Love.
There was a beautiful, crescent shaped river across the horizon. The forest surrounding the river magnified its beauty.
The river had a silhouette of two figures. The two figures, looks to be small children, one of a boy, and one of a girl.
******
In the riverbank below, a little boy, and a little girl, we're playing on the sand, with such sweetness and innocence, one might pass out from such a scene.
"You are so mean to me!"
The girl said playfully, laughing out loud.
"..."
The boy is quiet. Silent to the point where you can hear the heartbeat of the two.
"Are you okay? I didn't mean it.. I was just joking with you.."
The girl said in worry, hoping the boy accepts his apology.
"No.. its okay.. it just feels weird. Im sorry. Its my first time talking to a stranger."
The boy said in a monotonous voice.
"Whats your name by the way? I am Bella! Everyone in the village calls me Bell!"
Bella said with a honey laced smile.
"mhm."
The boy said.
"Are you gonna tell me? Its okay, even if its weird, im still gonna be friends with you."
The girl said ecstatically, probing the boy, hoping to get an answer.
"I dont have one."
The boy said in a quiet tone.
"Hmmh... let me call you John.. wait no... hmmh..."
Bella thought of a name for the boy with such ferocity, that veins might begin popping out of her head.
"How about... Lucius!"
The girl was happy. She finally thought of one that fit the boy.
"Mhm."
The boy was amused that the girl put that much effort in trying to find a name for him.
As they were talking, the sun was setting. A golden hue began to appear on the sky, and became more orange.
"Well, ill see you tomorrow.. its getting late, or my mother is gonna kill me!"
Bella said in a hurry, while running ahead to a path made of dirt and stones.
"..."
The boy's heart was thumping.
The boy.
There was a little boy. The boy was dressed in a linen jacket, and ragged hemp pants. The boy was dirty. He usually went to the river to fetch some water and clean himself, but this time he decided to bathe in the river to clean his clothes from the dirt. He met the girl again. Bella was it? He was happy to see her, his only company.
The boy was an orphan. His parents, sold him to a wealthy slave merchant, for a hefty price. He was an Aild plant picker.
He took a whole plant off, and cut off the stem of the plant. The Aild plant stem secreted a substance that is used for high end aphrodisiac. To harvest the substance, he had to grind the stem down, and boil it in water until a thick yellowish liquid came out. It is sold to the wealthy nobles in the capital city.
"Hey kid! Are you fucking stupid? You didn't boil it enough! You were suppose to boil it until the water is fully evaporated!"
A burly man approached, with steps that might shatter the earth.
Whack!
The boy got slapped in the face, leaving a red hue on his left cheek. The boy's nose began dripping a dark red substance.
"Do your work correctly or ill have to beat you to shape!"
The burly man said angrily. Almost slapping the boy again, but he decided to go and pick on the other children.
This was a daily occurrence to the boy. Its a surprise he hadn't managed to die from blood loss.
The lost thought.
The boy had a routine.
Wake up.
Go to work.
Go to the river.
Take a bath.
Talk to the girl.
Go back to work.
Eat the food that was given to him.
Sleep.
That was it. This continued since he began saying his first words. Its been a year since then. The boy was closely acquainted with the girl now, she was the only friend that truly knew him.
The boy remembered that its the girl's birthday. Decenduary 19th, 1045 of the Calecian Calendar.
He had no money. Except for the coins that dropped from a person's sack of belongings, or scraps that he sells to the market.
He had a total saving of 3 Calès, and 20 Dalès. Enough to afford a small teddy bear.
*******
"Happy birthday."
The boy greeted Bella with a warm smile, and his hands holding out a teddy bear.
"Awhh.. Thank you! You really didn't have to.."
Bella said with a such a happy grin, that didn't match her words.
"Im glad you like it."
The boy said with a smile.
"I do!! I wanna repay the favor.. for being such a nice friend.."
Bella said with a little blush on her face.
Bella came closer with her hands behind her back, and went behind the boy.
"Close your eyes.."
Bella said calmly.
The boy complied and he felt a warm, soft object touch his cheek. Bella gave her a peck.
"..."
Ba dump! Ba dump! Ba dump!
"Are you okay? You're t-turning red! I just wanted to repay the favor.. thats what my mother told me to do."
Bella talked while stumbling with her words.
The boy's heart was thumping madly. What was that feeling? He feels... alive..
"Oh yeah! I forgot to give you this!"
Bella said while holding something in her blouse.
A purple hair bow. It was nothing grand. Nothing special about it. The boy took the purple hair bow, like he was receiving a gigantic diamond. It was the first time he was given such a gift.
"T-Thank you.."
The boy said holding on to the purple hair bow tightly.
"Woah.. dont crush it.. its a memento for you to remember me always! Even if I die, my spirit will remain in that hair bow forever."
Bella was happy that the boy liked the gift.
"Well, see you later Lucius! I need to do my chores around the house!"
Bella waved goodbye.
The boy waved in unison with Bella until she disappeared off to the distant village.
Memory of time.
It was a slow day for the boy.
Pick up plants, grind, boil.
Pick up plants, grind, boil.
Pick up plants, grind, boil.
The boy had finally had life in his eyes. In his 14 years of living, it was the first time a luster came off his eyes.
He had finished his morning quota. He went to the riverbanks with the hair bow, and took a bath, and waited for Bella..
Waited.
Waited.
Waited.
Waited.
"..."
The boy usually likes the silence, but this was the only silence he hated.
"Is she late?"
He waited.
Waited.
Waited.
The sun was setting. Bella never missed a day of being in the river...Is she sick?! Does she hate me?! These thoughts flooded the boy.
He has gone tired of waiting, and decided to walk the dirt path that lead to her village.
******
A smell..
It smells off. A strong odor of iron, penetrated the boy's nose.
He ran. And he saw something down the road.
A body, with what looks to be a villager, wearing a brown cotton shirt. It had its lower body cut, releasing a putrid odor, and intestines dangling.
He threw up from the stench.
He ran.
He ran.
He ran.
Desperately.
Crying out the name of Bella.
"BELL!"
The boy cried for her name.
He had arrived at the village, bodies everywhere. Some bodies were brutally hacked, and he took a sword from one of the bodies. The whole village released a smell that even cockroaches will die from even a lick of it.
He persisted.
He persisted.
The boy vigilantly walked across the houses. Holding out the sword in a flimsy way, while the head bow was in his left hand.
What had done this to the village? An outbreak? No.. A wild beast? No... Barbarians? ...
Even in the times he was hit, he never cried, or never screamed. Even in the times he felt saddened, or burdened by work, he never cried, or even let a slight whimper out of his mouth.
Tears. A clear substance, a waterfall was coming out the boy's eyes.
The boy felt worried for Bella. He never once felt this way.
Grief. Is that what they call it? The boy felt something akin to that.
He had reached the center of the village. A group of men holding axes and swords were in the center, without any clothes on, and had tattoos that covered their body.
Women were all over the place, stripped of their clothes, and heads chopped off.
He felt sick, looking at the bodies. His heart is beating so fast in a bad way, that he might get a heart attack.
"Bell...?"
The boy said in a quiet tone.
The group of men heard that and walked at him slowly while naked.
"Pfft. Who is this kid?"
"Hey kid what's your name?"
"Lucius."
Lucuis said in a tone of anger.
"Scram kid. Unless you want to die."
"Wait, maybe he wants some women too."
"Ha! Ha! Ha!"
The group of men laughted.
Bella.
Bella.
Bella.
"Bell.. where is she?"
Lucius said in a tone thats about to explode.
"Which one is that?"
"The girl with blonde hair, and purple eyes. Where.. is.. she?"
Lucius said, swelling tears in his eyes.
"Hmm. Ah. That girl. She's quite the looker, my men had turns on her. She was crying and resisting non stop, so we had to chop off her legs and arms."
"Hehehe, we did her infront of her family while we also killed her family in front of her. The girl was broken after that, so we had to slit her throat."
"She's probably burning or charred right now, after we burned down her house."
The men said laughing, and talking about how they abused the girls in such a way, it made Lucius tremble.
"..."
Silence. That silence hides anger that is beyond words.
What if I had come sooner? What if I didn't hesitate? What if she came? What if this is just a nightmare? What if this all just a bad dream that im having?
Wake up!
Wake up!
Wake up...
Whack! Whack! Whack! Whack! Wh-...
He slapped himself so many times, both his cheeks are as red as a tomato, and his nose began to drip blood. His eyes began to become bloodshot, and he gripped his sword until it made his palm bled.
Lucius raised his sword and charged.