Eyes of The Forsaken

Chapter 1: Another Day

The burning of flesh stained my nostrils. The very sight of her, forever engrained into my memory. I watched as she silently reached out for me, the flames consuming her darkening figure. I could see her hair burning away, the skin tightening around the muscle and tearing. Finally, the last of her life had ebbed away, and she had gone limp.

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"Alright! Get the fuck up already!" With that, a large burly man smashed his foot into my torso.

Taking a boot to the stomach was a common morning routine. I coughed furiously, gasping for air, clutching at the dirt as if it would help me regain my breath. This didn't stop the man from delivering a second blow.

"I said get up!" The man scowled for a moment before storming off to the door, finally leaving the boy alone. "You've got five minutes, before I come in and drag you out myself."

Twice... He seems to be in a good mood. I couldn't help but laughed as I rolled over onto my back, staring up at the ceiling of the closet. I grinned, it was another day, I had managed to survive. Whether or not that was a good thing was a different story but one thing was for sure, those bastards aren't gonna win just yet. I rolled back over onto my side and coughed while gingerly touching the new bruise. Ah... I think he broke another rib...

This was nothing new, simply another day in my life. I stood up and winced, there was definitely a fracture. Slowly, I took in a deep breath, forcing myself to breath through the pain before slowly exhaling. I couldn't afford to be slowed down by a broken rib, didn't have that choice. I approached the bucket in the corner of the small room and crouched down before examining the water left inside. It was murky, having already been used to clean the floors the night before. 

Luckily, most of the dirt and muck had settled to the bottom, at least that meant it wouldn't be difficult to drink. I reached my hands into the gray liquid and scooped out a handful from the top layer before drinking it in deeply. This was the only time I was allowed to drink. Technically, I asn't allowed to drink at all. There was a time I had almost died from dehydration and this murky bucket of water was my only defense against such a fate.

I took a moment to stare down into the bucket of water, watching as the ripples dissipated and revealed a reflection of my face. 

Bright amethyst eyes stared back at me. I frowned, the more I looked at my reflection. They were a constant reminder of what I was. I shook my head, dismissing the disdain I held for my own self and finally walked out from the small room and into the hallway. Without wasting any time, I made my way down to the first floor. I took a moment to scan the area, this was the first floor of an inn, where most of the guests would gather and enjoy their meals. Tables were scattered around with a bar counter in the corner, not quite unlike a tavern. In fact, one could say this was a tavern, if you ignored the second floor with all the guest rooms.

While scanning the area, something had struck me in the head. When I looked up to his side, he saw a man large both in width and height. He has a large round nose and narrow eyes with a wide jaw. His name was Gerard, he was a merchant in charge of a number of trade routes and shops, although he did not own them directly. I don't quite understand the mechanics of it, but either way, he was in a position of relative influence. He was also the owner of the young boy he had just smacked.

"Quit fuckn standin around, you got shit to do." the way he spoke was more like spitting words than it was speaking.

"My apologies, I did not spot you right away..." I timidly bowed my head down, looking at the floor, before he smacked me again. Smacking me upside the head was something that always made this man feel a bit good about himself, the sensation of power and domination he felt in knowing that this young boy could do nothing to defy him. Once more he smacked me, for the sheer satisfaction.