-Break-
A few months ago
Continent: Molstoria
Location: The island of Floración
Φ Smokes fills the air, as the fires blaze. In front of me lies my home town, my country set ablaze by the fires of those monsters, and as the fires ravage through the country, all I can do is fall to my knees is despair and hopelessness.
In the back of my ear, I hear voices scream, “MARIANA RUN.”
But my body just stays there staring as my nation burns and as all of the countless flowers and petals that usually shine bright turn to nothing but ash.
This utter shock continue until I see them come through the fires the monsters that burnt it to the ground. In one motion I get up, turn around and try to run.
But as I do I feel something wrap around my leg and moments later a sharp pain pierces through my body, causing me to release a gut-wrenching scream.
I look at my leg and see a green vine with thorns around it, and it traces back to a monster in the distance.
Then from the distance I hear, “The layers of stupidity that is within you humans judgement never ceases to surprize me. You sit daze in a situation that means instant death, but then when actually faced with the prospect of death you suddenly find the will to live?”
Looking at him, I say, “Why, why would you do this?”
“What a funny question to ask. Let me reply with this then; why do you breathe air? Simply because it is the natural order of things, your body was made to do such a thing intrinsically, so it does. And the same for us, we were born to attain all that lies within this world and were given bodies that can do that.
All living things are all forever circumscribed by the will of nature and must live like that. So it is simply the order of things for us the Tuatha Dé Danann to brave this world, and obtain all of the glory within it, as it is the role of you humans to constantly be thrown around by the world and those who tame it.”
From the ground, I say with tears and a seething rage, “YOU’RE AN EVIL MONSTER!”
Suddenly the vine retracts and I am pulled toward him, and when my body reaches him he holds me by the neck. “If obeying the natural order is evil, then let me see your righteousness true to its logical conclusion.”
He starts to choke me then says, “Stop breathing, reject the natural order.”
His grip is so unbelievably tight that no matter how much I struggle, I am not even able to make his handshake.
From behind, I hear, “LET MARIANA GO.”
Turning my head, the best I can I see Sofia. Then with a weak breath, I mutter, “Mom?”
“MARIANA!” Sofia screams.
After her scream, the monster throws me directly at Sofia, which causes us both to fall to the ground. On the ground I desperately try to breathe to get some air, and as I do I hear the monster say, “Your land, your people, your futures no longer exist, your lives from this moment will be as servants, you no longer have a reason to live, to breath, yet you do because it is simply an uncontrollable nature within you. Justice isn’t the opposition of nature, but the acceptance of it.”
As I regain my breath, I look up at him with a fierce glare, but in that moment I am stared back down by his eyes, eyes that bare two different colours.
Looking down on me and my mother, he says, “A child and their mother both with idiotically defiant eyes, disgusting.” Suddenly the whip in his hand grows multiple thorny vines, then he says, “It looks like you dumb beasts need some discipline.”
From my bead I jump up with terror, and look at my surroundings, then say, “I am still in that hut.”
Moving my clothes, I look throughout my body and stare at the countless marks that were left as aftermath from the beastkin actions, and as I do the markings left on my body almost drive me to tears.
But then I quickly wipe them, and I say, “Don’t cry, remember Mom's words, be patient, be strong, be smart, and never accept this life as your role.”
-Break-
Charles and Nero, current work schedule;
Castle building
Castle building
Seed harvesting
Knitting
Repeat*
The next day
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Location: Far east of the River Lúide
With my arms, I try to carry the block I was given towards the castle, but as I do I keep dropping it due to its weight. Looking around I say, “If I don’t start getting this done, I will be punished like those people were yesterday.”
From my side, I hear, “Oh don’t worry about that silly.”
Jumping away out of fear, I look at the voice and see it is the two boys who live in my hut with me. The younger one has a bland expression, almost as if someone moulded a permanent mask onto his face, while the older one has a strong smile on his face.
When I first arrived in the room, I made sure to establish dominance with the boys, because if I didn’t, they would see me as weak and prey on me. I admittedly might have taken it too far, since all throughout yesterday, the older one was giving me nasty looks.
But now he is all smiles, which means either he actually liked getting vomited on, or is up to something, and the fact that the little boy is staring at him as if he is confused is also a sign of danger.
Holding my blade with my hands covering it, I say, “What the hell do you want?”
Putting up his hands he says, “I mean no harm, I just wanted to say, that for quota they are measured as a group, so don’t worry about being punished since me and Charles here work rather hard. Also, by the way, my name is Nero.”
“I didn’t ask for your name!”
From the distance, I hear a beastkin scream, something in their unique language whilst striking the whip in their hand on the floor.
Upon hearing this I instantly hide the blade I have and try to pick up the rock given to me, but my body hasn’t built up enough strength to let me carry it. This is bad, if I don’t start moving those beastkin are going to start punishing me.
From my side, the boy called Nero comes and takes the rock, and says, “Let me help with that,” And then starts walking ahead.
Walking beside him, I say, “Why are you doing this?”
With his big smile plastered over his face, he says, “Insistent it human nature to help someone in need.”
The smile on his face is so unnecessarily bright that it makes me shiver with a feeling I can only call disgust. Still, I have to use whatever I can to survive.
So with a smile, back I say, “Thank you.”
-Break-
The next day
Location: Íogair grassland
As I get whipped by the moving flowers, I get sent back to my ass, and then I say, “These flowers are rather annoying, not even a little bit cute.”
Suddenly in front of me, the flower withers and dies, which causes me to scream, “YOU’RE THAT SENSITITIVE.” Then moments later I am hit again.
Getting up, I say, “I got to get this down.”
From my side, I hear, “You need help.”
Turning my head, I see the two boys yet again, and Nero's creepy smile is still pasted on his face. I guess I only have one choice, with my best smile I say, “Please help me.”
Walking forward, he says, “Don’t worry I will show you how it is done.”
As the flower goes to strike him, he dodges and removes one of the seeds, then says, “These flowers are rather reactive to their surroundings so be patient and wait for them to move first, and when they do there is only so many patterns they have which you can learn.”
Walking over to me, hands the seed over and says, “If you ever need anything just call for me, I will answer in a heartbeat.”
With a half smile, I say, “Ok, thank you.”
Hearing this his smile increases, but throughout this whole exchange, Charles just stares at him with an evermore confused expression.
As they walk away, I look at the flowers and say, “If you need to just follow a pattern to pick out the seeds then this no longer becomes a challenge for me.”
-Break-
The next day
Location: Fíodóirí house
Walking into the building behind my roommate, I see I am now in a large room with a bunch of other kids both girls and boys, but also in the room are groups of adult women as well, and seeing the beastkin at the front of the room looking at us, I quickly follow my roommates and sit down.
After the room is packed to the brim, the beastkin gives on instructions on clothes we are to make, then he says, “Also to those of you who stay in the homeland has ended, you are to ignore my instructions, and instead you will all be giving different garments to make due to this skills you learned while underservice. Now all of you begin.”
As we all start Nero turns his head, towards me and says, “If you need any help I can show you, I am rather skilled at this.”
With a smile, I say, “No need I am skilled as well.” Immediately I start following the instructions and get a good portion of it done.
Looking back, at him I say, “See I am goo-.” But I stop in the middle of my sentence as I notice he has a panicked expression on his face.
“Are you ok?”
Returning to the smiling face, he says, “Of course I am everything is good.” Then nervously he started to knit clothes as well.
This guy really is a freak.
-Break-
The next day
Location: Campsite
Φ Standing next to a wall with a bunch of other men and Charles, freezing cold water is thrown at us to clean our bodies, and while it is, I say, “It seems the plan is working somewhat. Me being nice is making her nicer to me, and if this continues maybe something special will happen.”
“Is that why you have been acting like this?”
“What do you mean, you were there when the plan was being explained.”
“I was looking up at a bird in the sky.”
“You’re head really is full of ai-,” Another volley of cold water is thrown at us.
“Hey, Nero.”
“What is it, Charles.”
“What do you mean by something special.”
“I see you don’t know, let me enlighten you, Charles, when a boy and girl like each other and hug, babies are born.”
“Really.”
“Yes, Lillian told me.” Wait but now that I think about it, wasn’t Lillian giggling as she said this?
“I would like to see that.”
“Me too, but we have to wait and make her like us a lot by doing nice things, though it is too bad we can’t see her today because it seems like the women have other work to do on the first castle days.”
“But we will see her in the room?”
“She is extra cautious in the room, so we should just leave her be.”
“Ok, I see.”
-Break-
“Have you ever made babies before?”
Turning my head, from the floor, I look over towards Charles, who is kneeling beside the line and has just asked a question to the girl. THAT IDIOT!
Taking the blade out she slices Charles across the check, and says, “Get away from me before I stab you.”
“It seems like I made you angry, sorry about that I was just curious.”
Angered she says, “Didn’t your mother teach you any degree of sense.”
“I have never met her, I have been here my entire life.”
“Huh, you mean since birth.”
“Yes, the only person I have to talk to is Nero. So he is like my mom.”
Looking at me, the girl gives me a nasty look as if she is looking at trash. She is probably thinking how the hell could you not teach this boy common sense?
Her expression instantly softens as she looks at Charles, and says, “You shouldn’t ask women such questions ok, it isn’t good.”
“Ok. But can you answer my other questions?”
Pulling Charles over the line, she says, “You can ask me whatever you want.”
“Ok, why is your skin darker than others.”
“Well, you see-.”
As Charles and her continue to talk I look on with jealousy; YOU TRAITOR!