ã€ŠMetzra: A Hybrid Worldã€‹


 Chapter 1: Hope

    "Be kind to your wife and children, not for their sake, but so that God will be kind to you," were the parting words of his father.

    The villagers had always seen Oran as the ideal parent. Oran was ideal without realizing that he did it because his father ''told him'' to do so. In fact, if Oran was ordered to be crueler to his wife, he would have done it without a second thought.

    Yet, despite this characteristic, Oran was sharp. He climbed through the ranks to secure a leadership position in his village, Medres. Then, he married the gentlest female from one of the wealthiest families in his village. In time, Oran formed a perfect triangular paradigm composed of his wife, daughter, and him. The Oran family was perfect.

    But an insect had invaded his paradigm. The story of its intrusion goes back to its mother, Arbara, and Oran''s spouse, Itara. The two ladies were lifelong friends despite the mountainous difference in status.

    They met for the first time at their village''s school and, even after all these years, not a week had passed by without them meeting at least once. Oran ended up suggesting that Arbara should come over whenever she wished, as she had infused that kind nature in his wife, Itara.

    "I cannot imagine my world without Arbara. But I can imagine it without you, Oran." Such were some of the sore statements Itara used to utter to her husband if Arbara did not come over for a few days. As a matter of fact, Oran began to worry about what would happen to his wife if Arbara died. Usually, such worries drowned when immersed in time. But in Oran''s case, it resurfaced and then exploded when it turned into reality... Arbara passed away.

    It had been a year since Arbara¡¯s death from summer fever. But, it was crystal clear to Oran that his partner had transformed. Itara had become thin, her neck becoming more and more ghastly. Her tongue became sharper, bleeding him whenever she desired. Even her breath had an acute venomous smell. In every moment with her, he breathed odors of insults.

    As a result, in two months¡¯ time, the villagers abandoned her. But she, instead, preferred sitting in seclusion, staring at a large window for hours.

    My wife is turning into a serpent. My paradigm is cracking apart, Oran thought.

    Oran tried his best, following everything the villagers advised him to do. He consulted over twenty doctors, bought flowers, pets, and dresses, and invited every friend and relative she liked. Yet, Arbara''s magic eclipsed everything he tried.

    "I am too exhausted¡ªshe can no longer be saved," said Oran to his only daughter, Erya.

    Erya was immune to Arbara''s magic and was the only female in town with red hair. Her parents were black-haired, so the doctor deduced that she had gotten the red hair from distant grandparents.

    "Father, how about we go back to the root of the problem?" said Erya. "If her attachment to Arbara was the cause, then her closest relative, someone of her own blood, might be able to heal her. Remember when I was young, Arbara used to bring her son, Raivy, to our home so I would play with him? Perhaps he can treat Mother."

    With teary eyes, Oran looked at his child, reflecting on her idea. "Perhaps...¡± he replied, and then stared back at the floor of their living room. Oran had become hopeless after a myriad of unsuccessful attempts over the past year. Erya could not bear to see her gentle father broken and in this state.Stolen story; please report.

    No, not you also, Father, Erya thought, as she pressed her lips together.

    She hugged him, then said in her sweetest, most convincing tone, "Father, how about you rest for a week? The weather has been cold and refreshing lately. Forget about improving Mother''s condition for a while; I will take full care of it."

    Erya had let her father take lead in this matter out of consideration for him. But if things proceed in the same manner as they have played out over the prior year, I might lose him as well, she thought¡­ Erya had to hurry.

    ???

    "Just where in the world is your son Raivy?¡± asked Erya abruptly. The two surprised receivers of this query were Raivy¡¯s father, Javen, and his new partner, Velica. Javen was a man of gravity and order, and a handshake was enough to tell that he¡¯d had a rough life. Now in his fifties, Javen had resided in the village of Madarma since the age of thirty-three. Ever since then, Javen had never accepted any influential position in the village, always responding, ¡°I¡¯ve had enough.¡±

    Velica, on the other hand, was a creature of emotions and jealousy, but she was also kind. Though she was in her forties, Velica had loved Javen before he had married his first wife, Arbara. In fact, the day Javen married Arbara, Velica¡¯s house was covered in invisible smoke and fire. The eyes of jealousy she laid on Arbara were those of pure death. But after Arbara passed away, the moment Javen proposed to Velica, the cracking fire in her had turned to soothing ice. Setting the past aside, Javen and Velica glared at Erya¡¯s unusual demand as they stood in the village market of Madarma.

    "So, how about you tell your tale first?" asked Javen after he and his wife had brought Erya to their worn-out yet cozy home. Erya did not accept anything except water.

    Erya told them all about her parents'' distress. Javen, unlike Velica, knew Itara well from the stories Arbara had narrated to him over the past several years. His philosophy was to aid only when asked. So, he did not extend a helping hand despite being aware of Itara''s condition.

    "I see. I am sorry I could not recognize your face. It has been years since your mother had last brought you over to our household," said Javen.

    "Please do not worry about it,¡± said Erya. ¡°I only came to take Raivy over to my mother, not to trouble you two. I have been looking for Raivy for three days, but none of the villagers know where he is."

    "Raivy is not in the village," said Javen.

    "And why is that?" asked Erya.

    The couple looked at each other for few moments. Then, Velica responded, "Raivy has been living in the forest for the past six months. He did not mention the reason, but he claimed he wished to be alone for a while, which has become quite a lengthy stay. Raivy forbade us from disclosing his present whereabouts to any soul. So, we told whoever asked us that he traveled to trade in the capital¡­ I have informed you all of this because your situation deserves that much, and I assume that you can keep a secret."

    "Raivy comes over to our house few times a month. So, rest assured that I will kill him if he declines your request," said Javen, concluding his sentence with a habitual smile that had touched the hearts of many ladies in the past. However, it no longer had the same effect, save on those around his gray-haired age.

    Erya''s face brightened for the first time during their conversation. She thanked them and took off with a charming grin.

    "She is a perfect match for Raivy, is she not?" said Velica.

    "I cannot think of a better one," replied Javen. "She traveled all by herself to another village for her parents and almost begged us in the middle of the market without giving herself a second thought. That is proof of a fine lady... I only hope that Raivy''s wife will be his last, unlike my first flower.¡±

    Though she was Javen''s second wife after Arbara, Velica treated Raivy like her own child. Because of this, she had been furious when Raivy had decided to live alone in the forest. He preferred leaves and trees over their house. Javen had approved, however, as he viewed it as a means of acquiring self-discipline. But Velica did not care¡ªshe wanted Raivy to be with his parents. She wanted to be a proper mother to him, as she had not been blessed to have any children of her own. But she felt that Raivy ignored her, while Javen had never given her that chance.

    Velica twisted Javen''s ears like a doorknob and said, "That''s why I told you not to let him leave this house."

 Chapter 2: Raivy

    Raivy''s hands were shaking as tears appeared in the corner of his eyes. What have I done? I have forgotten about the promise...

    The moonless night had forced Raivy to light the last candle he had in his hut to read a letter. Although he had a habit of consuming letters after they expired, Raivy could not do the same to the one that had just come from his father Javen.

    Javen had married Velica a few months after Raivy¡¯s mother, Arbara, had passed away last year. Raivy had not seen Javen and his new partner Velica for an entire month, but Raivy planned to repay that debt by visiting them more often in the coming weeks.

    Raivy had expected a sharp letter due to his negligence toward them, but instead, he received a tragic story. "Read this story well, Raivy..." his father, Javen, had written. ¡°It is about Itara¡ªa woman who frequented your mother''s mind. But Arbara¡¯s death has turned Itara into a soulless ghost, corrupting her family and friends..."

    After Raivy read the details about Itara and her family''s story, Javen concluded the letter by saying, "I assume you understand that the matter is urgent. And since you are Arbara''s only child, perhaps only you have the means for saving her. Go to Itara''s house as soon as you can and do not visit us until you have treated her."

    Raivy had assured his mother, Arbara, a few days before her death that he would take care of her beloved friend, Itara, in case anything harmed her. But his mother''s sudden demise had scraped the promise out of his mind.

    "Not a thousand apologies would be enough to fill the void I made," wrote Raivy, as the orange light of his last white candle danced around his journal. The wooden hut that Raivy lived in was an hour''s walk away from his village, Madarma. It was also a two-hour walk from the village where Oran''s family had settled, Medres.

    "I can only imagine part of their struggle; Oran drowns deeper in despair after every failed attempt to treat his dear wife, Itara. He held much of the burden to himself to avoid further bringing down his daughter, Erya, who abandoned her friends and the public just so she could remain by her mother''s side. I wonder who was more harmed by the death of my mother¡ªmy household or Oran''s?"

    Raivy went on, "Mother, my eyes only focused on investigating the cause of your death, so much so that it made me forget about what was valuable to you. I am certain you would not excuse me until I bandage Itara¡¯s soul."

    "However, I don''t think that her condition would worsen that much if I delayed my meeting with her by a mere day. I may not have another chance to finish my plan even if I ran to Itara''s home right away." Having penned that down, Raivy closed the diary, puffed the candle out, left his hut, and headed to the forest.

    While walking, Raivy remembered the fairy tales that his mother had told him years ago before bed. Her stories were different from the traditional seven that all the children used to hear. One was about a knight who saved his lover. Another was about a greedy person who got punished, and another still about a hero who beat all the evil men without receiving a single scar.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Everyone knew about them but enjoyed re-listening. In contrast, Arbara''s stories had one different theme in common. They all inhabited a mystical world called Metzra¡ªa world of three hybrid beings.

    They were a mixture of animals existing on Earth. Fronkey, for instance, was a hybrid of a frog and a monkey. Horsenake is a mixture of a horse and a snake. Antiger is that of an ant and a tiger.

    Young Raivy had often asked Arbara about these three mystical creatures: "Which of the three is the strongest?"

    She had replied, "None are stronger than the others, Ray." She liked calling him Ray when he was young. "They have been fighting against each other for two thousand years, yet no one has won the war"

    "How can it be? Two thousand years and no one won?" Raivy had wondered.

    "Yes," replied Arbara. "Each of them are still living in a kingdom, each occupying about one-third of Metzra. Legends say their creators, believed to be the Dragans, made them so that each race could never beat the other. Horsenakes peaked in attack, fronkeys in agility, and antigers in defense. I guess the Dragans wanted them to live in a world perpetually torn by war."

    That was the first occasion on which Raivy had heard about the creators, the Dragans, but he was far more interested in what they created¡ªthe hybrids.

    "But why didn''t they stop? This makes no sense," Raivy had said.

    "This is how their life works, Ray,¡± Arbara had responded. ¡°When a person dies in war, his relatives cry for revenge. They go to fight but end up dying from fighting against someone who seeks revenge just like them. Thus, the cycle of revenge repeats itself, even in our world. In time, families and entire villages perish until no one else is left to seek revenge."

    Arbara had looked sad as she played with Raivy''s hair in a way that had given him goosebumps at the back of his head. It was weird, but he had liked it.

    "...So, is this revenge a bad thing?" Raivy had asked.

    Arbara had looked out at the window of Raivy''s room, pondering his question. "I do not know, Ray," she had told him. "I believe every human emotion has its positives and negatives. But, I cannot see any useful purpose that revenge could serve."

    Arbara had then turned her eyes back to her son.

    "Ray, you will experience days when a person will remove a precious thing from your heart. This will form a burning sensation within you toward them. This is what we call revenge. Humans¡ªno, all beings have a hard time controlling themselves at that moment; even I have fallen victim to it. Because of that sensation, if by any chance you let it control you, remember that I will always forgive you. But if you control it, I will forever be proud of you."

    Arbara''s eyes had welled up, while young Raivy had had a hard time digesting what his mom had told him, but at least the last part of her statement had been easy to follow. If he ever desired revenge, he would try to control it; if not, his mother would forgive him.

    Raivy had had enough with revenge, so he changed the topic. "Mama, I want to go there. I want to see all these hybrids fighting and laughing like you told me¡­ I want to see Vira the Stoneheart, killing ten fronkeys all by himself¡­ Or Volca the Loud, who made twenty horsenakes run away with his loud cry."

    Arbara had almost laughed. "I was at your age when your grandfather told me these stories,¡± she said. ¡°I got so scared that an antiger might attack me while I was sleeping at night. So, I ended up crying in my parent''s room instead. Your grandfather never liked that, so he made the stories less scary." As soon as she had finished talking, she had realized that Raivy was sound asleep.

    Revenge, huh? Raivy thought to himself as he switched his attention back to the forest.

    After Arbara had passed away, his father had given him a blue letter. It was from Arbara, who had asked Javen to give it to Raivy in case anything happened to her. But she had forbidden him from reading the letter until he was twenty-four years old, which was only a month away. He felt that something important was in it...

    Just one more month, he thought.

 Chapter 3: The Sage

    Raivy lived in the hut for two reasons: to break from the initial marriage frictions between Javen and Velica¡ªtheir marriage hadn¡¯t reached the elastic phase yet¡ªand to study his mother¡¯s death with a clean and undisturbed mind.

    Also, his father and the doctor of Madarma, Valen, had agreed that Arbara had died at her bed from a strong fever that summer. But Javen had made one fatal mistake. Faint red marks remained on the walls of their room which he had failed to clean. People do not splash blood up to the walls when they die from fever, Mister Javen, Raivy wanted to tell his father but kept it to himself.

    In disguise, Raivy had tried asking the villagers in both Madarma and Medres about his mother''s death. While they had believed Raivy to be a mere foreign traveler, all they had said was, "Better ask her son and husband, Raivy and Javen", or "She died a natural death." The only exception was for a mentally ill man who had told him, "Her husband killed her for her wealth." Raivy had almost punched the lunatic for insulting his father, but he had reminded himself that the person had no control over his thoughts and actions.

    When people lose hope in the logical, they resort to the illogical. That was why after Raivy¡¯s findings in the village had not met his expectations he turned to Jigan¡ªthe infamous sage of the forest.

    Jigan used to live in Raivy''s village, Madarma, twenty years ago. After he had realized that they all lived for social status and wealth, he had run away to the forest. The common belief was that Jigan had attained profound knowledge from wandering in the forest, which had all started when he had saved a traveler from Madarma from an incurable disease. The traveler, known for having two restless tongues, had spread the story to his entire village.

    Over time, Jigan had cured diseases, explained dreams, chosen marriage partners, and had even told fortunes. Surprisingly, though, Jigan never gave incorrect advice.

    At first, Raivy hadn¡¯t wanted to interact with him. He had thought Jigan¡¯s achievements were mere fabrications¡ªtoo good to be true. But Raivy had changed his mind after becoming desperate to know the truth behind what had happened to his mother.

    A month ago, Raivy had journeyed to Jigan''s whereabouts¡ªa small cave about an hour¡¯s walk north of his hut.

    Raivy had entered the cave and saw that Jigan was wearing a yellow headband over his eyebrows. His clothes were made out of leaves, and he had a pile of wide leaves beside him. He had been making a new dress since his current clothes were turning pale yellow.

    He is indeed a strange person, I should not have come to him, Raivy had thought. How does he manage in the snowy winter with this attire?

    Despite hearing Raivy''s loud footsteps, Jigan had not bothered to look at him. While continuing to make his leafy dress, Jigan had said, "You should not know about your mother''s death. Just go away."The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    That had come as a pure surprise to Raivy. He had started wondering¡­ So, without saying a word, he knows who I am, what I have come for, and where my inquiry will lead me. And he is yet to even look at me...

    "Don''t worry, even if you spoke, my knowledge about you and your distress¡ªif you consider your trivial trouble as distress¡ªwould not change. The sky has burdened me with foretelling powers. It orders me to advise and help whoever needs it, be it someone with a dark or a pure heart, though most have a gray one."

    Jigan had remained silent for about a minute. Raivy did not speak as well, realizing that there was no need for him to do so.

    Jigan had resumed speaking, his eyes closed. "Despite the public opinion, it is acknowledged that there are things that are better left unknown... The answer to your question will alter your life, as well as the lives of those around you. It will keep cracking through your mental and physical limits¡ªoften prompting you to suicide."

    He went silent for another minute and then continued, "Though every route in life has its sweetness. After all, it is through these hurdles that you will achieve kingship, one like no other! I will need you to answer one question of mine before I answer yours."

    Jigan had looked at Raivy for the very first time since they spoke. "Would you rather have droplets of happiness sprinkled quite often in your humble village?" he had inquired. "Or, would you rather be showered with happiness over few stages of your life? The quantity of happiness would not change in any case, but its quality will. Along with your response, you may tell me your reason." Jigan had known Raivy''s answer, but he had wanted to fully experience his reply.

    "When Mother passed away, I felt like someone had stabbed my heart," Raivy had answered, "and then stepped on it until warm blood gushed from my veins. It was so cruel, so harsh, for the jewel of Madarma and Medres to disappear like that. And even after a year, my heart has not stopped bleeding. I thought living in the forest might heal it, but it did not. The only recourse I found was to discover the reasons for her death. And after six months, you¡ªthe person who has all the answers¡ªare advising me to keep on bleeding? My answer is the latter. I don''t care where life will throw me anymore, as long as I can uncover what caused her death. Throw all the cruelties you want at me, for nothing can agonize me the way losing Mother did."

    "Very well..." Jigan had said, "But, Raivy, your feelings are normal, for every heart cries on the death of its parents. And, the way to heal it is by looking after what it brings to life¡ªits children. In fact, the conclusion to your investigation wouldn''t soothe your pain but inflame it further instead."

    "In any case, I am not the one who will answer your query,¡± Jigan had said, ¡°because it will affect the future of many people without their permission. But worry not¡ªI shall guide you to it. When the moon rests next month, leave your hut at midnight and keep walking wherever you wish. You will see a blue mist; enter it. It will initiate your lifelong journey of finding out what you will never, ever expect..."

    Upon hearing the answer, Raivy had bowed his head out of respect for the sage. After all, Jigan was unlike anyone he had seen, but before Raivy had left, he had wanted to ask Jigan one more question.

    "Why do you wear a yellow headband over your eyebrows?" Raivy had asked.

    "To hide what must not be shown," replied Jigan. With that, Raivy had left, thinking about what the sage had meant.

    A few minutes after Raivy had left, Jigan couldn''t hold himself back anymore. He had burst out sobbing, wetting the leafy dress he was about to finish. He had much to say, but the sky did not allow him.

    "May the gods of Metzra protect you... my king."

 Chapter 4: The Honored Guest

    Raivy kept walking and walking... It was that midnight ¨C the midnight that Jigan had spoken of. But he could not spot the blue mist.

    Did I forget something he said? Raivy wondered. He had spent an hour walking around his hut and was growing desperate. He could not believe the sage would lie to him.

    He is not that kind of a person, he can''t be... but I still can''t find it.

    After thirty minutes, Raivy stood still for a while, thinking about what he should do. He also had to sleep early to set out for Itara''s home as soon as he woke the next morning. He did not have much time on his hands. Raivy decided to see what would happen, so he kept walking for another thirty minutes. But the last thirty minutes were long; Raivy¡¯s thoughts were going downhill, thinking about how he was going back to square one. His mind was furious, and his blood was boiling on the six months he wasted for nothing. To soothe his rage, he hit the surrounding trees so hard that blood dripped from his knuckles.

    This is it, I am heading back, he thought.

    Raivy had given up hope. He turned back toward his hut. However, as soon as he did that, a blue mist appeared in front of him... It was unlike anything he had ever seen. It had no source and appeared out of thin air. The moment was so captivating that Raivy could not hear, look at, or think about anything besides its dazzling blue color.

    The mist had the same height and length as Raivy; he felt as if someone had made it for him exclusively.

    Who is playing with me? Raivy wondered. He punched another tree, but this time it was out of joy.

    Ignoring any danger, Raivy walked toward the blue mist. The closer he got to it, the more he appreciated whoever had conjured the misty apparition. Once Raivy was close enough, he extended his left arm into the mist... and it disappeared. His eyes only told half the story, as he still did not lose control of his left hand, nor did he experience any pain. Instead, what he sensed inside the mist was a gentle, airy breeze.

    The mist tickled Raivy¡¯s arm¡ªan addictive sensation. But the ensuing sensation was alarming; something grabbed his hand from the other side of the mist. It did not feel like a hand, or rather, a human hand. Raivy tried to break free, but he could not. Whatever was holding his hand felt heavier than a large boulder.

    Raivy relaxed his hand, trying to focus on dealing with his situation sensibly. Although hitting a boulder would hurt, a surprise attack is my best bet, he thought.

    As he threw a punch with his other hand, Raivy used his already locked left hand to gain extra momentum to spring into the mist. Raivy''s fist entered the mist first, followed by his head, as he viewed what was in front of him. But his brain could not register the view; his focus was on throwing a strong and swift strike with his right hand. The mysterious being, however, used its other boulder-like hand to stop Raivy''s punch.

    Both of Raivy''s hands were immobilized now by the two hands of the unknown being, but Raivy did not plan on stopping. Instead, Raivy lowered his legs, and used the weight on his locked hands for more force to jump as he threw a left kick straight into that being''s head. But again, the unfamiliar being dodged Raivy''s kick with a simple tilt of its head.

    After the kick, Raivy landed on his back, facing the mysterious being while his hands were still immobilized. Though he was in no position to continue, Raivy leaped toward his opponent, aiming to create a feint with his left knee and hit its head. The enigmatic being surprisingly fell into the trap by tilting his head to the left. Raivy seized the opportunity and headbutted his opponent. And, to a certain extent, it worked.

    Although the two heads knocked against each other, the unknown being neither moved an inch nor seemed to be affected by the blow. Though Raivy felt that the grip on his left hand was loosening, it was met with a more dangerous lock around his neck. Then, the hand gripping his neck pulled Raivy''s entire body upward.

    Dammit, he thought. Raivy had originally planned on taking whoever had grabbed his hand by surprise and exploit that to jump through the blue mist and back to the jungle, which was now a foot behind him. Raivy stopped resisting once he realized that the grip on his neck tightened further each time he tried to break free. He then noticed that he had not been harmed during the struggle, but was only restrained.

    "Don''t be alarmed; you are an honored guest here," the unknown being said, while slowly loosening the lock around Raivy''s neck. "On behalf of all the horsenakes, I, Vira the Stoneheart, welcome you to Metzra, Raivy."The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    After blinking thrice, as he listened to what he had just heard, Raivy¡¯s eyes opened wide, and he processed what surrounded him. Orange-colored grass coated the ground, and over the distant horizon, a humongous chain of mountains stretched beyond what his eyes could view. The smell of the grass, that he now sensed, also had a faint but relaxing orange-like scent. And, the sound of the twisting river on his right made the perfect ethereal experience. But Raivy had to stop his admiration of this crisp scenery¡ªthere were eight creatures behind this inhuman named Vira.

    Am I hallucinating? Raivy thought.

    Vira had a body structure akin to a horse. But the skin, face, and other body parts resembled that of a snake. The eight behind Vira also looked the same, save for their skin colors, which were different shades of green, with Vira''s being the darkest.

    They look exactly how Mother described them in her stories, Raivy thought.

    "I must apologize for the forceful invitation," said Vira. "We horsenakes are rough by nature."

    While Vira''s tone was sharp, his forked tongue was the most annoying part. He extended it to sniff while hissing around Raivy''s body.

    Is this how they treat an honored guest? Raivy thought.

    "You do know it is considered rude to sniff your guests like that?" asked Raivy. "And watch out for your saliva, lest it drips on me."

    Vira retracted his tongue into his mouth. "Well, it is good of you to tell me,¡± said Vira, ¡°because I was about to lick your face.¡± Vira removed his hold on Raivy''s neck, allowing him to stand on the ground.

    "So, I presume you can explain what is going on?" inquired Raivy.

    "That was my plan,¡± said Vira. ¡°But don''t come closer than three feet¡ªthe gate you came from cannot sustain your body any further than that, else you may be pulled back to Earth, or to some unknown world."

    Raivy looked down at his feet. There weren''t any borders to speak of, save for the orange grass that covered the entire range of his vision. "So, my existence here is limited to this small circle?" asked Raivy.

    Vira started laughing, and the sound was sharp enough to pierce Raivy''s eardrums. "You seem disappointed,¡± he said. ¡°I expected you to be relieved, as it means that we cannot do you much harm. You see, there is a link between your desires and this blue mist. If you have a strong desire to return to Earth, then this is as far as the blue mist can support you. However, if it is weak enough, then you could live in Metzra¡­ and this is where we come in."

    All the nine horsenakes lowered themselves down on their four knees and bent their heads toward Raivy.

    ¡°Please lead us," said Vira. "Wars and bloodshed have torn Metzra apart far too long. Death keeps staring at us. You never know when it will stab you, a friend, or a relative. The recent War of Hope had killed millions of Metzrians. Everyone is horrified¡ªten thousand from each race remained, yet the conflict continues¡­"

    "Our people have long been dreaming for a way out of it," continued Vira, "creating futile stories of peace and prophecies about a day when horsenakes, antigers, and fronkeys will live in harmony. But this time, a two-thousand-year-old prophecy came true. It speaks of a half human who will come from a blue mist the day our horsenake king, Javaria the eighth, dies. This half human will unite the three races and save them from widespread annihilation..."

    The legend they speak of ties with what Jigan told me. But I can''t believe I am capable of accomplishing such a grand feat. I am not even half human, Raivy thought.

    "I see," said Raivy. "I entered the blue mist to find out about my mother''s death. Instead, I got invited into one of the most treacherous places ever. But even if I agreed, have you seen how weak I am? So, how do you expect me to save your world?"

    Vira was the only one among the nine horsenakes who spoke to Raivy. "Weak?" asked Vira. "I do not think so. I am currently the strongest horsenake, yet you still managed to hit me. So, I expect you should be able to beat someone like me after training properly in Metzerian art."

    "As for your other complaint," continued Vira, "we will aid your cause and find out who killed your mother. We are experts in that regard. However, in return for helping you, you will have to come to Metzra to help us. By that point, your desire to stay on Earth should plummet, allowing you to live in Metzra. Having said that, will you accept our offer?"

    This creature doesn''t know how to make deals. He wants me to lead a bloody, never-ending war in return for a mere investigation, Raivy thought. Yet the situation was favorable for the horsenakes¡ªRaivy would sell his soul to uncover what killed his mother, Arbara.

    "Fine," Raivy replied. "But you will have to explain how you will help me."

    "I will come with you to Earth and finish the matter in person," said Vira. "We have the Amulet of Magdamillia to force the truth out of anyone. Also, in case you are wondering, we will not harm any human unless you order us to do so."

    As expected, no issue in killing, Raivy thought. He had other inquiries, but decided not to ask. They needed him more than he needed them, so he had the upper hand.

    "Very well," Raivy responded. "Let''s hurry to Earth, as we both have urgent matters to tend to."

    "Agreed," said Vira. "Lieutenant Miliver, pass me the Amulet of Magdamilia."

    The horsenake in the middle of the group tossed a light object toward Vira. He grabbed it and then hung it around his neck. The amulet was made of silver and had a green, round gemstone at its core with three intertwined silver snakes engraved on it.

    "I am ready. Let''s go," said Vira. He then looked back at his comrades. "Make sure that no one knows what happened here."

    The eight replied in loud unison, "Yes, sir."

    And with that, the two entered the blue mist. Little did they know that this meeting would start a lifelong kinship between the two.

 Chapter 5: Itara

    The Amulet of Magdamilia is a national artifact given by the Dragans to the horsenakes. It had come through the Well of Gifts, which presented an artifact to each of the three hybrid races once every century.

    None of the races could use the artifact of the others¡¯ without penalties, which is why most of the artifacts were destroyed once captured by any other race. Many Metzrist philosophers believed the Well of Gifts was the core reason why wars did not stop in Metzra.

    The Amulet of Magdamilia gave its wearer three abilities. First, it allowed perfect transformation to any other person or race that the wearer wished besides a Dragan. Second, it could bring back anyone from their death but only once. Third, it could force an individual to do whatever the holder of the Amulet wished.

    Vira explained these characteristics of the Amulet to Raivy as soon as they came back to Earth. Vira then took the form of a human to avoid raising suspicion. Unlike when Raivy had entered Metzra, Vira showed no hint of surprise when he arrived at Earth.

    While his mother''s case was of prime importance to Raivy, he had given priority to the old promise he made to help Itara, his mother''s lifelong friend. So once the sun woke up, the two headed to Medres to meet Itara. Everyone, however, stared at Raivy''s new friend with suspicion¡ªthey had never seen someone before with green hair.

    ¡°I told you a black or brown hair color is better," said Raivy. "We could have blended in with the villagers unnoticed."

    "What are you saying?" said Vira, running his fingers through his new hair. "You want me to look like an antiger? Green is majestic, without equal. This proves that you humans have no taste."

    The iron respect Raivy had for Vira had rusted. "I would love to see you get kicked by a giant fronkey," said Raivy.

    The duo cut their conversation as soon as they reached their destination¡ªOran''s house.

    "Leave this matter to me. It is a personal debt I have to settle alone," Raivy told Vira.

    Raivy knocked on the door and, after a few moments, an old but fit gentleman opened it. The old man was none other than Oran himself.

    "How may I help you?" asked Oran. "Oh, are you Raivy?"

    He sounds like he is about to die, Raivy thought. "Yes," he responded, "I am Raivy, Arbara''s son. I came here at the request of Miss Erya to help Itara."

    Oran stared at Raivy for a few seconds, then said coldly, "Come in."

    When Raivy entered the house, the interior attracted his attention. It had been a while since he had entered their house; most of it was made of gray wood imported from the Far East as Oran''s family was by far the richest in Medres.

    The furniture still retained a fresh, wooden aroma despite being ten years old. After walking for a while, Raivy entered a large dusty room where he saw Itara sitting in a plush comfortable chair. She gazed out of a wide, rectangular window intently.

    "I shall leave you two alone," said Oran. "She does not want to see my face anymore. But call me if you need anything¡­ Good luck."

    Complete silence shrouded the whole room once the door was shut. At the bottom left corner was the door, while Itara sat at the top right.

    In front of Itara was a wide window and a large bed with white sheets was situated behind her. Strands of hair were scattered all over the room, most of it on the bed. The strands of hair had the same color as Itara''s brown hair... What has she been doing with herself? Raivy thought.

    "Come here, let''s see who they brought this time," said Itara while continuing to stare at the window.

    Raivy walked toward Itara while trying to avoid stepping on the hair. When he was a foot away from her Itara head toward him.

    "So, tell me. What is your¡­ You are... Are you... Are you Raivy?" said Itara as her face began to recover some of its color.

    "Yes, that I am," answered Raivy. "I came to settle the last promise I made to my mother."

    Itara clenched her lips and narrowed her eyes without breaking her eye contact. She jumped from her chair and hugged him, saying, "You poor soul... You poor soul."

    Raivy was also in pain. She had brought back old memories of his mother, and that there were bald and bruised spots on her forehead.

    ???

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    "So, it was an act?" asked Raivy.

    "Most of it," said Itara. "Anyone would have done the same, if not more if they knew what I knew¡­ But I cannot tell you anything about it or what caused Arbara¡¯s death. Her loss troubled you far enough.¡±

    "Itara, while I appreciate your concern, do not you think that I, as her son, should know what happened to her, regardless of how ugly the truth is?"

    "It is because you are her ''son'' that I am most afraid to tell you. If tell you what I saw, I do not know what you will do to those responsible. Arbara would not forgive me for harming her son."

    "And, similarly, Mother would not forgive me for ignoring her death."

    "No, please do not think like that," said Itara, placing her hands on Raivy''s shoulders. "Your mother can never hate you. You need only request her forgiveness. Your brain is looking for an excuse to avenge her death. I understand you, for I feel the same. Raivy, I knew your mother very well. She was the happiest when she saw her son leading a happy life¡­ Do not you want her to be happy?"

    Itara''s words could no longer reach him. Raivy thought, So this is why Jigan advised me to enter the blue mist¡ªbecause she wouldn''t have told me on her own...

    "Then, I have no choice," said Raivy in a stern tone. "Vira, use the Magdamilia on her to speak up."

    Itara could not comprehend what he was talking about. But that did not matter, for Vira was already inside the room.

    How did he enter the house that fast and unnoticed? Or was he inside the house all along? Raivy wondered to himself.

    Back when the two had been walking toward the village, Raivy had noticed that Vira had heard the villagers afar. He tried testing this capability, and it had exceeded his expectations.

    Vira blocked the door with a heavy chair, then walked toward the two while shutting the curtains of the wide window. Although the Amulet of Magdamilia had three abilities, only one could be active at a time. Vira had to switch back to his original horsenake form to use the Amulet on her.

    Once Vira transformed, Itara grew terrified at this mysterious creature who obscured the entirety of her view. She wanted to shout but couldn''t, for Vira used the Amulet on her in an instant.

    Itara''s eyes glowed green in an instant, and her face became lifeless. Raivy noticed that she could not even blink her eyes in that state.

    "Let''s not use the Amulet on her for too long. She is the last person I want to hurt," said Raivy.

    "I am more than aware of that," said Vira. "Ask her whatever you want, but make sure you mention her name every time you order her."

    "Itara¡­" said Raivy.

    The instant Raivy mentioned her name, she turned her head toward him. Itara looked like a person who cared about nothing but serving her master ¨C a perfect minion. "How did my mother pass away? Tell us everything."

    Itara spoke in an emotionless tone when she started talking. "A year ago, I walked to Arbara''s house in Madarma late at night. I was a few feet away from the house but noticed something unfamiliar. Arbara''s spouse, Javen, entered the house with my husband, Oran. I became suspicious because I had never seen the two together before, and then I became scared once I noticed Javen holding a strange-looking blue sword. They did not notice me, as I was far from them. But I was curious enough to hide and observe behind the window of Arbara''s room just after they entered the house."

    Itara paused for a while, her forehead showing beads of sweat. She continued, "I could at first only listen to what was happening, but was only able to peer through the narrow corner of the window lest they see me. I heard the sound of someone being stabbed, which seemed to go on and on. My curiosity got the better of me, so I adjusted my position. This is when I saw it..."

    Despite being under the effect of the Amulet, Itara put her hands on her shoulders¡ªshe was shaking to such an extent that it seemed like she could fall from her chair at any moment.

    Itara continued, "It was Arbara who kept shouting, but Javen slit her throat swiftly to stop it. Actually, I could barely recognize Arbara¡ªher body had been stabbed countless times so that she looked like a pile of blood with little flesh left on her body. Unknowingly, I exposed most of my head to take a look at the entire scene and I ended up spotting larger pools of blood and flesh on the floor."

    Raivy fell on his knees and threw up everything he had eaten a while ago... But, he kept listening.

    "Javen was the one stabbing Arbara while Oran kept her from moving," said Itara. "The two were smiling throughout. I remember Javen said two sentences. ''You deserve to die'' and, ''I have not been this happy in decades.'' When I heard his words, I fainted¡­ But, I was not out for long, because I remember it was still late at night when I woke up. I looked through the window again but saw that no one was in the room. The stench was unbearable, and half of the room was in red. They did not notice me when I fainted, otherwise I would not be here today. I searched cautiously, but could not find the two. So, I hurried back to Medres crawling on all fours for my legs wouldn''t stop shaking."

    Itara stopped talking. She looked at the two in silence, as if waiting for more orders. "This is all that she knows," said Vira, "Raivy, can you stand?"

    While It was the first time Vira had seen a human throw up, it was obvious that Raivy was not in a stable condition. "Her story sure did take a toll on you," said Vira. "About a hundred years ago, I felt the same when I killed my first hybrid. I think it was a fronkey¡­ Anyway, don''t let it trouble you much. It is only painful the first time."

    Raivy ignored Vira''s words and focused on Itara instead. "Itara," said Raivy. "Erase every memory you have about Arbara''s death from your brain. Also, don''t rip your hair anymore."

    Raivy turned to Vira. "Stop the effect of the Amulet on her. But, before that, order her to sleep¡ªshe should rest after this."

    And with that, I hope I kept my promise to you, Mother, thought Raivy.

    "I need to think about what she said before I decide on anything," said Raivy. "The picture is unclear. Father is not the kind of person who holds grudges against anyone unless that person deserves it. And that applies to Mother as well."

    "In any case," said Vira, "we shouldn''t stay in this house any longer. First I will exit, then you go and take leave from Oran."

    Vira returned to his human form and left Oran''s house unnoticed. Following this, Raivy stepped out the room, leaving Itara sound asleep in her chair.

    Raivy went to Oran to discuss Itara''s condition. After hearing what Itara had said, Raivy could barely talk to him or hold his anger. He killed my mother, Raivy thought.

    Instead, Raivy only told Oran that Itara should be as bright as she used to be once she woke up. Oran thanked him for the help and apologized that Erya could not greet him, for she was unwell.

    And with that, the two left the house. Though, they overlooked an important detail¡ªon one of the walls of Itara¡¯s room.

 Chapter 6: Waterfall

    It had been a week since Raivy had met Itara and discovered what had happened to his mother. Raivy had spent that entire week in his hut, processing his thoughts and filling the gaps regarding what Itara had not seen from the incident. He did not write down any of these thoughts in his diary for safety.

    There must have been a strong reason that made my father stab Mother so brutally. He is not the kind of person who takes revenge on people unless they harmed others. What might have made him erupt to that extent? What did Mother do? Did she harm someone dear to Father? Steal? Or even kill? The possibilities are endless¡­

    But then, what about that strange blue sword Itara spoke of? I have never seen my father wield a sword my entire life... Does such a thing as a blue-bladed sword even exist? Just what exactly is my father hiding from us? Is his current personality no more than a fa?ade? Did Mother know about any of this?

    Also, the fact that he enjoyed stabbing her means... damn, it still pains me to even think about it... it means¡­ Is he used to stabbing people? Was Father working with some dark society in the past?

    He came to Madarma when he was thirty-three years old, a year before I was born. Before that, he was living as a traveling merchant, and now he is in his late fifties. Linking the blue sword and the stabbing to his simple merchant life presents a logical error¡ªthey are incompatible. I''m sure he lied about his occupation.

    Wait a minute... if I''m not mistaken, both Oran and Father settled in their respective villages during the same month twenty-five years ago... Did they know each other before they settled in the two villages?...Damn, the headache.

    Raivy had been getting intense headaches from thinking too much. It had begun frequenting his brain two days ago. He decided to fix it with the usual cure¡ªleaving the hut and heading to the waterfall cliff. The sound of the running water and the vast forest greenery it overlooked soothed him immensely.

    The waterfall was a ten-minute walk from his hut. When he reached the waterfall''s cliff, he noticed a small deer drinking from the stream about a thousand feet below him. It was a great opportunity for Raivy to try hunting it. He had not eaten meat for a while because he had not had the guts to kill an animal.

    In fact, during the last six months, the only occasions on which he had gotten the chance to eat meat were when he had gone to visit his parents. Since living in a forest was full of surprises, he had to keep a short sword with him at all times, along with his mother''s blue letter.

    Raivy reached for the short knife he always hid on his back and unsheathed it. But as soon as he did so Raivy sheathed it back again. Neither guts nor appetite this time, he thought.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Instead, Raivy sat at the edge of the waterfall and was satisfied by just watching the deer drink from the transparent stream of water.

    It sure feels good to have no worries¡­ All it needs is food, water, and shelter¡ªfreedom from all the poisonous thoughts our hearts are filled with. Raivy could not help but envy animals; he sometimes wondered if they were happier than humans.

    But while Raivy was sitting at the water cliff, a notion of height fright bit into him after he peered to the pound at the very bottom of the waterfall. Such thoughts never affected Raivy, but his resistance grew weaker after he had heard Jigan''s words that he would try to commit suicide.

    If I fall and kill myself, what will I lose? Who will cry for my sake? Father? That is if the father I know is not just a mask... and perhaps, to some extent, his wife, Velica. Mother no longer has any tears, and the rest of the villagers will soon forget about me. I have not involved myself in their lives anyway. But, what will I gain? I won''t have to worry anymore about my mother''s death or struggle with this mental dilemma about who my parents actually are. I also won''t be thrown into that battlefield called Metzra... My future is dark, not worth living for... I wonder, do those who committed suicide ever regret doing it?

    "So, this is where you have been," said Vira, who was walking toward Raivy in his human form.

    Raivy''s thoughts vanished. He had never liked people interrupting his thought process. So, Raivy turned his head toward Vira, gave him an annoyed look, and then turned his head back, looking down at the stream again.

    "Hey, I brought you some good news, yet you are ignoring me?" exclaimed Vira. "Anyway, I am hungry, so wait a bit."

    Raivy did not turn his head toward Vira, but the unusual chewing sound caught his attention. Curious, Raivy turned his head and saw Vira chewing on a field of tall grass in delight.

    "Grass?" asked Raivy.

    "Hmm? The other day I found a horse chewing on it so I thought I should try it," said Vira. ¡°I am glad I did. It is so flavorful and crunchy, unlike the plain grass in Metzra. You seem hungry... Want some?¡± Vira pulled up a handful of grass and walked toward Raivy.

    What the hell? Raivy thought.

    "No¡­ no. I am fine," said Raivy. "Not hungry at all. In fact, it would give me a serious stomachache if I ate it."

    Vira gave Raivy a serious look. "You dare decline food from the commander of the horsenakes?" said Vira. "Open your mouth, spoiled brat. Get used to it; you never know when you will end up without food besides grass."

    Spoiled brat? I don''t get why he wants a spoiled brat to lead their race, Raivy thought.

    Vira grabbed Raivy''s right shoulder and seemed about to force the grass, mixed with dirt, into his mouth. The grass touched Raivy''s lips, but as soon as it did, Vira dropped the grass on Raivy''s clothes and burst out laughing.

    "Huh?" said Raivy.

    "You looked so sad. So, I thought I would cheer you up," said Vira. "You seriously thought I would make you eat grass? I am not a stupid fronkey. My body is a hybrid of a horse and a snake, so it is normal for me to eat grass, unlike you... for now."

    The last two words made little sense.

    "For now? What do you mean?"

    "Do not worry about it.  Anyway, the news I am about to tell you is more important, Raivy... Itara passed away."

    It took Raivy a while to process Vira''s words... "How did she die?"

    "No one knows yet. Every villager I asked came up with a different story."

    "Fine, but, did you hear when her husband Oran will hold the funeral?"

    "Yes, it will be tomorrow."

    "We have to be there.  I have to pay my respects to my mother''s friend. I hope there isn''t anything suspicious behind her death... I have had already been through enough."

 Chapter 7: Tension

    Vira and Raivy went to Itara''s funeral, held in a cemetery south of Medres. The scene was bitter, but they endured it. A year ago, Itara was supposed to be the substitute for Arbara¡ªa reflection of the jewel as the villagers used to say.

    Whenever Arbara had been away, people had gone to Itara. And, seeing the two disappear like that cut the tie that had bound the two villages of Medres and Madarma together. Raivy had seen the relationship develop over the years¡ªhow the two women had brought the two villages closer to each other, prospering in terms of social connections, marriages, trade¡ªalmost merging the two villages into one. But Itara was just a moon that sucked its light from Arbara. Without the sun, people would neglect the moon.

    "Vira," said Raivy. "It is as if the two villages have died. Look at them¡ªone mourning for hours, another about to die at any minute. They didn''t look like that when my mother died. These two deaths have taken a toll on them... I am glad no one brought any of their children here."

    "You call this scene a tragic one?" said Vira. "If you had tasted war, this scene would be laughable."

    "How can war be any worse than what we are facing?" asked Raivy.

    "This is nothing, war is everything. It may not make much sense. But, when you see all your friends, ones you have known for decades, dead or begging you to kill them to alleviate their pain, then you will realize what true despair is."

    "Then I wish I never see it. If the death of a single person affected everyone this much, then what would it be like if I witnessed a war with my own eyes?"

    "You ought to experience it. It is a natural process¡ªno, it is the symbol of nature itself. Whether you like it or not, whether you run away from it for a thousand years or ten thousand years, it will always follow you¡ªlaughing at your clueless and futile struggle. Face war with your head held high, Raivy. If you cannot do so, you will never be able to lead Metzra¡ªor yourself for that matter."

    Everyone had gone silent once Erya and Oran reached the funeral¡ªthey were late because they had much to take care of. Erya was in front; she hurried to her mother''s grave, decorated with white flowers.

    "Mom... Mom," cried Erya, expressing her agony without paying attention to anyone.

    "Erya, please calm down," said Oran. "You have been crying nonstop for two days now..."

    "I don''t care," said Erya. "Just leave me alone."

    All the attendees, including Raivy and Vira, focused their attention on Erya and Oran. Raivy, however, was surprised when he looked at Erya; he did not recognize her. It had been ten years since he had last seen her. He had a hard time not looking her¡ªnot because he pitied her, but for a more obvious reason, a natural one.

    It was at this point that Raivy''s father, Javen entered the cemetery. He had always had a strong presence and loud footsteps that attracted the ears. While he came to pay his respects to the deceased, Javen''s main focus was on his son. His expression conveyed a sense of both anger and grief.

    Without a word, he grabbed Raivy by the shoulder with his left hand. Raivy, still unaware of who had grabbed him, naively turned his head¡ªonly to see a heavy punch heading toward his face. Despite his old age, Javen had a strong physique; he always said that a merchant had to be prepared for any surprises.

    Raivy was about to receive bloody bruises and broken teeth from the punch, but Vira absorbed it with his palm¡ªwithout moving an inch from the blow of Javen''s punch.

    "It is rude to make a scene at a time like this, Javen," Vira said with a smile. "And to punch your son in public on top of that..."

    "Who are you?" asked Javen. He had never seen anyone stand up to him so easily... Just who is he? he thought.

    "I am Raivy''s friend, Vira. Your son found me in the forest, then treated my wounds before I could was about to die from blood loss, and here I am."

    "A friend..." said Javen. ¡°You are hiding something, Vira."

    "Regardless of whether I am hiding something or nothing, go pay your respects to the deceased," said Vira. "Otherwise, your former wife will curse you from the skies."

    Javen glared at Vira with a furious look, fiercer than the one he had entered the cemetery with. But, he returned his attention to Raivy.

    "Raivy," Javen said. "Don''t ever delay helping others. Look at what you have done. You have killed¡ª"

    "Father, you are mistaken," Raivy said, interrupting his father. "I talked to her and made sure that I cleared her agonizing thoughts about Mother. I am still unsure about how she ended up this way."

    "Fine," said Javen. He then walked with the same loud steps, toward Itara¡¯s coffin, reciting words that even Raivy did not understand.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    How could a father like you, one who is this kind, be capable of torturing his dear wife? Raivy wondered.

    Raivy had one more thing left to do: talk to Oran about the cause of Itara''s death. He headed to where Oran was and requested a private chat with him; Oran obliged. Oran looked sad, but energetic ¨C a queer expression.

    "So, what was the cause of her death?" asked Raivy. "I am dead sure she no longer suffered from Arbara¡¯s death after I left your house."

    "Indeed," responded Oran. "After you left last week, she woke up and was much like the cheerful Itara I knew before your mother died a year ago. I spent a merry week with my family that I never dreamed to re-experience. Because of that, I really want to thank you for healing her¡ª" But, Oran was interrupted by more people coming to the funeral, so he had to delay the talk.

    "Let us meet tonight," said Oran. "I am sure you want to learn more about what happened. I also want to thank you for bringing my soul back to life."

    ¡°Alright."

    Raivy returned to Vira, who had heard the discussion between the two thanks to his inhuman ears.

    "So, you will meet him tonight?" asked Vira.

    "Yes. We will approach him the same way we did Itara¡ªI will call you to come in at a proper time. I feel his invitation to talk about Itara''s death is just a disguise."

    "Your feelings are growing more accurate it seems," replied Vira, showing that he already knew Oran''s intentions. "But don''t rely on them; they are like standing on a broken stick."

    The duo did not return to the hut this time. Instead, they headed to Javen''s house as soon as he was done with the funeral¡ªit had been a while since Raivy had visited his parents. Also, Javen had forbidden Raivy from seeing him until he had helped Itara, though since she was no longer around the rule no longer applied.

    The duo entered the house and sat down at a table with the married couple; each person had a steaming cup of tea in front of them. Raivy did not want to introduce Vira to his parents, but he had to soften the tension between them.

    "Raivy," said Javen while taking a sip of tea. "I apologize to you and your friend for what I did in the cemetery. I got too emotional without knowing that you had already tried to treat Itara before she left this world... With that said, I want to talk to you about a matter I''ve had on my mind for a long time."

    Javen put the cup back on the table.

    "Both I and your mother," he continued, "and even Velica, wanted you to marry Erya. It''s about time that you settled down... I don''t see what purpose staying in the forest serves you besides making you sadder. You are not a person who is suited to living alone."

    "Perhaps, but I am not living in the forest for no reason," said Raivy.

    "Why do you want to avoid staying with us?" blurted Velica, her words were coated with anger. "We have been begging you to come back and live with us ever since you left, yet you keep hiding under excuses."

    ¡°Raivy,¡± said Javen. ¡°Velica believes that you left the house because you could not accept her. I kept telling her that is untrue but she is not listening, please¡ª¡°

    "Is it because you cannot bear to see me as another wife to your father?" said Velica, interrupting her husband. "What have I done to you? Did I ever harm you?"

    "No," said Raivy. ¡°Please do not misunderstand me. Every person who is important to my father is equally important to me. I am not the kind of person who dwells in the past. I accepted you the moment Father informed me about you."

    "Then why?" asked Velica.

    "That is enough, Velica," said Javen. "If he still has certain matters to attend in the forest, then so be it. Every person has their own matters that no one should know about. That is, as long as they harm no one. Both Arbara and I instilled these values deep in his heart. But, let me come back to what I have been trying to discuss...¡±

    Javen resumed sipping his tea, which was growing a bit colder.

    "Velica and I¡ªeven Arbara used to find that Erya suits you," said Javen. "But, remember that our words are only an opinion and that the final decision is yours. Even as your father, I am not aware of all your thoughts and feelings. So, think deeply and don''t forget that we will not blame you or hold anything against you for not following our advice."

    That''s it. He can''t be the one who stabbed Mother... Itara must have confused him with another person. Raivy wanted to confirm these shivering thoughts, his heart wanted to shout them out, but he held them back.

    "I will think about it," Raivy responded, "but now is not a good time to propose anything to her."

    "Definitely," said Javen, letting out a smile. "Though, I must apologize again¡­ Your friend had to sit through this entire family discussion."

    "Apologize?" said Vira. He had his legs propped up on the table while he listened. "I am much closer to Raivy than you think. So, I am allowed to listen to all his family matters. Also, it has been a while since I have heard such a peaceful talk; my world lacks it, so I have enjoyed every bit of it." Vira winked at Raivy after finishing his sentence.

    "Peaceful? My world?" said Javen. "Could you tell us where you had been living before?"

    Vira, don''t... Raivy thought.

    "I was in a world of acute alertness... Where every friend, every relative, even your parents could stab you in the back. Trust did not exist. Yet, we still had to keep our heads held high, or perish in coffins."

    "I have never heard of such a place...," Javen responded. As a former traveling merchant who had trodden into all corners of the surrounding town and cities, Javen felt a tingling curiosity. "Would you mind telling me the name of this place?"

    Vira, please don''t. Raivy could not interrupt Vira. It would be too obvious, Javen would catch it.

    "It is called Metzra," Vira replied with a sly smile.

    Raivy¡¯s eyes grew large. Bastard.

    "I see... That explains how you endured my punch," said Javen, closing his eyes. "Raivy, I am sorry. You will see what I never wanted to show you. I wished to take this to my grave and see you leading a normal life... Again, I am sorry."

    Javen''s face started to crack, then fell apart like shards, revealing another face... that of a young man in his thirties. Javen then stood up, walked to a wall in the room, and punched it. The entire wall fell from the blow, exposing a blue sword. Raivy noticed that the sword had a large blue jewel at the top of its hilt. The blue hue of its blade was unlike any sword Raivy had ever seen before.

    "You realize what needs to be done, Vira?" asked Javen, grabbing the sword.

    "Of course, let us finish this," said Vira.

    "Father¡­ what is going on?" Raivy exclaimed.

    "Raivy, don''t ask," said Javen. "It is not worth it. Keep your knowledge about what you will see to the bare minimum."

    "Let us move away from the villagers," continued Javen. Then turned to Vira and said, "I suppose you respect that much."

    "Fear not. Ignorance from the world we live in is priceless. I dare not harm that."

    "The way you speak is different...," said Javen. "You are not an ordinary Metzerian, are you?"

    "Correct. You have the eyes of an adept hunter."

 Chapter 8: Javen

    Javen ordered the shocked Velica to stay in the house. Raivy''s words did not reach the two, despite him shouting out at them. So, he had no choice but to follow them into the forest. They stopped in a place crowded with leaves, vines, and trees, which obscured it from outsiders. Upon agreeing on the place, Vira transformed into his horsenake form.

    "I see... so you are the brother of Princess Vimirya," said Javen. "That explains a lot. I expected your kind to come here sooner to protect her, but you were late."

    "Remember, I did not come here for her," Vira responded sharply. "It was her choice to leave Metzra, so I did not object. I only came to get a useless thing from Earth to cause wonders in Metzra. But your existence is hindering it."

    Me? Hindering it? Javen thought.

    After this thought, Javen waited no more as he leaped toward Vira at an inhuman speed. That should surprise him. It always surprised them, Javen thought. Javen aimed to slash into Vira''s shoulder as quickly as he could. I will not let this hybrid pollute my son''s mind. But the slash could only cut through the air as Vira dodged it. Vira responded by quickly reaching out to grab hold of Javen''s neck, but Javen ducked his head in time and retreated.

    "You sure you don''t want to use any weapon?" asked Javen. "If you don¡¯t you will die in a minute."

    Javen spoke to Vira to buy himself some time to think about his next attack. But, Vira did not give him that pleasure, for he dashed toward Javen while extending his head like a snake.

    I have not seen this move for a while. I am sorry, Vira, but your venomous fangs can¡¯t reach me that easily, thought Javen.

    The trick, Javen knew, was to anticipate the head''s movement. So, Javen readied his blue sword to pierce Vira''s head as soon as it reached him. I have done it many times, and I can do it again.

    A split second before Javen''s blue sword was about to connect with Vira''s extended head, Vira retracted his head backward.

    Dammit. It was a feint, Javen thought.

    Vira used his head as a distraction to come closer to Javen, who was then only three feet away from him.

    It is fine, I can still dodge, Javen thought.

    Vira threw a side punch at Javen''s belly, but Javen stepped to the right, evading it.

    However, at this instant, Javen''s eyes were focused only on Vira''s arm¡ªhe couldn¡¯t see where the next attack might come from. Javen had to quickly observe the rest of Vira¡¯s body for any surprise attacks, but he was too late. Using his other hand, Vira punched Javen''s chest so hard that he flew and collided against a large tree which fell from the impact.

    Javen coughed out blood¡ªthe force of the punch was so strong that he was left immobilized. His broken ribs were digging into his flesh. It is hard to breathe... The sword that had given Javen his inhuman strength had fallen far, close to Raivy.

    "Vira, stop it," said Raivy. "Didn''t you promise me not to harm a human without my approval?"

    Raivy was about to grab hold of the blue sword, but Vira shouted, "Don''t touch it. It will reduce your lifespan." Raivy followed Vira''s words and backed off from the blue sword. ¡°Yes," continued Vira. "I will stop, but I did not break the promise. Your father is no longer a human."

    "Just... tell me... one thing," said Javen. "Why... are you... with... my son? If you... want to... avenge your race... or the princess... then kill me right away. But please... spare Raivy... he doesn''t¡­ know."

    "I don''t believe in revenge, Javen," replied Vira. "The weak invented it to justify their actions. In any case, there is no need to hide the truth from you. Your son is destined to go to Metzra and unify it. He may not know it, but he has the blood of a horsenake flowing through his veins. I assume you are ''more'' than aware of that, considering what you did to his mother."

    "You..." said Javen. He did not expect anyone to know his secret that easily. Yet, it did not matter if Vira knew about it¡ªthe problem was his son. "Raivy... you also... knew... what happened?"

    "Yes," said Raivy. "Why did you kill her? I have never seen you harm a single person in any way except with a reason. Yet... you destroyed my life, yours, and Oran''s family. What did she do to deserve that brutal death? She never harmed a single soul."Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    "Raivy," said Javen. It was easier for him to breathe now. "I was not aware of her real form. She hid it from me for twenty years... until I saw her starving one day. Yes, starving for food..."

    ¡°Raivy, can you imagine sleeping for decades, in the same bed, with a person who feeds on your own kind? Why do you think our neighboring villages, Akarma and Ledarma, were abandoned? Why do you think none of their young men remained alive?"

    Javen coughed up more blood, but he continued. "I held myself back for your sake... until you could stand on your feet... But I had to do it. We swore to do it, Oran and I, long ago. Do you know how demeaning it was for me to marry a woman from the race I detested the most? Your mother Arbara was a jewel on the outside, but a devil on the inside."

    Did she eat humans? Fed on entire villages? The thoughts echoed in Raivy''s head...

    "Vira, could you kill me, please?" Javen pleaded. "The guilt of slaying countless Metzerians has put me in constant agony, even in my dreams. And the sword has already consumed much of my lifespan."

    "Agony? How many Metzerians did you kill?" asked Vira, ignoring the request.

    "Two hundred. Most of them were antigers,¡± replied Javen. ¡°They all blended with humans. Those who were the toughest to kill were the ones who did nothing wrong. Rather, they helped improve many of the cities and villages I have come across. So, we ran away from this responsibility, Oran and I, to these two villages, far from all the madness. We were part of the Magus Association for twenty years. After that, we got a chance to live in selected villages like this one."

    "Vira," said Raivy, "do horsenakes need to eat humans to survive?"

    "No," replied Vira. "But we need to eat fresh meat at least once a week. I know where you are heading. You see, most royalties, regardless of whether they are from Earth or Metzra, have a hard time forgetting the taste of luxury. Your mother¡ªprincess Vimirya¡ªwas among them, it seems."

    Raivy stayed still for a while, lamenting over the past actions of his parents. The headache... not again. Raivy''s exhausted heart was being torn into two¡ªhalf was siding with his mother and the other with his father... There is no way I can pick one over the other.

    "So, both of you are corrupt... and since she is already dead, only you are left to be punished," Raivy said.

    Raivy walked toward his father while reaching for his hidden knife. "Vira, you don''t have to kill my father. Instead, it is more appropriate if I do the job."

    "Raivy... you...," said the surprised father.

    The knife made a sharp, metallic sound as it left its scabbard.

    "Goodbye," said Raivy. "You have been the best father one could have... until now."

    Raivy shoved the knife into his father''s heart without hesitation, blood splattering all over his face and hands. Despite being fatally injured, Javen looked at Raivy, locking his eyes on him, and uttered, "Failure..."

    Javen closed his eyes, then, after a while, his soul ceased to exist.

    "Vira, could you bury him?" asked Raivy. "I can''t bear to do so."

    "Certainly," said Vira, revealing a wide smile. "You are truly the king I was looking for."

    "Is that so?" responded Raivy. One is calling me a failure and the other a king...

    "A true king does not hesitate to dole out justice, Even if the person is from his own kin. But, this logic can only be applied in peaceful times where murder is rare¡ªto maintain order. But in Metzra, everyone is a murderer. You will have to accept this ugly fact peacefully. To them, the word ¡®murder¡¯ has neither weight nor guilt to it."

    "But what¡¯s wrong with punishing those who murder in Metzra?"

    "Raivy, if you killed every murderer in Metzra, I doubt that anyone would remain."

    "I see. Anyway, I am not in the mood to argue this further. We still have to go back and discuss Itara¡¯s death with Oran..."

    ¡°He still has the nerve to talk to Oran after killing his own father?¡± Vira whispered to himself.

    "Wait," said Vira, now talking to Raivy, "we still have to take Eklatos, the blue jewel in Javen''s sword. It is dangerous for humans, but a great asset for us horsenakes."

    "But, won''t it reduce your lifespan?"

    "No," replied Vira, walking toward the blue sword. "This happens only when another race uses an artifact that the Dragans did not gift them."

    Vira picked up the sword, forced the jewel out of its grip, and placed it in his pocket. Once he did so, the blue color of the sword dissipated, revealing corrosion all over the blade.

    ¡°Eklatos has two abilities," said Vira. "First, any non-organic object it touches becomes unbreakable. This is why despite being covered with rust, the sword was indestructible. Second, it strengthens the ability of whoever wields the non-organic object touching the jewel. So, when your father was holding the sword, a single mistake would have been enough to cut my body into two. And I did not want to waste the extra life I had from the amulet. At any rate, these are just precautions¡ªit is not like anyone can stop me on Earth.¡±

    This horse is so arrogant. "I see. But do you know how my father got his hands on Eklatos?"

    "He did not receive it from the Magus Association for certain. I suppose you are not aware of it, but this secret Association exists solely for killing Metzerians. Your father and Oran were core members in it for years. But it would make no sense for them to give a retired hunter such an extraordinary artifact. Yet Eklatos was in Metzra thirty years ago. I saw it myself. Princess of the horsenakes, Vimirya, took it before she ran to Earth... Do you know what this means, Raivy?"

    "Of course... Now I understand how Father got hold of it. Anyway, let us not waste time. It will be night by the time we meet Oran."

    While the two were walking to Oran''s house in Medres, Vira wondered to himself. How did he recover that fast? His tone no longer bears any sense of sadness... Or, does he have a natural ability for hiding his emotions? The boy is interesting, Vimirya... your sacrifice was well worth it.

 Chapter 9: The Red Letter (End of Earth Arc)

    Please help yourself," said Oran as he placed a teacup before his guest Raivy.

    "Thank you," Raivy responded. "Oran, how are you now?"

    "I am well, please don¡¯t worry about me," replied Oran.

    Oran''s condition had become more stable after Itara had passed away. This had led to talks among villagers that Oran had disliked his wife, that he had wanted her to die, and some had concluded that he had killed her.

    "I don¡¯t want to trouble you for long," said Raivy. "I am sure you have other arrangements to take care of after your wife''s passing. I am just curious about what caused her death."

    "Yes, and that is why I brought you here. Raivy... You are the prime reason for her death."

    "Huh?"

    "Why should I hide it from you?¡± It is too late to hide anything. I heard your talk with her, Raivy. I dug a small tunnel in Itara''s room to make sure that no visitor harmed her. I wouldn''t let her remain alone with any guest, more so in her disturbed state. I heard everything¡ªfrom you bringing this creature named Vira, to forcing her to talk about all she knew about your mother''s death. I am sure you want to extract everything I know out of me like you did to her, don''t you?"

    "That makes it easier for me. Tell me, how did she die? And, depending on your answer, I might let you live."

    "Let me live? Don''t make me laugh, you little brat. You think after killing hundreds of Metzerians over the past dozen of years I would be afraid of the likes of you and your friend? Think again. But I have promised to tell you how she died, and you probably won''t like it because I was the one who killed her. Since she knew what happened to Arbara, and about Javen and my past, I could not let her live. She had been troublesome throughout last year, so it was a good opportunity to get rid of her."

    Raivy was about to reply, but Erya did it before him.

    "Father, what did you just say?" said Erya, who had come down from the upper floor and was standing on the stairs with disbelieving eyes. "You can¡¯t be the one who killed her. Please tell me this is not true."

    "Erya," said Oran, "I thought you were sleeping. Go back, you don¡¯t need to be here."

    "I cannot¡ª" she said.

    But her father interrupted her. "ERYA... GO BACK TO YOUR ROOM AT ONCE. What is going to happen here is something you should neither see nor hear. Do you want to meet the same fate as your mother?"

    Erya''s body shivered. The last time he had shouted at her that way was seven years ago¡ªshe had camped in the forest with her friends for five days without telling her parents.

    "Erya," said Raivy calmly. "I agree with your father that you should not stay here. Please go back to your room."

    "F¡­ fine," Erya responded with a stutter. "But, Raivy, if you harm my father in any way, you will regret it your whole life. And, Father¡­ Let us talk after you are done."

    "Fine," said Oran indifferently.

    With that, Erya walked upstairs to her room. The duo resumed their talk only after Erya had closed the door of her room.

    "Now that she is gone," said Raivy, "please continue."

    "Well, not much is left to say... I simply choked her to death. She resisted, which surprised me, as she had often tried to commit suicide over last year. She had certainly changed after you came and met her. Keeping that in mind, the reason I brought you here was not to tell you a story about her..."

    Oran held the corner of the table between them, lowered his back so that his face was almost touching Raivy''s, then said in a whisper, "I brought you here because I need to take the Amulet you used on her... Magdamilia, was it? And, since you now know what happened to your mother I also can''t let you live."

    Oran stood straight and walked toward the living room wall behind him. An old, dusty greatsword adorned the wall as decoration. Raivy remembered it from the time he had been a child. As soon as Oran touched the hilt, the greatsword let out an orange glow.

    So, he also has a magical weapon, Raivy thought.

    "Don¡¯t tell your father Javen that I have used Revarma," said Oran. "He forbade it long ago."

    Oran was about to pull the greatsword from its sheath, but suddenly he heard strange, heavy footsteps coming from his right. Oran also turned his head to the footsteps. What is going on? Raivy wondered.

    A person with a strong body stood there, fully covered in black clothing, with a black hood covering his face. The front part of the hood had a red symbol depicting three winged, serpent-like beings. Raivy had no clue what that meant.

    "What are¡ª" said the startled Oran. But the unknown man, now beside Oran, interrupted him by sliding his right hand across Oran''s neck, without actually touching it. In an instant, Oran''s head was severed from his body. Both the head and the rest of Oran''s body fell on the floor, and blood pooled beneath his corpse.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    Raivy stood up¡ªthe sofas were blocking his view. But as soon as he did the unknown guest looked at Raivy and said, "Don''t be startled. He would have killed you had I not intervened."

    After saying that, the unknown guest walked toward the greatsword, ignoring the red, warm pool beneath him. He picked up the greatsword, then he disappeared into thin air.

    Just what is going on with my life? Is this what Jigan warned me about? Raivy thought.

    He first looked around the living room in case anything else might be lurking around. He found nothing suspicious, so he returned his attention to Oran.

    "Vira, come," said Raivy.

    He appeared at once, and Raivy told him what had happened.

    "So, despite hiding it as much as I could, the Dragans knew about the prophecy," said Vira. "Raivy, the person you saw was a servant of the Dragans¡ªa Dervant. The symbol of the three winged serpents you saw proves it. I never thought they could even reach Earth. But why did the Dervant help you? Raivy, there is a lot going on under the ground than even I am unaware of. It is dangerous to stay on Earth for too long. The safest place would be the horsenake capital. But even there, the Dragans are beyond the powers of all hybrids combined..."

    "Now, before you go too far, we have to do something about Oran," said Raivy.

    "Do something? He is dead."

    "Even a kid knows that, idiot. We have to hide his body, at least."

    Raivy also had another issue of explaining the situation to Erya.

    "Vira, take Oran''s body somewhere in the forest; make sure no one finds out. In the meantime I will clean the blood and head upstairs to talk to Erya. I will tell her that her father was so excited to see my hut in the forest that he left the house without telling her. Besides, She just talked to her father so she would not imagine him dead."

    "Sounds good. In any case, don''t worry about Erya. By the time we go to Metzra, you will forget everything about Earth."

    Vira grabbed Oran''s body like a small toy and headed outside the house into the forest.

    Raivy cleaned the blood within an hour¡ªthe luxurious wooden floor and furniture didn¡¯t absorb it enough to create serious stains. Then, he walked upstairs to Erya''s room. He did not know which room was hers, so he kept knocking on all five of them until Erya responded.

    "Raivy... do you need something?" asked Erya after she opened the door.

    "I have to go with your father quickly. He went off before me to look at my hut. I knew you would be worried, so I thought I should tell you before I leave."

    It feels like a lie. It sounds like a lie... Raivy thought.

    "I see. Dad always comes and bothers me about the tiniest of things, especially after Mother''s condition worsened. Maybe her passing made him forget and talk about such thoughts and anger... Anyway, it will be a change of pace for him away from the gloom. Please take care of my father, Raivy. You are Arbara''s son after all."

    The son of a human eater, sure... Raivy thought.

    "Great. Take care, then."

    With that, Raivy left the house. His entire body was perspiring so profusely that she might have smelled the leftover stench downstairs.

    How come a murdered Oran did not terrify me as much as her? Raivy wondered.

    ???

    The two hadn¡¯t decided on a meeting point. So, Raivy headed for the hut to see whether he could find Vira there. He found Vira but Oran''s body was nowhere to be seen.

    "What happened to Oran''s body?" asked Raivy.

    "I already buried it, along with the head."

    "I did not tell you to do so."

    "You would first have doubts about where to put the body, or how to hide it. But, you would end up burying him anyway, so I saved you all the hassle. But I am glad. I thought the death of Itara, Javen, and then of Oran would tear your heart to pieces. But I sense no sadness in you."

    "That''s because of what Mother and Father hid from me. Why should I feel sadness for such people?"

    "I see. While I disagree with your logic, this characteristic will aid you well in Metzra, so don''t change it."

    "So, when are we leaving for Metzra? I think I should be able to live in it without the blue mist''s limitation, as I no longer feel any attachment to Earth."

    "It''s up to you, but the earlier, the better. I assume the mist will show up the same way as it did the last time¡­ when the moon disappeared, was it?"

    "Possible. a month has passed since you came to Earth. So, the moon should be absent tomorrow or the day after; let¡¯s aim for that."

    The duo waited for the next day until the sun disappeared and luckily, the moon did not show up. Hence, they did exactly what Jigan had told Raivy to do¡ªleft the hut and kept walking wherever they wanted until the blue mist appeared. But this time, Raivy went to where the blue mist had first appeared. He dreaded repeating that helpless walk he had to endure a month ago for the blue mist.

    "It showed up here last month," said Raivy. "Let us wait for a while, it might appear."

    "Sure," replied Vira.

    An hour passed, but the mist did not appear, so they decided to search around the hut.

    "I remember that it showed when I grew utterly desperate. Once I gave up and headed for the hut, it appeared in front of me."

    "You mean we have to search until we become desperate?"

    "Could be. The only person who can answer this question is Jigan, but we cannot afford to go to him as the sun would rise before we reach his cave. And in that case, we will have to wait an entire month for another blue mist to reappear."

    The two resigned themselves to wandering around the forest. They walked and walked until three hours had passed. Raivy was growing weary, and the sun was not far from rising.

    "We should stop and head to Jigan," said Vira.

    "Seems so," said Raivy. "Let us rest before we go to him. Perhaps he can help us enter Metzra without waiting for another month."

    Raivy led the walk toward the hut, as he was more informed about the area. He grabbed hold of his hut''s door handle, opened it, and there it was¡ªthe blue mist had been inside the hut all along.

    "Again¡­ Whoever places the blue mist deserves endless stabbing," said Raivy.

    "Well, setting our emotions aside," said Vira. "The being who places these mists can predict the future, for it knew precisely where we will become desperate... But note that the mist is faint¡ªit won¡¯t last as the sun is about to rise. Let''s hurry."

    "I know,¡± replied Raivy, who was running toward it with Vira. "I am excited, for some reason. Is Volca still alive?"

    "Unfortunately, he is," said Vira. "But keep holding on to this excitement, if you can."

    "Oh wait... I forgot to read my mother''s blue letter. Give me a second."

    Raivy opened the blue letter, and this is what it said:

    "Dearest Ray, how was your journey with your uncle Vira? You can trust him fully, for he can never harm his nephew. Also, you will find that there is a red letter inside this blue one. It is not for you, but to Lord Velyas in Metzra. Make sure that you give it to him.

    ¡°Since you are about to enter Metzra, I will have to unlock your horsenake side. So from now on, you will no longer be a human, not even a horsenake, instead, you will be a Tribred¡ªmade of three beings. May the gods of Metzra protect you, my king.¡±

    As soon as Raivy finished reading the letter he started to feel a green change in his body, and a painful one.

 Chapter 10: The Red Mist

    Jigan was waiting, very soon he will have an important person to meet. At the same time, Jigan was indifferent to the meeting, since he knew what the whole discussion will be along with its conclusion. After helping many people for so long, Jigan looked at the sky that night and wondered whether all the help he supplied countless people with gave any value to his life.

    And whenever Jigan wondered the sky was ready to respond to his irritated and worried thoughts. The sky immediately told him that his life was no more than a speck of dust, just like any other human or any other being in that regard.

    If he ceased to exist most people would not care, and those who care will be sad that a source of benefit had disappeared. Then another person would replace Jigan and life would continue the same way it did for thousands and thousands of years. Life is not cruel nor kind.

    It was an ugly answer, as usual, Jigan thought.

    Nevertheless, the answer he received was better than none. After all, the sky was the only thing that he could not anticipate its words or actions, which kept him from going insane.

    Jigan then looked at the sky again and said, "Will my life continue like this till I die?" And again he instantly received his answer, "You will know when the time comes." Jigan was sixty years old.

    Jigan now heard the feminine footsteps of his expected visitor.

    "I came as promised Jigan," she said. "I assume you are obviously aware that I asked Raivy to heal my mother as you have advised me. But why did not you tell me this decision would make her die? And my father is also missing..." The lady fell to her knees as tears flooded her eyes and dropped to her cheeks.

    "Erya," said Jigan. "I have told you consequences of healing your mother three months ago, and you agreed to them. That it would reduce her lifespan and of the person she hated the most, her husband. I am aware that you mostly came here to know about what happened to your father, but that I cannot tell, for you have to uncover the answer yourself."

    Jigan continued, "With that said, the side-effects of knowing what happened to your father will similarly be tremendous. You will have to farewell everything you hold dear; your village, your friends, your dreams, even your current body, but in return, you will lead and be worshiped by a whole race. Will you agree to such conditions Erya?"

    "I had enough with these tough decision that you keep giving me Jigan," said Erya. "I just want to relax, no, I just wanted to lead a normal, plain life. Can''t you help me with such a simple request?"

    "I am afraid there is no such a thing as a normal plain life Erya," Jigan replied. "And even if I wanted it to, it is not within my control to provide you with such privileges. I am no more than a medium between you and the sky; the sky hears with my ears, sees with my eyes, and replies with my mouth. In fact, you would not insult me by calling me a mere puppet. The sky had heard your pleas, and it only informed me of the path I have just told you no more." Jigan had squeezed his green, leafy dress so hard that some of its juice leaked out.

    Jigan continued, this time with eye contact, "You will have to choose now, for another guest is about to come. As I have said, the route will answer all your questions about your father, make you lead and be worshiped by a race you have never seen before, but the cost of that will be losing everything you have today."

    "I never thought that I would ever be worshiped in my life," said Erya. "I mean, someone so helpless and depressed about life like me? But at the same time, what kind of daughter would I be if I discarded my father behind and searched only for my own pleasures? Honestly, I am not sure whether I would digest seeing people bowing down to me, but I feel this would be the best choice. So please show me the way Jigan."

    You have grown up Erya, Jigan thought while looking at her with satisfied and warm eyes.

    "Of course," replied Jigan. "But note that proper worship yields benefit to the worshipper, not to the person being worshiped. In other words, they will worship you not for your sake but for theirs.

    Now to show you the way, boil a blood mixture of any ten animals, and then swallow the hard bits that will remain after all the liquid evaporates. Once you do so will notice a significant change in your body, and you will also see that a red mist will appear in front of you, which you will have to pass through. Passing through the red mist will make you enter another world, and then you will never ever return back to Earth."

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    So I will be leaving Earth... Earth had been cruel, leaving me with nothing but sadness, Erya thought.

    "Fair enough," said Erya. "Then I suppose this will be the last time I see you grandfather."

    "Indeed it is," said Jigan. He had forbidden Erya from calling him grandfather ever since the sky had possessed him. He did not feel worthy of that heavy word, but he ignored it this time. "You have been a splendid granddaughter."

    With that Erya bid farewell to her grandfather, and to her last living relative.

    <hr>

    Erya''s head was full of questions. Who killed my mother? Who murdered Raivy''s mother, Arbara? Where did Raivy go? What kind of race will worship me? But since the cost of the route she had chosen is too high, Erya felt that most if not all these questions will be answered sooner or later.

    Immediately after she left Jigan, Erya went to a butcher in her village''s market to buy blood. She purchased from him the blood of a horse, sheep, cow, mouse, and rat. And luckily, the butcher was very cooperative for he wanted to have revenge on the mice and rats for chewing on his meat inventory for years.

    Erya then went to her neighboring village Medres to buy the last five blood ingredients that she could not find in her village. She got the blood of a dog, cat, turtle, donkey and lastly a fish from a witchcraft store. But Erya had to leave the witchcraft store as fast as she could muster, for saw every human body part on sale.

    Why no one complained about the existence of such a store, Erya thought.

    Erya felt that she might be burned at the stake had anyone saw what she''s about to do. So she headed to the most lifeless spot in the forest, placed dry wood under a black pot containing all the blood that she had obtained earlier.

    After she lit the wood and the blood mixture began to boil, Erya felt that she had never smelled anything that foul before. She went to a rose-field nearby and stuffed her nose with a handful.

    At least with this nasty smell not a single animal would dare to ambush me, Erya thought.

    The liquid part of the blood mixture needed about half a day to evaporate, and caused a loss of Erya''s her sense of smell. But once she peered inside the spot, the thick and concentrated smell burned her eyes and lungs that she threw up. Erya ran far away from the pot for thirty minutes to recuperate.

    Eventually, Erya returned back to the pot. But this time she held her breath, spilled all the remaining bits from the pot on a plate, which looked like a gray powder. Erya then swallowed it all without a second thought.

    And once she did Erya noticed the two odd changes Jigan had told her about. She felt all her skin burning, and that the bright red mist loomed in front her.

    The burning sensation, however, brought Erya to her knees as her skin began to sharpen, darken and harden, penetrating through her clothes. Erya crawled to the red mist. Fortunately, the mist was not that far. Then once Erya''s whole body entered the red mist, she gave in to the pain and lost consciousness.

    <hr>

    After a few hours of Erya entering the red mist, ten six-legged beings suddenly appeared encircling the unconscious Erya. Their skin was obsidian black, with sharp fangs and claws, and with two long antennas above their heads.

    They did not make the slightest sound as they kept sliding their antennas across Erya''s body to investigate it. At this point, Erya''s body was nothing like that of a human. It grew bigger, and in fact, looked almost the same as the ones surrounding her except that hers was more slender with a reddish sheen to it.

    "A gyne!, a gyne!," uttered the ten beings around Erya, joyful with the priceless treasure they have found. The largest one of the ten proceeded to hold Erya on his back while the other nine circled him as they walked for a few minutes. They reached a wide hole leading underground that they entered also according to the same formation.

    What will happen to Erya?

 Chapter 11: Gyne

    Erya woke up in a body that did not feel like her own. Her white and tender skin got replaced by a black and a hardened one. Her eyes had turned crimson red, and all her teeth had become sharper.

    Erya opened her eyes. While she was aware that the place did not have the slighted hint of light, she still managed to see her way as if its daytime.

    Where am I ? Erya thought

    Erya''s memory at this moment was akin to a blank page. She could not remember a thing, her parents, friends, village, not even her name. The only thing she could recall was that she was once a human, but now she is not.

    Terrified, Erya tried to stand up in panic but as soon as she did she fell. She instinctively felt that she should have had two legs and two hands, instead, she now has six legs.

    Erya now looked at her surroundings. The wall of the room was entirely made out of hardened clay and had twelve large holes that she could comfortably fit in, but beyond that, she knew nothing.

    After a few minutes, Erya suddenly started to hear many footsteps heading her way through the twelve wall holes. In which after a few seconds, twelve six-legged beings that looked similar to her new body surrounded her. The only physical difference Erya could notice is that her body had a hint of red and had more curvature.

    "What do you all want?" Erya asked. "What have you done to my body? I was not like this..."

    "Elder! Elder!," said the eleven out of the twelve beings surrounding Erya. They were looking at the last person amongst them with a much older body than the rest in the room.

    This person, supposedly known as the elder, walked toward Erya, sat beside her on a large leaf and crossed all his six legs together and said, "You seem to be confused, Gyne. In any case allow me to explain the situation you are in, after all, it is rude not to introduce myself before a precious guest like you."

    Me? A precious guest? Erya thought.

    "My name is Randam, and you may also call me elder if you want. And this room is the guest chamber in our underground kingdom Elajra. My scouts had seen you above the ground unconscious, and after examining you, have found out that you are actually a Gyne and brought you here."

    "A Gyne?" asked Erya. "What is a Gyne? Is it my name?"

    "So you are not even aware what your name is... I suppose that leaves me no choice but to treat you as a newborn," said Elder Randam.  "Very well, let us start with your emotions and your senses. Tell me do you feel any hunger right now, like a desire to eat?"

    "I do feel this kind of painful emptiness in my belly," replied Erya. "Is that what you mean?"

    "Good," replied Randam. "Bring her the finest food we have."

    One of the eleven behind Randam left the guest chamber, and came back after a few minutes with living baby worms in blue and red over a large green leaf, then laid it on the ground beside Erya.

    "These are one of the rarest and finest delicacies that you can have across all of Metzra," said Randam. "Please, do not worry about us and eat till the pain you spoke of goes away."

    Erya followed the elder''s words and bit into the worms. They had such juicy and tender texture that made her devour the food in no time, while the eleven looked at her in hope to have a single bite of the food."Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Once Erya finished eating she said, "thank you, I did not expect it to be this delicious."

    "That is what everyone says the first time they taste it," replied Randam. "Now tell me if you do not mind, did the pain go away?"

    "Yes the pain in my belly went away," replied Erya. "But it was replaced by another pain in the middle of my chest."

    "As I thought," replied Randam. "To us antigers, we consider the pain in the belly to be a physical one. This is why after you ate and satisfied your physical hunger it disappeared. However, the pain in your chest is different. Now I know how to stop the pain but to give the explanation its justice, I have to tell you a brief tale of who we are, the antigers."

    "Alright," said Erya who wanted to fill at least a few blank pages in her memory.

    "You see we are advanced beings created from two primitive ones, an ant and a tiger," said Randam. "We had long sought for a way to understand when, how, who, or why we were made from such beings in the first place, but we are yet to find a reliable answer for any of that. Every antiger generation that came presented its theory about our origins and disagreed with the one that came before it. In fact, I will probably keep wondering about our origins until the day I die."

    "And what is the theory that the antigers believe in today?" asked Erya.

    "There are those beings that we call the Dragans," the elder replied. "No one has seen them, but they claim to have made us and the other two hybrids, the fronkeys and the horsenakes. Now I believe you will ask me how is that we know about the Dragans without ever seeing them?"

    "Indeed, that was what I was about to ask you," replied Erya.

    "Well, that is because they use their servants, known as dervants, to communicate to all the three hybrid races. The dervants have done much to our history, and unfortunately, all their acts are tainted with blood. They have destroyed all our records and each antiger who knew about our pre-Dragan days. So we are unaware of anything that happened two thousand years ago beside mere gossip and rumors."

    "But for what purpose are they doing all of this?" asked Erya.

    "They do it to force us and all the other hybrids to worship their Dragan masters.  Large armies of hybrids have waged wars against them only to be slaughtered in a blink of an eye. The dervants are simply unstoppable. Unfortunately, we eventually gave in and ended up worshipping the Dragans with our tongues and limbs, but at least without our hearts..."

    I wonder how much suffering this elder has gone through, Erya thought.

    "It would be appropriate now to go back to your situation," said Randam. "According to our remaining records, we were told that every thousand years an abnormal female antiger appears, one that our predecessors came to call as a Gyne. A Gyne is akin to an ant queen that is capable of giving birth to an incredible amount of antigers. This is very beneficial for us because the birth rate of female and male antigers are quite imbalanced; a single female is born for every five males. Besides, it takes five pregnancy years for a single antiger to be born. So you can imagine how tough it is for our female citizens."

    "And I suppose that me, a Gyne can balance these scales?" asked Erya.

    "Correct," replied Randam. "We were told that a Gyne is capable of giving birth of a hundred antigers in a single day, thousands of times faster than the normal birthrate speed. Also, a Gyne is even capable of giving birth to different antiger species that have only come to hear about in our records. Now, do you realize why you are such a precious guest?"

    "You want me to give birth to hundreds of antigers daily?" asked Erya. "My body won''t be able to keep up with such madness. Please do not force me, I beg you."

    "Force you?" asked the elder with a queer laugh. "No, we won''t. In fact, it is you who would be begging us to keep giving birth. The slight pain you speak of in your chest will not subsidize, and will soon become unbearable that you will have no choice but to start breeding. Your body will be more than capable of keeping up with it for your whole body, perhaps even your whole existence was intended to produce. Remember that you should not resist, for nothing good ever comes in going against one''s nature."

    The pain is indeed growing sharper, thought Erya. Initially, it felt like an uncomfortable tickle, but in just a few minutes it started to feel like someone is grinding his fingernails inside her ribcage. I suppose I should try, after all, I have no idea what they would do to me if I resisted.

    "You came at such a great timing Gyne," said Randam, spreading his crossed legs in delight. "Two decades ago the War of Hope had killed millions of our antigers, including every elder beside me. But with you on our side, we can recover more than what we have lost, and eradicate both the fronkeys and horsenakes while they are still licking their war wounds."

    Without anyone forcing her, Erya gave birth to six thousand antigers in her first month. In the second month, she gave birth to twelve thousand that the antigers started to complain since it became too tiresome to count.