[2] Reality Check

[2824 words]

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"If only the world could exist without borders, without violence, without greed," Nadia said as she sat under the calm moonlight.

Damien remained quiet as he heard her words.

He didn't believe such a thing was possible, both from the perspective of his old world and the new.

Humans, or intelligent species in general, are destined to fight.

Nadia wasn't naive enough to believe her own thoughts, she was just a little too kind.

…

"Hmm?"

Nadia's eyes shot away from the starry night onto the quiet village; her gaze, wary.

Moments later a smell of fire pervaded as the bright embers lit up certain parts of the village.

"What's going on?"

Damien stood up alongside his mother as they heard screams and painful groans echo throughout the area.

Nadia squinted her eyes as she ran into the home, Damien left outside, frozen.

"Help!"

A bloodied man ran out from the faraway street, towards Damien's home.

His eyes were swamped with fear as the bloodied trail followed him.

*Thump*

The man fell not too far from Damien, his life near its end.

Damien recognized him as Nacrossa, a fellow villager he'd known since he was a toddler.

"Who did this to you?" Damien questioned as he put pressure on the gaping wound in his stomach.

"D-Damien… you must run! They're here… the pirates are here!"

With that, Narcossa passed away, his eyes empty of all life.

Damien gulped as he felt the man's body go limp, his first time seeing a corpse, let alone one from a murder.

"So this is where you ran, Lololo! Looks like there's 'nother little house here for us to ransack!" 

Damien's gaze fell upon a man in a red coat and shaggy beard.

Fresh blood dripped from the sword in his hands as he licked the blade, a wide grin plastered to his face.

.

Damien subconsciously took a few steps back as the pirate walked towards him.

"Don't worry, I'll end it quickly!" the man roared as he dashed forward, his blade ready.

Damien froze as he felt the cold grasp of death once again.

And suddenly a sharp whistle resounded by Damien's ear as he saw a black shadow shoot towards the coming pirate.

"Ugh!" The man roared out as he was shot back nearly two meters, his body impaled with a rusty spear.

Damien turned his head to the side as he saw his mother as she stood near the door to the house.

Nadia gazed at the dead villager as she walked to the fallen pirate.

Her foot pressed into the ground as her hands grabbed the spear.

Damien's eyes widened as he saw his mother shift the spear back and forward, causing it to cut apart more and more flesh of the pirate.

"Ahh! S-Stop! It hurts!" 

Nadia continued her actions as she questioned, "How many of you are there?"

The man continued to groan but didn't answer.

A look of impatience flashed by Nadia's eyes as more blood gathered under the pirate.

The sound of gurgling flesh rang out as she weeded the spear out.

*Shwack*

She then impaled the man's back as he exploded in pain.

"E-Eighty! There's eighty of us!" 

Nadia took a deep breath as she heard the answer.

The man then slowly gazed up, blood poured from his smiling lips.

"B-Both of you will die!"

"You bitch! My boss will enjoy yo-!"

A sharp screech rattled onto the man as his brain was overwhelmed with a powerful force, and his eyes rolled back into unconsciousness.

.

Nadia turned around and gestured at Damien, "Damien-chan, come with me, hurry!" 

She yanked the spear out from the man without a second thought and ran into the island.

Damien shook his head in disbelief, 'Was my mom always such a badass?'

He looked at the pirate who was sure to die from blood loss, picked up his sword and ran behind his mother.

.

"Mom, shouldn't we run into the woods rather than towards the pirates?" Damien questioned with uncertainty as he jumped over a fallen tree.

Nadia looked to the side and shook her head as the two continued their run.

"That man had a crest of the Blazing Pirates on his coat, they like to burn down the villages and islands they loot. Hiding in the forest is death, and escaping through the sea in these currents is the same." 

She then looked at the village, "Sometimes the most dangerous place is the safest!"

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"No!"

An old man roared out as he grabbed a bloodied woman. 

It was Naruhe, the village chief. 

His grief-struck face was covered in blood and tears as he held his dead sister. 

He picked up a rake and walked up. 

"Hey, hey, old man. Go join that old hag in the afterlife!" 

A bald pirate laughed as he saw the enraged chief. 

Naruhe swung the rake with all his strength, just for it to be dodged without problem. 

The pirate closed into the old man and drove his sword into his chest. 

"Ugh!" Naruhe cried out as he fell to the ground. 

The pirate just snorted as he kicked the rake to the side. 

He was about to slash at Naruhe's throat until an unsettling whistle broke out. 

The creaking of bones then followed as the pirate flew into the wall of the nearby house, his body two feet above the ground as a long spear was engraved in his heart. 

.

Naruhe smiled at the dead pirate as he saw the two people walk to him, a woman and a young child. 

"Nadia… you must hide, they are only the scouting party here and many more will come soon!" 

Naruhe's breathing then halted. 

Nadia smiled at him as a tear ran down her cheek. 

She gently closed the man's eyes. 

Damien who stood at the side could only gaze at his surroundings. 

The cheerful village, once a hub of joyful people was now turned into a hellhole. 

Dozens of bodies laid out, some in pieces, some unrecognizable. 

The creaky wood that once brought comfort and nostalgia bathed in blood; a heavy stench filled the air. 

Damien rolled his hands into a fist as he felt the despair bloom in his heart, mixed with anger, grief, fear and wrath.

*Pat*

He then felt a warm hand gently touch his cheek, it was Nadia who had come before him. 

"Come, Damien-chan, we don't have much time."

The two then ran deeper into the core of the village, the pirates' main party not too far. 

…

"Here we go," Nadia muttered as they arrived at the center of the village, the well before them. 

Nadia was breathing heavily as she held the rusty spear in one hand. 

Her condition worsened due to her sickness. 

Damien turned to the side as he heard a bustling noise around 200 meters away, within the forested area.

It was a group of men, around 70 of them. They marched closer by the passing second. 

Nadia noticed them as well and she moved fast. 

*Creak*

The wooden bar creaked as Nadia pulled up the bucket to the top. 

She turned to Damien and kissed his forehead. 

"Damien-chan, I need you to do as I say, okay?"

Damien saw the look of his mother and felt a foreboding feeling.

Nadia smiled at her child's worried eyes, "Hold onto the well, I need you to hide down below."

Damien immediately refused, "You should go first, Mom! The well is wide enough for us bo-"

Nadia put her finger on Damien's lips as she shook her head.

"I can feel it, I don't have much time. I knew this day would come but I wish it wasn't under these circumstances…" Nadia's voice cracked at the end as she tried to hide her distraught.

"You must live, Damien. If not for yourself, then do it for me!"

Damien was about to shake his head but then saw Nadia's unswerving gaze.

He took a deep breath and nodded.

*Creak*

The wooden bar that the rope was tied around creaked as Damien held onto it.

The young child put his feet onto the cobblestone walls of the well and his hands tightly grasped the rope.

Nadia smiled at Damien's agreement as she looked away into the forest.

The pirates were only 40 seconds away.

She then raised her hand into the air and closed her eyes.

A soft wind blew through.

Damien looked up after he secured himself, ready to rappel down to the bottom of the well and saw something incredible.

The tree not so far away started to shift from its stable position as it seemed to move on its own.

The branches bent in unnatural, human-like movements as they seemed to reach down to Nadia's raised hand.

The branch was now only two meters above her hand as it then seemed to shake.

Another branch came from the side, only this time, it had something attached to it, a fruit!

*Snap*

It was like a quick tear of a string as the fruit seemed to free itself from the branch and fall into the woman's grasp.

Nadia eyed the black and red fruit with a soft smile.

She then turned to Damien and met his shocked eyes.

"Take this, your father told me about magical fruits that gave powers, it has kept our village safe for years and I'm sure it will keep you safe too."

She gently placed the fruit into the bucket as Damien did.

The mother gazed into her son's eyes as if she were treasuring the moment and engraving it into her mind.

.

The pirates' relaxed walk was just seconds away as Nadia gave one last kiss on his head as she gently said, "Go."

Damien then started to rappel down, the rope barely holding his weight.

His eyes were lost, knowing this was the last time he'd see his mother alive.

The rocks that lined the 50-meter-deep well began to chip away as Damien continued his descent.

After around 30 meters, the rope seemed to start to give way from the weight.

The individual strings that were spiralled around it began to stretch and tear. Damien felt the failing integrity of the rope and went faster.

*Snap*

Five meters further, the rope split.

Damien's hands tried to grab at the moss-covered walls but they simply tore from Damien's momentum.

The young man held his voice, gritting his teeth, and fell 15 straight meters down.

Knowing such a fall could lead to grave danger, Damien shifted his weight such that his body was straight, his legs pointing down, and his knees bent.

Alas, the fall came to an end.

*Crack*

"Ugh!" 

Damien cried out as he held his mouth shut, his legs seemed to pulsate as he felt both of them break, his bones unable to fully absorb the force as they snapped without mercy.

Spinal, pelvic and other internal injuries were surely possible as well.

…

"Look at what we have here," a masculine voice boomed with a rather humorous tone.

The pirate with nearly 70 other companions surrounded a silver-haired woman.

"What a beautiful woman!" 

"Captain, she'd sell for millions!"

"Why don't we make sure she's up to standards ourselves?"

Nadia squinted her eyes at the pirates who glared at her with unsettling gazes.

She twirled the spear in her hands, the drying blood on it stamped the grassy ground.

The lead pirate cracked his knuckles in return as he gave an order, "Make sure she doesn't take any lasting damage!"

The pirates cheered in a boisterous manner.

Nadia raised her empty hand.

The pirates seemed alerted as the slender hand began to glow an unsettling green.

She then suddenly made a fist.

*Creak*

The forest nearby seemed to come alive as the branches suddenly shot out at incredibly fast speeds.

Blood splashed out as tens of pirates were instantly killed by the attack, gaping holes left all over their now-cadavers.

Nadia then ran frontwards as she threw her spear at great speed, nailing the captain in the chest as he was nailed onto a tree nearly 5 meters away.

"You monster!"

A pirate roared out as he saw his companions getting ripped to shreds by the sharp branches.

He ran forth at the woman only to have his throat pierced through by a 30-centimeter-wide branch.

Nadia kneeled to the ground, her hands still glowing green.

The pirates were reduced to nearly half.

.

"Damn woman! You lot, light the forest on fire, I want to see how long she can do this for!"

Then men nodded as they ignited the woods with some oil and alcohol. 

The dry temperature quickly set the surroundings ablaze into a fiery hell.

The heat invaded the area as the tree began to die out.

"W-What about the loot!?" a pirate questioned.

"Forget it! There should be heavy rain tomorrow, we will pick up what is left then, retreat for now!"

They then ran out from the slaughter as their numbers were reduced to around thirty.

Nadia broke out in a loud gasp for air.

"Ugh," She groaned, blood leaking from her mouth and nose.

'I can't let them get away or else Damien-chan will be endangered…'

'No matter what!'

'Stop…!'

She fell to the ground while watching the thirty or so shadows disappear, the heat worsening her condition.

'Stop!'

In a last moment of desperation, Nadia seemed to unleash a burst of energy, taking everything out of her.

…

A few seconds later, the 30 or so pirates slowly felt a great weight on them as their eyes rolled back into their skulls, dropping to the ground like flies.

The fire only grew as their unconscious bodies were caught ablaze, leading to their untimely end.

Nadia gave out a soft smile as she crawled near the well.

She placed her bloodied hand onto the cobblestone walls of it.

A green light suddenly emanated from her hand as it shined the walls of the well as they spread tens of meters down.

The gaps in between seem to shake as vines and moss burst out vibrantly, slowly growing and sprouting about.

Within moments the wide open well seemed to close and sheets of green enclosed it wholly, making it seem as if the well went untouched for decades, overgrown with vines and moss!

Nadia finally sighed in relief as her life began to give way.

She finally leaned onto a crack in the ground that seemed to run into the well.

…

Damien reeled in pain as he tried to aright his body, straightening his broken legs.

His face was bleeding heavily and a deep gash was adorned right above his right eye—it would certainly leave a mark.

Aching pain pulsed through the left side of his body, originating from his hip.

He slowly stabilised his breathing, knowing that he'd need to preserve energy.

Damien looked up and saw the open night sky, and then suddenly felt the entire well shake.

The open sky darkened into blackness as it was shut closed with vines and moss.

'This is mom's fruit power…'

Damien's eyes widened in shock as he heard some whispers.

His body was too hurt to speak, his consciousness was drifting in and out but his ears picked up the sound.

"..." It was the sound of a breath, very faint but audible.

"Damien-chan..."

The boy tilted his head to the left and saw a crack in the wall, it was the sound of his mother running down the aged well!

"I don't know if you can hear me, Damien-chan, but I hope you can."

Damien just stared at the cracked wall as tears seemed to escape his eyes.

"No matter what happens, no matter what tribulations you face, no matter who stands against you, just remember that your mom will always stand on your side."

"It will be very hard after tonight. But no matter what, the sun will rise in the morning and things will get better."

"Mom will say goodbye now… but do me a favour, please."

"I only want one thing from you, my treasured child."

"Gather those who you can trust with your life. Marry a beautiful girl. Treasure them deeply for they will be your greatest strength."

"Live on for yourself, for me, for your father."

"Live, my child. Live."

Damien's eyes slowly closed as the voice subsided, his mind unable to keep conscious.

"..."

A deep silence seemed to shadow the entire village as the night ensued. 

A tragedy hidden away; forever unknown to the rest of the world. 

To Be Continued…

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Author's Corner.

Not a fan of tragic pasts but I don't see how your average dude would fully immerse into a fantasy world. 

Many fanfics have their protagonists just become cold-hearted edgy characters who somehow just inhale their new reality. 

It sounds easy on paper but it would surely be akin to having your world and perspective turn upside down.

Images: https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q