A Toxic Fate [Tyrian Callows Origin Story]

Chapter 2

In Vacuo, we all follow one very simple rule. If you can survive, you are welcome. However, that does not erase the prevalent racism in our society, nor the ableism. I was born with two defective golden orbs and a tail with a blade at its end, and thus I suffered the consequences. There were bat Faunus and octopus faunus, even the occasional gecko or poison dart frog, but a scorpion was a real treat. I was a liability more than anything really. Soon after the invasion, I found myself alone in a sea of vast nothingness. My eyes could only make out the light of the sun, and my body could only feel its rays and the soft sand beneath my feet. There was nothing to hear other than the screech of the vultures flying above my head, confident that this scorpion toddler would be their next meal. In time.

My small, weak legs began to fail me as I scuffled along in the desert. There was a faint fragrance that partially reminded me of my village: char, spices, herbs, and the saltiness of the dust and sand combined to smell like home. Yet it was still different, as was every town in Vacuo. A sweet smell outdid all the others, but what was it? I was raised to see a scorpion frozen in a sphere of amber on a stick as a treat, but this smelled far sweeter than any honey. It overwhelmed my senses and dulled the hunger I was feeling, only to amplify it moments later. Although I could normally make out brighter colors, this strange village was blanketed in smog and dust. I followed my nose through the wide streets, keeping my tail safely coiled around my belt. Who knew what these humans believed in?

"Fresh cotton candy! Come and get it!"

"Desert crabs, only two lien a pound!"

It was all so heavenly, these things that I had never even heard of before. Was this what it was like to be a human? To be a common faunus rather than an exotic freak of nature? Perhaps I could keep my tail hidden and manage to blend in with the large crowds. It made for a convincing- and stylish- belt, and no one would likely pay any mind to such a small and irrelevant child while they had their own lives to look after. This wasn't selfishness nor greed, I was taught. No, this was simply the way of survival.