Pawns Beyond Fate

"Damn it! It got away!"

Dexter cursed underneath his breath as he watched the fish he was struggling to catch swim away from him with what seemed like glee. He wasn't sure what a fish showing such emotions would look like, but he was sure it'd look like this.

"Bastard's mocking me," he thought in an irritated tone as he tossed a stone as hard as he could in the direction of his escaped breakfast. "Been out here all morning and this is what I get. Guess I'll skip breakfast. Wouldn't be the first time," he thought.

But to his greatest surprise, he saw something float to the surface of the water with red fluid around it.

"Jackpot!" he said with excitement. Turns out his efforts weren't lost after all.

Dexter was a not-so-tall, frail-looking young man with thick, ruffled black hair and almond-colored eyes. He wasn't exactly eye-catching, neither was he ugly.

He had been fishing all day and all he had to show was one measly catch. This wasn't to say he was a bad fisherman. In fact, despite his looks, he had good fishing and hunting skills. But fish were becoming more scarce by the day because of water pollution in the outskirts of the Kingdom of Azure. Both royalty and nobility looked down on commoners, and people like Dexter — who were commoners among commoners — were not worth their attention.

Dexter hated the nobles, the royals, and everyone of high class, really. They were born with silver spoons in their mouths. They hadn't struggled like he had, yet they claimed to be better. It pissed him off. His mood was getting sour just thinking about it, but he calmed himself down. At least he had breakfast. He could hear his stomach rumble. He was starving.

He made his way through the town, if it could even be called that. Everyone looked like him: decrepit and skinny. Some structures made of wood and other materials were either about to crumble or already crumbling, and even then, not everyone had a roof over their heads. He was one of the lucky few to have one.

As he walked through town, he could hear people gossiping. People always gossiped, but this time it felt unnatural. Something must have happened.

Not wanting to ask anyone, as they'd probably request payment in the form of breakfast, he opted to just eavesdrop.

"I think people from the temple will come check it out. After all, they own all of them. I hope they come before people die, or worse."

"What the hell could have happened?" Dexter thought.

"Monsters are already showing up around it," one man said.

"No way. Now you're just making things up," his partner retorted.

"I'm just telling you what I heard," the man shrugged.

People's voices were beginning to overlap, so Dexter gave in and decided to ask the man, "Hey, what's the fuss about?"

"You haven't heard? Do you live under a rock or something?" the man asked, slightly irritated that he was being bothered. "I'll fill you in, but what's in it for me?"

"I'll do a job for you," Dexter replied.

"Sounds nice," he replied, smiling.

"A cave was discovered in the wilderness due north, not far from here."

"Really?" Dexter asked, genuinely surprised.

"Don't get any ideas. It's common knowledge that people like us don't survive their trials. You entering is suicide. And you have a job to do, so I can't let you die yet. Besides, rumors have it that monsters are around it too. The Temple will probably send people to handle it," the man replied.

"Anyways, that's all I got. Meet me at the square this time tomorrow, and don't try to pull a fast one on me. I'll kill you," he said as he walked away.

"You can try," Dexter said underneath his breath as he walked away.

So, a cave was discovered around here, huh? Completing its trials would solve some of his problems. At least he'd be strong enough to eat every day. But it was a pipe dream. People trained for decades and still died in caves. A commoner like him wouldn't last a second.

Dexter continued making his way toward his makeshift house when a child approached him.

"Excuse me, sir. Could you help me find my mum?" the child asked as he broke into tears.

Dexter wasn't usually a helpful person, but he at least wanted to make life easier for the kid. "Where'd you get separated?" he asked as he lowered himself.

"Just around the corner, not far from here."

Dexter accompanied the child, and as soon as he turned, he was whacked in the head from behind. For a moment, he saw stars. Before he could fathom what happened, a lanky guy had run off with his hard-earned breakfast.

"Damn it! Little shit tricked me," he cursed as he struggled to stand.

He couldn't even figure out where they ran off to. He had heard stories like this and laughed at the victims, calling them gullible and stupid. But it was a different feeling being on the receiving end. His frustration was at an all-time high. His hard-earned breakfast, gone just like that.

He wasn't going to take it lightly. He was anything but forgiving. At the very least, he caught a glimpse of the bastard's face who ran off with his meal. He had no clue where to find him, but he knew someone who would.

Dexter made his way to a shed that looked like it could collapse if he even touched it.

"Frank! I've got a job for you," he shouted.

"Why so loud when it's this early in the morning?" Frank complained, exiting his shed.

"A piece of shit stole my breakfast," Dexter said.

Frank burst out laughing. "Who knew the great Dexter was so gullible."

"Keep laughing and I'll smash your face in," Dexter replied.

"You wouldn't do that to a friend, would you?" Frank said.

Dexter wasn't sure about having friends, because in truth he didn't trust anyone. But Frank was the closest thing to that, plus he did need a favor, so he couldn't complain.

"Describe the genius that did it to you. I'll find him."

Frank wasn't exactly influential, but he knew how to wriggle his way into people's lives. He was probably the most popular one around these parts. If anyone could find those bastards, it was Frank.

---

Frank got back to Dexter about an hour later. "I found our guy. He's called Ruben. He's into petty thefts and he frequents a shop not too far from here."

Dexter couldn't help grinning from ear to ear. Sure, he could have let it go, but he wasn't going to be a pushover. He wasn't exactly a good fighter, but he was vindictive, and that was enough for him.

"I'll give you the exact location. I've got errands to run. Don't do anything too reckless, gullible Dexter," Frank said, laughing.

"You really want me to smash your face in, huh?" Dexter asked with a contorted expression, obviously still embarrassed about his shortcoming.

Dexter waited around the shop Ruben visited and tailed him till they were in an alley, where he suddenly attacked from the shadows. Ruben, who was none the wiser about being followed, almost had a heart attack. But unfortunately, that was the least of his worries as he turned pale seeing the face of his assailant.

Dexter simply returned Ruben's earlier gesture and whacked him so hard in the head that his hands hurt. He then took whatever little things Ruben had on him, basically looting him as payment for his breakfast.

"Pick your enemies wisely," Dexter said, leaving a disheveled Ruben in the alley.

"You'll regret this, bastard!" Ruben cursed. "You have no idea who my brother is!"

He continued to swear and curse, but Dexter paid him no mind as he opted to celebrate his triumph by getting himself some bread to eat. As he made his way to his house, he wasn't a fan of kids, but now he hated them too. At the same time, he understood that the little boy was just trying to eat and decided to let it go. That's just what the outskirts were like.

He spent his day setting up traps in the forest, as fishing was increasingly frustrating. "I hope I get something good so I don't starve tomorrow," he thought.

When suddenly, he stopped. Something was wrong. He noticed five men, all armed with sticks and clubs, closing in on him from the trees. His eyes narrowed.

"Damnit!!" he cursed.