Broken - Part VII

GAME: WORLD OF WARCRAFT
CHARACTER: KALEYEN

The latches from the leather straps were undone as Kaleyen was released from the wooden rack. Turning his head back, he looked upon the contraction that held him for a length of time he was unaware of. The days, hours, and minutes all seemed to gel into one large lump of time, and the only thing that held his focus was the severe amount of pain both his mind and body were in. Every fiber of his being screamed out all at once at the torment living was becoming. In his mind, he sought death as it was the only release.

He crawled on his hands and knees as a blade was thrown in front of him. His tormenter, the one that captured him, was chuckling as if he was amused by Kaleyen’s actions, or he laughed about something else. Kaleyen did little to think of the reasoning as it hurt to think. His training took over his body as he grasped the hilt of the blade and made all the effort he could muster to lunge for this man to drive it into his chest. A failed attempt as his spirit was willing, his body however was unable to barely stand let alone launch an attack.

Using the larger middle cage, he rose to his feet and took one step only to wobble and fall to a knee. Kaleyen watched the man in black as he walked back and forth from two small cages, unlocking them both before taking a step back and disappearing into the shadows. In his head he could hear the man speak to him, each syllable that was spoken caused such a sharp pain, as if physically driving in a nail and hammering with a flick of a wrist.

A choice must be made, one will live and be set free, the other must die by your hand.

This sentence was said over and over in head as he looked down at the blade before looking at the two cages. In the right was a small child. She couldn't have been over the age of ten yet here she was, her skin worn down to her bones and wearing nothing more than scraps of rags sewn together. In the left cell was a man he recognized but couldn’t put a name to; Kaleyen’s mind was slowly losing the battle. The more he looked at his face the more he forgot who he was, yet at the same time he knew him and regarded him with friendship.

Closing his eyes as he gripped the blade tightly, tears began to flow that cleaned the dirt and blood from his cheeks as he looked at both again. He wouldn’t be forced to take the life of an innocent, this was against what he was, his very nature.

Tilting his head up he threw the blade down into the dirt and smiled as he thought he won. He thought for sure the guards would rush to kill him in an instant but would rather die than spilling the blood of a friend or child.

Your choice has been made.

Kaleyen’s smile quickly vanished as he realized what his actions caused. Within moments a guard went to each cage, slitting the throat of the child and soldier and tossed their bodies to his feet. Eyes widening as he took it all in, the scene replayed in his mind over and over in slow motion. Because of him both were dead when one could have lived, he could have saved one but ended up killing them both.

Dropping to his knees, he grabbed the blade and quickly pushed it against his chest. The guards would not stop him from taking his own life. Yes, it was the cowards’ way out, but to him at this moment it was his only way out. He would rather die than have to make a decision such as that again and as the darkness started to overtake his world a smile formed on his lips.