CHAPTER 7 - CRIME & PUNISHMENT

Lee has thought about every detail. The plan was assuming division of saboteurs on two groups. Group A had a task to divert guards' attention at itself. Group B would attack the castle then.

Lee has known that castle was very good protected. If he managed to pull the bigger part of guards away from Wizard's house, the attack would be successful.

##Hot wind, moving fast across the desert We feel that our time has arrived##

Finally, when the appointed day came, Group A, which was made up of slaves working directly next to tower, evoked confusion. The guards from castle had been called to help with rebellious slaves and then Lee with Group B took a chance and burst into castle grounds.

They passed outside barricade and invaded the first courtyard. The guards have already prepared themselves and stood in regular rows. Although slaves were measured of numbers, their lack of weapon acted at their disadvantage. Guards were provided with swords, but attacker had only wooden clubs. Luckily, Lee had thought about it before and came up with the idea of shields. They weren't very durable, but it was giving quite well protection.

Two masses of people charged at each other. Every slave was determined to win. They hit, cut, chopped, sniped, struck, and smashed - everything to make a way towards the main castle. After a while, the number of fighters evened, but attackers came up near to the internal wall.

When the battle was continued nearby the main gates, Lee suddenly noticed somebody standing behind the grating. He hardly recognized that person because of very different than usual expression and attitude. Lee took a chance that no one was attacking him and sneaked to the gates. As he looked at Rei, all his blames towards him suddenly disappeared. He gazed at unnaturally pale skin, dark rings around formerly glittering, now dull eyes.

Rei looked straight at him through grille of gates. He observed Lee for a while as if he wasn't aware of the fight around them. Finally, he slowly opened his mouth and spoke blankly:

"What are you doing here, Lee?"

Lee looked at him with confusion. People were dying next to them and Rei was talking as if they met at walk.

"What am I doing here?! Don't you see that we try to overthrow the Wizard?!!!" Lee burst.

To Lee's even bigger surprise Rei smiled blankly and softly shook his head. Lee looked around and when he noticed that he wasn't in any danger for a while he stepped closer to gates. He leaned forward and put his hands at grille so their faces were inches from each one.

"What's happening to you, Rei?" he said calmly yet firmly.

"You won't manage to defeat the Almighty." Rei smiled wryly.

Lee raised his eyebrow.

"How you can know that? We have already broke here." He looked in at Rei intently. "Maybe you're trying to protect him? At last you betrayed us for him."

"Think what you want, but I'm here unwillingly. Besides, I only try to warn you, because the power of Almighty exceeds you imagination."

Lee took back his head from gates. He didn't know if Rei was lying or not - something in his attitude was new for Lee and he didn't know the source of it.

"I advise you to get away from this courtyard, because after a moment it will be a death trap." And with that Rei turned around and left Lee with stunned expression at his face.

Lee abruptly turned around and noticed that there was something in the air. Guards suddenly disappeared and some holes had opened in the wall. Also the first gates of outside barricade started to draw down. Realization stroke Lee down and he yelled at his companions.

## The world spins, while we put his dream together##

"Retreat! Everybody who wants to be alive run away from here!" and with that he rushed towards closing gates. He couldn't know that bloody crimson eyes from above the interior wall were observing him.

Kai smirked at the sight of capitulating slaves. Everything was going according to the way he had planned. Rebels couldn't know but they have been already in trap.

Not everyone managed to run away from courtyard before the gates shot close. Some of them reminded inside and waited at their fate with fear in their eyes. Suddenly the water stared to run out from the holes in wall. It came were quickly, flooding terrified people inside. No one of them could swim; also the stream was so strong that even the best swimmers wouldn't manage to survive. When everybody drowned the water fell, it reveled death bodies lying on ground.

Slaves who survived also weren't lucky ones. When they ran away from the courtyard, they were surrounded by guards and then took to dungeons. They would wait there for punishment. Guards also caught the rebels from tower so the cells were filled with prisoners.

#X#X#

At the next day, prisoners woke up at the muted sounds. It was something like stamping or screaming - they didn't know. Lee was also curios what it was - and unexpectedly found a chance to that. To his surprise he saw amber eyes staring at him through the bars.

"Rei? What's going on up there?" he whispered.

"There are the others - they want the Almighty to set you free."

"Is that possible?" Lee asked with a hope in his voice.

"Maybe…" said Rei blankly. "But there is still the examination waiting for you all." And with that he left the cell.

##REI POV##

I couldn't tell the whole true to Lee. Even if he thinks that I betrayed him, I couldn't tell him Kai's plans. At last, even I don't know them completely. I only figured out that he earlier researches in the observatory had something with this day. And I have bad presumptions…

##NORMAL POV##

Guards took out the prisoners from the dungeons at the central courtyard. Lee squinted his eyes as the sun dazzled him - the cells had been dark.

Nearly hundred of slaves stood in row in front of the podium. After a while of waiting they saw Tala coming from the doors at its back. He was followed by Rei and finally by Kai. The Wizard took sit at the chair on podium, Tala and Rei at his sides. Many of rebels frowned and growled, but they couldn't do nothing more - the square was full of guards.

##A tower of stone to take him straight to the sky##

The Almighty wore dark clothes - that was slightly unusual for him, as he tended to choose lighter one when he had to be in the sun. He had black pants, graphite tunic and black cloak. Only his scarf reminded white.

## Oh I see his face!##

Finally he spoke, his firm voice reverberating over the place.

"I'm very disappointed of you. I thought that if I give everything you need to happiness you will be at least loyal to me. Tell me, have you missed something? I have given you everything to life and you pay me with something like that? Have I wanted so much? I thought that you are more understanding and you can pay me back for my kindness." He looked at them with a satisfied smirk.

Lee couldn't believe his own ears. It was such an obvious lie and still he couldn't do anything to kill the Wizard.

"I have thought what to do with you… It must be something that will show how you should be grateful to me." He stopped as the calls and screams came from the outside wall. "Oh, I nearly forget. The others want to see you. Why you won't show yourselves to them?" he nodded at guards and they took prisoners at the rampart. Kai followed them and stood at the center part, on some platform.

"That's the ones who dared to come out against me. Do you think that I should punish them?" Kai called to the crowd.

## Where is your star? Is it far, is it far, is it far? When do we leave? Hey, I believe, I believe##

Everyone started to yell with wrath and indignation.

'Maybe Kai will listen to them?' thought Rei with a faint hope. 'Nope, that's impossible.'

"So, you also disregard my favors to you? Maybe I should take away from you something other than life or children? Maybe something that you beg me to give you all the time?"

"We never wanted anything from you!" yelled a short green hair boy. He was hardly visible from the crowd of people, but when he spoke those who were surrounding him stepped aside. Slaves fell silent, listening to the one who was brave enough to spoke to Almighty.

##High noon, oh I'd sell my soul for water##

"Oh is that so? And how about water? Will you survive without it?" Kai said in a malicious voice. Some whispers and murmurs sounded through the crowd.

Kai made a gesture with his hand and pointed to the center of the city. Everyone was silent immediately. What was the wizard up to now?

Suddenly a small red hair girl could be seen running towards the slaves screaming something. Heavy dust was hovering above her. When she got closer all the people could hear her. She was all in sand and was breathing heavily.

##Nine years worth of breakin' my back##

"The wells! The water!" she yelled as she collapsed on the ground from emaciation.

"Emily! What are you doing here?!" the green haired boy yelled as he ran up to her.

"Kevin, the water it... It…" Emily tried to say something, but cough stopped her.

"Emily, calm yourself and speak slower" Kevin said.

She took a few deep breaths and finally managed to spoke.

"The water, it changed to... Blood..." She said just before fainting.

After what they saw, every slave looked at Kai who was smirking evilly. They knew that the wizard had incredible powers but who would think about something like this. People began to panic, they would die without water! Every part of their live was depending on water. They couldn't imagine what they would do without it. Despite the incredible hot, some of them felt shivers of cold fear.

"You can't scare us with your tricks wizard! We'll escape the desert and your tyranny and find a place where there's plenty of water! We'll drink and bath all the time! We'll be able to grow our own food. We'll be independent!" yelled Kevin, although there were little slaves now who shared his hope.

Kai began to laugh so evilly that now everyone felt shivers going down their spines.

"I thought that you were more reasonable. But you made me to take more drastic measures..." Kai started to say but was interrupted by Kevin again.

"What can you possibly do now?! We're not afraid! You're just bluffing!"

"Am I really? What will you do with that water your supposed to find somewhere out there" he pointed at the desert "if there won't be any sun? I doubt any plants will grow then? And you always say that the sun gives too much warm to you." he said.

Everybody was silent. They didn't know what wizard was going to do, but they were afraid of his power. They looked at each other, not knowing what to think about whole thing. What if the Wizard was preparing some kind of trap? They waited in silent, only sweat glittering at their skins.

## There's no sun in the shadow of the wizard##

Kai closed his eyes and raised his hand. He started to mumble something when suddenly his eyes shot open and then they felt like it was less hotness in air. Some strange shadows were seen at ground and everybody turned their eyes from silhouette of Wizard to the sun behind him. To everyone's terror the golden face of sun stared to disappear. Finally the darkness covered the whole world, it was cold and horrible winds swept across the desert, giving chills to everyone. People started to cry from fear. One by one they fell at ground and pleaded the Almighty for favor and forgiveness.

## See how he glides, why he's lighter than air?##

"Now you're begging for mercy. I don't know if I should show any...." the duo haired man said as he looked down at crawling people with disgust.

"Please Master! We beg we'll never do anything against your will again." Kevin said almost touching the ground with his nose.

Kai pretend to think deeply about that. In fact, he has already made the decision.

"You wasted a lot of time today, you'll work a hour longer every day from now." Kai ordered.

"Yes Master!" Every slave answered, still lying on hot sand with their hands raised up in pleading gesture. In was strange view - thousand of people in all age lying down in front of castle wall.

Kai raised his hands again and repeated the process. People looked up, waiting to see the sun again, but nothing happened. Just when they were to protest, the blazing star started to appear behind the stoic wizard. People started to cheer, but when they remembered about the uncertain fate of their fellow slaves they stopped immediately.

"Master please allow us to wait for the verdict." Kevin pleaded.

"Whatever." Kai said as he slowly stepped down to his seat.

The rebels were in a row at square once more aviating for their fate. The gates were opened, only bars remind, so the other could observe the process. The convicts were terrified. The power of the wizard was incredible, he could make the strongest star - the sun - disappeared, but why if he was so powerful can't he fly to them without the tower?

"I'm not pleased with all this things happening" Kai started, letting his cold eyes to drift over slaves faces. "How much water have we wasted on the rebels, Ivanov?" he asked without turning to the Commander-in-chief.

"160 000 000 liters of water my Lord." The red head answered.

The slaves were stunned. So much water?! They used to count the water in drops, the whole liter was incredibly big in their view.

"Is that execution platform still up Ivanov?" the wizard asked Tala.

"Yes my Lord. It's still up."

Kai closed his eyes. Everyone was silent; they waited for something to happen.

'160 000 000 divided by 50 drowned slaves, then divided by 8 years of work, and finally divided by 10 000 slaves' Kai thought.

## Oh I see his face!##

"40! 40 whips for each of you!" Kai said ."Guards take them to the platform!"

Nobody could say anything. 40 whips? He couldn't be so cruel, or could he? Even Rei was shocked he once got 5 whips at the tower and he thought he would die and 40? Everyone looked at the wizard thinking that maybe it was a bluff to scar them, but it wasn't. They looked at each other with a big, scared eyes, trying to find a proof, that it was a lie. Sadly - in vain. Only one of them stayed calm and filled with his own thoughts - Lee.

#X#X#

##In the heat and the rain With the whips and chains##

Yet again they were in the center of the city, Kai, Tala, Rei and all the guards sitting in the front row and all the slaves around. The rebels were led to the platform one by one and the executioner gave everyone 40 whips. Screams echoed though the whole city, some female slaves fainted when they saw this. Parents tried to cover children's eyes form the drastic view. Kai ordered that everyone must see the punishment. Nobody enjoyed watching the torture except for Bryan. It was music to his ears.

After a whipping, the guards were taken to some huts and threw at the straw. Then the families could take care of them.

Finally the last rebel was introduced and was about to be whipped. It was Lee. Rei looked at him unemotionally, but inside he was dead. It was like two different worlds - outside he was calm and his eyes were completely blank, but inside there was a real storm of emotions, like anger, fear or helplessness.

Suddenly someone ran out of the mob of slaves. He was short, had green hair and he had a knife in his hand. He quickly turned in Kai's direction.

##Just to see him fly Too many die##

Alarmed Tala tackled him, punched him, through the weapon away and grabbed his neck to immobilize him - everything in one second. Everyone knew that Tala was incredibly strong and quick man, it was the reason of his position in Wizard's guard. Nevertheless, people were shocked. Somebody wanted to kill the Almighty wizard! Just after he showed everyone his unlimited power.

Kai watched the whole event with his stone mask. He didn't even blink. He has always put trust in Tala's protection - from time his grandfather died, he wasn't scared of anybody.

Tala kneeled down in front of Kai and said.

"What should I do with him, Master?"

Just when Kai was going to say something, Kevin interrupted him.

"I didn't want to kill the wizard! I wanted to kill that traitor!" he yelled pointing at Rei.

##We built a tower of stone With our flesh and bone To see him fly##

Rei looked at his good friend not showing any emotions and whispered "Baka" which only Kevin heard.

Kai looked at Rei and then back at Kevin with train of thoughts in his mind. He wondered about Rei's unusual behavior and Kevin's attitude towards the one who was once his friend.

"Kill him." Kai said finally.

And with one swift move Tala broke the small boys neck, throwing the limb body on the ground.

The people were terrified. What would the Almighty wizard do if that slave tried to kill him? I would be something even more horrible. They didn't want to think about that. No one dared say a word; the green haired boy's body was carried out of site. And Kai gestured to begin the whipping of the last rebel.

Lee didn't even make a sound; he just looked at Rei into his cool, amber eyes.

'I'll kill him! Kevin was killed in front of him and he didn't even blink. Now I'm sure, he did betray us, he sold his body to that scum - the wizard so he doesn't have to work. I'll kill him!' Lee screamed in his mind.

Rei was looking at him, he knew exactly what was Lee thinking about, he saw it in his eyes. But it didn't matter now. He was an outcast, even if he escaped from the castle the slaves would probably kill him, so he has to live the rest of his life with the person he would kill happily - Kai…

When one of guards took Lee from the platform, Kai raised from his chair and said only one sentence…

"I hope that it has taught you something." And with that he got in the sedan chair, followed by Rei and Tala. As the vehicle was passing the slaves, everyone kneeled to show their respect and fear. Rei observed it with his blank eyes, Kai didn't even bother himself to look at the people. Both of them were filled in thoughts, which were connected with each other in various ways.

##But we don't know why Ooh, now where do we go##

This was the bloodiest day in the history of the rule of Kai Hiwatari.