The White-Eyed Demon

Chapter 1: Normality

Sirenia sighs heavily upon leaving her house in the city which she shares with her parents.  Overbearing parents who don't dare step out of societal norms, it drives her insane. 'When will this boring existence of mine change?! I want adventure! Thrills! To explore outside this Notchforsaken city!' She decides to go for a walk in an attempt to cool her head despite it being close to midnight. She starts down a road hardly anyone uses. In the distance she spots a pair of guards doing their nightly patrol of the city, she darts behind a bush and watches as they pass by. The guards do not even pause to check if anything was amiss. Sirenia waits until she can no longer hear their obnoxious voices before running to a large tree which grows right next to the city wall. She climbs up to the very top of it and from her favorite spot sits and watches the many mobs wander about outside the city walls. Eventually losing interest and talking to herself.

"How boring my life is. I do not want to remain here forever unlike my parents, who are so adamant on me marrying and settling down somewhere here in the city. I do not want to marry anyone. All the guards here are stuck-up and haughty, they talk big but I bet if an ACTUAL disaster occurred they would be fucking clueless on what to do. Probably cower in fear and fill the stomachs of the mobs. I want to fight the mobs, I want to live out in the big wide somewhere! I know adventure lies beyond these walls but no one except warriors, miners, pilgrims, and traveling Merchants are allowed to leave. 'Stay here' my parents say 'you're safe here' they say. Well I don't want to be safe, I don't want to live under a rule that gives everyone a false sense of peace and security. These walls will fail one day, I just hope I'm not here when that day happens but odds are I will be. But I do not intend to go down without a fight, lookout mobs, someday you are going to face me in battle, and when that day comes you should pray to your maker for mercy!" 

The first rays of dawn begin to appear over the horizon, sending Sirenia into a slight panic over how strict her parents are. She climbs down the tree and races back home, getting there just in time to start on breakfast for her parents who are beginning to stir. "They always wake up at the crack of dawn. Notch isn't even awake then!" As she starts to brew the coffee she hears heavy footsteps on the dark oak floorboards and instinctively knows it is her father. "What are you doing up so early Sirenia?" He asks groggily. "Couldn't sleep well, felt restless." Her father, satisfied with that answer goes and sits at the kitchen table. Yawning loudly, her mother walks into the kitchen. Criticizing Sirenia for her posture. "Are you an old crone?! Stand up straight girl! And don't open your mouth so wide when you yawn it's unladylike!" 

Sirenia closes her eyes tightly, doing her best to ignore her mother until she feels a sharp pain in her side, she looks and sees her mother is pinching the fat around her thighs. "You're getting to damn fat! No man will want a woman whose fat!" Sirenia glares at her mother and smacks her hand away, unable to control the anger anymore. "DON'T TOUCH ME! I'M SICK OF YOUR FUCKING NAGGING! YOU NEVER LET ME DO ANYTHING OR GO ANYWHERE! I--" Sirenia's statement is cut off by a hard slap across the face by her mother. "DON'T YOU TALK TO ME LIKE THAT YOUNG LADY!" Through hot angry tears Sirenia hisses out "I cannot wait to leave this Netherhole." Before her mother can retort Sirenia storms out of the house but not before knocking the pot of coffee onto the floor. Her mother screeches at her to clean it up but Sirenia doesn't even look back or acknowledge her mother. 

"I wish that witch was fucking dead." She whispers under her breath. Hearing footsteps behind her she turns around to punch who she assumes is her mother in the face. But a hand catches her fist. "That's a good punch Sirenia." Sirenia smiles, recognizing the voice as that of her good friend Steve. "Haha, thanks." Steve glances at Sirenia's house and can clearly hear the squawking coming from her mother, he makes a face. "Same old, same old?" "Yeah. . .I fucking hate it. I fucking hate being the mayors daughter. I can never do anything right in my mother's eyes! She said I am fat!" 

Steve looks at Sirenia, surprised. "What?! You're skinny as a twig Sirenia! Last I saw you anyway, have you been working out? You seem more. . .muscular." Sirenia smiles and nods her head "Yeah. I want to be ready when those walls crumble and mobs finally get through." Steve stares at her with a blank look on his face. "Um Steve, are-are you okay?" He blinks and shakes his head a couple of times "Oh yeah, sorry! Spaced out there for a moment." "I could tell. . .What's on your mind?" Steve goes silent for a moment, contemplating whether or not he should tell Sirenia about the news, he sighs heavily and speaks in a soft whisper. "Listen to me Sirenia, I think a war is coming. A big one! Notch has done an impressive job in making sure nobody is aware of what is going on outside the city walls. He does not want to cause unnecessary panic. For the past few weeks other neighboring cities and villages have been leveled, destroyed! Nothing but rubble, death, and fire is left behind! Notch has no clue who or what is behind it! Prepare yourself for all Nether to break loose here Sirenia. You have the heart of a warrior, and deserve to know what is coming." Sirenia stares at Steve in complete shock upon hearing all of what he just said. After a few seconds she responds. "How soon do you think this attack will be happening?" "I-I don't know. Me and Alex went to the city of Abrax and found nothing left of it but rubble and a couple survivors. The survivors had no idea what caused the inferno. But there were bodies everywhere!" "So. . .Why did you come here then?" "Me and Alex struck literal gold while mining and have been traveling all around to rid ourselves of it. We have no use for gold." Steve glances at the sky to see clouds gathering, blocking out the sun before looking back at Sirenia and hugging her. "It was nice to see you again Sirenia." "It was great to see you again Steve. You really should come here more often." Steve smiles awkwardly nodding his head. "Well I gotta go or Alex will worry. See you Sirenia, take care!" Sirenia watches as Steve runs towards the nearby city gate. Soon it begins to start pouring rain, thunder booming above like an omen, a portent of disaster to come.