Chapter Eight
Blow after blow the two landed upon the other like two wild beasts. Five minutes pass until they had worn the other out, their energy fading entirely leaving them to stare upon the other. “W-What happened?” asked Sacreia, her face and chest badly bruised. Lisandre covered her right eye once more with her hand. “I don’t know! You suddenly became wild and tried to kill me!” Lisandre exclaimed. Sacreia shrugged not remembering much of what happened, but did recall that Lisandre had also gone berserk. “You did the same though…”
“Did I…? I don’t remember. Anyway… You didn’t see my eye, did you?”
“I did, it was red, like mine. Is that why you hide it?”
Lisandre sighed heavily and dropped her hand to her lap. She had gone to great lengths to keep that eye hidden from others, and now it seemed that she feared what her friend may think of her because of it.
“You… Can’t begin to understand the pain this eye has brought to me and my mother. It’s the reason we travel from town to town… I get called a monster, children run from me, townsfolk avoid me and my mother. To put matters worse, I can’t even enroll in schools because of it.” she paused for a moment, her head lowering in shame. “So she had this eye patch made for me. It’s only helped slightly. Some people get curious, and pull it off without warning. Then… Well, you can imagine what happens after.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-“
“No, it’s okay. You didn’t know. But…” Lisandre lifted her head and stared upon Sacreia, eyes full of longing and searching for acceptance. “You don’t… Hate me do you? You don’t think I’m a monster, right?”
Sacreia crawled towards Lisandre and wrapped her arms around her friend tightly. Lisandre’s eyes went wide with surprise, and reluctantly returned the embrace. “I’ll never hate you. You’re my friend, and friends… Stick together, right?” Lisandre nodded, a smile crossing her thin lips.
“We’ll always be friends, won’t we?” Lisandre asked.
“Sure thing, friends to the end!” Sacreia says without hesitation.
The two girls were the best of friends, and for three years they were nigh inseparable. Each and every day they would play and train with the other. That is, until Lisandre and her mother vanished without a trace. Not a single soul remembered who they were, not even Sacreia’s mother. Only Sacreia remembered, and she knew not why. Had it all been a vivid dream? An illusion brought about by her increasing loneliness? Perhaps she’ll never know.
The next year had went by quickly, and Sacreia was met with despair at the loss of her friend. To put matters worse, it seemed as if her mother were slowly losing her mind. Every now and then Aneia would pace back and forth within the shed constantly mumbling unintelligibly. Could the stress from these years as a human’s toy finally caught up with her?
Aneia stared upon her daughter, eyes narrowing towards her with disdain. It was her fault. Her fault that she was here, living this life, having to suffer the way she is now. If only… She had disposed of the girl. What am I thinking? She…She cannot be blamed for my own mistakes… Sacreia is innocent in all this. I am at fault, not her. If only… Aneia sighed heavily and averted her gaze.
Perhaps I can goad her to leave this place, mayhap then she could live a better life. Yet… Aneia turned to her daughter once more, who stared up at her with that sweet smile she had always shown her. Sacreia would not leave me. She is like a lamb, who clings to their mother’s side. No matter what I tell her… She would deign to stay beside me. I don’t have a choice, do I? If it’ll mean saving her from this life, then mine own is a worthy enough price. Forgive me… Maybe you will understand what I must do when you come of age.
“Sacreia…” Aneia whispered. Sacreia’s ears perked up at the sound of her name and she stared upon her mother curiously. “I want you to run away, run… Far from here. As fast as you can. Okay?”
“Why mama? Why should I run? Are you coming with me?”
Just as I had thought. “No, I must stay behind. You’ll be fine, won’t you? You’re a strong girl. Be free, and escape from this place. Remember that mama will always love you.”
“B-But mama…! I don’t want to leave without you, please come with me!” she begged.
It was too much to bear for Aneia, and there was no way out now save for…
Aneia reached for an old sickle atop one of the two wall shelves within the shed. The old blade trembled in her hand, the loose blade making a soft clanking noise as it banged against its handle. Sacreia stared curiously as her mother brought the sickle’s blade to her neck, the woman’s eyes brimming with tears.
The sound of tearing flesh rung loudly in the air followed by the sounds of metallic clanging as the scythe fell to the ground. Blood sprayed from her neck staining the walls and all around. In a matter of seconds her body fell to the ground chest first. Sacreia crawled towards her not exactly sure what her mother had just done.
“Mama…?” she whispered. One poke, followed by another, and then a slight shove. No response. Aneia’s eyes darted around frantically, as if recalling moments in her life, or perhaps seeing things that were not there.
“Mama…? Stop playing around! It’s not funny!” Sacreia cried out. Stillness. Aneia’s body had stopped its death throes. A large pool of blood lay beneath her cooling body, one that drenched Sacreia’s knees. The girl stared at the remains of her mother, at the blood surrounding her, eyes wide with the sudden realization of what transpired. She was alone. Her mother was gone. Alone in every sense of the word. A loud cry escaped her as she buried her face into her mother’s side. No matter how many tears she’d shed, it would not bring her back.
The door suddenly burst open, and one of the men that frequented the shed for her mother approached. He stared down upon the two of them and shook his head dejectedly. “A shame, a great shame… Stay here a moment.” He turned and shut the door behind himself. “The elf and her demon child have escaped! Find them! They most likely went for the woods!” A loud roar of men soon came after followed by the sound of booted footsteps against the ground as they marched into the forest chasing after a lie. The door opened once more and the man took hold of her wrist. “Come, don’t want them to find you, do you?”
Sacreia was practically dragged into Tyral and into his cabin, and into his bedchamber.
“Alright, you stay here. I have to go with the fools as to not arouse suspicion.”
The man shut the door behind him and left her alone. The room was vaguely familiar, and she knew not why. From the featherbed at the center of the room, to the many animal head trophies that hung from the black walls, to the blackwood tables and cabinets. It was if she’s been here before. When the man returned, she knew what would be expected of her, and the sudden realization that she is doomed to repeat what her mother would do dawned upon her. It was hopeless, there was no escape for her now. Burying her face into her knees, she wept softly at her current predicament.
The world around her melted away in a sea of darkness… When next she raised her head, she found herself within a black void, where nothing aside from darkness existed. A voice echoed all around her asking Do you wish to be free? Sacreia looked around for the source, but found nothing. The voice repeated itself once again. “Yes! I want to be free!” she yelled back at the darkness. Then you’ll need… A soft white light appeared before her followed by dark tendrils being shot away from an elven girl’s back. The girl resembled her in some ways, the pale milk white skin, the sanguine colored hair. Her eyes were not visible, hidden beneath long hair. My help. Only I can save you from this fate. You need but accept it. Sacreia stared upon the girl incredulously and scooted back several inches from her.
“W-What are you? Who are you?!”
I am you, you are me, one in the same, together, yet separate. Despite being directly in front of her, the girl’s voice still echoed all around her. As if she were the darkness herself. “That doesn’t make any sense to me! What do you mean?”
To tell you now would only confuse you further. Just know that I have the power to help you. That you have little time to argue and decide whether you wish to accept my help or not. Time is running out, soon the man shall return. You know what happens then, do you not? Refuse my help, and you shall become his personal whore for his remaining days, and then his sons’ whore and his sons’ whore. You will birth him many children that will be discarded, for that is the difference between you and your mother. You have the ability to breed with them, she did not. So, what will you choose? Freedom? Or to sit here and wallow in despair till you lose your mind?
The choice was obvious, even if she did not want to choose it. Even with a clear choice before her, she could not help but feel she would be making a grave mistake by accepting this person’s assistance. “Do you… Have a name?” she asked. The girl nodded and said Nelai, Nelai is my name. Come, take my hand and let us be free. The girl extended her slender pale hand towards her in offering.
“Is that it? I just take your hand and everything will be better?”
Your body will be in my control until we are safe. Then, it will be up to you to decide where we go. Simplicity itself.
Sacreia nodded slowly and took hold of Nelai’s hand. A cruel smile played across Nelai’s lips as the world around her returned to normal. A cold sensation washed over her body, and her limbs began to move on their own. Sacreia searched through the many cabinets in search of something, anything that would help her. It was then she found a hunting knife and a skinning knife side by side within one of his cabinets. These should serve nicely. Sacreia hid them between the mattress and the frame and sat herself down upon it shortly after. It was a waiting game now. Whenever the man appeared next, she would play along with whatever he wished of her… Then kill him.
Twenty minutes pass until the man returned. Drenched in sweat, panting, and covered in a bit of dirt. He was bit portly, with dark shaggy hair and green eyes, a pock marked somewhat generous looking face. He unlaced his boots and took a seat upon the bed muttering to himself. “I hope you appreciate the lengths I had to go through to keep you here.” Off went his breeches, then his stained vest. “Alright lass, I am sure you’ve picked up on a few things your mother would do for me in the past, yeah? We’ll start slow since this is your first time. So… Just use your hands and mouth.” He lay himself flat atop the bed and stared upon her hungrily. Sacreia crawled towards him and eyed his already erect manhood twitching before her. She smiled sweetly at him and placed a slender hand atop of his thigh, her fingers slowly trailing up along his body sending shivers up his spine. With her right hand she gripped upon his cock firmly and gave it several soft strokes, the man near jumped at the feel of it. “Oh my, your hands are even softer than I imagined! Much better than your mother’s to be sure!” he exclaimed.
“Could you… Close your eyes? I’m a bit shy…” she whispers softly towards him. The man complied and shut his eyes, a wide grin upon his face. A cruel grin played across Sacreia’s lips as she immediately reached for the hunting knife between the mattress. One quick slice was all it took to sever the man’s cock and send him into a screaming frenzy. That is, until she shoved it into his mouth and immediately cut into his arms and legs to sever the ligaments that allowed his movement. The sight of his blood excited her, gave her a strange sensation beyond words. She wanted more, to see more spill, to see the man suffer to his dying breath.
Sacreia crawled atop of him and stared down into his green eyes intently. “I’m going to enjoy every second of this. You will wish you never brought me here… Every second shall be naught more than suffering, to make you beg for a quick death that will never come. That’s what you deserve after all… Each and every one of you will suffer the same fate soon enough!” The man could do nothing more than grumble and moan in agony in response. “Let’s start with… Skinning. That should be fun~!” she whispers in a sing song tone. Reaching for the skinning knife, she cut into his wrists and ankles deep enough to cut the skin but not cause too much bleeding. The knife became red with heat as to make sure to cauterize the blood vessels. She didn’t want him to die early after all.
Once slice, followed by another. She cut several long lines through his right arm and began to peel them upwards. Loud muffled screams escaped him during the process. Sacreia giggled merrily while she pulled each fleshy strip from him and tossed it aside.
This process was repeated on the rest of his body, save his face. That needed to remain intact, for one with no face could show no real expression, or so she thought. With hunting knife in hand, she brought the knife to his abdomen and plunged it deep within him with a loud wet thunk. The man had long gone into shock and was not showing any signs of responding to her actions. But that bothered her little, when the time came, she merely wanted to watch him die. Up and down the knife went, the blade cutting through muscle and fat alike until she cut a big cross upon his abdomen. One by one, each flab of flesh was pulled back exposing his innards before her. Each one she was fascinated by.
Much like a child would with a new toy, she took hold of each organ and yanked it from his body. Every organ was eventually removed until he was but an empty husk. All, save for his heart and lungs. Those she kept inside, knowing he would immediately die without them. Once more did she crawl atop of his chest and stared down upon his eyes. They moved much like her mother’s did before she went still. Darting around frantically as if recalling or seeing something. The life drained from his eyes much to her enjoyment. Stillness. All yours now.
How long was Nelai in control of her? There was daylight when she first came in, now it was dark. Hours went by during this torture. Through the window Sacreia noticed a boat docked at the pier. If she ran now, she could possibly stowaway. Hurriedly, she ran towards the door only to stop a few inches from it as the doorknob began to rattle. Someone was coming. She had to hide herself quickly. Darting towards one of the darkened corners of the room, she watched as the door abruptly opened. Four children entered the room, the very same four who had bullied and berated her years previous. Looks of abstract terror played across their faces at the mutilated remains of their father. It was then that they realized who hid within the corner, whose intensely glowing sanguine vertically slit eyes stared back at them in a silent murderous rage.
Sacreia came upon them with the hunting knife. One by one she cut them apart quicker than they could scream. With them out of the way all that there was left was escaping to the boat. Leaping through one of the windows led her into the cargo hold. Many wooden crates filled the entirety of it. It was musty with the smell of leathers, salt water, blood and decaying wood. Sacreia huddled herself between a crate and the wall as to hide herself from any who may enter the hold. Perhaps now she could rest knowing the area was somewhat safe. When she slept, she dreamt of her mother and the horrid event that led to her death. A sudden splash of sea water startled her awake. Ack! She yelped while crawling away from the window. The boat creaked, and the sounds of splashing waves crashing against the hull filled her ears. How long would this trip take, she wondered? Where would it take her?
For a time it didn’t matter, as long as she was far from Tyral. As long as there weren’t many humans who’d try and capture her. Sacreia’s ears perked up at the sound of several sailors above her, their booted footsteps rather loud. I hope they don’t come down here… Several hours passed her by and hunger finally made itself present. She wondered if there were food within the crates, if there wasn’t… One by one she pulled apart their lids only to find leather, sinew, tanned hides and a bit of lumber. Nothing she considered to be edible. Once more did her ears perk up at the sound of soft munching from further up. Peaking over the side of a crate, she noticed an elven boy hastily chewing on something. He was filthy, with mottled silver white hair and a tattered roughspun shirt. I wonder if he’ll share…? He’s an elf, he’ll probably be friendly with me.
Sacreia crawled towards him and gave his shoulder a soft poke. The boy jumped and wheeled around to face her. Upon noticing her, he calmed some, yet stared upon her curiously. “Are you a runaway slave too?” the boy asked. Sacreia shook her head and said, “No, but I did run away from a human town.” The boy chuckled at her for a moment and gave her a warm smile. “I’m Galdrin, what’s your name?”
“Sacreia. Nice to meet you, Galdrin!”
“Say, when the boat docks, do you want to run away together? I mean,” he blushed for a moment and scratched the top of his head nervously. “Two is better than one, yeah? We could maybe find a place to build a house and-“ suddenly his words became silent, yet his mouth continued to flap. He will not last long. Do not waste time on false friendships, he seeks only to use you. Rang in her head in Nelai’s echoing voice. Sacreia didn’t know how to respond, and instead smiled and nodded in response to Galdrin.
Her stomach growled loudly catching Galdrin’s attention. “Hungry, are ya? I could… Get something for you up in the kitchen. Would you like that?”
“If you’d be so kind… I am pretty hungry.”
“Sure thing, wait right here. I’ll be back before you know it.”
Sacreia nodded slowly and watched as he carefully pushed apart the ceiling hatch. The cafeteria was otherwise empty, many benches and tables unoccupied. Galdrin crouched low and proceeded into the kitchen, a prize loaf of bread just sitting there begging to be pilfered. Galdrin snatched it and made a run for it, yet he did not get far. The cook had taken hold of his collar and held him tightly. His eyes suddenly wide, Galdrin looks up at the cook and attempts to kick himself free. When push came to shove, it seemed he was powerless. He tossed the loaf of bread towards the hatch, hoping it would roll towards her.
Sacreia caught the loaf of bread the moment it fell into the hatch, yet stared up at him wondering if she should endanger herself and help him. Surely he can escape… “Look what we have here! An elf!” The cook spun him around and gave him a stern look. “Bah, a boy. You’re about worthless.” Other sailors strolled into the cafeteria and took notice of what was in the cook’s hands.
“We got a problem here, cook?” One burly sailor asked.
“Just a thievin’ elf. Want to help me teach him what happens to thieves?”
The sailor nodded and took hold of Galdrin’s wrists while dragging him to one of the tables. His arms were spread over it and held down by two others. The cook returned with an old weathered cleaver, its old iron blade chipped and cracked. “Hope ye loved yer hands, ya little shitter!” one of the sailors roared.
“Did you have any friends with you? Hm?” The cook asked while shaking the cleaver in his face. Galdrin shook his head and stared off towards the cargo hold where Sacreia hid. “Go check the hold, see if there’s anyone there.”
Sacreia fled to the back of the hold, and hid herself between several crates as best as she could. All the while one man searched for her. One by one, each and every crate was examined and pushed aside. Her body trembled nervously as he began to approach her hiding spot. This was it, she was going to be discovered. It was all over. The man pushed apart the two crates she hid behind, eyes wide with surprise the moment he caught notice of her. Sacreia’s eyes released an intense glow, and the man stared blankly at her for several seconds before returning the crates to their original position. The sailor mumbled unintelligibly as he sauntered up into the cafeteria once more.
“Did you find anyone else?” the cook asked. The sailor simply shook his head and exited the cafeteria in a daze.
“Hold’em still.” The cook raised the cleaver into the air, his hand trembling as he attempted to aim. A loud wet thunk rung in the air the moment the cleaver sunk into Galdrin’s wrist. It went in deep, but not deep enough to sever his hand. Galdrin screamed loudly in agony, saliva foaming at this mouth. Once more did the cleaver come down, this time managing to land upon his fingers. Each and every one came off and rolled off the table and onto the floor. Another swing, this time hitting the wrist once more and severing his hand entirely. The same was repeated for his other hand.
“Well, he’s about useless for entertainment now, toss’em overboard.”
One sailor dragged him by his silver locks and hurled him into the sea. The sailor who had discovered Sacreia had lunged towards the cook, and the two who had held down Galdrin. All of them fell overboard alongside him. Sharks caught the taste of blood in the water and crowded around the screaming sailors who called for aid. A rope came down and the cook took hold of it, the other few sailors were already being torn into. Once the rope was pulled up, what was left of the cook was dragged up. His upper torso was all that remained.
Whatever Sacreia had done to the sailor caused him to lose his mind and take Galdrin’s killers with him in death. It had seemed as if every friend she made was destined to leave her in some shape or form. With Lisandre’s disappearance and now Galdrin’s death… What was next? Would she do something she would regret to another? Perhaps she was meant to be alone she thought.
Three weeks went by and luckily she managed to preserve her bread for that long throughout the trip. The boat had finally docked and beyond the window she could see a town. It looked the same as Tyral for the most part. Log cabins, some shanty homes and thatch dwellings. Hastily she leapt through the window and rushed ahead leaving the town behind her without a single look back. She knew not where she ran, but one thing was for certain: she wanted to be as far away as possible from humans. The forest nearby the town seemed the best place to run as It would have plenty of places to hide and having remembered the things Lisandre had taught her about wild berries and such would have come in handy.
It was dark within and only seemed to become darker the further she went. Thorn bushes, black trees and short grass spanned on nearly endlessly before her. One night passed by and she had spent it hiding beneath a massive upturned root and trying her best to fall asleep. The next few days were spent in similar spots, yet much to her disdain she could not find any of the berry bushes that Lisandre had showed her before. Not even any sort of edible looking seeds either for the most part. With her stomach growling in excess she continued an effortless search for food. A few wild animals would run on by her, yet she was far too slow to catch up to them. No matter how many times she would attempt to sneak up on a doe or rabbit, the creature would notice her and flee.
Hunger and fatigue had finally gotten to the point of weakening her greatly. It was difficult to even walk a few steps without wanting to fall down. Yet fall down she did with a loud thud upon the dirt ground, her face having dug into the loose dirt upon impact. No strength was in her at this point. Rolling herself onto her back, she stared up at the cloudy sky from beneath the many branches that threatened to consume it. With a heavy sigh she closed her eyes and whispered to herself. I’m sorry mama… I couldn’t make much use of my freedom after all… You told me of an afterlife where all elves go… Would I go there? Would I be with you again…?
The thought of dying like this saddened her even more. To die alone without anyone ever knowing. Without a single friend, without having been able to experience things like a family or a husband. Sacreia’s eyes opened abruptly for a moment when she felt something small and furry nudging her cheek. Her sanguine eyes locked upon a rabbit that was nudging her repeatedly. “What do you want?” she asked it, and realized how stupid a question that was. A rabbit would not respond to her like a person would. It continued to nudge her repeatedly and suddenly she had the strength to sit up. The rabbit hopped into her lap and stared up at her with its black soulless eyes. It was a white rabbit, with a prominent black patch of fur atop of its back. It had given her the same warm feeling the last rabbit she touched gave her. Softly patting its head she sighed and stared upon it confusedly.
Eat me. Whispered in the back of her mind. Eat me, and grow strong. The voice echoed loudly in a deep masculine voice. Sacreia raised a curious brow at the creature and pushed it away from her lap while backing away from it. It stared upon her unblinking. Why do you hesitate? Eat me. If you do not, you will die. It said again. How could she bring herself to eat a rabbit that could talk to her? If anything she would rather keep it for company than eat it. She voiced this to the creature hoping it would comply. Eat me, you fool of a child. Would you prefer to have a friend and then die in front of them? If so, I will take my leave and you can die alone. It matters little to me.
“Why would you sacrifice yourself to me? Wouldn’t you prefer to live…?” she asked it, finding it quite odd that a strange sentient creature would willingly feed itself to someone. You would question a meal? In this world, we must kill or be killed. This is something you must learn. You must kill me and feast upon my flesh to survive. You must kill to defend yourself from those that would bring you harm. It is as simple as that. Kill or be killed! Eat me and be done with it! it told her. Kill or be killed… she thought to herself. It had resounded within her, this analogy of things. She killed to be free, and she killed again to hide herself. If that is what she needed to do… She would do it. The rabbit hopped into her lap once more and looked up at her. Eat me. It told her one last time. Sacreia complied and bit into it and within moments had consumed it flesh, fur and all.
Its flesh had revitalized her and now she had the strength to continue on. Perhaps she would be lucky and find another such creature that would do the same for her. Another day passed her by, one of aimless wandering. Coming upon a clearing, she felt something strange in the air. Something heavy, that wrapped around her like a strange blanket. Sacreia blinked but for a moment before bumping into something that was not in front of her a second earlier. Stumbling backwards in surprise, she stared upon a figure clad in a black robe, many black feathers jutting out of the dark cloth. It turned around slowly, its feathery robe blowing in the soft breeze. An old woman it seemed. With a long crooked nose, several warts atop her wrinkled face, and her eyes completely closed.
“Ah, the hatchling of this age appears!” the old crone bellows aloud.
“Shush, Malphas. Do not cloud the poor girl’s thoughts with things she has no chance of understanding.” Another voice added from behind her. Sacreia wheeled around and glanced at the other person. A tall woman with long raven black hair, milk white skin like her own, and an incredibly beautiful face. She was clad in what appeared to be a skin tight exoskeleton as dark as the void she remembered previously. Several molten fissures ran up her arms, legs, and torso leading into one large pauldron that sputtered plumes of black smoke. Each finger and toe was claw tipped. Upon the woman’s head were a pair of horns that jut out from the sides and curved forwards and up above her forehead. Between them were several smaller horns that appeared like a crown jutting out of her forehead. The very sight of her was enough to send her running, yet a strange sense of familiarity made her stay. As if she were staring upon herself somehow. The woman knelt down before her and slid a clawed hand beneath her neck and took hold of Raven’s Trust. Scarlet eyes locked down upon it sadly, a melancholic smile coming upon her face.
“The girl wears the necklace, she must be the one.” Malphas adds.
“So she does…” the woman released the necklace and sighed heavily. “I remember when this was made… Oh so long ago. Another time, another life. To see it again…”
“My lady, what do you intend to do?”
The woman places a clawed hand atop of Sacreia’s head and smiles at her sweetly. “I am Seraiya, a name you will come to know in the future. Until that day comes however… Be careful, Sacreia. There will be many… Obstacles. I will be watching, make me proud.”
Sacreia opened her mouth to speak, yet she was met with a series of fast paced events, faster than her mind could record. It was too much to bear and eventually caused her to black out.
When next she awoke, both women were long gone, and night had fallen. There was no point trying to figure out what they wanted of her, chances were that she’d never meet them again… Or so she hoped. It came time to hunt for food once more, and so she traveled through the blackwood forest hoping to find a critter or two and attempt to capture them. Before long she found herself at a shallow river, practically a stream. Slowly she brought her hands up to her face and stared upon her dirtied, bloodied hands. She could make use of a bath. Approaching the stream, she stared down upon it and for the first time she noticed her own reflection. A face much like her own mother’s, beautiful in its own way, and the faintly glowing sanguine eyes that reflected upon the surface.
I never thought I looked so pretty. She smiled at her reflection and ran a hand through her dirt matted hair. A snapping branch caught her attention suddenly, her head rising to catch the gaze of a human boy on the opposite side of the stream. One who was quite surprised to see he had been found out. He held a strange familiarity to her, yet she knows she never met him until now. Sacreia narrowed her eyes towards him, anger welling up within her. Kill or be killed! It was the only choice left to her, he might tell others of her… Then her life would be forfeit. With a scream, she lunged toward him and tackled him to the ground. The two children fought one another for several minutes, until finally wearing the other out.
They sat across one another, panting heavily, their bodies bloodied and bruised.
“Is there a reason you attacked me? Or are you just having a bad day?” the boy asked. Sacreia simply growled at him hoping that he would get the picture and leave her be.
“I don’t like you… Just, go away!” she demanded. The boy crawled toward her, and sat himself in front of her smiling warmly.
“Oh, come on! You don’t have a reason to hate me! I didn’t do anything wrong!” he says.
Sacreia grit her teeth and turned her head. “Leave me alone!” she seethed.
“I’m Ryu by the way… What’s your name?” the boy stared at her expectantly. What do you want from me…? “I have some… Extra clothes if you’d like. I mean…” Ryu stared her up and down, taking great notice of the tattered dress she wore. Several sizes too short and exposed her bottom. “You could use them. Quite badly…”
Ryu placed a burlap sack on the ground between them and smiled sweetly. “Here, take them.” He offered. Sacreia stared at the sack, and then towards him incredulously. “Why are you being nice to me? You don’t even know me… I attacked you and everything, yet you do this?” she found his offer strange. It was as if he intended to trick her into something. Ryu simply shook his head and said “Do I need a reason to be nice to someone? No. I’m doing this because you need it. So take it. Mayhap then we could be friends?”
Friends… He wants to be my friend… Lisandre and Galdrin came to mind, how short their friendships with her were. Maybe this would be different, or so she hoped.
“I’m Sacreia, it’s nice to meet you. I’d…” she looks up at him shyly, her fingers twiddling around the other. “Love to be friends with you.” Sacreia knew not why, but she felt immediately comfortable with him afterwards.
“Good to see you finally came around. I am glad, there aren’t many kids around here. I thought you’d just get angry and push me away again honestly.” Ryu chuckled nervously.
“Oh, that’s a pretty necklace. Looks very…” He paused for a moment, his eyes suddenly wide the moment he touched it.
“A-Are you okay?” Sacreia waved a hand in front of him. No response. After a few seconds, he seemed to return to normal. “Anyway, are you here with family?”
“No, I’m alone. Been that way for a little while… What about you?” she asked.
“Well, I live with my guardian. We’re not really related though. My… Mother died. Never knew my father.” His tone suddenly died down, his head lowered dejectedly.
Sacreia placed a consoling hand atop his shoulder and smiled at him to try and comfort him. “It’s okay, my mother died too. I don’t know my father either. We’re… A bit alike that way.”
Ryu nodded slowly, his head rose and a smile came upon his face. “I was planning on taking a bath further up the stream, did you want to come along?”
“I, uh… Sure. I’m a bit dirty anyway.”
Ryu took hold of her hand and dragged her off further to the west. The stream was part of a river further on and seemed to extend much deeper into the forest. Its waters were calm, and only deep enough to where it’d reach her chest. Once reaching their destination, they shrugged off their attire and made themselves comfortable within the cold waters. It was the first time she’d ever gone into a body of water so large, the feel of it over her body was refreshing, calming even.
“Hey, let me scrub your back. I’m pretty sure you can’t reach.” Ryu offered. Sacreia nodded shyly and closed her eyes with a sigh. Once he placed his hands atop her back, she jumped in surprise at how rough they were. For one so young, his hands were calloused and rough. She did her best not to show any discomfort.
“There you go, now your back is clean of whatever you had there.”
Sacreia turned toward him and took hold of his hands. A few blisters, tears, cuts were present. It roused her curiosity. What could he be doing to make his hands be this way? “So… What do you do? Your hands are rough, does that mean you must do some sort of work.” Ryu regarded her strangely for a moment, his brow raised curiously.
“My guardian trains me in combat, for the day I confront the black dragon who slew my mother. It’s hard work, but it’ll be worth it.” His otherwise cheery demeanor dropped. “Do… Do they bother you?”
“No, I was just curious.” A black dragon…? Of all things to kill his mother, it was a dragon?
“Here, you can wash my back too.” He turned away from her. Sacreia stared silently upon his bare back, there were many old cuts present. The boy must have a rough life it seemed. She didn’t know if she’d perform a good job at washing his back, but she tried her best.
“Did I do well?” she asked after a minute of scrubbing. Ryu nodded and patted her on the head softly. It made her smile in response.
Ryu ventured out of the river and shook himself dry. Once more did he don his otherwise dirty attire. “Hey, do you want to meet up again tomorrow?” He asked. Sacreia’s heart jumped for a moment and she immediately said “Yes! I’d love that! If… If you really want to that is…”
“Why else would I bring it up then? We can meet back where we found each other.”
Sacreia shot him a nod and watched as he took his leave of the place. She was alone now. Alone and naked. Left with nothing but her thoughts. He seems a nice enough sort… But I wonder how long we’ll be friends before…
Before he leaves you? Dies? Disappears? Time will tell. If you would save yourself the grief, best be rid of him now, would you not agree? Nelai whispered in the back of her mind. Sacreia shook the thought from herself and ventured back east to where they first met. The burlap sack was right where he left it, untouched and bound by crude rope. Within were a pair of linen breeches, and an undyed wool tunic. They were a little small, but they fit her better than what she wore before. I’d feel better with shoes. Maybe then I could be… Normal. Having taken a seat beneath a great blackwood tree, she closed her eyes for but a moment. A smile upon her face, hope in her heart, and dreams for the future.
“…Hey, be a bit more gentle with our cargo. They don’t sell well if they have a couple of scrapes.”
“…Then stop swinging the damned thing around!”
Voices from afar caught her attention, her ears perking up as they passed behind her. Many booted footsteps followed and the soft muffled screams of a girl. Sacreia turned to face them and was met with several armed human men hurrying off further into the forest. Two of them carried a girl of an unknown race, her wrists and ankles bound to a wooden pole they held. Following after them led her to a hastily made campsite. Eight men huddled around their captive all speaking of prices.
“She’s still a kid, they sell well early!”
“She’s about two hundred gold. That’d keep us for a month or two!”
“It’s a good thing they’re trainable early on.” He brought a knife towards her breeches and snickered. “Good thing maidens don’t matter. We’ll have a bit of fun with her first.”
Sacreia gasped in surprise, she hadn’t expected such people to be so depraved. The memory of her mother came to mind, her sudden hatred for humanity suddenly returning. I have to save her! She thought to herself. How could she hope to handle eight armed men? I can help you. You need but allow me control once more.
“What will you do? We don’t have any weapons.”
Do not worry, we possess magical abilities. Or did you forget? They will burn. Come, let us be swift. The girl does not have much time before they take what innocence she has left. Sacreia nodded and gave Nelai control over her body once again. The same familiar cold sensation ran through her body, her limbs moving on their own.
A rocky overpass lay behind them, something she could climb atop of and assail them once they attempted to climb up. Once atop the overpass, she looked down upon them and yelled “Hey! Why don’t you try your luck with me?!” The eight men turned to face her, eyes wide with surprise. “Holy hell, it’s an elf! She’d be worth helluva lot more than the cat! We’d be good for years!” One of them yelled.
“Don’t just stand there then, after her!” another yelled. Slowly, but surely they climbed up the overpass. One man finally reached the top and was met with her cruel smile before having the palm of her hand slam into his forehead. A burst of fire escaped her upon impact, the flames having flash burned the flesh from his skull leaving behind naught more than a charred husk. His body fell to the ground knocking another two men with him. Another managed to climb atop the overpass. Once more did she slam the palm of her hand into her target, this time jumping down with him. A loud scream escaped him as he fell, and upon hitting the ground, his head burst like a ripe melon beneath her hand.
“What kind of demon is she!?”
“To arms! She does not need limbs to be sold!”
They reached for the longswords at their belts, a metallic noise filling the air the moment they wielded them. With a downward slash, the man brought his sword upon her quickly. Yet she caught the blade between her hands, the metal turning a bright red before melting down to the guard. Taken aback, her assailant stared upon her with surprise. Balling up her hand into a fist, she slams it into his chest and whispers Bang! A large explosion followed upon impact managing to blow a hole straight through his chest and sending his charred flesh hurtling backwards. He fell to his knees, hands grabbing at the hole in his chest. A loud snapping filled the air as she twisted his neck and giggled merrily.
Another man lunged toward her, this time with a horizontal slash. Sacreia leapt over the sword and came down upon him with a crushing heel drop. The heel of her foot slammed atop of his head and knocked him face first into the dirt with a loud thud, his sword falling to the ground with a metallic clang. The man groaned and attempted to crawl back to his feet, yet before he could rise, Sacreia took hold of his sword and rammed it into his mouth. Two others came upon her slashing wildly. Each and every slash she managed to evade with ease, the training Lisandre having given her finally paying off. Another came from behind her and slashed downwards. She hadn’t noticed him and was too slow to react. The blade managed to graze her, the tip only slicing over the left side of her forehead and down her eye and cheek. It stung, and the sight of her own blood threw her into a rage.
A roar escaped her, followed by a wave of force that sent remaining four tumbling backwards several feet. A black red aura emanated from her body, her eyes becoming vertically slit and glowing intensely. Wheeling towards the one who had managed to hit her, she lunged towards him, a malevolent grin crossing her lips. The man had just rose to his feet before she came upon him. A flurry of punches impacted his body, each one managing to bore through him and blow fist shaped holes through his body. With one final spinning kick, she sliced through his torso as if her leg were a blade. Upon seeing the girl’s strength, the others forfeited their attempts at trying their hand at capturing her.
“What’s wrong!? Why do grown men flee from a little girl!?” she yells toward them. Extending a hand into the air, a sphere of flame manifests itself and whirls for several seconds before expanding rapidly and taking the shape of a flaming spear. One by one the remaining men were impaled by her spears and pinned to the ground where they would await their demise. No matter how much they struggled, they could not pull themselves free. Unbearable pain coursed through them the more they writhed, the more they tried to pull the flaming spear from their bodies.
Sacreia approached one of them and stared upon his pale sweaty face, eyes wide with abstract terror. Crawling atop of his back, she took hold of his head and dug her nails into his flesh. Corrosive magics poured into his body and slowly began to boil him from the inside out.
Boils formed, blood blisters, tears in the flesh, his eyes burst, blood poured from his ears, nose and mouth. His back expanded exponentially like a pie rising in the oven and burst forth spewing boiled blood throughout the area. Flesh melted away leaving nothing more than his bloodied skeleton. Upon seeing what she did to him, the remaining two struggled even more to free themselves. But to no avail, they would not escape her fury. Approaching the other one, she began to hum a tune merrily before sinking her fingers into his eye sockets. He screamed in agony as she pulled upon his head with as much strength as she could currently muster. The man’s head tore from his neck with bits of his spine still attached.
Dragging the head towards the last man, she brought it to his face. “Oh no! What shall we do now, boss?!” she said in a mocking voice while moving the severed head’s mouth.
“M-Mercy! Please! I won’t do it ever again! I never meant harm!” he pleaded. His blue eyes stared up at her full of tears, hoping for some sort of forgiveness, for mercy. Things she did not have.
“I’m sure every girl you captured have said similar things… How many have you sold? Violated? How many lives… Have you ruined? You don’t deserve anything but death. Luckily for you, I don’t have that much time to spend. So yours will be a quick one.”
“No! Please wait-“ his words were cut short the moment she slammed her bare foot into his skull, crushing it beneath her with a loud wet plop. Bits of brain, bone, and blood sprayed throughout the area covering the now blood drenched dirt.
All yours now. See how easy it is? Maybe later you’ll learn of what other things I can give you… Sacreia was herself once more and hurried towards the captive girl. Once in range, the girl screamed upon seeing her, outright afraid of her. It was a little disheartening at first, but she could understand the girl’s fear. One by one she cut the girl’s bonds and released her. The girl appeared strange, with cat like ears, tail, bright green eyes, caramel toned skin and reddish pink hair. She was surely not human, that much was for certain, despite resembling one. Once free, the girl scooted back and far from her, eyes still wide with terror.
“I saved you, I’m not going to hurt you!” Sacreia said. The girl looked her up and down, studying her blood drenched body. Despite her otherwise unsettling appearance, the girl seemed to calm some.
“T-Thanks… I don’t want to know what would have happened if you didn’t come along.”
She raised her head and smiled at Sacreia, two enlarged canine teeth sticking out beneath her upper lip. “I’m E’Tamiu Karah by the way, what’s your name?”
“Sacreia! Glad I could help you.” Sacreia returned the smile.
“You have a pretty name. You’re the first-“ her words were cut short as Sacreia curiously stroked her cat like ears. E’Tamiu shifted uncomfortably. “W-What are you doing?”
“What are you? I’ve never seen someone like you before.” E’Tamiu regarded her strangely, as if never being asked such a question before. “You’ve… Never seen a Nerokois before?” Sacreia shook her head in response.
“Oh, well, uh… We’re a beast race from Le’Reis, far to the south of Lu’Dran. It’s all desert there, we live in a city called Galus. My aunt, Nenyi, is our Matriarch. Hey, maybe you should come visit me there one day!”
“Really? You’d let me?” Sacreia’s eyes widened at E’Tamiu’s friendliness. Maybe she was actually getting lucky, now she has made yet another friend.
“Of course I would! You saved me, we’re friends now!” E’Tamiu embraced her tightly only for a second before remembering that her new friend was drenched in blood and pulled herself away. Rising to her feet, E’Tamiu gave Sacreia one last smile and said “I have to find my family, it was great meeting you, I hope to see you in Galus one day!” With their farewells done, E’Tamiu hurried off into the forest, her lion like tail swaying behind her.
One life was saved today, at the cost of eight terrible ones. She felt like a hero, protecting those who couldn’t protect themselves. If only she could save others more often, to teach a lesson to those terrible humans who would seek to abuse other races.
Having returned to the tree where she sat originally, she stared up at the dark sky, watching the thick branches sway in the breeze. The sounds of air rushing through the leaves, crickets, and grass was soothing to her. Her face stung for a moment and she brought her hand to it only to remember the wound that was present. It was going to leave a scar, one that Ryu would most likely question. Adjusting her hair, she made it so that several locks of her long sanguine hair covered her left eye and cheek. Now the scar was mostly perfectly hidden from view.
The next morning, rain had abruptly awoken her. A mixed blessing to be sure, as it cleaned the dried blood on her clothing and body. Something she should have cleaned beforehand. The weather bothered her little, if anything, it was rather calming feeling the many droplets of rain fall upon her skin. Even the smell of it was good. Across the stream she noticed something staring at her, barely hidden beneath the heavy rainfall. A white rabbit with several splotches of black fur upon its back and face. It was vaguely familiar, as if she’d met it before. Didn’t I eat it? That can’t be it. It scurried off into the bushes a second later.
Hours pass, and the rain had not let up, the stream had grown into its own river by now. Where was Ryu? Surely by now he should be coming. How long would she wait? Was he coming at all? Or did he forget about her? Many similar thoughts paraded through her mind, it did nothing more than make her feel stupid for trusting in him. He was no different than the others it seemed. Yet she could not bring himself to hate him despite this. Sacreia buried her face into her knees and wept softly to herself for several minutes. It was then that her ears perked up at the sound of a snapping branch from across the stream. There he was, across from her garbed in a rain coat.
“Sorry, my guardian kept me occupied. Told me it wasn’t safe out here. Some people were murdered nearby, you didn’t see anything did you?”
“N-No. I was here the whole time.” How were they found so quickly?
Ryu stared at her suspiciously for a moment. “Were you… Crying? Just now?”
Sacreia blushed and looked away from him. “No! I’m not crying at all! It’s just the rain!”
Shrugging, Ryu sat himself down beside her upon the muddy ground and gave her a cheery smile.
“I like what you did with your hair, makes you look mysterious.”
“R-Really…? You think so?” she stammered nervously and ran her fingers through her drenched hair. Ryu nodded and stared up at the dark sky for a moment. The rain was letting up after so many hours. He turned towards her for a moment, his eyes wide with surprise as he catches notice of something. “Wow, what is that there on your shoulder?” he asks while pointing at her left side.
She turned her gaze curiously and noticed black crystalline veins running down her shoulder and stopping just above her forearm. Where did they come from? Upon touching it, she suddenly felt a sense of dread and a faint memory played out before her. One where she was an adult, her arm and shoulder becoming completely consumed by it, it had even spread as far down as her foot. The mere sight of it brought her great terror. Ryu shook her briefly and she returned to reality once more.
“Sorry… I don’t know where it came from, or what it even is. Doesn’t hurt though, so that’s good I guess.”
“Alright, I guess. Good to know.” He cleared his throat.
“So, what do you want to-“ Sacreia’s stomach growled loudly and interrupted him.
“Oh, well. I guess we should hunt for something then, considering you’re hungry and all.”
She nodded, albeit shyly.
“What should we search for?” Sacreia asked.
“Anything really. Unless you want something specific?”
“No, I’m fine. Anything works.”
The two searched through the area and found little. The rabbit came to mind, if only it were still around. A fox ran past her legs and startled her. “There! An animal!” She yelled aloud, causing the creature to run. Ryu turned to face her, the fox immediately rushing towards him. It bound between his legs with great speed, and with his quick hands, managed to grab hold of its tail. Yet that was not enough as the fox managed to drag him around several feet before making him crash face first into an upturned root. It bound towards Sacreia this time, only she managed to pounce atop of it and hold the creature still. “Got it!” she yelled, while watching Ryu rise to his feet and rubbing his now reddened face.
With a quick snap of its neck, they did their best to skin and quarter it. That night they ate by a fire and huddled close to one another. It was a very comforting feeling, having shared a meal with him, a fire and their warmth. “How old are you, Ryu? I don’t think I’ve asked.”
“Oh? I’m ten. How about you?”
“Twelve. I figured I was older than you, seeing as how I’m taller.”
“For now… Just you wait until I get older, I’ll tower over you! Just you watch!” he exclaimed. His determination was cute, and it seemed to bother him that she was taller.
“We’ll have to see then, won’t we?” she chuckled.
Once the fox was gone, Ryu gathered all the remaining bones. It roused her curiosity, for what reason did he need those?
“Are you going to do something with the bones?” Sacreia asked curiously.
Placing them into his pouch, Ryu nods and smiles towards her. “Yep, I know a little about boneworking, so I’m going to make something with it. I’m not telling you what, so don’t ask!”
Sacreia frowned and crossed her arms upon her chest. “T-That’s not fair! Tell me!” She was met with a shake of his head and a smug grin. Whatever it was he intended to make, she hoped it was for her.
Over the course of seven years, they spent every day with one another, they would play, hunt, and talk. Her feelings for him only grew more intensely, until becoming an unfathomable love for the boy. She could not stand being without him, it would only bring her pain when he was not nearby. Yet it all felt so familiar to her, as if she had fallen in love with him before. Many years ago… Perhaps it was nothing more than a strange thought, one born out of her desire for him. She only wondered if he felt the same way, if he did, he never expressed it. He was a bit on the thick skulled side at times.
During their years together, Ryu taught her how to make use of a sword, and much like him, she fancied greatswords. Their heft, length and destructive power attracted her. While they used dull swords to train, they’d still hurt whenever they’d hit one another during their spars. Ryu was strong, much stronger than her by a longshot. So it was easy for him to win most of their spars, but every now and then she would beat him without issue. With both speed and strength, she was a good match for him. Her favorite part whenever they’d spar, was when they’d enter a deadlock. While never being able to overpower him during those times, it gave her time to admire that rough face of his she came to love.
Those emotions grew to the point where she could no longer contain them. She had to tell him, he had to know how she felt. But there had to be a special way to do it, she had to set a scene. During one of her late night adventures in the forest, she discovered a cliff that overlooked the great grass plains of Lu’Dran. Miles upon miles of tall green grass, paved roads, distant farms and far off towns. If the sun set here, it’d make for a beautiful scene, one where she could confess to him. It was perfect.
The next day, she had everything planned out. Whenever he arrived, she would have them go for a walk, bring up some light conversation to last them a few hours, and then guide him to the cliff. There, she’d confess everything to him and then… And then… He’d tell her how he feels.
Ryu had grown into a fine man and even taller than her now. She had stood at five foot ten and he now towered over her at six foot four. No longer was his dark hair shaggy; it was now well kept, cut short and swept back giving it a sort of spikey appearance. His face had hardened giving him the appearance of someone who always had a scowl on his face, but she would always see him smile whenever they were together. He had the body of a warrior, lean muscles that were barely contained within his simple boiled leather vest. Ryu had not brought weapons today, so it appeared he had no intention of training with her today which worked in her favor. Lest she be sweaty and unappealing the moment she confessed.
“Waited long?” he asked while approaching her with his smug grin. Sacreia crossed her arms against her chest and shook her head. “No, I do believe you’re on time today.” She paused for a moment and shyly smiled at him. “No training today I take it?” she asked attempting to sound somewhat disappointed. Ryu shrugged and leaned his back against the great black tree she had always sat beneath. “No, not today. I figured we’d have a day to lounge about and talk. Unless of course you want me to fetch the training swords?” He asks while staring at her with a raised brow. Nervously Sacreia shook her head and kept the smile on her face. “No, no… It’s okay. Sounds like a good idea.” She walked ahead along a dirt path and stopped to look upon him. “Care to walk with me then?” she asks while motioning her hand towards him.
With a nod Ryu follows after her and they walked side by side along the dirt path through the forest. Slowly she inched her left hand towards his hoping to hold it while they walked. He didn’t seem to mind the moment she grabbed it and her heart began to race feeling the warmth of his hand against hers. They stopped abruptly, and Ryu had knelt down before a thorn bush for a moment. Sacreia couldn’t see what he was doing, but when he arose she was caught by surprise by what he had in his hand. It was a single red rose he had cut from the bush and he held it out to her like a gift. Sacreia remembered what her mother had told her of human courting customs. When a man gives a woman a red rose, it is a sign of their interest in courting them. If the woman accepted his proposal, she would preserve the rose as a memento. The fact he had given her a red rose… Does that mean he shared the same feelings as she did? Her heart raced quicker now and she took the rose nervously in her hand. “T-Thank you… I’ll cherish it always.” She says while snapping the stem and using the magics necessary in preserving it. Placing the rose in her hair at the side of her head, she looked upon him shyly and asked “H-How do I look?”
“Pretty. It matches your hair and eyes. Just like I thought it would.” He admits and takes her hand this time. Her heart jumped the moment he took it, yet she did her best to calm herself down. Their stroll continued through the black forest in silence. A silence that began to unsettle her. “So… What are your plans for the future? Aren’t you getting old enough to marry now?” she asks him while keeping her eyes on the path ahead. Another minute passes in silence and before she could ask him something else he finally spoke. “Well, I think it’ll be a long time until I ever consider such a thing like that.” He chuckles for a moment and his tone suddenly became serious. “I want to find the Black Wyrmlord who killed my mother. When I kill him, then I can think of such things as that. Why do you ask?” he asks and stared upon her with interest.
Sacreia could feel her face beginning to flush much to her dismay. “No reason… You know, I might not look it, but I think I’d make a great wife and mother.” She admits trying to fish for a positive response from him. Ryu places a hand atop of her head and ruffles her hair a bit with a chuckle. “Really now? But you’re so much like a boy I would never have taken you for someone who wanted such things!” he exclaimed with surprise. Sacreia narrowed her eyes at him and sighed dejectedly. It wasn’t the response she was hoping for and she had hoped he saw her as a woman and not… As a fellow male.
“Even tomboys can have dreams of that like, you know? I don’t think it’s that strange.” She admits, her head and ears lowering for a moment in dejection. Ryu shrugged and brought her hand upwards suddenly. Planting a soft kiss atop her hand he bowed towards her and released it. “Well, my lady. You’ll just have to show me how lady like you can be then!” he joked while sprinting ahead of her down the path. “H-Hey! Come back here!” she yelled while giving chase to him down the dirt trodden path. Sacreia was always faster than him and caught up with him quite quick. He stopped suddenly to face her and she crashed into him managing to throw themselves onto the ground with her atop of him. Her breasts sat atop of his face practically smothering him. Muffled words could be heard as Ryu attempted to push her off. His hands went towards his face and then towards her breasts which he squeezed tightly not quite knowing what they were at first. Sacreia reels herself back, his hands still gripping her chest. The moment Ryu opened his eyes he realized just what it was he was grabbing onto.
“I… Uh…” he says nervously while pulling his hands away from her. Sacreia’s face had gone completely red and she crossed her arms upon her chest in a failed attempt to feign anger. “Sorry about that, I couldn’t see!” he apologizes and much to his surprise she didn’t seem angry at him. Sacreia backed away from him nervously and stood up dusting the dirt from her breeches. “It was my fault, I should have stopped when you did.” She confesses with a nervous chuckle. Ryu rose to his feet and the two continued down the dirt path for a while longer. The sounds of birds chirping had caused her ears to twitch and she raised her head to see a nest full of baby birds above her nestled safely in the trunk of a tree. The mother bird had been feeding her hatchlings. Watching them, she began to long for a family of her own. Her own children, a husband…
The sky was beginning to shift to an orange red hue signaling it was time to take him to the cliff. It was time for her to confess her love to him. “Follow me, I have something I want to show you!” she exclaims and leads him off the dirt path and into the mass of black trees. After several minutes they arrive at the cliff where the sun was slowly melting into the horizon. Sitting herself down at the edge, she patted the ground beside her and smiled up at him. Ryu sat beside her and stared at the scene before him. She scooted closer to him and leaned her head against his shoulder lovingly. As they sat next to each other she inched her hand atop of his lap and took hold of his hand and gave it a soft squeeze.
“Ryu…” she says softly catching his attention. He turns to face her with a curious brow raised. “I have something I want to tell you. Something I’ve been holding in for so many years.” Ryu nods and smiles warmly at her. “Alright, what is it? This better not be something along the lines of you wishing I was a girl.” He joked. With a shake of her head she smiled and squeezed his hand once more. “All these years I’ve spent with you… They’re the best experiences I’ve had in my life. Being with you for so long… “ she starting to lose her words and nervousness began to set in. “I-I… I love you. I want to always be at your side, to share every part of myself with you. That… Maybe one day I could be your wife…” she says finally laying her feelings bare before him after all this time. Before he could respond she pushed herself atop of him, her lips pressed against his in a long kiss.
It was their first kiss, and hopefully not their last she hoped. Ryu stared at her wide eyed, his face reddened for the first time since she’s known him. “I… I don’t know what to say really.” He admitted turning away from her while scratching the top of his head nervously. The sun had finally set and the area darkened around them. “I can’t say I feel the same way… I don’t really know what love is. But I do like you a lot. Being around you makes me happy, and that’s good enough for me. But…” she stares longingly towards him awaiting the next thing he says. “I actually have to say goodbye to you. My guardian and I are moving camp near the city of Eras… Today was meant to be my last day with you for the time being. I came to say goodbye and that maybe we would see each other again soon.”
Sacreia’s heart sank into oblivion. Of all times, why now? Her lips quivered, tears ready to stream from her eyes. Until he presented yet another gift to her. A bone wristlet, intricately carved with several events. Events that were special moments in the life they’ve shared together thus far. His name was carved into it. “Here, this way… We’re always together, even when we’re far apart. I have my own here, see?” He presented the other, it possessed her name upon it. These wristlets of bone, they were what he intended to make seven years ago. Just like she had hoped, it was for her.
“Don’t worry, if I learn what love is… I promise, I will come back to you. Alright?”
Sacreia nodded slowly, tears already running down her cheeks. With a sigh, Ryu wiped away her tears and placed a heavy hand atop her head. “You’ll be fine. Look forward to the day I return, okay?”
“Alright… I’ll be waiting here for you. Don’t… Don’t be long!”
“I’ll try not to be!”
They bid each other their final farewells and like that he was gone. Once more did she return to the place of their first meeting and sat herself sullenly beneath the large tree. There she waited, and waited… Days would turn into weeks, weeks into months, months into a year… He never returned. He’s never coming back, you know? You wait for nothing. Nelai whispers. Sacreia shook her head and refused to listen to her. It was then her ears perked up at the sound of soft mewling beside her. There standing beside her feet was a small kitten. Pure white, with bright blue eyes and folded ears that gave it a melancholic appearance. Its mewling was loud and high pitched. Almost grating to the ears. “What is it? Are you lost little one?” she asks the kitten.
It rubbed against her leg softly and mewled once more. Seems to like me… Maybe I should keep it?
Sacreia smiled warmly at the little thing and plucked it from the ground. She examined it and noticed it was female. The kitten was placed in her lap, where it brushed against her breasts lovingly. “An affectionate little thing, aren’t you? Do you want me to keep you? Hm?” the kitten mewled in response as if in confirmation. She took it as a yes.
“I’ll name you… Miu. Do you like that?” Another mewling escaped the kitten. She thought it appropriate to name the creature after E’Tamiu, it made Miu feel all the more special. And special Miu was indeed, she became the child Sacreia wanted. A loud grumbling erupted from her stomach and she rose to her feet in response. Miu sat herself upon her shoulder while she walked through the thicket of trees. Spotting a deer a ways ahead, she slowly crept towards it doing her best to remain as silent as possible and using the trees for cover. Once within range, she managed to catch its attention and caused it to scamper off. Sacreia gave chase and caught up with it like a fierce lioness. Having managed to tackle it to the ground, she took hold of its large head and twisted its neck with a loud crack.
Much to her surprise, Miu had fallen during the chase and followed after her. The cat stared up at her expectantly already anticipating that some of the deer was for her. Dragging the deer back to the spot, she plopped the corpse onto the ground where Miu hopped atop of it and started to nibble on its neck. “No, no. Let mama cut it up first.” She says while shooing Miu from the corpse. Ryu had left her with some knives many years previous and she made great use of them. She skinned and quartered the deer while leaving strips of raw flesh for her little kitten who nipped eagerly at the bloody morsels. Once night fell she sat beneath the tree eating her fill of freshly cooked deer flesh along with Miu who lay beside her purring contently. “Let me tell you a story…” she says to the kitten patting her head lovingly.
Sacreia told the kitten about Ryu, Lisandre, her mother. Whether Miu could understand her or not she did not care. It was nice to actually talk, even if the cat could not respond to her in kind. They would spend nights just like this where she would talk to the kitten about her dreams and hopes and about what she thought Siraset and the sea of trees was like. Miu would always respond positively to her stories as if she understood everything or simply enjoyed being by her side regardless. Miu would always accompany her on her hunts for food, and most times she made the best companion when lazily exploring the forest. Miu had grown too large to sit upon her shoulders and so she traveled by foot closely behind her owner wherever she went.
Only once or twice had she caught the attention of hawks or wolves that tried to snatch her away. Any predator that came close to Miu, Sacreia made sure to dispose of. Miu was practically her child at this point, that is how fiercely Sacreia protected and loved her. Miu would hold her over and keep her company until Ryu returned to her, however long that would take. But not all good things last forever… Miu would oftentimes hunt on her own, squirrels, and small birds were usually her prey. One day she had not returned. Sacreia was struck with worry. She searched the forest for her little furry child, calling out her name every now and then to see if Miu would come bounding out of a bush to her. Nothing of the sort happened.
It was then that she heard a soft pitiful mewling. Her gaze lowered to the ground where she found Miu, her body bloodied, a crossbow quarrel wedged into her side. Sacreia’s hands trembled, eyes wide as she reached for her pet. Miu trembled and mewled piteously in her hands. After several seconds, the creature stopped moving, her blood draining over Sacreia’s hands. A loud thud caught her attention as a crossbow quarrel impacted the tree beside her. Slowly her head rose and her gaze met a human man several meters away from her. “That your cat, I take it? Should learn to take better care of your pets. Wait-“ the man stared upon her curiously, his eyes wide when he realized she was an elf. A smug grin came upon his face a moment later as he raised the crossbow and took aim upon her. “Now, listen here… You’re going to do exactly what I say… Unless you want me to shoot you. Got that?”
Sacreia slowly rose to her feet, her eyes narrowing towards the man. A burning hatred welled inside of her, one that threatened to escape her. Her eyes glowed intensely, her pupils becoming vertically slit. The man’s eyes widen upon viewing this and took several steps backwards, his finger nervously tapping the crossbow’s trigger. A quarrel fired towards her and she caught it in her left hand snapping it in two a moment later. The man dropped the crossbow and turned to flee, his fat stubby legs not managing to take him very far. Extending her left hand forwards she manifested a sphere of flame which immediately took the form of a great spear. Hurling the spear towards him, he turned to face the incoming projectile eyes wide with abstract terror.
The spear pierced through his back and flung him towards a tree where his body remained pinned. Struggle as he may, he was unable to pull himself free, as if countless fiery barbs had clung to his flesh preventing it from being removed. By the time she approached him, he had already soiled himself, breeches wet with shit and piss. “I-I’m sorry for killing your cat! Please! Have mercy on me!” he pleaded. Sacreia placed a hand atop of his forehead, her nails digging into his flesh as she pulled his head back.
“Mercy…? I know so such thing. A life for a life, as many would say. You took the life of a dear friend of mine, and as compensation I will take yours.” She paused for a moment and a cruel smile played upon her face. “A reasonable exchange… Would you not agree?” The man screamed and called for help. His voice echoed through the trees and sent the birds flying from their nests and into the sky. “Do you think someone will save you? If anyone heard that… By the time they come here you’ll be long dead. Now, be silent while I consider how to end your pitiful existence.” Sacreia demanded while pacing back and forth behind him, her hand resting upon her chin in deep thought.
Taking a few steps back, she raised her left arm and extended it forwards. Her hand opened widely and burst into flames a moment later. The flames ran up her arm and stopped at her shoulder followed by a gust of heated wind that tossed back her hair. A massive gout of flame shot out from her hand that seemed to extend a great distance ahead of her incinerating everything it touched. A cruel grin came upon her face as she watched the intense fire burn everything as if it were cleansing the evil from this world. When the fire had died naught had remained but ash. Not even an inkling of flame danced upon the blackened ground.
Sacreia shook her hand, the flames upon her arm had died out as well and she turned towards where she had laid Miu’s corpse beneath the tree. Tears welled in her eyes as she lifted the bloodied corpse from the ground, she had felt nothing short of regret for not being able to reach her in time. It felt as if she had failed the poor creature and the realization had struck her once more that she was meant to be alone. For all the good it did to become close to another, it would seem they would only leave her one way or the other.