Chapter 18: Untouched
It was just a habit at this point. Kane could not get rid of any animosity towards Zac anytime Kane himself had done something wrong. Or is it animosity? It seemed that Kane just wanted someone to blame for everything that had gone wrong so far, and who better than a helpless kid who couldn't defend himself? Kane couldn't blame himself for his own mistakes, and it would never happen. "Y'know what I think, boy? I think some punishments are in order." Kane's cheeks went red as if he were drunk.
"Boys, get your asses out here; little puppet boy here has agreed to let us do anything we want with him." Kane lied. "Ooh, it seems that this boy is good for something. While we were busting our asses off fighting that thing, whatever it was, this boy here just ran." Bandit #2 lied. Like savages, they laughed at what they were about to do, the same thing they did when they had Zac in their tents back when everyone was alive. But now they're alone, with no worries about waking anyone.
They can have fun without having to worry about getting caught! The first bandit grabbed Zac by both arms while the other took hold of one leg each. With ease, they dragged him to a tree near where they were standing. They tied his hands together behind his back using a rope made from vines growing around the base of the trees. His legs weren't bound because the vines didn't reach far enough. It didn't take much time before the bandits started laughing again. And then came the part where Zac was given a taste of their false retribution: They took turns kicking him repeatedly. The sound of his ribs snapping was loud enough for them to notice, but even so. They continued punching, kicking, and hitting him everywhere to let out their frustrations.
It only lasted five minutes before they were finished, leaving him tied up. They exhaled as their frustrations were put to rest and left Zac where he was.
There was nothing he could do in the situation, his orders were to take it without struggle, and that is what he did.
...
Kane and his men gathered afterward; they needed to find food and water fast. They didn't know what other animals existed in the forest. The only animal they knew of was the beast that had attacked them. They couldn't risk coming across the beast, and they knew it would be their end if they did. So instead of hunting, they decided plants were something they had to feed on if they couldn't handle it. Hunting was the last resort. There were plenty of wild grasses around, which they tore into pieces and ate raw. Afterward, they drank from streams and ponds, filling their stomachs. And finally, they set up camp again. They kept staying in the same area and sleeping in the same tree.
In the morning, they woke up early to begin scouting the surrounding areas. They needed to ensure they could run away fast enough if the beast returned to get them. So they took only what was necessary, they didn't have much in the first place, but they left any hindering items in their pockets and left them at base camp. They took only knives and a few of the plants that they had picked for a snack.
Leaving no order for Zac to eat, they left him to do other things like grab anything to build a fire, and watch their camp as they were out scouting. Zac grew hungry as Kane, and the others munched on their little food. He began to feel weak and lightheaded when hunger hit hard. His legs started shaking, and he felt dizzy. However, this did not stop Zac from doing what he was ordered to do. He gathered wood for the fire and watched the surroundings, waiting patiently.
When night fell, the group came back. They built a fire and sat down next to it. They talked amongst themselves and told stories about how they survived the attack. Even though, in reality, they fled, it did not stop them from making up scenarios of what they would have done if they were not caught off guard. In their minds, they were heroes.
As usual, Zac waited quietly. As soon as the rest of the men settled, they continued discussing their plans.
"I say we leave tomorrow," said Bandit #1. "Maybe that beast was only a once-in-a-lifetime encounter. Can we really say that we'll come across it again?"
Bandit #2 nodded in agreement. Kane also spoke up about what they should do next.
"...and besides, we're running low on supplies." Kane's eyes narrowed, looking at Zac. He looked at him as if he were a piece of meat. A prize. Something worth taking home.
Zac stayed silent, staring straight ahead into the flames. No words escaped his lips, nor did they enter his mind. "It's getting late," Kane announced. "We'll head to sleep and discuss this more In the morning. We've got to decide quickly before that beast finds us!"
The men dispersed to the tree, leaving Zac alone. He stood still, unmoving. What choice does he have anyway? There was no conscious to disobey what he was told. This is what life will always be like for Zac. Life under these bandits, under Katrina, under everyone's dirty foot, treating him like crap, or death would claim him before life threw bigger rocks at him.
He walked to the outside entrance of the tree where everyone slept and stood guard for the night, but that was all he had to do. All he was ordered to do. As a lookout, but that was just it; it wasn't "protect us"; there was no other order he could go off of. As Zac stood there the whole night, the branches in the distant snap more and more as the sounds got closer. At least he won't fall asleep tonight, thought Zac.
His ears perked up at the sound of footsteps approaching through the woods in front of him; they were getting louder and more precise. Someone was coming close to the campfire, very slowly too. Whoever it is or whatever it is, it must be exhausted because they do not know what silence means.
Zac remained quiet and alert, watching the figure approach. By the time the figure reached the fire, Zac had recognized what it was: the beast from before.
With its long snout and sharp teeth, the creature was unmistakable. Its eyes were wide open, almost as if it were surprised to see Zac standing in front of it. The beast opened its mouth, showing rows upon rows of razor-sharp fangs. But that wasn't all. It was beautiful, a lion? No. It was similar but magical; its big eyes shined white, its fur glowed a beautiful light blue, illuminating its path, the claws looked like razor-sharp steel, and most of all, the fog around it scattered as if it was controlling the fog.
Its body was slim yet muscular, and it moved with grace. Everything about this beast screamed danger. Yet somehow, it was breathtakingly gorgeous. Zac stared, unable to avert his eyes, looking at the beast as if it wasn't even there. It stood at a distance from Zac, eyeing him with curiosity.
The beast looked at Zac, then it turned to the tree behind him, eyeing Kane and the men sleeping with no worries on their minds. It licked its lips, tasting the air. It was hungry. Very hungry.
Zac watched as the beast approached,
When it got as close as a few feet from Zac, its footsteps no longer made a sound, as if it did not exist; watching Zac for only a minute, it closely walked up to Zac, and no hunger showed on its face. It was skeptical, but once it got as close as it wanted to be, it only stared at Zac for a few seconds before walking behind him, where the bandits were soundly sleeping, dreaming of what they were going to do with their rewards.
Entering the tree, it began feasting, and the screams sounded the same as the men they had left behind. Zac stood without looking or glancing, just listening as the men were being ripped apart and eaten alive. They screamed for help, not to Zac, just anyone, which was no one. No one could save them, maybe Zac could have sacrificed himself for them to escape if he were ordered to, but the bandits could no longer give any orders as their throats were gashed open, ripping their intestines out, leaving only the sounds of the beasts chewing, and the splash of their blood. Their bodies lay lifeless in the dirt while their innards were devoured by the beast that killed them.
And then it was done. Only Zac remained alive, untouched, unharmed. Not a scratch on him. Just an empty shell of flesh that breathed in and exhaled that just listened to the cries of dying men who had been so proud to call themselves warriors. Warriors? Hardly. Barbarians. That was what they were. Barbaric. Savage. Animals. Beasts.
The beast dragged two of them by their shirt collars and dropped them near Zac's legs, only to stare at Zac once again, looking at him as if it pitied him. Raising its giant paw up, the beast's claws started exuding a liquid; eventually, as the liquid reached the tip of its claw, it poked Zac gently but enough to puncture the skin, knocking him out.
It did nothing else. As Zac's vision started to blur, he was able to watch it grab the two bandits by the collars again and drag them off into the distance. The beast's lights turned off like a light switch, and the fog covered the beast again, leaving no trace of its existence other than the leftovers of its feast.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone