As Rathurn Burns.

Chapter 4: socium

I woke up . I felt as if fire burned in my veins . I knew what I had to do . I gathered the little food I had and a hunters knife. I places them in a satchel and silently exited the room.

I swiftly exited the inn and ran. I ran out of fear . I ran far . I ran into the forest that had sereved me as a place to rest whilst on the journey to Amicus I only stopped when the sun began to rise . Still i walked on . As if to warn me of danger my body seemed to fight against me as I tried to move forward. I then noticed the silence. I noticed that the wind which was blowing at full force had died down. I knew something was not right . I braced myself as I moved forward. I knew that I was being watched .My body tensed. I moved my hand to the satchel and felt for the knife as I walked. It was the only thing that gave me the bravery to continue . I heard the sound of a twig snapping and spun towards my left .I saw nothing. I looked closer and began to move forward. Something within me compelled me to look again. I would not have noticed the boy . His shadow gave him away.

As if he knew I had seen him he stepped forward. He was tall but gaunt . His clothes were torn and ragged. Everything I learnt from my mother growing up was shouting at me to run away as quickly as possible. I walked to the boy. I held my hand out and said " Veloces ." For what felt like hours he stared at my hand . Just as I was about to put my hand down he shook it.

"Kaufman".

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Kaufman began to walk westward. He began to speak as if he knew I was following.

" I was not born of Amicus. I once lived in Para villa . I was born sometime ago but I do not know how much time has passed since my birth. My parents both died shortly after my birth. I was taken to the house of my uncle here in Amicus as he was and still is my only known relative. My uncle used to tell me that he loved and cared for me . I believed him. How foolish I was . As a child I was treated well but things began to change . I once thought that my uncle had thought of me as his own son . He changed . Angered by all and pleased by none . I became a slave in his household . I became the receiver of all his rage. For so long I thought it was I who had done wrong by him. Now I know it is he who did wrong by me. At the start of summer , on a cool evening my uncle returned home drunk . He spoke in riddles and staggered around the house. He began reciting stories that should have been left in the past . He spoke of those who would raise hell . I ran away the next day."

We continued to walk . We stopped at a hill which I had failed to notice when I first arrived in Amicus. He sat at the base of the hill . Kaufman looked to me and said

"So what's your story Veloces?"