The origin of the human made claimant hunter.

“You don’t have to follow in your father’s footsteps. We all agree, all but him. There’s no need for you to carry the generational hatred that covered your ancestors in a never-ending fog of war. You can be different. You can be so much more.” 


Her voice, like warm honey, words as sweet as candy. I could never forget that voice. My mother cared so deeply for us all. A beacon of hope in the murky swamp which could be called our family. 


“We have all been crafted into things which should have no reason to exist. Made into creatures which are no longer quite human yet held back by human limitations. We are monsters, chiseled by the guiding hands of your ancestors, but you do not have to walk down that same path. Your sisters agree, we will work to displace you. We can separate you from your father, get you to a place where you can live a normal life... you have his blood in your veins, so you will never quite be normal. However, you can still live the normal human life that was meant for you. Please, tell me if you want to live like other children. If you want to go to a normal school, make normal friends, play normal games, be a normal child.” 


It almost feels as if she’s pleading with me. Every single time I remember it seems more and more like she’s begging me to abandon my father’s wishes. Should I have run away right then and there? Should I have given up on his legacy and escaped to a life outside of the one he had planned for me? I could have been normal. Could have possibly been different in some way. Could have escaped this cruel fate. 


“The choice is yours, my sweet boy. It would mean leaving us behind, but if it means you can be free from this legacy of hate then I would gladly make sure you find that freedom. Okay?” 


This warmth, I could grow addicted to it. The caring touch of someone so close. I could live with this and nothing else for the rest of my days. I could stay like this, in this very moment, for an eternity- 


“How dreadfully hopeless you are,” the voice filled his vision with static before he found himself tucked into a closed wardrobe. Watching on through the shutter doors towards a sight which seemed so oddly familiar it made his stomach turn. 


“It really is stupid, right? You’d think that someone who knows about us would know how stupid it is to brazenly go against us. I suppose it can’t be helped.” 


“You despicable demons. I’ll make certain you all die,” the male spoke to which his eyes turned down to see the familiar male lying on the ground. His eyes grew wide spotting the sword lodged in his spine, foot pressed directly on his back so that he couldn’t lift himself from the floor. “I’ll never let your kind continue to exist. Every single breath I have will be dedicated to erasing your kind.” 


The male’s cries echoed through the walls of their abode, bouncing from the trees which made up the woods surrounding their home and carrying into the air. A proper reaction as the blade was twisted into his flesh. It didn’t take long for the screams to become silence, and the weapon to be drawn from his corpse. 


“It’s hard to remember just how fragile humans are. Granted, we aren’t immortal ourselves, but their bodies break so easily,” the male holding the sword spoke. 


“You couldn’t have done things cleaner? There was no need for that much suffering, especially not in front of his own wife and children.” 


“It’s not like it matters!” a woman responded to his cares. “They’re all meant to die here anyway. Their existence has been deemed a problem for a long time, and snuffing the last of them out is exactly what we were sent here for. It doesn’t matter how we do it; we just must get it done. Besides, he was willing to fight, so he was also willing to die.” 


His eyes turned to the corner of the room, the woman whose hands were just recently bringing warmth to his cheeks outstretched in a defensive manner. Acting as a wall which would separate these attackers from his siblings who were tucked behind her. It was clear that she did not have the strength to hold out, but she also was not prepared to back down in the slightest. A mother’s strength resting within her initiative to protect her children? Whatever the case, it did not stop the eldest of her children from pushing past her to attack in a fit of anger. 


“Oh! Would you look at this?” the woman spoke as she stepped forward and quickly apprehended the boy. He had attempted to attack her with a knife, but it had no effect on her person and his wrist was quickly grabbed before he was lifted off his feet. “You’re certainly bold. Or maybe you’re just too stupid.” 


“Put him down!” 


His eyes quickly shifted back over to his mother, now standing with a weapon in hand. It was the weapon she had come to rely on often, assigned to her by his father and her husband. A short sword which only managed to shift about timidly due to the shaking of her own hands. Of course, she was afraid. Why wouldn’t she be? This situation had so many variables it was impossible for her to show anything outside of fear. 


“Look? Your mom is worried about you! A shame she’s so weak.” 


“Careful. You never know what tricks they have up their sleeves.” 


“I know that, but it doesn’t really matter. She’s too scared to even fight properly. Besides, there’s an easy way to tilt her enough to fuck up her composure and fill any hopes of fighting with holes,” the woman spoke before drawing a gnarled dagger from her belt and plunging it into the boy’s chest. “It’s as simple as that.” 


There was no possible way his brother could have survived. The weapon was so malformed and twisted that the act of the woman drawing it out more than tore apart whatever organs and flesh managed to get caught in its way. It was at this moment that his breath stopped, his eyes grew wide, yet he did not make a sound. His mother couldn’t even react fast enough, his other four siblings much faster than she was and rushing forward to their deaths in a manner she could not stop. The second eldest moved first, the third right behind him, her firstborn daughter with the younger sister closing in soon after. 


“Wait!” her desperate voice called out as she watched her four children cut down before her eyes. One by one, without any proper chance for survival. 


His mother did not scream, she did not yell or wail, she simply cried silently as she raised her weapon. She did not even look angry in the slightest, but her eyes told a tale of unimaginable emotion swirling in a fit of desperation as she readied herself to fight. It was clear at this point that she was not willing to back down, even if she knew there was no way she could win. Of course, he knew better than anyone else how much she loved her children. 


“So, you’re still ready to fight, huh?” the woman spoke as she waved her dagger back and forth. “I thought seeing your cubs killed would be enough to get that out of your system, but I suppose I underestimated your mettle. You should just give up and accept your death.” 


“I can’t let you get away with this,” his mother spoke as she clutched the hilt of her sword tighter. Even so, her hands continued to shake. 


“A courageous end,” one of the males spoke. 


“There’s nothing courageous about it. Nothing more than some tired attempt with little value. But, if you’re going to be so bold with that weapon, then I’ll fight you like a claimant. If you weren’t so clearly weak, I might have seen a bit of enjoyment out of this.” 


The walls, floor and ceiling splattered in blood. His mother’s heavy breaths as if simply experiencing this travesty had worn her out entirely. He wanted to rush out to her side and yet she had told him not to leave that wardrobe no matter what. And so, he watched. Without taking a single breath or blinking his eyes once; he watched as his mother was made to face the same fate as his siblings. Watched as she stood no chance, as the woman’s dagger turned someone he loved beyond words into a broken and beaten mess. His mother had not been trained like his siblings; she was not trained to fight these battles at all, but she still did all that she could. 


“It doesn’t even look as if you were properly taught to wield that blade,” the male who had cut down his father spoke as he watched his mother fall to her knees. “What would possess you to fight like this?” 


The weapon slipped from her fingers, her hands attempting to hold the exposed organs which tried to escape her body from falling out as she gasped and coughed with each breath. She looked broken, defeated in every single way imaginable, a sight that could cause his heart to fail in that very moment, and yet he still refused to close his eyes for even the slightest second. She did not grace them with an answer, only lifting her head enough so that her eyes might be capable of looking in his direction. The words could not make it through her lips, but he knew what she had attempted to say all the same. 


“I’m sorry.” 


The sound he had heard so many times in the passing few minutes, the severing of flesh and bone before the thud of his mother’s head slammed against the wardrobe door. The blood splattered through the shutters, speckles of red resting on his face and eyes. As his eyes steadily found their way down to her head which now sat motionless on the floor. 


“That’s that. Now let’s get out of here,” the woman spoke as she stepped over his mother’s corpse. 


“We finished up here faster than anticipated. I would have thought they’d put up more of a fight. Then again, I guess humans are only capable of so much. It’s a shame.” 


“Who cares, what’s done is done. Since we finished early, we have a few days before we need to go back. We should head into that nearby town and see if they have any good places to eat. After we torch this place, of course.” 


“You find too much pleasure in this. You two can eat on your own if you desire, but situations like this sour my appetite. It could have all been avoided.” 


“You’re such a fucking buzzkill! You could always just not come with us if you’re going to act like this every time.” 


Their voices trailed off into the distance, my chest tightening in a way I could not have imagined prior. It was around this time I finally chose to emerge from the wardrobe, but only for a moment... to retrieve my mother. Or at least her head. I held it close to my chest, to my heart. Held it close as smoke filled the air. I held it close as my eyes began to burn from not blinking. I held it close as I could feel the veins in my neck straining, held it close as flames raged all around me, held it close as the sound of my family’s death replayed itself in my ears repeatedly, as everything turned red from fire and blood and rage! As the blood dripped from between my teeth, from behind my eyes! 


I can feel it. The urge to yell out my sorrows and my anger all at once. To fill the air with my desperation! I can feel it rising as I grow lightheaded. As I stare down at the visage of someone I once looked to for hope and love, now only a symbol of the hate my father tried so desperately to teach me. I can feel my chest shaking under the pressure of my resistance as my lips and teeth part, just before my body pulls in a deep breath and with it my senses are filled with the scent of death! Everything fades to crimson behind my eyes as the very idea of revenge stains my very existence! The stench of my burning family- 
His eyes opened quickly, looking up at the ceiling which rested just above him and the face of someone he quickly recognized. He did not smile, did not look happy in the slightest, but she held onto a smile bright enough for the both of them. Why she hovered over him the way she did he hated, but this wasn’t a first and he doubted it would be a last. 


“You know, you often stop breathing in your sleep,” she spoke as she sat on the edge of his bed. 


“Is that right?” he spoke as he closed his eyes again. “I’ll try to keep that in mind.” 


“You also look extremely unhappy. Like, more than normal. I’m more or less used to you looking the opposite of happy, but when you sleep it’s almost as if you’re even angrier than when you’re awake.” 


“It’s not a big deal.” 


“You’re no fun to tease, you know that?” the girl spoke as she lifted herself up to her feet. “Look, you don’t have to tell me what happened to put you in this current situation. We all agreed on that when my mom agreed to take you in, but I do worry.” 


“You don’t have to worry about me. I appreciate the concern, but it has nothing to do with you.” 


“I know, but it would put my mind at ease if you at least got along with others. We go to the same school, and I rarely ever see you interact with others. You disappear for hours at a time, sometimes you don’t even eat. Mom worries about you too, you know?” 


“I... understand. I’ll do what I can to alleviate your worries.” 


“It’s hard to take you seriously when you say things like that with a look that could kill, but I suppose I know you well enough by now to know you’re always serious.” 


He couldn’t manage to understand her. There was something about her that made him uncomfortable, and yet she was currently closer to him than anyone else. She was the one who spotted him, after all. When he was alone and lost in his solitude, it was her who managed to spot him amongst the trees and make a place for him to call home. So much time had passed since then it was difficult to imagine. However, it was even more difficult to imagine a moment since then that she did not seem to be wholly invested in his personal wellbeing. He could only sigh thinking back on it. 


“I get it,” he spoke as he opened his eyes and sat up. “I’ll try to be more considerate in the future, Esmeralda.” 


“Good. Now hurry up, it’s time for breakfast! We’ll be late for school if you sleep any longer, Joseph.”

He tied his shoestrings carefully, making certain that they were secured before standing up straight and grabbing the jacket which hung next to the entrance of the home. He wore simple clothing. Nothing too spectacular and without any specific qualities outside of its worn state. Even the jacket was well worn, covered in simple repairs and stitches. 


“Going out to exercise again?” the woman’s voice caused him to turn and face her. 


“Yes, ma’am. I won’t be out for long.” 


“I wish you would relax more often, but I know that simply isn’t how you function. Just make sure you stay safe and try to return home before dark. You tend to work yourself pretty hard.” 


“Wait!” the girl’s voice caused them both to turn and spot her as she rounded the corner. 


“Esmeralda? What’s the matter?” her mother questioned her. 


“I’m going with you!” she spoke as her eyes locked onto Joseph. 


“Absolutely not. You rarely ever go running. You’d only end up slowing him down.” 


“I can keep up just fine! Besides, it would be good for me to get in more exercise.” 


“A no is a no. Now stop bothering him and-” 


“If she believes she can keep up, then I don’t mind it.” His voice caused the woman to return her attention to him. “Besides. I can just slow down if it turns out to be too much for her.” 


“You see, Mom? Joseph agrees with me,” Esmeralda spoke as if finding herself victorious. 


“You may say that, but are you sure she won’t get in your way? I know how often she attempts to bother you.” 


“It’ll be fine. I’m not unused to slowing myself down if I need to keep pace with someone else. I used to have to do the same thing when I’d go running with my sister.” 


“Your sister?” Esmeralda spoke as if hearing something for the first time. It was an action which caused him to realize what he had said and respond with a deep frown. “Never mind.” 


“Well... if you say it’s not a problem then I guess I don’t have a choice. Just make sure you both get home before dark, and don’t do anything stupid.” 


“You never say that when it’s just him leaving,” Esmeralda responded. 


“That’s because Joseph never does anything stupid.” 


“Let's go,” he spoke as he pushed the door open and stepped out into the rays of the sun. “We have a lot of ground to cover. The less time wasted here the better.” 
Her breaths were heavy, almost as if she had been running a marathon. Beads of sweat rolling down her forehead in a manner that she had not experienced before. It was almost enough to make her believe they weren’t doing this amid winter. Thankfully there was no sign of snow, or she might have to check her sanity. Meanwhile, she could clearly see Joseph without any struggles at all despite the choice of terrain he had chosen. They seemed to be going down a normal jogging path, that is, until they veered off into the woods surrounding the village. From that point onward they had been running on leaf littered dirt and stones. 


“Wait!” she spoke between breaths. “Can we just... slow down for a bit?” 


Her pleas caused Joseph to pause long enough for her to catch up. She was clearly exhausted, and that was something he had anticipated when choosing to bring her along. 


“Why are we slowing down?” he questioned her to which she looked at him with a confused look. 


“Are you crazy? We haven’t stopped running since we left home. Not only that, but when we left the normal trail and came out here you sped up! Do you even know where we’re going?” 


“Why would I take us somewhere if I didn’t know the path we were taking? Have you not been paying attention to our surroundings?” 


“How can I when we’re moving like this? I can barely focus on anything outside of keeping pace with you! This might be the hardest exercise I’ve ever done.” 


“If it’s not hard, then what’s the point?” he spoke to which she looked at him more closely. 


Upon closer examination he looked to be in worse shape than her. His ears were red as if heavily affected by the cold, his breaths faster than her own but steadier as if trying to keep them somewhat regulated. He was even sweating more than her and yet they had both gone the same distance at the same speed. Sure, she could barely keep up with him, but she was also far less athletic than him and three years older. Thinking about it more, how was he even capable of keeping up this pace? She had followed him to spend the extra time with him and see what he was up to, believing that he was using exercise as an excuse to get into some form of mischief, but so far they had done nothing more than run. And run a considerable distance for a seven-year-old. Come to think of it, he never really acted his age. 


“Come here,” Esmeralda spoke to which he gave her a confused glance. “Just do it.” 


“Okay.” He approached her slowly to which she placed her hands over his ears. Unlike him, she chose to wear a tracksuit with a pair of wool gloves and a beanie. He almost had time to protest before she spoke herself. 


“You really need to take care of yourself. I don’t really know much about you, and I never really have. I don’t know how I managed to convince mom to take you in, but I do care for your well-being. I don’t know how you ended up where you were on that day, but I knew I couldn’t leave you behind. Mom cares about you, I care about you, so you also have to care about yourself and take absolute care of yourself. Okay?” 


He did not smile, instead his normal frown now also seemed confused. He didn’t have much of a response to offer outside of nodding his head, but that was enough to draw a smile out of the girl who then released his ears from beneath her palms. 


“Better?” she spoke as he raised his hands and touched his now warm ears. 


“Yeah. Better.” 


“Good. So, where are we going now?” she questioned him to which he looked around and took a deep breath. 


“Let’s go home.” 


“Really? Normally you’re out here for much longer.” 


“If we stay out here longer than this it looks like you might pass out, but don’t think it’s going to be easy,” he spoke as he stretched his legs. “We’re running our way back.” 


“Seriously?” 




The carriage moved down the road at a steady pace. The wagon being pulled by the horses filled with a plethora of supplies and tools which looked to fulfill a plethora of jobs as well, along with weapons of varying types and styles. Sitting at the head of the carriage was a woman and a small girl. The woman looked to be dressed in the full attire of a nun and holding the reins of the horses which drew the carriage, while the girl wore a black dress and bonnet of matching color. The sun had already begun to set, leaving a deep orange hue in the air as they made their way down the road within the deep woods. 


“You’re getting old enough to start going to the classes with the others. You’ll be joining the flock soon enough, Esmeralda.” 


“I don’t want to...” 


“You can’t keep running away from this forever.” 


“I’m not running. It’s just stupid. Everyone will just ignore me or call me names anyway.” 


“We’ve been over this before, dear. No matter what they say it will not make a difference. You cannot let it stop you from reaching your full potential.” 


“That’s easy for you to say. They don’t say anything to you... everyone looks at me like I’m weird.” 


“Dear, I understand, but you can’t let others determine your value. That is for you and you alone to decide. Do you understand?” 


“Yes ma’am. I under-” 


The woman turned to face her child when she stopped speaking abruptly, watching as her face twisted in a manner she had not seen before. She had seen many emotions wreath themselves over her daughter’s form in the past, but this was something different from all those times. She looked utterly worried and troubled, but her eyes were focused on something else other than herself. 


“Esmeralda? What’s wrong?” her words barely escaped before the girl jumped down from the carriage. “Esmeralda!” 


The woman brought the carriage to a quick halt as the girl ran out into the woods, barely having the time to jump down herself and follow behind her. Why she had chosen to just run off like this was something the woman could not comprehend. That is, until she finally saw her stop and caught up to her. 


“Mom!” 


“Don’t you ever run off like this again! You know better than to act in this manner! What if you’d run into a bear?!” 


“Mom!” the girl spoke again before pointing forward towards a tree. The woman did not see what it was she wanted to draw her attention to, that is until the girl began walking forward. “It’s okay. No one is going to hurt you.” 


It was barely visible in the shade, next to the dark wood of the tree, but she could just barely make it out upon seeing him move into the average defensive position of an animal. An odd and yet frighteningly intimidating gesture. The small boy who leaned against the bark, clothes and skin covered in ash and burn marks which made it look as if he had just recently escaped a fire. Aside from that his clothes were covered in blood... especially the oversized jacket which was thrown over his shoulders and supplying the dark hood which covered his head. He looked exhausted, but most importantly he looked to be captured in a continued state of shock. Eyes filled with so much anger it was frightening to experience. 


“By the gods...” the woman spoke as she watched her daughter approached him slowly. Surprisingly, however, he did not react as the girl placed her hands on his cheeks. He was even smaller than her. 


“See? It’s okay,” the woman could see his eyes dart back and forth as the girl pulled him into a childish hug. “We can’t leave him here, mom.” 


“What is your name, child?” the woman asked to which he responded by turning his eyes in her direction. He was silent, almost as if refusing to respond. He looked at her as if she were nothing more than meat. But just before she felt he would ignore her, the daughter spoke. 


“You can trust us. We’re friends.” 


The woman did not understand it the more she pondered the situation. How had her daughter come to notice the boy in these woods? It would have been one thing if he were next to the road, but they had traveled a considerable distance from the carriage. Not to mention, the sun was now barely peaking over the horizon and the shade had turned to umbral darkness. They would have to make their way back to the carriage soon or else they might find themselves having trouble making it through the trees. 


“It’s getting late quickly. We don’t have time for this stop.” 


“We can’t leave him here mom!” Esmeralda spoke up as she held his hands tightly. “My name is Esmeralda. What’s your name?” 


There was a silence, the wind causing the leaves to sway and stir as the woman reached into her back pocket and retrieved a small mechanical lantern. It looked to work with some odd mechanism and an enclosed flame. A few clicks and it would steadily begin to light up before she placed her hand on the daughter’s shoulder. 


“There’s no point in staying here any longer, Esmeralda. We’re heading back.” 


“Joseph,” his voice was far calmer than his face. Almost contradictory to it. 


“Did you hear him mom? His name is Joseph!” 


“I heard, dear... tell me. What is your last name, child?” the woman asked to which he calmed his shoulders and lowered his hands. 


“Karr. I am Joseph Karr.” 


“Karr... I see... and do you know where your parents are-” 


“They’re dead.” The speed of his answer was enough to give insight as to how he ended up where he was now. “All of them. Dead. I’m the last one.” 


She looked at him for a moment, a serious look on her face as she examined the situation. There was a moment of silence which was only filled when her daughter began questioning him profusely. A bad habit of hers and yet the boy did not seem bothered. Answering her questions without any resistance. 


“You talk like a grown up. How old are you?” 


“I’m four years old.” 


“Four? That makes me three years older than you, but we’re almost the same height!” 


“Is that not normal?” 


“It’s anything but normal.” 


“I understand. I apologize.” 


“What? You don’t need to apologize or anything, I was just messing around.” 


“I understand.” 


“Joseph,” the woman spoke to which his attention was entirely gained. “What happened for you to end up out here?” 


The very question seemed like a massive mistake. The look he gave her was clearly not focused on her, but something else entirely. The problem was that she had initiated the question and for that received the brunt of his gaze. It was almost as if he lacked sympathy, or rather his eyes lacked any form of joy or happiness. The look on his face told the exact same story. She wasn’t going to receive any answers from him at all like this. 


“Esmeralda.” 


“Yes ma’am?” the girl spoke with a worried look. 


“Help him gather up whatever belongings he has. We’re going home.” The girl looked to be absolutely ecstatic. However, her mother was not done speaking. “From this point onward, we will not question his past. If he wants to tell us, he will do it on his own.” 


“Yes ma’am!” the girl responded. 


“Joseph,” the woman spoke. The boy’s eyes turned to face her immediately. “I am Denalla Pyrrie. This is my daughter, Esmeralda Pyrrie. Starting today you will be living with us as our guest.”

The echoing of impacts radiated through the trees. The cracking wood, a distinct noise that would become common during the fall and winter, but more common to those who ever chose to take the path leading outside of the village. While it was a small place, smaller than most, it also served as a home to many individuals. An estranged monastery town, far off from normal society where children are raised in a shared community. Adults who raise the children, women all becoming nuns, men all become hunters, while the children themselves are all adopted or found orphans by the nuns. It was for this reason that it did not seem odd to Esmeralda when her mother chose to take joseph in. However, he was the first and only child she had ever brought into the village. 


With each step things felt more ominous, more dreadful. She did not understand why and yet it only managed to draw her closer in. By now Esmeralda had grown considerably. Now in her early teens, she had gotten taller and gained more freedom for herself in terms of what she could do, but also had managed to grow rowdier and defiant. Her hair of black, purple and blue reaching midway down her back. She had become far paler, spending most of her time indoors, but her physique had become sterner and more capable. Even so, it didn’t keep her from constantly attempting to bother the boy she called her best friend. 


“Joseph? Are you out here?” she spoke in a low tone as if attempting to keep him from hearing her. More so a means to at least tell herself she had given him warning. 


She followed the constant sound until eventually reaching the source itself. She knew it was him, had known it was him when she decided to follow the sound, but she had not expected to see what she had crossed. As she was in her early teens, it would only make sense that Joseph was at the age of ten, but he had already managed to grow taller than her in that time. Even so, he could now be seen chopping down trees even more efficiently than the adult males of their village. 


He looked to be thin, almost somewhat out of shape, but with every swing of the axe it could be seen that there was little to no fat upon his body. Every lift of the axe he swung coupled with a flexing of muscles which showed that all his exercising wasn’t for show. He even chose to remove his jacket, regardless of the harsh winter air. 


She could barely see his face due to the way he was turned, but with what she could see it was clear that he did not look pleased, as always. Almost as if every swing of the axe brought him more displeasure than he was putting on with his actions. No matter how exhausted he looked there was no slowing down. She could hear vocal grunts of anger with each swing, his hands clutching the handle of the axe tighter as the strength behind his actions increased. The sound of his strikes was almost deafening, as if vocally emitting an area around himself which made it feel impossible to approach. It almost felt supernatural how his very presence warded off others or simply filled people with fear. It persisted even when the tree finally gave way and fell to the ground. 


“Hey, Joseph?” she spoke as she watched his eyes turn in her direction. No matter how many times she looked at it, that hostile gaze, she could only feel comfort. 


“What are you doing out here? It’s dangerous, what if the tree fell in your direction?” 


“What? You think I’d just stand there and watch a tree fall on me?” she spoke as she approached him and raised a large bag. “I brought lunch, since you’re late again. Besides, I was calling you as I approached... sorta.” 


“I see, I lost track of time again... my apologies.” 


“Just try to remember next time. You’re always so far out, it takes too long to get to you and it’s cold. If it were anyone other than me, they’d probably be upset.” 


“And you’re not upset?” he spoke as he lodged the axe into another tree, marking his next target. 


“Of course not! When we were younger, I’d run around with you out here in the cold all the time, since you can’t seem to ever sit still. When you don’t personally care for the weather, then that means I’d follow you out here even during the winter,” she spoke as she handed him a baked potato from her bag with a can of soda. “It still pisses me off that you never got sick once while I was sick constantly.” 


“I told you; you didn’t have to come with me when I did my daily exercises. Although you did eventually start to keep up fairly well. I’m honestly surprised... didn’t your mother say not to bring these drinks to the village?” 


“Shut up, no one cares about that. Besides, they taste better than the fucking beat juice she’s always trying to give us. But don’t think you can get away with flattery. I swear you’re a machine at times! Thinking about it, I don’t think you’ve ever been sick. Even when both me and mom were sick, you’d take care of us but never actually get sick yourself.” 


“I’m immune,” he said as he took a bite from the potato. It was still quite warm, steam flowing from within the bitemark. 


“Wait, what? What is that supposed to mean?” 


“Just as it sounds. I’m immune.” 


“Like, you’re immune to colds? That’s convenient.” 


“Colds?” he spoke as he took another bite. “I’m immune to everything. It runs in my family, or at least it did. I believe my father said he trained my mother to be capable of the same thing. For the rest of us it was hereditary.” 


“Hereditary immunity to illness? Your family must be a hardcore group of people!” 


“Yes, that would be a good way to describe my father’s side of the family. A lot of their feats and efforts were written in books... none of them managed to be saved in the end though... they were always strong people. It still did not save them.” 


“You rarely ever speak about your family, but the more I hear about it the more it sounds like they were preparing to fight some kind of monster.” 


“You could say that. Some monsters need to be culled,” he spoke as he finished off the rest of his potato. “Some things are better left forgotten. It would make it better for all of us that way. More peaceful.” 


“You’re not wrong about that.” 


He stood to his feet and approached the tree where the axe rested. As his fingers wrapped around the handle he paused, a shudder through his shoulders before drawing the tool from the wood. He had no idea what caused him to speak about his family so suddenly. Then again, he did feel comfortable around Esmeralda; enough to speak freely at times. She did not judge, did not show many signs of anger, rarely ever did anything to offend anyone aside from her mother... although that had begun to change as she grew older. Still, she never once showed any hostility towards him or even got mad outside of when he did not take care of himself in a way she saw as proper. 


He began swinging the axe again, each strike chipping away from the base of the next tree. He was efficient, steady, perceptive of his work and of how he should do things. His stance more reminiscent of someone wielding a sword rather than a woodcutter. It was no wonder she referred to him as a machine the way she did; he was more than aware of that. Yet still, as he whittled away the sturdiness of the tree, his mind was somewhat elsewhere. Mainly due to Esmeralda having yet to leave. She never stayed for longer than she needed to. That is, unless she had something on her mind. With a few more swings from his axe the wood gave way, the tree descending to the earth with a heavy thud. 


“Timber.” 


“You know you’re supposed to say that before it falls, right?” she spoke as she crossed her legs. 


“Are you at odds with miss Denalla again?” he questioned her. “You often only spend this much time out here when you’re displeased with someone.” 


“If only you knew,” she said with a laugh. “I’m at odds with everyone, Joseph. I’m so sick of this place. It’s disgusting.” 


He knew what she spoke of to some degree. Apparently, the entire village was opposed to her, but the reason why was something which was never spoken of. It seemed more like they did not approve of both her and her mother, but everyone respected her mother enough to never say anything to her directly. Esmeralda, on the other hand, received the full brunt of disapproval from everyone around her. It was almost as if everyone shunned her to some extent. It was also why she spent the majority of her time with him when they were at school, but he also felt that it was because no one ever spoke ill of her when he was around. They were all too busy looking at him as if they needed to be on a constant defense. 


“Esmeralda. Tell me something,” Joseph spoke as he began chopping the wood into pieces which could be used for fires. “Why does everyone treat you the way they do?” 


“You noticed? I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say anything around you.” 


“They don’t, but that doesn’t mean I don’t hear the way they speak to you nearby. If that is what’s causing you displeasure, I can handle the situation for you. I know you choose to ignore it, but it still is not right.” 


“It’s fine, Joseph. If anything, it should be my mother who handles this,” she spoke as she sipped from her can of soda. “It’s mainly her fault that I’m in this situation, but I can’t blame her entirely. How can I blame her for giving me life?” 


“You make it sound as if your being born were a mistake, but I can’t believe that to be true.” 


“It is true,” her words caused Joseph to pause his movements for a moment before speaking. 


“What do you mean by that?” 


“I was never meant to be born, Joseph. Since all the women of this village are raised as nuns, and my mother was raised in this village, that means she was never meant to be in a situation that would have me as a possibility. She stepped out of line, screwed some guy she met outside of the village, and I’m the result. Everyone knows it, and everyone just sees me as a child who isn’t meant to be here.” 


“That’s... let’s go settle this right now,” Joseph spoke as he slammed the blade of the axe into one of the stumps. 


“You don’t have to do that.” 


“Of course I do. There’s absolutely no reason for that type of behavior, and I will correct it immediately.” 


“No, Joseph. There’s no point to it. These people have always lived this way. Nothing you say is going to change them,” she spoke as she took the last sip from her can of soda. “Besides, most of the village is afraid of you already. You shouldn’t do anything to make them more wary of you.” 


“As if I care about the way they view me. The restrictions upon this village have left the majority of its children lacking in the understanding of modern teachings. Morality aside, these children should at least be learning how to use a computer. Now I come to learn this?” 


“It’s just the way things are. You know that I hate this place and the way it works more than anyone else, but it is my home. If I'm the only one seen as wrong, what can I do about it other than endure?” 


“Why not run away?” 


“Where the hell would I go?” 


“You could always fight.” She almost thought she would never hear such words leave his lips. Joseph was one of the most passive people she knew. 


“Fight? What do you know about fighting? You’re one of the kindest people I’ve ever met!” she spoke with a chuckle. 


He thought about it for a moment, not responding as he weighed the results of what would follow the words if he chose to speak them aloud. He trusted Esmeralda, more than he trusted anyone else. She treated him better than anyone else in the entire village and she was also the only person who seemed to view him as anything more than a person marred by a never ceasing anger. The more he thought about it, the more he found it unfair that he would go without telling her anything when she was so willing to speak of such sensitive things with him. However, there were some things he simply did not wish to say. 


“You know... when my parents died, I was faced with a choice. Either I fight with everything I have, or I make a change. Sometimes I wonder if I made the proper choice, and yet, I think about the sacrifices which were made for me to gain this opportunity and know that I'm doing what I believe to be right.” 


“And what is that?” 


“Seeking peace. I’m here, learning like a normal kid would. Growing up in a normal home, a normal community. This time here has been more peaceful than the four years I spent at my home. Even now, looking back on it, I don’t regret those precious memories. Still, I know that this current path is right for me. It’s what my mother wanted for me... You have the choice to fight or remain as you are, but you also have the choice to learn how to fight for when it is needed.” 


“And what? You’re going to teach me?” she laughed before looking at his completely serious face. 


“That’s the idea, yes.” 


“What? Really, Joseph. You’ve never fought anyone and I've known you since you were four. How would you teach me how to fight?” 


“By the time I was three years old my father taught me the basics of combat. In the time remaining before we first met, I received more training than your average adult. I’ve always known how to fight, but there was no need to put it into practice.” 


“You’ve got to be joking. I can’t believe something like that, dude.” 


Joseph watched as the girl laughed, a sigh escaping his lips as he made his way back over to the stump where his axe rested. As he pulled the tool from its place that was when she began to look more serious. That serious look only becoming more intense when he approached her and held the item out in her direction. She did not understand what it was he wanted of her, or at least not until he spoke again. 


“Take it.” 


“Joseph, what are you talking about-” 


“Take it. Now.” 


“Fine,” she spoke as she reached out and grabbed the item in her hands. It was heavy, heavier than she had expected. “Jesus, dude! What did you do to this thing? It feels like it weighs three times more than normal!” 


“Now, attack me with it.” 


“Excuse me?” she spoke with a confused face. 


“Attack me with it as if your very life is on the line. Don’t hold back and don’t show mercy.” 


“Why would I attack you like that?” 


“Because I told you to do it,” he spoke as he took several steps back. “And because your life currently is in danger.” 


“What?” 


It was fast. Faster than she had ever expected. The expression on his face barely even changed, but after living with him for so long she could tell that he was entirely out to get her. He didn’t even wait for her to prepare before rushing at her, panic welling up in her stomach as she stepped back before lifting the axe above her head. These were both firsts for her. Wielding any sort of weapon, as well as seeing the boy she grew up with act on such violent urges. She found herself afraid, and it was in that fear she found the courage and purpose to swing the weapon. Not that it would hit its mark. 


The transaction was fast, almost too fast for her to register. She saw him step to the side in a manner she would not have believed without witnessing it. He cut his movements so close that she nearly thought he was going to die, but as he barely moved out of the way she felt her feet swept from under her. Looking down she would find that one of his feet had completely kicked her own from their place on the ground. When her eyes rose to meet his she found herself staring into the face of someone who had very little mercy to offer, nothing in the way of comfort or consolation. His fist raised as if prepared to follow through, but as she felt herself pause before hitting the ground there was a feeling of shock in her chest. Looking up to find that he had instead grabbed her arm and caught her before she could fall. 


“The Karr family combat techniques are engrained into the children as soon as they’re born. Taught to walk within the first few months so that they can begin to learn. The faster the better, before... never mind. I’ll teach you what you’d need to defend yourself because you’re a friend. So long as you’re willing to learn.” 


She had come to learn so many things about Joseph through slip ups when he spoke about his family, but it was now more than ever that it felt as if his background were some sort of crazy tale outside of her imagination. 


“What could you possibly have been taught in that manner for? What enemies did your family plan for you to face?” she spoke with a deep curiosity. One that he would normally ignore but found it would be best to say at least one thing in response. 


“Nothing any of us should ever be involved with.”

“Absolutely not! What makes you think I’d ever join in on this nonsense?” 


“Because I know who you are, and I know that it will always be a part of who you are! As I’ve watched you grow, I know you certainly have Karr family blood in your veins.” 


Their voices roused her from the rest she had been enjoying, Esmeralda lifting her head from the pillow in confusion and shock. She quickly jumped out of her bed and grabbed something to cover herself before rushing out of her room to the area where she had heard their voices. This had never happened before. Sure, they all disagreed on certain things and had their own personal opinions but hearing both her mother and Joseph outright arguing with one another simply did not happen. As she rounded the corner, she would spot the two standing in the kitchen but would duck back behind the wall to remain out of sight. 


“You know nothing of my family, and I’d suggest you refrain from speaking about them so brazenly,” he spoke as his expression grew considerably more hostile. 


“I knew your father, Joseph. We all did! He had a hand to play in the construction of this village as well as its primary teachings, with only some of the secondary ones being made by others. I know he taught you something, we will need you to accomplish our goals.” 


“So that’s why...” 


“What are you talking about?” 


“That’s why you even brought me here. Why you chose to take me in those fourteen years ago. You didn’t care about anything other than this.” 


“That isn’t true-” 


“Of course it is! Everyone who has ever had any connection with that man cares for nothing outside of their own reasons or purpose! Everything else be damned! Drawing those monsters to our doorstep over thousands of years! Having families wiped out time and time again, and for what? Some lofty idea of vengeance!” 


“It’s not so simple, Joseph. You know it has never been so simple!” 


“And what do you know, to tell me that?” he spoke as he retrieved his axe from the shelf it rested upon. “Do you know the ancients? Their names? What they are capable of? Do you know their children? Their treasures? The artifacts? Do you know how many claimants exist? Do you know the strength of their vanguard? Do you know the quality of their weapons? Their very being? Tell me! What do you know?” 


“I know that they have constantly put their hands into the business of humans! I know that they don’t care for humans and are willing to throw us away like garbage! And by God none of us will rest until we put a stop to it!” 


“How absolutely naïve!” he spoke as he threw his jacket over his shoulders. “Not every claimant, treasure or ancient are against us. If you knew anything, you would at least know that! And God? What do you know of God? Most, if not all, of the deities or empyreans known by humans are nothing more than ancients. You’d know that if you were really prepared to fight them!” 


“Then join us! We need your knowledge and skill if we plan to survive!” 


“If you plan to survive then you should just give up!” 


“Give up?” the woman spoke as if disgusted by his suggestion. 


“Yes! Give up! Claimants rarely ever perform acts of violence against humans outside of war or largescale accidents. Even the weakest claimant has enough power behind them to level a building, but they will refrain because it is not in the nature of the majority! If you don’t fight them, they won’t fight you.” 


“And you think that’s right? Your father spoke plainly of your family’s ancestors and the trials they faced! How they constantly lost everything to the claimants time and time again-” 


“They also chose to directly go against them on multiple fronts! Attacking them for the sake of vengeance and yet none of them have actually managed to accomplish anything!” 


“And you just believe that now, after everything your family has done, that you can just abandon everything?” her words were met with a bleak silence. One that Esmeralda knew was not good. “You came here to abandon your family’s purpose, and you think that’s right? You think your father would be pleased with this?!” 


“You speak as if I care for what he desires.” 


“How utterly selfish! Your siblings, David, even Aelda died... and you would do nothing-” 


Her words fell short, clearly. Nothing quite preparing her for the axe which flew directly past her head and into the adjacent wall. The weight of the impact caused dishes and cutlery to fall from the walls and countertops to the floor. Glasses shattered, cups rolling across the floor, an entire ruckus which began and ceased in a few moments, but the silence did not last long after. Esmeralda could feel a shiver creep up her spine. 


“Never speak my mother’s name so freely. You’ve already done and said more than enough to show me what you care for, but against your hopes I am not the same as my father,” he turned and made his way across the home to the place he had called his room as he continued to speak. “It was his decisions which put my family on the path to death! His choices which cursed our blood! Turned us into monsters just so that we could chase after some bounty crafted by an ancestor we’ve never even met! I will have no part in his schemes or his plans for my destiny!” 


He emerged from the room moments later with a bag filled with all the things he would call his essentials. However, it was nowhere near large enough to carry everything and that meant he chose to leave certain items behind in favor of leaving quickly. Esmeralda could see he was displeased, even though it was difficult to tell the difference. She had always been capable of telling the differences in his personality through the smallest details that no one else could see. Yet this time even her mother could tell just from looking at him that a mistake had been made. If he looked angry normally, now it could be said that he was entirely livid. 


“Joseph. Where do you think you’re going?” her mother spoke. 


“That does not concern you. My mother sacrificed everything. Everything! All for the slightest chance that I would be capable of living a life away from the obsession of my father and our ancestors! Yet you would spit on her name the way you have?” 


“That isn’t what I meant to do-” 


“Of course you didn’t, because none of you know anything about what you’re attempting to face! My mother came face to face with the enemies you all want to so terribly fight, and she died a death so miserable that all she could do was apologize for having me witness it firsthand! If you think I’m going to aid you all in dying, then you’ve lost your mind. However, the next time you ever use my mother’s name in the way you have today... you will lose than your mind.” 


He did not care for a response, did not say anything more. Joseph approached the front entrance to the home and placed his boots over his feet before pushing the door open and exiting at a steady pace. The door slammed behind him with enough force to shake the walls, but that was just the signal to tell Esmeralda that it was time to approach her mother. The woman now sat in a chair at the table in the kitchen. She looked exhausted, but it was no doubt a strenuous task to argue with Joseph of all people. She wasn’t even a part of the conversation and yet he was still intimidating to her. Having him seriously yell at her from point blank must have been something of a test of fortitude for the woman. She walked past her mother and examined the axe still lodged in the wall. 


“You’re awake, Esmeralda.” 


“Pretty hard to sleep with you causing Joseph to yell,” she responded as she pulled the axe from the wall. “Is it true?” 


“What do you mean?” 


“Don’t play dumb, mom. You knew who he was from the very start?” 


“Yes, I knew... I only knew about David Karr’s first two children, but I had no idea Joseph existed. There may have been more. Yet from the way he spoke it seems as if he was the only one to survive.” 


“You can’t be this stupid,” Esmeralda spoke as she leaned against the wall. “I could have told you his entire family was dead from the way we found him. You really thought it would be smart to bring this up with him?” 


“Did you plan to do it eventually?” 


“I never planned to do it at all! Joseph hated fighting; he disliked the idea of it entirely. He’s always just been happy living a normal life.” 


“You’d call the way he carries himself about all the time happy?” 


“Compared to what I just saw? Yes! No one else seems to think that he’s happy, but I know that deep down there is a part of him that has really been happy with the way things were. If he weren’t he would have never stayed this long, and you just ruined that for him.” 


“We have a purpose here, Esmeralda. He has knowledge that could help us accomplish our goals. I know he’s been teaching you some of his skills. It had to be brought up eventually.” 


“You’re so fucking stupid,” she spoke as she made her way to the front entrance. 


“Where are you going?” 


“Where do you think? I’m going out to find Joseph,” she said as she put on her jacket and tightened her grip on the axe. “Also, he has been teaching me, but he’s only been teaching me so I can defend myself against the others since you won’t do it.” 
The air had grown far colder with the setting of the sun. Thankfully, she had managed to find his trail before it had gotten too dark. He had gone quite a distance, even past where they had first found him years ago. If she were the same person she was back then, or even a few years ago, this would have been a far more difficult journey. Thankfully she had Joseph to thank for building up her physical capabilities. Even after the hours she had spent following his trail she had energy to spare, but there was no telling just how far he was willing to go. A part of her was worried, but at the same time it only made her less likely to give up. 


It wasn’t until she spotted what seemed like a faint light in the distance that Esmeralda chose to increase her pace, running through the now dark forest only to find herself coming upon a house, or at least what was left of it. She could tell there was a fire lit inside of its walls, but nothing else outside of that. This would no doubt be where Joseph was located, and it was for that reason she chose to make her way inside. However, stepping into the building would only go to show that this place had no doubt held grandeur in its design. A large, curved staircase. A balcony leading to multiple different rooms. A chandelier which had fallen to the floor, so many exquisite and extravagant decorations... now all covered in ash and soot from what was no doubt a massive fire. 


“Joseph?” Esmeralda called out, but there was no answer. 


She could see the light shining down a hallway on the second floor, taking a deep breath as if bracing herself before making her way up. If she were younger, she’d never see herself doing something so crazy. But seeing as to how she was now twenty-one there was no room for fear in this situation or she couldn’t call herself a proper adult. With each step there was a thought of the floor collapsing beneath her feet, but the entire structure was built surprisingly well. In fact, the wood did not even creak as she continued closer to her objective. 


“Joseph?” she spoke again as she looked down the hall at the single door with a light shining from within. No answer. 


She continued onward, each step slower than the last, until finally reaching the door and looking inside. Compared to the rest of the home this particular room smelled horrible. As if the very floor and walls were rotting and decaying. It wasn’t until she looked around the corner, however, that she found the reason why. Directly on the floor in the room laid the bones of multiple sizes of multiple people. The sight caused her to clasp her hands over her mouth, an action followed by her quickly averting her eyes away from the room and onto Joseph which stood right behind her. 


“What are you doing in my home?” he spoke in an agitated manner as he walked past her. 


“Joseph! I was looking for you but... this is your home?” 


“That’s what I said, correct? Congratulations, you found me. Now if you don’t have any business here then leave.” 


“I came here to bring you back, but if this is your home,” she spoke as she watched him walk into the room and pick up one of the skulls in his hand. It was burnt, charred, brittle. “If this is your home, does that make these-” 


“My father, mother and siblings. That’s exactly who they all are.” He lifted the skull to his own head and pressed his forehead to its own. “Ashes to ashes.” 


“What does that mean?” Esmeralda spoke as she watched him. 


“I do not believe in gods, and I have recently come to understand that there is no such thing as true mercy. I don’t believe in Heaven or Hell, Elysian or the Void. All I know is that life has a beginning and life has an end. We all eventually die and become nothing... ashes to ashes. It’s a saying in my family. A mantra of sorts. A reminder that when we die, that is it. There is nothing left of us at the end of it all but dust and ashes. What comes after life is something we’ve always rejected, only Elysian or the Void remains. Both a thing our family has come to terms with denying.” 


“It sounds almost like you still believe all of those things.” 


“Almost?” He spoke as he approached her and held the skull out to her. “Go on, take it in your hands.” 


She looked almost as if she were prepared to refuse, yet reluctantly opened her hands to take it. When he placed it in her possession, the first thing she took note of was how small it was. Then of how heavy it was. It didn’t look nearly large enough to carry the weight it had, but it certainly was. The canines were of average human size, but more pointed in comparison. The incisors were sharper upon examining them closer, and the molars seemed as if they carried an almost slightly studded shape compared to normal. She had come to learn the structure of a human skull, of course, but everything she saw here was slightly altered in subtle ways. 


“There are a few differences that I can see.” 


“Molty Karr. That’s the skull of one of my older sisters.” Hearing him say it almost made her drop the item to the floor, but for the sake of her safety she chose not to. Instead, she watched as he walked to a spot on the floor and looked at the ground. “It was right here that she charged forward with Maxine... and I watched as they were killed.” 


“What?” she spoke as she watched him lean down and lift another skull of what looked to be the same size. 


“It wasn’t a directly horizontal cut, so it started at Molty’s upper shoulder, severing her arm before cutting her in half through the chest. Maxine was at her side, so naturally she was also hit by the same attack. The weapon struck her lower, however, and severed her in half at the stomach... even while she was no doubt in terrible pain, she chose to comfort Molty who was dying much faster than her. Time must have been moving so slowly from their perspective in those moments. But for me, it was all of five seconds.” 


“I can’t possibly imagine,” she spoke as she followed behind him. Exiting the room and making their way through the building. 


“You don’t want to imagine it. My sisters were truly strong, far stronger than I. Neither of them had shed a single tear in that moment. In fact, the only person who did was my mother.” 


Each step carried more weight than the last. It felt as if she were walking under the pressure of a responsibility that could not be comprehended, as if their situation was something the entirety of humanity had to face. Not the type of thing a single man was meant to handle on their own. It was an impossible task to ask of him, and yet he only said his mother wanted for it to not be his fate. It was no wonder he looked as angry as he did all the time, or at least that was how she now came to see it. 


They approached a door leading behind the home. There she would find a site that truly made this place look entirely dead. What looked to be a once flourishing garden, now nothing more than a bed of withered or burnt flowers and weeds. It was entirely depressing, and she could not imagine what he was feeling as he chose to do this, but it was at that same time she saw where he was leading her to. In the middle of the garden, where a space had been left clear amongst it all, wood along with the bones of humans had been piled up amongst one another. It was there she would spot five more skulls, two of which were adults while the other three were children. 


“Ashes to ashes,” he spoke as he pressed his forehead against the skull as he did with the other before placing it with the others. 


Esmeralda watched as he turned and reached out for the other which he had allowed her to carry. She nearly had done it but froze slightly as her eyes trailed back to the skull. It was small, sad, more human than anyone could ever imagine no matter the small differences. In that moment she chose to do the same as he did, placing her own forehead against the skull’s own before uttering the same words. 


“Ashes to ashes.” 


“Molty would have liked you,” Joseph spoke as she placed the skull in his hands. 


“What makes you say that?” 


“You both speak the same way. As if you refuse to be bested by anyone, even with the same disrespectful dialect,” he spoke as he placed it among the others. “Father had labeled her as exceptionally weak compared to the rest of us, but she never lost a single match when put against us. Her tenacity was an inspiration to me.” 


“She sounds like a good big sister.” 


“The best,” he spoke as he rose to his feet. He reached into the pocket of his jacket and grabbed a box of matches. “I’m sorry, dad, but I could never remember it all like you did. So, I’ll say things my own way. Forgive me.” 


He tossed the match onto the pile and watched as the flame rose, growing larger until the bones were engulfed in the pyre. Esmeralda could only watch as not a single tear left his eyes. He did not show a single sign of grief or sorrow. He did not look frustrated or displeased. He simply looked angry. The same anger which always rested on his face. It was within that moment she came to understand that he wasn’t hiding it. Rather, he was incapable of feeling it. Everything outside of the anger from the day he lost everything. 


“Joseph?” 


“I believe in no gods for they would have saved us from you. I believe in no mercies for those have been robbed away. I do not believe in your ancient lies, nor do I believe in your Elysian or your Void! I believe in the beginning of life, and I believe in the end of the same!” His head turned to the sky as if now shouting at something or someone which could not be seen. “Die and become nothing! Just as my family has!” 


Perhaps she had been incorrect this entire time. Perhaps she simply did not understand as best as she had thought, but then again, she was the one who knew him best. She was the one who had watched him all this time as he grew up alongside her. So close and yet so far away. It was because of that experience that she knew he was truly in pain. A pain that did not conflict with anger and hate, but rested within it. It wasn’t that he did not experience it, rather it was all unable to be expressed as anything more than the very same. That was why she chose to take hold of his hand. 


“Ashes to ashes?” she spoke as she watched him calm down considerably. 


“Ashes... to ashes.” 


They stood for a moment, watching as the flames continued to burn. Watching as the bones began to crumble along with the wood. It was then that she felt it would be best to speak but was hesitant. What if he found it disrespectful? What if he was not ready to speak? 


“Joseph, can we talk?” 


“Did you know?” he replied. 


“Did I know... if you’re referring to my mother, I did not know she was planning to ask you to join our cause. I didn’t figure out about it until graduating myself.” 


“That’s not what I meant. I’m asking if you knew about all of this? Did you know about my family from the very start like her?” 


“What? No. I didn’t know about any of this.” 


“Then why did you care to even come to me on that day? What reason did you have to even come over there and point me out?” 


“Because it just felt right,” she responded almost instantly. “I did it because it felt like the right thing to do. You’re not my family, we both know that. You have your family and I have mine, but I saw you and could not bring myself to just ignore you.” 


“Is that right? You never do change... I’m not coming back. I know that’s what you came to know.” 


“Why not? I’ll talk to mom, make sure she never brings it up again! Just... come back home!” 


“You don’t understand.” 


“I know you’re not pleased with her, but we can still work this out. It’s not like everything will be normal again, but you’ll at least be in a community of people who will care about you.” 


“That’s not the problem, Esmeralda!” he spoke as he made his way back to the house. “The only reason I stayed as long as I did was because I believed no one knew who I was. The Karr family name is a curse, knowing it alone is a way to have claimants show up looking to kill anyone involved!” 


“Mom spoke as if you knew a lot about the claimants, but I don’t understand how. Now you say something like that? Just who are you, Joseph?” 


“I’m the last of the House of Karr! From times stretching far into the past my family has been at odds with all of claimant kind because of a grudge my ancestors could not let go of, and when they managed to kill a claimant then it essentially started a war between my family and all the houses! No large-scale battles, only small skirmishes in the past. Those skirmishes became short engagements, and those became fights between families and small groups of claimants. From what were written in the books, back in the past they would fight each other on sight without a shred of mercy because neither side could trust one another at some point, but we’ve all been steadily dying out over time because this isn’t a battle that can be won so easily!” 


“That doesn’t make any sense. How far back in the past could things like this have occurred for it to not reach the public eye?” she questioned him as they stepped into the building. 


“Far enough back for some of my ancestors to have served under kings and royalty. Long enough for their depraved methods for increasing my family’s longevity, our bones to become more durable and our bodies to adapt in ways that would allow us to survive harsh conditions. There was a period in which an entire generation of Karr men and women survived in the wild just to avoid being found by the claimants. Those were the ones that made our teeth capable of handling raw meals and bones as well as granting immunity to diseases contracted from such things over their lifetimes. They thought the claimants were monsters, but over time they just made us all monsters as well.” 


“But you’ve clearly benefited from it, right?” 


“The downsides heavily outweighed the benefits. Our physical strength and speed are still the same, only rising with our own continued training without any augmentations. That’s most likely why no one has ever won a fight against the claimants outside of the ancestor who started this conflict, and it’s said the kill was claimed with a surprise attack. Claimants aren’t like us, the literal equivalent of fighting unwinnable battles.” 


“If that’s the case, then why would anyone ever want to fight them? It almost sounds as if humans have no chance of defeating claimants.” 


“Because your average humans don’t. If a claimant must fight you, they will do it in a manner beyond your handling. They have too much power to be beaten by normal means, and I’ve seen that firsthand. You can’t even harm them without the proper tools for the job.” 


They stood silently for a moment, Esmeralda thinking about what she had been told while attempting to muster the proper response. She believed his words entirely, as she always came to do, but they had only managed to bring up more questions that she found needed answers. How do they beat them? How do they survive them? If claimants could be so strong in comparison to them, what were they meant to do? Everyone she knew grew up dedicated to this cause because that was how they were raised. But now? 


“Then what do we do? How do we win this?” 


“You don’t win, you live. Everyone just needs to forget about me and that’s the most important part. If the name Karr doesn’t go around then perhaps you’ll never have to fight. Then you can all live a normal life without thinking about it.” 


“We can’t just forget you, Joseph.” 


“It would be for the best.” 


“I’m not just going to forget you as if you were never here. That’s not how life works,” she spoke as she moved to the entrance of the building. “I understand if you plan to leave. I’ve known you long enough to know you never just do things without a reason behind it. I’m assuming you laid your family’s bones to rest because you did not plan to return.” 


“I’ve never been able to hide my intentions from you.” 


“Because I've always been trying to understand you better... you’ve always been my closest friend, Joseph. We grew up closer than anyone else. No matter how far you go, I won’t just be able to forget you. But you can rest assured that I’ll try to have everyone listen to you. If I can help us avoid a disaster I will, but I won’t make any promises. These assholes never cared to listen to me anyway.” 


“Fuck,” he spoke. Something which caused her to nearly fall on her face. 


“Christ. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you curse once.” 


“I’m not going anywhere, Esmeralda,” he spoke as he sat on the steps of the stairs. “I just remembered that those people don’t take anything you say seriously... fuck! I’ll stay nearby, for now, to check up on things. I still need to make sure you can defend yourself, but now there’s even more of a reason.” 


“Joseph? What are you talking about?” she spoke as he stood and walked over to her. 


“I’ll have to make you one of the most elusive people alive,” he started as he stopped just short of her. “I won’t be coming back to the village, staying in my family home for the time being instead. I’ll come and pick you up to teach you over time. I’ll need to make sure you’re able to avoid claimant attacks in the future.” 


“You say that like they’re going to be throwing fire around and splitting the earth beneath our feet,” she spoke with a laugh only to find he was not amused at all. “Wait, you’re not serious. Are you?” 


“We’re starting tomorrow.”

Several years had passed by, slowly and full of a normalized peace. The seasons changed as they always did. The cycle of life, death and rebirth throughout nature as the world changed ever so slightly with time. What also changed would be the two who had grown alongside one another. Esmeralda was now twenty-seven years old, Joseph just behind at twenty-four. His family home had been refurbished by his own hands with Esmeralda giving aid when she had the chance. When not working on his home and life, the focus was entirely on sharpening her capabilities. While more time had passed than he initially believed would before claimants would come to their home, he still believed that they certainly would come in the near future. 


It was entirely inevitable. 


That did not stop the sound of metal clashing against metal from echoing through the trees, the sight of the male and female exchanging blows with metal rods visible to anyone who would stray far enough into the woods. Esmeralda moved like an expert fencer, yet her footwork was the clear highlight of her style. Her steps were light, capable, able to avoid all of Joseph’s advances and yet he was clearly holding back. His eyes locked onto her like a hawk eyeing its prey. Examining every single movement she made without so much as a smile. 


“Your footwork is good, but your legwork is lacking today. Raise your knees higher or you’ll risk getting your legs swept from below.” 


“That’s harder than it sounds Joseph!” she called out as she moved about in a manner which caused his frown to deepen. “It’s difficult enough to avoid your strikes in general!” 


“You’re not trying to evade me; you’re preparing to evade people far beyond the capabilities I have,” he began as he started targeting her legs with exceptional priority. “Claimants are fast, claimants are strong, claimants are capable of more than we ever will be on their own. A one-on-one fight against a claimant is more akin to a death sentence for humans. We heavily lack what it takes to really fight them toe to toe. That’s why you focus on being elusive, cunning, capable in the slyest of ways. If you can’t make those types of changes, you’ll never survive.” 


The next exchange consisted of nothing more than Esmeralda attempting to strike back at Joseph, yet only receiving strikes to her legs while landing none. She could barely keep up, barely manage to do what he asked. It was difficult to even accomplish the movements he was attempting to teach her. Leading up to the previous year he had been mainly teaching her the basics of martial combat. Then he had suddenly begun teaching her odd ways to evade or predict movements before they came. It didn’t even seem possible. 


Whenever she thought about it, she always found that Joseph always avoided attacks in two types of ways. That was still the case to this very day. No matter how she approached attacking him, the blows never landed. He either didn’t move at all, as if knowing that her attacks would not reach him, or evaded with movements that wasted little energy and just barely slipped by. It wasn’t until she stepped back that his assault halted. 


“For fuck’s sake Joseph, I have to walk home after this!” she spoke as she sat down on the grass. 


“I told you to lift your legs more.” 


“Dude, I’m not you! I honestly don’t know how you do the shit you do sometimes.” 


“With practice and determination. The enemy you may face will be beyond anything you could imagine, so you must be capable of doing unimaginable feats. We can’t go beyond human bounds, but we can push those bounds to their limits. Flexibility, strength, speed, agility, all things that can aid you in sustaining your life. Don’t aim to be the strongest, aim to be the most capable.” 


“You know, I noticed something when you talk about it,” Esmeralda spoke as she lifted herself to her feet. “You never say anything about beating them. You only ever say we’ll survive.” 


“That’s because that’s all we’re trying to do. If we can all avoid fighting them then that will do just fine for us.” 


“What if we can’t?” 


“Then hope you can get the opportunity to hide or flee. Being elusive is key. You won’t outrun them, so you’ll need to slip by them. Just like you should be capable of slipping past any attack.” 


“It feels like I’ve made it nowhere!” she spoke as she rubbed her legs. “All this time and you always seem to have some new concept to teach me on survival.” 


“These are all things I can just remember from my time living with my family. As well as a few things that remained in my father’s secret library,” he spoke as he gathered their training equipment. “The things you’re learning now are normally taught in our family at the age of six, with the things I taught you the years before being taught at the ages of four and five. I had only just begun learning at the time they were all slain.” 


“Your dad believed it would only take two years to learn all of that?” 


“Either you did, or you fell behind, and the way my father worded it,” he paused as he looked in her direction. “Falling behind against claimants spells inevitable death.” 


“What a hardcore dude.” 


“Very hardcore,” he spoke as he brought everything to the home and tossed it through the door before shutting it tight. He walked past her and to a pile of logs lying next to the building before taking a few under his arm. “Let’s go.” 


“Go? What are you talking about?” 


“You said you were running low on firewood when you got here, right? We can bring some back before nightfall.” 


“I can do it myself, Joseph. You treat me like a baby still and I don’t know how many times I’ll have to remind you that I’m older than you,” she spoke as she took the logs from his possession. “Besides, we’ve been going at it for longer than usual today so you can rest. I’ll be fine on my own.” 


“Are you sure?” 


“Positive. Now shut up and go inside. I’m sure you have some book to read or something. I’ll be back tomorrow, if my legs don’t give out on me.” 
“Joseph,” the voice spoke as his teeth clenched together. “Joseph. Come on, Joseph.” His brow furrowed as the look on his face tensed. 


“Get up already!” the voice overwhelmed all thoughts and sound around him. 


He raised his head from the pillow beneath him, heavy breaths as he looked around the room in a panic... however, as he realized his surroundings, he found himself unable to speak or act. It was as if time for himself had come to a halt while everything else continued to move around him. 


“Look at his face! He must have been staying up all night again,” the girl said as she laughed. “Idiot. You know mom will be mad.” 


“It’s not nice to make fun of Joseph like that, Molty. You know mom will get angry with you as well,” the girl who was practically glued to her side spoke. 


“I know, I know. C’mon Joseph. It’s time for breakfast. Dad wants to get started with training early today.” 


“Huh?” he spoke as if coming back to his senses. “Oh, yeah. Let’s go.” 


He slowly slipped from under his sheets and onto the floor, looking down at his feet. Then, up to his hands and the rest of his body he could see. Everything was so much smaller than before. He followed behind his sisters while it felt as if a bubble of air were building up in his chest. Perhaps it had all just been a dream the entire time. A terrible, horrendous dream? 


“No. I have to see it for myself...” 


“Did you say something, Joseph?” Maxine asked him to which he nearly looked to jump out of his skin. 


“Ah, no, nothing.” 


“I swear, you get weirder every day,” Molty spoke. “We’ll need to make sure you get as strong as possible, or Charter will never stop bullying you.” 


“I’m not much of a fighter. I’d rather study and learn more.” 


“Hah! As if dad would let you do that,” she spoke as the two sisters rounded the corner into the kitchen area he knew so well. “We’re here mom! He was still asleep again, of course.” 


“Thank you, girls,” the voice nearly knocked him to the floor, but he rounded the corner still if only to confirm the source for himself. “You can’t keep staying up so late, Joseph. You’ll have all the time in the world to study, but you need your energy if you plan to properly grow big and healthy.” 


There she was, standing right there on the other side of the room. The mother he had believed he would never see again, speaking so clearly to him as if it were just a normal day. He could see his brothers as well, crowded around the table talking about practice and techniques as they always did with his sisters quickly joining them. His jaw fell, hands shaking as he raised his foot to step forward yet lost his balance entirely, falling back on his behind instead of forward. It was Maxine who quickly rushed over. 


“Jeez. This is why you need to get proper rest,” she spoke as she leaned forward and offered him a hand. “Joseph, are you okay?” 


“Huh?” he spoke as if confused. 


“Let me see him,” his mother’s voice caught his attention as he turned to see her now standing next to his sister. She knelt at his side, placing her hands on either side of his face and lifting his gaze to her own. “I know it hurts to fall, sweetheart, but what matters most is that you stand back up again. There’s no need to cry. Alright?” 


Joseph raised his hands to his face, fingertips touching his eyes where he would find the small droplets now staining his hands. He quickly rubbed them all away, nodding his head without a word as if attempting to keep from looking in her direction. 


“Yes, mom.” 


“C’mon. You can look at me, can’t you?” 


Her voice was like pure reassurance that could not be ignored. Never could be ignored. He pressed his lips together as if afraid that looking in her direction, looking in her face would cause her to disappear, and yet he was even more afraid of not looking to confirm the truth himself. And so, with every fiber of his being, he would calm his nerves and relax himself. Taking a deep breath as he raised his hands and placed them over hers upon his cheeks. It was difficult, but not impossible, something he could surely do if only just this once. He raised his eyes and... they both grew wide. 


“See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?” the woman spoke with the brightest smile she could muster. 


He could feel his heart twisting, as if it might burst at any second as his fingers gripped onto her hands as hard as they possibly could. He looked around the room again, Maxine at his mother’s side with a smile while Molty, Charter, Benjamin and Miln were still around the table arguing as they always did. There was no doubt that this was all real, no questioning that this was entirely his family that he once believed was gone. 


“You think he’s going to be okay, mom?” Maxine asked their mother who continued to smile. 


“Of course. He’s stronger than he looks, you know. Isn’t that right, Joseph?” Her question caused his attention to snap back to her. 


“Yeah. I’m okay,” he said as his lips curled into a soft smile. As if entirely content. 


“Good, now go and sit with your siblings. You all need to eat.” 


He stood to his feet and walked with his sister to the table where his siblings waited, pulling out a chair and sitting down as he had always done. Molty always argued with their brothers about combat techniques, but it was a futile effort because she always won in every sparring match. Or rather, all of them except for when she always let him win. Meanwhile, Charter had remained the most physically capable and refused to ever back down. Miln always took Molty’s side, but Benjamin always felt their brother agreed with her too easily. Maxine would never fail to be the one attempting to split everyone up. All he could do was chuckle at the sight. 


“What are you laughing at Seph?” Benjamin asked him. 


“It’s just funny,” Joseph spoke. “You argue, but you still can’t beat her.” 


“See, see?! Joseph knows what he’s talking about!” Molty spoke as she placed her hand on his head. “He knows skill when he sees it!” 


“He’s only taking your side because you let him win!” Charter spoke to which Miln responded. 


“So, I suppose that means she lets you lose?” 


“Shut up Miln! It’s not like you’ve ever beaten me!” Charter spoke as Maxine raised her hand. 


“Well, technically, you’ve lost to Miln quite a few times.” 


“Alright, that’s enough all of you,” their mother said as she brought an assortment of breads and soups to the table. “You’re all equally strong in your own right. There’s no need to argue over it, we’re family after all. What someone else is lacking you make up for as their brother and sister. That’s what it means to love one another.” 


Every time his mother spoke it was an inspiration to him. She always seemed to know exactly what to say to calm everyone down. He looked around for a moment at his siblings, watching closely as they grabbed their favorite things to munch on. Their mother always made sure to include all their favorites as well as an extra serving for Molty since Maxine always ate the same thing as her older sister. They all smiled so brightly; it was enough to make his heart skip a beat. 


He reached forward, hands clasping around a small bowl which was always his exact serving size to be satiated. The bowl his mother always gave him, filled with his favorite type of soup. He held it before his face, closing his eyes to appreciate the aroma before raising it to his lips and sipping the contents... it warmed his heart, warmed his soul, his everything. He turned his eyes to his mother who grinned with content, no doubt having noticed his own enjoyment of the meal she had prepared. She always caught those little things, but Joseph still couldn’t keep from smiling back. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt so relaxed. All he could remember leading up to this point was exhaustion, but now he was simply pleased to know it was all just a dream. 


“Joseph,” the deep male’s voice caught his attention. His head turned quickly to see his father entering the room. “Did you return those books back to their rightful places last night?” 


“Yes, dad!” 


“So, you knew he was staying up and did not stop him?” his mother questioned him with a disapproving glare. 


“He asked if he could look at them, and he puts forth far more effort to reading than he does combat. I might as well let him do what he wants.” 


“I swear, you’re a worse influence on him than Molty.” 


“What did I do?” his sister responded to her mother. 


“He’ll never learn how to fight if you keep letting him win, kiddo,” their father responded. “As smart as he is, your younger brother lacks experience he desperately needs. You shouldn’t deprive him of that.” 


“It’s true,” his mother started. “A time may come when he can’t rely on all of you and, if that time does come, he will need to be prepared to handle things on his own. Your father has dedicated his life to teaching all of you what you need to know about your enemies, but Joseph is still the youngest and has the most to learn. You’ll have to teach him properly like a big sister should.” 


“Leave it to me!” she spoke as she continued eating her food. “I’ll make sure no one can ever stand in his way!” 


“Don’t talk with your mouth full, dear.” 


His father had always been like this. Relaxed until training began. Relaxed until studying started. At times he truly seemed like a normal parent, and the rest of the time it was almost as if he were entirely afraid of the future, as if always looking over his shoulder in fear of being swept away by some force that could not be stopped. Like paranoia. However, he loved him all the same. His mother had always been caring beyond caring, someone who could end any fight with a few choice words or a stern look despite her soft features. Even her frown was like a smile, something that never failed to make their father laugh. He loved this. Loved it more than anything. 


“Joseph,” his father spoke. 


“Yes, dad?” 


“Let’s go practice for a bit before your siblings finish. There are a few things I’d like to teach you.” 


“Okay!” he spoke as he quickly finished his soup and followed his father out the back door of the building. 


They continued until near the garden, the flowers fully in bloom and yet there was a slight chill in the air. Joseph looked up at the sky and felt as if he were melting away for a moment, as if he could become one with the entire world. 


“Alright, what did you learn from reading last night?” 


“I learned about the names of the ancients and their treasures. The houses, the elements, and the cores a bit more.” 


“Good. These are all very important things. The ancients stand above both treasures and claimants alike. It is good to understand that they are not invincible, but the difference in power is possibly vast or miniscule between the three. Some claimants can barely accomplish feats beyond that of a human while some claimants are capable of defeating entire armies on their own. However-” 


“It’s not an easy feat and they still require energy. No one can go on forever without rest.” 


“Indeed. Claimants have very few weaknesses compared to us. As such, we must put forth far more effort in order to stand a proper chance. Still, it is not possible to defeat a claimant by human means. We may have all the tools in the world, but it still would not be enough to defeat them. That is why we use their own weapons against them.” 


“Weapons crafted by the ancient of the house of Mucmoi?” 


“Indeed. The ancient Nammay has crafted weapons for claimants for, as far as we know, lifetimes that proceed human existence. Aside from themselves and their abilities, those weapons are the only other things currently known by us which can harm them.” 


“You’ve already taught me this, dad. Why are you telling me again?” 


“Well, that’s because,” he paused as the door opened to their home, the sounds of his siblings arguing from within hitting his ears before abruptly ceasing when the door shut again. He turned to view his mother who now approached with her own weapon in hand. 


“I’m assuming you’ve told him more than enough?” she spoke as she passed by him and stopped at his father’s side. 


“Yes, we went over things. Are you ready, Aelda?” 


“Mom? Dad?” wait... he knew this. He had seen this before, although things had been different leading up to this point. He knew this moment. “No.” 


“Joseph, my sweet son.” 


“No.” 


“A time will surely come when you have to fight. Whether it be for me, your father, your brothers, your sisters, or someone else... that time will certainly come.” 


“No, stop,” he spoke and yet it was as if they could not hear him. 


“This is my weapon. It may be rather small compared to your sibling’s weapons, but that makes it perfect for your size now.” 


“Please stop.” 


“Your mother’s weapon, it was gifted to our family by a claimant from long ago who was a friend of one of our ancestors. This weapon has been passed down in our family for generations, an heirloom of the house of Karr as well as a reminder of just how weak we really are.” 


“You both have to stop.” 


“My weapon has two names. It is known as both the Little One and the Oath Severer, and it still carries that same title. A representation of the weak who can still accomplish great things as well as a tool which can sever anything. You’ve been using the axe your father gave you, but this weapon will be yours. From my loving hands to your own.” 


“I... I can’t... Molty! Molty, stop them!” he called out as he turned to see their home wreathed in flames. The crackling of fire and wood as embers filled the air were like chimes ringing in his ears. He attempted to run to the building, save his brothers and sisters, but his body would not budge. 


“You must take the weapon, Joseph.” 


“Why are you two just standing there?!” he called out as he closed his eyes, attempting to snuff out the truth. “They need us! We have to save them!” 


“Joseph!” his father’s voice called out to him. 


“I must go in there! I have to go back!” 


“Enough, Joseph!” his mother’s voice called out to him as he felt her hands turn his head to face her. “That’s enough, don’t you think? You can’t run away from this; we both know that.” 


“Why?” he spoke as the tears began to rush down his cheeks. “What’s wrong with running away? If I can just be with all of you isn’t that enough? Can’t I just run away...” 


“Oh, my dear sweet boy,” his mother said as she pulled him into a tight embrace. “I know it’s hard, I know it hurts you every single day. I know, and I wish I could take all that pain and hatred away from you... but this is a reality you cannot run away from. Isn’t there someone waiting for you? Someone who you need to protect at all costs? Someone who relies on you right now?” 


“...Esmeralda...” 


“That’s right, son.” His father spoke with a smile he had rarely ever seen. The only thing which drew him from that smile was his mother sitting back on her feet, his father kneeling behind her and placing his hands on her shoulders. 


“That’s why you need to face this head on,” she spoke as she raised the weapon from the ground and held it out to him. “This was my final gift to you and one you should always hold close to your heart. This is a representation of all of us, so take it. Take it and make us all proud. Live on.” 


“But mom-” 


“No buts... just smile and take it.” 


He reached his hand out, placing it upon the sheath of the short-sword, yet he did not smile. His smile melted away like pure snow hitting the morning sun. His brow furrowing as his lips curled into a deep frown. 


“That’s more than enough, my love. I know you're trying,” she spoke as both her and his father stood to their feet with smiles prouder than a parent could ever hope to have. “Now... protect what’s important to you.” 


He watched as the garden swirled with flames, the grass around him burning to dust, the daylight blocked out by the blackest smoke he had ever witnessed. Watched on as his mother and father burned right before his very eyes. He did not look away, did not step back, did not shut his eyes. He only clenched his teeth harder as he watched the flesh burn from their skin and leave nothing more than the bones he had come to know so well. The bones he had held in his hands, the bones which were now ash.


“Ashes to ashes... ashes to ashes... ashes to ashes... ashes to ashes...” 
His eyes opened slowly, fingers gripping onto the short-sword which rested in his lap as if his life depended on it, the sound of barely audible gunfire ringing out in the distance the cause for his abrupt wake. He rose from his seat and in that very moment could feel his heat burning, his pulse rushing, his bones aching, his head hurting, as if his body were attempting to destroy itself... but he would not allow that. He strapped the weapon to his side as he made his way out to the main area and down the stairs, throwing his mother’s hooded jacket over his shoulders before running out the main door. 


It wasn’t just him hearing things from his dream, he could clearly hear it now, the sound of firearms in the far distance. The direction was unmistakably the place he had once called home. He hesitated ever so slightly, looking back at his home before the words replayed themselves in his mind and he pushed forward. 


"Now... protect what’s important to you."


“I believe in no gods for they would have saved us from you. I believe in no mercies for those have been robbed away. I do not believe in your ancient lies, nor do I believe in your Elysian and your Void. I believe in the beginning of life and the end of the same! Die and become nothing, just as my family has!” he spoke to himself over and over again with every single step he took on his way. His mind becoming nothing more than a manifestation of the anger which had been pressed on him. Something which, at this point, could not be changed. Only stopping when he came into view of the village he grew up in, and the sight of it burning before his very eyes. 


“Ashes to ashes.”

Esmeralda rushed about quickly, moving from person to person without so much as a proper moment to think. It had been determined that she was not prepared for combat and as such was assigned to provide medical aid, although she mainly gave out orders and helped with medical equipment. Their village consisted of multiple small homes, a large schoolhouse, buildings for the purposes of processing raw materials and the monastery which also served as the grounds for their training. That same monastery was where the injured had been brought to receive medical attention, although most of them were past the point of saving. 


“Esmeralda! We need more gauze over here!” a woman’s voice called out from across the room. 


“We’re already out! You’ll have to settle for cloth! And make sure it's clean!” she spoke as she rushed around the chapel. “You’ll have to improvise if we plan to treat everyone!” 


“We have more injured coming in!” a male voice spoke as the doors flew open. 


“We’re starting to run out of space! Bring them to the nave! We’ll start filling that area instead, let the children occupy the infirmary and chapel! This is a fucking mess.” 


She aided in moving the adults from the infirmary with the others while current supplies were focused on the injured youth. It didn’t take long for her to end up taking control of the situation. Regardless of how others saw her it was well known that she had the most level-headed attitude amongst them, but that couldn’t save people. One by one the nave filled up until they moved everyone they could. However, as she looked around the room it was clear that there wouldn’t be many survivors... if there were any at all. 


She watched as those assigned to taking care of the wounded moved about frantically from person to person, applying what medical attention they could before moving on to the next. She could see that some cases were utterly hopeless, some people looking as if it would be better to just put them out of their misery. She looked down at the weapon on her side, a small dagger alongside a handgun which she had been trained to use for years, but in that moment, she found herself lacking the need to use it. What was it for? Wasn’t she meant to be fighting with everyone else? She continued to move about providing what help she could while also taking note of those who did not make it. 


“Esmeralda! We need more painkillers!” 


“I’ll get some from the infirmary! In the meantime, everyone arm yourselves! There’s no telling when the enemy will show up here with this many injured coming in! Everyone, prepare to fight if you must!” she spoke before running to the infirmary. 


As she stepped out into the cloister, she caught the scent of smoke and blood on the air, her eyes turning to see the night sky dyed with the tint of flames. She paused only for a moment to take in the sounds around her; the screaming, the gunshots, the sounds of battle. It was easy to ignore when focusing on other things, but losing that focus for a moment was an eye-opening experience to say the very least. He had told her time and time again about how overwhelmed they would be, but seeing it now made it feel as if he undersold the feeling. All she could do now was hurry back to the infirmary.


“Quickly! I need painkillers for the-”


There was a bleak silence, a turning of the stomach like she had never experienced. She raised her hands and covered her mouth; swaying to the side as her shoulder pressed against the wall as a means to keep her upright. It took all of her willpower to keep the bile from rushing out of her system, but it was a willpower she had in droves, for now. Even so, she questioned how long that willpower would last if she remained here. She had only been gone from the infirmary for a few minutes, and yet that was more than enough for a massacre to take place. Not a single person had been spared. Not even the children.


“The nave!” she spoke to herself as she quickly turned back and rushed out to the cloister, the sound of what was once combat eerily gone as she took her weapons in hand and made her way into the building. “Everyone! Prepare for-” 


“That was easier than I expected it to be,” the unfamiliar female voice spoke. “They all fell like flies in the end!” 


“I must admit, this was less intense than originally anticipated. Although you have to hand it to him, only David would have inspired an entire town to his cause. Possibly some last resort to make sure we still had enemies of his sort after his passing.” 


“I doubt he was that thoughtful. Probably planned to use them as sacrificial pawns. It wouldn’t be the first time for the Karrs to do something like that.” 


She had only been gone for several minutes, or maybe it had been longer than she thought? Either way, upon returning back to the nave she would only find everyone dead. Did that mean that all of the ones outside of the monastery were dead? The medics, the children, the fighters, they even finished off the injured... and she had just happened to slip in between them. Would that make her the only one left? That couldn’t be possible! Not after all of the hard work they had put in! 


“Looks like we missed one,” the male voice spoke as her eyes turned upward to see him looking straight at her. “You might as well not run, there is no escape.” 


This was her first time getting a clear look at him. He looked so average at a glance, but there was clearly a sense of divinity about him. He stood tall, as if confident from birth, with a head of perfectly blonde hair and skin so pale it was nearly white without even the slightest blemish. His eyes were like light shining through a prism, rainbows that seemed to hold the purest colors she had ever seen. He wore pure white, a cape of the same color and looked as if he were missing the set of armor he so desperately desired. With the way he held the longsword at his side, it was all that was missing to have him look like a proper knight of the heavens. 


In contrast, the woman who rounded the corner and stood next to him looked as if she had been brought here from an entirely different place. She wore what could easily be mistaken as lingerie with a fur scarf that covered her shoulders perfectly. She clearly did not care that the clothes she wore were see-through and revealed every bit of her person, but it was clear that she didn’t care much for those types of things based on her demeanor. While the former only had small speckles of blood on his person, there was barely a spot on her body which was not covered in it. Even so her skin was just as perfect, a beautiful shade of coco alongside a head of pure red hair which looked more like a wild braided mane; eyes of the same color. 


“We must be getting rusty if we let one get past us! You think Almaden is going to be upset that he didn’t find her first?” the woman spoke as she flipped the crude knife in her hand. 


“No doubt, but he should be here soon. There’s no harm in waiting. Besides, I’ve spilled far too much needless blood today.” 


“Says you. I’d love to see what she can do before he gets here.” 


“That’s fine by me,” Esmeralda spoke as she readied herself to fight. 


“She’s bold,” the male spoke. 


“I can see that!” the woman spoke with a smile. “She doesn’t look too bad either. I’m sure Phita would have liked this one if she were still around. What’s your name, girl?” 


“Anyone who’d kill children the way you’ve done doesn’t deserve to know my name.” 


“At least she has a strong fire in her soul. Yeah, Phita would have definitely liked this one. Attack whenever you’re ready,” the woman spoke as if taunting her. 


Esmeralda raised her pistol, firing as many bullets as she possibly could and yet none of them would land. It was mesmerizing in its own right, the sight of the woman blowing a stream of flames from between her lips and melting the projectiles before they could even reach her. It was clear in that moment that there was no chance of winning this fight. Joseph had told her that they had powers that went beyond their capabilities, but this was too much. If she could do that to bullets her flesh wouldn’t mean anything to her. Still, with that overwhelming difference, she still rushed forward with her knife in hand. 


She was slightly surprised, looking as the woman smiled and refrained from burning her to nothing on the spot. Perhaps she was underestimating her, but that just meant she had the slightest chance to win this fight! She flipped the knife around in her hand, a feint Joseph had taught her to make enemies confuse the angle of an attack- 


“That’s because that’s all we’re trying to do.”  


Her eyes grew wide as the words brought themselves back into her mind. Remembering what Joseph had told her.


“If we can all avoid fighting them then that will do just fine for us.” 


She caught the woman’s eyes for only a moment, watching as she casually took note of her every movement with a smile on her face as if this were all nothing. She hadn’t been properly trained for this; she had been trained to flee. It wasn’t any more obvious as it was when the woman stepped off to the side, a simple movement, making a gap between them she wouldn’t be capable of making with several steps; yet she closed the distance so quickly Esmeralda couldn’t even recover from her attack. The woman’s hand wrapping around her wrist as she attempted to pull it away. 


“You fucking-” 


“Don’t get upset, you’d have probably gotten any other human with an attack like that. You’ve clearly been taught well, but there’s only so much a human can accomplish.” 


“I hate you all so much. How you casually go around doing whatever you want to us.” 


“We don’t garner enjoyment from this,” the male spoke as he watched them. “Against popular knowledge, we claimants tend to do our best to remain out of human affairs. In particular, there aren’t many of us who would willingly do harm to humans. This is all being done because of the generational hatred of the Karrs.” 


“The Karrs?” Esmeralda spoke as her brow furrowed. “I wonder how many of them you’ve killed compared to how many of you they’ve killed.” 


“Oh? So, you know about their relationship with the claimants? You’re well learned, for a human, but it only makes sense. That knowledge is why we’re here now. To end that hatred they’ve been spreading among humans for generations.” 


“You can keep telling yourselves that,” she spoke as a smile curled across her face. “With so much strength, your ancients must be pretty scared to just kill off a bunch of humans like this.” 


“Hey,” the woman spoke as she raised Esmeralda’s wrist higher. “Say what you like, but don’t think you’ll get away with stuff like that.” 


It took all of her willpower to keep from screaming out when she snapped her wrist with barely any effort at all, dropping her to the floor after doing so. It seemed as if she had expected her to give up at that point, turning to speak with the male, and yet Esmeralda jumped up quickly in an attempt to drive the knife into the woman’s neck. There was a moment of strict pleasure in knowing that she would at least kill one of them, but that pleasure faded away as the knife couldn’t even manage to penetrate the skin. The blade snapping in half as the woman turned back to look at her again. 


“You have a tendency to think battles are done when they aren’t,” the male spoke. 


“I didn’t think she’d be that bold!” the woman spoke as she turned around and placed her fingers around Esmeralda’s jaw, lifting her head upward as if examining her. “It almost makes me want to have her for myself. Almaden can’t be too upset when he’s taking this long.” 


“You’re not completely wrong,” the male spoke as he turned his attention to Esmeralda. 


“What?” the girl spoke as if refusing to throw away her tenacity. 


“I just feel slightly sorry for you. While I did say most of us prefer to avoid conflict with humans, Luno here is one of the exceptions. A fight is a fight in her eyes, no matter how weak the opponent is. One of the marks of Phita’s rowdy children I suppose.” 


“You heard him,” Luno spoke as she raised her dagger. “Don’t disappoint me now-” 


Their conversation halted as the doors to the building opened and a male stepped inside. He looked as if he had just stepped out of a forest, adorned with tribal markings and a tunic covered with furs. He too had blood covering the majority of his person, and yet he looked more upset than anticipated. Why that was Esmeralda could only guess. That is, until he spoke. 


“You really took care of everyone before I could get here?” he said as he lifted the claymore to his shoulder. 


“You were taking too long, idiot. We aren’t going to wait for you forever!” Luno responded with a growl. 


“That’s enough you two. This is no contest, it’s work. Work that we just have to get done so it can be put behind us. The faster the better, so finish this up so it can end.” 


“Fine by me! It’s about time we’ve finally put this to rest.” Luno stated as she turned to face Esmeralda. "Although I guess that isn't good news for you."
The doors to the nave were already open, he could smell the familiar stench of death on the air within the smoke. Bodies burning, homes reduced to cinders and embers. He rushed forward quickly as if nothing more than hopeful that he would find at least a single survivor, a single soul who managed to survive all of this, but his eyes only managed to catch a glimpse of the worst possible sight imaginable. His motion ceased as he witnessed the moment the dagger held within the woman’s hand was pulled from Esmeralda’s stomach. The girl fell to the floor so slowly he felt as if time would freeze, hoped that time would freeze, but knew that was not the case. He could have sworn his vision flickered. First he was looking at Esmeralda, then his mother, then Esmeralda again. How had he been made to watch this exact sight again? The exact weapon even?


“Esmeralda!” he called out as he rushed into the building. His words garnered the attention of Almaden who raised his weapon in preparation. 


“Alright! There was still one more-” 


His words fell short as he stopped in place. The other two stood completely still as they watched the boy run directly past the claimant and to the girl’s side. There was a distinct confusion which conjured itself up in the two claimant's minds, but they too found themselves instinctually choosing not to approach. The way he looked over her body, observed her injuries and wounds, attempted to do anything and everything to heal her... it was pathetic. Yet it was also far too terrible to witness. 


“Don’t you dare interfere,” the blonde male spoke. 


“Fine! I get it!” Luno responded as she stowed her weapon. 


“Heal her...” Joseph spoke as he continued to struggle.


“What?” the male in all white spoke. 


“I know you can do it, so do it! I don’t care what it takes, I’ll even become a claimant if I must, but you have to save her! What will it take? My arms, my legs, my life?” 


“I don’t believe you understand.” 


“Of course I understand!” he cried out as he turned his head to face them. “I know your kind has done it in the past! Healed injuries the likes of which no human can heal, so do it! I’m willing to give up everything, so just fucking do it!” 


“Joseph,” Esmeralda’s voice brushed by his ears. His attention flicking directly back to her. “You don’t get it. They won’t do it... because they don’t care about doing it. They were sent here to kill us after all.” 


He watched as she even struggled to speak, the injury to her stomach so severe that no methods he knew of could possibly repair her. Even so, she looked as if there was no pain on her face at all as she attempted to lift herself up. Not a single tear was shed, nor was there any sign of fear in her eyes. 


“Don’t worry, relax, I’ll convince them. Just give me some time and-” 


“There is no time, Joseph. Just listen to me. Alright?” He looked as if he were prepared to protest yet did not do anything of the sort. His attention fully placed on her without any chance of letting it escape. “Good. I’ve spent most of my life wondering what I could do to make you happy. Even though I knew... I knew you were happy all along, but I didn’t believe it was true so long as you did not smile... I thought that if I could get you to smile at least once that maybe, just maybe, you’d keep smiling forever.” 


“Esmeralda...” 


“It was a stupid idea, I know! You don’t have to tell me that... but I just felt as if I were failing you in some way every time I saw that unhappy face... You’ve given me more than I could have ever hoped for. A friend, a protector, someone who actually cares about me. You showed me many things like how to fight, and you made me stronger than I would have ever been without you. Even if you didn’t notice, you showed me what it meant to love someone and be loved. Even more than my own mother... I’m sorry it couldn’t last forever.” 


“You don’t need to apologize for anything. I should have been here; I shouldn’t have left you alone-” 


“That doesn’t matter now... what does matter is that you're here now and I want to see it.” 


“What do you mean? What do you want to see?” 


“Your smile,” her words caused his body to deflate. All the tension and agitation flooding away like winter tears. How long had it been since he'd felt so at ease? Even in such a tragic moment, she still wanted to pull it out of him. Cared about him more than herself. “Can’t you show me, just this once? I’ll never ask you for anything else again, if that wasn’t obvious.” 


“You’re crazy... absolutely crazy,” he spoke as he sighed. “All this time and you still haven’t changed one bit.” She watched, her eyes widening in disbelief as his lips shaped themselves into something she had once believed she’d never experience. This person who she had come to know as the stoic yet kind companion with a stern face; now smiling in a manner that melted her heart. It was nearly too much to bear. “Will this do, Esmeralda?” 


“Yeah... but now I have a different problem," she spoke as her own smile began to waver.


His face was drained of all pleasure brought by their exchange. He could feel his stomach twist, his heart ache. It was now his turn to see a sight which had never graced his presence once in all his life with her. He grasped her hand and squeezed it in his own as tears began to pour down her cheeks to the ground. His other hand attempting to wipe the tears away as if in an unwinnable battle. 


“Esmeralda, what’s wrong?” 


“Now that I’ve seen it... I don’t want it to be the last time,” the woman whimpered as if trying her hardest to hold everything back. “I don’t want to die yet, Joseph... I don't want things to end like this.” 


“P-please,” Joseph started as he turned to the claimants. “You can treat me like a dog, sick me on all of your enemies, beat me every single day for the rest of my life, I don’t care... just please save her. I know you can do it. If not you, a treasure. If not them, an ancient. Just please... anyone at all... I can’t let her die.” 


“I’m sorry, but it’s already too late.” The blonde claimant responded. 


Joseph turned his attention back to Esmeralda, gripping her body with all his might and pulling it into an embrace the likes of which felt as if it might kill him. His mind raced, his body ached, his chest was so hot he felt it could burst at any second. She so desperately pulled these emotions out of him, made him show them so sincerely, and now it was more difficult than he could have ever imagined to stow them back where they came from. All he could do was hold onto her and hope that she would come back... but he knew better. 


“How dreadful,” Almaden stated as he looked down at the male. 


“This is why I hate this type of work. I don’t understand how either of you can enjoy this. There is no pleasure to be had from causing such tragedies.” 


“If they choose to fight then they choose to die. It’s as simple as that, Vaak. Aren’t you a knight? You could at least act like you enjoy combat,” Luno spoke to which the male twisted his face. 


“No knight worth their weight would ever enjoy this.” 




“Joseph,” David spoke as he pulled a book from the large shelf. “Turn to page three seventy-one. Read it aloud.” 


“Yes, dad.” 


The boy looked around the room, so dark he could barely see anything outside of what the lantern lit, before retrieving the text from his father’s grip. The book was heavy and quite old. It looked to have been passed down from generation to generation. The cover looked to have been replaced multiple times while the pages looked as if they had been through refurbishing on multiple occasions. He paused upon reaching the page his father spoke of. It was the start of a chapter holding an ominous title the likes of which he had hoped to never see. 


“Read it aloud.” 


“Yes, dad... Chapter thirty-two, No Second Chances. There was a time in the past, as stated by my father, when my grandfather had attempted to craft a peace between our family and the claimants. The first time everyone had agreed to meet peacefully and without quarrel. At the time, the conflict between our family and the claimants had been going on her years, but it was yet still young. He believed that it would be best to end things without any more bloodshed; choosing to meet with one of the ancients instead. This ancient’s name was Novevu... the ancient of death?” 


“The very same. Now, continue.” 


“They met, they spoke, and they negotiated. However, Novevu did not accept peace for it was one of his own claimants which was first to fall to the Karr family. My grandfather chose to give up his own life as payment for what had been done. He was told that his life was not equal in value to that of the claimant whose life was taken, and the meeting ended. Several months later my grandfather attempted another meeting to craft peace once more. He had grown sick of the fighting in his old age, found that it was not worth it for all his descendants to spend their lives fighting this battle he had come to call hopeless. He had grown tired, often wondering if this were how things were meant to be. But he ended up doing nothing more than resigning himself to death. Upon making his request the claimants he had spoken with responded by taking his life.” 


“Do you understand the title of this chapter, Joseph?” his father spoke. 


“I believe so, but I don’t know.” 


“Claimants don’t deserve second chances... our ancestors tried once to make peace, even after the countless losses we suffered compared to their negligible amount. Our entire family has been marked for death, and nothing will change that. Even those who sought peace were met with the sword.” 


“But why? At some point wouldn’t the hatred die out?” His father looked at him as if disgusted. 


“Die out?” he spoke as he placed his hand on the boy’s collar and lifted him from the floor. “Die out like our family?! Not a single member of the Karr family has managed to die outside of combat aside from the very first of our line! Everyone, even children, met with the blade! You would believe that this hatred can just die out?!” 


“We can’t fight forever, can we?” he questioned the male as he closed his eyes tight. 


“This hatred will never die! It will never cease! Not until every single claimant is made to feel the same suffering we have felt! Hundreds of our family were slain, and we shall pay them back in kind. Every single one of them. Every soul defiled, every body cursed! A handful of claimant lives being compared to lifetimes of the House of Karr! You will learn to take that hatred and turn it into your fuel... you’ll learn it... when you lose everything you hold dear.” 




“I hate you claimants... so very much.” He spoke as if his very body ached with each word. “All you’ve ever done is take everything away from me, and now I finally understand why. Granted, things are different for me.” 


“It seems we’ve made the boy upset,” Luno said as they watched him lay Esmeralda down on the floor and wipe the remaining tears from her cheeks before standing to his feet. “Then tell me, boy. What makes you so different from everyone else so far?” 


“Don’t provoke the boy any further, he’s already been through more than enough-” 


“I have no need for your worthless pity!” Joseph responded as he drew the short-sword from his side. “Your kind has stolen everything away from me! I don’t have a single solitary care for the past or anything which happened before my birth, but what comes next is due to your actions against me in the present! I will carve the definition of terror into your very souls before I erase them from all existence just as my forefather’s once hoped to do! I will become the single living curse upon all claimant lives, that is MY promise!” 


“Just calm down kid. It’s not as if we don’t feel bad for this,” Almaden stated. 


“Feel bad? What do you know about feeling bad? Feeling bad is watching everything you’ve ever loved snatched away from you by MONSTERS with too much power for their own good! Feeling bad is living an entire life without ever smiling because it feels like you don’t have the RIGHT to smile when you’re all that’s left! Now bring your sorry ass over here... I’ll show you what feeling bad really looks like.” 


“Are you certain you want to fight like this, kid?” 


“Either you’re coming to me, or I’m going to you.” 


“Fine.” 


Almaden held his claymore at the ready, approaching Joseph in a manner that would no doubt cause anyone else to be fearful. All he could do was feel his face twist into the most heinous frown imaginable. He stepped aside in a manner that looked as if he had faced the male before, his eyes never once leaving the claimant’s face as he deftly avoided every single attack like a thief sneaking past royal defenses. Then, as if on cue, he began to speak. 


“You came here so brazenly, and this is what you had to offer? You killed my mother and father, and this is what you had to offer? You killed my brothers and sisters, and THIS is what you had to offer?! On my name I will become a plague that haunts all of claimant kind if you do not KILL ME RIGHT NOW!” 


The fight continued, Joseph moving around as if incapable of ever being touched while the other claimants watched the fight go nowhere. Neither of them wanted to admit it, but it was Vaak who broke that silence between the two of them. 


“Luno.” 


“Yeah, I noticed. The kid is playing with him.” 


“That doesn’t make any sense.” 


“Almaden! Stop fucking around and kill him already! Don’t hold back!” Luno yelled at the male who quickly changed his demeanor. 


“Finally,” Joseph spoke as he raised his weapon up to a ready position. 


“Don’t blame me for the complicated death. If you would have sat still it would have made things easier.” 


“Ashes to ashes...” 


“What?” 


The claimant could barely question him about his words, Joseph moving forward with an intent so vile it made him sick to his stomach. It was the same feeling he had felt when Joseph passed by him earlier. Almaden raised his weapon forward, spears of wood striking from the earth beneath his feet and forward towards the human who approached him. It was odd, the feeling of unease which rested in his throat the moment the fight had started. Something about it all made him feel as if he should be on the defensive, or simply just running away, but no human to date had ever made him feel that way... but it all made sense when the spears were sliced clean through. 


Almaden attempted to raise his weapon in defense, but it was entirely useless as he watched Joseph bypass his defenses with quick and decisive bladework. It was like watching a master swordsman firsthand. Feeling pure desperation and anguish behind his form as the tip of the sword pierced through his chest. The twist which followed, no doubt an attempt to destroy his heart entirely, as the weapon was pulled from his body. The claimant now looking up at the male as he fell to his knees, a new perspective in which he now saw this terrifying person who fought as if it was everything he ever knew. Watching as the boy raised his weapon in a manner that only a true and proper knight could. 


“Do you feel it now? Do you feel the despair I will spread amongst your kind like a pestilence which shall never cease? But most importantly,” he spoke as he turned his attention to the other two claimants. “Do you feel it now? What it really feels like to feel bad?” 


The next stroke of the blade was like a wakeup call, Almaden’s head falling to the floor in a manner that was unexpected upon their arrival. It was in that moment that they had realized a human managed to kill a claimant before their very eyes with such ease. How could they possibly explain this to Florita? All they could do was watch. Confused about how this had managed to happen until, as if taunting their situation, he raised his weapon once more and took a deep breath. 


“Who’s next?” 


The male claimant stepped forward into a heavy downward strike with the sword, as quick as he could expect from them and yet it did not land. Joseph just barely stepped out of the way as he had always done. The exchange only lasting a few seconds, but so much had happened in that time. The moment he stepped to the side was also the moment one of the claimant’s hands was severed. Before he could register the injury another attack, a slash right down his face and splitting his left eye in two along with his cheek and forehead. It was at that point the claimant had stepped back, his remaining hand still holding tightly onto his weapon as his face and arm now seemed to bleed what looked like liquid light. 


“What the hell?” the woman spoke. 


“Is it so crazy to believe that I’m your superior? Or maybe you thought yourselves too grand to ever die,” Joseph spoke as he continued his approach. “Either way, I’m sick of breathing the same air as you. My mother, so kind in all her ways, wanted so desperately for me to be free of all this. I was entirely content with letting the bloodshed end with my family. I watched as you cut everyone to pieces before my very eyes, and yet I was selfish enough to let lifetimes of hatred cease with me. Content to die with hatred in my heart... no more. I will have you all suffer the same curse which riddles my Karr blood!” 


“There was a survivor? Didn’t we burn that building down?” the woman spoke. 


“You thought I’d flee from those flames? You believed I would run as my family burned?” He spoke as he raised the short-sword in his left hand and the claymore in his right. “I stood right there and watched, etched the sight into my mind so that I could never forget their faces.” 


“Are you mad?” the male spoke as he attempted to move forward yet was stopped by Luno. 


“Mad? What do you believe would cause more madness? Watching my family burn to nothing but charred bones, or watching as you cull the life from their eyes? Or should I apologize, assuming that the concept of love is lost to your kind? You lot who so callously grieve and get angry for your own... yet would murder an entire family in front of a child!” 


He rushed forward, as if throwing all caution to the wind. The two claimants immediately readied themselves in a manner they had not even attempted when facing the girl. The difference in the situation was staggering. It was madness all the same, watching as Joseph challenged them both on his own. He was clearly at a disadvantage and yet he did not slow down in the slightest. His skills at evasion were something to be recorded in history, but he rarely had the opportunity to attack. In fact, he did not attack at all. He always seemed just out of range, moving in a manner that was difficult to keep track of. 


The way he seemed to dance about the area was mesmerizing, using every single item, everything around him to his advantage. It was all filled with techniques he had yet to teach Esmeralda, things that were well within human capabilities yet clearly would take years to properly master... things which may have saved her... He didn’t waste too much energy with his movements, doing only what needed to be done in order to conserve as much stamina as possible while also keeping proper pressure on his foes. Walls, seats, stones, pillars, all of them acting as footholds for which he could use to evade or keep pressure. The way things were currently going there wouldn't be a chance for them to breathe.


“Luno!” the male called out before stepping back. 


“Fucking die Karr trash!” the woman spoke as she took a deep breath and blew out a ball of fire the likes of which no man could properly dodge. 


Vaak found himself surprised to see how focused he remained even in the face of such danger. It was at this moment he chose to raise the short-sword yet again, slicing through the flames in a manner that left both claimants unable to process what had just transpired. To them it made no sense, to him it was just how things were meant to be, just as how he chose to then rush forward in her direction. It could only be called crazy, the speed at which he moved for a human. Outpacing even the fastest Olympic sprinter as he pushed himself towards the fire claimant with a thrust of the longsword. She stepped back, just as she had done with Esmeralda, but Joseph clenched his teeth as if thoroughly disrespected and disgusted. 


“You thought I’d let you get away? You who killed both my mother and my love?!” 


He allowed the longsword to leave his hands, a feint in its entirety as well as a means to rid himself of the added weight of the weapon. Now raising the short-sword, he continued forward with even more momentum. Taking advantage of the woman having allowed her feet to leave the ground for the slightest moment and losing the ability to change her direction, he closed the gap in a manner no one could have anticipated. Entirely running on adrenaline and rage, he could feel his muscles aching from the strain of pushing his body so far. But as the image of his mother entered his mind, he couldn’t manage to care at all for his wellbeing! 


He thrust the weapon forward as soon as he came within range, making certain to strike the woman’s heart and follow all the way through. She cried out, slashing in his direction with her dagger, yet only able to watch as he stepped back just out of range. His right hand reached forward, grabbing hold of his weapon’s hilt and twisting it within her body, drawing it outward in a manner that caused her blood to splatter over his body. The dark droplets felt as if embers were resting on his skin, but it did not faze him in the slightest. Now... she could only watch as he raised the weapon to his side. It was a stance honorable above honor, regal above nobility. Yet it held the grimmest of implications. 


“I believe in no gods for they would have saved us from you! I believe in no mercies for those have been robbed away! I do not believe in your ancient lies, nor do I believe in your Elysian and your Void! I believe in the beginning of life and the end of the same! Die and become nothing, just as my family has! Ashes to ashes!” 

"No! Stop!" the blonde male called out to no avail.


The final words he would impart to her before severing the woman’s head from her shoulders. 


“By the realms,” the male spoke as he watched Luno’s body fall to the floor. “What manner of power do you have that allows you to do this, monster?” 


“Power? You must be confused. I have no power at all, I’m just a human after all. You all seem to think that we’ve unlocked some secret that allows us to poison your very existence, and yet my family has been nothing but humans this entire time. Just that small exchange has me more tired than I’ve ever been before, running at that speed which amounts to nothing compared to the faster claimants was enough to almost have me pass out. I’ve done nothing outside of human capabilities. I’m fragile, weak, spectacular in no way compared to you claimants... but what I lack in everything else I make up for with skill and tenacity.” 


“Skill? You’d dare to say it was skill alone that allowed a human to defeat two claimants so flawlessly?” 


“My combat is full of flaws, but I am far more skilled than all of you. There’s a simple reason as to why that is,” he spoke as he raised his weapon to the ready. “I can’t shoot fire from my hands, I can’t manipulate the dark, I can’t fly or breath underwater, I can’t do anything special... or I suppose that stuff is only special to us humans... All I can build is skill, and when I was below average compared even to my own siblings in terms of physical attributes then that’s all I have ever had.” 


“I refuse to believe it. No amount of human skill can match a claimant.” 


“Then you can die with that belief... my sister had a saying. ‘If you’re not strong enough, be fast enough. If you’re not fast enough, be cunning. If you lack cunning, but intelligent. If you lack the intellect, be resourceful. If you lack resourcefulness, be capable. If you lack the capability, forge your skills. Even if you’re the weakest man alive you can be skilled enough to slay the mightiest of monster. Even if you have to become a monster yourself.’ As such, I will use every single thing around me and forge every single thing into my skill. No part of this world will exist outside of my skill, because at the end of the day I am still a human. A weak human who will kill every single claimant that exists on this earth and become the MONSTER you all fear. You can blame yourselves for that.” 


The claimant rushed forward again, more cautious in his approach this time. Joseph grabbed Luno’s decapitated head and tossed it in his direction. The claimant ceased his momentum, stopping as he attempted to catch the head in his arm yet stepped back at the last second. It was the only choice he had, watching as his opponent came slicing downward with the short-sword in hand, severing the head in two as if aiming to strike them both at once. 


“You bastard!” Vaak shouted. 


“Are you angry?” Joseph spoke as he rose to his feet. The slight shift in his stance, the shaking of his hands, that barely notable change of his expression. “How dare you.” 


“How dare I?” 


“You think it compares? You think this moment compares? Compares to the past two decades of my life?! You don’t know the meaning of anger! The meaning of hatred!” He raised his weapon upright in a manner the likes of which the claimant could only take as both a challenge and an insult. “You think you compare? Then I will show you the difference outright! With your own stance, your own skills! I will make you regret everything. I will make you regret ever being born a claimant!” 


It was a clashing of forces which could no longer be comprehend by the average man. A claimant, the pinnacle of what some knew to be power in all ways... and Joseph, a human with nothing to his name. The way he fought now wasn’t anything crazy, but it could only be called perfect. Even as they both fought using techniques reminiscent of the oldest knightly orders, it was clear that Joseph was far more capable in that regard. Parries, counters, dodges and evasions, he knew every single one of them without mistake. It was like watching a lion fight a cat, yet the lion could not manage to connect a single attack. Their weapons clashed, but never long enough for the claimant to push him back. Sparks showering the air as the engagement sped up to almost difficult to follow movements. Neither of them willing to fall back, refusing to do anything more than push forward with full bloodlust on display. But then, Joseph looked as if he had lost himself entirely in his anger, his eyes red from the strain on both his mind and body as his teeth clenched together. That was the moment the fight had turned into a measure of pure technique and skill. No more clashes, only parries and dodges between the two. 


They swirled around one another as if in the most violent dance anyone could have possibly witnessed until, as if coming from the claimant’s eyes, a flash of light burst forth in Joseph’s direction. There was the slightest moment in which he covered his eyes, and in that moment, he was sent back with a kick to the chest. Deep breaths slipped his lips as he pulled himself up from the ground. 


“It seems all of that talk is nowhere to be heard now,” the claimant spoke as he raised his weapon. 


“I hate you claimants, ever so much,” Joseph responded as his face twisted in a manner the likes of which it seemed impossible for a human to do. “I will carve you into pieces the likes of which Alvax will never be capable of identifying. Anger above anger, hate above hate. Enough of the games and pleasantries... I shall suffer you no more.” 


He rushed forward as if not injured at all, but that was clearly untrue as blood dripped down from his mouth. The claimant prepared to strike and yet Joseph avoided his attack as he did so many others up to that point, the blade barely passing by his body as his own sword severed the claimant’s remaining hand. The marking of a loss for someone who could no longer hold a sword, but the fight had yet to end in Joseph’s eyes. 


His expression had not calmed in the slightest, his sword swinging down into the claimant’s shoulder, before being drawn out and hacked into his side. The claimant attempted to step back only to find himself held in place by Joseph’s free hand as the weapon pierced his heart. The claimant tried to hold in his pain, even when the weapon was twisted around, but could not keep from yelling when his offhand slammed against the guard of his sword, tearing the weapon out through his side. He staggered back, watching for only a moment where he would see a face marred by rage and hatred so overbearing it felt as if he were being suffocated by it, before his head went flying from his shoulders. Neck severed; heart destroyed. The only proper way in his mind to hunt a claimant. The mark of his enemies having been destroyed completely.


“Ashes to ashes,” he spoke as he placed his weapon back into the sheath at his side. He took a moment to calm himself as best he could. Closing his eyes as if to block out the truth once more, as if once he opened them things would return to the way they once were, but as he turned to see Esmeralda’s body once more it was plain as the dawn. She was gone, and he was once again alone. “Ashes... to ashes.” 


He approached her body slowly, as if afraid that it might disappear if he were to move too quickly. Joseph lifted her from the ground, noting just how light she was as her head rested just beneath his own. She was already cold.


“I don’t think I’ve ever picked you up before; not that you would have ever let me,” he spoke with a chuckle as his lips curled into a smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll smile for you until you’re with the others. We won’t stay in this place. I’ll take you back home to everyone else. With dad, mom, Charter, Benjamin, Miln, Maxine, Molty... however, I can’t join you yet. Not until every single claimant who steps foot on this planet is erased. No, in the entirety of the human realm. Only when they feel the same grade of suffering I have felt will I finally be able to rest with all of you.” 

It felt as if he were walking forever. Step by step, wading through this nightmare made into a reality. He would often look down at Esmeralda and wonder if he could have done anything to save her, but thoughts like those were meaningless. She was already gone and he had already made his choice. He paused for a moment, looking at her once more as the chilled air carried over them. He could feel his ears becoming numb as he placed his lips against her forehead, an action which caused his eyes to burn ever so slightly as tears began falling onto her face. It was odd. How long had it been since he cried like this? He wanted to turn back time, rewrite the events of the day and keep her at his side, or go with her even though she was against it. He wanted to, but he couldn't. All he could do now was forge a path directly through his enemies. Make them all pay in the same blood which they had spilled.

"Esmeralda," he spoke without letting the smile leave his face. "You really were the only person alive capable of making me express myself like this. Thank you. in the end, you did accomplish what you wanted, if only for a little while. And, if by any chance there is a place after death, please rest easy there and wait for me so I can tell you properly when I join you... Ashes to Ashes, my love."

Gray clouds filled the sky, like bleeding paint shifting amongst the atmosphere following a winter shower. The nearby trees were all but alive, suffering from the punishing touch of flames which had scorched the landscape. Barely any grass had grown to replace that which had been burned away, ash and soot covering the ground in a muddied paste that mixed with the dirt and snuffed out any life which attempted to sprout forth. Collapsed and dilapidated buildings; burned and blackened wood, shattered glass and destroyed structures all around. A ghost town, a place where no true life persisted. Only death and that which remained after death, bones and piles of bones scattered about as if left out in the open. An entire village having fallen into desolation and at the far end of the sight, where the place ended, a barely standing monastery of burned bricks stood tall like a shadow looming over the entire area. 


Her footsteps were carried with caution, but not due to any form of fear. Rather it was imperative to remain as unimposing as possible if her objective were to be accomplished properly and without any setbacks. She took care to avoid stepping on any of the remains which littered the area. This place had been made into what most would see as a nightmare, but she knew better than that. This was more than just some sight to drive any who would come away or make those who chose to visit think twice. It was a landmark, a reminder, a place of rest for the weary and weak. An eternal rest. Nothing more than a mass grave with corpses on display. 


She stopped just in front of the entrance; the door having been left ajar yet not enough to easily see within. She stepped through, into the darkness, but it wasn’t a shade that was meant to conceal. No... It was meant to ease the mind of its one resident. The light which slipped through the door barely reached past the entrance barely reached into the nave, rays of dusk-lit shaded sun piercing through cracks and holes in the roof, barely revealing that which was within. Walls shaded with the darkness which fire left behind, the floor pooled with a festering muck of black, brown and crimson which smelt of death and corrosion; skeletons barely peeking above the surface of the mire at her feet. Littered in almost every corner of the building were weapons of every type. Thrust into the ground, leaning against the walls, resting on barely standing furniture as if put on display for one to remember. However, there was one thing which stood out more than anything else and was her reason for being there. 


On the far side of the room, sitting in a throne chair of withered wood and worn gray cushioning which looked as if it had been sitting in that spot for generations, rested a male who looked entirely dead. Surrounding the chair itself, as if made to be the repellent for anyone stupid enough to wander too close, countless skulls were piled in a manner which was crude, lacking any form of respect as did the bones which lay everywhere else. Just looking at them it was plain to see. These were the claimed skulls of claimants. 


Resting on the left arm of the chair was a jacket which looked to have seen numerous repairs over its lifetime. A dark hood with black wool on the inside, stained with blood, that looked to have been partially rinsed away by the rain. On the right a short sword within its scabbard leaned against the arm rest. His right foot was down, left foot crossed over his right knee, his hands resting down on his lap, shoulders slumped as his head leaned off to his right. His eyes were closed, not a single breath having been taken since the moment she entered the building, possibly even before that. 


A pair of black boots covered his feet, but they looked heavily modified. His set of jeans, clearly reinforced, covered with straps holding pouches and slots for other tools which were missing. He wore no shirt, his body instead covered in bandages which looked to be holding injuries in place, but that did not mean the holster which wrapped around his shoulders did not carry a handgun. It was magnificent in its own right that, regardless of the injuries his body now had on display, his face had not received a single one. But perhaps that was not properly the case. His face, marred with anger that did not fade or wane in the slightest, could be seen as an injury of its own. 


She stepped forward, the disgusting undertow her feet waded through sloshing as if wading through a swamp, and yet it was so quiet all the same. The moment in which the woman stopped was when she had reached an ample distance away to not alert him. This was where she had meant to be, where she planned to stand as she knew the time it was. She knew more about him that most others could claim, than anyone living could claim. It was that knowledge which prepared her. The sun ducking its head behind the horizon, the moon peering through the clouds and peeking into the cracks of the building, illuminating the beast which rested before her. That was the very moment in which his eyes would open, and his lungs would pull in a deep breath. 


“We need to talk,” her voice did not pull much of a reaction from him. 


His head rose slightly, his eyes like reddened jewels shifting to focus themselves on her and for a moment there was a calm that could be seen as euphoria. However, as his right hand rose from his lap and moved to rest upon the pommel of the short sword at his side, did that same look turn from an addictive attention to a bloodthirsty gaze. He lifted himself to his feet slowly, pulling the weapon from the scabbard which fell to the floor when no longer having anything to count on for support. His left hand grabbing his jacker and placing it over his shoulders in a less than lavish manner. 


“What house do you belong to? The scent is something I do not recognize.” 


“I’m surprised you can smell it over the stench of this place. It certainly was a good idea to come here as you were resting. Normally I’d have expected you to attack by now, but you’re just as calm as I had hoped.” 


“I know all the houses, all of their scents, but this is unfamiliar. Only a few have managed to go without being recorded... Invoa? No, they wouldn’t risk themselves by coming here... the Slumbering House.” 


“Slumbering?” she spoke with a raised brow. 


“To think I’d be graced by a treasure in my resting place,” he spoke as he began pacing around her. “Not only that, but one as elusive as yourself. I don’t know your name, but I certainly know your house. The only one my family has yet to encounter, but I suppose that would be the fault of the ancients.” 


“You certainly do know more than any ancient would be pleased with. However, I would appreciate it if you stopped looking at me like a piece of meat.” 


“Treasure or not, it doesn’t matter to me. My enemies are my enemies, and you knowing the place I choose to rest gives me all the more reason to strike you down. This place is not one that your kind can simply tread upon any longer.” 


“It’s no wonder claimants have so much trouble dealing with you,” she spoke as her eyes followed him closely. “You exude confidence. But not only that, there’s a hostility that makes it difficult to not see you as an immediate threat. Tell me, how long has it taken you to master that ability? The power to invoke such fear with only a passing glance?” 


“You’re imagining things. All I’ve done is look at you the way you deserve to be seen. If that is with hostility, then it is what you deserve.” 


“And you really think you can kill me? I’d gladly welcome the attempt, although I don’t believe you want to trample on the remains in this place.” 


“Is that so?” he spoke as his steps slowed yet persisted. “I was forced to fight here when these bodies were still warm, freshly stained with blood by the hands of your kindred. It was this very place I was made to watch the remainder of my hopes fade away, my peace. You believe I have any quarrels with painting these walls in more claimant blood?” 


“I know you’re ruthless enough to not care when faced with your enemies. That’s why I chose to come here as an ally instead.” 


He stopped in place, his expression not changing in the slightest but her words causing him to question the validity of all this. She found this place, knew he was resting, knew how to approach without alarming him. She knew he would be here and how to avoid his detection but chose to speak instead of taking his life. That alone was enough to draw suspicions; making it all more believable when she spoke those words. He knew fighting her would be stupid, fighting any treasure without properly preparing would be stupid, but he could see by the way she carried herself that swordplay would not be able to carry him alone against her. Not to mention how little he knew about what she was capable of. 


“Why would you bother allying yourself with me? Don’t you have your knights to fight for you?” 


“So, you do know who I am. It’s not proper to lie to a lady’s face, you know... I believe our goals align.” 


“Your goals and my goals are not the same, Levei.” 


“You want revenge, don’t you? Revenge for the countless generations of your family which have perished at the hands of claimants?” 


“That’s not why I’m doing this.” His words were no doubt like the shattering of glass for any of his ancestors who could hear him. But it brought a smile to her face all the same. “I never cared for them. People who I never knew, who caused my family to become nothing more than monsters for the sake of some vengeance that has nothing to do with us. I’m not so easily led forward. This is all because of them. The way they decided the people I love should die.” 


“We are more alike than you believe, Joseph. Both of us having something, someone important taken away from us by the hands of others. Ancients, treasures, claimants, they all had their parts to play in your tragedy. I aim for reform.” 


“Reform? And how do you plan to garner this... reform?” She could tell by his eyes that this answer would determine everything. That’s why she spoke plain truth as she had intended from the start. 


“By slaying everyone who stands in the way of that reform. Ancients, treasure, claimants, anyone who decides to get in the way will be ushered aside in blood and death.” 


“Is that so? And what if Novevu were to stand in your way? That ancient which so many of your kind fear yet respect. How would you react when they choose to stand in your way personally?” 


“How else?” she spoke with a serious glare. “We kill him. Isn’t that what you’d do? Gather all the tools and set them all in place to kill your prey? The point behind all of this remains the same, no matter how the path may twist and turn. We kill anyone who stands in the way.” 


“And where do I fit into all of this?” he spoke as he walked his way back over to the chair. 


“You’re skilled, of course, but you lack many tools which can be used to make your job easier. You’re still quite young for your feats as well. I will provide you with the proper armaments and help so that you can do as you’ve been doing with more ease. All you need to do, in the meantime, is to be ready when I call on you. There are certain pieces which must be put into place, and we will work on that together. But until those times come you will just continue with what you’ve been doing. Finding claimants... and hunting them down.” 


He stopped at his chair, looking down at it with a deep inquisitiveness. A relic from his father’s study and a symbol of the guidance he always offered him. He shut his eyes for a moment and, within that short time, he saw all their faces behind the lids of his eyes. Esmeralda included, standing at the forefront. He couldn’t sleep, couldn’t think, could hardly function without seeing them over and over again. It was like a curse which followed him no matter where he went, attempting to choke the life out of him with every step he took and yet he could not allow himself to waver. There was so much that needed to be done, so much that he had to accomplish, and yet his life was limited. He thought about it time and time again, how he aimed to kill possible thousands on his own, but now? 


With this I might be able to accomplishing my revenge before my body grows too old. I could join them all without having to leave any work undone... 


“Alright. I’ll join you, but I won’t become one of your knights. I want everyone who dies by my hands to know that it was my family’s blood which felled them in the end. A curse of their own making.” 


She watched as he grabbed the scabbard and placed his weapon back into its place. The boy looked far less hostile than he once did and yet his expression remained the same. It wasn’t until he had closed the distance between the two of them and stood right before her that she realized the stark difference between him and his surroundings. She expected him to smell as awful as the building itself, but instead there was a strong scent of the forest clinging to him like a cloak. Like oak and wildflowers, grass and amber. How many claimants had managed to perish without even having the moment of calm to notice the pleasant air which radiated from him? 


“Then it’s settled. I look forward to working with you, claimant hunter.” 


“Ashes to ashes... treasure.” 


Levei watched as Joseph made his way back over to his seat. His movements were nowhere near as reliable as he attempted to make them seem. He had clearly been injured more recently, the bandages which were located on different parts of his body made that clear enough, but the depth of the injuries themselves was nearly impossible to ascertain until he no longer viewed her as hostile. It was easy to see just how human he really was, the way he staggered over to his chair and steadily seated himself back into the same position. 


This time he placed his weapon and jacket off to the side, now resting on a small table which remained within reach but out of the way. He took the same position as he was in before, his eyes twitching as if he could see something which disturbed him greatly, but in time he calmed and was fast asleep. How he could sleep like that, in this place, Levei could never understand. Turning to make her exit with her work now having been done was the easiest part of all this. However, it wasn’t until she chose to turn and view him once more that she froze for a split second. As if something had caught her eye, but nothing was there. 


“What a frightening thought.” 




“Seeing him plead like this, it makes me sad. I know he doesn’t believe in anything past death, ashes to ashes and all that, but if it’s possible I want to stay at his side. I don’t care if it damns my soul to always be here or if I’m cursed. I just want to do everything I can to provide him comfort... even in death. If I can say I love him, I can at least do that. If I'm going to die right now, I would rather help him sleep when I can.”