Sendeka, The Slave.

Sendeka was no ordinary slave.

He had a separate cell in the kennels. Three meals almost every day. Rarely beaten, never maimed.

After all - that was King Zarak's favorite slave.

"How did a simple mud-born boy achieve such high esteem in the eyes of our omnipotent ruler?" you might ask.

The answer is simple - Sendeka was very useful.

He was useful when the King ordered him to redistribute the slave food rations, cutting expenses yet keeping most of the workforce alive.

Useful when tasked with planning and speeding up the construction of the new palace wing, motivating the slaves as required.

Useful as a scribe, a secretary, at times even a trusted advisor.

And of course, useful when organizing the public torture of rebel leaders. It was well known that the royal guard could not be overcome - yet the fools kept trying. The slaves often looked at him, while crying in anguish, bleeding to death. Some with fury, some with pleading, some with disgust. But Sendeka did not move - he was doing his job, fulfilling his role.

And so, when one evening Sendeka entered Zarak's personal study, nodding to the guards in deference, and quietly slit the King's throat - fulfilling his true role in the name of all slaves - no one suspected a thing until Zarak's body was already cold - and Sendeka, The Liberator disappeared into the secret passages at the new palace wing he himself designed.