Seeing that the female soldier had a horse, Star guessed she was of high rank.
She walked gently towards the little boy.
She motioned the low rank soldier to stop hitting the little child, Nael.
'things are about to get worse for that kid.'
After a few walks, she arrived at the scene and knelt towards the little child and spoke gently.
"Why aren't you moving, little one."
Silence.
"If you refuse to move, he will keep whipping and hitting you."
When she said that, she looked at the other soldier for a brief moment, less than a second before she retracted her gaze and stared at the boy.
Seeing the boy quiet and shivering on the ground.
She said, with a voice filled with worry and pity.
"Why are you being so stubborn? Do you want to die out here in the cold? What about your friends? What about those who care about you?"
When she said those words, she glanced towards the little girl at her corner, whose red eyes were filled with tears.
It was as if the boy sensed her gaze, when he suddenly spoke.
"I... can't."
Forcefully trying to make himself speak, he said,"I... can't....I can't move my body."
Silence.
"Here, let me help you."
The lady slowly lifted the little boy's head up from the snowy ground which was already dyed red from the little boy's blood.
"Help me?", The boy muttered, when he suddenly saw his body lifted up from the ground, tears started flowing down his cheeks.
He stared at the lady.
"Come, try to stand on your feet.", Said the military lady.
Seeing the lady's attitude towards him, his heart melted and he felt some warmt inside.
Kindness.
Something a typical slave could never afford.
To a slave this "Kindness" was even rarer than diamonds, it was like the greatest treasure in the world, one rarer than any other.
A slave who is suddenly shown kindness by his master would feel they had accomplished something incredible.
To a slave 'kindness' was the greatest luxury in the world.
The little boy mustered all his courage and strength to stand. Forcing every muscle and fiber in his body to obey his command.
And then he stood.
Leaning towards the lady, he tried to walk but ended up staggering on the ground.
The lady helped him up his knees.
Drawing on all his strength, willpower, determination, as well as his resolve. He began walking, still leaning on lady's shoulder.
When Star saw this, he couldn't believe his eyes.
Someone was actually helping a slave.
They walked pass Star and other slaves at the front and arrived at the narrow passway on the mountain before they stopped. The lady turned towards the Nael, the little boy and said.
"It's okay."
The lady's horse was a few steps away from the narrow passage way on the mountain where they were, so you know.
"You don't have to worry anymore."
The little boy Nael had a gratified look on his face.
'this woman is kind', he thought.
Star said in his mind.
'is this woman going to get him on his horse, impossible, she is actually helping him'
Then he looked at their direction and saw the lady smiling at the boy.
'maybe I was wrong, there are people who actually kind to—'
Star's mind suddenly froze.
*Push*
"NOOOO!!"
The little boys friend screamed, before being hit and falling head on to the ground.
"Huh?"
Confused, the eleven years old child suddenly realized that his feet was no longer on the ground.
Feeling the pressure from gravity, he realized he was falling from the top the mountain
He screamed.
ARRGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
His voice echoed through the mountain.
Most of the slaves looked down including Star.
Terrified.
No one heard the boy fall, but everyone knew he was now a meat paste.
The lady who threw the little boy off the mountain, still had a smile on her face.
Then she spat and sneered.
"Useless twit, now you can rest."
The young lady went back to her horse and colleagues.
"You almost had us fooled there."
One of her colleagues said.
"Hahahaha," they laughed.
'as I thought, they never change.'
"She does this all the time when we are out on missions with the slaves, it's almost like a hobby to her."
Said one of her colleagues who knew her.
He had a pale white skin and beautiful blue hair that reach down his shoulders. He stared longingly at the beautiful woman, with his yellow eyes.
"I thought she was going to get the slave on her horse." Said another.
"Me too."
"Riding a horse with a slave, hmph," she snorted.
"Hahahaha!"
"Aye, calm down Demeria," one the soldiers called out. "The guys didn't know what you were like."
Demeria felt annoyed, and snorted once again and went towards her horse.
"LET'S GO!"
The previous soldier shouted.
The soldiers got on their horses and rode forward.
"Men, that girl is one god-damn actress."
Exclaimed one of the soldiers while riding.
Star and the other slaves started moving once more.
Star and the other slaves walked pass the narrow edge where the little boy was killed.
'the boy was no longer useful, that was why he was killed.' Star thought.
The boy had outlived his usefulness, he was now worthless.
"People only care about those who have value," Star silently muttered to himself as a reminder.
A slave who can't work is a worthless slave, and worthless equals trash. And trash gets dumped. That is the way of life.
There is a saying:
The intelligent Jack went dumb and lost all his friends.
This was a famous saying from his hometown with lots of deep meaning, maybe that was what even encouraged his parents to sell him.
A dead son is better than a failed son.
Rattle! Rattle!
Star once had a rich master who went broke. When the man was rich he had many friends who visited him, his family always called and visited and there were even some of his family members that lived with him.
One day he went bankrupt and that was when everything took a turn.
Gradually he lost all his 'friends', his 'family members' who stayed with him left and the ones who visited stopped.
They rarely even called.
The man's situation was terrible, with no one to rely on and no one providing for him, he had to sell most of his properties and slaves, which included Star.
'from one master to another, will I be a slave for the rest of my life?'