The one-armed man pulled out a sharp metal dagger. He flashed a petrifying grin and sliced the air.
The others in the cart raced out following the knight and the rider, trying to lead them to safety. Only Bubbles remained chained up, and Kien, who remained stationary.
Kien swallowed his pride. Sweat began to condense from his head. He slipped the ring from his inventory, raised his hands, and forced a trembling smile. "Man it really is hot out today." Kien wiped the sweat off his forehead.
The one-armed man shook his head. "It just snowed, dumbass." He focused his eyes. "Give me the ring, kid."
Kien forced a chuckle. A small giggle turned into a river of laughter. "Oh, and why would I-"
In the blink of an eye, the one-armed man held his knife directly against Kien's throat, drawing a small streak of blood. "Yes, sir, of course you can have the ring." Kien pleaded.
He darted his eyes to the side, trying as little as possible to shake. In his eyes, defusing drama was way more difficult than starting it.
There was silence in the air. Kien couldn't help but move. He took a couple of steps to the side. The one-armed man grabbed his hair and forced him in place. Kien let out a quiet shriek.
"What do you think you're doing?" The one-armed man clenched his teeth.
Kien kept on squirming. "Well you see-"
"Speak!" The one-armed man's patience was growing thin.
Kien held his breath, "I really got to pee!"
The one-armed man loosened his grip on Kien's hair. He took a step back in shock. "Oh, of course go ahead." The one-armed man spoke.
Kien quickly bowed and ran to the side of the cart.
With the piss starting, Kien could forget everything. "Now that's nice…" he quietly mumbled.
But just as the pee was to reach the ground, it was interrupted by the groan of a familiar voice. "Ewww!" Creig yelped.
He stood up from under the cart's tire, soaked in golden rain. Kien continued his relief. His eyes widened. "Hey, Creig!" Kien smirked menacingly.
Creig knew what was about to happen.
Bubbles woke up from his daydream. He darted his eyes towards the one-armed man, who just shook his head.
Their eyes met.
"Come back Creig!" Kien yelled.
"Oh, god help me!" He took a breath. "The maniacs getting closer!"
Someone jumped with a loud thud on the grass. Heavy breathing ensued as Creig and Kien grunted. "Screw you Creig!" Smack. "Watching me go to heaven I see!"
"No, no please." Creig yelped. "I have kids!"
They both grunted. "Congratulations, I have trauma!" Kien breathed heavily.
"At least stop peeing on me!" Creig paused. "No, no! Don't do this!" He let out a scream.
There was silence. Kien walked back to the cart. He faced the one-armed man. "So where were we?" Kien asked.
A ding echoed from the sky.
[Achievement Unlocked: Longest Pee Ever]
"Are we ready now?" The one-armed man asked. "You good?'
Kien nodded.
The one-armed man tilted his knife out like a spoon. "Give me the ring."
There was a cold silence. Kien didn't say anything.
Kien opened his inventory. He pulled the ring out. Kien looked down at it. He started to extend his arm but as he looked at the golden shine, his fingers refused to move. It was strange. It was almost like he didn't want to give it up. A shadow of Kate's voice whispered in his ear. "At least you cared enough to visit…" She whispered.
Kien's eyes narrowed. His stomach was light. It was truly strange. He couldn't explain it, as if something was stopping his selfishness. He looked up at the grinning one-armed man.
"No…" Kien answered. He was confused. 'Since when do I care about others?' He asked repeatedly.
The one-armed man's grin faded. "I'm sorry, I don't think I heard that."
Bubbles broke into laughter. "You tell him kid." Bubbles continued to laugh. "What's the saying again?" He thought for a second. "Suck my nuts?"
The one-armed man clenched the dagger tighter. "I am not going to ask again… give me the fucking ring."
A prisoner shouted from behind. "And what if I want it?" Kien quickly turned his head.
On the handle of the cart, a young blue-haired man smiled. He pounced upward. Without a second to blink, Kien stepped to the side. The young prisoner landed feet first into the cart, cracking a hole through the shaky wood in a loud thud.
Kien couldn't believe his eyes. His heart raced, his pupils dilating. He felt jittery; he felt proud.
As the smoke cleared, the young prisoner stood back up. He looked at Kien with eyes of bedlam.
Kien pursed his lips. He thrust back and forth. "OOOOH SNAP!" Kien was ecstatic. "Somebody stop me before I get even cooler!"
Bubbles laughed even louder. "Now this is entertainment, kid!"
However, before Kien could breathe, the one-armed man had already closed the distance. The dagger was barely at his neck before Kien ducked under. He dropped to his knees. Formed a fist. And uppercut the one-armed man in the nuts.
The one-armed man grabbed his testicles. He dropped the blade and fell to his knees, screaming in pain.
Kien smirked. "Cock shot."
Kien pounced forward at the young man who stood in shock. Just as his fist was about to connect with his cheek, a metal hand latched onto Kien's tunic. It gripped tightly, and a moment later, Kien was flying through the air. He shielded his body as he hit the grass with a loud gasp.
Kien's vision started to spin through the air. He rolled downhill like a ball before catching his bearings just before falling into the river.
As he looked up, everything had changed. The prisoners and even the villagers were fighting. Blood splashed on the cart and grass. Kien tried to count them all. Ten, a couple dozen, maybe even a hundred were all there. Each yelled their desires.
Dust lifted from the torn‑up grass. The villagers' grunts rang like bells.
"I want the ring!" A woman yelled.
"I could fight the monsters as a hero for my kids!" Another shrieked.
Through the chaos, Kien focused on the knight walking towards him. Kien opened his arms. "I didn't know you could do anything special!" Kien paused. "I bet you just want a nice hug!"
The knight didn't answer. He cracked his neck and pulled out a sword from his sheath. He pulled the sheath from his waist and threw it to the side. "A Cataclysm is coming." The knight paused. "Do you understand what you are about to go through?"
Kien shook his head. "Absolutely not!" He chuckled. "But I'm about to find out!"
The knight's armor clattered in the wind as he charged forward, his sword tightly gripped.
Kien's eyes widened. Now he could understand. He was about to die. "Oh, shit…"