Chapter 5 - The Beginning

"What is even wrong with this book?" Luis muttered, he tried to close the book but the book just wouldn't close or go to any other page. How could a book be so powerful? He tried to cover the book using all his strength but the book wasn't moving.

"What type of book is this?" he tried to lift the book and throw it away instead but he couldn't, how could a book be this hard to lift? he tried again giving it all he had, but the book didn't even move a single inch, he was tired after trying to dispose of the book without any form of luck, he felt his stomach growl the hunger in him was beginning to grow, he had to eat something now, he would have asked Leo for money but it didn't look like Leo had any money on him now, then his gaze returned to the bag that was lying outside the blacksmith's tent and then came back to the book which was still in the same page but something had changed again, the last exclamation mark had doubled like the book was ordering him to follow his heart or to be more clear steal the blacksmith's money.

Luis no longer had any option he had made up his mind to listen to the book, he tried to convince himself that it wasn't stealing, he tried to think of it as teaching the blacksmith a lesson for all his nonsense when he was done convincing himself he stood up and started to advance towards the bag, he would stop and act casual whenever he felt like someone from the market might have his gaze on him, he did this several times until he got near the blacksmith's tent, he would have just grabbed the bag and left but something caught his attention, the blacksmith was talking to someone in his tent.

"And how much are you willing to give me?" he heard a voice say, he hadn't heard that voice before.

"I'll give you thirty percent of everything if it works out," the blacksmith said.

"Make it forty"

Thirty-five" the blacksmith bargained.

It took Luis some time to figure out what they were talking about, that was when it became clear to him, this man had to be a politician or one of the king's advisers and the blacksmith was bargaining with him so that he could convince the king to increase the price of his work, so that was why they did it because they had benefits.

"I'll be leaving now" the man cleared his throat and that was when Luis realized that he had forgotten the reason why he had come here, he had to grab the bag and leave immediately or else he will never get another chance, he quickly walked to the bag not minding the footsteps that were coming out from the tent, he would be gone before they came out anyway, but as soon as he touched the bag, he hadn't even grabbed it yet, he saw the blacksmith walk out of his tent with the other man behind him, he was smiling but his eyes was filled with anger looking at Luis who had his hand on his bag.

"Thief!" he screamed.

Luis left the bag and tried to run away but he felt a strong hand pull holding him tight, then it was lights out for him.

Luis woke up feeling metal around his hands and feet, he had been chained in the town square, it was night now and there weren't too many people around, he could see that his clothes were torn and wondered what the blacksmith might have done to him, he wasn't feeling any pain on his body except for his head where he got hit by a large wood, he pulled his hands to see if the chains were loose but it was of no use, who would put him on a loose chain? he bowed his head, he was ashamed of himself but he smelt a very familiar scent on his body as he bowed his head, it smelt like coconut mixed with honey, it smelt like Tania, had she been here? And why was her scent on his body now? Had she hugged, Luis would be surprised and intrigued with the thought that Tania hugged him when he was in this situation, there had to be people around or maybe she just left because her scent was still strong on his body

Suddenly he felt like his heart was going to burst out of him, he felt guilty what would have Tania thought when she saw him in this situation after all the money she gave to him, if he told that the money was stolen, it wouldn't make a good reason to steal, she lifted his gaze and the first thing he saw was Leo's tent, how could it still be there?

Oh no! he had been with Leo the whole day and maybe he had been accused as the one who sent him to steal the blacksmith's bag, but where was he? he turned to his right to find a man who was lying on the floor near the iron rods which they were chained on, he was also bound with chains on his hands and feet.

"Leo" he called, but he didn't move."Leo!" He called again, but this time he saw his body move a little, then his eyes were open looking directly at Luis. Luis felt like dying, the feeling of guilt he was having now was too much.

"I'm sorry Leo"

"It's not your fault boy," he said, getting up on his knees now.

"What do you mean?"

"It's not your fault that you live a life where you easily get tempted to do something too to survive, even I get tempted once in a while"

"But I was stupid" Luis could have punched himself on his face if his hands weren't chained to an iron rod.

"You were hungry" was he defending him?

There was a little period of silence between them."I'll get you out of here" Luis gave him an assuring look.

"Don't bother, this is our fate"

"Fate….what…. are they going to do to us?" Luis stuttered, his heart was pounding now.

"They will....." he couldn't finish his statement because he saw lit torches approaching them now.

"It's time" Luis could see the fear in his eyes even though he tried to hide it, they were going to burn them alive and he wouldn't even try to fight for his innocence.

"He is innocent!" Luis shouted as soon as the crowd halted in front of them, a soldier was the one in front, maybe he was the chief prosecutor that Luis always heard about, the one that showed no mercy and lacked remorse.

"Why would I believe you?" the soldier asked, t there was little murmuring among the crowd now and Leo knew that they were losing patience they just wanted to get to the burning.

"I am the one that did it, he didn't do anything, let him go"

"No, he was part of the crime," the soldier said.

"How? he wasn't even with me when I left" Luis was going

to burst out in tears soon." Please let him go" tears started to drop down his cheeks now.

"Shut up foolish thief" the blacksmith jumped out from the crowd and landed a heavy slap on Luis' cheek, Luis pulled his face backward the soldier looked at Luis after the blacksmith had gone back to the crowd, he looked irritated by the tears on his face, but he didn't say anything whence called the blacksmith and both of them walked to the back.

"Luis!" Someone yelled among the crowds, he recognized that voice.

Tania!

What was she doing here now?

"Get back little girl," someone said as she tried to go through the crowd.

"Leave me alone" she hit the man's hands off her dress and ran towards Luis."Are you okay?" she knelt beside him, she was panting, did she run to get here?

"You shouldn't be here" Luis kept his gaze low, he couldn't even look at her.

"Yes I should" she lifted his head forcing him to look at her. She was covering her face with a scarf, he knew why she did that, being the daughter of a wealthy businessman someone could easily spot her and report her to her parents.

"I'm sorry" Luis muttered, while she held his face.

"You don't have to be"

"I'm a greedy person" he started sobbing, he wasn't feeling ashamed to cry in her presence now that he had accepted his fate of death.

"No you are not," she said, cleaning his tears.``I know you lost the money that's why you did it" Luis was surprised, was she believing that the money had been stolen even though he hadn't told her that?

Luis was silent in his arms for a moment until he saw the soldier coming back with the blacksmith.

"You have to go now," he said.

"No I want to stay with you" she was being stubborn and Luis knew why, this was the last time she was going to see him.

"Go they are coming back" he ordered, pulling his face away from her hands.

She didn't care, she was going to leave but not until she had done one last thing, she opened her scarf and had her lips moving close to his face. He thought she was going to kiss but he only felt her warm lips on his cheek.

"B...…" she was sobbing now and stuttering, saying the word bye was just too difficult for her now.

"Just go," Luis said, aware of what she wanted to say.

She nodded and ran towards the crowd, her eyes were filled with tears.

"Unchain the man" the soldier ordered as he came forward, then some men quickly ran towards Leo and started to unchain him. The blacksmith wasn't looking happy, judging from the look on his face. But Luis was glad that he was going to serve his fate alone.

"Be strong my boy" Leo said before he was taken away by the men.

"Everybody follow me," the blacksmith said."We need to get the materials for burning him," he said and started to walk away while everyone else followed him.

When everyone was gone he could only see the soldier standing there looking at him, the torches were gone now so it was hard to see his face or make out the expression on his face. So on another figure appeared beside him, it was a woman judging from the gown she was putting on, she was walking up to Luis now and he couldn't help but think who the woman was when she was close enough her face became a little clear, a d that face was one that he would be glad not to see again after he was dead.

"Do you prefer dying to serve me?", she said as soon as she was close enough to him.

"Death is better than serving you" Luis was no longer afraid, he was going to die anyway so why not let everything out.

"I think you would love to see your roast," she said with a mocking voice.

"You are heartless, treating your brother's son as a slave, did you even have any love for him?"

"I did," Elsa was surprised to hear that question from him."But then your mother showed up and ruined everything"

"You are the one that ruined your life" Luis felt like spitting on her face but that would only make his situation worse.

"I don't think speaking to you is of any use to me" she turned to leave. I would love the smell of your burning flesh," she said and started to walk away, Luis felt like shouting at her calling her all sorts of names but that would only make his situation worse and give him a painful death so he held back everything.

Soon Luis was alone, Elsa was gone along with the soldier, he had accepted his fate but he blamed the brown book he found in his aunt's library and whoever that had taken his money, but he blamed the book more, it had dismissed and led him to his doom, he wondered where the book was so that he could tear it into many pieces then he heard a book flip, it was that book he would tear into many pieces, it was the book but hands was chained so he couldn't do anything to it, not as if he could do anything to it.

The book once again stopped on the same page as usual and he was surprised by how he could see all those words even though it was night.

"Run, or you will be killed" were the words written on the page now.

Luis felt like laughing how did the book expect him to run when his hands and feet were bound by very heavy chains. But pulled his right arm towards the book trying to hit the book away and then the chain snapped. He was surprised he pulled his other arm and the same thing happened. The same thing happened when he kicked both of his legs forward, he was completely free but the metal rings were still around his hands and feet.

Luis looked at the book which had closed now, he could remember how strong those chains were when he pulled them last, but now they just broke like worn-out chains, he didn't have time to mess around he quickly grabbed the book and started to slowly walk towards the forest that was just nearby.

"He has escaped!" a man screamed,t the villagers had returned.

"Get him!" the blacksmith ordered.

The villagers didn't move; they were hesitant.

"What are you doing standing there?" Elsa stepped in front of the crowd."Give me that torch" she grabbed a man's torch from his hand, then she turned to Luis, immediately he saw her face, the words that he had just read in the book returned to him, he took off while the villagers quickly pursued him into the forest.

Luis ran into a space surrounded by lots of trees and there were leaves everywhere on the floor, he was panting, those metal rings around his hands and feet made it difficult for him to run.

"I think I can see him" he heard the blacksmith say, the torches were coming towards him now, he couldn't run any longer, the best thing was to surrender, as they got closer he became afraid and took a step backward, but there wasn't any ground there and he was falling into a very deep hole now, the last thing he saw was was a red light at the bottom of the hole, then it was lights out for him.

Luis woke up to very bright sunlight.

"What happened?" he said, rubbing his head. "Where am I," he asked as if there was anyone to answer that question.

A screen appears in front of him now and he was startled.

[ System revived ]

"What?"