And I was back in Duni. In the land of barren endless desert, in the cage of slaves.
"Wake up, beast! Wake up!" I looked around and found dead bodies of my squad members. They all died from exhaustion, torture and starvation. I was the last one to live. More like, the FFFs had let me live.
"I have fucking guests, you motherfucker!" someone was shaking the cage violently, "Wake up and do your thing!"
It was the same nightmare I would have now and then. So even in the dream I didn't scream.
A man grabbed my hand and pulled it outside the cage, "Hold still," He said giggling as he plained my palm and put something on top of it.
It was red and glowing. It was warm.
"See? He can withstand heat of even melted iron."
The people outside the cage screamed. I noticed some of them were wearing the beige coloured uniforms that Suryan soldiers wear and some of them were wearing gray uniforms. They watched me with utter horror.
Three years ago, when I freshly had enrolled in Army, my whole squad had got abducted by the last of Democracy Supporters, the terrorist group known as 'Freedom Fighters' Federation'. At first FFF had thought our squad could be used as a bargaining chip for gaining something great in return. Soon they had realized none of our squad members had come from a remarkable family. We had only been ordinary foot soldiers, we had been at the wrong place at the wrong time. Meanwhile, the opposite Axises, one led by Surya and other, by, Bahamut had signed a peace treaty and had declared to work together to eradicate the FFFs. And we, the prisoners, had unfortunately faced the pent up anger and frustration of FFF. When the news of signing of Peace Treaty between Surya and Bahamut had reached the FFF camp, we had realised we were as good as dead.
Few of us had committed suicide. Few, died from starvation and torture. And Few had been used like guinea pigs in FFFs' sick inhuman biological experiments. Within two months, out of fifty people in our Squad, only I had been left alive. Not because I had been braver or more stubborn or more powerful than the others. But only because I had a particular physical condition that had picked the FFFs' leaders' interest.
After two months, the FFFs had brought a fresh set of prisoners and had welcomed them in their camp by showing my cage.
The man who had put melted iron on my palm was known as Vern. He had been de facto leader of FFF for a while.
As Vern had delighted himself by stabbing my palm with a needle and peeling off my skin with nail clippers, the new prisoners had screamed and cried in terror. Because they had known if they refuse to cooperate, they would be treated the same.
"Stop. Stop please," pleaded the leader of the new Prisoners, "Let him go! What sort of sick sociopath you guys are to do something like that do a person?"
It was Princess Ritaishi. Yes, the first time I had met her was when both of us had been prisoners of FFF. However, the FFF hadn't been aware of her identity back then.
"Captain Harper," had greeted the leader of FFF with a playful smile, "I'm not a sociopath. I'm just a curious man! This guy right here doesn't feel a thing! He can't feel pain!"
As far I as I could remember, I have always had this genetic condition called Congenital insensitivity to pain and anhydrosis (CIPA). But I had never treated it like a disadvantage. Rather it had always felt like I had some sort of super power. However, my mom never thought so.
"Darling," she would often say, "Wherever you are, however you are, never forget to check for wounds or bruises." My mom had always treated my condition as some sort of terrible curse.
However, had it not been for my condition, I'd not have picked the interest of the FFF leader and would have been murdered by Vern in cold blood.
'' 'Eyy, Beast! What did you say you had ?" Vern had asked, like an excited toddler showing his new toy to other kids. "CIPA," I had managed to say somehow, "I don't feel pain."
"Amazing, isn't he?" had grinned Vern, "Our doctors are studying him. If we could make more people like him, we'll have our own group of super soldiers! Like those comic books!"
"The enemies can stab them," Vern had said digging a knife into my arm, "Tear them apart," he had dug in the knife deeper, "And they'll still fight as long as you don't chop their head off or something!"
"Stop," Ritaishi had said slowly, "Please stop.'' Behind her, a frail looking young boy had thrown up, "So much blood!" He had wailed. Later I had come to know he was Hariette, the bastard prince of Hagarenes. "STOP!" Ritaishi had shouted, angrily. "Okay," Vern had grinned and started pulling out the dagger slowly out of my body. A girl with blonde hair, dressed in gray uniform had fainted then. She was Clara.
All the freshly captured soldiers had started crying or looking pale. Except one, who was standing at the very back with her arms crossed. I was busy trying to avoid eye contact with any of the new prisoners to avoid giving them more trauma. Because whenever I would accidentally lock eyes with anyone they would just squeeze their eyes shut. Besides Vern, ofcourse. Who watched me with eyes as that of a drug addict. But I hadn't wanted to give him the satisfaction of seeing the hopelessness in my eyes, and the terror I had been trying to suppress so hard.
So I had looked away, at the new prisoners, most of whom had been standing there with their eyes closed or face turned away. But there was this one person who had looked back at me fearlessly .
This girl had been wearing the regular Bahan uniform that Bahan foot soldiers wear, her gray hair had been tied into a messy bun and her face had been plastered with ashes and dirt. But her eyes had been clear. They were bright and fearless like autumn sky. Her eyes had flicked between me and Vern, as if simply watching a mere show. Then we had locked eyes. And I had felt relieved. There had been no judgement in her eyes. No hint of fear or grief. No pity. She had looked like a child who had never seen an ugly sight.
So I had felt drawn towards her. As she had kept looking at me, it had seemed like everything would be alright. Amidst the storm of blood and chaos, she had been an island of tranquility.
"And what is your name?" Vern had suddenly asked her, "Why are you not afraid?" The girl had looked at Vern, her eyes travelling from the foot of the FFFs' leader to his head. There was even a hint of a smile on her face.
No, no, no, no, no...
Even though I was aware it was a mere dream, I couldn't help but panick. "Are you like him?" Vern had asked all curious, "You're not bad looking in the eye either!"
Immediately the rest of the prisoners had come to stand between the girl and Vern. "Oooo, is she everyone's favourite?" Vern had grinned, "Makes me wanna fuck her even more!"
The girl was laughing. I had thought she had lost her mind. "Instead of thinking about fucking me," she had murmured in a mesmerizing voice, "Why don't you think of praying?"
"And why should I do that, hmm?"
"Because you're a deadman, Vern, you're a deadman."
I sat up straight on the bed, gasping. ''Nightmares?" someone asked.
It took me a while to understand where I was, what was the situation. I was wearing nothing but a pair of shorts. Tubes and wires were covering every inch of my body.
"Lie still, you're supposed to be in bedrest for atleast a few months," said the voice again.
I finally noticed Ritaishi Gupta sitting on a tool by my side, flipping through a magazine, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince almost murdered you about half an hour ago."
"And how are you sitting as if you haven't been hurt at all?"I asked, Ritaishi had changed her attire into a pale blue gown and and a pair of sandals. Her hair was carefully braided.
"Because I wasn't hurt at all," said the Gupta Princess, "You had me kicked out of the car before all hell broke loose."
"Why are you being like this?" I suddenly asked her.
"Like what?" she asked back, confused.
"You're not Her Royal Highness Ritaishi, are you?" I said and her face changed. It became grave serious for two seconds.
"How could you tell?" She asked back, eyes narrowed.
"You're too polite to be her."
She shrugged, ''Fair enough," she stretched her hand to me for a handshake, "I'm Saya. I'm Her Royal Highness' shadow." then she took back her hand, "No don't shake my hand, you may dislocate a tube or wire."
The door was suddenly thrown open, and the real Ritaishi Gupta stepped in, followed closely by Marcus Lazar. A bunch of other delegates also rushed into the room along with them. And I frantically looked for something to cover my bare skins.
"You think you're a immortal piece of shit?" Ritaishi Gupta greeted me kindly, "You could have DIED! Oh, yeah! That's what those two guys were planning to do! Kill you! How fucking kind of you!"
Marcus looked at Ritaishi with such horror as if he didn't know Gupta Princess could swear like any other normal people. "You should be fucking grateful that Prima and Lazars' Medical Treatment is top shelf!"
"You endangered Her Royal Highness's life ," Marcus was finally able to open his mouth, "How do you want to plead? "
"Is that even important now? They were after HIS life! Not MINE! I just got caught up in the middle of it!"
"Still," Marcus said in a grave serious voice, "Endangering life of any Lazar Royal or foreign Royal is punishable by death in Bahamut."
Ritaishi crossed her arms, "You're not gonna convict him, Your Royal Highness," she jeered, "You're gonna hand over this investigation to Surya."
"It happened not only in Bahamut but right in the Capitol Prima!"
"And? You just plan on killing Bale and wrapping up the investigation?" She demanded.
"I never said that, I-"
"Because Bale is from Surya, you just need reasons to kill him you racist piece of shit?"
Marcus looked back at the group of delegates who were also from Surya. They looked at each other with dark faces painted with mild anger and dissatisfaction. "Princess," Marcus said nervously, "I-it is not because he's from Surya -"
"Hand over this investigation to Surya or I'm calling off the Peace Conference."
I knew it was bad news. If Ritaishi called off the Peace Conference amidst the tensed situation between Bahamut and Surya, not only the citizens of these two nations but the entire world would be at distress. But I couldn't help but feel grateful that she was willing to go this far for a nobody like myself, "Princess-" I whispered, too grateful to form a proper 'Thank You.'
Ritaishi's eyes flicked to me for a second and then she was back to glaring down at Marcus, "I don't trust any of you scheming Bahan anymore. I am willing to hand over the investigation back to you only if Her Royal Highness Grand Duke comes back and takes over it herself. Besides Hira, I can't trust anyone here."
Those were big words coming from the mouth of someone who would be holding a Peace Conference just in a few days.
"Send a message to my sister," Marcus looked mildly pissed, "NOW!"
"Wait!" I said and everyone glared at me. I cleared my throat nervously, "Her Royal Highness is currently on a far more important trip. I suggest not to agitate her by sending such a message now."
"Bale." Ritaishi looked at me with confusion and irritation.
"Meanwhile Her Royal Highness Ritaishi Gupta should start the investigation," I kept talking, "If Her Royal Highness carries on the investigation herself with the aid of Prima Security Sector, it will definitely bring her faith back upon the Bahan Government. When Her Royal Highness Grand Duke comes back, the investigation can be handed over to her."
Ritaishi snorted. "You should give a chance to Bahamut and let the Lazar Family assist you in this investigation. I can guarantee you won't be disappointed," I assured her. Marcus seemed to be pleased with my suggestion. Ofcourse, he was. 'Working with Bahamut' meant 'working with the Crown Prince'. It meant he would be able to have excuses to spend times with the Gupta Princess.
"Fine then," Ritaishi finally gave in, "But you'll be the one to help me, I can't trust any other Bahan right now." Marcus looked disappointed, "Aren't YOU being racist, Princess?"
"Not really. Technically, he has Bahan citizenship. Also, you can supervise him or something if you feel this is unfair on my part. Plus we'll need to do a lot of footwork but in his current physical condition, Bale shouldn't climb out of bed, so I'll be counting on Your Royal Highness whenever I need help" Ritaishi said. Her Carrot and Stick Policy seemed to do well with Marcus.
Marcus smiled. "I assure you I won't disappoint you," He extended his arm for a handshake, "You'll find everything done and dusted before my sister arrives."
They left. By "They'' I meant Marcus and the Suryan Delegates. Ritaishi stayed behind with Saya.
As soon as they left Ritaishi asked me, "Why don't you want Hira to be back, you imbecile? You DO realize that she's the only person by your side in Bahamut!"
"Hira has matters to take care of," I tried to sound convincing, "Also, this is not as urgent as you're making it to be."
Ritaishi stared at me. Her dark eyes seemed to pierce through my brain and see everything inside. The fear. The hopelessness. She could see it all.
I didn't want to inform Hira about the assassination attempt on me not because I didn't want to make her worried but because I was afraid that she wouldn't worry at all. If Marcus had sent messengers to North informing Hira about how I almost got abducted right from the heart of Prima and killed and if Hira hadn't cared to come back or even send back a message, how would I have dealt with that? How would I have cope up with her negligence towards me. Deep down, I had always known she was too good for me. But what if she had come to know this fact finally?
"I've warned you, Bale," Ritaishi whispered, "Anybody but her."