Blazing Wings : Sunrise

CHAPTER THREE: MERCADO

Zachary POV

'4 years before he was seventeen'

"Ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen........thirty." I shuddered at the sound of the whip as it hit my back the last time. It was the second time this month; I'm being punished for no apparent reason. I think he's just waiting for me to die but I'm never going to. My sister needs me to survive and if I die they will take advantage of her. They can't keep us in here forever, we were young and the master was not.I smirked but inside me I was panicking. Not that I can't take all his 'punishments' it's just that if my sister becomes older she will suffer the same fate as me.

Three years ago they saw us on the side of the road after an attack happened in our home province. Our parents died and we became slaves for this family; slaves were illegal in this kingdom thus after they took us in they kept us as pets in secret and whenever they threw a tantrum they take it out on us. At first I thought there was hope when they took us in but after a few days they 'punished' me when the master was agitated on something. It was like that for 3 years straight, I was the object of the master, an object used to appease his anger. There were other secret slaves of course, this was a big family with twisted minds and have big tempers. Every other master in the estate have their own plaything that they used to appease their twisted minds.

They were a family of soldiers and officials and they looked friendly until you enter the estate of horrors even the servants are horrified of the family but they had no choice but to comply since they were hired, death was the only way out but I would never surrender to that. They just wait until I receive my attribute, they do not know my age thus they could not decipher when they would kill me. They kill their slaves before they turn 17 and I lied about my and my sister's age before I knew the secret slave thing. I was wary of their goodwill when they took us in so I lied about everything about me and my sister's identity not that they cared of course.

After the 'punishment' I went to the basement where they kept us. There were a total of 15 slaves here; mostly boys because in the masters' opinion boys were much harder to kill, break and girls are easily discarded if not sold to brothels and the black market. It was terrifying that a country as placid and peaceful as Reneia has it's dark places. The only hope now is to find a way to escape I'm not gonna wait here for a miracle, those only happen in fairytale stories. Most of us were small thus slipping into the place was easly the problem is they were unwilling and threatened to tell if we leave. There was an incidence once, there was a slave who tried to escape, the others that were left were punished and the slave who 'tried' was killed in the most brutal way in front of them.

At first I trid to convince them to come with us but they did not want to die early, eventhough they were slaves and was destined to die anyway they did not want to die young. They could not endure it longer but they have to, if they want to survive. Surviving was the key to escape here. I had been around the estate a million times since I had to go to the oldest master's room which was far away from the basement where they hide us and I had seen a man made bamboo forest just a hundred meters away from the main buildings were they reside. I saw that the forest was dense and no one really go there as it was secluded. The walls were not that high just barely two meters, if I could leave and find help it would save everyone.

My plan to leave was like a storm in my head as I find the perfect timing to do my move. There was a two day festival in the capital and the estate would be empty, only servants were left to care for the estate. They usually did not feed us nor pay any attention to us on those days so the timing was perfect.

When the sun had set, and the estate was dark after two hours everyone was asleep. I whispered to my younger sister Zendee, " I will be back take care of yourself while I'm gone okay?" She only hummed and went back to sleep. I figured that the other kids will take care of her, I discussed my plan to the other kids two days before. They were reluctant to agree but when the news of a 2 day festival was heard they had a glimmer of hope so they agreed. No one went to the basement a day before the festival as it was their masters' departure.

I slipped into some black clothes I stole from the clothes line and went to the door as I looked back and said words of promise. I knew basic self defence and despite my body being beaten i was still able to run very fast. I went straight towards the back of the main buildings and was careful not to be noticed. Eventhough the place was only with the servants and some guards it was still vital to be careful not to underestimate the situation. I went inside the forest and climbed when i saw the wall. The estate had many neighbors thus it was easy to find guards and people who could help their situation but the only problem was that who would believe the accusations of a small boy like himself?

He contemplated and went to find the nearest guard station as every village and/or province have them. He found it and as he looked inside there was a man that seemed to be complaining about a family. His ears perched as he heard the name of the family who took them.

Third Person's POV

The man named Ariel was sure that there was a secret slave trade in the black market, he just doesn't have enough evidence to prove it. He had found a link to Fariway family a large family of soldiers and officials. Some witnessess and former servants who are retired from the family had confessed of some slaves being kept at the large estate. But, alas the family was powerful and a small official inspector like him could not stand against them. He just needed assistance from the local soldiers to inpect the estate but the soldiers only looked at him with astonishment but, not in the good way. " Okay, that is the most ridiculous story I had ever heard. The Fariway Family is a family of soldiers and high officials in the main city, surely a distinguished family like that would not keep slaves as it is illegal!" one soldier said.

"But-" "Enough of this, you will lose your toungue if you keep on spouting nonsense about other people." the head soldier dissmised the young inspector, even if his assumption were true they could not go against a powerful family like that.

Feeling dejected Ariel left the building when a small boy not older than 10 approached him. The boy was in black clothes but his face that was full of bruises was not covered. He felt pity towards the young boy, " Young boy, are you alright? You seem hurt!" The boy shook his head. " Young master, I overheard your conversation with the soldiers and even if you do not believe me I beg you to help me. I came from that family's estate, you were right they do keep secret slaves in their estate. I beg of you!" he explained frantically as this was their only hope.

Ariel was shocked, the evidence he badly needed to fulfill his mission is just in front of him. If the young boy was speaking the truth then they needed to rescue the slaves as soon as possible. "Young boy if you're speaking the truth then you must show me, and how did you manage to get out? If you were a slave then you must be kept in a secured place?"

"Well, the family attented the fextival in the city thus the estate is empty exept for some guards and the servants. We are mostly forgotten during times like this so I took the oppurtunity to escape and find help." he explained. " Then you must take me with you so i can figure out a way to help you". And thus two figures moved with silence as they made their way into the basement; the younger boy guiding ahead.

Ariel was shook to the core with anger and pain as he saw children barely 12 sleeping, although the lighting was bad he could see the state of what they are living in. They slep on the cold hard floor with thin sheets were used as bedding. Their clothes ragged, old and had dried blood all over them. He could not imagine the pain these little children had endured for years.

There was determination in his eyes as he thought of a plan to save them all. Eventhough he was a new and young inspector, his father was a commander of the province's army troupe. All he needed was time and evidence to prove of this disgraceful and disgusting evil act. He turned to the boy, "What is your name?". "My name is Zachary Lan Mercado sir".

"I'm, Ariel Montgomery. Zachary, I need you to listen carefully. I may not be able to get you out here now but i have a plan that will stop this family into taking little children again....This is what you need to do.........." Ariel's plan reached Zachary's head quickly, this would end this misery he just needed to wait. The other kids were awake thus he discussed with them the plan.

Two days went by quickly and the family went home. The masters were feeling happy and satisfied from the festival thus no one thought of bringing slaves yet. A moment after their happiness, they were confused to why a troupe of over 50 soldiers were in their doorstep along with an inspector. " Ah, to what do we owe this pleasure young Master Ariel? May I ask to why you have come to visit my family's estate?" the first son went to greet the people and he felt irritated because, he could not figure out why an inspector was visiting them. He never thought that anyone would ever find out about their secret basement full of slaves so when the inspector explained why they were visiting; he broke out into cold sweats as he did not know what to say.

"There was a decree from the main city to inspect and we're given permission to enter every house in the province for slaves. There is a rumor and speculation that there is an underground trading of slaves in the province. So may we?" the first son would only open the gates to the soldiers as a decree from the city was not to be trifled with. "Don't you worry we will be fast it was mandatory so just let us work and we'll be on our way." Ariel smiled as he walked with the first son who seemed to be pale at the moment. Ariel wanted the kids to wait for 2 days and when that happened soldiers will come to raid the place. The older kids will revolt and the younger kids will scream so that way they will attract the soldier's attention. Them finding the basement should be on accident because if they knew that Ariel tresspassed their estate, they would accuse him of trespassing and that was an offence especially because he was an inspector.

Not long after the estate was in chaos and more soldiers emerged to arrest the entire family, even the head inspector of the West was present to personally arrest the head of the family and put them all in the obsidian prison until their last breath. The obisidian stone was commonly used to build prisons, strongholds and fortresses since it can withstand majic and although it was common in those structures it was rare fo find raw obsidian. All the structures built in obsidian had been standing for centuries now; and that's how strong the obsidian stone is.

After the arrest, all the children were given back to their parents and the orphans were brought to the orphanage in the entire West. They were safe there since the person handling the place was a person with a pure heart.

Ariel on the other hand adopted Zachary and Zendee as his own. He took pity on the siblings and because Zachary helped him greatly in eliminating another potential connection to the underground slave trade, he decided to take care of them. He saw Zachary as strong independent and a doting older brother just like how he and his older brother was and his heart was moved. He decided to raise the siblings and took them to his house. And just like that the sibling's lives took a turn. They looked up to Ariel because he was an upright and pure man. The inspector was blessed with the attribute of Air and had an ability to fly and used his abilities to halp the siblings to be stronger. They were recognised as the inspector's children.

Five years later, the siblings grew up to strong and independent. Zachary was blessed with the attribute of land ad the ability. Sand was tricky to manipulate thus Zachary was shocked but thankful of his majic. He wanted to become like his adoptive father, kind, upright and strong. He loved his family, Ariel married a kind and loving woman named Miera that treated the siblings like her own. But in order to become like his father; Ariel : he had to enter the Sun Academy. While he never intended to leave his younger sister behind, Zendee was too young to enter the institution.

As the day came when he arrived at the gates of the said Academy, he was determined and ready to become an official student and warrior of the Kingdom.