Darkness. Nothing could be seen within the room but darkness. No windows were built on the stone walls except for a single door locked from the outside. Humid air filled the tiny hut accompanied by the stench of human waste while the floor was muddy from the couple of rains that came and pass.
A couple of hours went by and a sliver of light came to peek at the grate at the top of the hut and a crouched figure revealed itself from the retreating shadows, bare except for a piece of tattered cloth to cover his man parts. The boy's eyes flew wide open as if the light sparked him back to life as he tries to sit up. The chains that bound his arms, neck and feet began to sing in a chorus of rust and metal as the boy adjusted himself into a much more comfortable position.
In just a few more hours his training would start again and he would be let out of his room at last. His mind began to wander to let the time fly by, he kept on thinking about his father and about his brothers, he had been waiting for the day that he would meet all of them until he heard a couple of feet stepping on the muddy grass outside.The boy heard a young man's voice as his unprepared eyes were blinded by the sudden burst of warm light.
"A pleasant morning to you, Lakan Irong."
The voice was enough for the boy to recognize him "A pleasant morning to you too, Aruga. Aren't you a bit too early, today?"
As always, the young boy greeted him with a cheerful smile. "Yes, Lakan, but the Mad Dog ordered me to bring you very early today. He said today was your last test."
The lakan's bright smile slowly melted into a concerned stare "You really shouldn't call Datu Bungkaka like that."
"Come on, Lakan, you know everyone calls him that behind his back and for a good reason too." Everyone single one of them were aware of the datu's queer track of mind as well as his violent deeds.
The datu's voice would sound that of a true leader but some orders let loose would always spring a question or two yet must never be uttered if one wants to be able to keep their tongue. Like a dog down with the madness, Datu Bungkaka would bare his teeth in a wide smile and without warning would soon sink deep into your flesh with only a moments notice.
"I hope you haven't forgotten what he has done to Bantay." Aruga kept his focus on the chains.
"I'll never forget... but still I need to respect him." The boy uttered the words behind clenched teeth.
"You don't respect him, you fear him and now look at you. You're pathetic, you can't even muster the will to get angry with me." Aruga's voice remained calm as he quickened his pace, the stench was starting to hurt his nose.
"He did it to strengthen me-"
"He did it to break you. He killed your friend and you're just going to let him go like that?"
"It was complicated, Aruga. It hade to be done, Bantay was a liability... and it wasn't the datu who killed him. It was me." The boy kept staring at the ground, either in shame or self pity Aruga wasn't sure.
"Your chains are done... let's just get it over with." Aruga exited the hut and greeted the fresh air from outside, this was the last day that he would need to endure such chore.
"Wait! You're just gonna let me walk around? Like this?" The boy held his hands out in confusion. Scars covered his arms where the rusty chains have bit him.
"Seriously? This is your first step towards freedom and the first thing you worry about is your chains?"
"I'm sorry, i-its just that... Datu Bungkaka specifically told me to never take off all of my chains. I... feel naked without them..." The lakan's voice slowly trailed off.
