《Corrupted Ones》 Chapter 0- A New People Born It was the 788th year in the Alvian Calendar when humans discovered a strange but useful material. It was capable of absorbing the mana that saturated the air opening a dimension that was once thought to be locked away from humans, Magic. It was first used to record and repeat words spoken in order to create records of events of the past until the invention of paper. Hence this ore was given the name Echo. Even though it was the simplest magic available it was used everywhere, in homes, the military and to make further innovations in the world of science. It was quite funny how science which taught of logical solutions to the world¡¯s problems was supported by something that completely defied that very logic itself. Nevertheless this created a Golden Age for the humans who were once thought to be an inferior race compared to the mechanical superiority of the dwarfs and the magical brilliance of the elves. This age pushed humanity to rapidly expand over the entire world of Cera and for a long time there was peace. However this rapid evolution of humanity came at a price. Echo released a gas that was thought to be harmless but from constant exposure it resulted in the mutating of human cells. This disease was known as The E-Plague. Many humans died however those that survived passed on the mutated cells to their offspring and surprisingly they were stable. These cells made the humans faster, stronger and superior in every way. They also had the ability to consume the mana from other organisms and gain their abilities and memories. This disease died as quickly as it started as the human cells eventually mutated themselves to resist the gas but quite a few mutated children were already born into this world. However jealousy and hate from the other unevolved humans brought an abrupt stop to this Golden Age of Humanity. Due to the medical biasness shown to the rich they were quickly cured from the disease while those in the poorer regions died and eventually evolved. The rich nobles were outraged when these slum children surpassed their own and eventually all evolved humans were driven from civilization. Books told of them to be monsters, people spoke ill of them and children grew to eventually fear them. They became something that wasn¡¯t ¡°human.¡± Time passed and now 200 years later these people are known by humans as The Corrupted Ones forgetting that humanity was the reason these new people became to be. Corrupted Ones http://royalroadl.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=83787 My first story. A story that shows the kindness and darkness of humanity in a fantasy setting. It emphasizes the life of a person thrown between two different worlds. Belonging to neither faction he must decide what and who to fight and support. Will it be Humanity? Will it be the Corrupted? Or will it be neither? Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Since this is my first story there will be a lot of mistakes and I accept any and all criticism. After all it just helps me write better and improve my story. Chapter 1- Shattered Dreams Whoops I kinda posted those things in the wrong order. So yeah Corrupted Ones should go before chapter 0. Sigh I just suck at these kinda of things. Well live and learn. So anyways here is chapter 1. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the forested areas located to the north of the city of Celos several figures were dashing through the area. Brushing the foliage aside quickly as he ran, one of the figures, Uth spoke, ¡°Did you tie the rope yet we need it to take out his mobility.¡± Another of the figures, Mordin responded reluctantly, ¡°Sigh, easy for you to say you¡¯re not the one actually doing it. A vein bulged on Uth¡¯s wide forehead as he quickly retorted, ¡°Shut up and just do it!¡± Seeing the visible annoyance on Uth¡¯s face was quite enjoyable to Mordin. However this was neither the time nor the place for some fun. He replied, ¡°Okay, Okay,¡± so as not to poke the bear any further. While looping the white rope around into a lasso Mordin questioned the final figure, ¡°Lilith you figure out where he is headed? The final figure relatively more slender that the other two replied, ¡°Yeah it¡¯s not looking good it¡¯s headed towards the road,¡± her hands closing into fists as she spoke. ¡°Damn it!¡± Uth shouted as he quickly began loading arrows into his worn Yew crossbow. The three figures, two male and one female, were currently in pursuit of a monstrous beast. A Gorin. Large and extremely muscular this beast¡¯s height spanned 20 meters. Thanks to it¡¯s raw power it was capable of crushing large boulders with it¡¯s bare hands. It had no eyes but it¡¯s nose was the thing of wonders, picking up the scent of prey several hundred meters away. In addition to all of this it carried a massive club capable of rocking the entire forest with a single strike and teeth capable of piercing the toughest armor. The three hooded figures were equipped with basic leather equipment but moved without hesitation to hunt this massive beast following the carnage left in it¡¯s wake. Some distance ahead of the figures was a human caravan passing on the road. They were carrying a shipment of food and weapons for the capital city of Celos. Along with the five other guards and the caravan master was a young couple, with the mother carrying her newly born baby in her arms. The mother, Yul looked at the weapons with displeasure before looking to her husband and saying, ¡°Dear don¡¯t you think it¡¯s weird that all of these weapons are being transferred to the city. Gasp¡­We are not walking into a war are we!¡± The expression on her face darkened as she thought of what could happen to her child if she led him into a city about to be rocked by the fearsome reaper known as war. The man in his mid-twenties quickly embraced his wife and child. ¡°Don¡¯t worry would I, The great Thor, ever send you and Talus to a dangerous place huh? We are just tagging along with the caravan for protection against bandits. I finally got a good job so you can kiss our poverty good bye. Hahahaha!¡± Thor replied ecstatically slamming his chest as it expanded with pride. This was the happiest Thor had been in ages, second only to when his child was born. He could finally provide for his family so his son would never have to experience the poverty he suffered through. As Thor made his outburst Yul¡¯s face contorted into anger as her fist made contact with his stomach deflating it instantly. ¡°Shhhhhh, Talus is sleeping idiot,¡± she whispered her voice peppered with the seasoning of rage. ¡°Oww you don¡¯t have to hit¡­ Oh did you give him his medicine,¡± whispered Thor in return seemingly unaffected by the recent attack. Looking at her baby sleeping peacefully thanks to the effects of the medicine brought about a sense of warmth within Yul. Still she returned her gaze to Thor and replied, ¡°Of course I did idiot,¡± as if the warmth had disappeared from just looking at Thor¡¯s face. ¡°Would you stop calling me an idiot I ca- Ouch!¡± Thor protested raising his voice inadvertently. This statement was of course stopped abruptly by a fist from Yul which Thor took directly to his chest causing his body to collapse and slide across the floor like a sack of potatoes. ¡°Shut up already!¡± Yul retorted, her eyes flashing and closing into slits as she watched Thor¡¯s body slump on the ground. Although Yul¡¯s face represented perfectly that of an infuriated woman deep inside she was actually quite happy. She always wanted to have a family and hoped that moments like this would continue through her life. Her parents told her that if she married this man she would be unhappy. That she would never experience the luxuries of life. They couldn¡¯t have been more wrong. The moments and memories she had with her family were priceless, worth more than any mountain of gold you could find, and being able to raise Talus was a blessing to her. Although he was just 6-months old she knew that he would grow up to become a great man and it was her dream to see him achieve the unthinkable. Her only regret was that newly born baby Talus suffered from a disease. It was called Polaris, a sickness that resulted in mana building up within the body. It can be fatal but taking Echo tablets easily nullified the sickness. ¡°Thankfully it should only last until he is five,¡± she thought as she continued to move in sync with the caravan along with the recently revived Thor. The cavern made its way along the road when a roar rippled outwards from the forest breaking Yul¡¯s peaceful train of thought. ¡°What was that?!?!¡± exclaimed Yul her ears ringing from the sound wave and her heart palpating from fear. The five guards were instantly put on alert. One equipped with a steel sword and golden crested shield glanced toward Yul and barked, ¡°Quiet! Men form up! Somethings coming out of the woods.¡± The remaining four grouped up and pointed their white crested shields towards the forest creating a barrier on the side of the caravan. This was a grave mistake. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. With their full attention pointed towards the forest they didn¡¯t notice the thing barreling towards them from the sky until it was too late. ¡°Look above us!¡± a guard shouted but the figure was already too close. The monster came down from the sky, the light from the sun blinding the soldiers from evading, and instantly crushed two guards with it¡¯s feet. The shockwave knocked the remaining guards back as their bodies were thrown like ragdolls into the side of the caravan. ¡°Rooaaaaaaaaarrrr!¡± an earsplitting sound was heard as the Gorin howled. One of the guards¡¯ pupils dilated as he looked upon the beast before him. Dropping his shield and sword he screamed, ¡°A G-Gorin! What is it doing here? That¡¯s an S-Class monster. We¡¯re doomed!¡± Instantly the morale dropped. The captain began barking orders in an attempt to regroup his men. He stood up and charged the beast while shouting, ¡°Get it together men and put your sword to good use. Luke get ready to-.¡± However before the captain could complete his sentence the club from the beast collided with his side. His internal organs were instantly crushed and his armor completely shattered. His lifeless body flew into a nearby tree, colliding and leaving a rather unpleasant mark on Mother Nature. Seeing his captain being reduced to a bloody smudge. The cowardly guard reequipped his sword and charged the beast, slurring words that were unintelligible which spewed out his mouth like an erupting volcano. It was to be expected as the figure he looked up to all his life just died before him in a matter of moments. The beast swung his club towards the incoming guard. Foreseeing this the guard dropped all of his weight towards his back and slid on the ground barely managing to evade the blow. With this opportunity he stabbed his sword towards the beast. However this further mortified the already terrified guard as the sword broke as it made contact with the beast¡¯s flesh. It could not penetrate it¡¯s thick skin. The head of the Gorin looked down at the prey before him twitching it¡¯s nose in displeasure. It began to growl as it was notably upset. Without wasting a second it snatched the guard off the ground and began to squeeze the life out of him. Once the first tear broke free the rest followed in an unbroken stream down the guard¡¯s cheek as he cried, ¡°N-No-noooooooo! My family, my wife is with child I want to see them I don¡¯t want to-.¡± His cries were completely ignored by the beast as his plea was cut short and his body gave up under the pressure. His life came to an abrupt stop. Throwing his body aside, the Gorin then looked in the direction of the caravan master who was trying to escape. The only guard remaining realized that there was no defeating the beast before him. His gaze fell upon the panic-stricken Thor and Yul. He realized that saving these two was the best way his life could be spent as he shouted, ¡°Tch! You guys get up and get out of here!¡± Completely ignoring the guard before her Yul looked towards Thor and quickly embraced him. Thor could do nothing but return her embrace and let her torrent of tears soak through his shirt. He felt her clench her fists not knowing whether to be mad at the Gorin for snatching the peaceful life she dreamed of or to give up all hope together. He could hear her silent screams as she clutched his shirt tighter and tighter. Her shaky voice asked, ¡°A-Are we going to d-die?¡± as she looked towards Thor her moist blue eyes reflecting in his own. Thor knew what he had to do. It was the only way his son and wife could possibly survive. He pushed Yul in the opposite direction of the beast and urged her to run in the forest. Flabbergasted and terrified at the actions of Thor, Yul questioned, ¡°Thor?!?! What are you doing?¡± Thor, with his back facing his wife quickly responded, ¡°Get out of here now! The guard and I will buy some time.¡± He couldn¡¯t face her for if he saw her face contorted in sadness he wouldn¡¯t be able to do it. ¡°But Thor we can-,¡± Yul tried to argue but was quickly shot down by Thor as he shouted, ¡°NO BUTS DAMMIT GET IN THE FOREST NOW!¡± his voice possessing a fierceness that rivaled the Gorin¡¯s roar earlier. He knew what she was going to say but even if he wanted to they couldn¡¯t escape together. The Gorin took out four guards in less than a minute and he knew the last one wouldn¡¯t buy them enough time to escape. He didn¡¯t know how long he could stall the beast but it would still be better than nothing as every second increased his wife and child¡¯s survival. Yul, with tears still in her eyes, had no choice but to run, run with all her might. She had to escape as she had not only her life but carried another in her very arms. Thor seeing his wife run into the forest heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°May Orphus bless you both,¡± he whispered as his face distorted in sadness as the thought of never seeing them again crossed his mind. He walked over slowly and picked up the steel sword left by the captain who was sent spiraling into the tree earlier and turned to face the Gorin. Seeing his actions the guard¡¯s face turned ghastly pale, ¡°Why is that guy taking up arms. After all I am risking my life for him to escape!¡± he thought as he saw the man charge the beast. ¡°Damn it!¡± he shouted as he joined Thor in his charge. The Gorin turned towards the last of his prey with the lifeless body of the caravan master halfway inside his mouth. He smelt one, no two of his prey moving away from him with the remaining two prey in front of him rushing towards him. He almost seemed to smile with joy. He liked prey that struggled to survive. He felt as if he was made for this moment as he swung his club towards his prey. Chapter 2- An Overpowered Mother is Born! Well here''s chapter 2. Sorry if it''s taking a while to introduce the mc but I want to put these scenes before so it would give you an idea to how he''s going to be raised and what type of personality to expect. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Yul¡¯s body collided with several branches and shrubs as she tried to traverse the landscape in an attempt to put as much distance between her and the beast. Despite leaving several gashes across her smooth skin the baby remained unharmed. While running she kept looking back in hopes that her husband would be there following behind, however he never came. She ran for what seemed to be an eternity until her adrenaline rush had worn out. Gasping for air she propped herself against a tree as she gazed upon her still sleeping child. ¡°Heheh, how could he sleep through all of this?¡± she whispered in a dull voice. Her face was plastered with sweat and her once flowing, glossy black hair was reduced to a home of leaves and twigs. Morbid thoughts encircled her mind as the thought of Thor meeting his demise enveloped her. She couldn¡¯t imagine a life without him. While contemplating on her next actions she was hit by the dripping of fluids from above. ¡°Probably dew from the trees,¡± she thought until her eyes fell upon her shoulder. The fluid was red. It was definitely not water. ¡°Blood!?¡± she exclaimed in shock as she looked upwards towards the source. Of course returning her gaze was the eyeless, hideous Gorin. His now cherry-red teeth and mouth distorted into what seemed like a smile. Almost as if he was saying, ¡°I found you.¡± Pressing her baby against her bosom she began to run in the opposite direction from the Gorin, arching her back in order to shield her child from any projectiles the Gorin may throw. This quickly proved to be futile as the Gorin simply jumped in her way, blocking her only escape path. ¡°Dammit why can¡¯t you leave us alone!¡± she screamed throwing several small rocks in the beast¡¯s direction. Of course this just further amused the beast as he spat out what he had been saving in the corner of his mouth. He had to make room for another feast of course. What he had spat out was an arm. With it¡¯s bloody and deformed shape she might not have recognized it but the ring on the index finger made her realize. ¡°That¡¯s Thor¡¯s ring!¡± she cried out in horror. Yes it was the very engagement ring that she had given to Thor. The beast had without a doubt killed and completely dismembered Thor. Yul¡¯s legs lost it¡¯s strength. She could not stand let alone run anymore. Even if he didn¡¯t follow her into the forest there was always that small chance that he could have escaped and survived. A chance that like her escape was now impossible. The beast then swung its club towards Yul who had lost all color and feeling in her eyes. She placed her body between her baby and the club in a last effort to protect Talus. The club collided with her back and sent her body flying towards a tree, impact meaning certain death for her and her child. However she was caught. Regaining her senses she looked up at the hooded figure holding her in her arms. Lilith: Damn it! That beast is going berserk. Mordin, Uth take care of him. I will look after this girl. Uth: Fine Mordin, loop the rope around the beast¡¯s legs. Mordin: Wait don¡¯t you think she¡¯s got the easy job? Uth: Just shut up and do it! Mordin: Ok, OK! The female along with the other two hooded figures began conversing in a language Yul could not comprehend. She looked on in awe at the scene before her fighting back the tremendous pain and haziness she felt. One figure moved in an instant tangling the feet of the beast with a white rope. It looked like a thick spider web but it was much stronger as the beast could not escape. Gorin: Rooaaaaaaaaarrrr! The Gorin began to swing his club in a frenzy to try to intercept the figure that tried to restrain him but he was too fast. Mordin literally ran circles around the Gorin and came to an abrupt stop. The Gorin thinking this was his opportunity swung his club with as much force as he could to crush the utter nuisance that was Mordin. However no matter how hard he tried his arms could not move. ¡°How do you like that? My special Paralysis arrow. I call it the ARROW THAT BRINGS PARALYSIS!¡± Uth exclaimed his chest swelling with pride as if he had invented the cure for some deadly disease. Both Lilith and Mordin¡¯s gazes looked down almost as if they were embarrassed at the words that were spoken by Uth. Despite the extreme circumstances there was a moment of silence almost as if to mourn the chance they had lost to look even a little cool. Appearing and sitting on the beast¡¯s shoulder Mordin spoke, ¡°Uhhhh, hey Lilith how could you marry a man with such poor naming sense?¡± a hint of remorse in his voice. ¡°I wonder that myself sometimes. You know he told me he wants to name our child the Boy or Girl that hunts,¡¯¡± Lilith replied shaking her head. Uth¡¯s face began to turn red even as far as achieving a slight tinge of purple. ¡°SHUT UP! Mordin hurry up and do it already,¡± he shouted in anger. The Gorin seeing the figures before him laughing and mocking him along with the person who had propped himself against his shoulder infuriated him. He couldn¡¯t move his hands but the rest of his body was still functioning. He had to crush the prey before him at all costs. He put all his power into his legs as he prepared to jump. However the figure before him just flicked his forehead. The Gorin felt an extreme force that easily knocked him of his feet. Arrows flew into each of his limbs and he was now completely paralyzed. The Gorin was in disbelief as to how humans could possess such power. It was only when one came to finish him off and he caught a glimpse of his face did he realize. He was not up against humans. Instead he faced monsters much more frightening than himself. This figure was of course Mordin. ¡°Well ugly can¡¯t say I am going to miss you, later,¡± he said with his usual smug look as he pressed a blade against the Gorin¡¯s neck. And with a single cut the massive boulder- sized head of the Gorin left his body and the battle was over. Wh-Who are you? Yul asked flabbergasted at the scene that unfolded before her. Lilith: Umm I can¡¯t understand what you are saying but- You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.And with that Lilith removed her hood revealing her face. Her face was slender and smooth but what drew Yul¡¯s attention were her hair and eyes. Her hair was long and whiter than the snow that falls during winter while her eyes were a golden yellow with snake-like pupils. Her face itself was a pasty white color. All these characteristics belonged to single race. A race despised by humans as long as Yul could remember. Yul: A corrup- COUGH! Blood spattered out of Yul¡¯s mouth as she tried to speak. The world started to become twisted and darker. She knew her time was drawing near. Uth: Good Job Mordin although you could have ended the fight much quicker. Mordin: If you think you can do it faster than me then you do it. Lilith how¡¯s the girl? Mordin asked as he approached Lilith with Uth after collecting proof that the beast had been subjugated. Lilith: It¡¯s bad Uth the beast got her organs and the internal bleeding is too severe. "Anything we can do?" Uth asked.But Lilith just shook her head in dismay. Suddenly crying and sniffling was heard. Mordin: Look Uth I know it¡¯s a sad moment but you don¡¯t have to wail like a baby. Uth: It¡¯s not me stupid, it¡¯s coming from the girl. And you why would I ever cry for a despicable human. The woman Yul then revealed the child she was protecting and hiding near her bosom. Her vision started to become darker and darker as the pain pulsated through her body. These people were known to be savages, cannibals but they were her only hope. Covered in tears Yul spoke, ¡°Please ba-baby and E-E-Echo,¡± as she presented the baby to Lilith. Lilith dumbfounded by the occurrence responded quickly, ¡°Huh? Me, nonono I can¡¯t take this child I don¡¯t know how to take care of children.¡± Yul could not understand the words that were spoken but she knew what Lilith was trying to say from her actions. ¡°I am sorry, if I could I would take care of him but I am not going to survive. I just wanted to live peacefully with Talus and Thor the two I treasure more than my own life. WHY! Orphus what did we do to deserve this!¡± she screamed in her mind as words were unable to leave her mouth but she had one last thing to do, the medicine. Without it Talus would die in a week. She gave her last attempt to reach for the pills hidden in her dress however she was only able to give a feeble word, ¡°Echo,¡± before her body lost all of it¡¯s life and it plummeted to the ground. She had begun her journey to join her love, Thor in the next world. ¡°Oi, Girl!¡± Lilith roared but got no response from the lifeless body. She looked down at the baby she took in her arms quickly before the mother could collapse on top of him. He was a normal human baby with deep blue eyes that looked directly into Lilith¡¯s own. He gave a cute giggle as he began to play with her silky white hair. He was not afraid and completely pure. This caused something within Lilith to spark and ignite. Time seemed to stop as she gazed upon the child. ¡°So what are we going to do leave the baby here or return it to the nearest settlement,¡± asked Uth unconcerned for the woman who had just died before him. Lilith looked up at Uth and then back at the child before responding, ¡°Uth call me crazy but-,¡± ¡°Nonono I know that look in your eyes we are not keeping this child,¡± Uth reprimanded quickly. ¡°But-,¡± Lilith tried to protest. ¡°No buts, you know how the humans are. They are selfish creatures that care only for themselves. They have tortured and hunted us Loranians for years! Even going so far as to call us Corrupted. I am not going to raise a filthy human child as my ow-,¡± Uth screamed but was stopped by a wave of bloodlust. The source was of course Lilith. Meanwhile Mordin just watched everything with quite elation. He hadn¡¯t seen so much ¡°action¡± in a while. He knew the beast Uth had just released was more dreadful than ten Gorins combined so he just had to take a couple steps back. ¡°Have to escape the splash zone after all,¡± Mordin thought. Before he could escape, Lilith appeared in front of him. ¡°Mordin would you mind holding the child for a moment,¡± Lilith said in such a peaceful tone her smile seemingly as beautiful as the sunset itself but the real face hidden behind that smile was comparable to the Gorin he had just killed. Uth gulped as he saw Lilith slowly walk towards him after giving the child to Mordin. ¡°Lo-Look Lilith I am the man of this relationship so what I says goes we are not taking this chil-,¡± Uth tried to protest but it was futile. A fist quickly interrupted him as it crushed his cheek bone, distorted his face and sent him blasting through four successive trees. ¡°Owwww, he is going to feel that in the morning,¡± Mordin whispered softly. Mordin was going to enjoy this. ¡°Did you just call th-, no my child a filthy human!¡± Lilith shouted to the battered Uth that lay on the ground. ¡°W-When did he become your child?¡± Uth stammered before collecting a kick to the chest that drove him further into the ground. ¡°Since a moment ago, I have decided to raise this child as my own, as a Loranian and not you or anyone else is going to stop me!¡± Lilith proudly exclaimed. Lilith then gave a look to Mordin. If looks could kill then Mordin would have surely joined the Gorin in it¡¯s eternal sleep. Without speaking he walked up and handed the child over to Lilith. ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± Mordin asked trying to ignore her deadly gaze. ¡°The human woman kept saying the word Echo so I believe that is his name,¡± Lilith responded as she brought the baby close to her chest. ¡°E-Echo what kind of stupid nam-,¡± Uth said barely audible but was heard by his lovely wife. This same lovely wife performed another axe kick that knocked the consciousness out of Uth. ¡°Mordin tie the rope to this idiot¡¯s foot and let¡¯s go,¡± Lilith commanded. Mordin quickly wrapped the rope and Lilith then proceeded to drag Uth all the way back to the village. ¡°Women really are strange didn¡¯t she just say she didn¡¯t want the child?¡± Mordin pondered as he followed Lilith. Little did he know that the flame that was ignited within her was that of a mother. A flame that could never be smothered. Another flame was lit that day a flame that engulfed Yul¡¯s body and reduced it to ashes. The wind picked up and scattered the ashes across the forest but little did Lilith know that the flame she conjured to cremate Yul also destroyed something essential for her new child, Echo¡¯s survival. Chapter 3- Miracle Sorry guys it''s been a while but here is chapter-3 Returning to the village the trio was met by an army of people. Mordin being in front was bombarded with questions, ¡°How was the fight?¡± ¡°How strong was the Gorin?¡± and such by the numerous eager young villagers. However Mordin couldn¡¯t respond. More like he knew that something else must be done first before their exploits could be heard. Mordin stepped aside to reveal Lilith dragging the still unconscious Uth across the ground. However their eyes were drawn to something else. The ¡°thing¡± she held in her arms. It was a child, a human child. Instantly an uproar was heard from the crowd. Apparently the ones that lost family to the humans were arguing with those that believed Lilith could do no wrong. Some even believed that Lilith brought the child to offer as a sacrifice to their God Igrees. ¡°I have decided to take this child under my wing. He shall don the name Echo Orion and become my first son.¡± Lilith declared with no hesitation in her eyes. Immediately, the once boisterous crowd fell silent. ¡°What!?¡± they screamed in disbelief. The strongest female hunter in the village had just declared that a human, their despised enemy, was to be her son. The situation seemed like it was about to go south at any moment with some villagers preparing to attack and kill the child while Lilith prepared to defend. Mordin who was watching on standby also readied himself to defend the child. It was not as if he actually liked the child himself. Honestly he didn¡¯t really care about him being a human. However he had to protect his younger sister after all. She was always unpredictable since birth but he always remained by her side and shouldered some of the blame. He also knew that once she made a decision she wouldn¡¯t back down which is why he didn¡¯t bother trying to convince her otherwise. ¡°But damn sis you really know how to make my life hard,¡± Mordin thought in his mind as he drew his sword. ¡°Stop!¡± a powerful voice commanded. Slowly the villagers began to lower their weapons. They parted allowing for the source of the voice to come into view. ¡°Village Elder,¡± Lilith replied in a respectful tone as she bowed her head. The man was dressed in ragged clothes a mixture of white and orange. He had a magnificent beard that threatened to scorch the ground with it¡¯s presence should it grow any further. His old and feeble body was supported by a simple walking stick. His thick eyebrows knitted together as his face contorted to reveal a displeased look. ¡°Lilith, my child what is this,¡± he said in a calm low voice. ¡°Elder, no grandfather I have rescued this child from the Gorin, we have confirmed that both parents have died. I simply wish to make him my son,¡± Lilith replied raising her head. ¡°Do you realize what you are saying,¡± the elder responded raising his voice in anger. ¡°Yes I do but I believe that he could be a fine Loranian one day,¡± Lilith defended. ¡°He is a human Lilith, a human. He belongs to the same race that slaughtered your father in cold blood!¡± the elder shouted as his calm demeanor disappeared. ¡°With all due respect, Elder, father attacked a village and slaughtered hundreds of people. It made sense that the humans would want revenge. It was his own fault and stupidity that allowed him to be ambushed and killed by the humans,¡± Lilith argued. Slamming his stick to the ground and pointing his wrinkled fingers towards Lilith the elder screamed, ¡°Y-You, Are you supporting your fathers killers!¡± ¡°No but-,¡± Lilith tried to protest but was stopped as the elder raised his hands. ¡°I have heard enough. You want to raise the child then fine. However your right to become leader to this village will be revoked and given to someone who is more suitable to lead. As I have loved both you and Mordin as my own children I won¡¯t exile you less your parents begin to haunt me. Instead you both shall live away from this village on the outskirts only being able to enter with permission.¡± He declared turning around to leave. Some villagers argued that the sentence was too lenient but they were ignored. Lilith turned in the opposite direction and begun walking towards what would be her new home, pulling Uth along with her. Eventually the crowd scattered leaving a single person standing dumbfounded at the village entrance. ¡°Wait I have to live on the outskirts too?¡± he muttered to himself now realizing the severity of the situation. He held his head, knelt on the ground and screamed, ¡°Nooooooo!¡± This person was of course Mordin. He had been separated from his home. The home he had lived in for his entire life. More importantly he was about to be separated from the hundreds of women in the village. He had spent years acquiring the affection from many of the women and just when the harem he dreamed of was in sight, it was snatched away from him. Deprived of his lifelong goal he began to weep before receiving a chop to the neck and being dragged away to the outskirts of the village. The commotion in the village lasted the entire day however as night fell it eventually ceased. Lying on a hammock still holding Echo, Lilith gazed upon the stars. Even without a roof over their heads she enjoyed the peace and tranquility of nature. The outskirts of the village felt more a home than the village itself to her. Reason being, it was closer to the forest. Since childhood Lilith loved exploring and went out into the forest several times before without permission dragging her brother along with her. They were nearly killed more than a dozen times and got scolded even more but Lilith just loved to explore. She felt as if becoming a hunter was in her blood. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Even though hunters make up one of the lowest groups in the village in terms of social status she quickly rose to fame. In addition to being the chief¡¯s daughter she was much stronger than the battle hardened Warriors and Archers the village produced. She even made a better candidate for village chief than her older brother. However that life was never for her. Just like her brother she didn¡¯t want to be chief as she felt becoming chief would take away what she cherished most, her freedom. As her viper-like eyes fell upon her child she whispered, ¡°Did I make the right choice mom?¡± as her eye lids became heavy and she drifted off to sleep. However that night did not pass as peaceful as she had hoped. A couple of hours had passed and she was awoken by a body trembling in her arms. Being a hunter she trained herself to be a light sleeper. At first she had thought that Echo was cold but as she opened her eyes she witnessed a horrific scene. Echo¡¯s body was in shock as fluid ran from his mouth. His pupils were closed as if he was in a deep slumber. Realizing the scene before her Lilith tried to rush for help. Although she was experienced in treating wounds and such she had no idea how to take care of a sickness a baby has. After all babies were fragile beings. In addition Echo was a human, not as strongly built internally as a Loranian so Lilith feared for his life. However as she tried to move blood shot from Echo¡¯s mouth and began to run from his nose. His body began to spasm more and more frequently. Lilith was at a lost at what to do. She did not know that Echo suffered from Polaris. She did not know that Corrupted Ones leaked mana from their bodies. She did not knew that the closer she held the child the more tightly death wrapped it¡¯s hands around Echo¡¯s neck. In the village she had made such a proud declaration yet was her child not going to be able to live through the night? Was all the words she had spoken for naught? Was her first child really going to die in her arms without her being able to do anything? ¡°H-Help is anyone there? Please someone!¡± she cried ignoring her usual arrogant personality. No response came. Of course it was like that Uth was still unconscious from this morning and Mordin was out collecting the necessities to live on the outskirts as well as their belongings from the village. She knew it was helpless yet she still tried. As the dam broke tears came streaming down her cheeks. She clutched the still shaking Echo in her arms. ¡°Please live, Please survive,¡± she chanted over and over hoping that by some miracle he survived. What happened next was but a blur for Lilith. Her consciousness was lost, no it would make more sense to say it was stolen as she was forced into dreamland. Not long after the baby in her arms stopped shaking. His heart began to slow down and eventually came to a stop. However he did not die. Above the child was a light. The light seemed to dance above Echo¡¯s body. This light was a creature thought to exist only in legends and myths. It was a fairy, a familiar of an angel, a servant of God himself. Many more fairies came from the nearby trees, shrubs and some even seemed to come from the sky itself. They began to dance and shine brilliantly above Echo¡¯s body as if a parade was in session. Their radiant colours blended into a magnificent hue as it seemingly began to be absorbed by Echo. This colour represented angelic magic, magic which only could be bested by God and the Devil themselves. As this colour entered Echo¡¯s body it forced something to happen. His blood cells and the mana in his body seemed to fuse perfectly. Mana, the substance which forced human cells to mutate and sometimes die was actually combining and working in perfect harmony with his cells. It was nothing short of a miracle. Echo¡¯s heart steadily began beating as his eyes opened. He gazed upon this strange light before him and strange enough did not feel the urge to cry. The creature with similar features to that of a human began to whisper almost as if it was asking something of the child. The creature placed its hands on both Lilith¡¯s and Echo¡¯s forehead as Echo began to drift off to sleep again. ¡°Ahh that damn Lilith making me work all night! She is probably having a good nap right about now while I slave away,¡± Mordin shouted kicking at every poor shrub and tree in his path. He was exhausted and was rather furious that Lilith sent him ahead telling him she had to take care of Echo. It was morning now and she still hadn¡¯t shown up. ¡°Oh there is she now. Oh look at her sleeping so peacefully,¡± Mordin thought as his eyes fell upon her. ¡°Lilith wake up and get your ass over here!¡± he screamed. ¡°Shut up already! Look you woke Echo,¡± Lilith responded as her face distorted in annoyance. Echo was crying his little heart out causing Mordin to feel a little guilty. It was then he noticed Echo¡¯s eyes. His own eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Lilith seeing that Mordin jaw had dropped. ¡°His eyes! One of his eyes is like ours! I mean he,him, one of his eyes is like that of a Loranian!¡± Mordin responded too shocked to even talk properly. ¡°So, wasn¡¯t it always like that,¡± Lilith responded nonchalantly. ¡°No it was not!¡± Mordin shouted as he shook Lilith. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about he always had those eyes after all he is my son,¡± Lilith responded as she pushed Mordin away. ¡°OK, OK never mind,¡± Mordin simply replied slumping his shoulders. He knew that no what he did he could not win against his sister. ¡°But how did he gain those eyes,¡± Mordin thought as he gazed upon the child again.