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The sharp wind blew past two lone figures, one towering over the other. A conversation, it seems. The smaller one, bleached white hair and black highlights, glared through her bangs with her lightless red eyes. The taller woman reeked of pride, her heels digging into the soil beneath her.
“You are disposable. I am sure you are aware of that, hm?” The sweet venom laced in her tone, the sharp nail guards raking across her chin, said it all. The thinly covered anger and something else, eyes narrowed into slits.
“Yes, Mother. I will watch myself in the future.” Her ‘mother’ scoffed and sneered, raising her head and pushing Peruere’s down.
“Oh? Is that some disregard I hear?”
“No, Mother.”
“Then be off. I do not want to come across you during dinner time.”
Peruere hated the sashay. It made ‘mother’ seem more than the others.
Although that fact seemed to apply for everyone else.
‘Mother’ turned around and gave her a withering look.
No dinner for her tonight. That fact was made clear. A young boy stumbled towards the cruel woman and Peruere hoped that ‘mother’ would drown. She couldn’t, but Peruere could wish.
The House of the Hearth was a bleak, dry, and unfriendly orphanage of sorts. ‘Mother’, the ruler of it all, was a cruel and heartless woman. Peruere prayed every day to whatever god or goddess who would listen so that ‘mother’ would always feel eyes watching at the back of her head. If she was afraid of anything, of course.
The House was full of children and adults alike, the ‘hopeless sort’. ‘Mother’ always weeded out the weakest of the weaklings by sending them on impossible missions and claiming that the ones who didn’t return were experiencing better services in the main city. Her face was always so insufferable and annoying to look at. Peruere hated, hated, hated everything about her.
The only reason she hadn’t torn this place from the inside out was Clervie. The little glowing orb of a girl. Clervie, hence the name, was a bright soul who didn’t belong in the brutal hands of ‘mother’. Her pink hair shone like sugar crystals straight out the oven, pretty otherwise the one black strand between the bright ones.
Peruere vowed to herself that she would bail Clervie out of here some time in the near future. Otherwise, she wouldn’t survive for much longer.
Peruere realized that she had been standing in the same spot all that time. A few children were staring at her, hands clutched to their chests in fear as she glared at them, ready to eliminate whoever seemed to be the the command of-
“Peru! You alright? Aw, don’t tell me you lost dinner privileges again…” The cheeky, light voice of Clervie sent the children running towards her, hiding behind her. “You scare them off again! Come on, relax those face muscles!” The girl rushed in front of her, holding up a hot pink hard band. Peruere wrinkled her nose and Clervie laughed.
It didn’t fit the piercing stare ‘Mother’ gave her. “Ah, Clervie, our local sunflower pot. Just so you know, your duel of faith lies a few days from now. I suggest you quit the bonding time and just get on with it. One of you is going to die by the end of the week, so make it snappy.”
Peruere gritted her teeth as the most helpless expression appeared on Clervie’s face. She bit her tongue and drew blood to stop the thousands of curses streaming from her mind out to the open. She would have to restrain herself for the sake of poor Clervie.
“Yes, Mother.” A worryingly shaky Clervie spoke, bowing her head and tucking her arms behind her back.
‘Mother’ sneered and sashayed back to whatever trash bin she had crawled out of.
Something tapped her on the shoulder. Clervie’s finger. Her lower lip was trembling, fresh tears dripping from her eyes. Peruere considered the next best thing to do about this. “Clervie, don’t listen to her nonsense-”
“It’s not nonsense. I’m weak. Genuinely surprised that ‘mother’ didn’t kick me out from the House when I first got accepted. Peru, we’re approaching the duel of faith. You know what the results are going to be. It’s time for me to visit the dream beyond this world.” Clervie stepped up and gave her a tight hug.
Somehow, Peruere felt the need to prevent herself from crying.
<>
“Next pair!” The shrill voice of some degenerate drawled, lying on the stone chair like he owned the place. ‘Mother’ glared at him, her glossed lips drawn tight in annoyance. But still, she stayed, not daring to do anything out of the ordinary. It would ruin her reputation anyway.
A crying teenager stepped from the field, covered in her friend’s blood. Face stained red and clothes stained crimson, she cried with all the rage she could manage. Peruere’s expression didn’t change.
“Another excuse of a weakling. She will not be the ‘king’.” ‘Mother’ muttered, folding her arms. Clervie, who was wrapping a piece of fabric tightly around her arm in anxiety, squeezed her eyes shut.
“Peruere and Clervie, to your places!” Peruere didn’t stutter, picking up a sharp blade from the provided rack. The field was already stained bloody, the bodies piled to the side. Clervie emerged from the other side, her knuckles clenched tight around the spear she chose. “Now, this is the last duel, so I hope this will be….entertaining.”
Peruere wanted to knock the grin off ‘mother’’s face so badly.
“And begin!” The degenerate shouted, his eyes gleaming as he admired Clervie’s pink hair. Peruere gritted her teeth in rage.
“Are you going to just stand there, or are you going to fight like a true ‘king’!” ‘Mother’ shouted from the stone balcony she was standing on, her voice drawn and sultry.
Peruere glanced at Clervie one more time.
And she was stunned.
In the matter of seconds, Clervie’s expression had gone from deathly pale to a calm, almost serene expression. Her hands were steady around the silver weapon. She gave Peruere a little smile, holding a hand out, as if for reassurance. For a second, she almost saw a light from Clervie’s bright eyes.
So, she ran.
Ran towards Clervie.
The world around them turned into a glowing white sky, only Peruere and Clervie left.
Peruere braced for the clang of metal against metal.
And then a sickening squish of flesh entered her ears. The iron smell of blood invaded her scent.
She froze.
Clervie’s head was perched on her shoulders, nose against her ear. A single tear stained Peruere’s clothing.
She reached up and swiped a hand over her cheek. It came back red.
“You will…”
Clervie’s sweet voice radiated happiness and an absence of regret.
“You will be a great king.”
The rise and fall of her chest against Peruere’s arm stopped.
“A great…king.”
The heat started to fade from her body.
“A new king has been chosen!”