Vesryn Pulse

Story of Lorelei

Amphere Harrison

Before I was admitted in the Dragon Knight's Academy, I spent some months living in Airi's Inn in the Goldcliffe City's slums. Estoff convinced me to, because living together in the same roof will increase our compatibility rate. And also they needed a new dishwasher since their manpower is short.

As I have said, I lived there for a couple of months being their dishwasher. I would wake up and accompany Airi to the dirty market to buy ingredients. Sometimes, we would ride to the farmlands in a dragonoid village to fetch some wines and other liquors. The snatcher kid Gaz is the only one who watches the inn until we come back. So whenever I come back at the inn, a flying kick will welcome me. Then I will strike him back, and strike at me back until Airi stops us.

Whenever Airi and I go to the market to buy some fruits, we only visit one merchant when it comes to fruits. It was the fruits stand of Lorelei. Beside from her top quality fruits, she also gives a lot of discount to Airi.

She is a beautiful young mother to six dragonoid kids. All of her "totally cute kids" (According to Airi) helps her in her stand. When the night comes, Lorelei comes to the main square of Goldcliffe City to sell apples in the royal night market, where all nobles can be found walking at night. She can sell her apples at double or triple the price because nobles mostly didn't care how much they spend.

Dragonoids are prohibited in this main square not because of the law, but because the nobles despise her. They hate her eyes, her smell, and her appearance. The nobles often call the guards to cast her off. She's not that dirty, but I am able to understand the complaints because I'm a noble. The hate between human nobles and slum dragonoids are like nature that is almost impossible to resolve.

Whenever I took a break from my dishwashing job, I would wander around the main square. Sometimes with my noisy Airi, and sometimes with the drunk Estoff. I would spot Lorelei from a distance, and buy two or three of her apples at their original price since she knows me.

I was intrigued why she has so many children so I asked Airi about it. It took a long time and real patience in convincing her but in the end; she told me her tragic story.

She was locked inside the facility of the government that involves Dragonoid Breeding. Since the dragonoids are considered as animals, they force them to mate each other to produce better results. The dragon form of the dragonoid is completely based on inheritance of their parent's DNA, or it could be merged (e.g. Earth Dragon and Fire Dragon will bear a Magma Dragon.)

There, she got six kids without any knowledge who the fathers are.

It's a completely cursed existence.

Good thing the Arcadia blew the facility up years ago. The dragonoids became free and started their new lives in the slums of Goldcliff City.

It was pitiful. It makes my blood boil and feel sorry at the same time. I have lost my faith in humanity.

There was one night when I bought an apple from her in the square. I watched her from the distance as she roams with the basket of apples on her shoulder. She asks people to people, rich man to rich man if they want her apples.

But she asked a wrong person once.

"Get lost, filthy demon!" An arrogant wealthy woman slapped her cheeks so forcefully that she fell to the ground. All her apples rolled away from her basket. Then one by one, the woman stomped her apples. "You're doing even have the privilege to breathe the same air I'm breathing, you witch! And you still think you can sell me some of your disgusting apples!? Bitch, I can friggin buy you!"

I didn't have the guts to help the poor Lorelei since I'm a weak teenager back then. And I think if I made an action, my family's reputation will be ruined. My ticket to the Dragon Knight Academy will never be approved if I had an issue against a higher noble.

Nevertheless, I continued to stalk her since I think I will have the courage to rescue her when another human beats her up. I tailed her until she entered a toy store. She bought a meter-long plastic robot. It appeared too heavy for her, so I revealed myself and carried the toy for her.

"It is Charlie's birthday tomorrow. I would like him to be happy just this once. It's a good thing that I sold all my apples immediately." She said with a smile. A fake one.

Liar. I'm pretty sure that the payment for this robot came from your emergency savings.

I kept my silence and just focused on the road.

When we came to her home, she happily gave the toy to her child Charlie. Charlie replied "Thank you! I love you so much, Mama!" Then they hugged each other happily.

Little did they know that their mother went through a lot just to buy that gift? She was slapped so hard in her left cheek, got all her merchandise squashed, and she even have scrapes on her elbows when she fell to the ground earlier.

It's a really cruel world out there for them.

This tightened my resolve to help the Arcadia create a new free world for the dragonoids.

Just a little bit.