Aurelius looked up at me with a pained and frustrated expression. It is the face of someone who has had to swallow a harsh reality that they would rather reject under all circumstances.
"What? Is the truth hard to hear? Well as you said people are free to make whatever choices they want, so if she didn't like it, she could have just killed herself couldn't she have."
"Setanta shut the hell up!"
"But you would hate that wouldn't you, you want her to be alive and suffer through all of that, just so you can make her pump out her fifth set of kids that look like you don't you."
He raises his fist to punch me, and as he does, I say, "Hit me all you want but understand that the only reason you can is because I let you. You're no different than a pet biting its master in this moment, you can get as sad and angry as you want but your survival demands good behaviour.
Even after all I said you still want to live so bad that you won't punish me for my words. The common Beastkin could beat you, break your bones, even torture you, and no matter what you do it won't end.
Humans are not our friends they are not our equals, but our playthings within this empire. We use them to build our empire, comfort ourselves, and entertain our minds, and no matter what delusion you have cooked up in your head that will always remain the truth.
Even the boy who betrayed you today will be lauded as a hero by his village for some time to come. Many of them don't feel remorse for what happened to you today, and only stopped because a beastkin commanded them so."
Aurelius slams his fist right next to me, and says, "But you're not like that, neither is Culainn."
"I feel sad that Culainn wonderbeast died, the same way I feel sad when one of my old toys breaks, the same way I would feel sad when you die. But you want to know the difference between all those things and Ferdiad.
When I lose one of those things, I just go get a new one. Because you are replaceable! It is fun to have one around, but once it breaks getting a new one is as easy as breathing in or out."
Moving forward, I pick up Aurelius and throw him into a tree which reopens the wounds on his back, and I say, "I am a mere thirteen years old, and I can do this to an adult human. You see this Aurelius; it is the difference between us."
Aurelius points his head towards the floor and makes pained expressions as the blood from his back leaks out.
Walking over to him, I kneel down and pet his head saying, "But I still did fail you today by allowing those beastkin to harm you, so let's say this. I grant you full permission to torture all of them as much as you want."
Raising his head to me, Aurelius says, "What?"
"Did I stutter? You are my property, and I don't like those who harm what I own, so Aurelius I give you full permission to hurt as many of them in whatever way you want with full protection from me this whole time.
You can mutilate them, take one as a partner, hell you can even eat them. They have slighted me, and I believe you should be allowed to do whatever you want."
As Setanta speaks he brings out his claws and hovers them just above Aurelius's neck mere inches away from slicing his head off and lobbing it onto the ground.
"So, Aurelius what will it be?"
Aurelius tackles Setanta and puts his hands over his neck, and with a beastly expression he starts to choke Setanta while saying, "YOU PEOPLE TOOK MY HOME, TOOK MY FAMILY, TOOK OUR LIVES, AND TRY TO BREAK DOWN MY WILL EVERY SINGLE MOMENT I EXIST!"
Tears rage from his eyes as he lays on top of me with an expression I never thought he could have on his face whilst he chokes me. I have seen animals that resemble humans more than he does now.
So, I use spirit energy to push back against the force of his arms against my throat which happens to work well due to how weak he currently is physically.
But before I do, he pulls his arm away and says, "But I can't do that."
He makes a pathetic face like one of a man being chained and sealed away. This enrages me and I say, "Come on, what are you doing stopping like this have you really been neutered that much that you can't even fight back against those who hurt you, or are you taking pity on me since I am a child you bastard!"
"SHUT UP!" Aurelius screams as he slaps me.
Holding my cheek, I stare at him as he says, "Not everything is about you. I just cannot allow myself to become the kind of person who would ever find joy in such a thing or even comfort in it, because I don't want to lose my smile."
"Your smile? What the hell are you even on about?"
"Nero, Lillian, Claudia, and all the rest of the Anima Clan, I am sure that each and every one of them has forgotten how to smile. When faced with all of this shit time and time again, I am sure that their hearts have been broken down.
So I won't stop being myself, I won't change from the person I was to someone else. I will remember how to be happy, and how to smile through all of his nonsense.
So that when we all meet again, I will be able to repair whatever wounds they have taken. No matter what you say or do to me, I won't back down Setanta because I have something far greater than myself, I need to protect."
As I hear his words I drop my head, I stare to look around for somewhere to escape to. But I punch myself in my chest and say, "No more running away."
Getting on my hands and knees in front of Aurelius I slam my brain into the ground which spooks him, and then I say, "I am sorry for this slight Aurelius."
"Huh?"
"I was trying to do, well I don't even know what I wanted. But it was mean, and I apologize!"
"So, you were just trying to piss me off?"
"Yes."
Aurelius falls onto the ground and starts to laugh, and I move over to him saying, "You're not angry."
With some tears falling down his eyes, he says, "I am, but I am also relieved that you didn't actually think like this. Makes me happy you're the person who I thought you were."
"Of course I was. The chances of me being different from who I am is next to impossible, obviously, I hide nothing!"
"That's good to hear."
Standing up, I say, "And in relation to those words, I have something to ask you."
"What is it?"
"Will you be my friend?"
"Huh?"
"I haven't been honest with you up until this point, and I think I kind of figured it out. I want to be friends with you, so will you be my first human friend?" I say while sticking out my hand.
Grabbing my arm, he says, "We are already friends you idiot."
Suddenly we both hear, "Can you two idiots keep it down I am trying to sleep you fools."
Turning our bodies to face him, we say, "Culainn!"
As we move towards him, I say, "You're up."
Aurelius says, "I knew you wouldn't die like this you old fart."
"My wife sent me back saying I had a nice surprise waiting for me, but this definitely isn't nice."
"You're right it is wonderful!"
Sighing, he says, "It's not bad, I guess."
"Good to hear," Aurelius says right before he collapses on the floor.
"AURELIUS!"
"Don't scream Setanta, it just seems I lost a bit of blood from my wounds reopening."
"Reopening? How did they reopen?"
"Setanta flung me into a tree."
Culainn gives me a dirty look and I say, "There was a reason!"
"What was this reason?"
"Oh, I tried to kill him."
Culainn says, "YOU FOOL!!!"
"STOP SHOUTING AT ME!"
Aurelius on the ground, says, "Help me."
"Oh right. Let's get you patched up."
-A week later-
Location: Dlúth castle, home of the house of Serlasracht
Φ Sitting on my desk, I read a note and then smile to myself, saying, "I did it, I finally did it!"
I found a fall guy to take the blame for my attack against Culainn. No there is no trace back to me from this incident, I can go and live freely.
Suddenly I hear a knock on my door, and I say, "Come in."
Through the door walks my wife with two cups made out of translucent plants.
"Spéirdeannach, my wife how great it is to see you after a tremendous victory."
"In what regard?"
"It's my secret."
"I see, well you are entitled to keep your little secrets, but so am I."
As she walks up to me and places the cups in front of both of us, I say, "Don't be like that my dear wife or I might just cry."
She pouts at me, and then I grab and put her on my lap and say, "Come on darling."
She flicks me on the forehead, then says, "It's too early in the day, and the tea I made us will get cold."
"Sorry."
Picking up the translucent cups, I say, "The colour changes depending on which side I look through it from?"
"Just a little creation I made to make tea parties with my friends more interesting."
"It must be fun being a druid. Your powers enable you to make all of these fun little things."
"It is, it must be unfortunate to be you."
"Don't rub it in."
Taking my cup, she pours it down my mouth whilst saying, "Well let my liquids make you feel better."
"Don't be crass."
She giggle a bit, then she say, "Hey can I talk to you about something?"
Wiping the remaining tea from my lips, I say, "Go ahead."
"You see, a few years ago I ran into Lugh Ó Faoláin."
"The disrespectful?"
"Yes, and I assure you he showed his lack of tact to me like he does to everyone. But during that conversation, he said something to me that sounded ridiculous. That you were the one who set up the accident that killed my mother."
I get slightly tense, but seeing my wife's relaxed body language, I say, "How ridiculous."
"I know. The event was prosecuted by the high kings' court and took place far before he was even born. The whole idea was utterly preposterous. But then I thought about it and thought about it."
"Spéirdeannach," I say as I try to move my arms, but I realise that my entire body cannot move.
"Is this some kind of prank honey?"
"I thought that if it was true, it would mean that over these last few decades, my father has been living what can only be called an indescribable hell. It would mean the man I choose to always be by my side was a liar who had manipulated my life for so long that I essentially had no freedom."
"I love you, Spéirdeannach."
"So, I looked into it and followed the evidence that Lugh left as if he was guiding me, then I eventually set up a communication device it your room."
She says, "Beast blood battle arts; Aon. Is a form that connects one's nerves and sense to that of nature, usually used for torture but can be used for reconnaissance, it's a forbidden form only learnt by those who the high king gives permission to."
I look around all the beautiful plants in the room and say, "The plants you gave me?"
"Of course, my darling. I heard everything including your conversation with Bricriu, and I have all the proof I need after Dáire little stunt."
"Spéirdeannach, I love you."
Kissing me, she says, "I loved you, and regardless you were a good husband, so how does; he was dying from a critical illness, and in his final moments managed to convince both the high king and his wife to forgive Culainn sound? I think that's a story our kids would be ok hearing."
"Spéirdeannach, please I have cared for you, and I have guided this house to prosperity. I don't deserve this."
"My mother and my human friends didn't either. Earlier you swallowed a little seed in your drink. Beast blood battle arts; Fás."
In his stomach a seed sprouts and rips it and other organs within him to spread.