Mirror

Monsters

"I was born in a small shack. My mother told me she didn't know who my father was, but that was a lie if I ever heard one. Everyone knew because one of my hands came out deformed, small and smooth and pathetic like the Mugentr. Despite that, I was deemed fit enough for work. The strongest, the men, do battle. For entertainment or for protection of the city. The eelen were considered the most versatile and so were made to do work of both an intellectual and physical nature. Construction mostly. The women were considered useful only for reproduction and animal slaughter. The Mugentr are the only beings known to consume the flesh of another animal." His voice had given away nothing-had almost seemed bored- until that last statement. As he went on, the abhorrence he felt toward the Mugentr came through with such intensity that I began to feel detestable myself merely for sharing their appearance.

"They had no natural gift of strength as we do. They had no superior intelligence or creativity. Only a greater capacity for violence. You know, despite what we may look like to you more fragile creatures, we are a gentle people. We have no love for conflict and our stomachs churn at the sight of blood or the sound of pain. For centuries we butchered animals for their tables during the daylight hours and vomited our own meals in disgust during the night hours, believing it to be the lesser evil than resistance by force. We were fools! This world is and always will be better for our efforts in exterminating them."

A heavy silence hung in the air. My shadow assassin was concealed by darkness as he spoke from somewhere in the branches of the trees around us. It was lunch hour at school so I had come to Mirror to speak to him at a time when I knew everyone else would be asleep.

"It's true," he continued unbidden, "we are being well punished for our methods. The conflict that ensued left the land barren and the city in ruins. Mugentr children who survived the rebellion, yet uncorrupted by and ignorant of their parents' wickedness, harbor a well deserved hatred for us. We were not gentle."

"But if they understood what drove you it," I interjected.

"No," he replied immediately, but quietly. "Their heads may come to understand one day. Maybe some will even find it in their hearts to forgive us, but they cannot feel it. They will never understand what drove us to it. It's impossible."

I chewed on my lip. Was there no way?

"We are designed for violence, little hero girl. We need it to prove that we are trying the hardest we know possible. We must know within ourselves that we will use any means necessary to protect our own and ourselves. If I am not willing to violently defend you in the direst of circumstances, how can I say I really love you? In this same way I have finally come to understand the Mugentr. Violence is the only real power we have. If you don't have the ability to use it yourself then you have given all of yourself to those who do. And if they love you, you shall know peace. If they do not then you will be the one kind-hearted souls weep for."

"Then is that what this is all about?" I asked, choking on tears. The bitter sadness that had welled up within me threatened to erupt in sobs. The effort of remaining quiet caused my whole body to shake. "Proving that the shadows have power?"

"No, little hero," he replied softly, almost gently. "Violence may be justifiable now, but there is no denying that it-" He paused and cleared his throat. "It hurts." His voice cracked and my heart began pounding furiously with the realization that he too was crying. "And that we must do something, the only thing, to put an end to it all."