"Drop him!"
"We need to pull over first"
"No! Drop him now!"
I feel my body being lifted. The sound of the door being open and the wind that storms in. We moved in a high-speed vehicle by the feel of the wind that brushed through my body. Someone threw me and my body was up in the air. I flew for a short time, then I crushed the ground with a loud noise and instant pain. My body is getting rolled a few feet away before getting stopped by the friction of the bumpy ground.
I opened my eyes to find myself lying on the road. It's so hard to move a single muscle. My body screams even when I just try to lift a finger. I ignore the pain and crawl to the side of the road, don't want to get run over by other passing cars. When I manage to pull myself up, I just notice that I was left alone on this empty road.
Where am I? There are thicks bushes along with tall shady trees. Still green. Isn't it autumn now? I can only conclude that this is nowhere near the North.
I always wanted to be free but never imagine it would be like this.
I sighed, trying to gather some energy before pushing my body and position myself to sit. It took me a good amount of time to do this simple act as the pain took over my body. I give another long sigh of relief after I manage to bring myself to lean on a tree on the side of the road.
My hands are still being tied. I search for a nearby sharp-looking rock and start to rub the rope to break my hands-free. On the lucky notes, they didn't hold me with a handcuff or other metal material. That would be a troublesome thing to undone. I gave another long accomplished exhale when I succeeded in cutting the rope and let my hands be free. The trace of blood on the wrist makes it look dramatic but it doesn't hurt that much.
The unbearable pain comes from the broken ribcage. I reflexively put my hand on my stomach, even though I know that won't change anything. Should I use my healing power? There are too many wounds and injuries all over my body and I know that power doesn't affect much. Another stuck of pain comes and I unconsciously start to use my power to subdue the pain. It lessens the pain but I know it doesn't heal it. At best, my ribcage now is in a fractured state.
I look down at my right leg that I've been dragging along. It lay limp, unable to be moved an inch. It's broken too. The fall might have snapped a few joints.
Huft. I'm tired. What happened to me again?
After all my escape mission coming in vain, I felt my body getting dragged to my cell. I got kicked by several men, probably trying to take revenge for their friends, I don't know, before being left alone. Whenever I regained consciousness, the beating was repeated. Only water was given to me so I barely hanging.
What a mess.
After two more days passed, I suddenly heard a ruckus from the above. They move me away. When my body got transported, everyone was shouting at each other. Weapons were brought up. It seems someone was coming to their base and they tried to escape.
Huft, another long exhaled.
The sun is going down and the sky is colored in pinkish dusk. The beautiful scenery is on the opposite end of what I'm feeling now. I was probably abandoned on an unused route by seeing how badly the road was getting maintained and how peaceful it is. Let's rest a little before healing the right leg.
The next time I open my eyes, the ray of sunlight greet me. I was still in the same spot. Good job Caden for not giving up this life. I feel proud of myself. I need to reach the nearest city or village or any human habitat to survive.
I look at my right leg that doesn't move an inch even if I try to. Only the now-familiar throbbing pain greets me whenever I give attention to it. Okay, let's do this. I put my hand on my right leg, concentrating. Before long the warm sensation emanates from my hand and surrounds my leg. I keep concentrating for a while until I feel sweats begin flowing out and my body shakes. Once I finished, the pain finally settled and I was only left with numbness. I try to move it, only succeed in a light twitch from the ankle.
Really, how bad it was before? No. The real problem is, why doesn't this world permit me to use my power? Even Though the norm here is even weirder, to my standard.
I sighed. I gave out too many sighed. It's time to move on. I'm thirsty and hungry. I pull myself up with the help of the tree and completely put all my body weight on my left leg. Again, ignoring all alarming screams from my body, I move. Let's find civilization.
Humans can survive without water for around three days and it's been my second one. The probability of my survival is decreasing every second I spent out here. No nearby settlement had been seen. I've walked on the side of this road that seems like forever but hasn't found its end. I haven't encountered a single car or person either. Where the heck am I? Those mercenaries' base should have been in a remote place, to begin with, if I found it really hard to find any civilization in this populous Kingdom.
You really want me to die, Kean?
They hit me on the stomach and I could hear a fractured sound. Oh, come on! I just heal that! I feel pathetic for getting beaten by a weak bandit. If only I was in a better condition.
Why did these happen to me?
On the evening of the second day, I walked down that road, a car passed by. I tried to stop them and asked for help. They stopped but they didn't help. They took a beating on me and stole my jacket and my shoes. I should have known they are a bandit by how tacky they dressed and that out of the place fancy car. That's probably stolen too, so no wonder. They finally let me go and leave when they see me sprawled on the side, unable to move.
Ugh, why did they need to beat this poor weak person?
The injuries start bugging me with a terrible throb. It hurts so much and I'm not a fan of physical pain. With the condition they left me, it's no different from square one. Huh, I'm tired. Let's rest for a moment before we start over.
"Here! He's here!" a familiar voice was heard and I felt my body getting shaken up. "Hey! Wake up! Wake up, Caden!"
I slowly opened my eyes, greeted by the scene of a man approaching me, then took me away from the other. "Cad, can you hear me?" the new man asked in a sweet worried tone, putting me in his embrace.
I gave him a slight nod as the answer and he immediately hugged me in response. "Bring the car here! Hurry! He's burning," another voice called.
This man's embrace is so warm and comfortable. It feels peaceful, being in his arms. I could sleep for days.
What a wonderful dream.