Vain

1

A Brother She Hated

Vain Nullos, sixteen of age, sword-sparred with her grandfather despite the snowfall.

For a Nullos like her, close quarter combat was essential; if she were to master it, then even the best Wielders would be no match for her. Nullos, her grandfather said repetitively, was a Wielder’s nightmare. A bloodline that would bring salvation. That would rid of that sickening light called Wielders.

Vain stepped back to avoid her grandfather’s sword. He used wood to prevent accidents, while Vain used steel to familiarize herself with the weapon. After dodging, Vain could see anger rising in her grandfather’s face. Not because she was able to dodge him, but because she dodged by retreating.

He snapped, dashing at Vain and following with another slash to her body.

Vain might be hearing things, but a crack resounded inside her body, followed by a crushing pain on her side. Her grip on the sword loosened, she fell hard to the ground, and screamed at the throbbing pain.

‘Unsightly,’ her grandfather remarked. ‘Retreating not only allows your opponent to get close to you, it also brings shame to our bloodline.’ Vain was still screaming in pain, hands holding on her side. ‘Drill that pain in. Let it remind you that that’s what you get for retreating.’

He then left her alone in the snow-covered forest ground.

*

After dragging her feet and managing to get back home, Vain retreated into her room, didn’t grab a chair and sat on the floor, then lifted her shirt to inspect the damage. There was a red-purple swelter on her lower right ribs. When she tried touching it, the pain ached. She gritted her teeth, suppressing a scream.

I need to get this treated, Vain thought. She looked at her desk, trying to see if there was an ointment on top. However, her vision was blurry from the pain.

Biting her lips, she stood up and approached the desk. Even the slightest of movements pained her. She grabbed a chair and sat there, then inspected her desk. Because her eyes blurred, she checked the items one my one. Mostly, the only thing she could find there were items to polish her sword: whetstone, water, cloth, and more.

She checked her drawer, wishing that she had an ointment. However, all she could find was bandages.

Darkness save me… the pain was throbbing, having itself beats of pain.

‘Sis… are you alright?’ came a child’s voice.

Vain didn’t need to turn to know that it was Hollow Nullos, twelve of age, her younger brother. Someone she hated.

‘Sis—’

‘Shut up,’ she said. His voice seemed to echo on the pain. I do not want to deal with you. ‘Go away, brat.’

‘Brat?’ came a woman’s voice. Her mother was with him. ‘He’s your little brother.’

‘Go away, woman.’ Vain pressed her forehead to her desk. The cold surface eased her dizziness.

She thought they would leave her alone, but instead she felt her shirt being lifted and her wound being given a wet slap by a small hand. The hair on her body all stood up and she voiced an incomprehensible scream.

‘You!’ She looked at the culprit, her little brother, with furious rage. ‘You little piece of disappointment! You useless child!’ You’re the cause of all this! she thought. White hair, pale skin, weakened constitution. If you’re not a disappointment, I wouldn’t be subjected to this! It’s all your fault! Your fault!

Vain raised her hand, wanting to hit her little brother with all the might she could muster.

Hollow wasn’t scared at Vain. He did not recoil at her rage, did not twitch at her outburst. He stood still, ready to receive the hit if she so wished it. A moment of hesitation allowed her mother to retrieve the child and she carried him outside the room.

‘She doesn’t deserve care, Holl—’

‘Get well soon, sis!’ he shouted before disappearing from the doorway.

The pent-up rage remained within her, she wanted to hit something and unleash it. But the pain! The pain was—was easing up? Vain looked downward to see a spilled glass bottle rolling on the floor. An ointment to treat her wound.

She lifted her shirt and saw that the yellow ointment had been applied to her. By none other than the younger brother she hated.

Little brat…

2

Why?

Another day, another practice with her grandfather. The air had grown colder, the snow had thickened, and Vain once again fell to the ground. This time around however, her grandfather had held back because she pushed forward instead of retreating.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

Her temple hurt from being struck by the wooden sword, but it was a tame pain which she could handle.

‘That’s it for today,’ her grandfather said. He didn’t offer her a hand and was about to leave her like usual.

‘Father!’ came a worried voice. What’s the woman doing here? ‘Have you seen Hollow?’

‘None of my concern,’ he answered coldly.

‘I think he snuck to the forest! Goodness, that boy! Help me search him!’

‘Let the forest have him. Good riddance.’

‘He’s your grandchild!’

‘He’s not my grandchild.’

Vain rose from the snow. She saw her grandfather leaving and her mother with a panicked expression. An expression which she now only wore for Hollow. Her mother looked left and right, searching for the boy. Faced against the vastness of the forest however, she reluctantly asked for Vain’s help. ‘Help me search your brother.’

Vain remained sitting on the snow. ‘I hate him,’ was her answer.

‘Each and every one of you…’ she snidely said. ‘I wholly wish that someday you all get devoured by the darkness you all worship so much.’ She picked a direction and vanished in the snow.

*

When Vain was eight, she often played with the four years old Hollow. Though that brother of his had been labeled as a defect, she didn’t care. She would play-pretend with him and fight him with pillows. Sometimes Vain would lose on purpose and they would both laugh. What mattered at the time was that he was her brother. A family whom she cherished and could one day depend on.

But when it was discovered that his weak constitution made it impossible for him to become the heir, her grandfather had decided to train Vain.

From then, Vain’s life changed.

All because of his fault.

For being a defect.

*

Hollow had his back pressed on a tree. There he was in the forest, being pitted by a white wolf. Its beastly elliptical eyes stared at him and its fangs, stained dull red in color, were sharp and pointed at him.

When the wolf leapt forward, Hollow had nowhere to escape.

He put his guard up by crossing his arms.

A heavy amount of blood splattered on the snow-covered ground.

Hollow didn’t feel pain. He had thought that perhaps that was what death would feel like. When he opened his eyes however, he saw his sister with her sword, and a beheaded wolf.

*

There’s more than one, Vain assessed her surroundings.

From three sides, four wolves appeared from the snow. Big wolves that was the size of a small bear.

Why had Vain stepped in to kill the wolf? Why did she let herself involved in this mess when he could have let Hollow die? She couldn’t answer those questions. Not because she had no answers, but because she refused to accept it.

I…

One wolf leapt at her. She reacted to this with a slash and cut the wolf’s face diagonally. Where it landed, Vain could see a sword on the ground; buried by the falling snow.

I know he couldn’t help being born as a defect.

Another wolf leapt. Instead of toward Vain however, it was toward Hollow. He was defenseless without a weapon. Vain swung her sword, but it fell short from cutting the wolf because it had altered its pace. Again, it leapt at Hollow. Vain couldn’t lift her sword in time.

The reason why he’s in the forest… is because he trains alone by himself…

Blood spilled to the snow.

The fangs sunk into Vain’s left arm. She had used herself as a shield to protect Hollow. It was foolish, but her body had moved on its own before she could think. Now, there was no retreat. No pulling her arm away. She pushed the wolf forward into the snow and landed a stab on the wolf’s body.

I hate him.

A third wolf leapt at Hollow. Not being able to pull her sword, she jumped between the wolf and Hollow, letting her left arm be bitten again. The fourth wolf, seeing the opportunity, went for Vain and also bit her left arm.

Vain stumbled to the snow. She only had a few moments before the wolves tore her arm. In vain, she reached out to the snow with her right hand. She managed to grab hold of a sword. Hollow’s sword which he used for practice. Its handle was worn out.

She could picture him training by himself. Day and night, come rain come shine, with or without snow. Everyday he swung his sword, training. All so that he could overcome his weak constitution and replace her.

I really do hate you.

She slashed both wolves with one swing.

*

Hollow dragged Vain through the snow. It was a slow progress, but he was not leaving Vain behind. He had managed to stop her blood-loss with bandages, but it had left her too weak to stand on her own.

‘You could leave me,’ she said to him. ‘The snow will take both of us at this rate.’ The wind made a bitter howl and the snow was falling rapidly. Regardless, Hollow wasn’t leaving her behind.

‘After all I’ve done to you…’ Vain continued. ‘You refuse to leave me… Why?’

‘Why did you protect me?’ he answered. ‘Same reason. I don’t—need to think. I just—do.’

Hollow fell to the snow. He had exhausted his limits and was defeated by the cold. You could’ve made it if you had left me behind, Vain thought. Her tear slid through her cheek and fell to the snow.

They were then found by their mother. She had thought of leaving her behind but seeing that Hollow still had his hands on her clothes, refusing to let go even when unconscious, she carried her along. Later her mother was helped by other men who had went out to search for Hollow.

3

A Brother She…

One year later… Vain, seventeen of age, dueled against her grandfather.

Her grandfather used his steel sword and so did she with hers. The difference between them being: her grandfather held his sword with both hands, having the leisure to pass the weapon to only his left or right hand during battle; while Vain held her sword with one hand, her right hand. Ever since what happened in the forest during the snowstorm, Vain’s left arm had become useless. She could move the arm, but she couldn’t put strength into it, nor could she do intricate movements.

She had lost her right arm during the snowstorm.

But I gained something that day.

Her grandfather sought the initiative and stepped in. He swung his sword horizontally and Vain dodged by ducking her head forward. Unrelenting, he let go of his left hand’s grip and swung a fist toward her. This, she dodged with a sway.

A kick landed on her grandfather’s right lower body. He had been fixated on her sword and didn’t see that kick coming from her. He felt the kick, but his pride made him refuse to step backward. Her grandfather was about to swing his sword, but a fist came traveling to his nose. He dodged by tilting his head and fell for the bluff. That useless left hand would have done no damage had he received it. Now he lost his opportunity to swing his sword. Vain made a slash.

That day I regained my purpose.

Her sword had stopped the moment the blade tasted a drip of blood from her grandfather’s neck. The victor was decided.

The spectators were stunned in awe. Not in twenty years did they believe that she could surpass and defeat him. Everyone was silent, save for one person who cheered for her. A white-haired boy whom people labeled as a defect.

A brother she would protect.