Rise Of The Godking - Chapter 136 Seline

All around her, Seline could hear, and sometimes, even feel the outburst of emotions that had somehow erupted at a juncture in her life when she had been convinced that all three of their fates were going to change in a way that they had never imagined.

The chains had been designed specifically so that they would not allow too much room for movement to anyone who wore them. Her throat was still hoarse, so she couldn’t say a single thing, but still, she tried and failed repeatedly to turn her head to the side to see who was going to be the one to take out their anger, frustration, and everything else that had been building up for years on her, to give her a release from this sordid hell that she had somehow wandered into.

Even as she waited, she remembered the ominous words of that member of the family. He had said that things would play out in a way that would leave them shocked for years…and certainly, what was happening here qualified.

The screams of the guards, the netizens of the town, and even a few servants filled the atmosphere, coming from all around her in a cacophony of pain that made her sweat and cry and pull at the cold, hard chains, wavering between the desire to face her death standing and the urge to soil herself as she was just too afraid.

Neither seemed like it would win out as soon, some of the slaves began to appear near her, in her vision. She looked at them pleadingly, or at least, that was how she tried to look, but in truth, she wondered whether she was just inviting them to target her, too. It was surprising, though, to see each and every one of them glance at her, then choose others nearby, and soon, an empty spot had even formed around her into which not many slaves entered.

Her thoughts turned darker and darker, though, as she realized that people were actually being beaten to death. Of course, they definitely deserved it, but that meant that she had no chance of survival, at all.

She was convinced that like a choicy morsel in a meal, she had been left behind for the end, where untold torture must be waiting for her. Compared to everything that had been inflicted on what must have looked like her command, it was nothing, but still, there was no way that she could calmly accept this fate that she had always known she deserved, but never thought she would have to endure.

Even after a few minutes passed, those echoes of death just kept getting louder. Pleading moans also started to be added to the din, and sometimes, there were signs of people being pulled into this killing ground, shouting that they were innocent. There were even brief bursts of struggles, which always ended with the sickening sound of many fists descending to silence whoever had had the gall to try and interfere with this day of deliverance.

Like all others at this point in life, she found herself reflecting on the past. She ignored all those moments she had tried to do something for the slaves, and failed, or only saw the least bit of success. Instead, she focused on how she often managed to forget everything else and just enjoy the material delights that were at her feet. In those years when she had been deprived of them, she had yearned for them with all of her spirit, and when she had had them placed in front of her, she had jumped at the opportunity, never thinking about anything else. Over time, she had started to love these things which seemed so inconsequential now so much that they had taken up most of her attention, and finally, she saw just how useless and empty they were.

If she could go back, she told herself that she might have tried more. A little, nagging voice said that that would only have led to her death…but she silenced it as she had already convinced herself that she was going to pay for everything she had done, or as she saw it, everything she had not done.

Finally, a big slave, one of those eight footers who had been sold for a hefty price appeared in front of her, and she saw her end in his bloodied fist. She just kept her eyes on it, so she was surprised when he stopped in front of her and turned around, not even acknowledging that she was there.

She tried croaking out a question, or a plea so that her vigil would finally end. Only, all she managed to do was make pitiful sounds like a whimpering dog which were swallowed away by all the noise in the area, so with wide-open eyes, she waited to see what would happen.

With each second that passed, she grew more and more confused as the man just stayed where he was, turning away any slave who even thought of coming close by his gaze and his body, which was like a wall in front of her. She wondered whether he was saving her for himself, whether he would force himself on her before wringing the life out of her in those hands which could snap her like a twig, but the moment this thought appeared, she discarded it as she knew that the biggest slaves were actually the kindest ones in the pit, always helping those who couldn’t fulfill their quota at the end of the month so that they wouldn’t be relegated to the guards who loved using the whip.

By her estimation, ten more minutes passed until all the sounds started to grow quiet. A few moans were heard, here and there, but for the most part, all that reached her ears was the panting of slaves nearby, and the death rattles of those on the brink. She shuddered to think of the flesh and gore scattered all around her, and she shuddered even more when she remembered that she was going to join it, soon.

When the big man nodded to something out of her vision and turned around, she closed her eyes, her spirit thoroughly broken. If she could speak, she might even have tried crying for mercy, but as she couldn’t, she just let her tears flow while bracing herself for the blow that would surely knock the breath out of her.

Only…instead of any such thing happening, a sound that she could not believe she was hearing reached her years. It was the faint clicking of shackles being removed, and with a blink, she looked down to see that the big man was gently removing those chains that had bound her until now.

She still told herself that all it meant was that they might want to string her up so that everyone could have a go. As she slowly raised her head, she took a step back with fear when she saw that all the slaves were gathered around her, their eyes fixed on her with inscrutable gazes that were so different from those she had seen day in and day out, over all these yars.

From between them all, a hairless old man, one who was older than any slave was allowed to be hobbled through. His skin clung to his bones, showing how deprived of food he was, and she realised that he must have been hidden away, somehow, as slaves were usually killed before they reached an age where they couldn’t work.

It took some time for him to reach her, but when he did, he took her hands in his. They were crinkled and rough, but in a warm gesture, he squeezed..and brought back memories she had buried firmly in the back of her mind.

He broke out into a smile. The smile was so welcoming that it even reached his eyes, and when she listened to what he said… Seline completely broke down, then and there, and bawled her heart out.

“Little Seli. Remember me? I was the one who delivered you from your mother’s womb, down in the pits. You played on my shoulders while growing up. I fed you when you couldn’t eat, and clothed you when you didn’t know what clothes were. I was there when your mother died, killed for no reason except that she refused the advances of a few guards. I was there when that man came from above, and saw in you the beauty you would grow into. I heard that you were taken away to a place where you were taught to be someone different… but all this time, I’ve been watching, and I know that you have not forgotten us. You did what you could, and that was more than enough. Come. It is time to be joined with your family…”