The Half-Blood

Capter One: Duvessa

My mother was preparing food in the kitchen for some unknown event today when I left the house in search of medical herbs. I had asked what all the fuss was around the village lately, but she had only shrugged off my questions. I only assumed that all the preparation was for the yearly hunt. A hunt I try to avoid in every way possible. A hunt that only exists because of a hatred created two thousand years ago.

Nearly two thousand years ago to this day, humans controlled the planet. They ran the towns, cities, and even all the kingdoms, but they weren't the only species that existed. Back then, there were days and nights. We were taught that the planet would slowly spin, allowing the sun to come and go every 12 hours give or take. Humans were able to control the planet because the other species, known by many names, were forced to hide underground, where the sun couldn't reach. It was said that the sun could hurt them; that they were cursed. But one day, everything changed. The planet just stopped spinning, leaving half the world in an internal darkness.

The humans stuck in the darkness were killed off when the creatures reemerged from the underground. They took the side of darkness for themselves, killing any human who remained. Not much is known about what happened after that, but I had heard of a great war that lasted over 200 years, only ending when the two sides came to some kind of agreement.

I despise the hunt because I am a half-blood and the whole village knows it. Half human and half demon as they call the creatures of darkness. Using any other name for them is against the rules in the village. The hunters of the village would collect any of the demons they find in the woods and lock them up until the hunt. Were the demons released, given a thirty-second head start, and then hunted down and slaughtered by whatever weapon of choice the hunters decided to use that day? Mostly swords, bows-and-arrows, daggers, and rope have been used in the past. None of those people died quickly or peacefully.

I know my mother hates it, same as I do. After all, she was in love with one. He was forced to flee, leaving Mom and me behind when I was a baby. Since then, my mother has been doing everything she can to prove our loyalty to the village and the humans. It was the only way to keep them from sacrificing me to the gods.

"Keep your head down and don't get involved in any violence." She had said to me since before I learned to talk.

That didn't stop any violence toward me growing up. The words she said only protected the other kids from me. If I wanted, I could have taken them down easily, but that would make me the evil demon of the village. They could put me on the hunt with the other demons, or worse, they could punish my mother for not killing me when I was born. She helped me... gave me a chance to live and grow.

I have been trusted to gather any medical herbs and materials for the whole village. I spend up to ten hours in the forest just outside the village, gathering herbs and bark from both willow and oak trees. I use a large basket that requires both my mother and I to strap to my back. The fishers of the village would carry these baskets to the river to carry the fish back. They would give me nasty looks as I walked past them on the trails.

"Dirty half-blood... She shouldn't be trusted... What happens if she snaps?" They would say to each other. I could always hear them. A perk of being a half-blood, we have exceptional hearing. I would smile and wave to them every day as I walked past them despite their comments.

                                              ...............................

Gazing up from a small patch of echinacea flowers, I pointed my tired eyes toward the sky. Sweat beaded down my forehead as I blocked my eyes from the blaring sun. It's been rather hot today with no wind or clouds. Standing up, I tested the weight of the basket on my back. I was moving my shoulders in slow cycles before deciding it was more than heavy enough to call it a day. I stretched the muscles in my neck and shoulders before deciding to start my way back to the village through the shortcut. I took a deep breath as I hiked through the thick brush of the meadow back to the dirt road, which lay close to three kilometres away.

3 hours later

I went straight to the medical cabin to drop off the supplies to Lora directly. Lora is the head doctor in the village, I have always gotten along with her. But giving the supplies directly to her is a completely selfish act on my part. It makes sure that no one can frame me by messing with the supplies. The priest would take any reason to get rid of me, and I am well-hated here.

"This should last us a week or more. You've never brought me this much before," Lora said while looking through the basket.

"I'm going to be gone tomorrow for a few days," I said in a tired voice.

"Gone? Why?" She asked, worry filling her eyes.

"The hunt," I said, giving her a gentle smile and leaving before she could say another word.

I went straight into the small, run-down shack my mother and I shared since my birth. Taking one look at my small cot in the back, I couldn't help but crawl under my covers and pull the blanket over my head to block the sun.