leave he heard a loud commotion in front of their house. And that's when he saw his father being beaten up by soldiers.
"I have to help him. Please mother if they want to take me let them take me."
"No please son. We have no idea what they're going to do to you there in the council. The people they have taken before never came back. It's better that you escape and go to our relative in the next town. We will follow you there after the soldiers leave."
But he already made his decision. Instead of running away he opened their front door to hand himself over. It's better for him to be captured than his father. But it was too late cause as he walked out of the door he saw his father wounded and already fighting for his life.
"Father!" he shouted and run towards him. But even before he was able to reach him one of the soldiers forcibly took him. And in his own two eyes he saw his father draw his last breath.
He couldn't even cry cause of shocked. He couldn't even feel the pain from being dragged by the soldiers. He wanted to get near him. He could still save him.
"Kid just cooperate if you want the rest of your family safe." A soldier whispered to him. He is not sure if the soldier is giving him a threat or a warning out of concern. It's probably both. So he shut up and didn't even make a single sound. He just followed like a meek boy as he was dragged to the carriage with other prisoners.
The council sometimes take young adults to work as slave. They can't complain because they're afraid of the consequences. They can and would burn down a whole town that dares to go against their will.
The image of his father keeps running in his head. He looked at the key shaped "tattoo" on his lower arm. Just last week he's just a normal child being trained as a wood carver and helping in the farm. Now he is being taken away as a prisoner by the council just because of this mark that suddenly appears on his arm for no reason.
They say he has the key holder sign. They say this sign could bring him luck. Then how come this is happening to him?
As he was trying to think of a way to escape. He saw a group of teenagers following the carriage. They were fast and was keeping up with the horses' speed. They signal Kai to keep silent.
One of them hang on to the carriage like a monkey. He got unusually long and strong legs and arms. Using a makeshift key he was able to open the lock and open the door of the carriage.
And without any hesitation he let go. The rest of the prisoners tried their luck and jump off the carriage risking injuries. But they don't care, they need to escape.
The driver realized whats going on so he stopped and called on the guards. "The prisoners are escaping," he shouted.
Kai started to run away as the carriage stopped. "Don't let the key holder escaped. The council will kill us." He heard the soldiers tell one another.
"Over here," the teen who opened the lock called him. He was asking Kai to follow him. Kai got no choice the guards are determined to find him.
"Hurry up," the teen said. He's not wearing slippers so his feet already hurt. But he needs to bear it if he wants to escape.
"Where are we going?" Kai asked. There's really no way to escape. They were really just prolonging the inevitable. But he rather died trying. He can't give up now. Maybe he would just jump off a cliff if they happen to corner him. Maybe if he dies the soldier will leave his family alone.
"There's a small house over the hill we will go there." the teen said. Just follow me, I'll show you." He walks really fast. Kai couldn't keep up. When the teen realized that he stopped lowered his stance and asked Kai to hold on to his shoulders.
"No you don't have to carry me."
"Don't worry I'm strong. I can carry you. It will be faster this way. Hurry up before they realized we're here." He said.
Kai finally heeded.
"Hold on tight okay." And with that he run as fast as he could until both of them saw a little nipa house on top of the hill.