Chapter 2 – Birth the Beginning
Written by Koson.
It was the day after Nuri had disposed of the kids that were preventing him from working. After having to put up with their shenanigans for a year, he could finally put his mind to work.
The other slaves avoided him like he was a disease, so he didn't have to worry about anyone trying to mess with him anymore. He kept to himself as he was harvesting crops along with a few other slaves.
While working, he took a glance up and saw Maeve. She was cleaner and better dressed than yesterday but her complexion was pale like a soulless ghoul.
She didn't look to anyone or even turned her head once. She just kept her head down and walked towards the kitchen area where the slave woman worked.
"Hey! Henrietta's brat!" (Captain Sebastian)
Nuri turned his attention towards the voice that was calling him. It was the captain from yesterday who was harassing his mum.
Standing next to him was a miserable looking old man who was fairly well dressed. Sebastian waved his hand around suggesting Nuri to come over.
Nuri was on edge as he didn't like nor trusted captain Sebastian along with the miserable man who had his eyes fixated on him as he approached them.
"Yes sir?" (Nuri Rona)
"Well, what do you know?" (Captain Sebastian)
"For a troublemaker, he is well mannered like a dog, haha" he mocked (Captain Sebastian)
"Tch" he uttered (Nuri Rona)
"Anyway, I got a job for you" (Captain Sebastian)
"You see, this fellow here needs some assistance with peeling some potatoes" (Captain Sebastian)
"Huh? Can't you just get one of the slaves from the kitchen to do it?" (Nuri Rona)
"Oh, I just thought since you know?" (Captain Sebastian)
"You always do what you are told and work harder than anyone else in this camp" (Captain Sebastian)
"I even remember overhearing you say, you wanted to 'leave this life behind you' Am I wrong?" (Captain Sebastian)
Nuri got more irritated by the repetitive mockery but he knew all he could do was just stand there and listen.
"Do this and maybe I'll put a good word in with the slave keeper" (Captain Sebastian)
"This poor old man can't peel them by himself, you know?" (Captain Sebastian)
"Look at his face, he can barely hold on for much longer-" (Captain Sebastian)
"Okay! I get it" (Nuri Rona)
"I'll do it, just be sure to keep your part of the deal" (Nuri Rona)
"Hear that old man? Now you'll be able to eat to your heart's content" (Captain Sebastian)
"Mm" he replied (Old Resident)
The old man wasn't quite energetic to even move his mouth in response and just kept looking at Nuri dead in the eyes.
"Just show him the way" (Captain Sebastian)
The old man then turned around, making his way through the city streets. Nuri then followed behind as Sebastian smiled seeing them off.
Wherever this old man lived, it was a bit far off from the slave encampment. The man was walking at a very slow pace that Nuri already had caught up with him.
"How far is it?" (Nuri Rona)
"N-Not f-far" he muttered (Old Resident)
They continued walking for almost half an hour almost entering the other side of the city. But finally, they managed to reach their destination.
It was a dull secluded area but there were still good few numbers of residents nearby.
"In... here" (Old Resident)
The old man opened a door to an old and run-down butcher shop. Nuri walked inside with the old man as well as he closed the door behind him.
"Where are the potatoes?" (Nuri Rona)
"Up...stairs" (Old Resident)
His repeated pause in speech weirded Nuri out a bit, but he didn't want to show any disrespect to someone who he thought could die at any moment and chose to put up with it.
Nuri made his way up the creaky wooden stairs as the miserable man watched him go up.
"I… join you in minute" (Old Resident)
"O…kay" (Nuri Rona)
Once he had reached the top of the stairs, a nauseating smell immediately kicked in right into Nuri's face, it was difficult to tell where the smell was even coming from between the only three doors on this floor.
"Eugh!" He blurted (Nuri Rona)
"Which door do I open?" (Nuri Rona)
"Middle…one" (Old Resident)
While trying not to breathe in the smell, he made his way through the mouldy hallway to the middle door. He opened it and quickly went inside, closing the door behind him.
Whatever that smell was, it had faded away as the air of this room was at least more breathable in. It was quite an open space room, there was only one window shut closed and just an old work bench covered in what seemed to be like brownish tar.
Some of the room's wooden floorboards appeared to be missing and covered in the similar brown tar and things Nuri couldn't really decipher.
There were no signs of potatoes. Nuri looked around the room for them till he discovered a closet, maybe the potatoes were in there?
Trudging carefully, he slid open the closet door to be surprised with mountains of sacks.
"Isn't this too many potatoes for an old man?" (Nuri Rona)
Nuri knelt down in front of the nearest sack close to him and barely managed to get it open as it well tightly sealed.
Inside the sack was filled with clothes for men and woman in many different sizes along with jewellery.
"Huh?" (Nuri Rona)
"Am I being set up here?" (Nuri Rona)
As he was digging through the sack, he noticed that his arms were slowly being covered up with red stuff.
"Ew, what's this?" (Nuri Rona)
While knelt there annoyed looking at his filthy arms, Nuri saw down buried within the sack was a necklace with a small purple crystal attached onto it.
He pulled the necklace out from sack and examined the crystal closer in his hands.
"Hmm" (Nuri Rona)
*KABOOM*
"What the-?!" (Nuri Rona)
The crystal all of a sudden blasted a static wave scaring Nuri, causing him to fall on his ass and drop the necklace to the floor causing the crystal to break.
"Was that magic?" (Nuri Rona)
"Just what the hell is this place?" (Nuri Rona)
*Creak*
Nuri quickly looked behind him as he heard the sound of the door open.
"Finally we have fresh meat"
"I'm starving!"
Snarling voices were coming from the other side of the door as it was being opened.
*BAM*
Smacking the door wide open appeared a man-sized wolf, using its nose to sniff around the room.
*sniff* *sniff*
"What's this? there is no human here" (Wolf Beastmen)
Nuri was trembling down to his feet seeing an actual beastmen here of all places within Khodora city.
Following behind the wolf beastmen into the room was the miserable old man and a woman who was appeared to be wearing only long red robe and nothing underneath.
In a fit of rage, the beastmen grabbed the old man by the throat.
"Did you eat the human already?!" (Wolf Beastmen)
"N-No!" He growled (Old Resident)
*CLICK* *CLICK* *CLICK*
"Aa...ah!" (Nuri Rona)
The old man transformed into a beast himself and strangled the throat of the wolf beastmen as retaliation.
Nuri quickly covered his mouth before he could make any noise, but his fear of them kept making hyperventilating.
"I told the human to go up here, while I casted the evasion spell!" (Transformed Old Resident)
"Liar!" he roared (Wolf Beastmen)
"Will you two shut up?!" (Red robe woman)
"Can't you smell him?" (Red robe woman)
*sniff* *sniff* *sniff* *sniff*
The two beastmen sniffed around as their ears wiggled around like detectors and they both released each other once they found Nuri's scent.
"The boy is here, but looks like he was snooping around" (Red robe woman)
She pointed to the open closet where Nuri was rummaging through one of their sacks had been discovered.
*Sniff* *Sniff*
"Ah! I can smell his fear" (Red robe woman)
"Oh! How exquisite" (Red robe woman)
Her body jolted in ecstasy as her mouth partly transformed beastly with sharp large teeth having saliva drip down from it and her jaw extending wider by inches.
Nuri was confused when they couldn't see him despite being able to smell him. However, he didn't have to time ponder and needed to escape.
He slowly got up and tip toed past the woman and the two beastmen going back through the door that where he came from.
"Come out little one, I just want to embrace you" (Red robe woman)
"Wait, what's this?" (Red robe woman)
She had discovered the crystal broken into fragments and analysed it, before immediately realising what was going.
"Hahaha, the boy is invisible" (Red robe woman)
"Invisible?!" (Transformed Old Resident)
"It seems that smuggler we ate the other night, had a stealth crystal on him" (Red robe woman)
"And the boy must've discovered it on accident" (Red robe woman)
"But don't worry, he's broken it so he should appear soon" (Red robe woman)
While the woman explained everything to her companions. Nuri was half way through trying to make it back to the stairs but, as he was quietly watching his steps.
The door to his right was left wide open and the horror he saw had set him backing away against the wall.
"Aah!" He screamed (Nuri Rona)
Inside the room was the body of a man missing his lower limbs, hang up in the air like laundry.
"Hmm?!" (Wolf Beastmen)
"Oh dear, looks like he saw the body" (Red robe woman)
Nuri couldn't move himself as his eyes were stuck glued to the corpse with its blood dripping from his bottomless body.
"Grawrrrrr!" (Wolf Beastmen)
"Grrrrrr" (Transformed Old Resident)
The growling from the two Beastmen stole Nuri's attention from the corpse as they immediately saw him through doorway of the other room.
The crystal's effects were wearing off quickly, revealing parts of his body to them.
"Graaaaah!" (Transformed Old Resident)
"Aaaaaaaaaah!" (Nuri Rona)
The two beastmen charged right at him with one of them throwing their claw down towards the distressed Nuri, but he manages to dodge the attack and reach for the last door to enter in and hurriedly slams it shut before they could enter inside.
"OPEN THIS DOOR!" (Wolf Beastmen)
*CRACK* *CRASH*
The two beastmen forced their arms through the door, waving their claws around trying to hit Nuri with them.
"Aaaaah!" (Nuri Rona)
He took a quick glance up and saw a sealed window. Nuri looked around the room for anything that could break the glass in the window frame.
All there was just old rusty tools with dried up blood on them. Most likely used by the beast people on their victims but just then, Nuri saw a hatchet laying on a table.
Immediately he ran away from the door, grabbing the hatchet then climbed up some crates, before swinging the hatchet to break the glass window.
*CRASH*
"HELP!" He screamed (Nuri Rona)
He screams his lungs out trying to make sure he could be heard, trying to get the attention of Khodora residents passing by in the area.
*SNAP* *BREAK*
The two beastmen had broken through the door and saw Nuri on top of the stack of crates trying to call out for help.
"Bahahaha, poor human" (Wolf Beastmen)
"He doesn't know" (Transformed Old Resident)
"HELP!" (Nuri Rona)
For some reason, nobody could hear Nuri crying out to them. They all just kept walking by and talking amongst themselves.
"Why?" He muttered (Nuri Rona)
"That's the...evasion spell" (Transformed Old Resident)
"Once activated no one can see or hear you within its bubble" (Transformed Old Resident)
"Enough talk!" (Wolf Beastmen)
"Rawwrrrr!" (Wolf Beastmen)
The wolf beastmen tries to slash Nuri's legs off but just misses by an inch and hits the crate he was standing on causing him to fall.
"Ah!" (Nuri Rona)
Just as he hit the floor, the wolf beastmen's ravenous mouth was wide open leaning towards to devour Nuri's head.
The sharp long gritted teeth, dripping strings of saliva and the dark abyss within the beast's mouth haunted Nuri as the thought of death impeded through his mind.
But in that second, he quickly reached for the hatchet that fell beside him and swung it right towards the encroaching wolf beastmen.
*SPEW*
"What's taking so long?" (Red robe woman)
"Aah!" She gasped (Red robe woman)
"W-What?" (Red robe woman)
The wolf beastmen's head was chopped clean off. Its body gushed out blood from its headless spot, bathing Nuri in it before collapsing along with its airborne head to the floor.
Nuri quickly kicked away the head the moment it landed next to him.
"H-How does he have the strength to chop a Beastmen's head off like that?" (Red robe woman)
"Not even adventurers could kill us in such an affair" (Red robe woman)
"Tch" She grunted (Red robe woman)
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU BRING TO US?!" (Red robe woman)
"SHUT UP!" (Transformed Old Resident)
"I'll deal with this" (Transformed Old Resident)
The transformed old man sprinted towards Nuri with so much force. He tries to go for the hatchet again, but it is quickly broken into bits by the beastmen and he's grabbed by the head then sent crashing down face first into the floorboards.
*BOOM* *CRASH*
"A... aah" He groaned (Nuri Rona)
"Ha!" (Transformed Old Resident)
Repeatedly over and over his head was used to create a massive whole in the floor until little ounces of blood would drip from Nuri's head after being smashed in five or six times.
*CRASH* *CRASH* *CRASH*
With one swing of his arm, the beastmen sends Nuri flying crashing through the wall, leading him back into the open space room.
"Aa...ah" (Nuri Rona)
He laid there on the floor with his body cuddled up like an armadillo with debris scattered around him. The two-beast people kept their distanced and looked at him from a far.
"He is no ordinary human" (Red robe woman)
"To only bleed little after taking so many blows is unnatural" (Red robe woman)
"I doubt our teeth could even grind his bones" (Red robe woman)
"Take him back" (Red robe woman)
"You can't be serious?" (Transformed Old Resident)
"Do not be a fool here, we shouldn't involve ourselves with strange occurrences we have no understanding of" (Red robe woman)
"Has this human has got you pissing yourself?" (Transformed Old Resident)
"Do you wish death upon us both?!" She yelled (Red robe woman)
"Mm...m" (Nuri Rona)
To their surprise, Nuri was still conscious. He slowly tried to get himself back up with not much effort.
"Grrrrrr" (Transformed Old Resident)
"You, see?! We should leave!" (Red robe woman)
"You damn brat!" (Transformed Old Resident)
The transformed old man charged at Nuri once more from behind and pinned him to the floor.
"You fool!" (Red robe woman)
"Ah!" (Nuri Rona)
"You kill one of my kin and mock me in strength?!" (Transformed Old Resident)
*BAM*
The infuriated beastmen sends a blow right into Nuri's face, caving his head into the floorboard as before.
*BAM*
"I will kill you and use you as meat paste" (Transformed Old Resident)
*BAM*
Again and again the transformed old man didn't let up on his consecutive punches to Nuri's already badly damaged body.
*BAM* *BAM* *BAM* *BAM*
"Grrrrr" (Transformed Old Resident)
The red robe woman's ears shifted into beastly form and they wiggled around statically as a sign of danger coming.
"Why is mana is rising here?" (Red robe woman)
*DA-THUMP*
Looking out through the window, greyish dark clouds formed changing the mood of the atmosphere and thunder could be heard shattering across the sky.
The red robe woman quickly ran past the beastmen and Nuri to see this for herself. Even the residents around the area were confused by the sudden climate change.
"What is going on?" (Red robe woman)
The red robe woman's ears perked up again and picked up the source of mana piling up. It shocked her even more realising where it was coming from and quickly, she turned her head back to the two.
"It's from, him?!" (Red robe woman)
"But he's just a child" (Red robe woman)
"How can a human possess such a huge mana pool like this?!" (Red robe woman)
*BAM* *BAM*
"You will watch as we eat the bones of those you love" (Transformed Old Resident)
*BAM*
"Y-You will not do anything to them" he uttered (Nuri Rona)
"I promise you" (Nuri Rona)
Before the beastmen threw one last punch, he noticed that Nuri's eye colour had brightened up with a strange blue aura.
"His eye" (Transformed Old Resident)
*THWOOOM*
Lightning struck from the dullish clouds, striking through the roof, smiting down upon the beastmen setting him and the entire building on fire.
"Aaaaaaaaaaah!" (Transformed Old Resident)
A gushing wave of fire expanded rapidly across the entire room pushing everything back with incredible force.
"No" She cried (Red robe woman)
The wave had consumed the red robe woman too and launched her out through the window into the city streets.
*BOOM* *CRASH*
Bystanders and neighbouring people were terrified seeing the burning semi transformed robe woman lying there half dead on the ground.
Commotion circled amongst them as patrolling Khodora forces came over after seeing the fiery smoke coming from the building.
"Citizens please get back!" (Khodora Lieutenant)
"Wizards extinguish the fire quickly!" (Khodora Lieutenant)
"Yes sir!"
"Ocean Burst!"
The Khodora wizards quickly casted out water spells at the burning shop in sync with each other.
"What's a beastmen doing within the city walls?" (Khodora Lieutenant)
"Sir! There's someone coming out of the entrance!" (Khodora Soldier)
All eyes were on watch as nobody expected to see Nuri, covered in ash and bruises limping on one leg.
"It's a child?"
"Oh, my goodness"
"A-hem, ahem" He coughed (Nuri Rona)
As he reached a safer distance from the fire, Nuri's body slowly started to give out as he suddenly fell to his knees. With no hesitation, Aldis quickly ran over to him and held him in his arms.
"Don't worry you'll be alright" (Khodora Lieutenant)
"Please! Does anyone have something the boy could drink?" (Khodora Lieutenant)
Soon more Khodora forces would arrive on the scene wondering what was happening.
Captain Sebastian among this group was accompanied by a man in more flashy armour than the rest of the soldiers and had the Khodorian flag attached to his back.
"Aldis, what's happened here?" (Commander Bardolph)
"I'm not sure Commander, suddenly lightning struck from the skies" (Aldis Grandshot)
"Setting this place ablaze and what emerged is a cooked beastwoman over there and this child" (Aldis Grandshot)
"Ah, shit" He whispered (Captain Sebastian)
Taking a closer look at Nuri. The Commander had recognised him but, seemed displeased from the looks of it.
"The child is a slave" (Commander Bardolph)
"Ah yea, he must've tried fleeing the city" (Captain Sebastian)
"We both know that impossible for slaves here" (Aldis Grandshot)
"Regardless, slave or not he needs medical attention" (Aldis Grandshot)
While they argued amongst themselves, Nuri was completely dazed. Looking up to the clouds, his vision was spread wide across seeing multiple copies of the same people, and his ears were ringing.
"What's wrong with him?" (Commander Bardolph)
"Are you okay?!" (Aldis Grandshot)
"Someone get a doctor here already!" He shouted (Aldis Grandshot)
It was only seconds before Nuri's eyes had given themselves out and he would no longer be conscious. Aldis checked his pulse just to make sure that he wasn't dead.
"You're only wasting your time with him" (Commander Bardolph)
"Did you forget I promised to help the people and allies of Khodora?" (Aldis Grandshot)
"They may not live a prestigious life but, they sacrifice flesh and bone for this country" (Aldis Grandshot)
Aldis looked around seeing some looks from the crowd mixed with disgust or lack of care after hearing Nuri's working class.
"Talking like that will get you nowhere lieutenant" (Commander Bardolph)
As they both stared down at each other seriously, a Khodora wizard approached them with a worried look on his face.
"My Lords!" (Khodora Wizard)
"What is it?" (Commander Bardolph)
"We managed to reduce the flames of the building and investigate the building" (Khodora Wizard)
"And?" (Commander Bardolph)
"Well, we discovered human remains and belongings to who we suspect are Khodora residents" (Khodora Wizard)
"Specifically the ones who have been reported missing over the last 6 months" (Khodora Wizard)
"Despicable" (Commander Bardolph)
"Do we know how the beast people got into the city?" (Aldis Grandshot)
"The shape-shifting drug, sir" (Khodora Wizard)
"They must've disguised themselves as humans and passed through the gate" (Khodora Wizard)
"There could be more of them among us..." (Captain Sebastian)
"Just what we need" he pitied (Commander Bardolph)
"B-But it's not just that" (Khodora Wizard)
They looked to wizard confused with his fragile body language.
"What?" (Aldis Grandshot)
"The other wizards and I sense a huge pool of mana that was used here" (Khodora Wizard)
"And it's not coming from the beast people" (Khodora Wizard)
"Whatever it was, must've been what caused the weather to change suddenly" (Khodora Wizard)
The three of them were taken back the news they just heard.
"You can't be serious?" (Aldis Grandshot)
"You're telling me something or someone that can change our very skies is inhabited here?!" (Commander Bardolph)
"It will take some time till we can pinpoint the user" (Khodora Wizard)
"W-What are we going to do?" (Captain Sebastian)
"Will you two pull up your garments?! We'll deal with this with ourselves" (Commander Bardolph)
"But wouldn't it be wise to warn the prince?" (Khodora Wizard)
"Haven't you seen him recently? He isn't in the right of mind to take charge" (Commander Bardolph)
"On that, I agree" (Aldis Grandshot)
"For now, let's just put out word about the beast people" (Aldis Grandshot)
"I'll question the child when he awakes, only he'll know what transpired here" (Aldis Grandshot)
THE END
Written by Koson
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