I always paid close attention to what I wore. It gave anyone that approached me an idea of what they were dealing with, after all. No matter where I walked, people knew the exact man I was: one of the Rosarian chiefs, Wennot!

“I’m leaving!” I called out to my family as I approached the door.

“Alright, bye pops!” My failure of a stepson seemed ecstatic to see me leave the house.

“Bye, daddy!” My lovely daughter! Oh my lovely daughter met me at the door and gave me a big hug that I returned tenfold!

I then heard the coos and squeals of my grandchild in his crib. I immediately ran over and picked him up.

“And how could I forget my ray of sunshine, Helaku!”

“Daddy…remember the agreement? We can’t call him that. His name’s Sonny now. If you call him anything else, he’ll just get confused.” My daughter reminded me, and although it was frustrating, she was right.

“I swear, it’s like with each generation, they ask for more and more. Next thing you know, they’re gonna ask that we cook our food like them! I tasted their stuff, not impressive!” I put my grandchild back into their cradle and as soon as I did, I began to hear the boy whimpering. Aw he’s going to miss me…maybe I don’t have to go to work today…

“Dad…” I could feel my daughter’s cold stare. I swear, it’s like she could read my mind sometimes.

“It’s okay, my boy! When I come back, we can play all you want. But Gramps has to go to take care of business! I’ll be back soon, Helak—I mean…Sonny.” I walked off and closed the door behind me.

I quickly made my way across the village and into the tent of the six chiefs. Everyone waved and said their hellos while Chief Enyeto did his usual brooding in the corner. Everyone seemed to be helping themselves to the food that Chief Aiyanna made as well. The lady herself was in the corner trying her best to force Enyeto to eat. That man could be such a child sometimes.

“You know when a lady offers you a meal, you eat it wholeheartedly! Didn’t your parents raise you right, boy?” I called out to Enyeto.

“I knew his parents!” Chief Atina called out. “They would beat you silly for this display, Yetty!”

“Y-Yetty?! Bahahahaha!” Chief Chogan fell out of his seat and rolled on the floor in a fit of laughter. In response to the sudden attention of half the chiefs, Enyeto gave a light bow and accepted Aiyanna’s food.

“You wouldn’t be in such a good mood if you actually remembered the result of the last meeting.”

“Wait…what happened last meeting again?” I tilted my head in confusion.

“I guess the grandkid honeymoon phase hasn’t gone away yet…” Enyeto rolled his eyes as he took another bite.

“I’ll explain!” Everyone then directed their attention to the source of the voice who was none other than Chief Ahanu.

“After meeting with the Holian representatives, they told us that there were still some tensions between us and the rest of Holian society. Aligning their claims with recent complaints from the villagers, we decided to confirm that these tensions they claimed existed in fact do exist. They then gave us advice on moving forward with coexisting with their culture. The advice was rather simple. Can I get a round of applause for the reveal!?” Ahanu pumped his fist in the air and the only people that decided to clap were Chiefs Aiyanna and Chogan. As they did, Ahanu pulled the curtain to reveal a Holian suit. It had gold buttons that probably pierced the fabric and material that was made using completely different methods than ours.

“Another method to appease the Holians.” Enyeto shook his head. “They tell us to enroll our kids in their schools, then to change the names of those kids. Now they want us to change our way of dress. At this rate, we’re just going to keep giving into their demands until our culture has been eradicated. Don’t you see? Something like this…is worse than death for us…”

The atmosphere in the room immediately changed to a rather depressing one. Understandably, no one wanted to abandon such a core part of who they were.

“I…understand why you’d be reluctant. But we have to keep going. We have to keep reaching out. Eventually, our sentiments will reach them.”

Chief Ahanu wore a face of determination. How could I not rally behind a man that looked like he was willing to put everything on the line for the good of his people.

I was the first person to step forward and study the suit.

“I could get behind this…”

I hated it. I hated everything about the hopeless situation we were in, but what other choice was there but to comply and hope for a better tomorrow? That’s the duty of a leader. To guide your people. And if there isn’t a way out of a conflict, you make something happen. The preservation of the village matters more than anything.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“I’m all for giving it a try!” I said with a smile on my face.

After some debating, we decided to do a trial run throughout the village and have them wear the Holian attire when going into town. Any other scenario we deemed okay to wear our regular clothes.

I remember the first day I stepped out into my family’s living room with my “new look.”

“Alright…” I stepped out of my room as I buttoned up my vest. “I’ll be on my way.”

“Daddy…” My daughter gave me a worn out expression. The both of us knew just how much I loved to show my attire, so to be reduced to this…was a bit demoralizing. My stepson glanced at me for a moment and returned to his work. Usually he had some wisecrack to say about me, but this time he already knew I was going through a hard time and let me be.

That’s when I heard the laughter of a child. That’s when I heard your laughter, Sonny. Everyone in the room immediately put together what you found so funny.

“Your Grandpa does look a bit silly in that outfit doesn’t he, Sonny?” My daughter chuckled.

It was as if a pit in my stomach had finally been treated. I lit up and began to play into the character. I straightened my back, grabbed a walking stick, and swung it around like the Holians I saw in the city, all while putting on an exaggerated accent.

“I daresay! It’s time for yet another day in the city! Who knows? I might meet a young lass and bring her home to be your Grandmum, Sonny!”

…

“Pffft!” My stepson started to burst into laughter. “The hell are you? An alien acting like a Holian?” My daughter followed in the laughter. But you Sonny, you were having the time of your life. In all my days, I never saw you so happy.

The things I would give to have those days back…

“Everyone run! The Holians are attacking!”

The first thing I did in that sea of fire was run for my home. My little girl, my baby grandson, even that mess of a man Meto, I hoped that they were safe with all of my heart.

But that was the day I learned that hopes and wishes bear no fruit for people like us.

“Sonny!” I heard Meto’s scream in the distance. The first thing I saw was my home, a burning wildfire of flames. The only survivors being Meto and…Meto and…

I ran to Meto, who’s tear-stricken face I noticed was completely riddled with burns that could kill if we didn’t get him treatment. As for his son…as for my grandchild…oh God…

“They kept coming in waves! Setting fire to it all! I couldn’t do a damn thing!” He slammed his head on the floor over and over, clutching his child as he wailed in grief and pain. “You’re pathetic! Worthless! Hopeless! Nobody in this world is as pitiful as you!” He reprimanded himself and all I could do in response is pick up the rapier that he used to defend our family to his best ability. I turned my back to him. At this rate, I can tell that he’s going to lose his mind. What he needs is a ray of hope. Light that’ll shine towards a better day. He needs a chief that’ll avenge the fallen.

“From this moment on…follow me.”

===

That’s why I can’t just let things end like this.

As all of the ghosts of the fallen Rosarians surrounded and engulfed me, I absorbed each and every one of them. I should’ve done this from the start. This won’t be enough to take out the country, but it’ll surely be enough to take out the zone. I just need some more time to—

“Arno, no!”

The Haustorian…he rushed in to pick me up and took to the sky in a plume of smoke with his stemata. “If I told you this isn’t the first time I tried to sacrifice myself to hold off a guy about to blow up, would you believe me?” A nervous chuckle came out of him as he gained height. His banter wasn’t directing me off of my path though. I’ll blow it all away. I’ll take everything with me. With my silence as a response he understood the weight of the situation.

“Listen, something’s been bothering me this whole time. Your leader Daniel talked about it: hatred. Hatred that spans generations. I’ve been racking my mind the entire time trying to think of it! Trying to think of something to outmatch even that. Surely, that couldn’t have been the only thing that kept people going all of this time. It may seem like it, with things like The Fall of Haustoria and the slaughter of your village, but there are good things that happen too! Do you…have any idea?”

What, is this some tactic he’s learned in the academy? Even if I were to entertain his question, what use would it make? The darkness in the heart of man always wins despite the hope of others. It’s an infectious disease. If there was something to combat it, people like Meto, people like my daughter, people like Sonny…

People like them wouldn’t have suffered.

“Wennot! Help me out here!” The Haustorian asked.

The final ghosts in the area were gathered. It was time to fulfill my purpose and—

That’s when I heard the lone cry in the maelstrom of voices of the past. It was the tears and visage of my very grandson. Through everything we’ve been through, in his afterlife he has only frowned. I assumed it was because of the way he left this world. I assumed that he wanted his grandfather to burn it all away for his sake. I merely wore the outfit as a way to placate that anger that I thought was there. But it wasn’t…it was never there. Now looking into his eyes I see that what he was sad about was the path in life I walked. He saw his grandfather become a monster and do terrible things all with a smile on his face. Damn it! I’m such a fool!

I lifted the effects of the overclocked stemata and lifted my free hand, my grandson’s apparition flying straight in to embrace it. I hate them for everything they put our people through, but…but!

“I hate them…but I love you more, Sonny! I’m sorry I put you through all of these scary things! I miss you so much! Grandpa’s coming to see you! I promise!”

With those final words spoken to him, his transparent body began to fly slowly away in small puffs of white light to the sky. The final thing to go being his hand calling me to the next life. I could feel it, although I wasn’t physically reaching out, I was finally getting closer to Sonny. The closer I got, the more the light faded from my vision. Until the very moment in which I grabbed his hand…

Arno

I returned to ground level with Wennot in my arms. I immediately began scanning the area for a shovel.

“Y-You did it Arno! How did—”

I found it. I lightly put Wennot’s body onto the ground and went for the shovel. When I picked it up, I walked back to the dead Rosarian. Right beside him, I began digging a hole.

“Arno? What…what happened up there?”

I get it now. Evil isn’t born from nothing. Not even hatred is born from nothing. Every single one of these Rosarians became like this because they lost something important to them. Something that they could never get back. They lost someone they loved. So the thing that could defeat something like generations of hatred is—

“Arno!”

I finished the hole as I realized that I was ignoring Rono.

“Sorry, Rono.” I picked Wennot’s body up and laid him into this grave. This is only temporary of course. I’ll make sure everyone gets a proper burial even if it kills me. This man taught me a lesson I never even considered. Maybe my parents would’ve taught me such a lesson if they didn’t die in the fall. Regardless of how long it took, I have my answer. I stood up and gave Rono a look of resolution.

“I know how to defeat Daniel Rosarian.”