You Are My Salvation

Chapter One

It was the beginning of spring when the flowers and trees started blooming. Some say it is the cursed season because the war began in spring. Some say it is blessed because it was the beginning of a new life, of a new adventure. I was sitting in our living room with my history textbook open and reading about the beginning of the battle which took place around two centuries ago.

"Clean up, dinner is ready," Mother called out from the kitchen as she put out the fire below the pot.

I hurriedly closed my books and arranged them for later. "Yes mother," I replied and got up to relocate them onto our living room couch.

I walked over to her and helped set up the utensils. "Call your father, too, he's extremely grumpy today and won't spare a word at me," she huffed a response and seemed to mumble something to herself in her mother tongue before scooping some soup into one of the bowls.

I nodded, even though she was turned away and walked towards the room of my parents. Our house was small, but it didn't need to be much bigger because our only family consisted of me and my parents.

My father could always be found lying atop the bed, watching from the only television in the house. Watching what, I did not know.

He had served the Government by going to battle like all men over the age of eighteen should have, those were the rules. And because the Mortal lands have so many more men than women, women were never required to go to war and serve the Government.

I smiled at his figure and sat down beside him, hugging his waist in the process, "mother says it's time for dinner." He looked away from the tiny box TV at the corner of his eye and there seemed to be a hint of distaste in his gaze before realizing it was me, not Mother.

"Hey, sweetheart, tell your mother I'll be right there in a second, okay?" I bit the inside of my cheek as he returned his attention onto the box TV and made my way to the living room.

Something was going on between my parents due to the hostility in his voice, but who was I to question him? I was his daughter, I was required to show respect towards my parents, all children were.

I entered the kitchen as Mother had just finished setting up the dinner table and was waiting rather impatiently, sitting on one of the chairs around the small square table. There was a hint of annoyance and the slightest bit of resent in her eyes. I gulped as I made my way over to her and stooped down to her level to give her a big hug.

She said, "it's okay, darling. Stay here and start eating." I nodded obediently, like I had always been taught as I watched my mother stand up from her chair and walk over to her room. I sat myself down and observed her slender back as she closed the bedroom door. But there was something wrong.

"Can you be less of an ass, Kedi?" The resent in my mother's voice clamped down hard.

"Sure, Qila, once you start to take some lessons on how to be loyal to this family!" The house seemed to rumble in my father's fake laughter.

"You should get your head checked then, who's the loyal one?" Mother hollered back twice as loud. There was some crashing and a bang on the door.

"Fine! If you care so much about that mute wench, I'll give you something to care about once she's a useless piece of shit!" The door slammed open and I jumped up from my chair in a startle. There were tears on my mother's face and in her eyes and my father's eyes were bloodshot red. He seemed to let out his anger by exhaling and inhaling very strongly. As he got closer to me, I smelled the slightest hint of alcohol in his breath and gulped in fear.

"Hey, sweetheart, your mother and I just had some misunderstandings, but now they're resolved, come here." I staggered in my footsteps and looked up at my mother, but she avoided my eyes. So I approached him cautiously. There was a mad look in his eyes as I walked towards him.