《Sera》 Chapter 0: Prologue Somewhere in the mountains surrounding Israel... "Fucking shit, since when did rich barons respond so fast?" A tanned woman with scars and tattoos all over her body complained. 14 men wearing turbans are surrounding a small shack with Ak-47s and laying down suppressive fire. Unbeknownst to them however, the small shack is actually an armoured bunker which serves as a hideout for mercenaries hired by the Israeli government. The assailants are assassins employed by a certain oil baron whom got fucked over by the tanned woman in the bunker, obviously unhappy about being fucked over, he (baron) wanted the woman in question to be 6 feet underground, thus he hired terrorist as assassins. 20 hours ago... (Baron''s POV) I''ve hired Catherine ''the psychopath'' for over a month now and so far she''s doing a wonderful job guarding my oil fields. She''s a rather tanned woman and has tattoos all over her body. "It is to cover the scars"She said. She look no more than 25 years old with a pretty face and a head full of long black hair which she often tied into a ponytail. She has caught 7 of those pesky oil thieves already and dealt with them accordingly. I often see her dragging them into a small shack she constructed and coming out soaked in blood. Now I know where she got the title of ''the pychopath''. Today she asked if she could borrow one of my Italian supercars for a ride. It was her day off and she wanted to tour the city, hopefully, in style. Naturally, I agreed as long as she doesn''t crash it somewhere. She did not return. (Catherine''s POV) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *COUGH COUGH COUGH* THAT FAT FUCK ACTUALLY BELIEVED ME! I''m currently driving this baby towards a cargo ship headed for eastern Europe and meeting a contact who offered $1.4 million for this car. With this I can quit getting shot at and dodging bullets. I''ll be set for life! That angry oil baron will still be at my tail though. I''ll just go to some obscure tropical country and take refuge there in that case. I headed towards the old bunker where I stored all of my shit (guns and stuff) and prepared to leave no trace of me ever being here by of course, torching everything here. I was preparing to leave when I heard shoutings outside the bunker, "Don''t tell me they''re farmers" I thought to myself. I peeked out a crack on the wall and spotted several armed men heading towards me, they proceeded to open fire simultaneously when the guy in the red turban shouted. "Fucking shit, since when did rich barons respond so fast?" If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. I picked up an M4 and quickly picked off a guy standing in the open with a shot center mass. I then opened fire at the person beside him and a bullet caught him in the thigh, followed by another in between his eyes . "Alright, now that the dumb ones are dead, I''ve gotta worry now" I moved to another window and looked out, sure enough, the rest of them took cover and are shooting from covered positions. However, Catherine is an expert marksman and any person in a 600m radius is within her killzone. One person tried to pop his head out and peek but instantly got sniped, the assailants however, were unfazed by this and continued the siege. "They''re fucking trained to keep calm too?! I mean c''mon it''s just an Italian supercar, why is he so worked up? That twat." 2 hours and 4 more pink mists later the besiegers finally ran out of bullets and temporarily retreated. How do I know the only retreated temporarily you ask? Well, because they came back 3 minutes later with a fucking technical. A GODDAMN TECH-NI-CAL A cheap-ass truck fitted with a big-ass heavy machine gun capable of tearing a man clean in half with a single bullet. That thing must have cost more than the supercar, the gun I mean, not the cheap-ass truck. The technical then proceeded to fire upon my location and left bullet holes the size of 4 bananas. And either due to my extreme luck or their lousy aim, the technical missed all the explosives in the bunker which allowed me to survive a bit longer. Not that I was looking forward to dying, I just knew I was gonna die. But the explosives may fulfill one of the things in my "things to do before dying" list--- going out in a bang. The people outside decided to move in simultaneously and breach the bunker. I armed the C4 and held the detonator in my hand, I was smiling as I sat there, I could hear them talking outside---they must be close now. I steeled my resolve and chuckled, when the door slammed open I shouted "Allahu Akbarrrrrrrrrrrr" I squeezed the trigger while forcing myself not to laugh *Booooom* Thanks for reading guys! Hope you enjoyed this small bit, I have yet to write the next chapter so suggestions on how to improve the story is much appreciated! Next chapter: A new life P.S. Do note that I write this without a schedule and the chapters release will be erratic Next Chapter: Chapter 1 chapter 1: A new beginning? *Flashback* As far as I could remember, I lived most of my life in an orphanage in Ukraine. They said that my parents were killed in a car accident. I don''t believe them. They had that look in their eyes that just gave me that feeling that they were lying, most likely because my parents just wanted to get rid of a daughter they could not raise. I remember watching a documentary about private military contractors (PMCs) and I thought that that was what I wanted to be- a mercenary. I started doing push-ups, sit-ups and went running every day after watching it as I saw them doing it to train too. I was 8 at that time. Sure, it was tiring but I was not going to give up this easily, the days turned into months, and the months turned into years. 13 years old. That''s the age when we have to leave the orphanage and find jobs for ourselves. Most of the children dreaded this but not me, I looked forward for this day, this day meant that I could join the local PMC. I wasn''t close to anyone in the orphanage so I had no problems saying goodbyes while the others cry and just be a pussy about it. So I headed towards the PMC''s compound which was 12 hours on foot away from the orphanage wearing a hoodie I stole from some guy and a crop tank top which I again, stole from some other guy. But a 12 hour walk is rather long ain''t it? HA! This is why I run everyday! It is to prepare for this. As such, I, for some reason, thought it''ll be a good idea to run all the way there. 4 hours and 2 towns later... *haa...ha...ha* I must...be close...to the place now...right? I struggle to breathe and am panting like a dog in heat. I spotted a nearby cafe and sat down on a chair with a plop. A tall and dark man whom I assume to be the owner of the cafe came my way and asked, "Would you like some cold water? Don''t worry about the money, it''s on me" He said with a smile. He then poured some ice water into a glass and placed it on the table. I looked at the glass wondering if the water is spiked. Should I drink it? Someone so kind must have ulterior motives! I''m not so dumb you know! What if he really just has a kind heart? He''ll feel hurt if I rejected it. ... Ahh fuck it I took the glass and chugged the water down ... Am I dead yet? Nope. "Thank you" I muttered "By the way, how long will it take to reach Donetsk from here?" "It is about a day''s walk from here." .... The fuck? I was sure it only took 12 hours from the orphanage. I start sweating bowls and asked: "Do you have a map of this place?" The man then went inside his shop and took out a map, he then points at where we are on the map. Donetsk is east of the orphanage. This place is west of it instead. FUUUUUUUUCKKKKKKKKK MEEEE Now this is just fucking embarrassing. Me having no sense of direction and walking the exact opposite of the direction I needed to go. While I was lamenting my situation the owner suddenly spoke up and said: "It''ll be faster if you cycled there, I have an old bike at the back of my store if you want it. Just return it when you''re free, so, do you want it?" Is this man an angel? I looked at him with glittering eyes while nodding my head. However this event will turn out to incubate my habit of borrowing things and never returning them. Such as the case with the oil baron, thus, fuck you cafe owner. Fast forward to when I actually reach Donetsk... A big burly man with pubes for hair shouted: "The fuck do you want? We don''t want any of your brownies or cookies or whatever the fuck you''re trying to sell me, get out of here now!" "I wanna join you guys!" "Yeah that''s what I thou- *pfft* You wanna WHAT?!" If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.The pubic hair man(tentative name) then stopped whatever the fuck he was doing and looked at me. "Are you sure you understand what we do here? What are going to do with your scrawny arms and body anyway?" I removed my hoodie to reveal a toned body and rather muscular arms; a by product of running, sit-ups and push-ups everyday. Answering "I know you guys kill for a living" Pubic hair man stares at me for literally 2 minutes before finally answering: "Well if you don''t mind cleaning up our shit and living off shit little pay, then welcome aboard. I can''t just hire child soldiers out of the blue so you''ll be doing shit jobs before you reach 16, you alright with that?" "Fuck yeah I''m ready" "Where did you learn to swear like that? Don''t tell me that''s what parents are teaching their kids these days." "I have no fucking clue either, it just stuck to me. Oh and please don''t tell me I need parent''s signature or something like that to sign up cus I''m an orphan." "Well that just makes it easier for me then, welcome aboard. My name is Bryshchovich by the way." "Bi-co what? I''ll just call you pubic hair man." "WHAT?! DOES MY HAIR REALLY LOOK LIKE PUBIC HAIR?! AH FUCK YOU GO WASH THE FUCKING TOILET WITH A TOOTHBRUSH NOW" That was the day I learnt to not fuck with pubic hair man. I then spent everyday cleaning up toilets, bunks and doing the occasional get-to-know with other members of the PMC. It''s not like I did not learn anything in my so-called 3 years internship there, I learnt survival skills here and there, learnt to fight from various people and did physical training with them occasionally. 3 years later... Today is the day which I graduate from doing shit jobs to actually fucking some people up. Pubic hair man called me into his office. "Fucking hell, you really stayed here and did shit jobs. Ahhhh whatever just head to the meeting room to get your first assignment. And before I forget, welcome to the silverhand you twat." Then began my life as a mercenary, terrorising fat oil barons and skinny basic bitches alike and subsequently getting the name ''the psychopath'' but that, is a story for another time. *flashback end* Right now I''m just wondering why the fuck is my flashback this long. Shouldn''t I be a vegetable by now? Suddenly I felt my body getting pushed out of something, like my body was being pushed out of a elastic hole. Argh Why the fuck is it so bright? Someone turn the lights off, hey you big silhouette over there. The fuck? Why can''t I talk? And what the fuck is this membrane covering my eyes? Heyheyheyheyheyeyy I can''t breathe, something''s stuck in my mouth! Heyyy~ help me big silhouette! The big silhouette picked me up and slapped me hard at my butt. Waaaaaaah that fucking hurts you bitch! But as I cried out I could breathe again! .... thank you big silhouette-san. Now I''m just confused, what the fuck is going on? Why can''t I speak? Are my arms still there? I tried to look at my arms with my eyes covered by some weird liquid and realised, The fuck happened to my beautiful arms? Why are they so fat and small? Where are my tattoos? Fucking someone answer meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee~ This fucking idiot doesn''t know she''s been reincarnated. Well hope you enjoyed that, sorry if it was confusing >.< next chapter: the story finally starts! Previous chapter: Chapter 0 Next Chapter: History and Backstory History and Backstory Scroll down for the TL;DR version you lazy slobs ############################################################################### Sera. Worshipped by all as the mother of creation. Sera. The name of the world she created. The mother gave birth to all life, she filled the seas with water and land with trees. But a task such as creating a world would be too much for 1 god to do, therefore, she had help from lesser gods. First there was Ashavin, god of Magic and Mana. He was responsible for filling the world with mana in order for life to bloom and blossom, allowing weaker creatures to have a chance of surviving. Then there was Alstremeria, Goddess of Nature and Life. She was responsible for ensuring that the great forests do not get destroyed and all life in there were preserved. Finally there was Qunsara, Queen of darkness and death. She was responsible for safekeeping souls who have lost their way and making sure that there was a balance within light and dark. Over the course of hundreds of thousands of years, many races emerged as the top of the food chain, either due to their brute strength, or great intelligence. These races manage to build civilisations and harness the power of Mana, which in turn became Magic. New gods have emerged over the years like Ghangis, the God of War and Murasa, the God of Harvests. The world of Sera is split into 7 continents separated by vast oceans, they are: Wernest, home to the Herat Empire. Rengarr, home to the Elves. Yun, home to the Gnomes. Ran, home to the Beastmen. Gaul, commonly known as ''the North'', home to the Tribes. Sendar and Farya are not known to have any civilisation. The Empire rose to power approximately 890 years ago and stayed in power since, it was named after the first emperor, Herat Regalstone. The Empire is the most advanced in Magical and Mechanical technologies, and the capital of Regal is situated at the heart of the continent. The Elves live in the continent of Rengarr, full of forests and greenery. The Elves however, constantly fight civil wars due to historical enmity and distrust against one another. The Elves are one of the most diverse people, ranging from blood elves to dark elves, high elves to wood elves, snow elves to bone elves, which is the main reason why they fight wars; they do not understand each other. The Elves are noted for their high affinity with nature and are the best in agricultural technology. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The Gnomes live in the mountainous continent of Yun, mostly living in caves and exploiting the minerals in the mountains, the Gnomes, unlike their name, are the largest amongst the civilised races, their average height is 2.3 metres tall and most of them are either master builders or craftsmen. The great plains of Ran is home to the Beastmen, as their name suggest: they are part man, part beast. No one really knows how the beastmen first appeared, maybe it was the Mother Sera? Maybe it¡¯s just some fucked up people with decided to mate with animals? No one really knows. What we do know is, they are the most diverse race in Sera, having more than 100 races but are all categorised under Beastmen. Finally there are the tribes of The North, tribes that are constantly fighting each other and there are thousands of tribes in the continent, with the most powerful one only controlling 30 tribes at once. The tribes however divided they may be, will band together when faced with external threats like foreign invasion even if they were fighting a civil war a day before, the empire has tried many times to conquer this lands but failed every single time. tl;dr Sera shat out the world and 4 other unimportant gods and there are 7 continents with people inside 5 of them. Empire¡¯s a dick, Elves are a dick to one another, Gnomes are not dwarves, Beastmen are furry cats and the North is full of savages. Here¡¯s a very well-done map made by me for those who don¡¯t have the mental capacity to process my awful and hastily put together history of the world. NEXT CHAPTER WILL COME OUT SOOOOON (If i''m not Lazy :>) Next Chapter: Chapter 2 Chapter 2: A New Name? I just noticed how much swears there were in the last chapter o.o I¡¯ll try to tone down if possible so don¡¯t worry! Anyway, enjoy this chapter! #################################################################### Inside a small wooden cottage in the outskirts of a rural village¡­ ¡°Congratulations! it¡¯s a girl!¡± The midwife wearing a white, nurse-like outfit said while wrapping the crying baby with a towel. ¡°Honey, it¡¯s the girl you¡¯ve always wanted!¡± A rather thin man said while clutching his wife¡¯s hand, tears visible in his eyes. The mother, who looked very pale but was smiling asked: ¡°Can I hold her?¡± The midwife nodded and carefully placed the baby in her mother¡¯s arms. The delivery had been a very tough one, the mother went into labor for 19 hours before finally giving birth. Going into labor for this long would usually end up in disaster but thanks to the midwife who has over 30 years of experience, the baby was born safely. ¡°Children! come meet your new baby sister!¡± The father shouted. As he did so, the door opened to reveal 3 boys running towards their mother, gawking at the newborn baby with their mouths wide open. ¡°She looks just like Lokir when he was first born!¡± The eldest son, Hendrick exclaimed. ¡°I don¡¯t look like a girl!¡± Lokir, the youngest son rebutted. ¡°She¡¯s got weird red eyes~¡± Commented Gerald, the middle son. ¡°Huh? Red eyes?¡± Questioned the mother. None of the family members have red eyes; theirs were either hazel or dark brown. In fact, no one in the village has an eye colour even close to resembling red, not to mention the scarlet red her eyes were. Red eyes are almost exclusive to people with royal blood in the Empire of Herat but this was The North, Almost 2 continents apart from the Empire! Seemingly undisturbed by this, the midwife the asked: ¡°Do you want me to call the Elder here or do you want to visit him instead?¡± Most of the villages and tribes in the North have their village elders name their children, this has been happening for centuries now and no one would question the elder¡¯s naming sense because it has been so ingrained in their culture. (Even if he/she gets a stupid name) ¡°I can walk, no need to trouble the old man¡± Said mother. ¡°Are you sure honey? You should rest!¡± Father tried to assist her but instead got glared at. ¡°I said. I can walk.¡± Placing his palms around his chest like a mini-surrendering motion he said meekly: ¡°Alright, alright. J-Just don¡¯t push yourself too much.¡± One steps. Two steps. She struggled to walk at the beginning but is quickly able to get her footing, she shuffled towards the door held open by the children whilst cradling her newborn in her arms. The baby was asleep and won''t be waking up soon. Light flood her eyes as this is a light she hasn''t seen for a few days, her eyes are used to the dark environment of the cottage and the sudden change in environment blinded her, but she was able to adapt to the light quickly as she walked further and further away from the cottage. The surroundings are just farmlands owned by her family and her neighbors and are filled with beautiful golden wheat, ready to be harvested any day now. The path was uneven and obviously not meant for carriages or wagons, rocks and stones inside the dirt path doesn''t help either, making the road even more uneven. The village can be seen quite a distance away with a flimsy wooden palisade surrounding it, it is meant more as a deterrent rather than an actual defensive installment. The village itself is a rather large one with just over 200 people. Smoke can be seen rising up from the chimneys of houses and the smell of blood is apparent due to the practice of something called ¡°It¡¯s the most fresh when it is still alive¡±, thus the butchers kill the animals right before the customer¡¯s eyes, kind of like the wet markets of Asia back on Earth. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Just as Mother was about to reach the elder¡¯s house, a wrinkly old woman spotted her and spoke to her. ¡°Oh my, Falmar, is that your child? Is it a boy or a girl?¡± The woman said while holding mother¡¯s shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s a girl Tessa, is the elder home now? I¡¯ve got to let him name her.¡± Mother said while cradling the baby. ¡°Oh that¡¯s right, Kaine is in the house now sorting through the inventory, be on your way now!¡± And she waved her off. Elder Kaine¡¯s house looked just like any other house in the village; Mud walls with a wooden roof, sturdy but not really pleasing to the eye. Normally, the Elder¡¯s house would be the most grand and fancy one in the village to flaunt his status and wealth, Kaine, however, is a humble man and built his house just like any other. Kaine was moving around some papers when there was a light knock on the door followed by it opening. ¡°Oh? I was not expecting you, come in, take a seat, I¡¯ll prepare for the ritual.¡± He put down his papers and took out a Leather pouch filled with Goat¡¯s blood while Falmar sat down on the wooden bench. He then dipped his index finger inside the pouch while chanting: ¡°Oh our great Mother Sera, bless the blood which would bind this baby his name¡± As he said that he placed his finger on the baby¡¯s forehead and said: ¡°Your name shall be¡­¡­..¡± He hesitated. Goddamnit he hesitated. Falmar looked at him with expectant eyes, such a long pause would mean that he is thinking a a great name right? However, inside Kaine¡¯s head¡­ [Argh, why didn''t she inform me before hand? Now I¡¯ve got to think of a name, and fast! Hmmmm, Robert? No no no, what about Lokir? Wait i¡¯ve already named one of her sons that¡­] What Kaine doesn''t realise is that the baby was a girl, not a boy, so all the names he is thinking of right now is not a good idea. (back to the real world) After a long and slightly awkward silence, Kaine finally said: ¡°Bob.¡± Falmar stroked her baby¡¯s head while saying: ¡°Did you hear that? Your name is Bob now!¡± ¡­ It finally struck her. ¡°Wait wait wait wait, hold on a second, the baby¡¯s a girl. Her name can¡¯t be Bob!¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s a girl this time?! You should¡¯ve told me earlier! Ahh i¡¯ve ran out of goat¡¯s blood, but whatever, her name will be Katherine then.¡± Thus began the life of Katherine. ############################################################################ WOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~ Now this was a hard chapter to write, i¡¯ve been trying to put some comedy inside here when I realised i haven¡¯t given Catherine a name yet. Therefore I took the easy way out and named her this. Anyway hope you enjoyed this and the next chapter will be out tomorrow!(Hopefully) Couldn''t make it :( Previous Chapter: Hitstory and backstory Next chapter:Chapter 3 Chapter 3: Dont fuck with mum Good afternoon, what a wonderful day isn''t it? The sun is shining, the birds are singing and I''m a fucking baby. Just a week ago I was blowing myself up, and now I''m taking afternoon naps and mid-afternoon naps and late-afternoon naps and dinner time naps and ......And then there''s the dawn naps and, and..... Yeah that''s about it. All I do is sleep and eat, eat and sleep, make some weird noises here and there, cry when I shit myself, eat, then fall back asleep. Not that I particularly hate this kind of life, it''s just that the feeling of being a slob and a freeloader make my skin crawl. At least now I understand what''s happening around me now- I was "born" a week ago although I clearly remember myself dying, but I''m still alive so I guess that means either I reincarnated, or I''m just trippin''. Doesn''t really take a master detective to deduce that. That brown haired strong-looking woman sitting over there is my mother, she''s been sticking very close to me since birth and never once left my side, taking care of my every need; very devotion, much mother, such close. I love you mum. Then there''s father, a rather thin man with black hair who occasionally comes to check on mother, all he ever seem to accomplish is getting yelled at though. Every single time he talks to mother he gets yelled at, every time he brings food for mother he get yelled at but mother eats it anyway, every time he peeks his head into the room he gets yelled at. Yup, he''s a loser. Moving on. There''s the 3 boys who I assume are my brothers, there''s the tall one with brown hair, the middle one with black hair, and the shortest one with black hair again. That''s all there is to them, well, they do come in and poke me from time to time, other than that? Nothing. Mother seem to be conversing in a language similar to English, but it isn''t really English? I''ve tried to understand the words she''s speaking but I gave up after the 4th day- nothing she said made sense. She''s been calling me Catherine though, how does she know my name? Is she a wizard?! Ahhh, this is really boring, I''ll try to fall asleep again. zzzzzz.... I seriously have no idea how, but time literally just flew by- it''s been a little over a year since I''m born now. Mother began teaching me how to read since I first called her mama 8 months ago, oh the look on her face when i said that, she literally just flipped the fuck out and started swinging me around. Then I started to walk and this time she flung me into the air, catching me just before I reach the ground and die due mistreatment of an infant. This shit is not fun at all. I seriously wondered how the fuck did my three brothers survived. So, I am current in Kaine¡¯s village in Gaul, or, as they call it, the North. The people of the North seem to name their village after their village elders because they suck at naming and can¡¯t even name their own children. I jest, but seriously guys? Can¡¯t you think of something better? Anyway, I am currently sitting on my ass waiting for Mother to come teach me more stuff. I could just pick up a book and start reading on my own, but why read it yourself when someone else can read it for you? Ahh here she comes. Mother seemed to be running through and the house and shouted: ¡°Quickly! Bring him to the table. Don''t forget his legs!¡± *Bam* She slammed the door open and cleared the table of all the books. I just continued to sit there on my ass and watch. Then 3 men came in, 2 of them carried a screaming guy¡¯s torso? The fuck happened to him? The 3rd guy carried what seems to be a pair of legs. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ... What. The. Fuck? ¡°Alright place his legs in the right position.¡± Mother said while rummaging through the cabinets and shelves in search of something. ¡°Damn it all, there isn¡¯t any toad poison left. Hold him down and gag his mouth, don¡¯t want him biting his tongue and dying now.¡± The three men then did as she said, gaging the poor screaming fellow and holding down both his arms and thighs. This isn¡¯t some sick murder you¡¯re gonna commit in front of your child right mother? Wait, does she even realise I¡¯m here? ¡°This is going to hurt very badly, may Sera have mercy on your soul.¡± Said mother as she held the bloody legs of the man and light started emitting from her hands. ¡°Just fix his legs back: Heal.¡± *Crack* *Squelch* *Snap* The guy¡¯s leg starts to mend and he is squirming around now, struggling to break free. ¡°STOP RESISTING¡± *BAM* Mother just ripped off his slightly mended leg and slapped that guy with it. He fell unconscious. What we learn? Don¡¯t fuck with Mama. Wait. Waaaaaait a minute, hold up for a second, did she just heal that guy¡¯s leg by saying a few words?! What sorcery is this? ¡°MAMA ARE YOU A WIZARD?¡± i suddenly shouted out. Mother flipped around and stared at me with a surprised look on her face. ¡°Katherine?! Why¡¯re you here? Wait, how long have you been here?! And why can you speak so well? Ahhhh nevermind that just get out of here, this is something you shouldn¡¯t see.¡± Too late. I already saw everything. ¡°What did you just do? You said some words and light came out your hands!¡± I questioned her whilst she was still trying to fix the guy¡¯s leg. ¡°That¡¯s magic Katherine, now get out before i slap you with his leg.¡± I busted out of there faster than Usain Bolt could sprint a 100 metres. 15 minutes later¡­ Mother came out of the room looking like a serial killer; Blood all over her, she was holding a bloody knife and for some reason she was smiling. Wasn¡¯t she trying to save that guy? Why is she holding a knife then? ¡°Let him stay there till he wakes up, his legs should work just fine now.¡± She shouted to the 3 men inside the room. She then looked at me and said: ¡°I¡¯m sorry Katherine, were you scared? I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t read to you today.¡± Man fuck reading, I wanna learn how to spew fireballs and shit. Thus i said: ¡°Mama, I want to learn magic.¡± ¡°Oh you¡¯re interested in magic? I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re too young to use magic now, magic is very dangerous so I¡¯ll teach you when you¡¯re older okay? Unless of course you want to end up like the guy inside there.¡± Mother said while pointing towards the room. ¡°I¡¯ll wait till I¡¯m older.¡± I don¡¯t want to get slapped with my own leg. Thus i learnt the existence of magic. Oh and also that my mum might be a psychopath. Thanks for reading guys! (And waiting) I¡¯m sorry that it got delayed, I¡¯m prepping for Exams now and my schedule is pretty tight. Anyway hope you guys enjoy this chapter. [th_096_K.gif] Btw this won¡¯t be 1 girl many guys, don¡¯t worry. Chapter 4: A little stroll A small child with green hair wearing a checkered red dress walked out of a small cottage carrying an empty pot. The weather was very pleasant, accompanied by a gentle breeze. The buzz of cicadas and other critters can be heard through the orchestra created by rustling leaves on the trees. The small girl skipped her way towards the forest, animals which resemble deer scuttled away from the sound of the girl''s footsteps as she trotted along the dirt path while singing a familiar tune. "Suou Amane is a Bitch in heat!" "Rolling around in a man''s bedsheets!" "Good for you!" "Good for me!" Woooohoooo~ Ahh, the smell of fresh air and animal faeces, exactly what I needed after nearly 2 years of staying indoors. Mother''s really protective and forbade me to step foot outside the house before she deemed me as "safe" enough to venture outside. And believe me when I say she''s got her eyes on me. I''ve tried countless times escaping and the furthest I''ve gotten is 2 steps outside the front door. Her wizard powers must have something to do with this. But, whatever, I''m freeeeeee now. Anyway, thanks to Gaul''s technological prowess, the nearest well is in the middle of the village, making us walk 15 minutes just to stand in line for another hour in order to draw some water. Luckily for us, there''s a river which is just a 10 minute walk away, and that river is my destination. Ugh, making a young maiden like me do the heavy lifting, shame on you brothers. I mean, it''s not like I''m unhappy to go outside-I''m overjoyed to go out. But my first time outside is to run an errand? Ew. Well, no use complaining I guess, I just hope I don''t run across a bear or a sabertooth tiger on the way, those thing are already extinct enough. Wouldn''t want to thin their population too much. Hey, my arms and legs really have grown haven''t they? They were blobs of fat just a year ago, now they''re beautiful. Come to think of it, I''ve never even seen myself since I was born. Oh shit. What if I''m like super ugly and deformed and that''s why mama doesn''t let me out of the house? ... Oh shit load of fuck, that would explain her reluctance to let me out of the house wouldn''t it? With that thought in mind, Katherine continued her journey towards the river while hoping for the best. Meanwhile at the river... A group of children looking around the age of 7 or 8 are preparing to dive into and play in the river, when one of them, who was reluctant to enter said: "My papa said that if we played in the river, a monster with green hair and big red eyes will come and eat us!" The other kids just stared at him when one of them shouted: "You''re just scared of the water! Hahaha! scaredy cat!" "Wh-What?! No! That''s what my papa really said! I''m not afraid of water! R-R-Really!" Just as he said that, a small "creature" with green hair appeared on the dirt path leading to the river, the children all stared at it like it disrespected their ancestors or something. Then, the "creature" stared at the children with seemingly glowing red eyes. The children were all stiff with fear at that moment- t''was the monster that eats children! "GAAAHH! RUN! M-MONSTER!" And with that, the children scattered away, like blossoms in the breeze. The lonesome figure of the monster slowly backed off and broke into a run after sniffing for a few moments. Strangely enough, sobs could be heard on the monster''s trail. MAMA VISION I am currently cooking lunch for my family- chopped onions with flying pig''s meat, topped off with boiled potatoes and cabbage stew, oh the look on their faces when they see this! First season the meat with some salt... yes very good, now chop the onions... perfect! Now drop the potatoes in the pot of boiling water... woah I''m on a roll today! And take the cabbage and put it inside another pot of wat... air? Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!Where''s the rest of the water? I swear there was water in that pot this morning, where in the name of sera did it fly to now? Ugh, I can''t go out and get water now, what do I do now? Just then, Katherine walked past the kitchen when while humming one of her strange songs. "Katherine! Would you mind helping me get some water from the river?" Katherine instantly whipped around and stared blankly at me for a moment. "You mean to say that I can leave the house?" Her voice was quivering like she''s gonna cry or something. "Yeah, I need water and I can''t exactly leave the house right now. Wait wait wait, why are you crying? Hey wait that''s the wrong pot! Katherine!" She just cried and ran off with the pot I used to season the meat in. Wait is it even possible to run that fast?! She''s nowhere to be seen from the door! Oh well, water is water I guess. I''ll just prepare the other ingredients for the stew in the meantime. As I continued to prepare the ingredients, I became increasingly more worried about Katherine- what if she gets hurt while running? What if she got lost in the forest? What if there was a stray bear in the area? Oh no, I shouldn''t have let her out in her own, what will I do if my baby gets hurt? Thus I threw down all things I was holding (Which includes a pot of boiling water filled with potatoes) and ran outside towards the direction of the river. Just as I was about to enter the forest, a wailing small creature burst out of the underbrush and into my arms- this creature is none other than Katherine. Motherly instinct instantly kicked in as I tried to comfort her and check for any injuries at the same time. OK, both her arms and legs are still there, that''s a good sign. There doesn''t seem to be any scratches or bruises though... Alright baby girl it''s alright now, stop crying~ shhh~ Argh, not good, she isn''t stopping. For now let''s just ask her what happened. "Katherine why are you crying? Did someone hurt you?" To that question she furiously shook her head and instead replied with: "I''m really *sob* ugly *sob* aren''t I? *sniff* Even small kids run away from me *starts wailing*" Katherine really looked pathetic now with her face full of snot trying to speak properly, I on the other hand, could only (try) to comfort her while being puzzled with what she said. Ugly? Sure, she looks peculiar with her green hair and all but ugly? I consider her to be more towards the ridiculously beautiful type though, even more so than myself! We''ve been standing here for several minutes now and my arm is getting tired from stroking her hair, Katherine also calmed down considerably and isn''t wailing anymore. Let''s just hope she stays that way. We then moved towards the house after Katherine stopped sobbing but her footsteps were unstable and she looks like a drunk man trying to find his way out of a maze. Deciding it was too dangerous to let this drunk man wander around, I picked Katherine up and slung her over my shoulder where she fell asleep quickly. Still wondering what made Katherine so upset, I walked steadily towards the hous- Wait... what? Why is there smo- FUCK I LEFT THE FIRE ON. Saying that I threw Katherine off my shoulders (which seemed like a good idea at the time), ignoring the squeal of a certain child and sped towards the now smoke filled house like someone trying to get the TV set during black Friday. Let''s just say that me arriving there didn''t help me become any less homeless now. _________________________ Guess what? This chapter is 2 months late and I have no excuse for it. Next chapter will come out next year if you''re lucky. Sorry ;_; Yes I intend to keep this series going. (^o^) Chapter 5: It was a fireball I swear. Just a quick recap in case you forgot. Hendrick:Eldest son Gerald:Middle son Lokir:Youngest son Falmar:Mum Katherine:Catherine _____________________________ The Murderous Surgeon, The Maniacal Doctor, The Psychopathic Healer. Well known names in the North during the 6th invasion of Gaul. The Empire knows that name because of the horrific accounts by the remnants of the invasion force; a bloodthirsty woman tearing through ranks of men wielding magic and a cleaver so big, it could slice through 4 men in a single cleave. A wild beast that didn''t flinch when she was slashed and stabbed, a wild beast that smiled when everyone around her had their guts spilling out, a wild beast that laughed as her opponents screamed. Everyone who survived in the invasion force quit the army due to the horror they faced, just mentioning that event to them makes them cower in fear, as if the beast will come get them if they were to mention it. The North however, knows this "beast" not because of her brutality, but rather, her skill that managed to save the lives of many people who were wounded repelling the invaders. Mending flesh and fixing bones, her skill in healing magic was something only seen by the best healers of the Empire. Before the invasion, she was a well known surgeon living in the Jagged Forest. Tribesmen with a missing limb gotten from battle can easily reattach it by visiting said surgeon, provided that they have enough valuables to compensate for her services. She offered her services when the Empire gained a foothold after the first major tribe was captured, and were marching towards the Jagged Forest. Her involvement wasn''t the single factor that changed the tide of war but it was one of the most notable ones, striking both fear and awe at the same time. After the invasion, she disappeared without a trace, some say she died of old age, however she looked young according to accounts by people healed by her, others thought that she was an angel sent by the Northern gods to aid the people, many believed she got married and was living in a faraway village. Well, it is uncertain whether she will reappear again someday, perhaps she will resurface when the Empire decides to invade again. ___________________ Hi there, it''s me, Karl. You know, that ridiculously handsome man coupled with a ridiculously muscular body, the man with so much charm he even managed to seduce a succubus? The man every man in the world wants to be? Yes it is I, KAR- "Dad the house is on fire." "Haha, that''s a nice one Hendrick. But you won''t fool me so easily!" "No seriously dad look at the house." Hendrick then pointed to the direction of what seems to resemble our house... Except that it was on fire. ......... ...... ... Karl stood there in awe for a while after hearing his wife''s explanation before muttering, "So you''re telling me that a fireball fell from the sky and burned the house down?" Falmar''s face suddenly changed colour after hearing that. "What? You don''t even believe in your own wife? You think that I''m some lying harlot who would burn her own house down? Piss off then, I don''t need a husband that doesn''t even trust her own wife!" Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Karl, obviously distressed after incurring his wife''s wrath, tried to calm the situation. He thus said in an apologetic tone, "Nonononono, I believe you, come on, don''t be so angry. I wasn''t doubting you at all! I just wanted to confirm what you just said, that''s all!" The words he said seemed to just make Falmar much angrier, her face became distorted and she spat out, "WHAT?! You''re saying that I''m not even good enough for you to understand what I just said? Do you understand what I''ll fucking kill you means? Or am I just not good enough for you? Oooooh~ I know, that little bitch Cassandra has your heart huh? Always talking to her, you unfaithful bastard!" "She''s the only person in the village who sells fish! Who would I talk to if I''m going to buy fish? C''mon my dear, don''t be so unreasonable." Karl desperately retorted. At this point Falmar was just hysterical and lashed out. "WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU CALLING UNREASONABLE WHEN YOU JUST SWAGGER IN AND BLAME ME FOR BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE?! WHY, YOU DON''T LOVE ME ANYMORE RIGHT? You know what? Fine. Fine. I''ll leave then. Now with me gone you can go play with that wretch you man-whore. Come on Katherine, we''re leaving." Saying that, Falmar grabbed Katherine, slung her over her shoulder and walked away from the burning house. "W-wait!¡± Exclaimed Karl, extending his arm in hopes of stopping his wife. Falmar, on the other hand, sensed the hand coming and brandished a knife seemingly out of thin air, drawing blood from Karl''s arm. Karl, feeling the sharp pain in his arm, recoiled in terror and stared at his wife like he was staring at the harbinger of death. Falmar, knife in hand, stared at Karl straight in the eye and said, "You dare follow me, I''ll make sure you''ll never be a man again." After that statement (threat), Falmar walked off, with a dazed little girl in tow. . . . . . . Well that escalated quickly. I am currently being dragged around by Falmar who is muttering things like ¡°He should come after me any time now¡­¡± and ¡°It''s not like I wanted him to chase after me or anything¡­¡± Sweet mother Sera. Am I witnessing a living, breathing tsundere right in front of my eyes? I stared at my mother like a small child looking at an expensive toy she had always wanted, I''m pretty sure my eyes even sparkled. ¡°Ahhhhh why isn''t he coming after me?¡± Mother suddenly shouted out, making me jump. I thus said in a low voice ¡°You did threaten to castrate him you know¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? Katherine did you say something?¡± ¡°I''m hungry~¡± ¡°Ah! I''m sorry sweetie, we won''t be eating until I find something good, so please hold out till then!¡± ¡°Okaaaay~¡± Phew~ Dodged a bullet there. After walking for several hours, I begin to wonder if mother knows where we''re heading to. ¡°By the way mama, where are we going?¡± I asked. ¡°...¡± She froze on the spot. ¡­ We''re fucked. _______________ Short chapter I know, 4 months late and I have no excuse. Maybe the chapters will come out faster now. Don''t keep your hopes up though~ Chapter 6: First battle? ¡°Katherine it''s almost time to eat, don''t stray too far!¡± ¡°Okay~¡± Two people. One dead Bunnybear over a fire. No human being in sight for the next 20 kilometers. Just a large fucking frozen tundra filled with penguins which can fly, rabbits the size of bears and killer bunny bear fusion monsters. I stared in wonder at this magnificent beast we''re about to eat. A wondrous hybrid between a bear and a bunny. It''s about half a meter tall and nearly a meter in length, with the head of a fearsome bear and the body of a cute lil¡¯ bunny. Roasting on a stick over a campfire, its hide which mama skinned skillfully is instantly made into leather with magic. Honestly how does this sorcery even work? Anyway back to the succulent piece of meat roasting over the fire, its fat dripping down and sizzling on the stones below. Mama then threw in some salt and herbs making the aroma of the meat irresistible. I can hear it calling out to me, the sizzling meat¡­ it''s calling me¡­ *sizzle sizzle* The meat seemed to glisten as I sheepishly grabbed a small piece of it hanging off to the side. Bringing it to my mouth the seemingly harmless piece of meat burst into flavour, I let out a stupid sound unwillingly as it entered my mouth. The tender meat exploded with flavour with every bite and the juices filled my mouth with ecstasy. I reached out to tear another piece off and would be enjoying said piece of meat now only if mama didn''t slap me with the leather made from magic. I''m sorry, I won''t do it again. ¡°C¡¯mon Katherine, don''t be so impatient and wait a little longer~¡± Said Falmar, almost as if she didn''t realize the fact that she slapped her 3 year old daughter with a 5kg piece of leather. Seems like she knows how to hold back just enough so someone won''t get concussioned from her slaps, what a useless skill. ¡°I-I w-w-will. ¡± I replied, trying to keep a straight face when the urge of crying is overwhelming me. Seems like I''m more prone to crying since I''m a child. Even though I''m a fully grown adult in the inside, I can''t keep my emotions in check on the outside. Argh this stupid body. We''ve been travelling aimlessly for a week now. Mama assured that she knew where we were heading but her flipping a gold coin every time we reach a crossroad says otherwise. I''ve not seen any other travelers during our week long journey which can be both bad and good- First off, little to no travelers mean that there should be less bandits laying about as there isn''t much to rob. However, less people also means more wildlife which could potentially be more dangerous than bandits. Though with mama here I doubt either will be a threat. She chased down the Bunnybear which was running away from her for whatever reason while shouting ¡°Katherine! It''s dangerous! We have to get away from the beast!¡± Your actions and your words don''t match you know? Was what I thought when I saw that scene. Right now I''m just sitting here watching the fat drip down the meat. The outer layer of it is already a beautiful golden brown, the smell of the meat tickles your nose while the sizzling of the fat is almost screaming ¡°I''M DONE, EAT ME¡±, truly, this is what they call a feast for the senses. ¡°Mama I think it''s done now~¡± ¡°Alright, eat all you want.¡± My eyes widened and the words ¡®Really?¡¯ seem to be transferred from me to her as she nodded her head. My hands trembles as I reach out, even while off the fire, the fat remained sizzling. Off comes a piece. The explosion of flavours makes me involuntarily reach out for another. Off comes another piece. The enticing smell of the meat attacks my nostrils as I reach out for yet another one. Off comes one more piece. The crunch it has on its exterior and the tenderness and juicy interior makes me take yet another piece of meat off without me noticing. ¡°Hey now leave some for me!¡± Said mama as she rips off a whole chunk of it in one go. Who would wait for you? I said silently in my heart as I followed suite and grabbed a huge chunk off. This continued on until the whole Bunnybear was stripped clean and we both fell asleep shortly after. . . . ¡°Kathe¡­ ake¡­ up...¡± Ugh, someone is calling me¡­ ¡°Five...more...hours¡­zzz¡± A slimy thing was felt on the surface of my face followed by a sharp pain. ¡°owwww~¡± I muttered while I fought off the urge to immediately drop down and fall asleep again. I checked my cheeks and looked at the fish beside me. T¡¯was a slap. With a fish. Does she intend to slap me with everything in existence? Shrugging off the stinging pain I rubbed my eyes. As soon as my blurry vision cleared I saw something absolutely fantastical. Bigger than your average cruise ship, with skin glistening in the moonlight in a myriad of colours and hairs the size of your typical Shaquille O''Neal. Furthermore, such a gigantic thing is currently floating above ground. That giant flying fuck is what some people on earth call a mythical creature. It was a bloody flying whale. But what I heard next really made me question my mother''s sanity. ¡°Katherine, we''re going to bag ourselves one big trophy tonight!¡± Oh Buddha. __________________ In the cover of night, a great beast roams. Silently, it flaps its gigantic fins as it traverses the land, moving in a speed fitting of such a giant creature. Suddenly, countless balls of light flew up from the ground and lodged themselves onto the beast''s body. The beast bellowed in pain as more and more of such balls of light lodged themselves onto its belly. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Upon closer inspection, one would realise that these balls of light were actually flaming arrows, shot by many men circling the beast from below. Esbern and his party had been tracking this beast for weeks now, and had also been planning their attack for the duration. The beast was heading towards the Great Frozen Tundra of the North, where there are little mountains and other rough terrain around; the perfect place to attack. They were to drive the beast with arrows towards another location where a crudely built ballista lay in wait, ready to fire in a moment''s notice. A single shot should be enough to at least bring the beast down to the ground, where the others hunters would then whittle down the beast with arrows and spears. The plan was working, as the beast turned and headed towards the direction of the giant crossbow. Pelted by arrows and javelins, the beast suddenly swung its tail wildly, catching three unfortunate hunters in the process, killing them. ¡°Get away from the tail!¡± Commanded Esbern as his hunting party scrambled for safety away from the beast¡¯s whipping tail. His plan did not account for the beast fighting back as he heard from the stories that the Bandini was a peaceful beast. ¡°What do we do now?¡± asked one of the hunters, ¡°Should we continue our attack?¡± ¡°We will. If we stop now those three would have lost their lives for no reason.¡± answered Esbern firmly, ¡°Keep up the attack!¡± Resuming their attack, the beast was beginning to get bloodied and it''s movement became sluggish. Then, out of nowhere, a giant bolt flew towards the beast and stabbed it on one fin. Pinning the fin to its body. Losing balance, the beast tipped to one side, struggling to stay airborne with its other fin. ¡°Keep firing!¡± Shouted Esbern as he signalled at the ballista to quickly load another shot. The hunters concentrated fire on the beast¡¯s tail and its exposed belly, making the bottom half of the beast look like a pincushion. The beast thrashed around dangerously, kicking up dust and rocks while spraying its blood around. Another bolt flew towards the beast¡¯s belly and stuck itself deeply into the beast¡¯s body. The bolt seemed to have hit the beast¡¯s vitals as it began losing altitude rapidly before crashing to the ground. Unfortunately, the beast crashed right onto the ballista, flattening the 3 crewmen and destroying the ballista. Even so, the hunters continued their assault on the beast, relentlessly pelting it with arrows and javelins before closing in with spears and swords after exhausting all their ammunition. The beast bellowed one last time before flopping around like a fish on land. This violent thrashing caught the hunters off guard as they were tossed about like pieces of paper in the wind. Esbern was thrown about before hitting the ground, his vision blurry and his body battered. The beast did one last flop as its death rattle as Esbern looked at the pincushion of a tail right above him, about to slam down. This is it. The gods do not favour me today. Thought Esbern, as the tail slammed down, ending his life. __________________ ¡°WE''RE TOO FUCKING LATE! THE GIANT FLOATING WHALE IS DEAD ALREADY!¡± Screamed Falmar hysterically while looking at the bloody scene. Bloody bodies lying around, arrows and spears everywhere, hell I even saw what seems to be a fucking ballista. ¡°We''re could have been like them you know, we should be glad that no one will be here to steal our (not) kill.¡± I answered. ¡°Katherine you just don''t understand do you? We could have¡­ uh¡­ you know¡­ tried¡­ Maybe? You know what? Doesn''t matter now does it?¡± Mama sighed. ¡°C¡¯mon Katherine, help me with this.¡± She pointed towards the corpses of several hunters. Puzzled, I asked. ¡°Huh? They''re already dead you know mama? What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Ugh, loot them? What else can you do with a dead body?¡± ¡°O-uh¡­ Okay¡­¡± I followed her instructions, digging into their pockets and coin purses. This isn''t something a lady should do, ugh. I took anything that looked of value, stripping their bodies clean before moving on. Eww~ this guy''s head is completely squished. After half an hour, all I found was a grand total of 3 pieces of metal which I presume are coins and tons of other small trinkets like bunny skulls, bones of various creatures in addition to a necklace made of teeth. Come to think of it, I don''t know how the currency works here. I would think that coins are seldomly used in the north due to their weight and overall unreliability. I think I''ll pay attention next time mama goes to the market. Turning around, I saw mama hacking away at the body of the whale, taking chunks off with her inhuman strength. ¡°I''m done mama, what else do you need?¡± ¡°Uhh-,¡± she paused, before throwing a slab of meat at my face. I tried to dodge it but my small legs tripped on absolutely nothing as the bloody piece of meat met my face. ¡°Play with it I guess.¡± ARE YOU SERIOUS. MATE. The raw meat slid down my face, revealing my are you fucking serious face. ¡°What? Do you rather I slap you?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± I said as I quickly picked the meat, fearing a slap. Guess I''ll just play with the meat then. Wait, that sounded kinda weird. ________________ WHEWWWWWW~ Having a boring job certainly helps with writing. Maybe next chapter we''ll finally see some magic?