WARBRINGERS: Revenge and Revolution

THE RUMBLE

Trigger warnings: blood, descriptions of a violent altercation

Rage is a funny thing. How it can be more overpowering than love. Love may be a drug with a gradual effect, but with rage, you’d feel the high all at once.

Gon gave out an almost inhuman cry. His steps were heavy and fast as he approached the soldiers. Jaider stood from his chair, anticipating his attack. Before Gon could even throw a punch, Jaider’s huge hands wrapped around his slender neck. Jaider squeezed.

Jaider then threw him with force. He went over the table and fell with a thud. His rib hit the solid foot of the table. He winced in pain.

“You f*****g boy b***h!” Jaider said. He then walked towards him, grasped his neck again, and threw him against the wall. His head hit the concrete so hard he saw colors swimming in his vision. The two soldiers were watching, grinning. Mastaro was a few meters away, took a step, and took two steps back. He was shaking.

Gon kicked Jaider. He managed to hit him on his knee. But Jaider just looked at Gon’s foot and grinned. “You think you can hurt me, pretty boy?” He leaned towards him; he could feel his hot breath on his nose. His brown eyes were huge and bloodshot. “You really think you can do that, you stupid pretty boy?”

“You’re a monster,” Gon said with gritted teeth. Tears were now flowing on his face. “You’re a f*****g monster. You killed my friend.”

“Oh, was she your friend?” Jaider said with a smile. “That annoying b***h was your friend? I can’t imagine. She is tough and brave and you’re such a fairy.”

“I’m going to expose what you did,” said Gon. He looked at the other soldiers. “What you all did.”

“And then what, huh, fairy boy?” said Jaider. “You think they’d care? She is a rebel. No one cares what happens to rebels.”

Gon couldn’t say anything to that because he knew it was true. Some will care, but most Cantatans wouldn’t. It was because of the king. King Doroteo instilled in the minds of Cantatans that rebels were enemies of the kingdom and they deserve to die a painful death. Gon could say that Camia was nice, that Camia loved Cantata but it wouldn’t matter. People would want her dead just the same.

Jaider laughed when he saw that Gon was stunned. And in a sing-song voice, as if he was a jester telling a funny story, he said, “She peed herself you know? I stabbed her once on the leg and that w***e f*****g peed herself. So f*****g disgusting.”

Gon whimpered. He kicked Jaider again but Jaider didn’t even flinch.

“I made her beg for her life. I told her, if she denounces the Millos, if she’d go on her knees and cry like a pig and beg like a w***e, I’d let her live. And she did. She got on her knees and begged and begged and begged. I then thought, not so brave now, huh? I told her to kiss the ground and she did. She kissed the ground and that’s when I killed her. She didn’t see that coming, did she?”

Gon spat on Jaider. Jaider was hit on the forehead. Jaider closed his eyes, Gon’s spit flowed on his face slowly. Jaider was still smiling. But his next move surprised Gon. He punched him hard on the stomach that air got knocked out of his lungs.

“You f*****g b***h!” Jaider said with a menacing grin. He then lifted him off the ground with his neck. Gon’s eyes went wide in alarm; he wanted to scream but Jaider kept on choking him. He kicked and kicked but he couldn’t hit him hard. Gon felt warm pain on his chest, his lungs craving for air. He knew he was about to feel lightheaded in a while. He knew his heart might stop in a few seconds.

He thought, maybe his life would end this way. Maybe he’d never see his parents and Suliana again. Maybe he’d be buried on the same day as Camia. Maybe he’d see her on the after-life if there is one. Maybe there, he could apologize for not doing better to avenge her. Maybe there, they could be lovers.

Gon smiled, a warm tear flowed on his cheek. If he’d die, make it a glorious death—

Gon heard a sudden loud thump and Jaider screamed, then let him go. Gon dropped on the floor, then gasped for breath. His lungs were suddenly filled with cold air. His chest was still heaving when he saw Mastaro with a tray in hand whack Jaider on the face so hard he heard the soldier’s nose crack.

Jaider went down on the floor and Kobold and the soldier with the glasses dashed towards Mastaro.

“Mastaro!” Gon screamed, but he was too late.

Kobold managed to kick Mastaro hard on the leg. Mastaro groaned and collapsed on the floor. Mastaro was about to get up when Kobold kicked him in the face. “Fuc--” Mastaro’s scream of pain was interrupted by the thump of his head hitting the floor.

Gon got up to help, but Jaider pulled his feet down. Gon fell to the floor; his chin hit it so hard his lower teeth sliced the inside of his lip. The salty, coppery taste of warm blood filled his mouth and spilled out from it like drool.

Jaider screamed then went on top of him. His heavy body right on his back. Jaider pulled his hair so hard he almost broke Gon’s neck. Gon whimpered in pain.

Gon realized Jaider want him to watch as Kobold knelt on the floor grabbed Mastaro’s left hand and twisted it until they heard the bone crack.

“Fuuuuuuckkk!” Mastaro screamed, his face sweaty and red. He wriggled on the floor, saliva coming out of his mouth. His face was filled with fear when Kobold reached for his other hand. “No, please, no, please no…”

“Stoooop!” Gon cried. “Stop, please stop…”

Kobold looked at him--or maybe he looked at Jaider who was still on top of him, he could feel his erection on the small of his back. Gon shook his head and begged. “Please stop, please…”

Kobold spoke, “Jaider?”

Jaider pulled Gon’s hair again so he can whisper on his hear. “Apologize to me, pretty boy.”

Gon was shaking, couldn’t stomach even uttering the first syllable of the requested apology. He bit his lip, unsure of what to do. But then Kobold reached for Mastaro’s hand again and so he said, breathlessly, “I’m sorry… I’m sorry. Please… Please don’t hurt us…”

Jaider laughed. “If you say so, princess,” he said, then licked the tears off his cheek. His tongue smelled sour, like rotten fruit. He then pushed him down before standing up. “Go back to the krilldom now.” Jaider’s tone was filled with authority. “You’re lucky that’s the only thing we did. You know King Doroteo’s stand on assaulting a soldier. He would’ve defended us had it been that you turned up dead.”

Gon couldn’t get up. He looked at Mastaro, lying helplessly on the floor and he couldn’t help but cry. He rested his head on the floor and sobbed.

***

GON slung Mastaro’s arm over his shoulder and helped him walk home. The sun was already setting but they were still walking, Mastaro sometimes wincing in pain while looking at his broken hand. Sometimes they had to stop because Gon was small and Mastaro was too tall for him to support without taking a break.

“Let us rest for a while…” Gon said when they reached the plains. There was no more krill there, maybe they already went back to the krilldom.

He carefully lay Mastaro on the green grass before breathlessly lying on the grass, too. His heartbeat was so fast he decided to look at the white clouds as they sail on the reddish-tinted sky. His heartbeat slowed after a few minutes. But he was still filled with rage his eyes stung with tears again.

“Please don’t cry,” Mastaro said.

Gon nodded then wiped his face. “I’m sorry.”

“You should be,” Mastaro said. “If you didn’t attack them, this wouldn’t happen.” Mastaro looked at his hand. “Man, my hand is swollen now. How would I jerk off?”

“I’m sorry,” Gon said again. “I will bring you to the doctor. I still have some money left. That’d be enough to get you treated.”

Mastaro nodded. “Okay,” he said. “But let us rest for a few minutes more. I know I’m heavy.”

Gon didn’t say anything and kept looking at the sky.

“I couldn’t blame you though for attacking them,” said Mastaro. “Camia was your friend.”

The wind blew, carrying with it the smell of dried grass. Gon closed his eyes. “Do you think it’s true?” he said, his voice a squeak. “Do you think they wouldn’t care if I tell them the truth?”

“Who?”

“The Cantatans? Our fellow krills?”

“I don’t want to hurt you more but… they’re telling the truth, no one cares about rebels,” Mastaro said. “I heard from some krills that they think Camia was better…” Mastaro couldn’t finish the sentence.

Better off dead, Gon whispered to himself.

Gon saw a flock of birds flew together in the sky. He heard their cries and he closed his eyes. He wished his pain, all of it, would all fly away together. He wished he could send it to the sky.

“I’m sorry, Gon,” Mastaro said, his voice deep and filled with concern. “I wish I can say something that will make it less painful, but…”

“It’s okay. I’m grateful enough for standing up for me,” said Gon. He looked at Mastaro and he saw that he was already looking at him. “We better get your hand checked. Fractures are dangerous if untreated.”

Mastaro nodded. Gon got up and helped Mastaro do the same. He once again slung his arm over his shoulder and they walked together at a slow pace. The sky was now bathed in darkness and diamonds.

Gon examined his feelings. Now that he discovered that the Millos didn’t kill Camia, what now? He was still angry and sad about Camia’s passing. And he still…

He still wanted to avenge her. He still wanted to give her death justice. But what now? What should he do next now that he discovered that the rebels weren’t responsible for her death but the law enforcers? How can he seek justice if the government is not on his side?

They didn’t just murder Camia… they treated her like an animal before killing her. They defiled her. And the king… the king even made a joke about her. So, no. I wouldn’t stop just because I now know that we are not against the rebels but the entire kingdom itself. I wouldn’t stop, Camia. Come hell and high water, I’d make them regret what they did. Suliana was right. We should make them pay.

Gon realized he had to talk to Suliana. No matter how difficult and heavy it could be, Suliana had to know the truth.