I Am The Truth II

Chapter XXXIII: Part I: Ignition

Author's Note: This chapter is so long that I decided to divide it into multiple parts. Also, the flashback that spans this entire chapter features a few sensitive descriptions/events that you may or may not want to read, so you are totally welcome to skip if you so choose. Lastly, credits go to Aceand_Shadow, A bite-sized dish of Grek meat, Cloudless_Sky, and Grenaade for helping me generate some of the names of the characters that will be introduced.

Eight Years Ago...

"Come on!" Vitallius yelled from the cave's entrance, waking Indicumon from his sleep. "Get over here!"

".. what?" Indicumon slurred, putting his glasses on to see his excited cousin.

"There is a fight down at the fire-pit," Vitallius said before dashing away. "Get your ass over there quick if you want to see it."

Indicumon grumbled, getting out of his bed and grabbing his wooden staff. The fight would be broken up once the village elders were awakened by the commotion. However, he had good reason to be down there.

"Damn it," He cursed under his breath, hearing the loud yelling from not too far off.

A massive brawl had exploded in front of the barn fire. Osivian's family had grown so large that room for rivalries had entered into abundance. And where rivalries thrived, they frequently escalated uncontrollably into heated fights that could last for an hour or more. 

Here in the village, there were two camps, and any youngster who lived there was bound to pick a side for fear of their own self. On one side was Neptunus and a good majority of the village boys, many of whom were his own brothers and cousins. And on the other was a mixture of both boys and girls whom had been formerly bullied into submission by Neptunus and his lot. Indicumon had been spared from outright harassment, though he was certainly looked upon with scorn for his paralyzed foot.

Indicumon caught up to Vitallius, both of them taking in the sight before them. Dozens of Ardoni on either side were upon each other, punching and kicking. Indicumon immediately took notice of Neptunus in the fray, swinging out at any of his opponents unfortunate to be within striking range.

"We need to get them to stop," Indicumon said immediately. "Ky' Osivian forbade such violence, and especially not at this ungodly hour."

Vitallius however, was too excited to listen. He was eagerly watching, jumping up and down. Everyone on the scene had entered adulthood, but some like Vitallius simply didn't have the will to actively fight, though it didn't stop them from choosing their side.

"All of you disperse!" Indicumon yelled now, though the din was too great. "Ky' Osivian will not approve of this!"

Instead, the fight only seemed to get worse. Boys and girls alike were beating each other up, almost all injured in some way.

"Here she is!" A voice exclaimed. 

The leader of the second camp was the youngest child of Osivian, and his only daughter: Ria Sendaris. She was known well for displaying a highly aggressive nature that won admiration from many of her village peers.

As Ria entered, all of her supporters parted before her, makig a path that led directly to Neptunus. The irony here was that her chief rival was the eldest of her four brothers, both of whom's father was the village chieftain himself.

The din faded into silence as both siblings faced each other. 

"You should have stayed in bed," Neptunus said with a mocking tone. "As should have the other girls here."