-Break-

Six months later

Location: Scortha fields

With the little baby Jupio tied against him, Charles works the fields in the blazing heat just like everyone else. Many struggle to simply breathe, but Charles perceivers throughout it.

Though the little one tied against him isn’t so strong.

Jupio starts to cry, so I look at her and say, “Please bear with it.”

But unable to understand my words, she continues to cry. I look up with a face of worry as I know what is about to happen next.

A beastkin walks up to me and kicks me in my shin causing me to kneel, then grabbing my head he smashes my face into the dirt a few times.

After he finishes, he pulls me by my hair towards his face, and says, “You see that is how that baby's constant cries feel to my ears. It isn’t nice, is it?”

Coughing, as I try to get air, I say, “No.”

“Then make sure I don’t hear it anymore, because every bit of pain I feel, so will you.”

Jupio starts to cry even louder than before, and due to this, I see the beastkin in front of me negatively react to the sound. Then with even more angered eyes, he says, “I really doubt the plantation will ever need such an annoying girl.”

Then he violently reaches for Jupio, but before his hand reaches her a trumpet sounds, and an expression of surprise dominates all of the hate on his face.

“Get back to work,” He says as he starts to run off.

As I regain myself, I listen in to one of the beastkin conversations in the Heroes song, “Isn’t this earlier than we planned?”

“We already knew she was strange, so her being off schedule is expected.”

“What a pain in the ass this new lord will be.”

Understanding the meaning behind the trumpets, I feel a sensation of fear come upon me as I realize a new lord of the plantation has arrived.

-Break-

Location: Campsite

Sitting near the entrance of my hut, I rock Jupio to sleep while saying, “I know the heat makes it difficult to breathe in here but please try your best.”

But in my arms, she still struggles to sleep. “She has been struggling to eat as well lately, maybe she is sick?”

Touching her forehead, I say, “She doesn’t feel warmer than the room would allow, so what is going on with her.”

With my head hanging low, I say, “Mariana, Nero, I miss you.”

Suddenly a taste fills my mouth, causing me to almost puke.

Holding it in, I slouch and say, “I am sorry.”

Over the hut, Blu replays Mariana's voice. Staring up at the top of the hut, I say, “Thank you. Now I just have to keep trying as well.”

“HEAR ME HUMANS!” A booming voice says from outside.

This voice causes Jupio and the other men in the hut to walk up. As Jupio looks to cry, I start to make funny faces which turns Jupio’s sadness to happiness.

I sigh and as I do the voice says, “Each and every one of you are to gather at the castle and welcome your new lord. Make haste or we will remove those good-for-nothing legs that you have.

-Break-

Location: Anam Castle

With a group of uneasy people, I walk into the castle grounds, and as I do I see a large crowd of people. “People from other campsites.”

Understanding this, I start to turn my head and look for any signs of others from my previous campsite, but I am soon surrounded by those taller than me, so I stop and simply stand in line.

After a little bit of time passes from one of the castle balconies a beastkin emerges.

She was a rather beautiful woman who was clearly the beastkin of a lion, but Charles couldn’t know that.

Looking down on everyone, a voice announces. “I introduce you all to Viscount Kathleen Fogerty. NOW EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU BOW TO YO-.”

Interrupting him, in a kind voice, she says, “No need for that. You see I want every single one of you to ignore my station and my title.”

In the Heroes song, the beastkin with the booming voice faces Kathleen, and says, “That can’t be allowed, it is disrespectful.”

Turning to him, she says, “How else will I befriend them? I have no other goal here than that so set ablaze all ideas that don’t aid me in that circumstance.”

In the Saviours song, she says, “Many of you have been treated as less than the dirt you walk upon. Your hearts have been shattered, and your wills mocked, but hear me today as I declare that has all come to an end.”

From the top of her tower, she jumps down and lands in front of us. Getting on her hands and knees, she bows in front of us.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

This action causes the beastkin with a booming voice to shout in the Heroes song, “VISCOUNT PLEASE STOP THIS SHAMEFUL BEHAVIOUR, DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING!?”

Ignoring him, she says, “I humbly ask that you place your trust in me and my words. From today on this dirt that my face touches will no longer be something you will ever feel like.”

All around me, everyone was stiff and scared as they feared what torture or punishment they would be given in their sleep-deprived state. The intensity of their fears makes the air harder to breathe than when I was nearly crushed by people in my hut.

But now all of those emotions have eased as she has spoken. Many were still on the edge, but after this woman who was dressed in such pristine clothing had dug her face into the ground for us, they all seemed to relax.

Looking at everyone, she jumps up and says, “I am not a woman of words but of actions as well so I would like to reward each and every one of you with a meal cooked by my personal chefs.”

She claps both her hands and a group of beastkin with forced smiles on their faces walks out with plates of food in their hands.

Then she says, “Please enjoy!”

It takes very little time for everyone to start moving towards the food since these last few months have been some of the worst that we have ever experienced.

Seeing everyone moving around freely an idea pops into my head, and I say, “Maybe someone I know is around here.”

I move around and look for any signs of people I might know. But I struggle to find anyone.

Then I hear two beastkin say to me in the Heroes song, “To think she broke the rule of gathering all the humans together in one place, she truly is going to be an annoying boss.”

They continue to speak, but I block their voices out.

If all of the humans are here, then anyone who isn’t here is no longer on the land. In that moment I look down at Jupio and remember that both Sandra and Pluso are dead.

I start to run frantically to look for anyone I know. Edward, Rolo, Nora, Mìcheil, Frantziscu, Leela, Branko, Ljubica, Kristina, Vercingetorix, Adalfuns, Mattin, Rochus, Alex, Nero.

But I stop as my running starts to make Jupio whine. Holding her in my arms, I say, “Sorry, I really am.”

As I calm her down, I notice someone sitting with his wall against the castle, I see Nero and a boy with an eyepatch beside him. I believe his name was Ogier.

But I quickly ignore his presence and start moving towards them, but as I do I notice how Nero looks. His body has lost weight, his eyes are lifeless, and he looks like he is sitting more because he can’t stand not that he wants to sit.

Ogier beside him has food and is trying to feed him, but Nero just sits there almost lifeless. He looks nothing like the man I knew.

As Nero takes a bite out of the food Ogier gives him, he starts to move his body as if he is about to throw up, with tears running down his eyes.

Seeing this I run away, all the way to a corner of the castle where no one is to see me, and holding Jupio I say, “Sorry, I am so sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?”

Looking at who is talking I see Katheleen standing away from me, and she says, “So you’re the one with the baby.”

Sitting beside me, she takes Jupio out of my hands and says, “She is so cute.”

“She really is.”

Turning to me, she says, “Is everything alright.”

“Yes, Jupio was just crying so I was apologizing for worrying her.”

“I see, well if anything is bothering you or you need something for her, don’t feel scared to ask me for help.”

Handing Jupio back to me, she says, “Bye!”

And as she walks away I feel a certain feeling in my chest.

-Break-

Over the next month, Kathleen spent lots of time with us.

She would join us in the mud on the days when we would be working the land and worked beside us.

She would struggle to get the work right and would be sad when she didn’t do everything right. But on the other hand, whenever she did succeed she had a very big smile on her.

This and her beauty enamoured many around towards her. Especially since on the days when she was around we weren’t hit or hurt in any way.

She allowed us to bathe more, gave us food, and allowed us to sleep in a little bit more than usual. These things that she did drew many of us towards her, but it also made that feeling in my chest grow.

This all continued until the month was over and she held another banquet just like the one on the day she came.

“I hope we have all been able to grow closer over this last month so please enjoy yourselves.”

As most people start to enjoy themselves I sit down with Jupio in my arms and delightfully feed her.

But then in front of me, Katheleen appears and says, “Why are you sitting all alone here?”

“Because I want to.”

She looks confused and upset, then kneeling down, she says, “Whenever I am with everyone you always go off on your own. Have I done something to make you mad at me!?”

Since all the eyes of the people around are transfixed to her, they soon all become transfixed to me.

Looking around, I sigh and then say, “I don’t like you.”

She looks taken aback, then says, “I know that the beastkin have treated the humans horribly, so what you feel is understandable. But I promise I won’t let any of you go through that ever again, I want to be friends.”

“We are slaves. Not one of us has a choice in this matter, if we don’t get on your good side we won’t even be allowed to talk. Even now as I speak to you, your men stand there with weapons in hand waiting to beat me for this words, because I have no freedom here.”

With sweat trickling down her face, she says, “Food, sleep, and clothing, will all be given to you, I have worked with all of you in the fields and invited you to my castle. I know we all have different standings, but I really do want you to believe I want to be friends with you all otherwise I wouldn’t have gone through this effort.”

I look at her clothes and say, “Those clothes are your right.”

Confused she says, “Yes.”

“You wash those clothes, fold them, keep them away from things that could destroy them, and make sure to use and spend time with them by wearing them. You might even bond with those clothes and they might become something special to you.

But at the end of the day, it is just property, if you decided to rip it into one thousand pieces you fully withhold the power to do that, and that is no different than what we are to you. We are pets, and by throwing us a few bones you stop us from turning against you in any way.

You feed us? Give us clothes? Allow us to sleep? Humans have done all that before we even came here, next are you going to ask us to thank you for the air we breathe?

Before everyone came here they all had families, and lives, and had hopes and dreams for their lives. Now the best they can hope for is someone treating them like a human being, you act different but it is all the same in the end, you look down on all of us humans.”

Kathleen says, “That’s not true,” And turns around.

But as she faces the crowd of people behind her she sees there is no more kindness in their faces. Charles's words brought reality back upon every one of them.

Seeing this Katheleen drops her head down, and says, “Ok then, I will just leave and you can all go back to living how you used to.”

Hearing this a large group of people come up to her and start to beg her to stay.

But she says, “NO! DESPITE EVERYTHING I HAVE DONE FOR ALL OF YOU THIS IS HOW YOU TREAT ME!”

The faces of everyone which were lit up by Charles's words have all turned back to terror as they realize that things might return to the way they previously were.

But then a voice says, “PLEASE FORGIVE HIM!”

Looking at the voice, it is Nero. Despite looking still horrible, his voice has power in it.

He walks up to her, and says, “I am his family, and it is my fault he is so rude, so please forgive him and stay.”

She looks at Nero’s face and says, “Do you all really want me to stay.”

The crowd of people beg her to stay and as this goes on she turns to Nero, and says, “I want you to make it up to me for what he said.”

“I promise I will.” Turning to me, he says, “Charles leave here.”

“But?”

“You don’t like her so leave here so you don’t say anything stupid.” Turning to Katheleen, he asks, “Can he go.”

With what some people would call a cute expression, she says, “Yes, I don’t feel like seeing him.”

Turning to me, Nero says with a cold expression, “I don’t feel like dealing with your stupid blunders again so make sure I never see you again.”

Seeing such a face causes me to run with Jupio right back to the campsite.