Len’s words hung in the air for a moment. Len turned his head down, attempting to hide a pained look that stole across it. He sighed while he rummaged around in one of the drawers of the desk. My guess was that he wanted to take a moment before he continued his story, preparing himself for its final and most likely somber end. Len pulled out a piece of the tough jerky tucked away in what I assumed was Jaren’s snack drawer. He held one up to me. I shook my head. “No thanks.”

Len shrugged and munched on a piece of the way too leathery food. Len chewed on the meat with a blank stare. I wasn’t sure exactly what was going through his head.

I of course couldn’t stop my mind from cooking up its own version of the tale’s end. Vines ripping and tearing through the Gloom, slithering around until they found their master’s prey. The Feral who dared to steal her son’s noble heart. Ending with the girl locked up in the gargantuan tree in Laurelhaven’s center, if not worse.

Then, with a large gulping sound bringing me back to my senses, Len turned back to me. “Sorry about that.”

“All good.” I said.

“Right, where was I?” Len asked.

“Lirae found out about Lisse’s Feral origins.”

“Yes, but it's funny.” Len said with a small, tired grin. “I bet you already concocted a version of what happened next. And with all of your experiences with Lirae, a violent one too I bet.”

I scratched the back of my head and gave an awkward smile. He nailed it. Len laughed it off.

“Can’t blame you, kid. That sweet woman I once loved is long gone now. But no, it didn’t get violent then. You see back then, the Feral population in the Gloom had more liberties than they do now. Some even worked their way out of that place and into more respectable positions. Some found jobs in the Merchant district and others joined the Fourth Legion, the only legion that allowed them. Jaren was but a pup at this point, but his predecessor focused more on merit than all else. So his soldiers' origins didn’t bother him. Cranky old bastard though.”

Len shook his head. “But that’s not pertinent. What I’m getting at is that they had it much better than they do now, they could get citizenship the same as yours. I’ll admit it wasn’t perfect or even good, but an improvement. And Lirae was actually in charge of the Feral relations. She spent many days in the Gloom, working with them, even advocating for them on the council.”

That tidbit of knowledge had my eyes open wide. “Really?” I asked in shock.

Len nodded his head knowingly. “Yep. Tough to believe, I know. But that’s the First One’s honest truth. She didn't immediately confront Laurence about the girl. She thought it was just a simple fling. Nothing new to a family as old and esteemed as theirs. And that Feral girl's actions had saved her son. So in her eyes, she could let her son’s…recreation slide. However, I saw the truth in my son’s eyes. Laurence was hopelessly in love with Lisse. I should know, my eyes looked the exact same when it came to his mother.”

Len scoffed with an expression of pride.

“Not only that, Laurence was fighting and training harder than ever before. Such things happen to men who have found something to fight for, to protect. And fight he did. He flew through the ranks of the Second Legion. Making it up to a Squad Sergeant, a step beneath Daila, at the young age of twenty-one. I kid you not when I say this, he’d be much stronger than me by now if he hadn’t…” Len’s eyes closed. He inhaled through his nose, forcing his way through the memories, and moved along.

“It was the eve of his promotion. Most of the council was there, currying favor with the family of the soon to be Mayor and her son who was rapidly climbing up the Legion ladder. That’s when Laurence made the announcement that shook the entire city.”

“Marriage with Lisse?” I asked, knowing it was the only answer that made sense.

Len nodded. “Yes. He brought Lisse out in an absolutely stunning dress and had her eat among the city elites. An unfathomable thing to do. You could hear a pin drop in that room. Everyone knew of Laurence’s many trips to the Gloom. You can’t stop gossip among those types. But to marry a Feral. Unthinkable. Yet it was Lirae, the soon head of the Laurellen household, who did an even more ghastly act. One that will land you bloody in a bed of thorns if you ever spoke about it in front of her.”

I held my mouth with my hand, engrossed. ”What did she do to the poor fox-girl?”

“She walked over to the terrified Lisse,” Len paused, letting the suspense build. “Raised her arms…” I held my breath. ”and wrapped the girl in a hug.”

My lungs released all the air built up in them.

“Lirae accepted a Feral to be her daughter-in-law. There was certainly a large amount of push back from the city elites. Such an act would lead to untold events, but one thing was for certain. It would be nothing but a boon for Feral’s. Such a marriage would allow Lisse the rights of a full citizen of Laurel. And that meant others would follow. Which some rejoiced about, but the majority despised. You know firsthand how the citizens feel. It wasn’t as vehement as it is now, but there wasn’t much love for Ferals. More tolerance, if anything.”

“Yeah, I had to teach that Zaner ass-hat some freaking tolerance.” I said under my breath, a chip firmly placed on my shoulder.

“Yep, good job by the way. But back to my story. The months following the announcements flew by. Lirae did her best to get to know Lisse, and though it was a struggle at first, she came to accept the girl. But even with everything looking up, something bothered me. We knew nothing about her family. Even when I asked Laurence about it, he gave me nothing but that they came from a village far out in the Forest, and they were very close.”

“Lostock?” I mused.

“That’s the one. My family was happy, healthy and growing. I should have felt content. I tried to ignore the feeling, but my intuition never failed me, so I dove a bit deeper into Lisse and her family.”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

“What did you find?”

Len sighed. “Nothing good, I’m afraid. I’ve left it out thus far, but not all of the distaste for Ferals is completely unfounded. Even back then, they attacked caravans and stole gear from our dead after raids.”

“Why?”

“Life out in the wild is tough, you know that. Think back on how you lived out there. Now imagine you had children to look after. Men and women with no fighting abilities, with terrible primary and detrimental stats who can’t defend themselves.”

I pondered his words for a moment. “That would suck.”

“Yes, it does. They're strong people, but they lose many to the monsters out there. And when they look at a city thriving close by, the temptation is far too great. And that leads to jealousy. Which breeds hate.”

“Why can’t they just join the city? It's been bothering me for some time now. Laurel gets slammed by these raids every month, why would you turn away more fighters? Sure, you get some more mouths to feed as well, but it doesn’t look like Laurel’s hurting.” I said.

Len rubbed his forehead. “It’s how it is. I can’t give you a satisfying answer. It's been this way for hundreds of years. All the way back to when the First Ones walked Kniyas.”

“That’s pretty damn stupid.”

“I don’t disagree.”

I cracked my knuckles, annoyed at the way of this world. I shook my head. “What else did you find?” I asked after I calmed down.

“More than I wanted. And worse, I learned it all too late.” Len said with a sullen expression. “My investigation led to a group of Ferals who were all together very unhappy with their lot in life. A small group that was responsible for almost all of the crimes against Laurelhaven. They worked out of this village, but also had some people inside the city. They called themselves the Naturals. A group who believed they should rule Kniyas, for they actually lived amongst its wilderness. That we citizens, pampered babes in their eyes, hid behind our walls, never actually becoming a part of Kniyas.”

Wow, was not expecting a cult. I wondered if this group had anything to do with the Ferals Ranj spoke of briefly.

“I spent my time not training or raid fighting, digging deeper into this group. They hid themselves well, extremely well, I never even learned of their leader. I had to pause the week of Laurence’s wedding. Many trips to various shops with Lirae, she wanted to make sure everything was perfect for her son. She wanted to use the top of the Capitol Building as the venue, but Lisse was adamantly opposed. Laurel’s Fountain was the only place for her. Lirae didn’t have a problem with it.”

“What is Laurel’s Fountain?” I asked.

Len chuckled unexpectedly at my question. “You saw it last night, my boy.”

My brow furled, and I thought about last night’s trip. Then the image of a broken and dried up fountain with the decrepit tree at its center popped into my head. “That dried up and nasty fountain square?” I asked, shocked.

“That’s the one. But it was once possibly the most beautiful sight in the city. The tree shone brighter than any star in the morning light as crystal clear water poured from its branches. The cleanest and most delicious water as well. It was said to be made by Laurel herself, by a magic long lost to her children. We’ve no idea the tree’s true name, but it was a sacred monument to Feral and Kniyan alike. A perfect place for such a momentous union between the two.”

I had a hard time believing it, but with no real reason to doubt him, I tried to picture the divine fountain.

“Then the day of the wedding came. Most of the guests were the upper crust in Laurelhaven society, as well as a number of Ferals. No legionnaires however, only immediate family was relieved of such duties for events like this.”

Len took a slow and stuttering breath. “The two looked so wonderful together, standing in front of the fountain, each in their pure snow white outfits. Like Laurel herself came down from on high and blessed the two. Lirae and I watched from the furthest seats, as customary in weddings of Kniyan elites, an act of letting the children go. But Ferals parents sit up close. So Lisse’s father sat in the front row. And that was the lethal mistake.”

Len’s fists balled up so tightly, flames danced around his head. Heat filled the office. I worried he was about to burn the building down.

“That snake stood up right in the middle of the wedding and yelled out words I will never forget: It is time for this farce to end, and the true rulers reclaim their rightful place. Lirae and I rose from our seats in confusion, and tried to make our way to the front. But we were stopped. A group of Feral splicers burst from the surrounding buildings. Dark black mist covered the immediate area, blocking mine and Lirae’s vision. Then screaming. So much screaming. Not like the screams from a battlefield. Those would never have given me and Lirae, battle hardened veterans, such pause. No, it was the screams of innocent lives. People would not fight for themselves.”

Len’s flames roared even more as he recounted the day.

“Lirae, myself, and the handful of guards that attended focused our attention on the attack. Once we slayed a few attackers, I shot into the sky, to check on the bride and groom. That's when I saw Lisse’s father and Laurence battling in the air. Large blood stains painted Laurence’s clothes. Laurence only recently learned his flight powers, it's something universal with elemental splicers. But his opponent was an old hand, apparently. Lisse’s father faked his gene trope. We’d all assumed he was just some reptile, but he was in fact a storm elemental. I could tell by the lighting arcing across his face and eyes. And an incredibly strong one at that. I cursed myself. How could I have not known a man nearly as strong as myself walked the Gloom.”

Len paused for a moment.

“Without hesitation, I flew as fast as I could to help my child against his foe. Ice encrusted Laurence’s wounds, and he shot out spears of ice at the man, none landing. Yet that was his plan, Lisse’s father never turned around to see the giant ball of ice hurtling toward him. My son had a chance to win. Until a scream roared out. STOP! A simple request from his bride stayed Laurence’s hand. Laurence turned to look at Lisse. Then, right before my eyes, I watched as my lightning burst through my son’s chest. His body seized in the sky, then he fell.”

Len released his grip. The flames died down.

“A shriek pierced through the sky. Lirae, standing on a large flower, watched as her son fell to the ground. Rage and hatred flowed through my veins. The electricity covered man yelled out in victory. He turned to me, no doubt about to give some useless speech. He couldn’t speak, however. For his head was already ash. The body fell into the fountain, blood polluting its sacred water. Lirae held Laurence’s body, tears streaming down her face. He was gone.”

Len’s eyes watered.

I wanted to say something, but no words came to me.

“I tried to embrace Lirae, but her thorns pushed me back. You did this. She said those words to me, and they tore me apart inside. I turned back to the mist covered fountain square just as it began to clear. A saw that every guest, Feral of citizen, was dead. Even the guards. The whole square held nothing but bloody remains. Lirae turned and saw it as well. Her people, the ones she was meant to lead and protect, lied dead before her. And that’s when she snapped. She wailed. The roots of the fountain’s holy tree shot out from the ground, surrounding her and her baby boy. My own rage burst out of me, and I directed it at that fountain. My flames split the tree right down the middle. And the water stopped flowing.”

Len said, as a single tear fell from his face.