City of Lurn, Nation of Virene

Azure

The sound of rain fills my mind, drowning out the sound of punches. My vision is blurred, barely able to see the damp wooden walls in this dark alleyway.

"Get out of our city! You demon! Get out!"

"Just die! You bring bad luck to us! Leave!"

"You pitiful thing. Why don't you go back to hell?"

The voices overwhelm me. The village children stomp on my face, the smell of dirt overpowering. They are hurting me. It hurts. Stop! Just stop! But they can't hear me. They are too loud. Their voices are so loud. My mind is going to explode. Help! Someone, please! My heart hurts, my rib hurts, everything hurts too much. It hurts it hurts it hurts. Stop!

Then I wake up with a sore throat, and an aching heart. The familiar scent of nature floods in, and I bask in it.

My nightmare reminds me of a different, but not so distant time, where I used to be vulnerable, full of fear and sorrow. Now I am better. Better at hiding from danger. But also hiding my heart from myself.

I didn't have the best childhood after all. As some sort of mix between demon and human, the humans in this city—this nation hate me. I wish I wasn't half-demon. That I could live a normal human life, without the challenges this one has. But I live on, hoping it could get better. I wish I didn't have black blood and distinct, glowing blue eyes. Maybe then, even as a half blood demon, I could live without getting bullied, because no one would even recognize me!

Hah! There's no point in wishing or hoping, and I know that, but... Sigh.

I climb out of my bed. It's made out of hay, grass, leaves, and whatever other soft materials I could find, and although small and poor, it still works well.

As I walk out my shabby living space, out from a backstreet alley in the city slums, I begin to see the bustling crowd in the distance.

Today's the day. I will escape the slums and go to the neighboring nation of Latelle.

Sweet escape. I can start a new life. I hear the nation of Latelle allow demons and humans to co-exist, so if I go there, will I finally be free? Able to live a normal life? A hope so.

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I head out to work. It's a simple job, mining and mining, exhausting really, but I have been doing laborous jobs my entire life. My body has gotten used to it. At the end of the day, my boss hands me a copper coin.

It has dust and dirt on it, showing the little monetary worth it has. But this is my daily pay.

I wipe the grime off the coin with my thumb, revealing a smooth reflective copper base. I see my own reflection in the coin, long flowy black hair, and deep glowing blue eyes. Right now I look like a normal human, and can pass off as one. But when the day comes when the demon blood grows more and more, and more distinguishable features grow on me, I don't think I'll be able to keep my job.

That's why I need to leave Virene, and head into Latelle. The don't discriminate between races there. But first I have to escape this poor dirty city of Lurn.

It has gotten very late, and the horizon almost swallows the sun whole. I sprint back to my place, take the few dozen coins I saved from under my bed, and leave to the harbor.

My heart beats fast, and I prepare myself. I ready myself for this.

I have everything ready. The plan is ready. I am ready. The time is right.

I steady myself and go, my breath hurried and quick. I sneak off with the little clothes I have, including a jet black robe I bought to blend in with the dark of the night.

I go to the elderly dealer hidden in countless structures, who hands me a fake ID and looks at me with a smile. It's his way of wishing me luck. He gives me a tap on the shoulder and nudges me out.

I wave a small goodbye, and run off to the ships. There's a long line of poor citizens both middle class and lower class commoners who all line up. There's also a line for the richer class, with there own separate boat, leagues better on what I'm about to go on.

As a citizen without a registered ID, they'll definitely not let me pass, unless I bribe them with a buttload of money. But I don't have that type of cash, so I bought a fake ID, hopefully able to trick them. It all depends on this.

It's my turn to load the dock. I hand him 20 copper coins, enough for the lowest of the lowest of dorms on this ship heading to Latelle. It's truly a really cheap room, a shared room with one other person.

The Virenian soldier gestures for my ID, I give it to him, and he uses some sort of magic spell to check it. I watch in fear as he looks at me with skepticism.

At the moment, I'm afraid, and feel like I need to run away, but the soldier finished the magic spell, and gestures for me to get on. I comply, and he hands back the fake ID.

Phew. That was nerve racking. I knew the old man wouldn't scam me. He was the nicest, most trustworthy dealer I could find. Maybe I have good taste in people? Or I just got lucky.

I head down into the lowest parts of the ship, where my stay is.

As I open the door, I hear a scurry of steps and curious I open the door.

"Hi." I quietly say.

"Hello. Let's both be good company." The one making the noise says.

It's this teenager with golden brown hair and beautiful green eyes. He gives me a quick look and continues to shadow box. Punching air, side stepping and dodging. He's practicing some sort of martial arts it seems.

He seems focused on training, not even giving a care in the world of anything else around him.

Ugh. This is going to be a long night.

And I'm right. He sleeps so little and stays awake for so long, always practicing martial arts and making louds of noise.

"This is going to be a long few days..." I mutter to myself.

Then the days dragged by.

If I had lied, I would say they flew by, but they really didn't. It was pretty boring. But matter of fact, the days sailed by, literally and figuratively.