Crow and the Mouse: Chapter 3 – A Predator and the One He Protects

 Chapter 3 – A Predator and the One He Protects

On their long trip to the Pillar of Genus, Harkan and Mouse stop to eat what they took from the town of cultists. They say grace and thank God for the food and pray that the food isn’t cursed in any way before eating. Curious about something Harkan said before, Mouse gets Harkan’s attention.

“What is it?” he asks.

Mouse points at her mouse’s crow and points back to him.

“Oh, yes, I was a king before, but the way I became king wasn’t through the usual way. I wasn’t born royalty or elected. Instead, I became king by getting rid of the corrupt people in power. The same people who got my family and friends killed. From there, I ruled until the same people who helped me take the throne tried to kill me probably because I wasn’t doing what they wanted me to do. To be honest, the role of being king was getting boring and life was feeling meaningless without those I loved next to me.”

Knowing what he feels, Mouse hugs Harkan and tries to convey that she knows what he’s going through by pointing at her, her mouse, and Harkan while making various gestures.

“I don’t understand what you’re trying to tell me. Why don’t you speak, instead? I’ve done enough to earn your trust, haven’t I?”

She considers it for a second before Mouse points at Harkan and her while saying, “Same. We’re the same.”

“The same? How are we the same?”

“Family. Royalty. People tried killing us.”

“We’re not as similar as you think. My family dying made me into a monster who killed foes of my kingdom to fill the hole left by them. I’m nothing like a princess such as yourself.”

“Still…I understand.”

Mouse hugs Harkan. For a moment, he thinks that she might be one of the children that he orphaned through his past deeds, but he tosses these thoughts aside.

“Come on. There’s no point in remembering the past. I should know the consequences of doing so. Together, we’ll make a better life for ourselves, and you’ll get the life you deserve, Princess Mouse.”

“Mmm. Let’s.”

Harkan and Mouse continue to travel until they come across a small town where they rest again.

“I don’t know how you survived so long in this wasteland, princess. With its beasts, uncomfortable weather, and freezing and burning black flames, it’s a wonder as to why anyone would want to live out here,” Harkan says.

“Dad taught me how to survive. Also, safer because of assassins and politics,” Mouse says.

“I can’t argue with you there. Still, it’s no place for a child to be. How come your dad taught you how to survive?”

“Assassins, war, and learning how to take care of myself.”

“I tried teaching my children and wife how to fight for the same reasons, but I don’t think it made a difference.”

“Don’t be sad. Remember what you said?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I’ve already forgotten. I’ll try to keep it out of my head better next time.”

People around the town begin using their black flames as they try to increase their power in private, but the freezing effects of the dark flame are felt and seen by Harkan.

“It feels like it’s time to go.”

Mouse nods before they get back on their steed only for their steed to be killed by an assassin raggedy robed in black that cuts the steed’s throat when Harkan and Mouse were passing by them. Harkan grabs Mouse and shields her with his body as more assassins converge on them and try to quickly end their lives. His armor is able to deflect his enemies’ attacks though he still feels the pain of being beaten and slashed at.

“It’s going to be okay, princess. I’ll get us out of this,” Harkan says to comfort Mouse.

Seeing that there’s no easy way to get away from his pursuers, he lets go of Mouse and creates an opening for her by swinging his mace around to kill his pursuers.

“Run as fast as you can and hide. I’ll take care of the rest of them.”

“O-okay.”

Harkan smacks away Mouse’s pursuers so that they can focus on him as he says, “Are you so weak that you have to chase after the girl? Face me, cowards!”

A group of six assassins surrounds Harkan as they look for the cracks in his armor while Harkan readies himself to swing his mace.

“How can we be cowards when we face the Sovereign Killer himself?” one of the assassins says.

“Why are you after the girl and me? You have our kingdom all to yourself to do with as you please. Leave us alone!”

“The population knows of the attempted assassination on your life and that your body was never found. They want to rally against us so we must bring back a corpse to show the folly of rising against us when they should be supporting us.”

“Why would they support you?”

“To gain more power and respect for our home. Have you forgotten already? Our homes and families were the joke of other kingdoms because of our corrupt leaders. It’s about time that we earned some respect.”

“Does it have to be at the cost of so many lives?”

“You should know the answer to that. You dethroned so many kings and queens that it isn’t a surprise that you forgot that girl you’re protecting is the daughter of a king and queen you killed.”

Harkan struggles to accept this despite having a feeling that it was true.

“Even if that is true, why kill her when her kingdom is nothing but dust and memories?”

“To show the world that we never forget or forgive those who trespass against us. Did you also forget that her kingdom’s forces were the ones who killed your family?”

“Enough with your lies!”

Harkan charges at the assassins and tackles one into a tree to knock him out for a second. He takes the brunt of the attack from the other assassins so that he has an opening that he uses to kill two of them with a swing of his mace. Another assassin uses this opportunity and cuts Harkan in an exposed spot of his armor, but the blade doesn’t pierce his skin. This failed stab results in the assassin being elbowed then crushed by Harkan’s mace. The remaining two assassins back off and reassess their plan.

One of them says, “There’s the Sovereign Killer we know. An unstoppable force of nature, a crow of death, and the king of king killers. Do you plan to atone for your actions by taking care of the girl? Is she a replacement for the children that you lost?”

“I plan to give her a home and a better life than the one she is living out here in this wasteland,” Harkan responds.

“That’s not going to be likely. While we were fighting, we had two others go after her. It’s only a matter of time before they bring us back her head.”

Shocked by this, Harkan immediately starts running in the direction of Mouse while fending off the other two assassins.

“Princess!” he screams.

The ground starts rumbling, which stops both Harkan and the assassins from moving. Both are confused as to what is causing this. Their question is quickly answered as Mouse is running from a stampede of horses that have horns and the stingers of scorpions. The assassins that went after Mouse are trampled to death by the horses as their speed makes them nearly impossible to run from. Harkan runs to meet Mouse and smashes a path through the horses with his mace until there are no more. Now that their pursuers are dead, Harkan makes sure that Mouse doesn’t have any marks on her as they take a moment to rest.

“Are you okay, princess? Are you hurt?” he asks.

“No,” she answers.

“That’s good. That’s good. I’m sorry that this happened. Those people were from my own kingdom that tried to kill me.”

“It’s okay.”

A concerned look on Mouse’s face concerns Harkan.

“What is it, princess? Is something the matter?”

“N-no. Let’s just go.”

“Okay. I hope we can find another steed because according to this map we still have a fair way to go until we reach our destination.” When Harkan lowers the map, he sees that Mouse has already started walking. “Don’t run ahead of me, princess! It’s too dangerous.”

“The horses went this way.”

“If you think it’s best to use them, then I guess we should, but stay close to me.”

“I’m okay.”

Confused by Mouse’s behavior, Harkan thinks that she is just shaken by the recent battle, however, a suspicious feeling tells him that Mouse was told that Harkan is her parents’ killer by the assassins when she was separated from him, but he keeps this suspicion aside even though his hunches have been proven true so far. Mouse and Harkan track the horses back to the town they were in and find that it has been ruined by the beasts. They find a singular horse roaming around that has had its tail cut off and a loose muzzle around its mouth as if someone tried to tame it. Harkan takes advantage of this and tames the horse himself before allowing Mouse on it and riding off with her. As they ride, he feels that she is hardly holding onto him unlike before as if she is hesitant about it.

“Hold on tight,” he says.

Mouse does as Harkan says. He continues to travel with her with the worries of future dangers and what could be affecting Mouse in his mind.

Crow and the Mouse: Chapter 2 – Deals with Devils and Men

Chapter 2 – Deals with Devils and Men

On the road, Harkan and Mouse come across a destroyed cart with a dead family and their possessions strewn about along with their dead horse not too far from them that has arrows in its head. From its appearance, the parents died protecting their children since their bodies are over them as they protected them from an attacker’s blade that struck them through their backs.

“I’m assuming this is where those people got their food. Am I right?” Harkan asks Mouse who responds with a head nod.

Mouse tries not to look at the gruesome sight while holding back her tears.

“I know it’s upsetting. I lost my family too thanks to some despicable people. I’m going to give them a proper burial so their bodies don’t rot here.”

Harkan buries the family and places their possessions near them. He even covers the horse in dirt to bury it as well. Not wanting the food that she got from them anymore, Mouse puts what she got from them with the rest of the family’s food.

“That was very nice of you, Mouse.”

Mouse’s stomach growls and she winces because of her hunger.

“We’ll find you something to eat soon. The family had to be bringing all this stuff from someplace.”

Mouse and Harkan follow the tracks of the cart until they come across a town with stone walls and few archer towers. Harkan’s armor and weapon draw the eyes of many in the town as some whisper about him.

“Excuse me,” Harkan says to a guard in the town, “Do you know where I might find an orphanage to bring this child to?”

“Ha, you’re a long way from them if you want to bring her to one,” the guard responds, “Don’t you know where you are?”

“I’m afraid not.”

“I won’t ask why since everyone has their own reasons. You’re in the Anathema regions, a place far away from the politics of the Pillars of Cognizance. I crave those days when the Pillars were just large cities and not entire kingdoms. It won’t be long until the Divine Flame fades again and man’s sense of good and evil along with it.”

“And this place will be one of the first to fall.”

“It comes with the cost of wanting to be outside of it all and wanting to do what we think is right and if you ask me, it’s worth it.”

“I don’t think it’s worth it at all, but let’s not argue about that now. Can you point us in the direction of Ecclesia or Genus?”

“I’ll do you a favor and point you in the direction of Genus since church politics in Ecclesia are somehow more of a headache than state politics in Gloria. Here’s a map to make things easier.”

The guard points out to Harkan what routes he should take and which he should avoid.

“Between the lands scorched by black flame, those frozen by the same flame, and wildlands where beasts and beastly men dwell, I’m not sure if traveling by foot is the best idea,” Harkan says.

“Let me give you another option then. There’s a group of black flame cultists that have been causing trouble around here. Even though they take care of the beasts and are eaten by the same beasts in turn, they take our livestock and our people. Get rid of them and I’ll let you have one of our steeds.”

“I have experience in dealing with cults and lawbreakers. You have a deal.”

“If you have experience in that, it’s no wonder why you’re here and don’t know why. I was a guard in the capital not too long ago, but that’s a story for another day. We’ll keep the girl safe for you while you dispose of the cult.”

“Thank you. Don’t get yourself into any trouble, Mouse. Mouse? Mouse!”

It seems like Mouse wandered into the town while Harkan was talking to the guard. She’s returned just in time as Harkan begins to worry about her.

“Where did you go, Mouse?”

Mouse shrugs in response.

“I’m going to run a quick errand so we can have a mount to travel faster to where we need to go. Try not to get in any trouble, okay?”

Mouse looks to the side for a second as if thinking about it before nodding. Harkan is then escorted by a horse drawn cart to his destination. He is dropped off near the ruins of a church that is surrounded by a small camp. His driver wishes him luck before heading off. Scouting the area, Harkan sees the cultists cooking livestock, beasts, and even people to use as food and offerings to fuel their black flames. They train new recruits while torturing and brainwashing others who they use as slaves and toys of their pleasure. A small crackle of dried leaves alerts Harkan to the presence of someone behind him and he is surprised to see Mouse behind him.

“Mouse? What are you doing here?” Harkan asks while moving away from his vantage point so that he can’t be seen at all.

Mouse points to Harkan.

“I’m glad that you feel safe in my presence, but you should’ve stayed in the town.”

Mouse points to the cultists and back towards the way Harkan came.

“Are the cultists behind us?”

Disagreeing, Mouse shakes her head and makes the same motions.

“What? Were there cultists in the town?”

Mouse nods.

“That makes sense since this is the Anathema region. I don’t blame you for leaving, but where should I leave you so that you’re safe from the cultists and the other dangers of this land?”

Mouse goes next to Harkan and looks up to him.

“Okay. Stay very close to me then.”

Harkan is about to approach the camp of cultists to enact his plan but is stopped by Mouse.

“Huh? What is it? Do you have a better plan than mine?”

Mouse nods and points in a direction for him to follow.

“Let’s see it then.”

With a hand on Harkan’s cloak, Mouse leads Harkan to a clearing with wild beasts. These beasts are a cross between a lion and a horse as most animals out here are seemingly unnatural combinations of creatures thanks to being so far from the Divine Flame of Cognizance. She then takes out a piece of meat that’s been wrapped with scent blocking herbs and throws it at them. Already knowing what the plan is, Harkan leads the beasts to the cultists' camp with the help of Mouse’s bait. The two hide while the beasts and cultists tear each other apart. Harkan then leaves Mouse in a safe place before finishing the stragglers. When all the cultists are down, Harkan thinks his job is done until some of the cultists come back to life as their bodies are reanimated by the black flame.

“Foolish mortal. You know not the power of the black flame-,” a cultist says before being crushed by Harkan’s mace.

The other cultists use their black flames to freeze Harkan, however, Harkan’s armor is able to endure the cold and his mace smashes through the black flame’s icy attacks as he puts down the resurrected cultists. Mouse runs up to Harkan and feels his cloak and sharp armor in an attempt to understand why it’s so special.

“That’s it for them. Do you like my armor? It’s been blessed by the archbishop and the Flame of Cognizance when I allied my kingdom to his. That’s why it’s resistant to the black flame even at its peak when it freezes,” Harkan explains before seeing the captives who the cultists kidnapped taking the cursed objects of the cultists and running away, “I guess there aren’t many innocent people here. Let’s get back to the town for our reward and something to eat.”

Harkan and Mouse travel to the place where they were dropped off at and wait for a bit for their driver to come back. After waiting for a while, they see that the driver is late so they try to meet him halfway and end up walking all the way back to town where they catch the town actively engaged in idolatry as they worship a perverted image of God who has a mixed body comprised of female and male genitals.

“Now I really don’t blame you for leaving. Do you have any more bait on you?” Harkan asks.

Mouse checks herself and takes only one more piece of bait out.

“We can make this work. It’ll be risky though. Are you ready?”

Mouse nods her head.

“I assumed you were since you seem used to it.”

Harkan and Mouse search for nearby beasts and find cheetahs that have the legs of grasshoppers.

Harkan sighs then says, “It just has to be the difficult ones.” Mouse’s face fills Harkan with the determination to see their plan through. “We have to do it though. Here, I’ll carry you so we can move faster.”

Harkan puts his mace on the straps behind his back and carries Mouse. They go a reasonable distance before throwing the bait that the cheetahs take a second to realize is there. Once the cheetahs see the bait, they eat it then catch sight of the two who start running from the cheetahs who leap into the sky and all around the dried forest. By dodging through the trees and warped landscape, Harkan is able to lead the beasts back to the town without being scratched or getting Mouse hurt. Now that the cultists of this town are distracted, Harkan and Mouse take a steed, a lion crossed with a horse, along with some food, and escapes the town as they travel to their next destination.

New cover by @An_dres_art (on Twitter)

Download for free on Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/990311

On one rainy day, the sun and moon disappeared from the sky and the rain has never stopped since then. The world is now flooded and on top of that, mysterious black birds have appeared to finish off humanity. Luna and Solare are two people with connections to the moon and sun respectively who find each other and team up to find the answers as to why they are special and if they can save humanity.

Crow and the Mouse: Chapter 1 – A Second Chance

Chapter 1 – A Second Chance

There was once a famous general whose name is Harkan. He fought for his kingdom with honor and though he knew that his superiors weren’t the most virtuous of people, he still loyally served. Harkan was well respected by those who knew of him to the point where a custom helmet in the image of a crow was made for him because he was a divine instrument that signified death on the battlefield. Though he didn’t like the thought of him signifying death, he accepted his gift with gratitude and became a reaper of sorts on the battlefield for those he protected. That was until Harkan’s family along with a troop of his friends were killed by an ambush by an enemy kingdom’s forces.

His family, friends, and their small escort were moving from their destroyed homes to a safer location and were given little help despite Harkan’s advice. He was already on the edge of despair since he lost his home and many of his soldiers due to his mistakes and the bad choices of his superiors, and now that he lost his friends and family, he feels that he’s lost everything. With nothing left to lose, he staged a coup against his former masters and took his kingdom for himself much to the joy of his allies and his fellow citizens, and yet, he didn’t feel any better. Even after destroying the other enemy kingdoms and establishing a relative sense of peace in the land, he still wasn’t satisfied with himself. In his spare time, he prayed and practiced with his two-handed mace to relieve himself of his seemingly unending supply of sadness and feeling of emptiness.

Since he was such in a sorry and useless state, his allies tried to convince him to conquer more lands or at least marry a new wife so that he would be doing something other than making minor political decisions here and there. He did none of these and because they thought a useless king who does nothing is a detriment to their kingdom, they tried to assassinate him to remove him from the throne so they could put a better king in his place since there was no other way or law that could remove him.

Harken tried to fight back, but in his depressed condition with no purpose to live he doesn’t fight as well as he usually did. He is then presumed dead as he falls from the third story of his castle. A citizen who was sympathetic towards Harken assumed what happened, took him away, fixed his wounds, and then hid him with some food and water. When he came to, Harken wonders why he didn’t die. Not wanting to stay in the spot for the rest of his life, he took his mace with him as he began to wander the land. This is where his new life begins.

This new life of his relieves him of some of his sadness as he realizes that he doesn’t have to worry about ruling over a kingdom and keeping his people and supporters happy. Still, he feels empty and without purpose. Speaking about feeling empty, he tries looking for more food and water after finishing what was left with him. He comes across what appears to be an abandoned camp near a cave. It looks like the person here attempted to make plushies and people made out of stones.

“Did a child live here or an ill individual?” Harkan asks himself.

Leaving the mystery in the back of his head, Harkan scavenges through the camp until he hears the sound of someone approaching him. He quickly turns around ready to strike whoever is behind him with his mace until he sees that it’s just a small girl in rags. She clutches a mouse plush that’s wearing a crown and dress. Harkan’s intimidating appearance scares her and makes her drop the food and water that she has.

“Monster!” she screams while laying on the ground.

“Oh, you are a child. Do not be afraid of me. I will not harm you,” Harkan says with his hand out.

The girl looks at him and looks away as she shakes in fear unable to move. Harkan takes off his helmet and puts down his mace since he assumes that these things are scaring her.

“I’m sorry if my appearance scared you. I’m not a monster. I’m human just like you.”

The sight of Harkan’s soft face calms her as she takes his hand so he can lift her from the ground.

“What’s your name?”

The girl isn’t sure if she should tell him her name so she just grunts.

“You speak to say that I’m a monster, but you won’t tell me your name?”

She tries not to look into Harkan’s eyes to not admit it.

He sighs and then says, “Okay, that’s fine. My name is Harkan. It’s nice to meet you. I’ll help you get back to your home.”

The girl makes a noise and shakes her head.

“What’s the matter? You don’t have a home to go back to?”

She shakes her head in response.

“I should’ve figured that given your appearance. I won’t ask what happened to your home. Could I take you to the nearest orphanage we come across? I’m sure it’s better to stay there than out here.”

She considers it before agreeing by nodding her head.

“Let’s go then.”

A group of four bandits ambushes Harkan and the little girl.

“What do you people want?” Harkan says with his two-handed mace raised up and the girl close by him.

“That little mouse stole our food. In fact, she’s been doing that for quite a while now,” the bandit says.

The girl shakes her head.

“How about a deal? You can take most of this while she has a bit. She is homeless after all.”

“I don’t care if she’s homeless or on the verge of starvation. She stole what we earned.”

“You people don’t look like you do any honest work so I’m struggling to believe that you’re telling me everything I should know. What kind of work do you do?”

“The kind that will get you killed if you don’t do what we say.”

“I’ve been employed in that kind of work before. How about we get this over with? We both know what’s going to happen.”

“If you say so, crow man.”

All four bandits attack Harkan at once and with one swing of his hammer, Harkan manages to kill them all.

“Don’t look at the mess I’ve made, little girl."

The girl shrugs in response and doesn’t appear to be shocked by how Harkan’s mace has made the heads of the bandits into mush.

“You’re used to this?”

She nods in response.

“You’ve must’ve been through a lot, which makes this easier for me, but it does concern me. A little girl like you shouldn’t be used to seeing stuff such as this.”

The girl looks down and shrugs again.

“I guess nothing can be done about it now other than to help you get a better life. Anyways, what should I call you if you won’t tell me your name?”

The girl holds up her mouse plush to him.

“Mouse?”

She shakes her head to confirm her nickname.

“Okay, Mouse. Let’s find you a place to live.” Harkan walks to the nearest road with Mouse close by him. “I assume those people were stealing food from people and you stole what they were stealing. Is my assumption right?”

Mouse nods and is given a pat on the head.

“We’ll be getting along just fine then.”

Mouse smiles a bit before continuing to follow Harkan as he travels the road with a new life and reason to live.

Building a Legacy (a story inspired by a dream)

Thanks to the many innovations created by my researchers, my company has extended the lives of millions of people. I have willingly been the human test subject in many of the vaccine trials and I’ve been given many medals and awards for my accomplishments. My name is already in the history books and I’m not even dead yet. All this fame and high status have come at the cost of a long life. Even though most people would call an extended life a blessing, it has been a hollow blessing. I’ve experienced everything in life that interested me and I’ve outlived my entire family with the children of my great-great-grandchildren being the last to go. My old friends are gone along with their children and new people who have forgotten my company’s original vision are running it. At least I only have a few more years left to live so I won’t see or know what they’re doing to it.

I don’t even know how to spend the rest of my life since everything has become boring to me. Today, I go to a mall that my mother and I always visited on Saturdays. The mall itself is nothing special especially compared to the more expensive and larger malls that I’ve been to, but I’ve made it a goal to keep it the way it was. My company has been keeping it afloat with funding so that it could stay the way it was so many years ago. Despite my best efforts, being in the mall doesn’t feel the same way it did when my mother was alive. I thought that distance and time would make my heart grow softer to it, and yet, it hasn’t. It’s not the fault of the new stores nor some of the modern redesigns. I just can’t figure it out and it’s making me irritated.

In an attempt to find what I liked so much about this mall, I go to the places that my mother and I would spend my most treasured moments nearby. My mother and I would eat and talk about our dreams at a fountain near a department store.

“I want to grow up to run our company and become a hero to the sick and needy!” I would say.

“You will! I believe that you’ll become a hero and more!” my mother would reply with a smile brighter than the sun.

I remember throwing change in the fountain and then praying that my dreams would come true. They have to some extent-

“Hey! Get off the fountain!” I scream to a child trying to climb it.

“I’m sorry, sir,” the child’s mother says as she takes her child and scolds him before heading off.

The fountain no longer has the same mystical qualities that it had years ago. That child’s disrespect of it didn’t do anything to it, so what am I missing that made it so special? Bah, I head off to another place to see if it’ll make me feel any better. This next place is a garden near the mall that has a view of the river that separates the mall from the city. A small graveyard was put here for those who gave their lives serving my company, and frankly, I don’t remember any one of them. Mother and I used to clear our heads about what was stressing us out and joke about it.

“I sabotaged his project so that it wouldn’t be better than mine,” I once admitted.

“Why would you do that?” my mother said in an upset tone that I wasn’t expecting.

“Because I needed the scholarship and recognition more than him. It’s my goal to reach the top so I can help more people. I want to be the hero that I said that I would be. I…I wanted to make you proud that I got first place.”

“You don’t need to get first to make me proud of you. Even if you got last place, I would still be proud of you because I know that you tried your best.”

Remembering this still makes me want to cry. Even touching the flowers from the garden brings a tear to my eyes from the memories that I had that I could never relive in any way. My condition has confined me to a wheelchair, but I can still stand without feeling any pain. The only feeling I get is a stiff feeling that makes it hard to stand straight. This feeling is nothing to the pain I’m feeling in wishing that I could experience my old memories one last time. What made it so special? Standing up from my wheelchair, I grab the flowers in the garden and squeeze my frustration into them.

“What is it?” I ask myself aloud.

Maybe it was the simple joy of shopping? No, that can’t be it. I hate shopping. I hated it even when my mother was alive. Besides, I own everything that I could ever want and more. Tch, I guess I could go to the one store that was always special to me. Sitting back down in my wheelchair, I go to the dollar store in the mall. Yes, I know that the dollar store being a special place sounds ridiculous, but it was for me when I was a child. It had so many things that I was interested in and my mother would give everything more personality than it had. My mom knew how to make the arts and crafts section a place of endless possibilities with a handful of sticks being whatever creature I wanted and the blank masks becoming the masks of a hero and his villains.

Of all the things I could buy in the store, I buy a simple pack of gum and leave the store. My mother would always buy a pack of gum for me or something simple and these seemed like the greatest treasures at the time. Now, I don’t know what value I saw in these gifts. What is going on over there? Is that young girl being bullied? I will not anyone sully the good energy of this place.

“Leave this child alone,” I say to the bullies.

“Oh, yeah? What are you going to do if we don’t, old man?” a bully says in a snarky tone.

I wave over a security guard who intimates the bullies into leaving.

“Thank you, sir,” the girl says.

“You don’t need to thank me. Where are your parents?” I ask.

“I don’t have any since they both died. I’m here all on my own.”

“You should go back home wherever that is. A girl your age shouldn’t be out here all alone.”

“I’m twelve years old and I can take care of myself. Besides, my adoptive parents trust me to be here.”

“If they trust you to be by yourself, then I will leave you alone.”

“Wait!”

“What is it?”

“I want to show my thanks to you by helping you around the mall.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“Please?”

The girl seems like she won’t accept no for an answer, so I agree to have her accompany me. I let her take me where she wants to since I don’t want to go to anywhere in particular in the mall, and of all places to go to, she takes me all the way back to the fountain where I previously was.

She tells me, “My mother and I would eat and talk around this fountain. Sometimes being around this makes me feel her presence watching over me.”

I assume that people share similar memories like mine of being around fountains with their parents. It is a nice place to be.

“What about you, sir? When you do you feel that your mother is watching over you?”

“When I do good things, I’m sure that she isn’t looking at me when I’m doing the opposite.”

“But your mother loves you, doesn’t she?”

“Of course she does.”

“Then I’m sure that she’s always watching over you even when you fail.”

I guess so.

We then go to various stores that the girl likes and she tells me about what she likes, why she likes what she likes, and some things about her mother and father. Truthfully, most of what she says goes in and out of my ears but strangely enough, I’m not irritated by her constant talking and her asking me about my family. This is much like the times when my own parents and I would be shopping and I don’t know why I think that. How could I be enjoying myself shopping around this place with this random girl as much as I enjoyed myself being here with my mother? I haven’t felt this way in a while.

Again, the girl surprises me by taking me to the garden by the river where she prays by a grave. Her parents were employees of mine? The names on the grave that she’s praying in front of do feel familiar to me. Wait, does she not know that I ran the company? It’s been a few years since I was last the face of the company and featured on billboards, ads, and the like. Have I been forgotten about so easily? Come to think of it, the security guards are the only ones who recognize me. No one has looked at me, come to talk to me, or talked about me from a distance.

“Sir, do you pray for your loved ones?” she asks.

“Huh? I…no, not really.”

“You should. It’s a good thing to do and I’m sure they would love to hear from you.”

“Sure.”

We then go back to the dollar store, of all places again. There the girl speaks similarly to my mother in how she puts together simple pieces used for art and tells stories through them and brings them to life. She manages to get a few laughs out of me with how silly she can be. This really brings back the feeling of me being with my mother. To reward her for making me feel happy again, I buy her whatever she wants from this store and the other stores that she goes to. Her parents couldn’t afford to buy her clothes and toys from the more expensive stores so I buy them instead and fulfill her dream of getting them.

She even asks about this when she asks, “Why are you buying all of this for me?”

I want to say it’s for putting a smile on my face and putting joy into my heart, but I instead say, “Because you’ve been wanting these things for years, haven’t you? I thought this would make your dreams come true.”

“Thank you for the many things that you’ve bought me, but getting these things aren’t even part of the dreams I have. I just want to make people happy.”

Just make people happy…This reminds me of something that my mother said. Yes, that was her dream as well and she used the medical company that we owned to do it. Was her dream ever part of mine? I remember saying it, but not as much as saying that I wanted to be a hero.

“Well, you’ve made me happy today,” I unintentionally whisper aloud.

“What was that?”

“Oh, nothing. I should get you back home. It’s getting late.”

“Ah, I didn’t even notice. Thank you, my mom and dad would’ve gotten mad if I didn’t start to leave by now. My parents and I are going to be moving to a house near the shore soon. Doesn’t that sound exciting?”

“I’ve had a house down the shore for a while. Trust me. The charm wears off.”

“Maybe if you come and visit, we could have fun together.”

“I don’t know. Let me think about it for a second.”

I should get her adoptive family something special as a reward for raising her to be this way and the time we spent together. Maybe we can do this again sometime. Silly me, thinking about spending time at a mall with a young girl just because she brings back feelings of me being here with my mother. This was just a one time thing.

“Sir Albinus,” an approaching man says.

He’s from the company. What’s he doing here?

“Yes?”

“You are needed, or rather your blood is needed and it may cost you your life.”

“Who are you and why are you asking his nice old man for his life?” the girl asks.

“He’s from a company that I used to run.”

“Sir Albinus used to take part in many vaccine trials and was a hero for taking the risk of being a test subject so that millions of people could benefit from the medicine. As a result, he’s lived longer than any human in the history of the world and his blood contains what we need to create better medicine, but the procedure is fatal for a man in his state.”

“My mom and dad used to work in a company that had its boss take vaccines.”

“What’s your name?”

“Elaine Anastella.”

“Anastella…oh, yes, I remember that last name. Your mother volunteered to test out a new treatment that was out since she was suffering from a particular sickness that the treatment cured, but Sir Albinus took her place instead. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you of what happened after as a result though we must thank your mother for her service.”

“You? You were the reason my mom died?!”

I honestly don’t know what to say to her, so I say the first thing that comes to my mind.

“I had an image to keep up. I mean I let myself be the test subject in many medical experiments so others don’t have to.”

“I know what you do, and I can’t believe I forgot it because you haven’t put your face on all your company’s ads. You play the hero so you enjoy all the fame that comes with it.”

“That’s not true.”

“Sir Albinus,” the man interjects, “A team will arrive shortly to take you to the hospital where you can prove this girl wrong by sacrificing yourself for scientific progress. I’ll be waiting at the front of the mall for you.”

“Do whatever you want. Just…leave me alone.”

“Wait, Elaine!”

She runs away in the direction where her mother’s grave is while the man from my company heads in a different direction. What am I going to do? I could just do what the man said and sacrifice myself for scientific progress, but is that really the right thing to do? It sounds like it. It’s just not sitting right with me for some reason. Why should the rest of my life be forfeit for research? This may seem selfish, but I chose to live. I go to Elaine who is praying at her mother’s grave.

“Elaine!” I say while getting out of my wheelchair, tossing it aside, and getting on my knees, “I’m sorry that I was the reason your mother died. I wanted to be known as a hero for my actions and didn’t actually care about making better medications or treatments for people. Please, forgive me!”

I hear her crying. She must be mad at me and upset that I’m even here. I had a feeling that this was a mistake.

“I…forgive you,” she says to my surprise.

“Y-you do?”

“You seem like a nice man now, and I believe that you are sorry. Why wouldn’t I forgive you?”

“I…I don’t know.”

“So, I guess this is the last time I’m going to see you.”

“It doesn’t have to be. I don’t have to be a part of the experiment that will take my life.”

“Don’t you have a place to call home or a family to return to?”

“No, not really despite my many houses.”

“Then why don’t you come and live with my family?”

“I…I would be honored.”

Elaine hugs me with tears in her eyes while I smile and begin to cry as well. Together we leave the mall. Her family accepts me as one of their own even when they learn of what I did. It’s astounding to me how I could be forgiven even after I confess more of my wrongdoings to them. At the shore, we go to a church where I pray and confess for the first time in God knows how long. My mother always used to tell me to go to church, but I hardly ever went when she didn’t accompany me.

For the rest of my years, I act as a pseudo-grandfather to the family who gives them advice and an understanding mind. I was once foolish and now somehow wise simply by letting go of my prideful façade of being a hero. My mother once said near the time of her death that she didn’t care if I was recognized as a hero or not because I was always a saint in her eyes. I don’t know what grace God revealed to her in her dying moments but I hope that I’m proving her right by the life I now live.

Redone design of Zita from Growing Up Late by @ArtistsSouthern (on Twitter).

Download this story for free on Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/905559

Zita hasn't been able to grow up because of her upbringing and because of that, she fell into degeneracy after her parent's deaths. She is now mysteriously stuck in her room with no exit out. A hand grows out of the walls and tells her to complete challenges in order to grow up or else she will suffer forever for her actions. Will she ever learn to grow up or will she decay into nothing?

My 191st book is out!

Download for free on Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1088608

Procella, the Queen of the Seas, was an infamous pirate who killed, plundered, and made kingdoms bend to her will. In a major defeat, she was pinned to the bottom of the ocean by a holy sword as her punishment, but she's managed to come back as the black sun shows its dark side. Now, she has one night to reclaim what was once hers as she uses her powers to conquer and subjugate.

Soulless and Hellbound: Chapter 4 – Final Act of Glory

Chapter 4 – Final Act of Glory

Seeing my old home from a distance fills me with a strange sense of nostalgia and disgust. I can’t dwell on my past for long since the sun will soon rise. My black flames break through buildings and whatever stands in my way to clear a direct path for me to get to my house. Before I can reach it, the chariot that I conjured loses its form and launches me forward before disintegrating. Everyone is looking at me strangely. They’re probably looking down on me for what wasn’t my fault. My power is quickly fading so I use the last of it to surround my house so my family doesn’t have a way out. I break down the door and enter to smell mother’s cooking. Going into the kitchen I see her with her sword drawn and my sister with her.

“Procella?” my mother says.

I create swords of black flames without saying anything and begin to attack my sister and mother, but my swords soon dissipate into nothing. The icy barrier around the house starts to fall and I struggle to keep it up. I need something else to kill them with so I try taking their swords from them only to be pinned to the ground.

“Procella!” my mother says.

“Kill me if you can! I’m already dead!” I say while struggling against them.

“Stop this already!”

“Why should I? Killing you will give me the glory I need to be taken seriously again.”

“The pursuit of glory has destroyed this family! It killed your father and tore us apart.”

“Why do you care so much now when awards and fame were all that was on your mind?”

“Because I finally see what it’s done to us. I’m sorry for expecting so much from you, Procella. I share the blame for the atrocities that you’ve committed.”

My mother and sister back off and sheathe their swords.

My sister turns her back to me while trying to keep eye contact and says, “I’m sorry too for putting you down as well. I’m also sorry for sabotaging you so I could do better than you.”

What they say calms my rage for some reason as I stand. I don’t understand this. I want to hate them. I want to kill them, but I also want to cry. How can such simple apologies do this to me?

“I-I don’t care if you apologize to me!”

“Procella…”

“Sh-shut up and die already!” I say as I throw a useless punch at them only to be embraced in return.

Now, I can’t help but cry. I want to hate this, but I can’t for some reason. They seem to be crying along with me, which is the most surprising part of this to me. Are they actually being honest with me?

“It’s okay, Procella. We’re here for you as we should’ve been from the beginning. You can start again with us,” my mom says.

“No, I can’t! I’m already dead and hellbound.”

“Don’t say that Procella. Believe in God’s mercy like you used to.”

“Stay away and forget me!” I say as I push them away and run out of the house.

My walls of ice have already melted and guards are surrounding the house. The morning sun is in the sky so all the power I once had is faded away, but the ones that I have now allow me to narrowly escape the guards and the city. After hours of walking, I make it to a shore where no one else is. The waves violently crash against the rocks. Just looking at it makes me want to jump in and resume my punishment at the bottom of the sea. There’s nothing left for me here. My name is worth less than nothing and I can’t be the Queen of the Seas anymore. I’m pathetic.

“Is this what you wanted, God?” I say to the sky, “You wanted me to admit my faults, so I did. I was wrong. I’m sorry for killing so many people and stealing so much for my own glory when I should’ve been glorifying you. I really am sorry and don’t know what else to say but that I’m begging you to have mercy on a wretched soul such as myself.”

The waves from the sea grab me and pull me in as if it was alive. I’m then pulled deeper and deeper into the sea. What else should I have expected as a response from God for my sins? I don’t fight what is happening to me as I sink further below into the sea until I come to a stop in the darkest depths of it. Is this going to be my fate for the rest of eternity? Is this going to be my Hell?

What’s this? I feel my black flames begin to fade. If they do, I’ll really die. When my flames were stoked by the dark rituals and I was given immortality, the contract said that I would keep these things as long as I kept the black flames burning. This is a release from that contract that I didn’t think could be broken by anything other than the Flame of Cognizance. I feel scared not because I’m dying, but because I’m going to answer for my mistakes.

To my surprise, I don’t feel the cold embrace of Hell, but a warm cleansing flame that burns me to my soul. These are the flames of mercy and justice found in Purgatory. Is this truly my reward? Was my confession acceptable? It seems so.

 

The End