《Tribal Manifestation》


 Introduction

    "Tomorrow he is turning 19," my grandfather, Chato said to my grandmother, Emilia.


    I have a big day tomorrow. Tomorrow is the day my gift will fully manifest and I will possibly replace my father, Silva, as standing warchief. Everyone is born with a gift and gifts often would show moderate hints before fully manifesting. Upon reaching 19 I will go to what is known as the neautral zone ran by the Watchers. The Watchers are the world''s highest standing class, gifted by the spirits to run what they call ¡®machines¡¯. These machines run tests on us and give a detailed description on our gifts to help us fully understand it as well as giving the Watchers documentation of our gifts.


    "There''s no need to worry. Inarashi seems to show excellent potential," Emilia softly replied to Chato, attempting to quell his worries.


    I was suppose to be asleep, but I would often listen to my grandparents talk in the room over while falling asleep. I shared a room with my younger sister (age 18), Melissa, and my brother (age 21), Angelo. I often felt like Melissa would listen in as I would, but thankfully Angelo would fall right asleep. Angelo was the first standing contender for warchief as my older brother, but he was an anomaly among the tribes. Angelo never showed any signs of having a gift growing up, and was very mediocre in most forms of combat. He was oblivious to the world and didn''t seem to mind all of this, but it deeply troubled my grandfather.


    "No need to worry?" Chato snapped at Emilia. "With Silva gone and Angelo a failure the Ardent tribe will meet its doom. If Inarashi ends up like Angelo we''re screwed. Why the hell did my damned son decide to go visit Ignas? No one has ever come back from entering that cursed tower, it''s taboo among all tribes to enter. And although Inarashi is skilled with the katana, he shows no signs of it pointing to being his gift like Revell."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Revell was my closest friend, and the strongest standing member of our tribe after Silva. Revell had told me he was told his gift was "Longsword Master" while at the neutral zone. He told me the experience of learning your gift is very unsual, but rewarding. Hedescribed it as laying on a table and getting wires put into you. Then you hear a voice that briefly explains your gift. He said the Watchers told him the voice you hear is the Greater Spirit that has chosen you for your gift. Afterwards, the Watchers get their own detailed report of your gift and read it to you before sending you home with your newfound knowledge and fully unlocked gift.


    "Please don''t call Angelo a failure," Emilia responded, "It''s never been heard of someone not having a gift. I''m sure he just hasn''t been put in a situation that it has been able to show. When at the neautral zone he said he heard a greater spirit speak "Life" to him. Inarashi is a bright individual. I''m sure he will make the Ardent tribe proud."


    Emilia was very kind. I highly pitied my brother and the way Chato thought of him, but my thought process wasn''t much different. It pained me to say it, but I too would think of my older brother as a failure. Every time I thought about it my heart would sting, but I just couldn''t bring myself to lie. He would never be able to fill the role of warchief. No matter how much I loved him, I would never see him amounting to any use to the tribe. I could hope all I wanted that Emilia''s words were true about his gift not being able to show, but I highly doubted that.


    "It''s been over two years since the boy''s been 19. If he had a gift it would have showed by now Emilia. Don''t try to kid yourself. The boy is a failure. We tried to see a gift in him with the keyword ''Life.'' He couldn''t ressurect the dead, he couldn''t heal, he couldn''t regenerate. He has no quality of life, and hasn''t bettered anyone else''s life, so tell me what more there is to it, Emilia, huh!?" Chato saidsounding a little angry now, raising his voice.


    I glanced over at Angelo to make sure he was still asleep. Thankfully he was still out. I would hate him to wake up and hear all of that. I decided to go to sleep now. Every word Chato said I would agree with, and it cut like a knife. I didn''t want to agree with any of it. I just wanted to not think about it anymore.

 To Love Your Gift

    "Are you ready, Inarashi?" Chato said to me with a very straight face. I could feel tension in his words, his nerves began to show today. I felt pressured, but I tried not to let on.


    "Of course, grandfather," I replied.


    "Revell will accompany you on your trip to the neutral zone. Although we currently have treaties with the surronding tribes, the credibility of them runs slim with the current standing of the Ardent Tribe. Word has already spread of Silva''s vanishment, and although the tribes have been patient on this matter, they currently question whether our aliiance is worth it any longer. In particular, I have heard troubling rumors of the Jasah tribe. We can no longer be too careful in these dark days of Ardent."


    I nodded, "Understood. I know with Revell I will be safe. Of the surrounding nations Ardent has stood among the top for years. Although my father is no longer here, Revell is a legend of battle himself. Any tribe would be a fool to take him on without their full tribe backing them."


    Melissa began to speak, "Still... Don''t you think it''s a little dangerous to only send Revell with him? I will accompany them. I believe we should bring Sol and Sora with us as well."


    Sol and Sora were twins and incredibly strong warriors of our tribe. If I had to rate them I would put them only behind Silva, Revell, and Chato in terms of stregnth. Sol was gifted with the ability to manipulate nature''s life around him, making him unstoppable in certain terrains such as forests. In case their was no life though, he carried seeds around him which he could manipulate to instantly grow and use to battle with, but his power was then limited. Sora had the ability to create smoke and manipulate it. His primary use for it was to create clones of himself and allies to deceive the enemy, but he was also an exceptional hand to hand combatant. Some in the tribe say that if his gift was more aligned with his combat style he would be the strongest in the tribe. He still manages to use his gift exceptionally well for support though, especially when paired with Sol in battle.


    Chato nodded his head horinzontally and began to speak, "I had considered that originally, but there''s more to it than that. With my suspicions of the Jasah tribe growing, I believe it is time for us to confront them. We are going to send our top warriors to go do that. They should have most of their units sent to fight Revell, leaving their defenses easy to be penetrated. I will solely stay here to defend the remaining tribe members. I highly doubt they will come attack us straight on, but if they do so, we will need someone here to defend the less capable."


    "But-" Melissa said.


    "No ''buts,''" Chato interuppted, "have faith in Revell. He''s the finest swordsman this clan has seen along with Silva. He can handle the whole Jasah tribe if he had to. The only threat Jasah really has is their four elementalists, and even then, I''m sure they couldn''t take on Revell."


    "Alright," I butted in, "I now understand everything that''s going on. I''m going to head out. I''m sure Revell''s waiting for me at his hut. Don''t worry Melissa, Revell''s the best." I said with a smile and a thumbs up.


    As I was walking out of the hut Revell shouted, "Yoohoo, waiting out here buddy." I exited to see him standing right outside the enterance. "Just thought I''d evesdrop for a bit, my friend. I felt like I would''ve been more bored actually being in the conversation. The best I am, huh, Inarashi?"


    "Oh don''t get your head big," I said in a jesting tone, "I was only trying to make poor little Melissa feel better. The real reason I know we''ll be okay is because once I get my gift I know I''ll be able to protect a weakling like you."


    "Hey!" Melissa shouted from the hut, "Who are you calling little! By the time I''m your age everyone predicts I''ll be more skilled in the the dagger than you are with the katana!"


    "Well well," Revell replied, "she''s not wrong about that one."


    "Yeah, but who''s more skilled now?" I said with a chuckle, "besides, it''s not fair, she''s mentored by the villages ''most finest'' " I continued changing to a mocking tone.


    Revell retorted, "Ha! How''s that an excuse when you were trained by the legend himself Silva?"


    I shook my head and laughed, "Oh come on. The old man was aTERRIBLE mentor! I felt like I would''ve learned more from wolves than with him. . . Oh wait! I did learn more from them because his method of teaching WAS throwing me out to fend for myself with wolves! When I was 7!"This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Chato appeared outside from the hut with a stern look on his face. "I''m glad you''re all getting along, but let''s move it. Today is very important. Good luck, Inarashi. Revell. May the spirits be with you on your journey, and may you be blessed with a tremendous gift."


    "I understand, grandfather. My apologies. Let''s head out Revell." I said begining to walk away.


    --------------------------------------------


    We had been traveling 4 kilometers. The closest neutral zone was north of our tribes land. We were now crossing through the land of the Ferrah tribe. The Ferrah tribe was an incredibly talented tribe when it came to medical practices. A very intelligent bunch mainly focused on networking rather than war. Ferrah had strong alliances with every tribe and managed to stay out of any wars, offering healing and marketing to any other tribe. We didn''t need to worry about any interruptions from them, however, to the east lied the Jasah tribe. The only land in between the Ferrah tribe and Jasah tribe was the land of the Oklam tribe. The Oklam tribe was an incredibly small tribe of only three. They somehow kept their land, and always defended attacks; although never attacked to gain more land. The Ardent tribe had no communications with the Oklam tribe so that is all the information I have on them.


    "You worried?" I asked, looking at Revell.


    "A little," he said with a sigh, "Chato didn''t mention, but the son of the warchief of the Jasah tribe just got his gift yesterday. We know they have the elementalists which are already strong. That''ll be enough of a hassle on it''s own to defend against, but add in an unkown variable and it''s a little troubling."


    "I didn''t know his son was born a day ahead of me. It''s unlike Chato to not consider that." I replied.


    "I''m sure he did" Revell said, "but Chato is an old head we have to remember. He believes that the strength in gifts mainly come from brute force. Because the power of a gift often resembles within families he just isn''t worried. He thinks very little of the Jasah warchief''s gift, but the truth is, Jasah''s warchief has a tremendously powerful gift."


    "What is it?" I asked, very confused. Most powerful gifts get spread around the tribes, and you often hear of them in war stories, but now that I think about it, I''ve never heard of the Jasah''s warchief.


    "They call it Euphoria," Revell answered. "although it''s not a very useful gift on the battlefield, I hear that he has the power to uplift the spirits of his entire tribe, no matter how they''re feeling. If they''re sick, sad, heartbroken, angry, anything- they can go to their warchief and instantly be cured of negative emotion. His power to influence his troops and non-combative members alike is immense. I believe in any of the central tribes that would be an overwhelming power."


    The central tribes were tribes far, far north. The central tribes were a lot larger than any tribes around Ardent. For example, central tribes typically held anywhere from 200-500 members. Ardent currently held 25 members, and Jasah held 18.


    "Speaking of gifts though," Revell said changing the subject, "do you have any idea what yours is? I''ve never asked because you never decided to say, but since it''s the big day I figured I''d finally let my curiosity get the best of me."


    "I have an idea," I sighed and answered.


    "Ouch, a sigh?" Revell retorted in a sympathetic tone.


    "Yeah, I''ve never told anyone because I''ve honestly been a little disappointed, but I''m unsure if I''ll be able to become warchief with it."


    "Well, spit it out. What is it?" Revell asked.


    I gently bumped into him very quickly.


    "Whoa! watch where youre going clutz." he said with a laugh.


    I pulled out a silver coin from his pocket and held it up, "Missing something?"


    "Wait..." Revell said with wide eyes, patting his pockets, "How did you do that? That''s amazing!"


    "I dislike it, and I''ve hardly practiced it, but I''m naturally an undetectable thief. I''m sure it has something to do with my gift. I trained so hard on the katana hoping I would feel something while sparring, but I always knew that my gift had nothing to do with it. After growing up and seeing your sword skills, I was really hoping to become a great warrior like you. I''m afraid I''ll have to work in espionage, not as acting warchief."


    "Hey, hey hey. Don''t be such a downer, Inarashi. I believe in you brother, don''t start thinking like that. You remember Sora, right?" Revell said.


    "Yeah of course I do. What of it?" I retorted.


    "As you know, Sora and I are the same age. We grew up together and often trained together after receiving our gifts close to the same time. When Sora first got his gift, the tribe was often worried he''d fail as a warrior. He heard the rumors, but they never got to him. It''s like they never even entered his ears, he never mentioned anyone looking down on his gift ever. And as you know, even now, people still say it doesn''t suite him and he is one of the village''s elite."


    "Yeah, but-"


    "No ''buts'', Inarashi. Let me finish. Well some time after, we worked our way to earning the standings of the elite warriors we are known as. I finally decided to ask him. I asked, ''you know about all the rumors everyone use to say, right?'' He replied that he did. And I asked how they never got to him or why he never mentioned them. He told me all that mattered was that he received his gift, and as soon as he did- he loved it. He thought it was so fun. He said before receiving his gift he was worried because he wasn''t skilled in any sort of weaponery, so his hand to hand combat would mean nothing against something like a master swordsman like me. But he made it work. He said all that mattered was his love for his gift. He believed in it and thanked the spirit that gave it to him."


    "To love my gift, huh?" I said hesitantly, "I sure hope I can..."

 Taboo

    "Well, here we are Inarashi. The neutral zone. Glad we made it without any interferance from the Jasah tribe." Revell said in relief.


    "Yeah, let''s just hope our journey back goes just as pleasant. Well, I''m going to head inside. It''s time to find out what kind of use my gift will be."


    In front of us stood a large, white, hemisphere-shaped building with large indentations throughout it. The building held no windows and stood about 45 meters tall at its peak. It was a little overwhleming to see a structure of this magnitude. Majority of tribes lived in adobe huts, but this structure was made of unkown resources. The only resemblence I had seen to such an anomoly was Ignas. That thought alone was enough to get my nerves racing.


    I reached the entrance of the door. A bright light suddenly appeared in my face.


    "Face recognition confirmed. Inarashi Ardent. Access granted." I heard from an unkown voice.


    "Wha- Hello?" I said confused.


    The door suddenly slid open in a manner I''d never seen before. No one was on the other side close enough to open it. Could that be the works of someone''s gift here?


    In front of me was a large glass window. On the other side of the window a woman was sitting down. The room was walled off to the left and right with the same sort of passage as the building entrance on both sides.


    "Hello, welcome Inarashi." The woman on the other side of the glass said to me. She had long bruentte hair and brown eyes of a very light hue. Her skin was light, and she wore bright white clothes with golden seams. These were the clothes of the Watchers. It was the first time I''d ever seen one in person, but I''d heard they all wore that strange uniform. It was very different from any wardrobe you''d see in any tribe.


    "Please enter the passage on your right and your gift will be awaken." She continued.


    I walked to the right and again the entrance automatically opened. I didn''t see any movement from the Watcher and was very bewildered on how it was happening. I wanted to question it to the watcher very much, but the tribes are taught to not make unnecessary conversations with the Watchers.


    Inside this room stood another Watcher. She had dark, ebony hair and green eyes. The room was small. Beside her was some sort of stand with a long, rectangular box below it, and on top of it was a wide, rectangular box. The wide box beamed a light through it which seemed to show some sort of images I couldn''t make out. Beside her was a long, steel table. The top of the steel table seemed to be connected to a large cylinder, surrounding it.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "Please lie down here." She asserted pointing to the steel table.


    I did as she asked. After lying down she approached me. "This may sting a little, please do not be alarmed." She connected some sort of metal wires to me. Each wire penetrated my skin just a little, feeling like a pinch.


    "We will not begin the process. Stay clam and may the greater spirits bless you with a most magnificent gift."


    The table began to move upward into the cylinder surrounding the top of it. A few seconds passed and I was completely enveloped by the cylinder. It was dark. I couldn''t see anything.


    I began to hear a soft, feminie voice whisper to me at a rapid speed.


    "I''m so sorry."


    "Steal."


    "Soul Stealer."


    "Cursed Child."


    "It had to be you."


    "It has to go somewhere."


    "Please forgive us."


    Then I heard a different voice say one final thing.


    "We will be one." it said. This voice was more masculine, but demonic. It''s voice was more of a growl than a voice.


    The table now began to move backwards, out of the cylinder. As I exited the cylinder I saw the images on the Watcher''s wide rectangle change and she suddenly screamed.


    At that moment I felt something strange. My left arm felt heavier than usual. When I looked at it I realized there was some sort of gauntlet now on it. It looked as though it was made of obsidian with a blood red, vein-like design on it. Just below where my knuckles would bethe gauntler had what looked like a big red eye. The eye moved.


    "What the fuck" I said to myself.


    "We need souls" I heard the voice growl in my head.


    "Stay--- s-s-stay away. Please! Please! Help!" The Watcher in the room yelled.


    I suddenly began to feel very lighheaded and my vision began to fade. I could feel myself floating in and out of consciousness. My eyes couldn''t stay open.


    Opened. Closed. Opened. Closed. Stuck on repeat. As my eyes opened I saw the Watcher in front of me.


    Closed.


    As my eyes opened I saw blood spewing into my face. The Watcher fell to the ground.


    Closed. I could feel my body turning around.


    Opened. The Watcher from the other side of the glass now entered the room.


    Closed. I could hear her say, "Wha- what happened hear. No- no! noooooo!" She screamed.


    Opened. I could see a blade in my left hand as it rose. Where did it come from? A katana? No? It was a cutlass with a black blade and red hilt. I''d never even touched a cutlass, let alone seen someone use it. The blade struck down on the Watcher in front of me. More blood flew into my face.


    Closed. I could hear panicking and footsteps from outside the room.


    Opened. Two more Watchers entered the room.


    Closed. I could feel more blood covering my body.


    Opened. I saw two dying bodies on the ground.


    "What have the great spirits done...?" I heard one faintly ask before his eyes closed.


    Closed. I could hear more entering the room.


    Opened. Three of them. in one swift strike faster than I''ve ever seen my body move I saw all three of the new contender''s throats sliced.


    Closed. "My gift?" I heard one ask, choking on blood. "What happened to it?"


    Over and over and over, stuck on repeat. My eyes would open and close and the same scene would unfold. New Watchers entering of various numbers, all falling to a blade that seemed to be mine. All questioning the greater spirirts, or where their gift had gone. I didn''t know how long time was stuck in repetition. I didn''t know how many Watchers were murdered there. I couldn''t even hardly think. I couldn''t control myself, I was helpless. I was unaware of what was happening, and couldn''t stop it even if I tried. My body moved on it''s own.


    It was dark again. My eyes closed once more. My body fell to the ground.

 Massacre

    My eyes opened halfway, my vision slightly blurred. My head felt clouded, my memory hazy. This air around me felt familiar. Where was I? What was I doing before I got here? Why was I only in my boxers?


    As my eyes fully opened I saw a man standing near me- his back faced towards me. He looked about six inches shorter than myself. I recognized him.


    ¡°Chato¡± I said slowly, short on breath.


    Chato turned around with a stern look on his face and began to walk towards me. He was holding my clothes- a dark red, almost burgundy trench coat, a plain black t-shirt, and black pants along with a black and red arm and knee guard. ¡°I had Kara wash these. They were covered in blood. Be sure to thank her the next time you see her.¡±


    I attempted to sit up, but felt too lethargic. My body was heavy, my will was weak. Just a little longer. Just a little more rest. Chato sat the clothes beside me on the bed.


    As I realized how comfortable I felt, I realized where I was lying- the tribe¡¯s infirmary. The beds here were cloth sacks filled with sheep wool. They were much more comfortable than the beds in residency which were filled with hay. Why was I here?


    ¡°Inarashi.¡± Chato continued, ¡°Even though your clothes were covered in blood, your body doesn¡¯t have a single scratch on it. Revell brought you back to the village before departing to the Jasah tribe to assist our warriors. Apparently my suspicions were correct and they have declared war against us. Revell told me that while your gift was fully manifesting Jasah¡¯s elementalists attacked him with the Warchief¡¯s son. He didn¡¯t give me the details, but apparently all he could do was hold them off while he awaited you to finish. A while after them forcing each other into a stalemate a scout from Jasah came running and tipped them off about our people approaching their village. Revell rushed into the Watcher¡¯s facility to see dozens of Watchers massacred and you lying in a pool of blood with bodies around you. All the doors usually securely shut, were open.¡±


    Chato took a deep breath, sighed, and began to speak again. ¡°Just what happened? This is most certainly an ill omen, and of all times. What sort of taboo infected that holy place. I fear we have angered the Greater Spirits somehow to be strung with such luck. We will need your manifestation to prove that you are the son of Silva to come out of this alive, I¡¯m sure. So what of it? What has your gift come to be? Why does your arm have that creature attached to it?¡±


    ¡°Creatu-?¡± A vivid slew of memories now flooded my brain. I began to choke on the air around me and felt suffocated. I had to force the words out from my core. It was painful, but I managed to let out, ¡°Run! Please... Get everyone away!¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! Inarashi! Explain yourself at once,¡± Chato shouted, anger showing itself immensely on his face.


    ¡°My gift... Argh... I can¡¯t... I can¡¯t control it! I killed them all! Please get away from me,¡± I pleaded in agony.


    ¡°I, Chato of Ardent, will not run! I have lived these past 75 years and fought in every war on the front lines surviving. I will quell the beast your gift has manifested into until you can control it. Do not worry, Inarashi!¡±


    I felt pain, despair, suffering. So many negative emotions, but they weren¡¯t mine. I didn¡¯t know where they were coming from or what was happening. My heart felt so heavy. Confused, my mind was scattered. Suddenly all thoughts focused on my vision. I had lost sight in my left eye. I tried to speak, ¡°whrh oz houpplsg¡± is all that came out. I had no control over my body but I could see clearly through my one eye. I was afraid I was going to lose myself completely.


    Chato ran outside to the center of the village shouting, ¡°Everyone! People of Ardent! Inside at once! This is an emergency!¡±


    I ran after Chato keeping up with his speed. We both stood in the center of Ardent. Chato stared intently at my body, readied in a defensive pose. I was a bit relieved that he was cautious. It meant he was taking this serious. A mark of a true warrior, unwilling to underestimate any opponent. Although a bit relieved though, I was still more at unease. I had no idea what this was inside of me, all I could do was hope Chato really could stop me.


    My body pushed off my right leg and leaped toward Chato at an incredible speed. Just before reaching him, my left arm swung up and dived towards the head of Chato. Chato reacted in time to lift his arms in an ex to guard his face.


    Chato¡®s arms were now covered in stone. This was his gift, called ¡®Stoneskin¡¯. He has honed the endurance of his gift all his life, and this was the fruit of his effort. Rumor has it that after passing the age of 40 he has never been injured in a battle. His Stoneskin was said to be indestructible and it was proving worthy of legend.


    The impact from the cutlass clashing with the stone blew aside the two of us and the two adobes closest to us crumbled. I could hear the cry of a tribesman come from under one of the rubble, ¡°Ahhhh! My leg! Somebody! Please help!¡±


    Chato looked to the right towards the screams. He pushed off his left foot and darted towards it. My body followed. In one swift motion Chato punched the air and the force removed all rubble from around the man; however, my right arm shoved Chato sending him back in the distance while my left arm simultaneously shoved my cutlass into the man.


    He was a farmer of the village, Elijah. The man who was partly responsible for feeding our village. For providing the necessary supplies for our bedding and clothing. He was one of the reasons we could all live comfortably. I had no ill memories with him, I thought positively of him, and my own blade struck him down. Why?


    ¡°Souls...¡± I heard the ominous voice inside my head growl. Souls? Was he answering my question? Just what is this voice? Leave me, please. ¡°I cannot.¡±


    Chato rushed back with a flurry of attacks. A jab to the chest, a kick to my right knee, an uppercut, a knee to the chest, a right hook to the face. My body staggered with every hit but I felt no pain.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    I dropped my cutlass and as it hit the floor it dematerialized. My left arm swung up and grabbed Chato by the face then plunged him into the earth. The cursed gauntlet enveloped his entire face, the eye on it staring directly into the eye I was looking out of while it happened. The deepness of the red and the situation at hand- I got lost in the sight of it: lost in fear.


    A huge crater was dug around him from the force of the smash. Chato now turned his entire body to stone and kept it this way. ¡°I guess, I must use my full force. I was holding back in regards for my grandson¡¯s life. But now I realize what I just do. The priority of this situation is the lives of the villagers.¡±


    Chato then stood up and stood still. Waiting in a defensive stance. I approached him in the same manner as my first strike. The way I fought, it was mindless, brute force seemingly. The thought of it gave me a little hope that the experienced Chato would actually win, even if it meant my life as the cost. I wouldn¡¯t mind.


    As my arm swung down for the strike Chato punched upward towards the arm with the gauntlet. A huge stone appeared closely towards the southwest of me. My body staggered and Chato threw another punch to my right arm. A stone to the southeast. A punch to my left leg. A stone to the northwest. Right leg, northeast.


    Almost instantly after the last stone appeared they all came crushing together. At this point my eye couldn¡¯t keep up with what had happened. Somehow I was watching the stones crush together from behind Chato as I felt my left arm lift and push back. My eye then looked on the ground to see Chato, no longer covered in stone. The cutlass was impaled through his left eye.


    ¡°Your eyes... The only thing not stone.¡± The ominous voice spoke, this time aloud, through my mouth.


    ¡°Your eye... one is,¡± Chato coughed up blood and finished, ¡°purple... I think... it is not you Inarashi. I¡¯m sorry. That speed...¡± Chato¡¯s eyes were then unresponsive. His body would not move again.


    I then heard rustling and muddled foot steps from all around. The villagers began running out of their houses in hopes to escape, and I knew exactly how this would end. These were all daily work civilians, not warriors. Chato had to have been twenty times faster than any of them. There was no hope. I could only beg. Please. Please don¡¯t do this. Spare their lives, why are you killing? What for?


    My pleas were all in vain. My body began to respond. The second farmer, Jakob was thrown into the ground. His skull cracked. The butcher, Alfred, had his throat slit and was left to bleed to his death. The pottery craftsman, Hana, was held by the gauntlet as Chato was at one point, but her head was squeezed until blood rushed from every escapable route in it. The weaver, Racheal was stabbed in the heart. The blacksmith, Raul, picked up a sword hoping to fight back, but was outmatched in one quick strike.


    The next victim was the jack of all trades, Kara. Kara washed everyone¡¯s garments and armor as well as the pottery. In her free time she would help all others in the working class to relieve any stress. She was truly a hard worker and tried her best to comfort those in need. She was the farthest away, being one of the three left alive. She had gotten about 100 meters away. As my body ran towards her I felt especially disheartened.


    Kara was four years older than me. She had short, beautiful, brown hair which ended just above her shoulders. We always knew each other being close in age, but only got closely acquainted three years ago. We first met after she received her gift. She was crying in the farmlands to the east of the village so no one would see her.


    Me being there was purely coincidence. I was attempting to memorize a village patrol route for an upcoming exam so I was retracing the steps of it when I heard sobbing. Corn was in season and had already grown high so it was difficult to find her, but I was worried. I followed the sound of her sobbing until eventually locating her at the source.


    I pushed through the final stock of corn and called out, ¡°Kara? Is everything okay? Get off of her!¡± I yelled as I smacked an armyworm off of her. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid? Most young girls are afraid of the corn field because of all the insects?¡±


    Kara looked at me with her big, green eyes full of tears and laughed subtlety while wiping them. ¡°Inarashi, I¡¯m not a young girl anymore. I¡¯m four years older than you, you know?¡±


    ¡°Oh sorry,¡± I replied. ¡°I forgot. Might be because of the tears. Warriors never cry, Kara.¡± I kneeled down and put my hand on her shoulder while smiling.


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing, Inarashi...¡± she paused. She was more composed and not sobbing anymore, but more tears began to stream down her face. ¡°Today was my gift manifestation, but my gift is not fit for that of the warrior. The path I¡¯d hoped for I will not receive.¡±


    I put my arm around her and she rested her head on my shoulder soaking my sleeve. We would stay the entire night like that. I hadn¡¯t the words to give her, but I just felt like she needed someone there so I stayed. I never realized how fragile she was, she was always so strong. I was worried about such a strong spirit being crushed; however, the next day I saw her she came up to me and thanked me with a smile on her face. Never again did I even see her frown. We would talk often and she would always bare a smile. Her smile was beautiful, possibly the most beautiful I had ever seen. No matter how I was feeling her smile alone could brighten up the day and lighten my heart. This time however; it would not.


    She must have felt me coming. She turned around from running and just stood still- staring at me- watching me coming. Her eyes were filled with tears just as the day we first met, but her face forced a smile. Even forced, it was the same smile I¡¯d always known. How could she still smile that bright in a dark time like this?


    My blade sliced through her neck, cutting it cleanly off. I couldn¡¯t feel my facial expression change at all, but just in my right eye, tears began to crash down. I killed Kara.


    The last two alive in the village did not run. One was sobbing on the floor holding Chato¡¯s dead body, the other was standing in front of her, staring down at the most unfortunate sight. My body began to walk towards them, in no hurry since they appeared not to be running. Somehow, this made it much worse. The man standing, my brother Angelo, must have heard my footsteps as I got closer because he turned around. I tried so hard to tell. Run! Run! Angelo! What is your gift? Stop me! Why are you two letting this happen? Kill me please, I don¡¯t want to kill you two! Angelo, please, use your gift! Please you¡¯ll die if you don¡¯t! I beg of you! I beg of you! Only distorted grunting came out of my mouth. Angelo would never hear my words again. I would never be able to tell him anything ever again. What were my last words to him? Did they even hold any significance? I love you brother. I¡¯m sorry.


    As my blade ran through his heart I heard him ask softly, ¡°Why? Inarashi? Weren¡¯t we family?¡± Blood sprayed from his mouth as he spoke. I pulled my blade out and he fell to the ground. My grandmother, Emilia, didn¡¯t turn around. She didn¡¯t say anything. She only sobbed staring at her husband. I stabbed my blade through her back and to her heart. As I pulled the blade out she fell atop of Chato. Together they would lie for eternity. Because of death by their own grandson. I loved every member of Ardent. We were all family. I wanted to use my gift to protect this tribe, not massacre them.


    Afterwards the cutlass vanished. My left arm took to the sky. I stared at it, and the eye on the gauntlet stared back. Suddenly I saw very light, transparent orbs flow through the dusk sky. They all seemed to swarm the gauntlet until they disappeared. What is going on? What is that thing doing?


    ¡°Souls¡± I heard the demonic voice say within me. Souls? What of them? Were those...? I suddenly felt extremely dizzy. My eyes blackened, and once again I fell to the ground.

 Path of Atonement

    Just having awoken, I decided to stay lying on the ground. I stared up at the dusk sky. The sky itself was closer to dark than light- a blue influenced by yellow fading to black with the diminishing sunlight. Orange and yellow hues blended into the cloud¡¯s color. The sky almost looked like it was set ablaze- the clouds just being fiery smoke. I¡¯d hoped the fire would spread from the sky to the ground I was laying. I didn¡¯t want to have to face the truth. I wanted my last sight to be that beautiful, fiery sky. I didn¡¯t want to turn my gaze to see all my family dead around me. I didn¡¯t want to, but I knew I had to.


    I would love to lie here and get punished for my sins when the rest of Ardent came back, but that was the exact reason I had no time for self pity. If I didn¡¯t leave before the rest of my family came the end result would be the same. Whatever this power inside of me is, it¡¯s unstoppable. It¡¯s sick and twisted and has no right to be apart of me, but it¡¯s lack of morality does not hinder its strength. I firsthand saw the top speed of myself while witnessing Chato¡¯s death. With that speed I fear not even Revell would be able to handle it alone. Everyone else would just be easy victims of bloodlust, not even a hinderance.


    As I stood up my body felt sore. I could now feel the bruises from Chato¡¯s attacks on my body. Many muscles in various locations also felt sore from strain. My body had been forced into overdrive, moving much faster than any speed I¡¯d ever previously reached. I moved my body towards the infirmary. On my way I saw all the bodies of the dead villagers. All the faces of those who worked so hard to help raise me and keep our village running steadily. Blood covered those who I was brought up to keep unscathed. They did their part for Ardent, but I had surely disgraced the name.


    I passed through the rectangular entrance of the adobe shelter. Upon entering was one, large room with four beds inside. I made my way to the bed I was lying on prior to my onslaught. On there I saw my clothing and accessories and equipped them. Now ready to leave the village I departed the infirmary. Upon leaving I headed toward my brother and grandmother to say my final goodbyes.


    ¡°Angelo,¡± I whispered. I kneeled down, held my hands slightly away from my chest, looked down, and closed my eyes. My cheeks were stained with tears. The crying had stopped, but the pain in my heart still lingered. ¡°I apologize for everything. All my harsh thoughts and looking down upon you for being giftless. I never vocalized these thoughts, but I¡¯m sure sometimes I may have faltered and you may have felt them. I never meant to hurt you. Even without a gift, you are my brother and I loved you. Because you were without power, I wanted to personally make it my duty for your protection. I... I have failed not only as a warrior, but as your brother. And for that, my apologies lie deeper with you than anyone else. I don¡¯t expect forgiveness as I am unworthy, but I at least need you to hear it: I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I turned towards Emilia and Chato in the same position and whispered, ¡°Emilia. Chato. I have failed as well as your grandson. You were truly kind, Emilia. And although you were stern Chato, you have paved the way of success for Melissa and I since the loss of our parents to Ignas. Thank you for raising me, I¡¯m sorry to be such a disappointment. You raised me well and I somehow allowed myself to turn my back on your teachings.¡±


    I stood up and walked toward the last remaining victim I needed closure with. About 100 meters south, I kneeled between Kara¡¯s body to my left and her severed head to my right. I just stared at the decapitated head. Her eyes were closed and skin was pale and slack. Her head was resting sideways in a pool of blood- her right side soaked in it. Again, tears began to fall. Even amidst all this pain and regret and helplessness I felt a sliver of relief. I was relieved the tears Kara deserved came flowing. There was nothing else I could offer her in death aside from these tears and my words.


    I began to speak in a shaken, cracked voice, ¡°Kara... Melissa had told me to take care of you. She told me what you told her. I¡¯m sorry, I was never able to love you. I wanted to gain power and protect the tribe before even exploring the world of emotions. This is not the way I wanted to discover what it meant to care for someone. Truly, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve failed everyone. May you Rest In Peace.¡± I hit the ground as I spoke. By the end of my speech my knuckles were covered in blood and the earth under me had been a shallow hole.


    I looked back at the rest of the deceased, closed my eyes and bowed my head, ¡°May you all Rest In Peace. I apologize to all of you. I promise, I will make this right. I will leave the village and lock myself inside Ignas. Never again, will I be able to hurt another soul. I will atone for my sins I have made today.¡±


    I wished to give the fallen of Ardent a proper burial, but I needed Revell and the others to see what had happened to them. I couldn¡¯t leave a note telling where I was going in fear that Revell and Melissa would follow. I couldn¡¯t have any more innocent lives taken by my hands. I needed a place of isolation.


    On my way to Ignas there were no other tribes. Ardent stood closest to Ignas, and only rotting wildlife surrounded the tower. All bushes and trees held no sorts of greenery or leaves; just dark, hollow wood. The dirt all around was solid, uneven and cracked.


    I stood in front of the tower of Ignas. It was made of the same material as the Watcher¡¯s residency. Some sort of white steel that illuminated the night. I looked up and the tower stood erect as high as the eye could see. No windows, no other openings, no source of any other shape differential past the entrance I stood in front of- just a giant, white cylinder. I looked ahead towards the entrance. It was a towering walkway about ten times the width of me and three times the height. I couldn¡¯t see anything but black inside. It looked as though there was no light coming from inside. I heard no sound in that direction either.


    My heart raced as I stood there. I was afraid. I was going to enter the same place that took my parents away from me. I hated this place. A place of taboo. A place of legend. This was the unknown. We believed walking in here was the same as walking to our deaths- and for all we knew, it could¡¯ve been. No matter what it was though, I knew I had to come here. No matter what happens, this is the only place I¡¯ll never be able to return to Ardent from.


    I stepped into the darkness. As soon as my body was enveloped by the black, the darkness around me rippled like I was floating under water staring at a pebble being skipped across a pond. Instinctively, I held my breath thinking I was actually under water. More and more ripples appeared around me and suddenly there was no more darkness. I fell to the ground and gasped for air.Stolen story; please report.


    Where am I?


    I looked around and I was in a circular room. There were statues all around  and lit torches in between every statue. They stood about three times as tall as me and three times my width. Every statue was carved the same- a stone man in standard heavy armor standing atop of a square platform holding something. The something was the only thing that differed between statue- a sword, a shield, a bow. Each weapon varied by statue. I walked up to the one holding a sword and saw something inscribed on the platform he stood.


    ¡°He who wishes the path of justice; step with pride into this newfound world and condemn those unworthy.¡± I¡¯d never really felt like I fought for justice. It was all more so to protect my tribe.


    Next I stepped to the statue with a shield and read, ¡°He who wishes the path to protect; step with resolve into this newfound world and shield those who cannot escape their oppressor.¡± Maybe? Although I don¡¯t think I¡¯m a very qualified guardian at the moment. I might turn into the oppressor unintentionally.


    Next, a bow, ¡°He who wishes to keep their distance; step with caution into this newfound world and your path will unfold with a practice of patience.¡± This sounded like the best bet so far, but even though I would like to keep my distance how would I know if this thing inside of me would?


    Next, a scythe, ¡°He who wishes the path of death; step without mercy into this newfound world and cut down any who stand before you.¡± Would someone really intentionally choose this? I looked at my gauntlet trying to avoid eye contact with the red eye. I bet he would.


    I read through all the statues and in the end chose a statue holding a polearm. It read, ¡°He who wishes the path of solitude; step with stealth into this newfound world and you will succeed if never seen.¡± I was sold by the thought of solitude. I needed confinement, away from the world. But what is this newfound world nonsense anyway?


    I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what to do after reading through all my options, all I knew was that I needed to walk this path above any else. I wanted to be alone so that I would be unable to hurt another. ¡°Let¡¯s see... step with stealth.¡± I said to myself aloud.  I tried stepping in front of the statue as lightly as I could to no prevail. I¡¯m glad no one could see me, I bet I looked ridiculous. I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the thought of it.


    Afterwards I tried hitting the statue¡¯s platform, tracing the words with my finger, inspecting the entire statue for any clue or anomalies- all with no luck. I started to feel a bit exhausted so I decided to get some rest and give up for the night. I hadn¡¯t seen or heard anything since I¡¯d entered this room, so I decided it was safe to stay here and wasn¡¯t in any need to rush.


    As soon as I closed my eyes I saw the faces of those I had murdered. I opened them right away and screamed ¡°Ahhhh!¡± I looked down and put my hands on my face, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m so sorry. Please forgive me, please. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± My body was shaking and my mind was in turmoil. My eyes were now open but I still could only think of the dead.


    My thoughts were broken then by the sound of a somewhat familiar voice. It spoke in whispers from all around me, ¡°He who chose the path of Solitude, he could never find solitude. Anywhere he goes there is no quiet. There is only death.¡± The voice was familiar but I had never heard it. It¡¯s whispers were very high and sharp with a fading echo to it. I believed it to be female. At the same she whispered I would simultaneously hear her laugh. The laugh sounded chaotic and made me feel at great unease. ¡°You seek redemption.¡± she spoke, ¡°I will give you redemption, cursed child.¡±


    ¡°Cursed child!?¡± I shouted. It was then that I remembered the familiarity of the voice. I heard a similar voice during the manifestation of my gift. ¡°Are you a Greater Spirit!? Please! What has happened to me?¡± The floor rippled below me just as the entrance did when I entered this room. My feet began to sink through and my body struggled. I tried to move but the parts of my body already consumed by the ripples would not. I flailed my hands in desperation, not knowing what was happening.


    My entire body was consumed by the earth and I fell through ripples for what felt endless. I never knew if it was going to end and the falling never got slower or easier. I felt scared the entire time until finally I hit the ground. My feet collapsed from the impact and I fell towards my face, catching myself with my knees and arms. My pants ripped at the knee without a guard on it and my flesh tore open. I began to bleed slightly, but nothing serious. The pain was insignificant.


    I got up and turned around to see another stone statue within my vicinity. This statue was holding a handheld guillotine and read, ¡°He who wishes the path of atonement; step without regret into this newfound world and allow your sins to repay you.¡± I turned back around to see only one path for me to take. Torches filled the sides of the earthen tunnel and I marched forward in their light. The floor of the tunnel had constant trails of rotted bones swept to the sides near the walls of the tunnel.


    The tunnel curved often; not allowing me to see any hope of an end. I had traveled at least 900 meters before anything changed within my senses. I suddenly heard rattling from the floor behind me. I quickly spun around in a defensive stance and raised my gauntlet, materializing my cutlass. Nothing was in my immediate sights so I lowered them slightly to see the rotted bones on both sides of the tunnel coming together slowly to form a full human skeleton. Before it could fully form I swung at it and watched all the pieces fall only for it to begin reconstructing itself. I then began to hear the rattling from all around me, echoing all throughout the tunnel.


    One by one skeletons began to rise from their remains. I would slice them down as soon as they rose, but their numbers were too plenty. Beginning to become overwhelm with no end in sight, I decided to keep moving forward- striking down any enemy in my immediate path. Each enemy only took one strike and weren¡¯t much of a threat as long as I was moving, but there were so many that it prolonged my journey by at least triple the time. Eventually I began to feel exhausted. My movements began to become slower. The skeletons were unarmed, but could take advantage of my lack of speed and began getting bites on me before I could destroy them.


    One bit my leg and I fell to the ground. I kicked it¡¯s head off but three more jumped atop of me holding my arms down. I broke free of there grasp and smashed them together but immediately after there were four all making their teeth to my skin. In a quick burst of energy conjured by adrenaline I sprung up, sliced the enemies behind me and sprinted forward. I saw less and less skeletons materializing in the direction ahead. I ran as fast as I could until I ran into a shut door.


    I tried to open it, but it was locked. I banged on it and yelled, ¡°Help! If anyone¡¯s there, help!¡± I kept turning around to strike any skeletons that were following me. I turned back around and struck the door with my cutlass, but didn¡¯t damage it at all. The door was too sturdy to damage. I held my back against the wall as the majority of skeletons now managed to catch up in a huge wave. Just before they could reach me I heard the door behind me open and felt myself fall backwards. As I fell into safety I quickly saw the door slam shut in front of me- a few arms and bodies of skeletons attempting to enter crushed and torn apart by the impact.

 The Price of Euphoria

    ¡°Are you okay? My goodness, You are covered in bite marks. You must be in pain,¡± I heard a woman chime to me. My heartbeat slowed down to the sound of her melodic voice. I felt soothed; all adrenaline left my body. The woman speaking to me was the person responsible for opening and closing the door. I stared up at her, attempting to assemble my thoughts.


    I stood up and dusted myself off. ¡°These wounds are nothing,¡± I answered, ¡°I am very grateful for you. You saved my life.¡±


    This woman who had saved me was incredibly beautiful- she had long, straight black hair which passed to her lower back. Her eyes were a deep purple that I would get lost in for a moment: I had never seen such a color occupy the eyes. Her figure was thin in all the right areas, but very healthy in others.


    She ran over to me with tears beginning to fall from her eyes, ¡°I¡¯m just so happy,¡± she sniffled, ¡°that you¡¯re okay.¡± She now had her arms wrapped around me, her chest pressed into my upper abdominal muscles- she was only slightly shorter than myself.


    I put my right arm around her and stroked her hair- it was soft like silk. I had never felt hair this soft, ¡°I¡¯m okay, you¡¯re okay,¡± I said softly.


    I looked around to see others silently watching us. They all shared the same pale-white skin the woman hugging me wore. Above me the tunnel¡¯s top was covered in a sort of white tiles, with tubes illuminating artificial sunlight. The room had a strange fragrance to it- cherry? Almost. It didn¡¯t smell exactly like cherry, but it was the closest thing I could compare it to.


    This place was definitely strange, and I was very curious. I gently pushed the woman off of me and asked, ¡°Just where am I?¡± I looked around, inviting anyone to answer my question.


    A man with the same purple eyes as the woman previously hugging me stepped up and began to speak, ¡°We honestly are not sure ourselves. Our tribe entered Ignas from the southern entrance in Unterra just about five days ago. We can¡¯t be certain of the time length as the sun does not rise or fall here, but that¡¯s just our estimate. Anyway, after attempting to choose a statue we heard some voice speaking of atonement, fell through the ground below us, fought off the skeletons and ended up here.¡±


    His story checked out, but I couldn¡¯t dismiss my guard just yet. Something felt off- maybe too convenient about this situation. And this place; it reminded me of the Watcher sanctuaries in the neutral zones because of the artificial lighting and bright, white surroundings. I was sent here by a Greater Spirit so I could possibly just be practicing paranoia, but I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that was it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t trust anyone,¡± I heard the voice of the gauntlet growl inside my mind, ¡°Don¡¯t eat food. Need to find escape, but your body is much too weak. Need rest. I cannot claim vessel to protect you with this low energy. We both die if I try. Find safe room, lock yourself inside.¡±


    Now you want to speak? Why should I listen to you? I questioned the voice, but apart of me thought he was the most trustworthy person in the room. I¡¯d at least known him the longest, and based on past experiences I don¡¯t believe he¡¯d let me die; however, I came here because of him and to stop the mindless killing. I couldn¡¯t sacrifice these people for my own safety without knowing whether or not they are innocent.


    The woman who was hugging me began to speak again, ¡°Sorry- I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Anaya and the man speaking beforehand is Rasheed, my father. We are of the Kha¡¯sai tribe south of Ignas,¡± she grabbed ahold of both of my hands and put them together; enclosing them inside hers, ¡°What is your name?¡±


    I felt warm speaking to her. Her voice was just so pure and her body emitted an unusual warmth. I felt I could trust her for some reason. ¡°Inarashi of Ardent,¡± I replied, ¡°I have never been South of Ignas. I would love to hear about your tribe sometime, but-¡°


    Anaya quickly let go of my left hand and put one of her fingers in front of my lips, cutting off my speech, ¡°sh sh sh,¡± she whispered, ¡°I know, let me guess,¡± she then raised her voice now sounding excited, ¡°you are tired. Correct!?¡± She smiled and winked.


    ¡°Yeah...¡± I responded, my heart beating quickly.


    ¡°Your eyes are so dark, all around them! You look like you haven¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep in days!¡± She said, still excited. Her voice mellowed down a bit as she continued, ¡°we share two to a room. I¡¯m the only one with a room to myself, would you like to sleep with me?¡±


    She had shown so much kindness to me I was a little hesitant to accept. If I went out of control and these people could stop me somehow, I¡¯d hate for her to be the one to die by my rampage, but it made sense for me to go to the room with the least amount of people. The gauntlet just told me he couldn¡¯t take over as well... ¡°Sure, that sounds great,¡± I answered after a brief pause.


    ¡°Great!¡± She exclaimed as she grabbed me by the hand and dragged me out of the square room we had stood in. After exiting the first room, it was just a corridor filled with seven doors lined in front of us. Two doors twice the size showed to our left and right. She pulled me to the middlemost door and opened it.


    It was dark in the room, I couldn¡¯t see anything. I could feel Anaya¡¯s other arm move and suddenly an artificial light radiated from atop of us. I could now see the room-there were two unusual looking beds. They were framed by steel in unnecessary design and had a slim, long rectangular padding to lay on. Based on looks they looked much cleaner than that of Ardent¡¯s- even those in the infirmary. Beside one of beds was a wooden stand with drawers and atop of it was a mirror.


    Anaya then began to pull me to the other bed. As I walked past the mirror I looked to see my condition. My silver-white, slicked back hair stood up same as always, loose strands here and there, but it was very dirty- parts almost looked blonde at the moment. Anaya was spot on with my eye examination. My green eyes were circled by black which made my brown skin look light in comparison. On my face and neck were bite marks from the skeletons I had fought earlier. Dried up blood covered the holes where their teeth had punctured.


    ¡°And this is yours!¡± She said with a smile, pointing to the empty bed in front of us, ¡°I¡¯m going to go get some food, I¡¯ll get you some as well.¡± She let go of my hand and began to walk away.


    ¡°Wait, uh, no thank you!¡± I shouted after her, ¡°I¡¯m not very hungry.¡±


    She turned around and put her hand on her face confused, ¡°Oh really?¡± she questioned, ¡°That¡¯s fine. Well, I¡¯ll be back shortly then.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    I sat on the bed she led me to. It felt amazing. As I laid down I sunk in and the cushion surrounded me. I felt as though I was being consumed by the comfort. This was leagues above even the infirmary¡¯s beds. I was astonished. I never knew such a thing could exist. Just where is this place? What is it?


    Lying on the bed, lost in the blissful feeling surrounding me, my eyes began to slowly close. As soon as they had fully shut I saw the faces of all I had killed. I shot up and yelled, ¡°Arrhhgghh!¡± I clenched my fist and slammed the bed beside me, creating a hole in it- cloth shot up on the impact of my fist.


    I heard the door open and Anaya rushed inside the room holding two steel buckets full of water. She stumbled on her way and a slight bit of water splashed out of each bucket onto the floor. She looked at the water on the floor and then looked at me, ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked, ¡°I heard you scream. What happened?¡±


    ¡°Water? Weren¡¯t you going to eat?¡± I asked, bewildered.


    ¡°I decided...¡± she started off slowly, dragging her words, ¡°I was going to clean you! I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m intruding I just thought it¡¯d be nice- I hope you don¡¯t take it the wrong way!¡± She spluttered with a bright red face.


    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all. Thank you very much, I just noticed how ragged I looked on my way in. I really appreciate your thoughtfulness.¡±


    I turned around and began to take my clothes off. It was a little embarrassing getting washed by someone else at this age, but I really could use the help. My body was now running past empty, and with my inability to close my eyes, some comfort felt very nice. A part of me wanted someone to take care of me. It¡¯d been so long since I got this sort of treatment. It¡¯d been so long since I felt this helpless.


    She covered the bed with a large, thick towel. I laid down on my stomach, and turned my head to the side staring at the blank, white wall ahead of me. She squeezed a wet hand cloth above my head, and my hair became soaked with water. She put some type of thick soap in my hair and began to brush her hands through my hair spreading the soap around. With each stroke of her hands her fingertips would gently scratch the scalp of my head inside of my hair. It felt good. How long had it been since something felt this good?


    My eyes slowly began to shut. All I saw was darkness. There were no faces; no blood; no death. All that I could pay attention to was Anaya¡¯s fingers with water and cloth making their way from my head to my back. Carefully she would rub my skin with enough pressure to almost feel like a massage on my aching muscles, but not enough to feel any sort of pain. Upon reaching the lowest section of my back she slid her hands towards my stomach, gently squeezing my hip along the way.


    Instinctively, I slightly lifted my body from my abdominals down, giving her hand room for free movement. She traced my abdominal muscles with her nail; careful not to scratch, but glide through the indentations in my body. Slowly she flattened her hand and her palm made its way down my body. Upon reaching my penis she wrapped her small hands around it with a light, subtle grip and began stroking it. My flaccid penis slowly became more and more erect with each stroke- and with each stroke Anaya would increase in speed fueling my need to grow.


    Simultaneously, I could feel her breasts pressing further into me, squishing themselves against my back. I could slightly feel her nipples amongst all the soft skin on my back peak through, yearning for attention. I felt lost in a sea of Euphoria, everything felt right. As I focused on how right everything felt, I began to turn around carefully to not interrupt her movements. As I turned guilt slowly began to release it¡¯s toxins into me. My closed eyes suddenly saw the face of Kara and I pushed Anaya away yelling, ¡°stop!¡±


    Anaya shrieked and fell back toward the lower half of the bed, her head barely missing the steel frame. I saw tears begin to build up at the bottom of her eyes. I felt remorse, I should¡¯ve said something sooner. What was I doing allowing that as long as I did?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Anaya... You¡¯re incredibly beautiful, really. And you¡¯re so sweet. But I can¡¯t take advantage of your kindness. I¡¯m... It¡¯s best not to get involved with me, really. I don¡¯t deserve to be here, you should not have let me in this place with all of you. I murdered them... I murdered them all...¡±


    Anaya got up, wiped her tears, and came close me again. She wrapped one arm around me, and stroked my face with another. I placed my head between her neck and shoulder and let myself cry as she held me.


    She began to speak, her soft voice a little shaken eventually becoming hysterical, ¡°Shhhhh. It¡¯s okay, Inarashi. I... I¡¯m the one who¡¯s sorry. I only did all of this because father told me to! I¡¯m so sorry, I didn¡¯t think you were this type of person! They told me you were an evil person- that you were gifted from the Greater Spirits to them! Inarashi, please don¡¯t fall asleep! Please you have to stay up and get away!¡±


    As she spoke my eyes slowly got heavier. By the end of her confession I had no will to move my body. Run? Why? I¡¯m with you, aren¡¯t I, Anaya? It¡¯ll all be okay, I¡¯m sure.


    I heard the door of our room slam open. A familiar voice began to speak, ¡°Good job, Anaya. I knew you could tame this beast. You have fulfilled your father¡¯s wishes, what a good daughter. Finally the Greater Spirits gift me with my first human. All of the others all got to have their fun before me, but finally! It¡¯s my turn!¡± The tone of his voice often shifted from high to low throughout his words.


    ¡°No, father! Listen to me!¡± she begged, ¡°he¡¯s not a bad person! I know it, I can feel it!¡±


    I could open my eyes, barely. I was in the arms of Rasheed now, my vision blurry. My body jerked with every step. Where was he carrying me? Down the corridor?


    I heard Anaya¡¯s voice fading with distance, ¡°Let go! Let go of him! Let go of me! We can¡¯t do this! I won¡¯t let th...¡±


    Rasheed carried me through a door into another room. He began to set me down. My body laid flat on a steel surface, all except my head peeled slightly up to view the rest of my body. My arms were offset and elevated a little aways from my body, resting on steel rectangles. All around, my body began to be tied down in chains restricting any sort of movement. A device was put in front of my face. It had steel arms the spread open my eyes. An eerie, vibration-like noise suddenly entered the air.


    My eyes stormed to the sound¡¯s source: a blade with many edges rapidly spinning in a clockwise motion. Rasheed very slowly moved the spinning blade towards my skin, assuring that I would see it¡¯s destination being my left arm. ¡°You see...¡± he started with a brief pause, ¡°this! You see this! This is magnificent! This disgusting creature on your arm. You want it removed, don¡¯t you? Yes, yes, yes. I will remove it! Thank me later, don¡¯t mind.¡±


    He pulled his face in front of mine mid conversation and stared me in the eyes. His erratic speech continued in his excitement- occasionally screeching certain words and speaking in a flurry of tones. His spit now covered my face from his lack of saliva control, and his eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his face. While under normal circumstances I would be grateful for him to take that thing away from me; I couldn¡¯t bring myself to believe these were normal circumstances. I could tell when we first met he was hiding his true self which was now shown before me. This man, Rasheed, had a few screws loose in his head.


    As he pushed his instrument into my skin, blood began to spit into the air all around the entry point along with the consumed skin. ¡°You won¡¯t feel it yet, don¡¯t worry,¡± he said half laughing, ¡°not until I hit the bone. That bath Anaya gave you had a little drug I invented in it. It relaxes your body, making moving very, very difficult. Luckily for you it also reduces pain. But once I get to the bone... Well, I think you¡¯ll be able to feel that.¡±


    He was right, I couldn¡¯t feel a thing. I just stood there silently watching as the blade cut through me. As soon as the blade started hitting my bone I could feel the blades¡¯ rotation cutting through, ¡°raaargghhg!¡± I screamed in pain.


    The blades weren¡¯t sharp enough to cut clean through. It took several rotations of the eight spinning blades impacting my bone at high velocity to move down further. Rasheed would mess up the location by not keeping his hands steady as well, sometimes bringing the weapon up and lowering it back to the bone. That was when I would feel the most pain. About halfway through his sawing on my bone I had passed out from the pain. The room had a strong stench of blood and sweat. I was happy to be rid of it. I was happy to be rid of the pain.