A/N: With this the last chapter I had already written up is out. For me, that's great because it means I can start comfortably writing again. I kinda withheld writing from myself until I posted these because otherwise knowing the way I act this would have never actually been more than a story quietly rotting away in google docs.
I would also like to quickly touch on the subject of the ratings because there seems to be a strange little battle going on there. Positive or negative, getting one or the other is about the same to me, but what I am really looking for is feedback. Something along the line of what I am doing right or wrong, or maybe something is neither right nor wrong.
While everyone may have differing opinions on what right and wrong might be, anything and everything is nice so long as it's constructive. So that I can possibly use it to continue improve my writing, Both for myself and for the others reading this story.
Anyways on a story realated note, next full chapter the mc will probably finally be getting a name. So everyone who has been wondering about that can look foward to it. Also the next post will be an Interlude not a full chapter, but more on that when I post it.
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???’s PoV
“Mommy, how much longer until we get home?” I ask mommy who is sitting across from me in the carriage.
Mommy has a wry smile on her face as she says, “Rin, Sweetie, I’ve said it before but you're turning sixteen in a few days. You shouldn’t be referring to your father and me as mommy or daddy anymore.”
“But I don’t want to call you something else and daddy said he was okay with it,” I puff out my cheeks in a pouty manner while looking over to daddy who is sitting beside me for help.
“Honey, Rin calling us mommy and daddy isn’t really so ba-,” daddy starts to defend me but mommy cuts him off, “It isn’t about whether or not Rin calling us mommy and daddy is a bad thing. It’s just…”
Mommy sighs lightly and gives me a soft smile before she continues talking, “Alright enough about that for now, we can talk about this at home later. I know being in a carriage for seven days isn’t fun but there are only a few more hours until we arrive at home. Also weren’t you the one who told your father that wanted to come with us to the prince’s birthday celebration.”
What mommy just said is true so I decide to busy myself looking out the carriage window and letting my mind drift.
It’s true that I’m the one that convinced daddy to bring me along but I wasn’t expecting the carriage ride to be so long. I did have fun at the celebration and everyone was really nice to me. Well, a lot of the boys were really nice to me but not many other girls talked to me. I was really hoping to make some friends with some of the girls in the capital too. Ah! That looks like a really small Tatsu.
Looking out the window I see a squirrel quite a ways off from the road so I point it out to mommy, “Look mommy that squirrel over there looks like a really little version of Tatsu. Oh, I know mommy lets play I observe. I’ll go first, I observe with my two eyes something that looks like Tatsu.”
Mommy smiles at me before looking out the carriage window and saying, “Goodness you’re quite energetic aren't you. Now let’s see if we can’t find that Tatsu look-alike of yours.”
After looking out the window for a bit mommy finally says, “There’s our Tatsu look-alike, as always your eyesight is impressive Rin. our little look alike is rather far away but I guess it’s my turn now. Hmmm now what do I see, oh I know. I observe with my two eyes something brown, green and leafy.”
Hmmm, I wonder what mommy is pointing out. Every time we play this game mommy always finds something interesting and describes it in a really mundane way. Let's see since mommy is describing something that sounds like a tree… oh! Maybe mommy saw a treant pretending to be a tree. At least, I think that's what they do. I kinda remember reading about it in a book once. Well, that's what I am going to try looking anyways. Wait, there are no trees around here so how did mommy see … what's that!?
While looking out the carriage window I spot something that looks like a person lying on the ground quite a ways off from the road and so I try to bring mommy's attention to it, “Mommy I think there is a person laying down way over there.”
After looking in the direction I am pointing out mommy looks to daddy, “Tell them to stop the carriage I think Rin is right.”
Daddy does as mommy says and gets the drivers to stop the carriage. Once the carriage is completely stopped I dash out before mommy or daddy can stop me and start running towards the humanoid figure.
Leaving the carriage I can hear daddy call out after me, “Rin get back here right now! We don’t know what it is you saw! It might be dangerous!”
Ignoring daddy I keep running towards the humanoid figure in the distance and getting closer I can tell that it’s a person lying facedown on the ground. Once I get close enough to get a proper look at them, I can only let out a scream and fall back onto my butt in shock.
As I fall over I hear daddy yell something behind me, “Rin! Rin what happened!?”
I’m so shocked I can barely respond but I manage to stutter out one word, “B-Blood.”
In front of me is the figure of a small girl but something is horribly wrong. The girl in front of me is drenched in blood and on the ground where she is lying is a huge pool of blood. Not only that, it also looks like she is missing one of her arms. As the initial shock of the sight before me recedes my mind starts racing.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
I’ve never seen this much blood before. Sometimes when the soldiers come home from hunting they have wounds but none of them have ever been this bad. But this girl is still alive, right? She can’t be dead. Even, even if there's a lot of blood maybe it’s not all hers. Ah, what do I do? I should go help her but … I can’t put any strength into my legs.
“Rin what's the mat-. My goodness, what happened here?!” when daddy finally reaches me he sees the girl and runs over to her, “Who would do something like this and to a child no less. First I should check her status to check if she is still alive.”
Daddy quickly fumbled around in his pockets pulling out a status stone. Daddy starts bringing the status stone closer to the girl intending to check her status.
A lady suddenly appears behind the girl and starts talking, “You know there was an old human saying. I think it went something like ‘Curiosity killed the cat'. but honestly, I’m not sure it is so difficult to remember all the sayings humans used to have. Well, what I’m trying to say is that sometimes being too curious can lead to … unintended consequences. Not that checking this girl's status would actually have any heavy repercussions. Ah, but I am getting ahead of myself, aren't I? Right, I should introduce myself first. Very well I am -,” as the lady is about to introduce herself daddy interrupts her, “The Goddess of Balance Karia.”
“Mou, you took my introduction from me … and you didn’t even mention my full title,” the lady pouts a bit but quickly composes herself before continuing, “Well whatever I’m in no position to complain since I am here to ask a favor of you in the first place. Now, before I get sidetracked again I will explain-.”
“If I might so bold, I would like to ask why a supposed goddess would even need a favor from mortal in the first place.” Hearing mommy’s voice I turn my head and see her slowly walking towards us as she talks, “if you’re a goddess shouldn’t whatever you ask of us already be within your power.”
The lady takes a moment to think before answering mommy, “You know, gods and goddesses, we aren’t omnipotent. We are indeed incredibly powerful but that in itself can be its own curse. Now if you had let me finish I was going to tell you about the favor I require. It’s rather simple really, I want you to take this girl in and raise her. But don’t worry should you refuse I’m sure someone would find her here eventually. Though if she is found by bandits I can’t say for sure what her future would be like. The telling of fortunes has always been Fates territory.”
Mommy gives the lady a rather skeptical look while saying, “Putting aside for the moment all the questions that need to be asked before I could even consider bringing a, potentially harmful, unknown element into my home. This girl will not survive a trip to the nearest town. Rather even if we had a doctor present at this moment, I doubt this girl could be saved. So do how do you, pray tell, want us to raise a child who will soon expire.”
“Ah, right … I completely forgot about that. I’ve only watched her grow up in that environment so I completely forgot. Right right right, now that I think about this would be where Naofa would rebuke me for thinking that was normal for even a moment. Well if you are going to raise the girl you would find out about this sooner or later. Here just force her to drink this,” as she talks the lady throws a large glass bottle full of gold tinged red liquid to daddy.
“Suddenly telling us to force whatever is in that bottle to a dying child. Do you really expect anyone to believe-,” finally managing to garner enough power in my legs to stand I run over and interrupt mommy, “If the lady is telling the truth then the girl will be ok right? If what's in that bottle can save her then shouldn't we at least try it? Otherwise, that girl is going to die no matter what isn’t she?”
Mommy looks at me pleading to her with my eyes and gives a defeated sigh before turning to daddy, “Alright I can’t really say no if Rin is this adamant about it. Feed whatever that is to the girl and let's see if our so called goddess lives up to the title.”
Doing as mommy says daddy reaches to turn the girl over so he can feed her the contents of the bottle but lady stops him, “Before this goes any further the young one should return to the carriage. Not only will this be a sight not fit for a child, but there are things we must discuss among adults.”
Being called a child I am about to raise a complaint but mommy silences me using a gentle voice, “Rin, sweetie, I know you might not like it but you should go wait for us in the carriage like she said. Can you do that for me?”
Nodding my head meekly I run back to the carriage before getting inside and waiting. I try to look out the window to see what going on but for some reason, the area where mommy, daddy, and the lady are is really blurry. Since I can’t see anything my only option is to sit back down and wait patiently.
After what feels like a really long time the carriage door opens and mommy gets in followed by daddy who is carrying the girl in his arms. As daddy lays the girl on my side of the carriage with her head in my lap both him and mommy have really complicated smiles on their faces.
Deciding not to ask any questions yet I turn my attention to the girl in my lap. Somehow she isn’t drenched in blood anymore and not only that she also has her missing arm back.
For some reason, while inspecting the girl I feel the need to pet her head. Gently stroking her hair I find that it is really silky and soft. Rhythmically moving my hand I listen to the girls steady breathing as she sleeps and I also slowly fall asleep.