Beyond Immortality

CHAPTER TWO

Right after the soldiers left. Aelid put the gifted necklace around her daughter's neck. Leonius had given it to her in good faith. The knights had proved to be good people, trustworthy whatsoever. The little family wished them farewell and a safe journey back to their destination.

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*Taliyah POV *

"What are you doing over there stupid," my ever so unkind elder brother called out shoving me careless from the table as I tried to reach some fruit mother had left me that morning. Well welcome to my life. My brother Ronan never let me rest in my father's house. He was a striking resemblance to father, with a huge pointy nose, hazelnut eyes, and pitch black hair shaped close to a bowl cut with angled bangs.

"Mother left me something to eat," I argued timidly.

"OH! I see," he retorts walking towards intimidatingly. My tiny feet reacted by taking steps behind. Ronan, however, was fast as he gave me a hefty shove causing me to lose balance and fall. I could feel my eyes sting, tears threatening to flow down my cheeks. The teenage boy was just annoying. What puzzled me the most was where his anger towards me came from. I remained respectful to him even though I was still a child.

"Did I hurt you? Are you going to cry little baby, are you going to tell on me?" he mocked. "I hate how our parents look after you like you some sort of egg. You always get what you want, Creena and I are neglected by our parents because of you." he spits poking my head roughly.

"leave me alone," I tried to defend myself trying to stop his poking which left my head in pain but it thrilled him more.

"I should leave you alone? Do you know who you are talking to," he pulls me by my clothes making me look directly at his arrogant face.

"Now I need a stool to rest my feet as I eat. Get on with it." I was on my feet to fulfill his wishes when I was shoved back to the ground, "I human stool. I watch him grab a seat. Slowly, I crawl to him on all fours stopping beneath him after which he puts his feet on my back.

"Much better," he says stretching his hand towards the table, grabbing the bowl containing my fruits.

"Brother I haven't had something to eat," I sob.

"Shut it! Who's your brother?" he goes on to kick me in the back with his leg.

Just then the door opens and mother steps in. Ronan is quick to drop his legs and stand. I follow him swiftly. Mother gives us a suspicious look. Ronan walks to where she is his gaze resting direct me.

"What is going on here?" mother goes on to ask glancing at Ronan and then at me. My eyes travel to Ronan who quietly demonstrates how he will smash my head should I open my mouth.

"We were just playing then she fell," he lies. Mother gives him a doubtful look before walking to me. I watch as she examines me searching to see if I have been hurt. This is how I live my life. Whenever our parents left me with either of my siblings I was bullied endlessly. I had the best parents.

Later on in the night, we had dinner at our little wooden table. Our house wasn't as big it was small and coordinated. It was a huge room divided into three sections using curtains which included our parents sleeping area my siblings and I shared the other and now the living room which was connected with the kitchen. At the farthest corner close to where mother cooked what a small storage room. Next to it were drums of water.

Every once in a while I escorted mother and my siblings to the stream to help fetch water. My help sometimes felt useless because sometimes I could carry an empty pot home reason being, that I either tripped fell and broke the pot, or forgot I was carrying water and ended up pouring it. My pot was not as big it was just the right size and weighed less. My mother never filled it with water anyway.