Sin of Man

Karina-1

  " Get out Ma'am this is your stop!" The carriage driver bangs on the side of the carriage and I jolt awake, my face pale and sweaty letting out a loud yawn and the color slowly begins returning to my face. I was home, finally after 10 years of war, 10 years is how long it took for them to make peace. Or atleast pull me out and take me home...unless they just didn't care, getting up I grab my bag and sling it over my shoulder.
  " 50 golds in your pouch!" I yell as I begin to walk away, I could hear the man's heart basically skip a beat in appraisal and thanks as he led the horses away.

Walking up the stairs I roll my eyes, all I could think about was how 10 years ago this stone had no cracks...no chips...no blood taint.I begin to notice the maids peaking from the windows as if afraid, Though I expected this as much it was at the most aggravating. Stepping inside the castle was eerily silent, the crane of the door acting as an applaud for my safe return. How hilarious, they couldn't even have Stalice waiting at the door, or my own pet dog...if they didn't set him free.
  " HELLO?" I say loudly as I walk through to the stairs, plopping my bag onto them. The sound of the armor and weapons inside clanging against them, a blade sticks out the top and I reach over quickly pushing it back down.
  I was wearing my military uniform, men's armor only dented to fit my bust, it wasn't shiny but dirty and marked with blood and battle. From behind I looked like a Fennoch man but from the uniform and front you knew what side I was on.

Walking around the corner of the livingroom I hear a loud gasp, the maid sworn to me from birth, Stalice, drops a tray of hot tea and screams. " AHHHH BETILE MORINA FUCK KARINA A WARNING PLEASE" she pants speaking the toungue of old. Smiling I laugh as I stomp over to her and wrap her in a giant hug.
  She hated hugs...and dirt....and blood....and basically anything gross, or intimate but i didn't care. Her squirming under my arms showing as living proof of her distaste for hugs, " Get off me child, your making the house reek and grow mold by the simple sight of you."

Now she sounds like my mother that's enough contact for now, pulling away I look down at her petite form happy she's smaller than me for once. " god you've gotten big" she gasps ruffling my hair, " and already making messes!"
  " Am not, I simply came home" I roll my eye playfully and she rolls hers. " Fine Ima go shower tomorrow I'll help you with castle duties" I giggle before giving her another tight hug, picking her up off the ground and waving her around.
    " PUT ME DOWN" she screamed, she must of been around 560 years old now, god time does fly. Putting her down I run up the stairs into the bathe room, it was a design of my own creation. It had a tunnel filled with water that was constantly heated, and two tunnels leading to the cliff connected to the castle. Meant to cycle the water in and out to keep it from being dirty, my idea spread from castle to castle once it was formed and proved successful quickly, God I was a smart 8 year old.

As my pale body lowered into the cream colored steaming water I groaned, watching as dirt, sweat, and blood drifted in chunks from my hair. It felt nice, the water darkening around me in result of my feats, showing how much It would take to take me down. It made me feel strong, stronger than my grown brothers who didn't partake in the wars. I will forever hate them for it.
  " Bathing Karina?" My mother's voice rang from the back of my head as I dove under the water. I didn't hear her voice often, other than in my dreams so I treasured it, as I held myself underwater I layed on the bottom of the tub wondering what it would be like to be lifeless, to not worry about anything but the hopes of a better next life. When my lungs began to burn and squeeze with the need to exhale I stand up, my hair now soaked to my back the white color it is standing out against the dark palace. " tired sister? We still have 400 pines to travel for a ball" My brother Karlin groans from the corner of the room. He was perfect, dark rich hair down to his shoulders, perfect untouched skin, black eyes, no wings showing.

" Yeah I know" I groan lathering soaps made of tree saps into my hair, washing the dye of beet root and unburned coal from my hair returning it to its white color.
  " good" he huffs pulling a lever and all the bad water flies out down the cliffs and new hot cream colored water pours in from the built in channel.I hadn't even realized that the water was a dirty brown color already, he should of let it be now the maids are gonna work extra cause of his spoiled ass. " You should know to pull the lever so your disgrace doesn't stain the walls" he chuckles before leaving. He just had to insult me in some way, his entitlement Enron's me with every breath that I take. I was first born but he got the thrown because he's a man unless I marry before he turns 18. Giving me 2 years to find my tie of soul again, and force him to stay...regardless of his ideas of me.

  With a sigh at the idea I realize how foolish it was, I couldn't make them stay even if I wanted to, that would be 100% up to them. The tie of Soul wouldn't let you marry if it wasn't willing, which is just what I need to keep me in reality. Taking a deep breath I dive back under the water and it all came back, " banischek" I whispered as my father and mother ran towards my bleeding form.
  I was 8 training for war, my mother wanted me to be able to protect myself since I was first born and a princess, I was her golden bug. She loved me for who I was and not how I looked. But my father didn't, he hated my white hair and ice white eyes, the white wings that dragged from my shoulders at all times. He hated all of me, " she's an abomination" I would remember him yell at my mother in the night. Complaining about whether or not my siblings would become one too. Something about me being different scared him and I didn't know why, was I more powerful? Brave? Strong?

   My father his giant statue of a king wanted to train me himself, as my mother said he was the best he should so he did. In any way he wanted. By 5 I killed my first wolf, 7 my first man. He was brutal, he said something about true experience is true learning, and after that day on his words were law. Until one day... he was out of control, in an anger fit about the war something about marriage would solve it all. He took me to the garden for blade to blade combat training, but this day his anger took to the best of him. With a slice that sounds more like a branch crack I freeze, jumping back from him.
  Staring at him as my hand reached to confirm what he did, my vision in one eye blocked making me tremble. The sight of him storming forward with anger and hatred engraved on his face. My mother running forward scared for my life, she was beautiful Even when scared she was beautiful. I was young, scared I didn't know what to do.

  " banischek" a word I had only spoke once before came out of my mouth, targeted at him. And in a just a split second with my breath a form of wind ice tour from my feet to them, engaging them both body and soul in a crystal. Meant to hold until I figured out to undo it, our most powerful generals tried to undo it, for months...to years.
After that day My brothers never talked to me, they didn't even try to look at me unless they were insulting me. Some maids would blame the incident on their unfairness with me, and some would blame it on me. My different appearance making me a devil in sheep's clothing, my missing eye proving as a factor.

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" Karina sit still my god" Stalice groans frustrated with the way she couldn't put a dress on me. Her hands tight around strings of the corset as I leaned forward wanting to run away.
" If anything this is helping" I groan, my hands wrapping around the edge of my bed as she screams and the corset slides around my curves with a pop. " I'm coming with you and you're only wearing it for the ride anyways" she huffs, panting as she ties the corset shut.

Taking as deep of a breath as I could I frown, my arms raising into the air. " Just for the ride my ass" I cough already wanting and trying to take it off. My hands grabbing the strings but she slapped them away with grunts of effort.
" Yes for a ride your mother had it magically bound to stay on till I took it off, And she also had it designed to fit your figure your mothers wishes" she crosses her arms with a comb in hand. She knew she had me with that as I froze and basically steam came from my nose.
" fine just the ride for my posture or whatever" I roll my eyes and sit down in her high chair. My mother didn't have much she wished for when I became older, only that I was allowed to marry my tie of soul or anyone I pleased...and this. God if I had figured out the spell by now I would've asked her to reverse this bullshit, and let me loose.

As she began to comb through my hair images and memories of my mother flash through my head, the sound of a song she sang to me coming in peices. Her voice like candle in the wind glitching with each breath, " bíum bíum bumbazina" she would sing. What it meant I don't know, I was never taught the voice of the old. Just that my family hadn't had tie of souls in 150 years, that it was my great great grandfathers fault and we were doomed to not have tie of souls for the rest of our lives.
  " come on dear we gotta get into the carriage" Stalice sighed, nudging my shoulder. I groan taking a look in the mirror. I was wearing a silk gold dress, my hair braided with big curlers in my head, this carriage ride would be long and hopefully forgotten.