Year Seven

Seven years have passed. Yes I have a rather firm grasp on the language. It has been a grueling experience to endure to say the least, especially with having to play off like I'm only a child, mentally speaking. I have learned a lot but nothing was more profound than when I finally found out, just last week in fact, what the conversation meant those seven years ago. I finally understand my mother's tears and why I've been chastised ruthlessly for unnecessary violence in any way. My anger at times has been more than I could manage which now has an explanation as well.

My kind, due to my paternal heritage, are loathed and feared immensely. I am a Lyabyst. To break down exactly what that is, I have compared it to the myths of my old life of the werewolf. I am almost identical to that creature except that instead of becoming an anthropomorphic wolf like creature, my kind becomes like that of a lion. Strangely however, 'lions' here are much larger and blue-black in color. I have had the opportunity due to my limited access to the estate library to discover a painted illustration of what a full Lyabyst looks like. Although the depiction might have been biased in its creativity, I can understand the innate fear and loathing of the Lyabyst.

Lyabysts when in full form are mindless raging monsters that thirst only for flesh and blood, killing for sport and sustenance without any discrimination between age, gender, race, or social status and without any moderation. In fact they will kill anything in sight until the full moon sets. Luckily for me however, I can avoid ever becoming this if I never take a sentient life.

If ever I was to do so, the blood thirst would be triggered. I would change then and there for an unknown amount of time, carving a path of blood and death until then. Then I would be subject to a forced transformation every full moon.

There is a mortal danger to these creatures and I was certain it would be silver, you know all cliche and what not. I was suprised to know that it actually is a black glassy mineral that heavily resembles obsidian from my previous life. They call in Lyavyn, which is Lion's Bane. It apparently can be molded in various ways and is an ultimate Achilles heel to a Lyabyst.

In the last seven years, all weapons and armor of the armard -guards- had been lined or smithed with this material. No doubt a back up plan should I grow to become the beast for which it was made to kill, but the reason was stated to be for the fact that an entire clan of Lyabyst were so close in proximity.

One would think they'd have killed off the clan by now or forced their migration, but they are impossible to identify outside of the full moon. They are just men and women - although the women don't transform - who have weeded their way into normal society as farmers, merchants, and normal citizens. Of course some have been killed. Every sighting is treated with immediate call to arms, and sometimes the investigations were fruitful with a lyabyst's corpse left to rot. Sometimes, however, the battles were lost and groups of men would never return. It wasn't questioned. It was understood what became of them.

I did find there were some peculiar things about this body I have. My strength was almost triple what I should have. This did not go unnoticed and I was put to work at the age of five, being able to do what some adolescents could. It wasn't until today that things decided to take a twist.

I was in the training yard cleaning up after the noon training session. I could carry a full sized one handed sword in each hand. That wasn't anything new for myself, but definitely above what my capabilities should have been. I had sneakily been playing around with trying to dual wield the swords for a while, but today I decided to try my hand at picking up two full sized one handed war axes. These are usually about a third heavier than the weight of a sword, but I lifted them effortlessly.

Usually, I would practice on the mangled hay dummies that the armard had used for training prior, but today I got lucky and there was one left behind unscathed. I looked around to make sure that I was alone without an audience as per usual. My record of having been able to do my duties without problems had made it known I didn't require supervision, so I didn't spot any on lookers.

"Ghed" (good) I stated with a sheepish grin, before lifting the war axes and giving them a spin in my hands. I then crouched lightly in a forward stance before back spinning and swinging the forward armed axe at the 'neck' of the dummy. Following through with my back handed axe, I slammed its edge into the 'ribs'. Stopping to look at my efforts, I was actually surprised. The 'head' had been effortlessly removed entirely and my other axe was deeply buried into the 'torso'. I stood there admiring my own work when I heard it.

"Siobhan!!!!" I heard Gerard call sternly from across the yard. I immediately cringed and dropped the axes. Busted...

"Siobhan Darensen, come here now!!" again firmly.

I turned with my head down and walked to him. I knew I was in for it. I just knew I was in big trouble.

"Are you out here playing with my weapons and destroying good training dummies!?" He said. Of course he was using his native language, but these are the words he meant.

"I'm sorry, Lord Gerard. What is my punishment?" I asked knowing that it was going to be very unpleasant.

"Punishment? Hmmm, I don't think that is appropriate." He said scratching his goatee, "Your finesse is barbaric and very untrained, but effective. You can wield those axes like you're in your teens... Very peculiar..."

"Lord, I'm sorry for offending your trust with unworthy ability..."

"If you apologize again, I'll knock you out, kid. I'm not angry. I'm impressed..." He said with a sheepish grin.

I looked up at him in surprise...

"Listen, finish the clean up and reset the dummies with fresh ones. Be here after evening meal for training. If I like what I see then, you will begin regular training."

"By Serapha, thank you Lord Gerard!" I said excitedly.

"You will not forsake your duties though. Any misbehavior whatsoever, it will end and you'll be sentenced to lavatory duties on top of your regular duties until I get sick of smelling you or I die, whichever comes last." He said with a grin but a stern voice.

"Haha, yes sir, Lord Gerard."

"Good, now hop to it, Squire Siobhan." He stated with a wave of dismissal as he turned around to go inside.

I turned and faced my charge. With a wide grin, I began cleaning and resetting the dawn of my future. I wanted his approval, envied it to a point of thirst. I would have his approval and it starts this evening. I will be the greatest and youngest warrior this estate had ever seen... And then I will get justice for my mother... here and against my father...

'You better still be alive you heartless bastard... Your life is mine... I will be the seed you planted that will be your end...'