Maani was a child of wondrous curiosity.
Delicate and slender, her bright blue eyes glimmered with a sense of fascination that seemed to radiate from her very soul. Maani’s heart burned with an insatiable desire to uncover the secrets of the world around her, explore every nook and cranny, and unravel the mysteries hidden beneath the surface.
Her chestnut brown hair was often a chaotic mess, a tangle of knots that framed her face like a wild halo as she explored her forest home, and atop it all, she possessed a unique feature that set her apart from others of her tribe: a pair of antlers.
Whenever she had the chance, she’d venture far and wide, but her mother’s warning always echoed in her mind, ever-present and foreboding like a distant thunderstorm.
“Stay away from the wall.”
Each time she spoke it, the same concern filled her mother’s voice, a tone that called to something… innate within Maani. She’d always heeded her mother’s warning, but she couldn’t ever help but wonder what lay beyond the massive structure that seemed to stretch into the heavens themselves.
“Why?” she recalled once asking. “What’s on the other side?”
Her mother’s response was solemn and grave. “The humans built that wall to keep us out, to keep them away from our ‘primitive’ magic. They don’t want our kind living freely within their borders, but death is only one possible outcome if they find you on their lands. There’s no telling what they’ll do to you.”
Maani simply nodded meekly.
She’d heard the stories, but the true depth of their meaning had escaped her until then—in truth, they still did, and perhaps that was the root of where everything had gone wrong.
In the tranquil place Maani called home, a day like any other unfolded before her, unhurried and serene. Maani meandered through the soft grasses, her heart attuned to the earth’s rhythms as she enjoyed the beauty of nature.
The sun crept across the sky as if savoring each moment, casting its golden rays upon the verdant landscape. The wind blew gently through the leaves, a refreshing breeze that complemented the warmth of day. Deer and rabbits around her grazed, their small paws and slender hooves brushing against the grass.
And the day stretched on languidly, Maani found herself drifting farther from the familiar paths she had trodden countless times before, the world around her seeming to blur as time did.
Gradually, however, she became aware of an ominous presence looming on the periphery of her vision.
The imposing wall, the barrier that marked the edge of all she had ever known, now stood but a few miles distant. It appeared to be a mere stone’s throw away, and though Maani sought to convince herself that it was not truly so close, she hesitated, uncertain whether to turn back or continue her journey.
Her mother’s words echoed again in her mind. Stay away from the wall. Don’t even look for it. But never once had she explained why. Not what it was made from. Not who had built it. Not what lay beyond.
Just a glimpse. She wouldn’t touch it. Wouldn’t get too close. She only wanted to see it for herself. Was it really as massive as the stories claimed? Tall enough to scrape the clouds, wide enough to stretch from one end of the forest to the other?
She couldn’t imagine something so large. Not really. Not until she saw it with her own eyes. Then she’d go home. Quietly. No one would ever know.
A branch snapped nearby.
Thwick.
She turned toward the sound suddenly.
Then came the voices—low and rough, too loud for the quiet woods. Hunters, by the sound of it. Their words carried sharp through the trees, each one like a strike against the stillness.
She’d gotten too close.
“Find it,” one of them spoke, his voice gruff. “Look everywhere.”
What could they have been looking for?
But she didn’t want to know—she didn’t need to know. She needed to head back, to escape before they could find her.
Turning around, she broke out in a sprint toward her village, but she didn’t make it far. Before she could react, a sharp sensation tore through her back, and she stumbled forward, a cry of pain escaping her lips.
Tumbling onto the ground, she quickly picked herself back up, but the pain wouldn’t escape her, and as her hands felt around on her back, her fingers closed around the source of the agony: an arrow.
She tugged at it lightly, and a stinging jolt ripped through her, stopping her hand immediately in a twitch.
Taking a step forward, she pushed her body to leave, but each movement was accompanied by discomfort, and as she heard the humans approach, all she could do was freeze. A gruesome mixture of fear and pain surged through her, leaving her stunned.
“It’s another kid,” one of the hunters said. “What do we do with it?”
“Throw it in the wagon,” another returned. “We should be able to make a decent amount off of her.”
It all happened so quickly after that.
Her arms and legs were restrained, bound up tight in thick ropes that slowed the flow of blood, leaving her limbs numb and useless. Choked as she screamed, the air was cut off from her lungs, and suffocation gripped her like a vice as she was gagged.
Soon, Maani found herself in a wagon with a few others, one of similar age to her and two others veritably older, equally restrained and a couple physically infirm worse than she was. She met the dark gaze of one of them as she joined. It was desperate, evident through the way he struggled against his bindings to no avail, but in the moment she didn’t share his efforts—she couldn’t. In the stillness of her body, all she could do was think.
Why hadn’t she listened to her mother’s warning?
Maani’s tears flowed like a river, her sobs wracking her small frame as the cruel fate that awaited her settled in her mind. She cried until she could cry no more, but it made no difference.
It wasn’t long before they brought her inside the walls, and in a perversion of her wishes, she finally got to see what stood behind them. She’d been captured, and now she was a prisoner of the world on the other side.
But all the while, one thought chased her endlessly.
Would she ever see her family again?
She was taken to the nearest city, a place of strange sights and sounds, and though she thought to scream, to cry out for help, she knew it would do no good here.
Her captors unceremoniously threw her into a pen, around which dozens of the humans stood and watched, as if she were nothing more than a spectacle for their malevolent gazes. They dissected her as if she were a prized object to be bartered and bought.
Gritting her teeth, she tried to disappear within herself, praying for the strength to endure, but Maani gradually felt her dignity slipping away, stripped bare as she was left helpless and hopeless. She felt humiliated, degraded, but for now, all she could do was bear it.
◊◊◊◊◊
In the hollow echo of her once vibrant life, Maani found herself ensnared within a bleak imitation of the existence she had once cherished. Her past was a distant memory, cruelly snuffed out and replaced with the unrelenting burden of servitude.
Every waking moment was consumed by the ceaseless toil demanded by her callous master, whose whip bit into her flesh with ruthless efficiency. Scars raised her back, and her hands now bore the marks of endless scrubbing, as she diligently cleaned the cold stone floors, scoured the soiled laundry, and prepared nourishment for the man who held claim to her life.
Sorrow consumed her, as the crushing weight of her confinement bore down upon her each day like an iron yoke. The last remnants of her spirit held still, but she could feel them dwindling day by day, her mind drifting into the warm embrace of numbness.
In the courtyard of the border estate where she was kept, the sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows that reached out toward the horizon. From here, she could see the great wall in the distance, and stood still as she gazed at the insurmountable barrier, taking a few moments to simply look.
Recently, she’d found herself staring at it more often at this same time of day, returning here as she finished her duties almost like a ritual. She wasn’t sure why, but something always told her to come back again, to stop and watch, even if there was nothing to see.
It didn’t calm her, in fact it only made her ache more, and yet there was something comforting about that feeling, about reminding herself of her pain.
“You,” A voice whispered in her ear, soft as a breeze.
Maani jumped, her head darting around at the sound but failing to locate the source of the voice. Nobody else was in the courtyard, at least nobody she could see, and as she looked around, she could feel a churning stress begin to afflict her mind. It was a dulling sensation, almost like a headache that lulled her into sleep, but she kept herself awake, her focus as sharp as she could.
“Who’s there?” she asked, her voice weak.
“You,” the voice repeated, sending shivers down her spine as it seemed to mimic her tone with an eerie precision.
“Who are you?” Maani demanded, a flicker of anger igniting within her.
“They took everything from you—from us,” the voice replied, its tone tinged with sadness and rage.
“I don’t understand,” Maani whispered, her headache growing and her vision starting to blur.
“I will get it back,” the voice promised. “Just wait.”
“W…wait for…” she began to say, but she couldn’t finish the thought.
What was left of her sight soon faded to black, leaving her with only the mysterious voice echoing in her mind.
When she awoke, it was night, and the world around her seemed different, somehow altered.
Had she fallen asleep?
No…
Her mind struggled to catch back up. Time had clearly passed, but it didn’t feel like she’d slept—if anything, she only felt more tired than before—and she was standing, a position she would’ve found hard to sleep in.
She blinked hard, her eyes slowly regaining their clarity, and she realized that, although she was in the courtyard at her last memory, where she stood now was somewhere different. She lifted her hands to rub her eyes, but the moment they brushed against her face, she stopped at the strange sensation she felt.
They were wet, warm to the touch, and as she held them out in front of her, underneath the shining light of the moon, she found them painted red, freshly stained with blood.
Worry initially filled her, but as her eyes fell on what lay on the ground in front of her, it soon twisted into something else entirely—something she couldn’t describe no matter how long she hung onto the feeling.
Her master’s body was on the floor, what remained of the life left inside of it quickly draining out in a pool of crimson. It took a moment for the cold realization to dawn on her, though she wasn’t sure it was correct even when she arrived at the conclusion.
Had… she killed him?
Her breaths heavied, the weight of the situation settling upon her.
She couldn’t remember what had happened.
Maani struggled to come to terms with reality, her mind still a swirling ache, but she knew that she couldn’t stay here any longer. Whether she’d done it or not, the moment the body was discovered, her fate was sealed. And, more importantly, for the first time in… she wasn’t sure how long, she felt a glimmer of hope.
Run.
Her heart racing in her chest like a thundering tempest, she bolted towards the towering wall in the horizon of night. The wall was far, especially for her tired and depleted muscles, but it was close enough that she could reach it before the sun rose once more. Pushing every muscle in her body to their limit, hours stretched in silent toil.
She wasn’t sure what kept her going, but she eventually reached it, the looming behemoth that’d always remained in her periphery, and with only one course of action left, she began to climb.
But it was no easy task.
Her fingers tingled with energy as they desperately tried to grasp the smooth stone. After a couple feet, she slipped back down and tried again. With each attempt, she got a little bit higher, but on even her best attempts, she’d barely made it very high at all. Already spent, the climb only made her weary body weaker, but she kept on trying—there was no other choice.
But it didn’t take long before she was found and captured again.
◊◊◊◊◊
Maani steeled herself as she was led through the imposing gates of her new master’s estate. Each step she took across the pristine grounds was accompanied by a silent bracing; her body tensed in anticipation of the familiar sting that she expected to soon encounter. Yet, as she hesitantly stepped across the threshold of her new quarters, she was struck by a startling contrast to the squalor she had known before.
The room, bathed in soft, warm light, emanated an air of cleanliness and comfort, a far cry from the dismal conditions of her previous servitude. Maani’s eyes widened, a flicker of astonishment sparking within their depths, as she cautiously reached out to caress the plush sheets adorning the bed. Her fingers grazed the soft fabric with a delicate touch, half expecting the mirage to dissolve into nothingness.
Later, as dinner approached, Maani was guided to a seat at the grand table, a gesture that stood in stark defiance of her accustomed relegation to a dark corner, subsisting on what scraps her former master allowed her. Her eyes roved over the sumptuous spread before her, the fragrant aroma of the dishes tantalizing her senses and causing her stomach to rumble with anticipation.
As Maani tentatively grabbed the fork in front of her, she paused, meeting the calm gaze of the man at the other end of the table.
“Please, eat,” the man said, his voice strong and firm yet gentle. Her new master was younger than her last, but he was still well into his adulthood, and a confident strength emanated from him.
She remained cautious, but with hunger tugging at her mind, Maani stabbed the food and took her first bite. Rich flavors graced her tongue, and she savored the taste, a memory from her past flashing through her mind.
“I’ve heard what happened to your last master, Maani,” the man said, prompting her to look back up at him. “Though I’m also aware of the conditions he kept you in. I hope you won’t feel the need to do the same again.”
Maani looked at him with a mix of disbelief and suspicion. “Will you allow me to return to the forest?” she asked, her voice wavering slightly. “To my family?”
He paused for a moment before responding, “It would be… unwise.”
“For who?” she shot back, a mixture of frustration and confusion at his words.
“Both of us,” he replied. “But more for you than I. I know you were taken as a child. Chances are you won’t find your family again, and that’s assuming they haven’t been enslaved themselves or worse—killed.”
Her eyes widened, tensely swallowing. “You can’t know that…”
“Perhaps not,” he admitted with a shrug, “but if you were to go as you are now, I doubt you’d make it far before being captured again.”
“I…” she gritted her teeth, looking down at the plate with a knowing scorn. “Don’t talk to me like you’re any better.”
The man sighed, his eyes filled with a distant sadness. “Better… no, you’re right, I wouldn’t call myself that. I’ve seen many of your kind come and go, and although I’ve never kept slaves myself, I’ve never batted an eye to the system either,” he admitted. “Of course, I suppose I can only say that I never had one until now.”
“If you won’t let me go, then what do you want with me?” she asked, her voice unsteady.
He leaned back in his chair, his expression was thoughtful. “I am not completely removing your chance of returning from whence you came, but that’s a decision I’ll grant you the opportunity to make when you’re older,” he said, causing Maani to furrow her brow. “As for right now, I want to teach you. Like I said, you won’t make it long out there in your current state.”
Huh?
“I… I don’t believe you,” Maani said.
“You don’t have to,” he replied with a small smile. “Just watch and see.”
And so she did.
Several weeks passed by in careful drawl. Maani would search her new master’s eyes for deceit, but she never found any among his kindness, and although she didn’t fully trust him, she eventually started to let her guard down, time wearing on her defenses. It was just a little bit, but she started to find a strange sense of… gratitude toward him, and her distaste for humans began to lessen.
One night, however, as Maani lay in her comfortable bed, she found herself revisited by a familiar voice, one she had come to understand just a little bit better.
“Do you really think he is good of heart?”
“Yes,” she replied. “He seems like a good person.”
“Then you are weak,” the voice sneered, but she only smiled.
“He said we could be free,” she mused. “And that he would teach us.”
“He lies,” the voice insisted.
“Maybe,” Maani admitted, her eyes softening. “But I’m willing to give him a chance.”
◊◊◊◊◊
In the early morning, Maani’s new master led her to an open training ground. The cool morning air brushed against her skin as she glanced around, seeing wooden dummies and practice weapons scattered about.
“Today, we’ll test your combat skills,” her master announced, his voice serious. “I want to see how you fare against a real opponent.”
Maani nodded, her heart pounding as she picked up a wooden sword, a weapon she’d seen many times before but never held herself. It was weighty in her hands, and although it took her a while to get accustomed to it, she soon stepped forward to face her master.
A strange mixture of excitement and dread filled her, the blood flowing quickly within her body.
As the fight began, Maani found herself struggling to keep up. Her movements were clumsy, her strikes easily parried by her master’s expert hand. She’d trip and fall to the ground, have the weapon knocked out of her hand, and if they hadn’t been using wooden blades, she’d have been dead a hundred times over.
But with every missed swing and blocked attack, her frustration grew, and began to feel a familiar anger bubbling up within her.
Then, without warning, something inside Maani shifted.
Her posture changed, her eyes flashed with feral intensity, and her movements became fluid and precise. The sword in her hand began to feel like an extension of her body rather than an unfamiliar tool, and she unleashed a flurry of powerful strikes that caught her master off guard.
“Stop!” he suddenly ordered, raising a hand to signal the end of their bout.
Her body wasn’t her own, possessed by an enigmatic presence, but it obeyed the command, allowing the weapon lower toward the ground.
A stillness befell the training arena, only underscored by the labored fall and rise of Maani’s heavy breaths, her body quivering from exertion.
Her master cautiously observed her, a potent mixture of concern and curiosity etched upon his visage as he scrutinized her every movement, a subtle alteration capturing his attention. Maani’s eyes, once a familiar blue hue, now mirrored the deep pink of blossoms that flourished beyond the wall.
The man peered into her gaze, as though searching for some elusive answer, when he asked in a measured voice, “Who am I speaking to now?”
Maani growled, tightening her grip on the wooden sword. “You’re speaking to the one who protects her,” she replied, her words laced with a raw edge.
The man nodded slowly, his expression pensive.
“I see,” he murmured. “So you’re the one who killed the man who kept her before.”
Maani remained silent yet nodded, her eyes wary and guarded.
“That certainly explains some things,” he mused.
“And what will you do now?” she asked, her voice low and tense.
“Do? Nothing,” the man said. “I’d prefer to train her, but if you’d like, we can continue. I can keep up now that I know what to expect.”
Maani’s grip on the sharp sword tightened even further. “She may trust you, but I don’t,” she spat.
“Well, I suppose that’s only natural,” the man replied calmly. “Then, if you don’t wish to spar, perhaps you would indulge me. Can I tell you a bit of my past?”
She regarded him warily, unsure of his intentions, but the girl finally gave a curt nod.
“I was born in Sentoros,” the man began, his voice taking on a reflective tone. “My family were farmers, and I was raised to enter the Sentoros Knighthood. My first destination? Past the wall.” The man paused, his eyes distant as though lost in memory. “I’m not quite old yet, but I spent enough time over there to last a lifetime.”
Maani remained silent, her eyes locked on the man’s face as he spoke.
“I saw many beastkin on the other side. Most were killed. Others became slaves,” he continued, his eyes narrowing in thought. “Although I didn’t know what to think about them before my time there, I soon came to realize that I didn’t share the kingdom’s hatred for them.”
He paused, a sigh leaving his body as he spoke the next part of his story.
“Yet, I never did anything to stop it. I remained a willing participant, and until my transfer inside Gatam’s borders was approved, the fates of many of your kind were left to my hands,” the man revealed, lifting his palm slightly to gaze down upon it before closing it firmly in a fist. “And I always follow my orders, no matter how grisly.”
“Then you’re just as bad as the rest of them,” she disparaged.
“I never said I wasn’t,” he conceded, opening his arms out slightly. “I’m just one man—I cannot change a kingdom. But I thought that I still make a difference, if not for all then at least one. After all I’ve done… it only seemed right.”
Maani furrowed her brow, her eyes searching for any hint of deceit, yet unable to detect any, she found herself struggling to reconcile his words, a miring of loathe and uncertainty plaguing her. “I… don’t understand. Why me? Why not any other beastkin?”
“You killed your last owner. You tried to scale the wall despite your condition.” The man paused, a faint smile touching his features. “Over time, many beastkin succumb to the rigors of slavery once captured, toiling away until their last breath, but you were willing to sacrifice everything to regain your freedom. That determination, that fire within… I suppose you could say it awoke something in me. It made me want to do whatever I could to help.”
Maani studied him, her heart pounding as a whirlwind of possibilities danced before her. Could she really trust him? She let out a nervous laugh, as if uncertain whether to believe her instincts—both sets of instincts. Her mind raced in battle with itself, and she found herself teetering on the precipice of ambivalence.
“How do I know I can trust you?” she asked tentatively.
The man offered a half-smile, his eyes meeting hers with steadfast determination. “I suppose you’ll just have to wait and decide for yourself,” he said. “Or you could try to kill me too, but I can assure you I won’t be so easy to kill.”
Hah…
Her apprehension held, but as she weighed the sincerity in his words, a slight hope emerged. She wouldn’t trust him, but he was different from the others—she didn’t want to kill him. And that was enough.
“Then teach me,” she finally said.
“Very well.”