Mariyah’s legs dangled off the side of the wooden bridge as she peered into the trickling water below her. Bright green frogs and gray crayfish played in their habitat hidden under the tall evergreens. She smiled to herself as the warm breeze blew against her skin with a kiss of chill gently adding to it.
As she watched, she heard a familiar voice calling for her. “Aha! I caught one!” Oliver came jogging over to her from down the creek line with his hands cupped together.
She swung her legs back up and walked over to her friend. “Another one?” she asked with a loud gasp.
He smirked and opened his hands, exposing a small gray crayfish.
“Oh my,” she whispered, her eyes softening as she picked it up. “This one is so little!” She observed it slowly with an excited smile on her face before he suddenly pushed her hands towards her face, causing a loud yelp to escape her lips as she jolted back.
“That’s not funny!” she shouted, but her laughter gave away the anger she was trying to force.
Oliver tried to suppress his laughter as she handed it back to him. “Yes, it was,” he snorted. He shook his head and carried the creature back to the water.
She wiped her hands off onto her dress, looking down at the circular birthmark that sat on the palm of her left hand. It was goldish, an odd color for a birth mark. But she always found it pretty, despite the jokes her friends in the kingdom would make.
Her eyes returned their attention to him and then the creature. She tilted her head in thought. “You can’t bring it back to your village? It’s better than nothing.”
“We’d be eating entirely shell.” He looked at the water, with a small chuckle, “Too small,” he said as he released the small creature back into the water.
She watched him as he did so, his once toned and visibly strong arms were now rid of practically any fat and muscle. She let out a heavy breath, opening her mouth to speak but she stopped herself, knowing how he hates it when she brings it up. She kept quiet and returned to her seat on the bridge, crossing her legs on the wood.
He plopped down beside her and leaned back into his hands, rolling his head to face her. His hair moved a bit from his forehead, exposing the small two inch vertical line that was tattooed onto him and every other Shifter in the kingdom. “Now…” he began. She looked at him as he continued, falling into his green eyes as he smirked at her, almost enough to distract her from her worrying thoughts. “What would the birthday girl like for her birthday?”
She lifted an eyebrow, “Oh, you remembered?”
He tilted his head, “Why does that surprise you?”
She gave a light laugh and shook her head, “She doesn’t want anything.” She sighed, looking away for a moment, smirking. “Well…maybe she’d accept a flower.”
“A flower?” He gave her a look, but smiled. “And what else?” He looked down at her gentle blue dress, thumbing the colorful floral patterns that were embroidered onto the fabric’s borders.
She looked down at his fingers, watching him touch her dress. Mariyah’s mother always sewed the most beautifully simple dresses for her. She adored each one, but the blue was her favorite. She thought it suited her best, especially with her dark features.
Mariyah was a young girl now, and she had grown to share the looks of both her mother and father. It was no hidden fact that Lucinda passed down her golden brown eyes, along with the other features of her face; a small but strong nose, full lips, and a gentle brow. Victor’s characteristics sat on display among her thick and nightly black hair that lengthened just a hand past her shoulders. The hair that looked as though it was close to forming curls, but hithered just before. That, along with her warm and tanned skin that could be mistaken for a sunlight’s glow were all accents of her father.
She shook her head with a big smile, replying to Oliver, “Nope. Just a flower. A pretty one. That’s all.”
“You and your flowers.” He looked over at the large book that lay in the grass beside the creek. Flowers of the Americas: A Guide To All Plantlife. By: K.N. It was Mariyah’s birthday gift from last year, given to her by family friends. This book was the reason she was out in the forest the day she met Oliver. She had been identifying every flower, plant, and mushroom she could find in this vast forest, searching the pages for each one until she could put a name to the plant.
It wasn’t long after her new obsession began that she ran into the Shifter boy. He’d been searching for mushrooms along the creek, and upon the surprise and hesitancy of meeting a bare foreheaded girl out this deep in the first, a friendship was born and the creek where they first met became their designated meet up area from thereon.
He had a soft smile on his face as he looked at her again. “I know I don’t have much, but I’ll make it work. Whatever you want, I can make it happen. Tell me what you really want?”
“I’m serious,” She shook her head again, “Just want a flower..” Her lips pressed together stubbornly.
He let out a soft breath, “Well, I guess I can do that.” He shrugged, “I’ve got a week to come up with such a difficult gift.” He gave her a smirk.
She leaned back beside him. “I hope it isn’t too much of a request?”
He sighed, shrugging his shoulders, “I suppose I’ll manage.”
She let out a giggle and watched his smirk turn into a grin. The two remained in each other’s stares for a long moment, long enough that she couldn’t ignore his thinning face that was once somewhat fuller and full of life. She silently scolded herself as her mouth moved too quickly for her head. “Are you eating enough?” she asked him.
His expression changed as he looked away immediately. “Yes,” he answered shortly. He stood up and stepped into the water, getting his torn and ragged trousers wet.
She knew it was aggravating to him but she couldn’t help it now. “You’re not,” she corrected him as she looked at his thin arms, her eyes widening with concern. “You’re a twig, Oliver. You need to eat more.”
“I eat enough, Mariyah, I do. I just don’t gain weight easily,” he ran his hand through his long golden hair and looked up at the bright rays of sun that poked through the tall and deep green trees that covered them.
She looked at him, knowing it was a lie. She pulled out two green apples from her pockets and handed them to him. “Eat them. Right now, please,” she said with concerned eyes as he took them. She pulled out three more red ones. “For your mother.”
“Mariyah…” his eyes lit up at the sight of them. “Thank you,” He sat down beside her again and began to devour them immediately. He tucked the red ones into his trouser pockets as he ate.
There was a long silence, save for the ribbetting frogs and humming bees that wandered the creek. The excitement on his face to see apples sunk her heart, and her nose burned at the sensation from tears forming, but she held them in. When was the last time he ate something other than what I’ve brought him?
Each visit, his cheekbones had been growing more and more visible, and she could only watch as his skin hugged tighter and tighter around his bones. She worried one day they may hug too tight. “I’m so sorry, Olly. I wish I could help you more,” she said quietly as she sat down beside him on the green grass that poked through her dress. “Have there been any more deaths?” she looked at him questioningly, a cool breeze gently blowing strands of her black hair from her face.
“A few. But they were sick, we all knew they wouldn’t last much longer,” he said with a mouth full of apple. “You remember Margaret, right?”
She shook her head.
“The lady who always had a big mouth when the soldiers came to visit. She’d run her mouth each time like she had no care in the world.”
“Oh, yes, I remember. What about her?”
“They locked her up for asking the guards for some rations. They said she was disrespecting her superiors.”
“Locked up for talking back…” Mariyah inhaled deeply, shaking her head, and sighed as he sat beside her. She looked down at her toes as she spoke to her friend, “You do stay low, right? No smart comments or anything to the guards?”
He shrugged his shoulders, continuing onto his second apple, “It’s hard when they treat us like this. I wouldn’t mind if I could give them a taste of how I feel.” He chuckled and looked at her.
But his humor did not amuse her. “You don’t take this seriously, Olly. You need to take care of yourself. You know they will have you taken away for even looking at them the wrong way. Please don’t test them.” He just stared down at his apple before continuing to eat. She puffed out a breath, “Do you hear me?” She tilted her head, her eyes searching for him to look at her.
He finally responded, looking over at her. “You shouldn't worry about me like this, Mariyah. Either way, they barely visit anymore. Last visit was the first in weeks.”
She puffed out a breath. “Okay, Oliver, but they will come again. And again. You need to be careful, please.”
“I know,” he said quietly. He finished his apple and sighed. “That was good,” he said with a grin, tossing the core into the stream.
She stared at him in return, her eyes wandering over his bony wrists. Her eyes locked onto the bones poking out of his skin for what felt like minutes. She looked at his green eyes and shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe one day you can come over and get some yourself.”
“That’s a nice idea, but I’m not sure if I feel like getting sentenced to death today. Maybe another time,” he said with an exaggerated smile.
She snorted at his sarcasm and covered her mouth. “Don’t say that. I meant later on. One day it’ll happen. All of this is going to end, and Shifters and Naturals are gonna live together like how it used to be. Then you can watch me beat all the others at tag in the kingdom.” She lifted her chin cockily.
“You can beat those inexperienced kingdom kids, but you can’t beat me,” he said with a cocked eyebrow. She watched as his skin slowly morphed and suddenly he had a coat of fur, and his eyes grew smaller until she was no longer looking at a young boy, but rather a coyote.
“Olly!” Mariyah half shouted, half whispered, gently smacking his furry shoulder. “Don’t do that.”
He smirked at her and cocked an eyebrow, “Why not, hm?” He shifted into a human once again, “Because the tattoo on my forehead doesn’t give it away?” He pointed to the grayish line in the middle of his forehead.
She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. “Because it doesn’t matter where you are. No shifting.”
He lifted his brows, “Are you doing an impersonation of the king now? That was good.”
“Oliver.” She narrowed her eyes, but her lips could not hold back a smile from him. “I’m serious.” She forced her grin to straighten out and looked at him more seriously, “You know the laws. I just want you to stay safe.” She rubbed her arm, nervously.
“Yes, Mother,” he retorted.
She pursed her lips at his comment. “Shut up.” She knew she was being overbearing, but she stopped caring about that a long time ago. All she cared was that he was safe and if that meant being annoying, she would be, though she wished she didn’t have to be.
He tilted his head, “Let’s try it now?”
“Tag?”
He nodded.
“Now?” She laughed. “Oh, I wish.”
He shrugged and held his hands up, “I think you’re just scared.”
“I’m not scared.” She desperately wanted to say something back, maybe reveal her secret and show how she could outrun him by minutes. But she just held her tongue and shrugged. “I mean, I’m sure my human legs can outrun you either way. I’m just aware that tag requires more than two people to play, so I’m gonna wait until you can finally come over to my village and play with all of us.” She smiled to herself at the thought..
He rolled his eyes. “I guess I’ll be chasing you when we’re in our 70s.”
She sighed. It won’t take that long for Shifters to be given their freedom again. People have to fight back eventually...right? “Okay, pessimist.” She looked at the sun ahead of her, rising slowly, and her heart sank. I swear, it feels like you move faster and faster each day, she thought to herself as she looked at the rising sun. She turned to her friend, “Looks like I gotta go. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said in a soft voice. “Please, be safe, please?” she asked him once more as she picked up her field guide.
“I will, don’t worry,” He assured her with a smile.
She smiled back widely and began her hour long walk back through the forest to her home. Her eyes skimmed the brown forest floor as she walked, waiting for any flower or plant to catch her eye. As far as her parents’ know, her passion for flowers is what keeps her in the forest so often, so she always made sure to keep that thought of theirs alive-especially with how these once often visits were now becoming almost daily.
A few bluebells eventually grabbed her attention, so she quickly plucked them and tucked them in her dress pocket. She continued on through the tall forest, its trees mainly consisting of large and old evergreens, blocking in most of the light from above. She held out her arm to allow her hands to brush against the branches of bushes and tall plants that she passed. The touch comforted her for no particular reason, but it did. She finally emerged from the forest into the large field that surrounded the kingdom in front of her.
She inhaled sharply as she looked ahead at the large kingdom in the distance, knowing she had waited too long. It’d be close…she took off into a sprint, lifting her dress with her free hand as she ran across the field and over the hills until she reached the dirt path that led up to the kingdom gates. She quickly entered through the large stone archway, no soldiers were ever posted out there. The archway connected the four stone walls that bordered the entire kingdom, leaving one way in and out.
She slipped into the empty streets of the city, hidden from sight. As she continued on the cobblestone streets, more citizens began to emerge from their homes, some out to set up shop, some preparing for their work, everyone going about their own business.
As she made it home, she was greeted inside. “Finally back?” her mother asked as she entered.“A good search this morning?”
She nodded her head. “Mhm...didn’t see any new flowers though. Just more bluebells.” She pulled them from her pocket and placed them on the table.
“Oh, but you love your bluebells?” her mother said with her matching black hair.
Mariyah nodded again with a smile. “I know, I know.” No matter how long she kept this secret from them, the guilt wouldn’t fade away. She tried to remind herself, she wasn’t truly lying as she does adore flowers and hunting for new ones, but if they knew her true reason for her frequent forest trips, they would be torn. And keeping that from them pained her every day. She changed the subject, smiling at her mother, “Is Father awake?”
“Not yet, he was working on his project late last night.” Her brown eyes looked at her daughter as she planted a kiss on her forehead. “Breakfast is on the table.”
Mariyah thanked her mother and ate her meal. When she finished, she looked around for a small package that usually held her favorite treat for breakfast. “No grass jellies?” she asked her mother, unable to find it. “Or red bean buns?”
“The country of Chaiaysa ended relations with Seenparay. They won’t be trading with the kingdom anymore.” Lucinda sighed and cleaned up her daughter’s plate. “No more for now. But I’m sure trades will start back up soon.” She gave her a reassuring smile.
But Mariyah doubted that. The news surprised her, but it shouldn’t have.“Is this the king’s fault?” She bit her lip as her mother explained.
“It’s been said that a growing number of Shifter birds have fled and made it to Chaiaysa. The emperor heard of Soliath’s acts and immediately cut ties. I’m not sure what will happen, but we still have Gyamon and Athreta who trade with Seenparay. I doubt those countries will even hear of what’s happening here. Even if they did, those countries have always kept to themselves.”
“Hm.” She said quietly, staring at the table. She hated hearing about the state of her country worsening, but there was no escape from the talk of it. News of the bird shifts leaving, gave her almost a hint of jealousy. If it weren’t for her parents and her identity remaining hidden, she probably would have fled too. But she’d be abandoning her people, though there was nothing she could do by staying.
Attempting to push her thoughts away, she excused herself from the table and gave her mother a kiss on the cheek before heading to the door. “Gonna go enjoy myself before the others come out. “Maybe I’ll see if I can get some…samples.” She gave her mother a wide grin who just shook her head in response.
Mariyah strolled through the streets, by now everyone was out and about and the once empty streets were busy with citizens walking about. She skipped her way down the streets toward the market, waving at the familiar shop owners as she passed them. She followed her nose to an older man who was setting bread and pastries out on his table. “Hi, Hupert!” Mariyah smiled and tilted her head as she held her hands behind her back eagerly.
He glanced up through his spectacles and shook his head, “Morning, Miss Mariyah. Can I help you?”
Her eyes were set on a small muffin that looked freshly baked on the corner of his table. “Just looking…”
He gruffed out and motioned his hand. “Just take it and let me be.”
Mariyah smiled widely and gasped, “Really? Thank you!” She took the muffin and began to eat it quickly, continuing down the street. She contemplated silently begging for more bits of food from her usual vendors who had grown sick of her belly, but being reminded of Oliver’s hunger, her appetite tamed and she no longer wanted anymore. She found a small bench to sit on where she sat and watched the crowd moving along the market. She stared down at a stone in the street, her mind taking her to the creek with Oliver and his thinning body.
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She finished her muffin while doing her best to push away the thoughts about Oliver, and began towards her favorite place in all the kingdom when she was alone. She moved through the busy crowded streets and passed house after house until she turned in between two homes and began to walk along the side of the wall and between the backs of houses. She stopped when she came across an overgrown section, with vines creeping up to the top. She wrapped her hand around the vines and began to pull herself up, climbing up onto the wall as best she could.
When she made it up, she wiped her dress off and continued to the edge of the tall wall she stood on now, making her way to the tower and hoisting herself on the ledge of the wall. There she sat, perched up on the South Wall, with her legs dangling off the outer side.
When she was much younger but old enough to climb, she would spend her days wandering the four bordering walls of the kingdom. It was there that she had found a perfect nook that allowed her to lean against the tall tower, and sit along the edge of the wall, paired with the perfect view of all…Seenparay’s Forest.
Ever since, she’d spend long hours dazing out past the large and open fields that surrounded the kingdom, and over to the tree line that marked the beginning of a large vast forest. As she’d stare out, she’d imagine herself as a lioness, sprinting across the field and darting throughout the forest, as an eagle soaring above the trees and diving into the sea of trees before shifting into a cheetah and racing the wind around her.
Nowadays when she stared out there, she’d picture Oliver in his village, wondering what he was up to in his forest village. She’d envision running away and finding him, surprising him in his village and living life out with the Shifters. But she knew she never could. Not with what her parents had set up for her. So she just kept to her nook, imagining another reality where things were much less dark.
That is where she sat today, but this time with a book in her lap. It didn’t matter how many times she had read it over, she’d never stop. “The Gifts of the Flower.” Her eyes wandered over each word that she had almost memorized by now, “It wasn’t long until the newly found flower was being sold among all of Seenparay. Soon the flower was a common trade even in Chaiaysa and Gyamon. There was no longer a need for any other herbal medicine, for the Flower did it all. Not long after, the flowers began to grow all among the lands, its roots growing deeply into each area that it found itself in. Hills, mountains, forests, and springs…springs that flowed into many kingdoms and many countries…springs that its natives drank from. And it was only then that the true gift of the flower was discovered. Though considering it a gift was not the initial reaction to-”
“Equevo, it’s not funny!”
Mariyah quickly leaned over and grasped a large stone that stood wedged into the stone wall behind her legs. She pulled it out carefully and quickly, shoving the book inside the hole that it covered. Once she replaced the stone back in its home, she turned her head around to the bickering that came from behind her.
“It is very funny, Petrah,” Equevo answered.
Fingertips grasped the edge of the inner side of the wall and soon a head of brown hair popped up into sight. “Tell her how funny it is, Mariyah!” He puffed out, blowing the hair off his forehead as he hoisted himself over the edge and stood up on the wall. He dusted his brown trousers off along with his white, stained shirt.
Mariyah swung her legs over the ledge to hop down and lifted an eyebrow at Equevo and then Petrah, who was pulling herself up behind him. “What am I agreeing to being funny?”
He grinned. “Petrah tripped in the middle of the market.”
Mariyah quickly put a hand to her mouth sensing a laugh-
“Stop it, it was embarrassing, Mariyah!” Petrah whined.
She couldn’t help but guiltily laugh. “I’m sorry! Was it a bad fall?”
Petrah pursed her lips and looked up and to the right. “No…” She looked at Mariyah before smiling. “Actually it was awfulI! It was a full fall, I landed on my hands two feet away from Adam.” She burst into laughter. “It really isn’t funny!” She covered her mouth as she snorted, looking down at her pale brown gown, “I blame this dress- It’s such a pesky thing.” Petrah’s dress was a tannish color, down to her feet with cuffed short sleeves. Her short straight hair, as usual, was tucked into a loose bun above the back of her neck, accompanied by a cream headband made from scrapped linen. The light color suited her brown chestnut hair nicely and her emerald green eyes only benefited from her warm hair and pale skin.
Mariyah giggled and looked down at her own blue dress, the long sleeves ended just above her wrists, and the very bottom ended just above her worn brown flats. “These things can be quite cumbersome w-”
“HAND?!”
She turned to see an olive toned hand reaching out from the edge of the wall. She laughed through her nose before reaching her hand down to pull up her friend. “Decided to join us?”
“Will you two ever not make everything into a race?” He muttered toward Petrah and Equevo. “My father’s already having me train for the Guard enough. Can't catch a break…” He hunched over with his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. His brown curls dangled just an inch off his head as he regained his composure.
Equevo patted his back with a chuckle. “About time you made it. And now that you’re here…” He smiled mischievously and took off down the long walkway over the Eastern Wall, Petrah following behind. “Last one to the gates and then the square loses!!”
“God, no, what’d I just say?” Siloh groaned out, tossing his head back.
Mariyah’s eyes widened and she instantly broke off into a sprint, Siloh immediately following behind as she took the route of the Southern Wall.
The castle of Seenparay along with all of the homes of the citizens was bordered by four large stone walls. Each wall was accompanied by a tower, the Northern Wall with it’s tower, the Eastern with it’s, and so on. Soldiers hadn’t ventured up in them for years, so it gradually became a popular spot for Mariyah and her friends.
Siloh grumbled and followed behind Mariyah. “This way’s longer!” He shouted up ahead.
Mariyah turned back to see Petrah following Equevo instead, running hard. Her feet stomped over the hard stones and she skidded into the ledge as the wall reached its change of direction. Now they were running down the Eastern Wall, and Mariyah called back to Siloh, “No it’s not!”
She hopped on the inner ledge of the wall and swung her legs over the side, grasping onto the vines that decorated the wall. She climbed down, being sure Siloh followed, before continuing the sprint. She ran around the back of the house that she landed behind and out into the cobblestone streets.
She sprinted by passerby’s, shouting out apologizes and dodging people every which way. She could see the gates up ahead and she sped up her pace, passing through Market Lane with her dress flopping up and down against her moving legs. The gates were doors, rather. Large wooden doors that surpassed the height of the wall were bordered by a large stone archway.
“Can you all ever not cause a ruckus?” an older woman on the side of the street hollered at them from behind her food stand. “You’ll scare away my buyers!”
“Sorry Ruma!” Mariyah shouted back in between pants. She quickly ran through the large open gates, Siloh on her tail as she tapped the stone archway and took off again in the opposite direction.
She bounded through the streets, zig zagging past citizens who cursed at her and Siloh, running up the streets until she could see the castle in her view. She pushed harder until she reached the open area in front of the king’s balcony where a mass of citizens were gathered. The kingdom square with the wooden gallows just to the left of the castle balcony.
She tapped the ground of the square, signaling her finish as she ignored the crowd behind her. She collapsed onto the stone road just as she stopped running, Siloh falling down beside her. She rolled over onto her back, holding her cramping side and laughing as Equevo and Petrah finally caught up.
Equevo hunched over, hands on his knees as he shook his head in irritation. “Cheaters,” He muttered.
Petrah leaned back, catching her breath. “Should’ve followed you,” she panted out.
Mariyah finally regained her composure and stood up, dusting the dirt off her dress. She smiled and shrugged her shoulders. “Next time.”
“Whatever.” Equevo waved her off and looked over at the crowd. His face lifted as a sudden realization hit. “Oh- come on! We’ll miss it!!” He shouted, motioning them to follow as he began towards the crowd.
Mariyah sat up, “Miss what?” she looked at him before it dawned on her. Her heart sank immediately and she looked around at the others. It wasn’t often that there was a speech from the king, but still, they were often enough to make it impossible for Mariyah to avoid all of them without suspicion.
She did her best to force an excited smile and followed Equevo into the crowd, each of them staying close to each other as they pushed to get closer to the front. They joined just in time because the doors to the king's room opened just as they looked up at the tall balcony.
“Thank you all for joining me here today. I am honored to rule such attentive citizens.” His hair was cut short, and his trimmed beard matched his dark hair. His light but sun touched skin wore a dark gray close fit blouse with pants, the simple royal attire that he always wore. He gave a small smile and head nod to the crowd, “I’ve come out to speak today under the circumstances that no one wants to join under. And I apologize for continuously being the bearer of this news. I hope one day that news of such happenings will never leave my lips again. But until then, I can only make the efforts to prevent these things until we reach a life where the reality is that we are not in danger.”
His crown was small, keeping him humble looking which the people loved. He played his loved reputation among the Kingdomers to the maximum extent. He didn’t come from royalty, he was a commoner before the crown. His close friend, the late King Ruchar, had crowned him king before the sickness overtook him. Ever since, he had ruled quietly with compassion and understanding. He truly was a man of the people. And everyone, everyone, loved him.
Unless you carried a special trait.
“As you know, more crimes stack up against our people. Naturals are victims to the crimes of Shifters every day it seems. It has been cut down greatly by their gradual migration to the forest, but still, crimes remain occurring within our walls. As a result, I have come to a decision which I speak of today.” He cleared his throat, “This is something I do with a heavy heart. As many of you have accepted the difficult decisions that we must make for our safety, I understand that there are a few Shifters who continue to live within the walls. I speak to you Shifters when I say this: I understand the life you have here is far too valuable to leave on your own terms, but I must tell you the decision my council and I have decided on.” The king stood still and broadly, his hands clasped behind his back. “I will no longer be providing a choice to those who have chosen to stay. From tomorrow and on, all Shifters are to remove themselves from the walls and find shelter in the forest alongside the other villages. I know this is difficult news for the number of you, but it must be done. I, as a king, must make the decisions to protect my people. And unfortunately, I cannot do that while there are Shifters among us.”
Mariyah bit the inside of her cheek until she tasted blood. He had such a way with his words, she would have admired it if it wasn’t causing a hidden genocide. Her stomach was full of nerves, her anxiety ridden lungs making it difficult to inhale. She stood alongside Petrah and Equevo, with Siloh standing ahead of them. He worded it fancily, but she knew what it was. Banishment. Official banishment.
She could feel her body twitch with the desire to climb up on a roof and shout at the crowd in front of the king. She knew what she’d say, she’d imagined being in this situation many times. She’d tell them how they have been fooled since the moment the king found his place on the throne. That was the last day of Shifter and Natural coexistence, and nobody even knew it.
Separating a group that had been living alongside each other for centuries is no easy feat. But the king somehow succeeded. Year after year, slowly and slowly, he’d whisper worries and concerns into the ears of Naturals. A few years in, he’d planted enough seeds to cause some discomfort when thinking about the ability of Shifters. A few more years, and many friendships were beginning to dwindle down, families were beginning to grow tense. A few more, and mothers and fathers were beginning to abandon their children if they were Shifters. And now, all were banished and on the brink of starvation, their suffering hidden from the eyes of the Natural citizens here.
Applause ran through the crowd, sending Mariyah into a deeper panic. She turned her head left and right, watching the faces of those who applauded this man. None of you know. He’s fooled you so well, he’s fooled you seamlessly. She watched her friends clap eagerly and it reminded her to do the same. Her stiff arms slowly smacked their hands against each other as her eyes drilled into the king. But she had no smile. She had to stand in the midst of the crowd, as lies filled her ears, and she was the only one who knew. The screaming voice inside her couldn't attach to her lips. The only one who knew, standing in the middle of a brainwashed crowd and she couldn’t say a word, only watch her friends fall for his lies and manipulation.
“This will become an active order in three weeks. I wish to give you time to gather your things before you depart from us, and I wish you prosperity in the forest. I wish you a life where you can live with your abnormalities without worrying about harming innocents.”
Mariyah’s jaw twitched at that. He loved to nail that one in. The claim that Shifters could not control their beast like tendencies, that being a Shifter meant your mind was also animalistic.
“I thank you ahead of time for your cooperation.” He bowed his head and moved his gaze over the crowd, “That will be all. Thank you for gathering today, and I wish you all goodness.”
Mariyah’s palm stung from her nails in her clenched fists. She turned her head towards her friends and cleared her throat to speak over their cheers and shouts in unison with the crowd. “My mother is making toast and tomato soup, so I must go now.” She used to be much better at hiding her distaste and disgust for the king, but as she grew up and understood more, it became harder. And when she must watch her closest friend reap the penalties of the king’s careless works, it is difficult to sit and listen.
Petrah frowned. “Must you?”
“I’m never turning down Mother’s soup.” Mariyah gave her a smile and poked her side, “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She looked at the two boys, “Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow in the market. Need to redeem myself from yesterday’s loss…” Equevo ran a hand through his hair.
“If that’s possible.” She gave him a challenging smirk and waved goodbye to the three to begin her walk home, forcing herself to think of her upcoming birthday celebration in hopes of it muting the frustrations she felt after hearing this speech. Her walk turned into a slight skip down the streets as she grew excited, thinking of the food and friends that would be there.
“Gather ‘round, all! Gather ‘round for the news of the day!!”
Mariyah could hear that booming, annoying voice from anywhere around the kingdom. Her skip turned into a heavy walk as she bit her lip and did her best to block out any words he said by distracting herself with thinking of her party instead...but her ears and quiet thoughts could not fight off his intruding and loud voice.
“Execution at dawn tonight! Our king and his Guard have tracked down the notorious thief of this kingdom, and behold- just as we all expected!! A Shifter is to blame!! The daring scoundrel will be hanged under the penalty of stealing and terrorizing the Kingdom of Seenparay’s citizens! Our king will not stand for this behavior and at once, the thief will be put to death!” Cheers were heard all around as the herald blabbered on about justice being served. “Hurry, before you miss the beast’s final breath!”
Mariyah once again was grieved as she heard his words. She crossed her arms and kept them close to her as she thought. I doubt that they could even prove the Shifter of these crimes...Just looking for excuses to kill them…-us- off. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat from her nerves and quickly continued walking, making her way to her small home. The closer she got, the louder the bangs of her father’s blacksmith work echoed from inside the home.
Mariyah’s home sat at the edge of the kingdom, up against the Southern wall. She looked up at her house and tilted her head around the side where there was a small space of dirt rather than the usual cobblestone. Her mother’s small garden sat there with cooking herbs and some vegetables.
She’d considered plucking a small cherry tomato from the plant and tossing it in her mouth as she usually does before coming home, but her appetite was presently ruined. She knew better than to trouble her parents with her sadness so she did her best to imagine the excitement tomorrow would hold and she pushed open the door to her home. “I’m back!” she called out to the stairs in front of her and the open living area to her left.
The loud banging from across the room came to a halt and her father looked up from his work, a wide but soft smile on his face. “There she is. My sweet daughter...growing so quickly before me.”
Mariyah giggled shortly and approached him for a hug. “Father, stop it. I just saw you. I haven’t grown at all.”
“I know, I know.” He kissed the top of her head and pulled back from the hug to look at her. “But your mother and I were just remembering your birth...and to look at you now...turning seventeen soon.” He shook his head with a proud look on his face. “It makes your old man wanna cry, darling.”
She laughed. “Oh, my, what are you going to do when I turn twenty? A fully grown woman?”
“Twenty and married off?! I won’t let it happen,” he replied with a chuckle and a wink.
She rolled her eyes, lightheartedly and looked around with a small smile, “Where’s Mother?” she asked, not seeing her in the kitchen. She took a few steps up the stairs, thinking she may be in her bedroom.
“No, no! Don’t you dare!” her mother’s voice shouted from above, “There is important business being done up here and I can not have anyone seeing!”
Mariyah smirked and looked at her father, who mouthed the words, “Wrapping your gift.”
“Oh, Mother, I don’t need any more presents!” Mariyah said, holding back laughs. “You’ve given me amazing gifts every year, I need nothing else!”
“Presents?! Who said anything about presents?!” her mother shouted back.
Her father chuckled to himself before getting back to pounding his hammer on a large sword. She sat beside him for some time, watching him work as she always enjoyed doing. Her eyes traveled down the tall sharp blade to the hilt, where a large “S” was engraved. King Soliath. She puffed out a breath of irritation. “I will never understand you making weapons for him,” she said, quietly, regretting the words as soon as they came out.
“Oh, please don’t start with that Mariyah.” Her mother came down the steps and fetched some bread from their cupboards. “Your birthday is soon, we’re going to enjoy our time and not talk about such pesky matters.”
“If I had the privilege to not rely on his coin, you know I would not,” her father answered. “It gives me profit which gives you and your mother food on the table and a roof to sleep under. That’s all it is.”
Mariyah frowned to herself and nodded her head. “I know...I understand. I shouldn’t have said that...” She stood up and sat herself at the kitchen table, greeting her mother.
“Playing more games today, hm?” her mother asked as she sliced up a loaf of bread.
“A bit,” Mariyah pursed her lips and watched her mother begin to warm up a tomato soup over the fireplace. Her thoughts drifted away as she stared at the pot that hung over the fire. “Did you hear? Another execution is happening. Thursday morning. They say he was a thief, but I doubt it’s true.” She scolded herself for being so loosely lipped.
“Mariyah, what did I say, sweetheart? No talk of that, not now especially. Your birthday will not be dampened by any news of these...” her voice trailed off, tenseness clinging to her tone.
“Yes, right-sorry.” She looked down at her hands that sat in her lap and frowned to herself. She fiddled with her dress, running her fingers over the flower embroidery. The warm smell of the soup filled her nose, “Smells good, ” she said, her face brightening as she changed the subject. Lucinda placed a plate of bread with a bowl of tomato soup on the table in front of Mariyah.
She gave her mother a small smile and thanked her for her meal. “Looks delicious,” She said, closing her eyes and taking in the warm steam that lifted off the soup. But she could not taste her food without picturing Oliver’s starving self, and her heart fell at the thought. Soon after a satisfied belly, the young girl climbed the steps to her room that stood down the hallway.
Now, alone in her bedroom dressed in her nightgown, she stood by her window and squinted out into the lowly lit streets outside of her home. The dark night’s atmosphere was black, with the only light outside her window coming from lit torches illuminating the streets and the lively homes of Seenparay. Her eyes jumped from glowing torch to torch, then from lit window to lit window in each home, following the trail of lights up the kingdom slowly. Finally, her eyes found the large castle that stood tall at the edge of the kingdom. Seenparay’s castle.
Her brown eyes narrowed as she stared up at it. Two towers on each side, with one large one in the middle and a balcony wrapped around it. She imagined the king living inside, happy and comfortable in his chambers...eating feasts and preparing his charming speeches while his laws forced Shifters to live in poverty and persecution.
She couldn’t help but worry about Oliver. Her fear of losing him was stronger than any other emotion. It was something that she was able to ignore before, when things weren’t so bad. But now, with new laws being passed, it was eating her alive. She wished she didn’t care for him. She wished loving someone didn’t come with the care and the toll it takes on someone. And she yearned to do more, so much more.
She clenched her jaw as she pulled her eyes away and closed her curtains. She walked over to her small and faded mirror, her saddened face looking back at her. She stared at her reflection as she watched her body slowly yet swiftly morph into a lioness under her direction. Her eyes blinked in her reflection as she slowly changed her body into a panther and then a cheetah.
Feline creatures seemed to feel most natural to her, though she could shift into many more types of animals. Her body felt every bone shift and skin transformation which meant animals close to her human size were more preferable to her.
Shifting into a large eagle, she expanded her wings, staring at her brown feathers in the mirror. Her beak curved at the end and her eyes locked with her reflection. To actually fly…That must be something.
After hearing a squeak coming from the floorboards below her, she took a deep breath in before attempting to shift into a mouse, but once again, as usual, her body could not do it. She frowned as she had always thought it’d be exciting to see the world from a mouse’s eyes and maybe even befriend real mice, but that shift was too drastic for her body, no matter how hard she tried.
She shifted again, this time becoming a griffin, her rarest shift. She expanded her large wings and broadened her chest. The strong craving to fly or run in her animal forms and take in her surroundings pulled at her heart, but per usual, her crave remained unsatisfied as she stared into her reflection. And she could only wonder what such a thing would feel like.
Her eyes wandered over her body slowly as she thought about those who lived around her. The ones she grew up alongside, the ones who she’d formed relationships with, the ones she loved. The same ones who would throw her to the forest and starve her if they knew what she was.
She thought she should feel anger, she thought it should be hard for her to live alongside people who hate her kind, but she didn’t. To Mariyah, those who hated her kind were not evil. It was the man who taught them to hate who was the evil one. And she knew better than to misplace her anger.
She knew the thoughts of these people were corrupted by one man. And that was the king. His convincing tongue had deceived the hearts of all those around her throughout his twenty year rule, and his slow tactics worked well. All she wanted was to scream to her friends the truth, that Shifters are not monsters and one added ability does not change who they are as people. But she couldn’t, and she was left to stay silent among the fearful people she lived alongside, pretending that she was one of them.