the divine art of bullish*t

Chapter 1

A/n-not edited

What the fuck.

the customer i was serving at my mothers medical herbs market, kept babbling on and on about his life has gotten even more annoying in the last minute. I swear to fucking God if another word comes out of his mouth ill shove his stupid head farther up his ass.

 My mothers reaction oblivious to his flirting. gross. she giggled at his jokes and put her hair behind her ear. i scoff at his stupidity. so i snatch my mothers hand to reveal the ring in his face, waving it around like a red flag to stay the fuck away.

"she's taken." i start, "i'm sorry." no i'm not. i roll my eyes, his face turns into an embarrassing shade of red as my mother clears her throat.

"is that all sir?" she asks, handing him the bag of herbs as he nods, handing her three gold coins. we'll never pay off our home mortgage with so little money coming in. thank god Annika, my friend, was helping me. when your dirt poor, you take any form of money you can. 

I despised helping my mother, especially when the shit show of men groveling at her feet is all I can see. but I dont complain. my father, who had been a retired war officer, had been so busy keeping our family together that it's left my mother desperate. I grab the last crate of fruite and follow her inside.

I can feel the pain of my parents' broken relationship in my heart; it's evident in how they look at each other. My sister Aminah was the only thing holding them together, I can't help but feel neglected and unloved. My parents had always showered Aminah with love and attention, and they've always made me feel like a burden. 

When Aminah was personally selected for her job in the royal guard, my parents begged me to follow in her footsteps, but I refused especially after her death. i knew it was a death sentence. For this, they labeled me as selfish and unsupportive of my family's future. I feel like I'm living in the shadow of my dead sister, and it's a lonely place to be. Sometimes, I wish they would show me the same love and appreciation they have for Aminah. They make me feel like a reminder of their last and only failure of a child, and they'd thought that being rougher with me would toughen me up. it works, but sometimes it hurts. But it seems like they only have room for one child in their hearts, and that child isn't me.

my mother starts bringing the crates and jars of her herbal medicines inside our home, i hadn't even realised that guy was our last customer. i help my mother carry the crates, and at the same time my father walks in, with two dead rabbits in. before his hunting trip, i had begged to go join him just like we used to when i was young. but he still insisted i helped my mother, he said that 'a hunting ground isnt good for young ladies' and that my 'hot headed temper would scare away any dinner for tonight' well, normal young ladies don't know how to use a hunters knife, do they?

"Rena," my nickname making me jerk my head to my father, " help me skin these would you." it wasn't a question. his eye traveled to the brown rabbits and i begrudgingly walk over to the animal. taking the skinning knife out of his hands.

                                       ✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

the night came quickly, which i was grateful for. i packed my smallest bag with an extra jacket and bandages for what was about to come. i dont even say bye to my parents and walk out the door as they finish chores after dinner. they didn't even see through my lie when i first said i had found a job at a bar, they graciously allowed be to be out at night, only for the 'job' of course. sprinting down the forest behind the house. taking the shortcut i usually do down to the alleyway, the gravel crunching under my boots as i skid to a stop. 

I am suddenly standing in front of a door. I give the secret knock, twice, then once, then twice again. The sound echoes eerily through the stillness. I hear the door unlock and put my hand on the handle. The ancient rune, carved many years ago, is now worn out from countless hands that have touched it. I smile wistfully as I descend down the dimly lit stairs, deeper and deeper into the ground

I close my eyes and let out a deep sigh, missing the days of magic in Xalia. It was a time when the ancients ruled the land with their otherworldly powers, able to create and destroy anything they pleased. Those were the days when the skies were painted with vibrant colors, and the forests were alive with the sound of mystical creatures. But after their passing, we were left to live in peace, until the Dradevows province accused us of stealing their magic, and we declared war against each other. These actions angered the ancients, and from beyond the veil of the afterlife, they unleashed their wrath on us. For fifty long years, they sent hail, tornadoes, earthquakes, and thunderstorms to tear apart our lands. And when the storm subsided, we found ourselves shrouded in a thick fog, so dense that it would swallow anyone who dared to venture into it, creating a barrier between our provinces.

then it all stopped. the books claim that the ancients ran out of magic, or that it was stolen from their grasps by some darker force. and most people say that the ancients banished themselves of all magic, a sad attempt to end the war. Only then did the war continue, to their dismay, it has been for a hundred years, maybe more. and we were loosing. thats when our bitch of a king decided to conscript anyone any everyone he could into war, sometimes you would be conscripted as punishment for something as petty as stealing, or if you came from richer families, you would train at the ripe age of six until they turned eighteen. this shit was praised in our world, killing made people fear you, and the death made people strong. 

As I walked through the deserted hallway, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. Every time I turned around, there was no one there. But the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and I quickened my pace. Suddenly, I heard a rustling sound behind me, and I spun around to face the darkness. My heart racing, I wondered what kind of mysterious figure might be lurking in the shadows."what the fuck Anni! i could have killed you" i sigh in relief, and a smile spreads across her face.

"Heres the birthday girl" she drags out the last word while she holds the plate in front of me and only then do i realize whats on it. and birthday cake, with messy homemade icing and pink words 'Happy 17th birthday Rena!' a blue candle in the centre i smile at  her effort to make my day and blow out the candle before any wax got to ruin the lettering on the cake. 

at least someone remembered.