Call For Hatred

[September 21th – Elpida's border, Clogwyn area]

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Nion entered the forest that separated the two countries.

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"You are leaving Lands of Aleksithimia's premises, go back immediately." Ordered the operator.

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Nion remained silent.

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"You are now on Lands of Elpida. 'Mitera system' is now unavailable. If you don't reestablish the network connection within 15 minutes, we will send a rescue signal to your latest location," announced the operator.

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Despite the warnings, Nion pushed forward. As if a maternal instinct that she never thought she possessed had taken over her mind, her only priority was the child's safety.

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The smell of burnt trees and the sound of screams were getting stronger as she approached the village. The tension was increasing fast. Past the area of the fence, Nion spotted multiple camps that looked ravaged. Dead bodies lay lifeless on the wet grass. She stopped by each and every one of them, hopelessly looking for the child. The fear that she may not have made it in time rose, as her heart beat faster and faster.

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The air was getting dryer as if she was approaching an enormous source of blazing heat. When she finally arrived to the farming fields that separated the forest from the outskirts of the village, the horizon of bright red and yellow colors came into view, reflected in her clear, purple eyes... The village was engulfed in flames, the wind was whistling in her ears and the more she approached the blazing inferno the clearer the sound got; human screams, filling up her ears, urging her to haste.

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Flames of fire shone in all their glory; The scene was mesmerizing, awfully attractive. Its warmth along with the welcoming feeling of a heated breeze hid the contrast with the agonizing screams. It was as if the heat was beckoning to Nion to get in but the more she approached the village, the more insecure she felt. Burnt corpses were lying everywhere, the village was engulfed in fire; So warm, so beautiful, so full of hate, and despise. Almost every house was burnt to ashes.

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True to herself and her objective, she kept advancing, calling the child's name as loud as she could. However, it seemed like only the dead were keeping her company. The situation and her safety were at stake, yet, she refused to go back, knowing that if she returned there wouldn't be another chance to see the child. Her self-assigned rescue mission and the protection of Asta was her absolute priority, she simply could not afford to think of anything else.

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The occasional window was still in possession of its glass pane but most had broken so long ago that there was no trace of the shards on the warm, rotting wooden plank floors. In most houses, the roofs had partially caved in or, at the very least, had sagged dangerously inwards. Nion kept moving forward and finally arrived before a grand building that looked like the City Hall. In the middle of the square where she stood, there was a bonfire twenty meters high. Groups of masked people were executing villagers in front of it and then throwing dead bodies in the fire, while others from the same group were dragging small kids into cages of their vehicles.

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The heat coming from the bonfire was as hot as lava; Bright, yellow-orange flames danced and flickered as if performing for the crowd, ready to devour everything that was offered to them. The bonfire was a dragon, roaring with fury and spitting charcoal, the immense heat slapping Nion's face more and more as she tried to approach it. A couple of meters away from the bonfire, stood a man wearing a black coat with a big yellow crest on it. Unlike the others, he had removed his hood; yet, he wore an odd mask on his face, making it impossible to see his real features even with all the light cast on his visage from the bonfire.

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The smell of the wood, mixed with the smell of burnt human corpses that were being thrown into the fire was so strong that it started burning Nion's eyes. Far above, the dark black clouds lingered low and hairy in the skies, dried out/ The wind blew around the bonfire as if it were trying to appease the man-eating flames. The group of masked men continued to execute the villagers in gory and sadistic ways.

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Nion quietly approached the hoodless man who acted as the leader of the groups when she suddenly felt a drop of water on her head; it was about to rain.

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Eager to terminate the savagery she was witnessing and free the villagers from their imminent fate, Nion contemplated her options. She knew that if she engaged in combat, her chances to succeed without being noticed by the rest of the masked men were close to zero.

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"Look at that monkey! Ugu-ugu-ugu!" The man imitated a monkey sound as he watched a young man screaming in agony as the flames from the bonfire kept devouring him alive.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP! YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" The aggressor heartlessly yelled at the poor victim, while his other colleague was in tears of laughter.

"Make that monkey sound again!" laughed the other man.

"Ugu-ugu-uga-uga," he laughed. "How long do you think it will take him to shut up?" He asked his friend who was almost rolling on the floor with amusement.

"Oh my...that was some funny shit out there! Well, I would say, 4 minutes? Wanna bet some cash on it?" replied the other man.

"Right on!"

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The helpless man had his hands and legs tied together so he could barely move. He looked straight into his aggressor's eyes crying for mercy as his skin begun to melt. He succumbed to hysterical screams of pain until his vocal cords burned out, followed by quick suffocation.

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Suddenly the spring rain evolved into a downpour. The masked group ran for the cover while dragging their prisoners behind. Some villagers took this moment as an opportunity and managed to untie themselves. As soon as they could move on their own, most of them ran in toward the forest. The hoodless man noticed that some prisoners escaped and gave a hand signal to two of his soldiers to go after them.

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Both men started chasing the escapees. Some prisoners could barely run, their "Achilles tendons damaged during their torture; Starting off with an explosive spring, most of the prisoners became exhausted quickly and started rapidly slowing down their pace, while two robust masked men were promptly closing the distance between them.

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Nion observed the scene while remaining in the shadows. The aggressors were unknowingly running in her direction, unable to see her. As soon as the men crossed her path, with two quick moves, she sliced their throats wide open. Incapable to scream or call for reinforcement because of their slashed vocal cords, both men dropped to the ground, slowly dying in agony and pain. Due to the heavy rain and reduced visibility, the rest of the group had not noticed their disappearance, except for the hoodless man whose gaze was fixated on Nion.

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The ground had become muddy everywhere and Nion's feet squelched in the liquid dirt, the smell of gunpowder burning in the air... Ultimately, the screams stopped; Only Nion and the hoodless man remained in the empty square, facing each other. The rain was still pouring, trying to calm the intensity of the flames of death.

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"Oooh...We have a little mouse sneaking around my territory," said the masked man. "I know who you are... But, what could possibly be the reason behind this sudden visit? Come on I know you are there."

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Nion left the shadows and faced the man in complete silence.

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"So it is you who is behind of all this mess?" shouted Nion.

" Mess?! I am not sure what you are talking about... OH, you mean 'the Trash Cleansing', yeah?" he jiggled.

"Do you understand how many people lost their lives because of you?" shouted Nion.

"Of course...Not! Why should I care in the first place?" he laughed.

"Trash...Huh..." mumbled Nion.

"Okay, well...We can also call them pigs if that will make you feel better." He laughed again.

"What's so funny about that...?"

"Because you are making me laugh my little mouse!" He kept laughing.

"What are you after? Why do you do all this?" she cried, trying to debate with the madman.

"Why...?" he asked himself. "Why...Huh, I've never asked myself to be honest. They just … annoy me, I don't want to see their face around here anymore...I guess?" he replied. "Would you take that as an answer?"

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Nion was preparing for imminent combat as she understood that arguing with the man was pointless.

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"Well, I guess you don't huh...That's a shame you know! Because me and you are very much alike, Nion, or should I call you 'Trascendentium'?!" he laughed.

"How do you know that name?" she asked, perplexed.

"Hey, hey, hey! And that's a secret." He laughed again. "But, let me tell you something interesting! Did you know that among my mates, my little mouse is pretty famous!" said the masked men.

"I have no time to play with you.".

"Urgh, not cute...Not cute at all and that's a shame because I think you are sublime!"

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Nion started walking towards the man.

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"Wait, wait! Do you want to fight me? Come on! You don't want to kill me, I am your number one admirer, oh shit, I am actually number two!" he laughed.

"Can a 'Deadman' admire though..." said Nion.

"I am waiting for it." He giggled. "Waiting for you to kill me like you killed hundreds of the same people; oh pardon, that does not count, you didn't know. Maybe you are trying to 'Forget', in that case... I am 'Sorry' for that reminder; I don't want you to forget," he whispered.

"Everything because of you," Nion mumbled.

"Touché!" He laughed. "Now you are triggered! Hey, let's admit, we are so similar you and me, and you know what? I am disappointed seeing you here... Do you want to know why?" he asked.

"I will cut your shameless mouth-" yelled Nion

"BECAUSE NOW YOU WANT TO BE A FUCKEN HERO!" he shouted out of nowhere. "Look at them..."

He disappeared for a brief second and when he reappeared he had dragged a young woman to the scene. He grabbed her by her hair was as she struggled, then stabbed her legs with wooden sticks. The woman screamed in pain and agony.

"LOOK AT HER NION!" he shouted to Nion. "What do you see? Do I look like her?"

"LET HER GO!" yelled Nion.

"ANOTHER NOBODY!" he yelled.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Nion continued begging him to free the victim.

"I don't understand, why do you care about them, tell me?" He grabbed the woman by her long black hair.

"You are insane!"

"INSANE?! ME?!... I don't think that you've ever seen anything insane..." As he finished his phrase, he grabbed his victim by the neck as if she was weightless.

"Oi, oi, oi! 'Insane' is a strong word! You should not be using it like that. Insanity is like an art of delusion and pleasure that nobody understands."

The hooded man was taking his time as he slowly tightened his grip around her throat, enjoying the sight of his victim struggling in the mid-air, until she completely lost her voice and dropped her arms, having lost all consciousness.

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"LET HER GO!" shouted Nion.

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"Huh...? Hey, you! Wake up! I am not done here!" He started shaking the woman with both of his hands. "Hey, hey, hey! Don't tell me you are already dead? What the fuck...Already...?! Fuck--" Utterly disappointed, he grabbed the woman by her hair and threw her body right into the bonfire flames that rose at least 25 meters into the dark, overcast sky.

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Nion stood frozen, astonished at what she had just witnessed.

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"I am waiting for you! Why don't you attack me?! Come at me, let's end this fucken chit-chat bullshit and slaughter each other into pieces!" He waved his arms as if his whole body was experiencing something rather orgasmic.

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He lowered his arms in a sign of boredom and sighed. " You see, I got a serious dilemma here... A citizen from the Lands of Aleksithimia has trespassed into our country, disturbing our peace and on top of that, killed two of my men," said the masked man. "Do you think I am an idiot and haven't realized why you keep your distances from me?"

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"Where is peace? WHERE?!" Nion was boiling inside with red hot anger and frustration.

"What is wrong with that? They invaded my lands, I am just getting rid of the nuisance, the same way you did just yesterday. There is 'nothing' you can do about it," he whispered.

"You are letting your men throw innocent people into the bonfire, crucifying and assaulting women! Is that what you call peace?" shouted Nion.

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"YES! My peace. So, you are saying that protecting my country from these savages who came here out of nowhere, occupied "my" lands and now are trying to reclaim it as a part of their home... is wrong? Our elders fought for every piece of land that you are all stepping on with your dirty boots. Y'all's presence in this country is soiling our sacred ground!" said the masked man. "Now think very carefully. I don't care what you came here for, but the fact that you just killed two of my men irritates me. And I do not like being irritated! I will give you the offer of your lifetime, go back to your country and never come back!" ordered the masked man.

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"All of these people are running into my lands because of you!"

"Well, that problem is now solved!" He pointed to the bonfire.

"That is savagery!" Nion shouted.

"Maybe you wanted us to conclude some sort of a peaceful agreement!? Don't make me laugh!" He threw his head back, laughing at the thought. "They illegally occupied my country! You want us to become friends maybe? Tell me Nion, what makes you different from them, coming to my lands and telling me what is right and what wrong?"

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Nion remained silent.

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"You and I are very much alike, both protecting our homeland and its policies. I just did your country a favor by burning these pigs alive, so their little adventure ends here. Yet, you still act as if you cared..." said the masked man while he began to advance towards Nion.

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"Yesterday, when you killed that woman...Urgh, what was the name of that bitch...Pipopo, Papipa...AH! PIPOLA! Aah! You know who I am talking about, huh? That one with two kids, does it ring any bells?" he laughed.

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"Shut your mouth..." Nion said through her teeth.

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"You killed that "poor woman" right in front of her kids...Tsk tsk tsk." He made a gesture to his men to surround their uninvited guest. "Tell me where was your heroic spirit yesterday, huh, lady Justice? How did you feel killing an unarmed woman, huh?"

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"SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!" Screamed Nion.

"Look at you...And you are giving me moral lessons, how dare you?!" he laughed.

"ENOUGH!" shouted Nion.

"ENOUGH OF WHAT?! COME ON, SAY IT!" he laughed sarcastically.

"I AM NOT A MURDERER!" she shouted back.

"THEN WHO ARE YOU?!"

"I...I..." Nion could not find the right words.

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From the beginning, this conversation had been nothing else than a one-sided emotional abuse. Nion was still too young and naive to understand that she was simply being manipulated. The stranger himself knew exactly what he was doing and he was enjoying every bit of their conversation, switching topics, portraying his adversary as the villain, showing no empathy and certainly no pity at all. In truth, he was just bullying her, instilling fear and guilt in her heart, meddling the confusion to fog up her mind and soul... And he was good at it.

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"Poor kid, he was crying in my arms." He mocked her.

"Where is he?" Nion shouted in exasperation.

"What do you want from him? Wanna finish him off as you did with his brother?" he giggled.

"Where is he?!" shouted Nion.

"Who knows…Maybe he is dead by now...Maybe not." The masked man was orchestrating with his hands, giving strategic orders to his men to take positions.

"Then I will make you spit it out by force!" She menaced him.

"Oh, oh... Scary, scary!" The masked man removed his long jacket which had been hiding the big, yellow, crest-like ornament that was covering his chest like some sort of armor.

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Nion all of a sudden found herself surrounded by his men; there were more than fifty assassins around her, armed to the teeth, just waiting for their leader's signal. While Nion was distracted by the circle of killers that had congregated around her, in the blink of an eye, their leader closed the distance between them and was standing right next to her. Surprised by the speed of his movement, as she failed to see him coming, Nion found herself at the mercy of the man with the yellow cross armor.

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The masked man grabbed her chin, tilted her head upwards so that she was forced to stare right into his heartless eyes, and started whispering into her ear.

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"Our lovely discussion ends here... I really like your guts woman! You are a fearless warrior, I respect that. Now, let me offer you two outcomes for this beautiful evening:"

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"One: You get out of here with your tail under your legs without ever coming back to my lands, and I will close my eyes to the fact that you trespassed and most importantly, killed my men. Two: We can end this right here and right now like real warriors would do, but I don't think you will..." He smelled Nion's face. "Because you smell, fear...".

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"Know that if you try to harm me, just make sure to kill all of us, because if even one of us escapes, we will make sure that tomorrow our beloved emperor Elpida is made aware that Aleksithimia had infiltrated our lands and during the pursuit, two local citizens were killed," he said.

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"Ah! And since you are here, let me tell you something interesting... Regardless of today's outcome, tell your boss to be ready because a new war is not far away from your door - I want some 'Action'!" said the masked man. "Either way, we are going to make our move sooner than you think. And when it happens, I know someone who will rejoice to see you..." As he finished his sentence he removed his hand.

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"I will never forgive you for what you've done! You'd better watch your back!" Nion spat right into her aggressors' face.

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"Eh... We're all going to die one day, but you know what? You can die tonight." He laughed. "Just kidding! LET HER GO!" shouted the masked man.

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The rest of his men were eager for blood and disappointed at being robbed of the opportunity to ravage the young Keeper, they started insulting and whistling at Nion, like a pack of hyenas waiting to devour the lion's prey.

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Nion was aware of the fact that she didn't stand a chance against so many foes and, more specifically, their leader, who intimidated her more than any enemy she had encountered before.

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The group of aggressors followed her with their eyes until she entered the perimeter of the forest and disappeared from their hungry, bloodthirsty sight...