February 19th, 1408

In the lowest outskirts villages, it has already been a week since the knights have received their orders to leave the lowest outskirt villages, and return to the holy cities, despite the villagers' complaints.

In a small shed house, a teenager was getting ready to go to bed, ignoring the constant yelling happening outside his house, already being used to it, since the knights left. As he laid in his bed ready to go to sleep, he didn't know how long he closed his eyes when he heard a noise that instantly got him awake.

Bells were ringing in the distance. He listened closely, he heard the two bells tower go off, the bells only rung when danger was coming to their village. He instantly stood up, and started getting ready to leave. Through the sound of the bell he could start hearing screams, and cries. He left his room, and double checked his house to see if his sister, or father were inside.

He went running around the house checking, but didn’t find them, then he noticed the smell of a faint smoke, he ran outside, and saw in the distance smoke coming from the houses. The flames brighten up the night sky. He noticed only one of the bells was ringing. He went to the house next door, whose roof had already caught on fire. He knocked on the door, but the door was already slightly open.

He barged in. “Miss Grace! Anyone!” He screamed, he heard the roof collapsed on the second floor, he ran around the first floor btu couldn’t find anyone, he look at the stairs but they were blocked my the debris, the second floor started creaking, that was it for him, he left running out the house, just in time to watched it come crashing down. As he looked at the fire, he saw his house starting to catch on fire too, as he was about to go and try to stop it he heard his name being called out.

“Ray! Ray over here!”

Ray was just a teenager, he had just barely turned sixteen. He had on a simple blue shirt, and black jeans. His black hair combed back around the sides of his head. He was lean built, with brown eyes.

He looked towards the sound of the voice, and saw his sister running towards him, her sister being older than him by two years, she is usually in charge of him, when their dad is busy. Her blonde hair, that was usually kept in a ponytail, was now loosened, stains were on her clothes, as if she had fallen, and her face bruised on her left side. She looked like she was crying.

“Eda! What’s going on!? What happened to you!?”

She grabbed his hand, and started dragging him away from their house. “We can’t stay here da…Dad told me to get you and head to the forest, we have to be careful not to be seen by any of the people attacking the village. I don’t know who they are but they are wearing knight's armor.” Eda revealed.

“Wait, what!” He freed himself from Eda grasp. “Tell me what is going on, if they have their armor they have to be knights! We have to go to them, they will protect us!” Ray said, his voice starting to get louder.

“No! No, we can’t! Please listen to me, whoever they are, they are killing everyone that they see, they…” Eda had tears running down her eyes, she forced herself to admit the truth. “They killed dad.”

Ray's eyes went wide, he couldn’t believe what he just heard. “No! No, stop lying to me! They would never do that, what about Uncle Oliver, they will protect us, we have to find da-”

Eda grabs Ray by the collar of his shirt bringing him closer to her. “Look at me! Dad is gone, all these bruises are because of them, dad used himself so I can get you, and take you somewhere safe. I saw them, Ray! Please, please we have to leave.”

He desperately wanted to find his dad, but he decided not to argue with his sister. With tears forming in his eyes.

“Ok, let’s go.”

Eda grabbed his hand, and they both started running. He looked back at his house, the fire had already completely engulfed it. His home was destroyed. He faced forward trying not to cry, but the tears were already falling before he even noticed.

***

They cut through the alleys avoiding the people causing all the harm, they were some causing fires, and others killing the villagers. As they kept running they covered their noses with their shirts trying to ignore the smell of burning wood, as well as the smell of blood. Screams could be heard coming from inside the houses, and they started passing corpses of their villagers.

“Mr. Piers!” Ray whispered, noticing one of the bodies that had arrows on his chest, with a huge puddle of blood underneath him.

“Close your eyes! Don’t look, we are almost to the forest.” Eda told him.

He looked ahead, the forest getting closer, as they approached it, Ray suddenly felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, he looked down, and saw an arrow sticking out of his stomach, he fell sideways grabbing the arrow that pierce him.

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“Ray!” Eda screamed.

As he laid down sideways on the ground, pain flooded his mind. “It hurts,” he whispered to himself. He saw blood starting to come out of the arrow, the blood staining his shirt, every breath he took was painful. He tried to stand, but only managed to get on his knees. Eda suddenly got in front of him, her back facing him, she extended both of her arms, as to protect him. He looked at where she was facing, and saw a person walking towards them. A sword at his side, and he was holding a bow. He was wearing armor. Armor that was well known all over the continent. Its usual bright blue color was now tainted with dust, and blood all over it. He unsheathed his sword, which was dripping with blood. Ray believes him to be a knight of the church.

“Stop! We’re humans, we aren’t monsters!” Eda screamed at the man.

“Eda,” Ray began. “Get out of here, don’t worry about me.” Ray said.

“No! I’m not leaving you.” Eda stated.

The knight started running towards them with his sword raised. Eda refusing to move, Ray desperately reaches for Eda's shirt, ignoring his pain. Grabbing the back of the shirt he pulled her backwards, but the knight still managed to slice her body.

“Eda!” Ray screamed, she fell on the ground, her clothes instantly soaked red. He put himself on top of his sister, doing his best to make sure the arrowhead doesn’t pierce her either. As well trying to do whatever he could to protect her. Using his body as a shield against the knight. He looked at the knight with anger, and screamed at him. “We are normal! Look at our blood, we aren’t man-eating monsters!”

“I’m sorry.” The knight simply said, not even giving an explanation for his actions towards them. The knight took a step forward; His sword raised high, ready to end their lives.

Ray closed his eyes, as he shielded his sister’s body, knowing it was useless. He silently cursed himself for being weak, if only he was strong, he might have been able to save his family, he waited for the strike that would end their lives.

The knight swung his sword, aiming to kill them both, but before he could, he was pulled back. As if someone grabbed his armor, and pulled him away. He tumbled across the ground, as if he was a stone being skipped across a pond, until he crashed into a burning house.

Ray opened his eyes, and saw a person standing where the knight was. The person was wearing a black hooded cloak, with a blue tunic, with a black belt in the waist. The person had their right arm raised. Ray noticed the arm had a black line running from the fist to the elbow where it was covered by the cloak. Then the tattoos seem to disappear from the skin. Ray’s eye went wide.

{The mark of the hybrids!} Ray thought to himself, his disbelief grew into worry, he looked down and saw his blood coming out of the wound. Fear flashed in his eyes, he couldn’t move he prayed the figure didn’t turn on them.

“My, has the church finally gone mad, I almost believe he was telling me a sick joke.” The figure said. The figure stepped aside and looked at Ray. He almost didn’t believe the voice, it sounded like an old woman. Yet the person who was staring at him looked like she was in her mid-twenties.

Before Ray could say anything, the knight came out of the house, his bow being drawn, he shouted at the woman. “Hybrid! Are you really protecting your kind!?” The knight demanded, slowly getting closer to them, keeping his eyes on the woman.

“These children are humans, to think the protectors of mankind would do something as purging a town. Have you no shame for your religion?” The woman stated.

“The words of a filthy hybrid mean nothing to me!” The knight screamed, as he let loose his arrow aiming for the woman's face, but she managed to grab it, before it hit her.

“Isn’t it stupid to be facing a hybrid with marks? Unless you are blessed you have no way of harming me.” The woman mocked him.

“That makes no difference to me, if a hybrid stands before me, I will do whatever I can to kill it.” The knight claimed.

Ray saw the woman smirk, he quickly considered his option, only coming with one, and decided to take it. “Ma’am! Please help us, I don’t care if you’re a hybrid, please protect us.” Ray barely managed to say, his wound was getting worse to keep focus.

The lady turns her body to face Ray, completely ignoring the knight, her back facing the knight, and crouches to meet Ray’s eyes. “If I save your life, you will belong to me, whatever I say, you will do it,” She said, as she grabbed his hair, forcing him to meet her direct gaze. “Do you agree!?”

Ray never believed he could be this scared of something, his instinct was telling to run, despite the fact that he couldn’t. He didn't know what to do. {Hybrids were supposed to be humanity's enemy, they kill without remorse. Yet she saved us when that knight was about to kill us. I want to save everyone, but I have to focus on Eda.}

Ray quickly felt Eda's body move underneath him, he still had time. He took a big gulbed. “I…I will give you my life, but only if you save me, and my sister! I’ll do whatever you want, just don’t let her die!” Ray begged.

She stood up, and looked back at the knight who was staring at them in confusion. “If she is still breathing she can be saved, is she?”

Ray quickly looked underneath him, forcing his body to move despite the pain; He saw her take shallow breaths. “Yes!” He screamed, “she is still alive! I’ll gladly do whatever you want!” Ray declared.

The woman chuckled to herself. “Very well then, the deal is made.”

“I won’t let you do as you please.” The knight screamed, he started charging at them, gripping his sword. As he got closer Ray saw the woman vanished from where she was standing, and suddenly appeared in front of the knight, and kicked him away. He flew through the houses. The woman casually walked back towards them, ignoring the flames around her. Now it was just the three of them surrounded by the flames.

“What a weakling.” The woman whispered.

Looking around Ray couldn’t see how they were going to escape, before he could say anything the woman grabbed Ray and easily picked him up, as well as Eda, picking them up as if they were light as feathers. Each of them under one of her arms.

“Wait! Be careful-” Ray tried to tell her.

“Relax, I know what I am doing.” The woman stated, with a “hup” she jumped higher than any normal human should be able to, and landed on the roof of a house, and started jumping from rooftop to rooftop, until they reached the forest.

The last thing Ray saw before he blackout from the pain, was his entire village in a sea of fire.