feel better. Right about now. I'm nauseous, and I vomited a while back, and I'm feeling hungry again. I even swallowed some of it back. Why is this happening to me? How do I get into these predicaments? Why-
"Alright, Iscaar, we are here." Ren took his scarf off me. "Now listen here, kneel down when they arrive, show respect, and answer any and all questions. Got it?"
"Who's arriving? What?"
"Just do as I told you to."
He walked away and I lost him from my sight. I laid on my back. Where am I? I assessed my situation, by looking around. There were many huge, withered trees, not a leaf on their branches. Their size was thrice that of the wall I saw back in the rich district, and their thickness was three times my lengths, if you laid me next to it horizontally. The ground below me also had withered grass. The grass didn't even crunch, just powdered. And the soil was crumbly and dry, it had cracks in it. What a sad place. I had two men stand behind me, one on each side. Are they my bodyguards? Or wardens?
I hear a sound coming from the front. The earth was shaking ever so slightly, and the vibrations kept growing. Not exactly a march, and not exactly a stampede. At last I saw the source of the noise, though I don't know if that's a good thing. A horde of figures walked, slowly, and hundreds of them. They were cloaked in ragged cloths, all of them. And them? I'm not sure. They were all different height, different pace and physiques. They were also barefoot. But then again, so was I. Though their feet were dark, probably due to the grass and soil. They stopped within a few metres of me. Then began surrounding me. Up-close, their presence felt even more numerous. I couldn't see an end to them. Finally, they have created a circle and I was at its center. They cleared up a path for Ren to go through and then out of the crowd emerged a short, hunching, old man. He walked with Ren towards me and they were talking about something. I couldn't hear it, because the rest of the crowd were murmuring something. Then they stood before me. I didn't even get a chance to stand up, so I was beneath the old man. Ren for some reason had a rather dissatisfied look on his face. Oh wait, he told me to kneel, right? I quickly kneeled and lowered my head. I was staring directly at his saggy, ashy feet. Ew. Maybe not that low. I raised my gaze up.
The murmurs have quieted down.
"So you are the one?" Spone the hoarse and deep voice, coming from the old man. I couldn't see his mouth as he had a really thick, and long, beard.
"The one? Excuse me?" What one?
"Tsk. Ren who have you brought here?"
"Precisely whom I promised. I believe he is the one. Try doing what I told you to do."
He grunted, and then spoke directly to me, I looked up and we made eye contact. His expression was mad, angry even, and his eyes were pitch black. Was he some kind of a monster?
"Do you understand me, boy?"
Forgive me, boy? "Huh? Are you talking to me?"
"Are you a fool? Whom else would I be talking to?"
"No- I- uhh, confused by your… remark."
He turned to Ren, whose face was beaming, and returned him a smile. He turned back to me.
"So, then, tell me where are you from?"
I wish I knew that myself. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't recall."
"Do you know how you got here?"
"Here as in the Calm of Condemned?"
"The Dungeon, boy."
I'm not a boy! "I… don't."
"So it may be true." True? What true? He bad stroking his beard. "Ren, is he?"
"Yes, he mentioned two brothers. Twins at that." Brothers! Is the old guy going to help me find them? The old man seemed to to be lost in thought for a second there.
"Sorry, do you know how or where I can find my brothers?"
"Perhaps," he gave a soft smile "we might." He extended his hand to me and helped me rise up. Though he for some reason didn't let go of my hand. His expression seemed perplexed. He rubbed my fingers with his thumb and then looked over my whole body. The murmurs got loud again.
"Why are you so skinny?" He sounded distressed.
"… Because I've barely eaten?"
"Eaten? No. Can't be!" He stressing out, so was I.
The old man then grabbed my gown, and ripped its upper part and revealed my chest. As expected skinny to the bone. No hold on, woah! I tried to to more or less get away from him, but the old man overpowered me. Not surprising, I'm barely able to walk. What the hell is he trying to do? Is this some kind of custom? I should… kindly ask him not to do that.
"Uhh… I-"
"You… need… to eat?"
What is he talking about? "Y-yes? Doesn't everyone?"
"AGH! NO! No-no-no-no-no!" No!"
What's wrong with him? Why is he mad? Is it because I had eaten food? What's wrong with that? Wait, didn't Angel tell me not to eat solid food? That's why I threw up, right? Maybe that's why he's mad? I should tell him that I'll be fine.
"I-if you are worried abou-"
"REN!." The old man turned to Ren, who had a concerned expression."Get this filth out of my sight. You have messed up, AGAIN!" Filth? Is he talking about me?
"Y-yes. O-of course!" Ren kneeled, then turned to the two men standing behind me. "You heard him." They grabbed and lifted me up. The murmurs were so, so loud. What made them so angry? Is it because I ate food? Or because of how I looked? What does he mean by filth? For your inquiry, I had no chances of taking a shower beforehand!
The two men began taking me back to the boat through the forest. However this time they didn't put a blindfold on me. I thought about talking with the two men, but I felt that they wouldn't really respond to me. Not much of a conversation partners, are they? At least I got the chance to sightsee the withered forest more. It still amazes me how dark this place feels. Not even sun's light shines through here. Well it's not like I've seen the sun in a while. Wait, this is another world, right? Do they have a sun here? My thoughts were interrupted when I noticed something, in the corner of my sight. Something moved! I turn my head and I think someone was watching me. I held my gaze in that direction. Then I saw, two small figures peek, from the tree, one was shorter than the other. Kids? The second they saw me notice them, they hid back behind the tree. Huh, There are kids in here? What is this place?
The two men, who wore cloaks and had purple scarves, finally put a blindfold on me when we got to the boat. Funny, I never once saw their faces. It's like their hoods are just empty voids, a pitch black darkness. After a while, Ren returned.
"Push the boat."
At least I presumed that to be Ren, by his voice. And he sounded really mad. All the cheerfulness in his voice he had earlier, was gone. Do I even try to talk to him?
"R-ren? What was that?"
I heard him take a deep breath in and out. Then he spoke. "Welcome to the Calm. You are now one of the Condemned."
"What?"
"Simple as that, you are now another one of the Condemned! We'll give you a job and you can begin earning money, then use that money to hire someone to look for your brother! It's a great plan, no?" Ren put on his cheerfulness again. Can't say I hate it but it feels… fake. Maybe it's better that way.
I am a Condemned now? I don't think I like the title. "A-and is there a way to not be Condemned?"
"Hmm. Let me think… Ah yes! There is one! Death!"
… "And if I find my brothers?"
He chuckled, it sent a cold chill down my spine. "Depends on how you approach them. Bring them here, they join us. Meet them outside, then say your farewells. Condemned can't leave, otherwise they would be classified as deserters. Also the rest of the world pretty much hates us. To them we are nothing but tools and outcasts! And you are now cursed to be one of us!" He continued laughing lightly. All the way, until we reached the dock.