I feel like I'm submerged in water. Everything feels so calm, so tranquil. I feel like all the weight is gone. Is this a dream? Or am I dead? There's nothing. Then all of sudden I feel a sharp pain on my head.
"Damn that bump almost flung the cage out of the wagon." A deep voice says.
I try to grasp my aching head but realize I can't move. I look down and see I'm bound in rope. My hands are tied together and secured behind my back.
"...Why am I tied up?"
That's the first thing I say when I wake up in this cage. I see the six people who attacked me sitting in front of me.
"Hey! Get me out of this!" I yell.
"Shut the hell up."
"What?"
"I said shut the hell up."
One of the men points his sword at me while the others look at me with contempt.
"That village scrapped together all their money to hire a party to get you out of those woods little lady, no way we're gonna let you out of there."
I realize I'm bound tightly to this wooden frame with several ropes. I grit my teeth and struggle against my bonds.
"Ugh, dammit."
"Just be quiet and nothing bad will happen."
"You seriously think I believe that?"
"Doesn't matter what you believe since you're stuck in that cage."
I glare at them but they simply ignore me.
"So what are you planning to do with me?"
"Well first we're planning on taking you back to that village."
I tense up.
"Back to the village, why?"
"Because that elder said he wanted proof we completed the job. Once we bring you back he'll pay us for our troubles."
"So what happens after that?"
"They didn't specify that killing you was part of the job, plus killing a little girl like you would leave a bad taste in my mouth."
"Really? So if you killed a grown woman it wouldn't bother you?"
"It depends on the situation I guess, but we can make a lot more money selling you to Roderick."
"Who's Roderick?" I say tilting my head in confusion.
The lady archer pipes up. "Roderick is the manager of the colosseum in the capital and he's looking for new fighters. Since a lot of the fighters die rather quickly we're sure he'll take anything people offer."
I want to laugh. They're basically telling me my life is over before it even started. I want that to be a joke but I can tell they're serious.
"And what happens to me once I'm sold to him?"
"You'll fight in the colosseum until you either die or some rich person takes a real interest in you. The strongest fighters are sometimes bought by nobility to join their security or private armies. If you're really lucky some handsome rich guy will take a liking to you."
Is this lady serious, First off who's going to take an interest in a demon like me? Second fighting against these guys put me on the brink what makes them think I can go toe to toe with experience fighters in a colosseum?
These guys seem rather happy about getting an easy pay day at my expense. I don't like these people.
"I want to know something, would you be willing to answer?" I say to the group.
"Yeah, what's your question?" one of the men asks.
"Is a person like me capable of living as a human?"
"Haha, no offense but you're not a normal human? You've got demon horns, not exactly subtle."
"I have no idea how all this happened, but I know that everyone in my village started hating me all of a sudden just because of these horns. I was always a good girl and I never did anything bad. Am I a bad person just because of my race?"
They all look at me. The lady archer speaks first. "Yes, that's exactly right. No matter how good of a person you were being a demon makes all of that null and void. When people see something like you they are obligated to make sure your blood cannot spread."
I'm stunned.
"What? Why? No matter how good of a girl I've been it's all for nothing if I'm a demon?" I ask confused.
"Your kind doesn't belong in civilized society, so it's only natural for people to hate you. Besides demons are a threat to humanity, that's why they have no place in this world.
I'm about to argue with her but then she continues talking.
"Look at you, you're nothing but some wild beast who's only purpose in life is stir chaos. That's what demons are. I'm going to enjoy seeing your fights, maybe you'll get lucky and die quickly then the person who killed you will be scouted and live a better life. That's your purpose now, entertain and die. There's no other reason for you to exist."
My heart drops and I feel like crying. She's right. What else could I possibly do? I've lost everything; my home, family, friends, the freedom to roam free, my pride. Her words cut me.
"Now Ortega, don't make the kid cry too much haha." One of the men says laughing.
"Yeah, breaking her spirit too much might cause Roderick to lower the price he's willing to buy her for." Another one chimes in.
"Ah whatever, I'm done here." Ortega says turning around and sitting back down.
The man who'd spoken up before looks at me. "Don't worry, we'll be there soon." He smiles a toothy grin at me.
It feels like he's mocking me.
We ride in the wagon for a few more hours before arriving at the entrance to my village. This small town in the middle of a giant forest was once my home, now I'm coming back stuck in a cage.
The wagon stops in the middle of the village square where we hold festivals and my cage is dragged out of the wagon. As the men drag me toward the center of town I see familiar faces looking at me, their faces marked by scornful glares.
I look at the ground.
A crowd has gathered and is watching from a distance. I hear them muttering.
"Look it's really Laura."
"She's a demon. What a shame."
"She's covered in mud, look at how pitiful she looks."
I'm carried toward the village elder's home. It's the second biggest house in the village, a step down from Krone's villa.
Everyone who was watching me gathers outside his house. Some are cheering while others jeering.
"Oh look, Laura's finally been caught. Now we can actually sleep at night." One man says.
"Well it's about time they got this over with." Another man says.
"I wonder what her judgment will be?" A woman asks.
Everyone in this village whether they be old or young, people I've gone to school with or people I've talked too in the market are all wishing ill upon me. They wish ill on me just because I was born this way. I want to see my mom again.
I'm taken inside the house and brought into a room. My head is hung low as my cage is dropped on the floor.
The village elder walks in and looks at me then he looks to the people who captured me.
"Well done. I expected nothing less from you six. You've truly earned your reward." He says.
"Thank you, sir!" Ortega says.
The elder reaches into his pocket and pulls out a sack of coins and hands them to the group.
"You're quite welcome. Your work is appreciated." He says smiling.
The group of six opens the pouch and starts counting the coins, they nod at each other and laugh.
"Looks like it's all here." Says Ortega.
"Damn, that's a lot." Says one of the men.
I continue to look at the ground, defeated.
"Laura will you please raise your head." The village elder says to me but I continue looking down.
He whacks my cage with his cane.
"I said look at me you little demon!" He yells but I keep looking down. "Defiant little thing aren't you?"
I don't reply.
"I just thought it'd be nice to inform you that your mother has been put to death," he sneered callously.
Laura's anguish erupted, tears streaming down her cheeks as she grappled with the pain and loss. She wanted to believe it was all a cruel joke, but the reality was too stark to deny.
"She was found guilty of helping a demon escape custody and was executed a few days ago by hanging."
I can't process what he just said. He said my mother was put to death? But she can't be dead, I wanted to see her. I wanted to hug her just one last time. The tears start flowing and I can't stop them.
"Hey now, don't be so angry, she deserved it for harboring you." The village elder says laughing.
"Who gave you the right to judge her?" I ask my voice trembling from shock.
"Well she was a traitor to our land, if it wasn't for her this wouldn't have happened." He says to me.
"But why did you kill her? I've never killed anyone. I've never done anything wrong."
"Silence! This is not a trial where you shall speak. All you have to do is stay in that cage like the good little girl you are. You six may do with her what you want. Sell her or kill her it doesn't matter.
"You got it." One of the men says while lifting my cage up.
They carry my cage out of the elder's home and sit me back in the wagon. I sit there crying, the only sounds that come from me are sobs. The jeers of the crowd are deafening as they throw trash and rocks at my cage.
The gathering crowd was a sea of faces she had once known, now contorted with hatred and disdain. Amongst them were her childhood friends, Mia and Lucas, whose expressions twisted into masks of disgust as they laid eyes on her.
Mia, with her once-bright eyes now cold and hollow, looked at Laura as if she were less than an ant. Disgust marred her features, and her lips curled into a sneer of repulsion. The person she had once shared secrets and laughter with was now nothing more than a monstrous aberration in her eyes.
Lucas, too, shared Mia's sentiments, his face contorted in a mixture of horror and revulsion at the sight of his former friend. He shook his head in disbelief, unable to comprehend how someone he had once trusted and cared for could turn into such a grotesque being. His disappointment was palpable, a silent condemnation that cut through Laura's already shattered spirit.
Their reactions struck Laura like a dagger to the heart, slicing through the last remnants of her hope. The pain of losing her friends, of being judged solely for her appearance, was almost too much to bear. The weight of their disdain and rejection bore down on her, pushing her closer to the edge of despair.
This is my home, this is where I grew up. These are the people I grew up with, people I talked to every day. Now they hate me.
My home, my friends, my mom, my life are all gone now. I'm still alive but I feel like dying. The village elder is right, I should be dead. I was born a demon, I deserve to die.
The wagon continues moving forward and the sun sets behind us. I cry until my eyes burn. Through my tear stained eyes I can see the village getting smaller and smaller. Soon it'll disappear into the horizon and I'll be alone.
I've lost everyone. I'm all alone.
I feel like I'm submerged in water. Everything feels so calm, so tranquil. I feel like all the weight is gone. Is this a dream? Or am I dead? There's nothing. Then all of sudden I feel a sharp pain on my head.
"Damn that bump almost flung the cage out of the wagon." A deep voice says.
I try to grasp my aching head but realize I can't move. I look down and see I'm bound in rope. My hands are tied together and secured behind my back.
"...Why am I tied up?"
That's the first thing I say when I wake up in this cage. I see the six people who attacked me sitting in front of me.
"Hey! Get me out of this!" I yell.
"Shut the hell up."
"What?"
"I said shut the hell up."
One of the men points his sword at me while the others look at me with contempt.
"That village scrapped together all their money to hire a party to get you out of those woods little lady, no way we're gonna let you out of there."
I realize I'm bound tightly to this wooden frame with several ropes. I grit my teeth and struggle against my bonds.
"Ugh, dammit."
"Just be quiet and nothing bad will happen."
"You seriously think I believe that?"
"Doesn't matter what you believe since you're stuck in that cage."
I glare at them but they simply ignore me.
"So what are you planning to do with me?"
"Well first we're planning on taking you back to that village."
I tense up.
"Back to the village, why?"
"Because that elder said he wanted proof we completed the job. Once we bring you back he'll pay us for our troubles."
"So what happens after that?"
"They didn't specify that killing you was part of the job, plus killing a little girl like you would leave a bad taste in my mouth."
"Really? So if you killed a grown woman it wouldn't bother you?"
"It depends on the situation I guess, but we can make a lot more money selling you to Roderick."
"Who's Roderick?" I say tilting my head in confusion.
The lady archer pipes up. "Roderick is the manager of the colosseum in the capital and he's looking for new fighters. Since a lot of the fighters die rather quickly we're sure he'll take anything people offer."
I want to laugh. They're basically telling me my life is over before it even started. I want that to be a joke but I can tell they're serious.
"And what happens to me once I'm sold to him?"
"You'll fight in the colosseum until you either die or some rich person takes a real interest in you. The strongest fighters are sometimes bought by nobility to join their security or private armies. If you're really lucky some handsome rich guy will take a liking to you."
Is this lady serious, First off who's going to take an interest in a demon like me? Second fighting against these guys put me on the brink what makes them think I can go toe to toe with experience fighters in a colosseum?
These guys seem rather happy about getting an easy pay day at my expense. I don't like these people.
"I want to know something, would you be willing to answer?" I say to the group.
"Yeah, what's your question?" one of the men asks.
"Is a person like me capable of living as a human?"
"Haha, no offense but you're not a normal human? You've got demon horns, not exactly subtle."
"I have no idea how all this happened, but I know that everyone in my village started hating me all of a sudden just because of these horns. I was always a good girl and I never did anything bad. Am I a bad person just because of my race?"
They all look at me. The lady archer speaks first. "Yes, that's exactly right. No matter how good of a person you were being a demon makes all of that null and void. When people see something like you they are obligated to make sure your blood cannot spread."
I'm stunned.
"What? Why? No matter how good of a girl I've been it's all for nothing if I'm a demon?" I ask confused.
"Your kind doesn't belong in civilized society, so it's only natural for people to hate you. Besides demons are a threat to humanity, that's why they have no place in this world.
I'm about to argue with her but then she continues talking.
"Look at you, you're nothing but some wild beast who's only purpose in life is stir chaos. That's what demons are. I'm going to enjoy seeing your fights, maybe you'll get lucky and die quickly then the person who killed you will be scouted and live a better life. That's your purpose now, entertain and die. There's no other reason for you to exist."
My heart drops and I feel like crying. She's right. What else could I possibly do? I've lost everything; my home, family, friends, the freedom to roam free, my pride. Her words cut me.
"Now Ortega, don't make the kid cry too much haha." One of the men says laughing.
"Yeah, breaking her spirit too much might cause Roderick to lower the price he's willing to buy her for." Another one chimes in.
"Ah whatever, I'm done here." Ortega says turning around and sitting back down.
The man who'd spoken up before looks at me. "Don't worry, we'll be there soon." He smiles a toothy grin at me.
It feels like he's mocking me.
We ride in the wagon for a few more hours before arriving at the entrance to my village. This small town in the middle of a giant forest was once my home, now I'm coming back stuck in a cage.
The wagon stops in the middle of the village square where we hold festivals and my cage is dragged out of the wagon. As the men drag me toward the center of town I see familiar faces looking at me, their faces marked by scornful glares.
I look at the ground.
A crowd has gathered and is watching from a distance. I hear them muttering.
"Look it's really Laura."
"She's a demon. What a shame."
"She's covered in mud, look at how pitiful she looks."
I'm carried toward the village elder's home. It's the second biggest house in the village, a step down from Krone's villa.
Everyone who was watching me gathers outside his house. Some are cheering while others jeering.
"Oh look, Laura's finally been caught. Now we can actually sleep at night." One man says.
"Well it's about time they got this over with." Another man says.
"I wonder what her judgment will be?" A woman asks.
Everyone in this village whether they be old or young, people I've gone to school with or people I've talked too in the market are all wishing ill upon me. They wish ill on me just because I was born this way. I want to see my mom again.
I'm taken inside the house and brought into a room. My head is hung low as my cage is dropped on the floor.
The village elder walks in and looks at me then he looks to the people who captured me.
"Well done. I expected nothing less from you six. You've truly earned your reward." He says.
"Thank you, sir!" Ortega says.
The elder reaches into his pocket and pulls out a sack of coins and hands them to the group.
"You're quite welcome. Your work is appreciated." He says smiling.
The group of six opens the pouch and starts counting the coins, they nod at each other and laugh.
"Looks like it's all here." Says Ortega.
"Damn, that's a lot." Says one of the men.
I continue to look at the ground, defeated.
"Laura will you please raise your head." The village elder says to me but I continue looking down.
He whacks my cage with his cane.
"I said look at me you little demon!" He yells but I keep looking down. "Defiant little thing aren't you?"
I don't reply.
"I just thought it'd be nice to inform you that your mother has been put to death," he sneered callously.
Laura's anguish erupted, tears streaming down her cheeks as she grappled with the pain and loss. She wanted to believe it was all a cruel joke, but the reality was too stark to deny.
"She was found guilty of helping a demon escape custody and was executed a few days ago by hanging."
I can't process what he just said. He said my mother was put to death? But she can't be dead, I wanted to see her. I wanted to hug her just one last time. The tears start flowing and I can't stop them.
"Hey now, don't be so angry, she deserved it for harboring you." The village elder says laughing.
"Who gave you the right to judge her?" I ask my voice trembling from shock.
"Well she was a traitor to our land, if it wasn't for her this wouldn't have happened." He says to me.
"But why did you kill her? I've never killed anyone. I've never done anything wrong."
"Silence! This is not a trial where you shall speak. All you have to do is stay in that cage like the good little girl you are. You six may do with her what you want. Sell her or kill her it doesn't matter.
"You got it." One of the men says while lifting my cage up.
They carry my cage out of the elder's home and sit me back in the wagon. I sit there crying, the only sounds that come from me are sobs. The jeers of the crowd are deafening as they throw trash and rocks at my cage.
The gathering crowd was a sea of faces she had once known, now contorted with hatred and disdain. Amongst them were her childhood friends, Mia and Lucas, whose expressions twisted into masks of disgust as they laid eyes on her.
Mia, with her once-bright eyes now cold and hollow, looked at Laura as if she were less than an ant. Disgust marred her features, and her lips curled into a sneer of repulsion. The person she had once shared secrets and laughter with was now nothing more than a monstrous aberration in her eyes.
Lucas, too, shared Mia's sentiments, his face contorted in a mixture of horror and revulsion at the sight of his former friend. He shook his head in disbelief, unable to comprehend how someone he had once trusted and cared for could turn into such a grotesque being. His disappointment was palpable, a silent condemnation that cut through Laura's already shattered spirit.
Their reactions struck Laura like a dagger to the heart, slicing through the last remnants of her hope. The pain of losing her friends, of being judged solely for her appearance, was almost too much to bear. The weight of their disdain and rejection bore down on her, pushing her closer to the edge of despair.
This is my home, this is where I grew up. These are the people I grew up with, people I talked to every day. Now they hate me.
My home, my friends, my mom, my life are all gone now. I'm still alive but I feel like dying. The village elder is right, I should be dead. I was born a demon, I deserve to die.
The wagon continues moving forward and the sun sets behind us. I cry until my eyes burn. Through my tear stained eyes I can see the village getting smaller and smaller. Soon it'll disappear into the horizon and I'll be alone.
I've lost everyone. I'm all alone.
