At thirteen, Kahn Vols is a perfect target for the bullies in the village of Caspin in the Apuseni Mountains near Transylvania. An outcast, tall for his age and overweight, Kahn also struggles with a speech impediment. To avoid the constant torment, he seeks respite in the woods, a dark forest that houses both the castle of Count Drodden and an asylum for the dangerous and insane. No one from the village has ever seen the count or the castle. Although Kahn understands the woods is off-limits, he returns again and again performing small tasks. One day, he's surprised by Heric, the executor of the castle and its grounds, who pays Kahn to work for him and eventually becomes a friend of sorts. As Kahn grows to manhood, he is invited into the castle and placed in charge of the asylum. With his newfound power, he is finally able to exact some revenge against the villagers, now grown to adulthood, who had tormented him in his childhood. Kahn's rise from weakness to power through ruthless violence makes him many enemies, and only time will tell how or when his reign will come to an end.
DRODDEN
By BRAD ZANEiUniverse, Inc.
Copyright © 2012 Brad Zane
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4502-8821-7 Chapter One
The village of Caspin was calm on this lazy Sunday. There were no voices to be heard or villagers to be seen. All who lived in the antiquated village, just below the Apuseni Mountains, were in their homes. Over the past two days, the relentless winter had dropped over two feet of snow. Not all unusual for this time of year, but near unbearable nonetheless. The village children had been waiting for a break in the weather, so they could play in the pastures and streets of Caspin.
For one such villager child, the weather was a welcomed break from his cruel, cold childhood. For thirteen-year-old Kahn Vols, staying indoors was not a punishment dealt by the weather, but peace and serenity. Kahn was a bit taller than the biggest boy in the village. He was also overweight and spoke with a noticeable speech impediment. Kahn's physical appearance, along with his intellectual struggles, made him a vulnerable target of the village children.
Kahn's painful childhood shaped him into the man he would become some years later. But for now, Kahn's home served as his safe place, a much needed sanctuary from those who inflicted pain on him on a daily basis. Kahn prayed for more snowfall and for the most part, got his wish. The twenty-one-day storm had not let up much. The villagers were becoming more restless as the days wore on, but Kahn was enjoying it.
After another week had passed, so did the snowfall. The much desired break in the weather had finally come. The village of Caspin had come back to life. The villagers were hustling about and the children were all out of their homes. All except for one child in particular, Kahn. The other children did not notice as they played and enjoyed the freedom of the outdoors. "Kahn, are you up yet?" asked his mom.
There was no reply from the corner of the great room in the house where Kahn slept. After several moments, Kahn replied, "Yes Mother. I am awake. Do I have to go outside?"
Kahn's mom didn't say anything, she just continued to cook over her large black stove. Then she turned toward Kahn and said, "Now there, my son. It will be okay today, just a little cold. The snowfall has lifted and it is a new day. Go outside and get some air. Who knows, you just may make a new friend." Kahn didn't reply, but thought to himself that he had met every child in the village and not one was a friend. But Kahn tried to keep his torment and unpleasant experiences with the village children from his parents. Kahn didn't want them to worry.
The front door of Kahn's home opened slowly. Kahn stood in the doorway and peeked out into the snow-covered village streets. It was extremely cold and the snowfall was replaced with a thick fog. It was the kind of cold that hurt your bones. Kahn hesitated before stepping out of the warmth of his home and into the soft snow that surrounded the house, but finally, he buttoned up his coat and stepped outside. As soon as Kahn walked outside, he wanted to go back inside.
The sounds of the large groups of children playing echoed down the streets and blew past Kahn like a cold breeze. Kahn walked quickly through the snow-covered streets with his hands tucked firmly into his coat pockets and his head down, making sure not to make eye contact with any of the children playing all around him. Kahn focused on just getting to school without any troubles from the children playing all around him. For a brief moment, it almost happened. None of the children were calling Kahn names or bothering him.
But Kahn's moment of peace was interrupted by one of the older and bigger kids who were playing in the street. "Hey, you!" the bully yelled out to Kahn. The interruption caught the attention of the other children playing. Soon the focus turned on Kahn, as it usually did. Kahn tried to ignore the bully yelling out to him. "I'm talking to you!" the bully yelled out again. Kahn kept walking straight ahead and this encouraged the bully to follow close behind. Kahn crossed the street, hoping the bully would not follow. Unfortunately, the bully followed Kahn. The other children started to follow. The school was only a couple of blocks away, but seemed miles to Kahn, who desperately needed to get there. A group of children started to follow the bully, almost giving him support. Kahn wanted to run the rest of the way to school, but hesitated. The bully caught up to Kahn and was right behind him. "Where are you going?" the bully said to Kahn in an angry tone. Kahn stopped dead in his tracks and just looked at the snow that covered his feet. The bully hit Kahn in the chest and said, "What, you can't talk today?" Absorbing the blow to the chest, Kahn took a couple steps backwards, but didn't respond; he just stood there. The other children were now standing around Kahn and the bully, just watching the scene. The bully now had an audience and it was encouraging to him.
Kahn slowly lifted his head and looked around. The bully stepped toward Kahn and became louder. Kahn never said a word, he just stood there, frozen with fear. The bully yelled, "Sit in the snow!" Just then, the bully pushed Kahn down into the snow. The other children just watched. Some laughed and some didn't. But none of them helped and Kahn would never forget that cold morning. Kahn slowly got up and stood there, looking down at the snow again. Several of the children walked off and started on their way to school. The bully stared at Kahn and said, "I'll see you at school. We'll play again later." The bully turned and walked away. Kahn stood in place for a moment, and then looked up with tears in his eyes and just watched the children walk away. Slowly, Khan resumed his walk to school. This was just another rough morning for the young boy and another secret he would keep from his parents.
All the children made it to school before Kahn. As Kahn arrived to the school, he felt hesitant. He stood in front of the school. For him, the square house that was used as the village school was full of bad childhood memories. After standing at the bottom of the stairs of the school, Kahn slowly walked up and entered the front door. The children were all sitting in their desks. Kahn walked over to his desk, sat down and let out a sigh of anxiety. Kahn had a feeling that his day was going to get worse. The early morning hours felt like an eternity to Kahn. The first morning break finally arrived. The children were let outside to play. All of the children ran out of the school and into the snow for some fun, except for Kahn, who remained in his desk with his head down for a few moments.
Kahn finally got up and walked outside. Kahn walked down the stairs and onto the playground. The bully from earlier that morning was not in sight. Two other boys walked past Kahn and made stuttering sounds to mimic Kahn. A small speech impediment continued to be a struggle for Kahn. The morning seemed to get colder as the day went on. The snowfall in the village rarely melted away. Kahn was feeling anxious, as he often did around others, with good reason. It was time to go back inside. The other children hurried up the stairs and into the school house, but Kahn took his time going back inside. After a brief moment of hesitation at the bottom of the stairs, he turned away from the school house and ran away. Kahn ran from the school house toward the woods, and kept running until he could run no more. Before long, Kahn was in the woods, all alone.
Kahn stopped at the base of a huge tree. He bent over with his hands resting on his knees, out of breath. His chest hurt from taking in...
