Finding Contentus

Chapter 32: The R&R Tale (1)

"The strong that we Racaans were! The strong that we Racaans are! And the strong that we Racaans will forever be!"

Flaming passion was the only way to describe Renero's burning his eyes and his erupting voice that shook the chains around Ramsis. He could even feel himself sweating in the presence of the Chief. He looked down to see the drops falling to the floor, then back up to see Renero breathing heavily, before he took deep steady breaths to calm himself.

Ramsis didn't look frightened or fearful at all, but his eyes were now fully open and alert.

The heart that Renero spoke through managed to rekindle some long forgotten heat inside his own blackened heart. He watched Renero's breathing, the way his chest rose and fell. The way he conveyed so much emotion behind his strong voice.

The voice of the strong. The strong. The strong. The strong. What does it mean to be strong? His eyes narrowed, and were once again going over all the scars on Renero's body as his constant reminder. Just like his own constant reminder.

Except, Renero carried them all strongly like he carried his sins due to the people and environment around him.

Ramsis could not.

Renero carried all his negativity and turned it into positivity.

Ramsis could not.

Renero freed himself from the confounds of his misery when he was still very much eternally chained to it.

Ramsis merely turned his head to look at the chains he put around himself.

The cursed chains he constantly felt tied down to, unable to reach towards any kind of light or freedom, unlike Renero.

Once Renero had fully calmed down is when the heat of the house cooled down as well.

"Of course, nothing ever comes free in this world, everything has a heavy price and toll in which sacrifices are always needed for salvation. Our way had the world's amount of flaws and weaknesses in it, just like the violent way you think would have been the 'better' option."

"Truth be told I still wonder which direction of survival we could have taken. Lose our way in becoming savage monsters like the primals? Or uphold our way and lose to savage monsters in the primals?"

He sucked his teeth and thinned his lips. "Unfortunately, one cannot reverse the flows of time to see how events could have played out if another option or route was taken. The only route we have is the one we walk upon today. The one that has defined us today."

Renero stopped himself significantly when a sudden memory flashed before him. The last day he spent together with Banti and everyone else.

The most difficult day of his life.

The day and memory he revealed to Ramsis as the one that changed everything for him.

★★★

They moved urgently but with vigilance, deep in the underground of the hidden mines of Metro. There was nothing but darkness for their eyes to adjust to and see in the long never ending tunnels and secret passageways that some of the scouts found with superior tracking senses beforehand.

Renero led his entire race in the front, wearing his lion cape. Amoar was behind him while Rasie walked alongside and supported her sister Banti who was pregnant with the unborn twins.

The little girl Mpho kept looking around her anxiously, so did all the other scared children behind her. It took soothing and calming techniques from all parents and family members to ensure that the fragile babies at the time remained sleeping and didn't make any distressing noise.