“Soayi, cousin, did you see the look on that innkeeper’s face when we set his tavern ablaze? He’ll be singing a different tune now.”

Soayi, holding a jug full of ale, chuckled darkly, his face illuminated by the dancing flames at the fireplace. “Ah yes, Oren, my boy, that was indeed a sight to behold! The way he begged for mercy, as if we regard such virtues. Such a pitiful fool.”

The two both shared a hearty laugh as they sat in what used to be a mini-living room in the palace, enjoying their time of recounting the devastation Mandeland had suffered at their hands. As cousins, they shared a close bond, with Soayi introducing his younger cousin to Dreck as a potential member of the army he was building up.

Oren continued excitedly. “And did you see the panic in the eyes of those bakers when we burst into the bakery and ripped it apart? Hahaha, that was just too easy.”

Soayi nodded in agreement, his eyes gleaming as he remembered slicing through the sacks of flour and wasting them to the dismay of the bakers. “Oh yes, that was a spectacular one. Dreck was right; these villagers are so soft and weak. A feeble little bunch of fools. They needed a reminder of the true power that lurks in the shadows.”

“Absolutely.” Oren then leaned in closer to Soayi, his voice a low whisper. “And what do you think Lord Dreck will say when he hears of the havoc we’ve caused? He’ll surely be pleased with our efforts, won’t he?”

Soayi’s eyes gleamed with a sinister glint as he responded, “Oh, of course, my dear Oren, of course! There’s absolutely no doubt that our lord will be most delighted. We are his loyal instruments of chaos, after all.”

Their laughter continued to fill the room, a twisted bond between cousins who found joy in the darkness of their hearts.

As they continued to share their cruel camaraderie, Soayi’s twisted grin turned into a proud one. Holding Oren by the back of his end, his eyes bore into his cousin’s. “I’m proud of you, my boy. I still remember when you first started out. You were so soft and wimpy, scared of even hurting a fly. Now look at you, wreaking havoc and speaking about it with such glee and excitement. You have grown well. I’m proud of you.”

Oren nodded, grinning gratefully. Nothing lifted his spirits more than getting praise from this man he respected and cherished so much. Every word from the mouth of Soayi was a word he held in the highest esteem.

As Soayi let go of him and sat back, however, the look of pride turned thoughtful. He commented, “Although, there’s one thing I’ve noticed about you that’s still there. A soft spot that you must deal with.”

Oren furrowed his brow, curious about what Soayi was about to say. “What are you talking about?”

Soayi’s voice grew more serious, his gaze unwavering. “Children, Oren. You still seem to have a certain weakness when it comes to children. I’ve seen it in your eyes. There’s always a hesitation, a moment of doubt when they cross our path.”

Oren’s mouth hung low. Then his gaze dropped for a moment, his expression conflicted.

It was true; he always felt a twinge of guilt when he saw frightened children during their raids. For some reason, that weakness was hard to overcome. “I… I can’t help it, Soayi. I’ve tried, but…they-they just seem so innocent and undeserving of all this…”

Soayi’s voice remained stern. “Young man, innocence is a luxury we can’t afford to spare. We serve Lord Dreck, and he demands absolute ruthlessness. Children included. You heard him when we started: no man, no woman, no child and no animal should be spared in any way.”

Oren swallowed hard, his inner turmoil evident. “I know, but it’s difficult. I just don’t know why…”

Soayi’s eyes bore into Oren’s, a glint of warning in his gaze. “Difficult or not, you must overcome it. Deal with it. Deaden that soft side of you and get ruthless no matter who you’re dealing with. Do you understand?”

Oren nodded slowly, a sense of resignation in his eyes. “I’ll try, Soayi. I’ll do my best.”

Soayi’s sinister grin returned, his tone cold and calculating once more. “Good. Remember, we are the instruments of chaos, and sentimentality has no place in our dark mission. Now, let’s get back to those sweet memories…”

***

Sunlight streamed through the windows of Billa and Diyaka’s home, casting a warm glow inside the house and providing some sweet warmth and comfort as evening beckoned.

Seated at the dining table, Billa busily ate his ambrosial salad, his injured leg propped up on a cushion. Thanks to Tabani’s special poultice mixture, the wound was quickly recovering, and his leg showed signs of improvement. It wouldn’t be long until he could walk around without the help of Diyaka or his parents.

“How are you feeling, brother?” Diyaka asked, passing by the table and grinning at him.

Billa looked up at him and smiled back. “It’s getting better. I can feel it.”

“Sweet. Mother was right, those natural remedies are really powerful.” Look at how quickly the wound is healing.”

“Of course I was,” Tabani answered, emerging from the kitchen. “You know I know enough about those herbs to help you boys a bunch. Why else do you think I set up that garden?”

The boys nodded and grinned. Indeed, all their life, they had known her to be quite the specialist in herbal matters, and the flora in her garden was home to many unique plants and herbs that did wonders for the body.

“Now, Diyaka, come help me out with the lamb stew. I need to pick out some more herbs to prepare some more poultice. Two more days of this, and Billa’s leg should be as good as new.”

“Yes, Mother. Coming,” Diyaka replied obediently, following after his mother into the kitchen to carry out her order.

Watching them go in, Billa leaned back in his seat and sighed.

He felt content.

Sure, he had lost his closest friend. And the village he loved for its peace and tranquility had now been turned into one big danger zone. But at least, he still had one thing intact.

His family.

I’m grateful for the one thing that still brings light to my life – my family. Despite the tyranny and the bandits, we’ve managed to stay together, to support one another through the darkest of times. Mother’s healing touch, Father’s unwavering strength, and Diyaka’s youthful spirit… they’re all I have.

Billa’s eyes glistened with gratitude. They truly were all he had.

Heaven knows it how heart-shattering it would be to lose any of them. Hmm. I don’t know how we’re getting out of this horror show, but I sure hope we get out of it in one piece-

His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden commotion from the backyard.

Shouts, the sound of a struggle…

…and his mother’s desperate cry pierced the late afternoon air.

His heart sank. “Mother!” he cried out.

He could hear the shouts.

“Let me go! Please!”

“You should’ve known you’re not supposed to be outside in the first place, woman!”

“Let her go, you monster!”

“Shut up, or I’ll split your head in half!”

With a surge of adrenaline rushing through his veins, Billa pushed himself up, ignoring the pain shooting up his injured leg, and hobbled through the kitchen toward the back door.

“Mother! Motherrrr!”

He heard Diyaka’s desperate cries, and the pit of despair grew deeper and wider in his belly.

Just when he was giving thanks for having his family still in one piece, this had to happen. This wasn’t fair!

He jumped through the back door and found Diyaka on the grass, nursing what appeared to be a swollen jaw and a bleeding lip. The fence separating their backyard from the street had been broken down, wrecking some of the flowers and plants as a result.

In the distance, he saw the sight that he had hoped not to see until the end of this evil rule.

His dear mother, in the grips of bandits. She was struggling, but was no match for their firm, iron grip.

Billa’s eyes filled with tears. Why is this happening? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING??

“They said she’s not supposed to be stepping outside the house as a woman! That’s why they broke down the fence and seized her!” Diyaka cried, tears already rolling down his face. “I tried to stop them, but… they’re just too strong! I’m sorry!”

Billa looked down at his brother, and the little pieces of his heart shattered into even tinier pieces.

This just wasn’t fair! Now his big brother, the one who was always in control and in charge of his emotions, was an absolute mess.

“What do we do, Billa? What do we do? What is Father going to say when he returns? Noooooooo!!”

In that moment, Billa had never felt this hopeless. Because he had no idea what they could do. None at all.

***

Tabani and the other captives she was with trembled with fear as they were herded into a dimly lit courtyard, surrounded by Dreck’s menacing bandits. They all knew the punishment for breaking curfew was severe, even though a number of them technically had not broken it, but they had no idea what they were about to face, making that feeling of terror all the more chilling.

Her heart pounding against her chest, she wondered what was next. What in the world are they going to do to us? she wondered worriedly.

As they stood in the courtyard, still shivering in frightened anticipation, a door opened.

Draped in a dark, flowing robe, Dreck emerged from the shadows, his malevolent eyes scanning the group of terrified villagers, who trembled violently upon the sight of him. He slowly walked toward them, an air of chilling indifference evident in his every move.

“Ah, what have we here?” Dreck mused, his voice dripping with malice as always. “A group of disobedient subjects who think they can defy my orders.”

The villagers exchanged fearful glances, their hearts pounding furiously in their chests. They knew there was no escape from the wrath of Lord Dreck.

One of Dreck’s bandits stepped forward and spoke, “Yes my lord, we found these villagers outside after the curfew. They are in clear violation of your orders.”

Dreck nodded slowly. “Ah, yes, the curfew,” he said. “You see, my friends, rules exist for a reason. And those who dare to break them must face the consequences.”

The villagers began to tremble even more, realizing the gravity of their situation. Yeah, there was very little chance of making it out alive. If only a miracle could suddenly take place…

Dreck’s gaze fell upon them, his eyes cold and calculating.

“You know,” he continued, “we had a recent delivery that’s sitting in the other courtyard. Quite a lovely package. You wanna know what it is?”

He paused for effect, then answered himself.

“They’re big cats. Big golden cats, big orange and black cats… they’re beautiful.  Really, really beautiful.”

The pit in Tabani’s stomach grew wider as she knew what he was heading towards. Those definitely were the wild cats he was talking about. Lions and tigers.

“There’s just one little issue, though. They’ve all been quite…restless lately. You know, in need of some sustenance.”

The bandits exchanged knowing glances, understanding the horrific assignment that lay before them.

Dreck turned to his bandits with a twisted grin. “It would be a shame to let their hunger go unsatisfied, wouldn’t it?”

The villagers exchanged horrified glances, realizing the grim implication of Lord Dreck’s words. They were to be the “provisions” for the hungry lions and tigers.

This can’t be happening! This just can’t be happening! Tabani panicked. Looking around her, the trepidation was palpable, as those around her began screaming and crying. Knowing they were on death row was bad enough, but becoming the dinner for lions and tigers was too much.

She bravely stepped forward, her voice quivering as she tried her luck. “Lord Dreck, please!” she pleaded loudly, “we beg for mercy! We didn’t mean to break the curfew. It was an accident. Spare us! We promise never to defy your orders again.”

Lord Dreck stared at her in disbelief, as the entire courtyard went silent for a few seconds.

Then his cruel laughter echoed through the courtyard, chilling the hearts of Tabani and the other villagers.

“Mercy? You dare to ask for mercy from me? Fool!”

He turned to his bandits. “You know what to do. Take them away!”

The bandits nodded in understanding, their faces grim. They immediately pounced on the villagers and dragged them away, unperturbed by their vain struggles and cries of terror filling the night.

“NOOOOO! PLEASE! NOOOOO!!” Tabani screamed maniacally, trying in vain to break free from her captor’s grip as she sighted the cage full of tigers, unable to accept the realization that she and these other poor unfortunate souls were being led to a cruel and gruesome fate.

If there was any way to exit this world, this just wasn’t it.

But, as another bunch of sorry victims of this deranged rulership, this was their sad end.

I didn’t even get to see my husband before I die…

***

The sound of rabid screams, chilling roars and crushing of bones were like music to the ears of Dreck as he stood at the window, watching the horrible scenes unfold before him.

Sniggering silently to himself, he reached into his pocket, and pulled out an old photo.

While the innocent villagers were ruthlessly mauled by the starving big cats, he gazed longingly at it.

It was a picture of him and his older brother.

Zeder.

He nodded as he looked at it. “Just as I promised you, Zeder,” he whispered. “Just as I promised you. And it’s all falling into place.”

Looks like we may have a window into this psychopath’s motivations with that last line. What did this village do to his brother?