“Are you done fixing my bow?” Asked Koano.

He looked at his sister's hands as they danced around the bow.

“Done” Ghara smiled and handed her brother the bow.

“Come on, we need to find something to eat today” he walked slowly with his sister away from the city. The dead crops crunched beneath his feet as they walked.

“Do you think we will find something today?” Asked Ghara.

“Not if you don't shut up” They walked deep into the woods looking all around for anything. The light buzzing if a few bugs seemed almost appetizing. They walked for hours and found only trees. They had picked the area clean like carnivorous bugs on a dead body.

“A berry bush!” the flapping of massive wings filled her ears.

“You idiot!” Yelled her brother.

The bird had gotten away.

“I'm sorry I just got excited, but look…”

“But nothing! Because of you we are all going to be hungry! You know what get out of here! Go home, I don't need you!” Ghara felt a tear fall down her face.

She turned and ran she knew she would regret it. The hunger pains always got worse after she ran. She stopped once she knew that he would not hear her cry.

She had to be the strong one. She walked through the empty trees and salted ground. The flood had left the dirt sterile.

Ghara looked at her home. A small box made of mud and sticks. Her father was tending to the grubs. She felt a sharp pain in her arm and looked at the Thorn kiss. She knew the pain would linger in her skin. Its venom would flow through her veins and arteries setting her body ablaze with pain. Or it would if she hadn't been her father's daughter and been born with a natural resistance.

She walked up to her father. He bowed as the law demanded.

“Hi Hanro” she greeted her father.

“How are this day Ghara?”

“I'm doing well” She smiled.

Her father smirked and nodded.

“I got in a little fight with Koano” Said Ghara.

“Well, I know you two will work it out. If you don't mind, can you help me find the grubs” Ghara nodded yes and grabbed a stick.

Her father jumped into the mud. The thick tree root armor would protect him from the bites. Her father moved around and a few seconds later pulled himself out. Several large white grubs were clamped to his armor. Ghara whacked the grubs off. She only hit the small ones. Once she wacked enough off her father walked to a small stone area.

Ghara grabbed her knife and stabbed it through their small hearts. She kicked the small ones back in. She wondered if her brother had found anything. Step after step he marched.

“Why can't she shut up. All she does is ruin everything” Koano stepped over a large white log.

He knew he had a few hours left. The trees seemed to be made of the dirt. Every inch of them matching the color perfectly. Koano heard the flutter of wings. He turned and could see it. A large black crow.

He froze for a moment. He knew they were just legends. He pulled back and let the sharp stone pass through its heart. The crow fell screaming out into the night. It spread its wings one last time as it attempted to reach its home. Koano sent another arrow through its mind.

He knew they would never eat it knowing it was a crow. He removed the feathers and the head. He cut off the feet and removed all the meat from the bone. He placed the meat in a pouch and took everything that might be useful. Koano collected the feathers and anything that looked like it belonged to a crow. He hid them in the dirt and started the walk home.

“How far did Koano go?” Asked her father.

“Well, we took about three hours to walk out their” Said Ghara.

“I'll go find him, it's gonna be dark soon” Said her father

“I'll do it, I want to talk to him anyway” She felt terrible that he was out there on his own.

She grabbed a lantern and walked out into the darkness. Her dim light slowly pushing apart the void.

Maybe I'll find the berry bush again. He loved berries.

With every step her hope grew. She walked through the dark and found the tiny berry bush. She heard something light. The chirp of a small animal. Ghara looked around and saw the nest. She grabbed a branch and made her way up. She looked in and could see a tiny bird. It's body had no feathers only a small beak. It's eyes had yet to see the horrors of the world. She smiled and lost her smile when it didn't move. She looked at her hair. She grabbed a lock of her hair and cut a it. She placed it around the bird. It opened its tiny mouth to receive food. She knew she had nothing. She looked down at the bush and found five tiny berries. She got down and picked each one carefully. She climbed up again and crushed up the berry. She dropped the food in its mouth. She placed a tiny stick over its head and walked around looking for her brother.

She looked well into the night and knew he would be heading in. She looked at the berries and ate one. When she arrived home she could smell something. She walked into the tiny home and could see that there was a small amount of food on the table. She placed the berries on the table and ate some of the grub. Only a tiny porschen was edible but it was enough. She gagged just a bit but finished her meal. She could see her brother asleep on his bed. She lay on her mat looking out the cracks in the door. She smiled knowing it would live to see another day.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

When dawn came she was awake by her father “Ghara, the guards are here. You know what to do” her father was holding everything that could indicate that they had been their.

She sat alone and did what she could to clean the home. She eventual heard a knocking at the door. Fear had its claws infused into her spine. The beasts had arrived. She opened the door and could see a woman in armor. Every inch of her body was covered in armor.

“Where are your caretakers” A voice like steel hit her.

“I don't have any” Said the Ghara.

The hand hit her with enough force to send her skidding.

“Lie to me again and it will be the last thing you do” Said the guard.

Ghara lay on the floor attempting to get up. Her face had gone num. She attempted to say something, anything but only air came out.

They walked into the house and grabbed anything they could brake. They grabbed the meat and smashed anything that could be.

A hand clasped her throat and said “Where are they”.

Ghara knew this was intentional. She was unable to speak. A heavy hand hit her taking the breath from her lungs. Pain began to flow through her body. The guard dragged her out of her home. With a single swing a guard smashed her home.

“Where are they” She knew it wasn't a question, it didn't even sound like one.

“I don't know” Cried Ghara.

She felt the hand toss her into the grub pit. She knew what was to come. Sharp pain attacked her body as the grubs attempted to eat her. She screamed and they asked again

“Where are they”

“I don't know” She truly had no idea.

She attempted to crawl out but only received a strong hit from the blunt end of a spear.

“Where”

Ghara cried once more “I don't know” her hand had reached the edge and the boot smashed her hand.

The guards began to walk away and Ghara made it out. She killed the grubs and did her best to clean the wounds. She lay on the floor and soon after another villager found her.

He did his best to fix her up and had to leave soon after. Ghara waited till her father and brother arrived home. She couldn't do anything anyway. When her father saw her he went into a full sprint and reached her crying.

“I'm sorry, I'm so sorry” He feared that if he touched her the wounds would open. He father and brother spent the night tending to her and fixing the house.

They could hear the cries for the lost. The guards would drop by and take the men for war. And often if a girl was born with the mark of the God eater they would pay a great deal for the child. But if a boy was born with the mark. They would take it and a weapon it would become.

“I'm sorry I let them break the house” Said Ghara.

“Don't be sorry. You didn't do this” Said her father.

“I'm going to look for more food. They took everything but four berries.”

“I'm gonna go for a walk to think” Said Ghara.

She stood up and her brother headed in the opposite direction. She held one of the berries in hand. She walked passed everything and over white stones. She reached her destination.

She used her one good hand to climb up. She could see the tiny bird with the tiny stick over his head. It had yet to move. She tapped it and it lifted its head waiting for the food. She gave it the berry and it chirped. She got down slowly and walked back home.

She arrived just in time to see her brother step out of the woods. He had a bug hanging from his bow. She arrived at the house and looked at his catch.

“Wow, its so shiny!” She looked at its shell. It seemed to have every color mixed with green.

“The traps I made worked” Said Koano.

Her father started a fire and cooked it. They ate small amounts knowing people had died from overeating many times before. She went to bed to build her strength. The next day her father woke her.

“Looks like it's going to rain” His face carried a smile.

They needed the rain. The endless black clouds seemed filled with promise.

Ghara spent most of the day in bed. Her wounds would heal fast when resting, or at least that is what she hoped. The new day came and she went for another walk. She walked admiring the trees. Each was far older than most cared to understand.

Ghara reached the home of the bird and made a decision. She would make her home his. She walked to its house and climbed up its tree. She looked at her little friend. She lifted its nest and began her way down.

“Let it go” Said a voice with a deathly calm.

She jolted and lost her grip. She clasped the bird close to her chest and fell back. She knew it was too late to try and regain her grip. The best she could do is save the bird. She closed her eyes and felt her body land in someone's arms. She opened her eyes and could see something strange.

Blue eyes.

She looked into the strange color. He had black there they white's of his eyes should be. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

He set her down “Give me that bird”.

“Why do you want it?”

Your eyes are so beautiful…

“I'm hungry that's why, just give me it why would you care” Said the boy.

“No” Said Ghara.

He grabbed her wrist “I wasn't asking”

Ghara was caught off guard. She had never heard a boy talk back to a girl that he wasn't well acquainted with.

You're strange, that's nice.

“You’re going to hurt it aren't you” Said Ghara.

“So what if I do. You know what, I'll make a deal with you” He reached into his pocket. He held a single gold coin. She knew what it was worth. She knew just how much she could get with it.

She held the bird close and took a breath. “No” she had made up her mind. This bird was her friend. It was her joy. She would not give it up. His hand clasped around her throat.

“Give me that stupid bird or I'll kill you” Her head began to burn. She had lost whatever hope she had for him.

“No” She declared through clenched teeth.

He sat her down and looked into her eyes. She felt a sadness in his eyes. A pain that had know sadness so well they became one. His arms wrapped around her as he began to cry. Ghara didn't know why but she held him.

Never once in her all of life had she ever felt as confused as she did now. She felt his tears sting her cuts. She didn't flinch, she didn't wince. She smiled and as he fell to his knees. She held him.

I like you strange boy.

She waited and asked his “What's your title”.

“There's no need for that. You can have my name.” She felt her entire face blush. She kept in mind that she was holding the bird.

“What!?” Yelled Ghara.

He held her free hand. His eyes the absolute incarnation of join on their world.

“I love you. Never once in my life has anyone tried to protect me out of their own free will without expecting something in return” Said the boy.

“What do you mean?” Asked Ghara.

“That doesn't matter, my name is…”

“Wait! Listen, we just meet, maybe we should get to know each other first” Said Ghara.

He smiled “Fine but only because I love you”

“So why did you want the bird” Ghara truly wanted to know.

“Because it's mine. It's complicated as to why but it is. Can I walk you home?” Asked the boy.