《War Orphan》


 Chapter 1: Another day, Another road

    I walked, like i do everyday, facing north. Every step is a battle with my body, which is now screaming at me to drop right there. But I couldn''t stop, not now, beacuse tonight I get to eat more than those weird purple plants I forage every night from the nearby forest, or the rats I catch after hours of struggling. I felt my strength crawl back in me as I picture a nice fat loaf of bread and a bit of meat.


    One more step.


    One more, that''s all


    And finally, appearing from the horizon is Veluca village. To anyone else, it would have been slightly better than sleeping in a wasteland, for it was half a dozen of huts that threatened to fall apart from the slightest nudge, and at the center a market deserted but for a single stall who''s owner looked around with a piercing gaze as if daring anyone to touch it.


    But to me, this was heaven.


    Atleast now that I have the money which I stole from the local bandits, the BlackBlade.


    But As I stepped over the fence, I realized a daunting truth


    I was definitely the richest person in this town, and those neighboring it.


    And people did alot more than killing a little kid for alot less.


    Suddenly, every movement around me seemed dangerous.


    I struggled with my anxiety as I passed the local drunk, who of course wasn''t so much drunk anymore after wine became even more rare than pork. But I learned that you could always recognise the local drunk by the way he eyed every stranger as if expecting him to, miraculously, have a hidden cask of wine he could snatch.


    I stood in front of the stall, and before he could send me off thinking I was here to beg for food, I lay down 2 denars. Enough to get me a couple of vegetables, but not enough to arouse greed in the owner for more.


    "Let me guess, you want food. Well kid, you better run back to your father and tell him it ain''t  enough"~ he said. I wasn''t surprised at all, haggling was a given in this situation. I was a kid after all, vulnerable he thought


    "What? B-but this is all t-that we have... I walked all the way from selucai village to find a merchant! I was supposed to be back 3 hours ago..."~I said stuttering with fake tears. I knew that he has lost his humanity; everyone has. He wasn''t going to piety me.


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    "Selucai, huh, I got a cousin there. Well you can have an apple then. Wouldn''t want you to go back all the way at night"~he said, but I wasn''t fooled, he just wanted to make sure he gets his money. Traveling at night meant I probably won''t come back. Crying just made me seem honest.


    Thus was the first time I went to sleep (between two trees, but near the village, on a worn-out blanket) without being hungry. Like I said, heaven.


    But it lasted barely 2 minutes.


    "Oi, this is him isn''t it?" Said a masked guy pointing at me with his sword. I knew who he was before looking at him, I recognised his voice.


    He belonged to the BlackBlade.


    The others (a dozen atleast)  who have been searching desperately for me in the forest all looked in my direction. I realized then how foolish I was, stopping at the first village I spotted.


    I should''ve known they would look for me here.


    I should''ve hid more carefully.


    None of that matters now, I needed to escape.


    They''re coming from all around me, they knew not to underestimate me by now.


    Last time they did I stole all their earnings.


    just Before the first bandit managed to slit my throat open, I jumped.


    Hanging on the tree branch, I felt the cold steel bite my leg. It was a familiar feeling, I just kicked him on his jaw with the other one.


    I couldn''t check if he was still conscious, I had to climb higher, and fast.


    They were getting closer.


    My muscles protested as I carried my self up, and I stood, trusting the branch to endure me. I leaned on my better leg and took a deep breath. I dared to look down. They surrounded me, not even bothering to check their partner''s body. I knew they weren''t going to leave anytime soon. Returning empty handed meant certain death.


    I stared up at the sky, holding back a sigh.


    Another day in paradise.

 Chapter 2: Thief

    "You can''t stay up there forever!" ~said one of the masked figures. They were getting pretty tired, and restless to return home.


    With a loud thud  an axe missed me and hit the trunk. I reached for it and ripped it out, favoring my unharmed leg. I held it nervously. I didn''t handle alot of proper weapons, I preferred knifes, silent and deadly. The downside was their reach, so they were useless in this situation.


    I decided to sacrifice part of my shabby cloak to tie the knife with a stick. It was a pathetic weapon, but the kitchen knife was sharp enough to pierce eyes. My dexterity has gotten really high from all the thieving I''ve done; you needed really good skills to pickpocket those days, as people tended to guard each denar with their lives.


    So I thrust my mighty spear at the first guy, who had gotten pretty close, hitting him perfectly in the eye. The shock had not yet faded from his face when his body hit the ground, breaking the silent of the forest.


    The second guy was more lucky, the makeshift spear on hit his shoulder, barely cutting the skin. Knowing I didn''t have enough time to thrust again, I managed to hold the axe just in time to swing it at his head. But to my horror, he wasn''t dead yet. My swing wasn''t strong enough to kill him. He was clearly agonising, but one look in his eyes told me he was determined to take me with him.


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    So I jumped.


    I hit one of them and we fell together. I took off running into the night before they had time to react, ignoring the pain in my leg.


    "After him!"~said the one hanging from the tree, who I now realise, is their leader. Having finally recovered, they ran after me.


    But I was way more agile, even wonded, and way smaller; making me harder to find.


    So I ran, too tired to feel fear.


    Death would have meant rest.


    I wanted to succumb to it.


    I welcomed it like an old friend.


    I fell.


    And then, as a blessing from an unknown god, I found a small cave barely  enough to hide a dog, but I took my chances and crawled in it, swiftly covering the entrance with my grey colored cloak making great camouflage.


    I heard screams and shouts from all around.


    But I didn''t care anymore. I just had to sleep


    Sleep...

 Chapter 3: Twisted world

    I slept.


    Oh, how peaceful it was.


    But I woke, like I always do, miraculously. Another day of agony.


    I didn''t dare to get up. What if they''re still here? Waiting for me to get out?


    I opened my eyes hesitantly, finding only darkness. I remembered then that I was still covered by my cloak. Setting it aside, I finally got up to face the day.


    Except, I fell on my face trying to get up. My leg hurt so bad I screamed my lungs out. This was way worse than when it was stabbed.


    I looked at it, finding black stains all over it


    Great, I thought, infected.


    Just what I needed.


    I knew how to clean it of course, just a couple of vicilies leaves rubbed on it, and a little bit of water. couldn''t have survived this long without knowing about it. But it''s too late now. My chances of survival were too low, even lower if I kept the leg.


    So this is it, huh. It''s not like I''m surprised, I knew stealing from actual ex-soldiers would mean a high chance of death, I just thought I would die from a sword or an axe. Not from an infection.


    I didn''t even bother trying to save myself now. I just sat there admiring the scenery. It''s strange, how this place looks so beautiful, even though I''m dying.


    I felt my head lighten a bit, and the pain from my leg decrease just a bit.


    It wasn''t always like this, they said.


    It wasn''t always so hard to survive, people could eat and drink without killing or hurting others. People could talk and kids could play, without worrying all the time. Without struggling. But that was before I was born. As if god decided living there was too easy, like we needed more of a challenge.


    Back when I lived in the caves, with my family, I didn''t have to run so much, never staying in one place, never settling.


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    Back then I had my father


    But that was another life.


    He taught me, how to survive that is. He knew I would have to alone one day, and he was right. I knew how to recognise edible plants from the poisonous ones when I was still 6.


    I could hunt rats and rabbits when I was 7.


    I leant how to find water before I was 9.


    But after that, the real lessons began.


    He taught me where to stab someone if I wanted to kill, where to hit, if I wanted someone unconscious. He taught the ways of the knife, how to walk stealthily, how to hide.


    And all that brought me to where I am now. Dying, from an infected wound.


    What would he have thought, if he knew.


    Of course, he was dead now. They all are.


    All because the nobel families of the Alexas kingdom wanted to get rich, and war was the easiest way for that.


    Except they got what they deserved, for the enemy they thought weak was not. For the Ylios were masters of sabotage and poison. As the Alexas armies invaded and razed the lands, the Ylios spies and assasins poisoned the wells and harvest. The Ylios were no more, and the Alexas, who won the war, lost everything in return. The gold they earned valued nothing next to bread. The few peasants that still had lands to harvest became the richest, and the rest, all beggars and bandits depended on those few. They couldn''t satisfie the demand of course, and a lot died because of this. But they didn''t care, they were sitting on thrones just like the previous royalties. They hired most of the soldiers for guards and a few commoners as slaves for food, but the rest became bandits. Nearly everyone was a bandit.


    And here I am, an orphan, in the midst of a raging battleground of bandits.


    Dying..

 Chapter 4: Survival

    I leaned my head on my shoulder, watching the water flow on the grass.


    Water.


    There was a lake. Huh, I never noticed it before.


    Probably because I was running for my life.


    I glance back at the cave, and winced once I saw all the blood.


    I already made my peace, but the fear was crawling back in me slowly..


    I had to end it now. On my own terms.


    I urged my numb muscles to move, I used all the strength I had in me to lean forward. I had to fall, to drown, to die.


    I fall.


    I couldn''t think, hear, see or smell anything. I just felt.


    I felt the water rush through my lungs, as it engulfs me.


    I felt the pain from my wound go numb.


    Then I was gone.


    But I wasn''t dead.


    <hr />


    I woke up. Like I always do, to face another day. But this time, something felt different. I was used waking up feeling pain or hunger, but I didn''t. Not this time. I felt satisfied.


    It was like being alive for the first time.


    I wanted to keep living this moment, to savor it.


    I didn''t want to open my eyes. Ever.


    This was heaven.


    But something felt wrong. Beneath all the joy and relief I felt, there was a small stinging doubt. Where was I before this? How did I get here? Did I die?


    But this felt too empty to be really the afterlife. Somehow, I knew there was more to it that that. I was supposed to see my father, to tell him how my life has been. I wanted to see my mother for the first time.


    No, this couldn''t be heaven.


    I ignored the joy now, feeding the doubt, becoming more aware by the second.


    I was in the water.


    Water.


    That''s right, I jumped in.


    In the lake. It seems I''m still there.


    I have see. I have to know where I am.


    I felt like I was drugged.


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    I couldn''t stay there, just floating. I have to get money, so I can buy some meat. I have to find water. I have to get a cloak, as mine is ruined.


    I have to survive


    And for the first time, I dared open my eyes.


    Thousands of copses floated around me in the green water.


    All of them tied to a cord.


    I shuddered at the horror of this.


    And then I realised I too, was tied to a cord. Right at my heart.


    It was so frightening, that I couldn''t think. I had to get out. I waved my arms, trying to climb up, but to no avail. The cord was too strong. I had to rip it out. The axe, I thought as I recovered partially from the initial shock. I slipped my arm in my cloak, which now resembled a piece of cloth, and got the axe out. It was a small axe, meant for throwing, but I had a feeling it would be enough.


    So I started swinging it, right at the same spot, biting through this bizarre material. It wasn''t like anything I had seen, it was silver and soft, but very strong. I lost track of time as I bit through it, inch by inch. But I never faltered.


    And finally, it was gone.


    I was floating up.


    I no longer felt drugged, I was free.


    "Interesting... it seems that someone got out" The voice rang throughout the water, renfldering me deaf for a moment. It seemed omnipotent, that voice.I  Couldn''t hide from it.I knew It wasn''t angry, it was Simply amused.


    "Ahh, the young one. Well this is a surprise. Tell me child, how did you manage to resist the urge to stay here, asleep so peacefully?"


    What? I didn''t resist anything. I just to survive.


    "I see... so it was your natural instinct. Well I''m quite sure you''re very confused at this point, but worry not, for I shall let you go. You see, I, the spirit of this lake, choose humans who lost hope, as in, gave up on life, and use them to feed. As you can see, there have been an extraordinary increase of them lately, and they are all happy right now. None of them tried to resist me. Until now that is. It seems I was quite wrong in bringing you here. clearly, you are more than qualified to live outside, and I have no lack of food.


    So, I''ll let you go. It would be interesting to watch you, I''m sure. I would like to see where this uncontrollable determination brings you in a few years."


    And so I was out. Not yet understanding what I just heard, I stare up at the sky. It was dawn. So sunny, so beautiful.


    I''m back.

 Chapter 5: friendless

    Its been a week since I escaped.


    I stopped trying to figuring out what happened down that lake by the second day. Whatever it was, it probably wasn''t going to bother me again.


    So began my daily routine of surving.


    First, I did the most bothersome task: foraging. Hours of searching for a tiny outcome, but I knew every bit is necessary. It simply had to be done.


    Then, I got to setting up snares and traps around the cave. It rarely caught anything, nevertheless, I needed the meat. While I waited, I tried to make my cave as comfortable as it can be. I covered its tiny floor with leaves, and put up my cloak to hide the entrance. I also prepared a campfire, as to cook anything I caught.


    When I finished, I started sharpening a stick. I figured I''d look for some fish. That was when I noticed the tracks.


    Someone had been through here. Curious, I followed it, gripping my sharp stick and hiding in the bushes. After nearly five minutes, I grew alarmed. I was getting closer and closer to the BlackBlade hideout. I considered going back, but couldn''t bring myself to do it. I was lonely, and a sign of a human would bring me comfort. What if they were friendly? My hard earned instincts screamed at me to let it go, that it wasn''t worth it. But I continued nonetheless, now hesitantly though.


    And finally, I caught up. The hooded figure was walking nervously, looking behind it every moment or so. Also, it was short.


    A kid


    I was shocked. I never saw someone my age before, as most parents kept their children locked up inside their houses, as if to shield them from the corruption outside. And the orphans didn''t survive long, having no knowledge on the outside world and the dangers it holds.


    He or she looked lost, and to my dismay, getting nearer and nearer to the bandits.


    I got near enough, and whispered:


    "Don''t go there"


    Her reaction (I noticed its a girl as I saw her eyes up close) wasn''t what I expected. She fell down, eyes wide with horror as she crawled away slowly. Fortunately though, she didn''t make a sound, probably speechless from the shock. Were she to scream, we would have been surrounded in a second, and I wasn''t looking forward to another scene like last time.


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    "There''s bandits over there, you would have been killed" I uttered, trying to justify myself.


    She looked a little calmer now, probably because I hadn''t killed her yet, but she was still crawling away.


    Well, I tried...


    I shrugged, then turned around to leave, disappointed.


    I always imagined an encounter with someone my age would be a little more exciting.


    Halfway through, I noticed she was following me now, hiding pathetically, making more noise than she did walking normally. I didn''t mind much, but I thought I ought to have some fun.


    "Kelvin! Take out the girl behind that tree!" I spoke with a fake deep voice, not bothering to keep my voice down, now that we were far enough.


    I laughed as I head a thud behind me, knowing she fell from terror again.


    Only as I looked around did realise how cruel that was.


    She was looking around frantically searching for the fake executioner, Kelvin.


    I was wondering by then though, how a weak vulnerable girl like her survived.


    I was wondering too, why she hadn''t made a sound yet.


    "Calm down! I was kidding, kidding, there''s noone there." I spoke the last words slowly, doubting now the fact that she could understand me. She nodded though, still looking alarmed.


    "You can come with me you like, I said, I have food."


    I was pretty sure the food convinced her, but I wasn''t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.


    Whatever the reason, I wasn''t alone that night.


    I''m so screwed if the snares didn''t catch anything

 Chapter 6: Legacy

    Mute.


    The girl is mute.


    I only noticed when she was sketching something on dirt with a stick while I was skinnin the rabbit the snares caught. I had no idea what those things she drew were, but I guess they were supposed to mean something to me, because she kept nudging me and pointing at them.


    "What is that supposed to be?"


    I saw disappointment dawn on her face. I guess whatever that was, it was important.


    It felt strange sharing a campfire with someone for the first time since my dad died. More so when she acted so strangely.


    "Why don''t you just talk to me!" I exclaimed. At first, I just though she was just preserved, but that was confirmed wrong when she agreed to come with me without asking anything.


    Unless.... she couldn''t speak.


    That made sense.


    I offered a leg when I was done cooking it, biting back tears. It was perfect. One of the best I ever had. What a shame I couldn''t have it for myself. She didn''t have the same reaction though, she looked like she wanted to complain, really.


    What, she didn''t like it? How is that even possible, it''s like a million times better than bugs.


    Ahh I could''ve sold it for so much. I would''ve bought a cloak. A big warm one with many pockets. I almost fell asleep fantasizing about cloaks, which reminded me that there wasn''t


    Enough space to fit us both. And we definitely weren''t sharing, I barely fit in that tiny cave myself.


    Well, I could always sleep on a tree...


    I was about to suggest that, when I saw a couple of red eyes staring at me from the bushes.


    I stared back, frozen now, into his challenging gaze. It was a wolf. A big one, bigger than me at least.


    It walked around, still staring at me, and I knew that if I made any movement at all, all hell would break loose.


    Slowly, I reached my hand into my pocket, and held the axe tightly. If everything goes wrong like I thought it would, I was definitely going to need it.


    By now, she noticed something was wrong, and only when she looked at it, did she do the one thing I feared.


    She ran.


    <hr />


    We both reacted instantly. I withdrew my axe and held the knife with my other hand, quickly forming a fighting stance. The wolf lunged at me trying to end me with one move, as if I was a simple prey. I sacrificed my knife, then,  throwing it on his face. It wouldn''t do much damage, I knew, but hopefully, it buy me enough time to dodge. And it did just that. Throwing myself left, I swung my axe at one of its legs using the momentum.


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    Too weak. I thought. I''m always too weak.


    It turned around, and lunged again, barely giving me a second to recover. I jumped back this time, hitting my back to a tree. Thankfully, the fight wasn''t over yet, as its deadly claws, that missed me and hit the tree were stuck in it now. I stared up, meeting the wolf''s gaze.


    And I understood it, looking deeply at its eyes up close. It was the predator, and I the prey. Nothing I could do would change that. The wolves are the mighty hunters of the forest, always hunting in a pack. Always together. But that was no longer, as bandits wandered every piece of land looking for food and income. There was a battle, between the wolves and a group of bandits where none emerged victorious. The bandits scattered, earning nothing. The pack however, suffered most. She was the only survivor out of the whole pack.


    She was alone, just like me. Forced to survive in this world without any companions.


    I swung my feeble axe, returning to reality, at her jaw, then slided underneath her, swinging blindly now, exchanging precision for strengh. Her black fur was covered in blood now.


    Just like then


    My heart was thumping in my chest as I retreated, still facing her. she had gotten free now, and she was stepping closer slowly, as if wondering what to make of me. It has, like many before it, underestimated me. And I looked into its soul.


    I saw her grief, her anger, her despair, all biting her soul, leaving barely nothing behind. She survives on nothing but insticts now.


    In an instant, she ran, and I dropped to pick up a sharp stick, barely in time to hold in front of me with both hands, my axe dropping with loud clung on the hard ground. My stick hit one of her paw, deflecting it as it broke.


    Her second paw hit me right at the shoulder and the pain stole the breath out of my lungs.


    It was a nasty wound, I knew without even looking at it. But the fight wasn''t over, it seemed never-ending at the time, even though it was barely two minutes.


    she was the one staring at me now, and we shared a moment there. We shared the pain i felt when my dad died, we shared the anger she felt towards humans, we shared, pouring everything we knew into this bond that tied us.


    Both abandoned.


    I raised my head, and embraced the unknown.


    And I died. That was it.


    It was swift, I didn''t feel a thing.


    I knew, there was no second chances now, no lakes that leave you barely alive, no restarts.


    My life as a war orphan ended here.


    My story ended here.

 Chapter 7: Finally

    "Hey Kel, that last kill was sweet, I knew I was right to recruit you" said the leader, boasting about his skills, as usual. He was tall, really tall and I think that was the only basis they thought about when they made him leader, as everything else about him was mediocre except his really ugly face.


    Of course, he didn''t really want me that much, but no one in their right mind would have said no to a new recruit. Especially ones as tiny as this one. I had met them on a road to the town, and my options were pretty clear: join them or kill them. I wasn''t excited to do the later, as I was fresh from a fight with a buffoon.


    "Not that good if you ask me..." said Bern the other member


    I kept silent, as I did most of the time wondering why in the world I hadn''t killed him already. Guess I just didn''t get a chance.


    "Well, we better head into the forest soon, it''s getting dark" said Rust with his deep voice. Sometimes I feel like he''s the only one here who doesn''t think with their genitals. Such a shame he ended up here, with the company of men like the leader and Bern who was somehow even dumber than leader.


    We had just killed a merchant sent by the aristocrats and stole his wears. He wasn''t one of the important ones, as those were practically surrounded by dozens of armed ex-soldiers, but he was still a merchant, and merchants carry food.


    So we went deep into the forest, away from the bandits. At least the ones that roam near the villages. You could feel everyone''s excitement to eat tonight, even Rust, who rarely looked like he was feeling anything most of the time.


    After a couple of hours, we found something quite strange. It was a wolf. Wolves weren''t common here. But that wasn''t what surprised us, it was looking sharply at a kid''s corpse that couldn''t have been older than 10. It just sat there not even noticing us.


    It was big, with really dark fur covered in blood. It was injured too, I realized. Not a deadly wound, but one that definitely hurt. I crouched, still looking at it curiously, wondering what was the story behind this.


    Except that dumbass Bern decided the wolf was weak enough for him to take it singlehandedly. Which of course, was wrong, like almost everything Bern did.


    "NO YOU BASTARD" I yelled, raising my voice for the first time since I joined them.  He flinched, giving the wolf a chance to lunge at him. He swung a heavy blow instead of dodging or blocking being the idiot he is. He missed of course, a mistake which cost him his head.


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    Finally!


    The only regret I felt was that I wasn''t the one cutting his head off. I still felt immense pleasure though, and like this wolf a bit more. Rust stayed put, certainly realising, like me, that it wanted nothing more than to leave.


    Leader though, apparently didn''t posses enough intelligence (shocker) to notice that. He ran away, thinking he was sacrificing us to save his hide. He also dropped his merchant''s bag.


    Well this is just my lucky day isn''t it? Bern dead and food just for me. And, well, Rust of course. I definitely owed that wolf.


    It gazed at us both with a threatening look on its face, daring us to make a move. When it Finally decided we weren''t going to, it left swiftly.


    Well, that was that


    I picked up the bag, and leaned on a tree, sitting briskly. I didn''t have enough bread to satisfy all of us, I realized. Must''ve been a really poor merchant, huh.


    I took out a loaf, handing it to Rust, who was now resting beside me.


    And that was the best night I had in months, eating actual food, staring up at the sky beside Rust with Bern''s body laying across us.


    I wonder who that kid was


    Finishing my meal, I stood up to examine his body. He was small, really small. That was one of the rare times I felt pity. He had a broken wooden stick in his hand. Looked like he had a nice struggle with it, which brings me back to why it was staring at his instead of eating his whole body. Then I noticed, there was a little axe beside him.


    Nice weapon


    It was sturdy, but with nice workmanship, but a slightly worn out edge.


    Time to sleep then, I thought, picking up my blanket and resting on a tree''s side.


    I kept sharpening the axe till I fell asleep, glad that tomorrow I wouldn''t have to hear another one of Bern''s stupid remarks or leader''s complaints.

 Chapter 8: Unexpected

    Nate has been living a quite average life despite being slightly smarter than the average kid his age (15)


    Even though he skipped a class he''d still been able to acquire some friends, he even considered himself popular and a little mature.


    That all changed though, once his mother remarried.


    At first he was delighted for her, thinking she might feel better for the first time after his father died but he deeply regretted it later.


    Being the lone kid, Stan tried to earn his blessing with silly toys and awful jokes but Nate didn''t mind.


    I can suffer a bit for my mother, after all if she''s happy I''m happy


    He definitely didn''t expect the sudden change in personality after they finally married.


    Stan revealed his true colors, abusing Nate into becoming an athlete because he "couldn''t bare to have a useless nerd for a son"


    Stan had never had an education, he straight out relied on his muscles for everything.


    Apparently that was exactly what he wanted Nate to do too.


    That was when the gates of hell opened in front of Nate:


    *Nate POV*


    "I already did two laps! You saw me!" I said furiously panting even though I knew my words wouldn''t convince him.


    "Son, you''ll have to learn one day that you could always push harder, and until you do, you won''t be going anywhere!


    I always shudder when I says *son. He disgusts me as he definitely doesn''t deserve to call me *son like my real father did.


    I ran six laps that day and I would''ve ran more if I didn''t freaking faint on the last run.


    It was well and good with my mother though, for her little anger was smart and athletic too! Well a dream come true isn''t it!?


    Except now I didn''t have any friends as I didn''t have any time for them and I was already declining in grades.


    I couldn''t even complain about it to anyone.


    Even since Stan came into my life I''ve been living off anger. I consumed it to regain my energy doing exercises, it kept me warm at night when I was exhausted from lifting weights and most of all, it kept me alive.


    My body couldn''t handle that much abuse


    I was angry at Stan, at my mother and at myself.


    It was only a matter of time till I snapped.


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    And I did, one afternoon.


    Stan was in a really bad mood for no reason whatsoever so of course he thought to relieve himself by his favorite pass time: yell at me for not doing enough pushups.


    Ironically, I was also in a really bad mood and that was because my crush, Amy actually confessed to me. It was the most magical moment of my life but it barely lasted a minute because we couldn''t agree on the date''s time for my whole schedule was filled with working out.


    She thought I was politely saying "no"


    You could imagine how pissed off I was without explaining.


    And for the first time I effectively replied with a "no" to Stan unafraid of what I might face.


    He shouted some words that I couldn''t care to understand and continued on my way to the bedroom. I was too numb to care


    He shouted louder, but I just shrugged it off.


    He was cursing i realized. Just then, I unleashed the beast inside me.


    I turned around and punched him right in the face.


    My mother screamed.


    Stan looked at me with an unbelievably surprised face.


    I punched him again.


    She was running towards me now, but I didn''t want to stop yet, so I did something I would regret for the rest of all my life.


    I punched her too.


    There was no controlling me now, I was consumed by anger and it was moving my body with me watching it from afar: punching, yelling and choking.


    I killed Stan, and I enjoyed every second of it.


    But I kept punching, making me covered with his blood until I felt a heavy blow on the back of my head. My mother had hit me but I didn''t blame her for I did just kill her husband after all¡­


    She hit me again, and again. The third time was the last but it didn''t matter. I was dead, killed by my own mother.


    I was numb through it all, and all I could think of was my father.


    My real father, William. He died in the war when I was ten.


    He was the one that left me alone but even though I try very hard, I couldn''t blame him.


    I just felt sad at being the War Orphan.

 Chapter 9: Beginnings

    *Nate POV*


    Dying didn''t free me.


    Oh I was ready to die, but it wasn''t what I expected at all.


    I wasn''t religious but I thought I would''ve been free after all this or that I would''ve faded into nothingness.


    Instead I still existed, the only difference is that I existed nowhere¡­


    The anger I felt when I was alive turned into sadness all at once, and mixed with the blackness all around me was more than enough to leave me ultimately depressed.


    I killed a guy.


    I punched him until he died and then kept at it.


    All because he wanted me to be fit.


    But most importantly, I left my mother alone.


    That hurt more than anything.


    I couldn''t even dare think of my father''s reaction if he knew.


    but I guess it doesn''t matter if he''s stuck in the nothingness like me.


    That was when the pain began.


    It hurt everywhere, and it was growing steadily from an annoyance to pure agony. All my thoughts drifted away leaving nothing but pain.


    Except it didn''t feel like hell, although Excruciating it felt physical like something felt before


    I resisted it like I resisted the pain from the exercises Stan gave me: with anger.


    Anger at nothing in particular but I always seem to have it in reserve.


    And my eyes opened.


    I couldn''t even react properly at being alive from all the confusion.


    *I guess there must be a god then¡­


    Staring at the sky I didn''t even notice anything around me until¡­


    *Kelvin POV*


    "Hey Rust, is it christmas? Cause this is like the fourth miracle I''ve seen since yesterday¡­ seriously, Bern is dead- leader ran away- we slept with food in our stomach and now a kid magically healed from a lethal wound. I have no idea what to think."


    Rust answered with a grunt, unsurprisingly and then we got up to check his body.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    The wounds on his neck were healed, there wasn''t even a scar for heaven''s sake!


    "Hey kid" I said but he didn''t reply.


    "Shy aren''t we? Wake up!"


    He didn''t even look at me.


    I don''t have time for this¡­


    I kicked him, lightly but just enough to shock him out of his trance.


    "What?" He said fiercely.


    "You were dead" I said "And now you''re not. Care to explain?"


    He sat up then, briskly than sat under a tree.


    Meanwhile Rust was standing beside me looking oddly interested and waiting for him to reply.


    "Where am I?" He said and I have never felt more disappointed of an answer in my life.


    "Avaren forest, south of tercelli village" it was Rust that answered this time.


    "But¡­ but i was dead, how did I get here? And why is my body so freakishly small?" He said examining his hands.


    "Didn''t I just ask you the same question? That wolf practically tore your face off!"


    "Wolf? What wolf? I was home¡­ I killed my step-father¡­"


    "You know what? Let''s just go sell Bern''s loot and that kid can kill all his relatives for all I care." I announced to Rust but he seemed a little reluctant to leave the mystery unresolved.


    Surprisingly, the little brat tackled me and we both fell down. He was about to punch me too but my hard earned instincts acted up and I threw him off; his small weight helped too.


    "What is the matter with you? I swear this is the last time I try to help a reborn child again"


    "You think this is a joke? I have freaking died and you''re over here cranking lame jokes!"


    "This is honestly the most hurtful think anyone ever said to me" I said seriously. My jokes aren''t lame.


    He just sighed and threw his arm up giving up.


    And right that moment I was pretty sure we both felt that this was a beginning to beautiful friendship.

 Chapter 10: Village

    *Nate POV*


    We walked to a village nearby with a serious guy named Rust leading the way.


    I still didn''t trust them and that Kelvin was definitely maddening but I had no other choice.


    I still have to figure out what happened to me so my best bet is to find civilization.


    From what I have discovered I can confirm that I have been sent in another place oblivious of any kind of technology judging by the reactions I got when I asked them if there was an internet connection nearby.


    And then kelvin said another joke, which would have been the 23th (I counted)


    Oh, and my body belongs to a ten year old for some reason so I had trouble keeping up with them.


    "So is there like an inn or a place we could stay at the village?" I said trying to make light conversation on the long road.


    "Stay at a village? Why would you want to do that?" Kelvin said and I thought he was kidding again but I noticed his tone was quite serious.


    "What do you mean, where do you usually spend the night?" I asked really curious now


    "We spend the night in the wilderness like every other living soul besides the villagers who only stay where they are so they can trade with travelers and merchants. How could you not know this?"


    "Well umm¡­ I don''t think I''m from this world" I said hesitantly not knowing myself how I got here.


    That got a raised eyebrow from Kelvin and even Rust turned a bit.


    "You see, I died in my world and then suddenly I was here. That body isn''t even mine I''m actually fifteen" I realized how odd my words sounded but that was what happened.


    "We''re here"~Rust


    "We''ll have to continue your fairy tail later it seems, let''s head to the center"


    The village, I noticed, was disgustingly gross. It was closer to a ruin than an actual village for the houses were barely standing upright, and their roofs were nothing but hay attached to the walls.


    And the center was ironically on the outskirts and it was just a bunch of tattered wooden stalls with weary looking men standing behind them.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    They got to one of them and started selling their items and haggling, but I wasn''t interested in that, instead I started wandering around.


    I examine everything and I noticed the difference in the plants and trees. They had very different forms than the ones I usually saw, and the trees were all taller. As much as I looked I couldn''t find a small tree and the bugs were~~


    A loud scream shocked me out of my thoughts.


    I had wandered too far, so I ran back to my group almost tripping a couple of times and then I saw the battle.


    Rust was cornered by three armed guys who I noticed were some of the villagers and he was resisting with a knife and a short sword while kelvin was slicing a throat with his axe with four others running towards him.


    One of them saw me unfortunately.


    He approached recklessly probably hoping to finish me quickly and return to his friends.


    He gripped his spear tightly and thrust at me, and before I could react my body dodged.


    I felt like natural instincts and the fight escalated without me thinking about it.


    My legs just kicked and sidestepped as they pleased.


    Getting impatient, he swung the spear at me and with my unnatural reflexes I managed to duck.


    Seeing a golden chance, I punched him right in the nuts.


    The got him off guard and I kicked his stomach ending the fight.


    Meanwhile Kelvin had killed three men and the last one and axe stuck to his shoulder.


    Rust on the other hand was still struggling against two of them because unlike kelvin who was running around avoiding them he was on the defensive.


    They took advantage of that thrusting periodically giving no chance to counter.


    I picked up a rock from the ground and threw it at the man currently thrusting at Rust, making him loose his balance.


    Relieved as I saw Rust sink a knife into the eye of the other villager.


    Kelvin threw the axe at the last one and thus the fight was over leaving me confused and Rust wounded.