Two Worlds (Atherium x Rosie)

[Atherium]

"Protect the main gate! Mobile cannons are approaching!"


Kingdom of Vektros. Home to the proud race of the Vektrosians, the second major race to inhabit the beautiful world of Drenethar. Drenethar was indeed one strange world, being ruled mainly by two opposites. The eastern half, ruled mainly by the Kingdom Of Zethien, on the Mortal Domain, as the territory was called by many. The humans of Zethien have been going on about their daily lives for more than one would care to remember, however, during the past years, they have been struggling and craving to take over more than they already had. The late King Tharvas of Zethien, having gone insane and paranoid, has ordered his troops to attack the second race that dominated Drenethar. Vektros.


Vektros was a large empire ruling the continent known as Aldurath, a piece of land on the exact opposite side of Drenethar from the Mortal Domain. Vektrosians were, in a matter of speaking, ancient. Having roots far beyond the plain power of understanding of the mortal humans, the vektrosians have always taken pride in their evolution. While the first humans were barely managing to group up in small camps which they were calling tribes, the Vektrosians were expanding under the leadership of Karad, the Everlasting, Eternal Ruler Of Vektros. The vektrosians also took pride in the fact that their doctine was teaching them that they were timeless, and they existed beyond any other creation. They worshipped a mechanical god which, in their vision, has sent them personally to Drenethar to make it bloom and prosper. Whether or not that was true, nobody knew.


Vektrosians were, as appearance, not too different from the ordinary humans. What made them different was their inside. They were not made of flesh and bone, but of an odd alloy and many mechanisms that allowed for their movement and anything else. The Vektrosians were almost not even human, at all. Moreover, their doctrine and demigod politics taught them, from a generation to another, that feelings were prohibited, as they were the primary base of the human race, and the human race was nothing but a bunch of primitives. Vektros' development itself was magnificent. Strange technology ingeniously crafted by engineers with probably hundreds of human years of experience was entwined beautifully with the harmonic nature, allowing for a peaceful cohabitation with the latter.


Right at the center of Aldurath lain a deep hole straight into the ground, a tunnel that led, most probably, to the center of the world. It was well guarded by the same ancient technology that defined Vektros, and everyone knew it as the Heart Of Creation. The vektrosians sworn a sacred oath to their mechanical god to protect and treasure the Heart, and never let anyone reach it. Taken away, however, by their ceaseless work to create, they took their careful gaze off the Heart Of Creation just at the time when the king of Zethien ordered his men to storm Aldurath. Months have passed as the ships sailed the Forgotten Seas, and soon enough, humans would set foot on Aldurath.


Their first attack against Vektros has been ended quickly, the vektrosians having no problem in repelling the invaders that had catapults as their best shots. Primitive little humans. The few survivors of the attack retreated, seeing as they had no chance of even breaching the first line of defense of Vektros. Their endless curiosity and foolishness has drawn them towards the very Heart Of Creation. However, upon contact with the device, the foolish humans have been bestowed with ancient knowledge that stood at the base of the very creation of the Vektrosians, therefore, they now had the key to their extermination. General Bane would return glorious to his king and present the results.


The Vektrosians took the course of their lives yet again, not even having minded that the humans tried storming them. In their arrogant ways, they thought the humans would not be back. But months later, they would be taken by surprise by a tremendous attack. However, here, something has changed. Everything they would use in defense was repelled and returned tenfold by the once primitive humans who now possesed secrets known by not even the majority of vektrosians. And so, on day 10 of the assault, Vektros had fallen, having been taken over by the victorious humans.


A ship with the few survivors of vektros would sail off onto the Forgotten Seas, but soon would meet a terrible fate, sailing straight into a storm and being torn apart. It seemed the last remnants of Vektros have perished. The greatest civilization to have ever existed have met their untimely end. Apart from one. Somewhere, on a sandy beach on the western coasts of the Mortal Domain, a vektrosian lain, washed ashore. His clothes, once ellegant, were nothing but torn, dirty rags, exposing a body full of cuts and bruises. His long, black, curly hair was drenched in the sea water and his eyes were closed. But he was not dead. Vektrosians couldn't simply drown.

 

[Rosie]

Exton was not known for it’s mass of land or wealth, with a grand total of 20 huts, one market, and one town hall, the Lord and Lady pub that Elvina found herself in was rammed with drunken bodies stumbling here and there. Naturally, the deaths of the last remaining Vektrosians had travelled like wildfire, and the villagers were even quicker in their celebrations. Beer splattered on the ground below her feet when glasses clanked and jangled together, accompanied by bellows of laughter, and of course, a few belches.


Elvina’s expression was one of disapproval, disgust, and any other synonym she could think of that begun with the letter D.


‘Distasteful…?” She thought to herself as her chair rocked back and forth on it’s hind legs. The girl frowned. ‘No, to use that would be an understatement.’ Her lip furrowed under her teeth, but her trail of thought was interrupted by an unexpected silence. All eyes were locked onto the balcony that made up the rickety second floor of the establishment. There amongst the tables and stools, stood her father. He was a short man. Rather stocky, yet terribly overweight. The wooden below him groaned when he began to pace back and forth. After a minute or so, his thick voice rang through the air.


“So, we all know why we’re here this evening.” His opening sentence was met with a roar from the crowd below him. His thin lips spread into a grin, and his beer glass slammed down onto the table beside him, signalling for silence. He gruffly cleared his throat before continuing.


“The Vektrosians are dead. Defeated by their own arrogance.” Her father talking of arrogance in such a disapproving way was ironic, to say the least. “This marks the end of the conflict between them, and us. It is a time for us to evaluate what we hold dear in our lives.” His eyes met hers, and she forced a small smile. “My daughter, Elvina, please join me in this toast.” His chubby hand beckoned for her to join him, and she hastily got up amongst the applause and cheers that followed her to her father’s side. She was squashed against him in a tight embrace.


“I would like to toast.” He raised his glass, and the villagers mirrored. “To a new peace.” He declared with a chortle, before downing the rest of his beer and flopping onto the stool closest. Elvina wished he had missed and landed flat on his back.


‘There’s nothing peaceful about this ordeal. As we speak bodies are floating in the sea that contours our home. Enemy or not, we should respect the dead, not celebrate their passing.’


A large hand clamped down on her back, and the man forced Elvina to look at him. She could smell the alcohol on his breath. He was out of sorts, and she was out of patience. “All your curiosity for that wretched race can be replaced with more meaningful duties.” He murmured with his hand pressed to her cheek in adoration that was certainly unrequited. “They are not worth your consideration or interest, alive or dead.” The man smiled at her and then squeezed her hand. Elvina knew he meant well. It was a means of protection that she would never appreciate. Eventually, she spoke up for the first time that night.


“Excuse me.” She rose to her feet and made her way down the stairwell and out into the grounds surrounding the pub. It was too crammed and clammy in there. In fact, this entire occasion made her head spin. Elvina’s green eyes darted round her surroundings. The ocean. She could always find refuge there.


---------------------


It was a short walk, but Elvina felt exhausted upon her eventual arrival. It was dark, but not black enough for her to not see a figure strewn on the shore.


‘A drunken sailor, no doubt.’ She thought to herself as she made her way towards it. He may be intoxicated, but she didn’t want the poor man to drown.


She lowered to her knees next to the body, and pulled him onto his back, yet the attire was not what she had expected. In fact, the clothes the man wore were ragged and destroyed. Elvina loomed over him, examining him with caution. Perhaps he’d been in a fight? If so, she had a good mind to leave. And yet, he looked too weak to move, let alone throw punches.


“It can’t be..” She began to murmur to herself in quiet revelation. The cuts were deep, yet no blood was seeping from them. Her finger pressed against one on his chest, which was met with no reaction. The girl gulped and glanced round her, having a horrible feeling she was being watched. Of course, this wasn’t true, but if her assumption was correct, nobody living in Exton would waste a second finishing a Vektrosian off.

 

[Atherium]

The silence stretched out as Elvina was examining the still body of a Vektrosian. Apparently, the last one of his kind. For sure, the ones who ended up being taken into the sea by the storm probably didn't die either, and they would was up someplace else, as well as he did. Wherever that may be was only a matter that fortune would decide. If they done washed up back on the shores of Aldurath, they would meet a terrible fate. This one, however, was lucky enough to have washed up on the other side. But again, he has been found by a human being. Humans were, as vektrosians were taught by their elders, vicious beings, cunning and treacherous. No exceptions.


Something inside the mechanical being stirred at the first touch of the girl. His strange core that served as heart was quick to light up and radiate heat, warming up the stone cold exterior that covered the mechanism composing his body. It was a matter of moments between her touches and how the sensation reached his neural centers, thus announcing his brain mechanism that a living being was near. And not any living being. A breathing one. A human. A vibration followed the heating up of his body as his core entered a state of alert, commanding each and every nerve to react in response to the imminent threat. Memories of what humans have done to his home would hit the back of his mind and echo through what was his process of thought.


He felt nothing strongly tied to it, but his mechanism registered a pattern and now what was human meant it was a threat. Vektrosians would make no differences and no emotional links to events, but their security systems were always informed and updated. But this wasn't the only process that was developing in the strange being. The strange material that was supposed to be his skin was now, miraculously, regenerating, the small gaps and cuts closing immediately and dissapearing. As he was lain on his back, Elvina could see how, under his eyelids, something moved. And suddenly, they would pop open, revealing strangely blue eyes that shot a glance into the sky. He was fully awake now, and, with no other warning, he proceeded to turning the tables and block the threat that the human being was presenting.


An iron grip would catch Elvina's wrists with the speed of a lightning, and within a second, his full body rose, pushing the most likely surprised girl on her back. Straddling her waist line, the vektrosian proceeded to pin her wrists at the sides of her head, his jet black curly locks now falling close to her face as he gazed down upon her, staring directly into her eyes. Vektrosians did not, however, breathe, nor did they use to exterminate their enemy without applying, firstly, a previous set of questions. This derived directly from their curious ways and their ever existent desire to learn more. So did he. He did nothing further from this point, he simply held Elvina down with an unnatural force, due to his body being a mechanism far stronger than the frail flesh body of the humans. A voice made its way out of his depths, but without any feeling atached to it.


"What do you want from me, mortal? Has your kind not ruined mine already? Were you going to dismantle me and tear apart my Core?"

 

[Rosie]

Elvina’s eyes widened when she saw the man’s cuts rejuvenate and heal before her. It wasn’t dead, that’s for sure. Although he would probably be safer if he was. When he met her gaze, his eyes were blinding. She had never seen anything like it. Terrifying, yet unaccountably intriguing. Maybe that was a flaw of character than attracted her to dangerous people (who seemed to literally wash up at her feet), but clearly she was meant to find this man. If you could call him that.


“Are you okay-“ Elvina’s kind words were cut short by the force she was struck with, and before she had chance to even process a thought, her back sunk against the sand, the blood supply draining from her hands. The girl stared up at the man in complete exasperation, yet did not make any attempt to struggle. If she could gather anything from what she just witnessed, she could be dead in a heartbeat.


Unfortunately, Elvina was never one to choose her words wisely.


“Do I look like I could tear you limb from limb?!” She retorted back to him. “I was simply seeing if you needed any help, which clearly you don’t.” She added on sarcastically.


‘Great choice of last words, El.”


She was tempted to scream out for help. Surely her father would come looking for her at some point. The thought both relieved and scared her. Sparing her would inevitably result in this man’s death.


Despite trying to maintain an unscathed exterior, Elvina couldn’t stop the small yelp of pain that emitted from her mouth. Her fingers were beginning to throb, and her ribs felt as though they were being crushed from the inside out.


“Please, unhand me.”


‘For goodness sake, El, now is not the time to start crying. These things must be able to sniff out weak spots and feed off of them like a starved animal.’


The image made her go pale, and she writhed under his harsh grip with mounting frustration, her legs kicking and flinging particles of sand into the air which protested with her. She was not going to die here. And come to think of it, she was determined to not let him meet the same fate.


“I said let go of me!” She yelled up at him, which surprised her. “I have done nothing to alarm you. Your predispositions are clouding your judgement and you must fight against it! Do you understand me?” Her temper rarely shone through, but when it did, it wasn’t to be stopped. She got it from her mother, she was told.

 

[Atherium]

The well known human temper. He witnessed it bloom in this frail being of flesh and bone, consuming her quickly and bursting out in waves against him. He awaited long moments for humans to storm the place and jump to attack him, called out by her. But surprising enough, she held it back. He could tell that by the look in her eyes. She held back the instinct of screaming out for help and this was way too strange. Humans, weak as they wore, could mostly never hold back from calling for others so they can outnumber their enemy and attack him. Cowardice was, as he learned, one of the main traits of this less than filthy race. Then why was she not calling for others? Why was she trying so desperately to escape his grip, all by herself? Was she really that much of a fool?


So curious were the fluctuations of her mood. From hissy and angry to pleading and then back again. In his life, he has never met a human aside from those that attacked Vektros. He only learned of their traits from the ones that preached daily and were assigned with teaching every vektrosian about how vile and pathetic the human life form can be. And now, it seemed he has first made contact with it. She was different, in a way he could not tell. Her eyes held an interesting spark to them and they glimmered differently as she switched moods. Something he has never seen before in Vektros. Capable of mimicking things as smiles or even laughter, the people of Vektros were never able to change the glimmer of their eyes. It would always stay the same. Just one step forward towards dissociating themselves from the humans they despised.


Indeed, she didn't look like she could mean any harm. Any vektrosian would know that a human was a weak creature. Least so the others were until they touched the Heart Of Creation. And this one particular human seemed to have never done so. His mechanisms didn't react in any way towards her. In a slightly odd move, the male finally released the strong grip he locked her wrists in, and moved to the left, ending up in a sitting position on in the sand. Looking at the landscape now, it looked absolutely different from what he had back on Aldurath. The heavy development of vektrosian technology stole most of the natural looks of the place. Indeed, it was harmonized, but this. This was pure nature. The ocean. He has never seen it, as the big city of Vektros lain near the Heart, almost in the middle of Aldurath.


Something felt strange inside of him. All of a sudden, he felt... he felt as if he had been cut from his source of power. He felt weak, exhausted. Vektrosians never had a need to sleep, and he never knew how this would manifest. But he felt it and it scared him, somewhat. Am I going to perish? He asked himself while he cast a gaze back towards the stranger human girl that still lain on the sand. Was he actually feeling something? No. It is forbidden and frowned upon by the Creator. You must not feel anything. But why couldn't he help it? Why was this so... heavy on him? He felt the sudden need of speaking further to the strange persona near him.


"Where am I, human being? And who are you?"

 

[Rosie]

Elvina’s fingertips dabbed on her palms when she flexed her hand, finally bringing herself up to sit when she felt the blood wash back through her vains. Sand clung to her back and in her hair, but that wasn’t a worry for her. No, her main concern was the look on the Vektrosian’s face as he gazed out at the ocean. She heard him, yet wasn’t sure what to say in response. It was an easy question, she knew, yet she wanted to spend a moment studying him. He looked, well, she supposed almost sad. Surely that can’t be. Vektrosian’s are unable to feel emotion.


“They’re foul beasts. All brain and no heart. What a wasteful existence.” Her father’s bellowing voice rang in her mind. So what was this she was watching? Had the water from the ocean meddled with the mechanics of his body? Possibly. Elvina wasn’t to know. Her education of folk like him was biased and cruel.


---------------------------


“This..” a cane whacked against the blackboard behind the teacher “is the inner workings of a Vektroksian.” The sour looking woman spat. A gasp elicited from the class, closely followed by concerned murmurs. On the board in front of them was a simple drawing of a man, with explicitly complex looking organ in his stomach complied of wires and screens and so much else than was beyond Elvina’s comprehension. The little girl’s eyes narrowed at the diagram, and she began to copy it down on the parchment that lay in front of her. Where the mechanics were, she drew a large circle (the stomach) and a small heart in the left hand corner. To finish, she added a smiley face on what was a blank head.


“Elvina, please show the class what you’ve been drawing. Clearly it’s importance overrides your education.” Her teacher added on curtly with a dry smile. The class fell silent, and Elvina said nothing. Her head shook from side to side, yet nevertheless, her drawing was snatched from her desk and pinned onto the board for her classmates to see.


“Drawings like this will lead to misconceptions. Misconceptions will lead to mistakes. Mistakes will lead to unfortunate circumstances.” The teacher, tall and frail looking, put one foot in front of the other until she wound up at the front of Elvina’s desk. Each clink that her heel made against the floorboards made the girl’s skin crawl. “I don’t know who is feeding these stupid thoughts into your naïve mind, but refrain from thinking of them. And if you cannot do this, then refrain from thinking altogether.” Elvina swallowed down tears furiously and pursed her lips together. Silence was the only acceptable answer, and so silent she remained.


---------------------------


Elvina never cared to remember the teacher’s name. Her fondest memory of her was watching as her scrawny fingers tossed her drawing in the fire.


“Refrain from thinking altogether.” The statement made young woman smile. How ironic that a teacher, who’s main goal was to brainwash young children, had the nerve to lecture her about thinking. It was like some kind of indoctrination. Since that day, Elvina was accused of not caring for the trials humans endured to become equal with the Vektrosians. Either keep quiet, or be an enemy to her own race. Neither seemed particularly appealing, yet Elvina used the sense that she had managed to hold onto, and kept her mouth firmly shut.


“You’re in Exton. It’s a small village bordering from the left of the Forbidden Sea. I’m called Elvina.” There was a momentary pause. “Do you have a name? Or.. a number? Or something?” She asked hopefully. It was to her knowledge that Vektrosian’s didn’t possess emotions, let alone a sense of humour, but she was expecting him to laugh in her face.

 

[Atherium]

"El... vina..." He repeated her name with a little pause inbetween, as if he was taking his time dismantling and reassembling it. "I have never heard such name. The human names are plain and horribly senseless, so i've learned in Vektros." Vektrosians weren't ones to hide away their thoughts. Hell, they would often get in trouble with each another because of this sole reason. Given that Elvina was human, the mechanoid male was only taking even more freedom in speaking towards her. After all, she was a human, an inferior being. Why would he actually hold it back? But even so, her name was surprisingly pleasant, even for one who could not appreciate anything too much.


And there she went, asking him about a name, or a number. The question left him with a sense of wonder. Number? Why would he have a number? Did this girl really think Vektrosians were that much of a primitive race as to call each new spawn by a number? How awfully wrong could she be? But she didn't seem to have said it in a mean way. She tried a sort of humour, as he came to notice. Primitive humour, yet, humour. I shouldn't bash her for that, now, should I?


"My name is Zael." He spoke up a second or two after. "Vektrosians do not give numbers to the new spawned. We only bear one name, unlike humans. Our race has always strived to dissociate in every way from yours. We never wanted to have anything to do with you, the beings of flesh. But, as you probably have already got note of, your own kind has torn us apart. One question, however, remains unanswered. Why do you not rush yourself to your village, to speak up to your people and send them to get my head? What is it that you plan on doing with me?"


Zael shot a glance with his strange blue optics directly at Elvina, trying to catch any hint of movement on her face. Having mastered the learning of human mimicks, he could tell right away whether she was going to tell him a lie, a truth or simply none of those. Curiosity was, again, getting the best of him as he tried more and more to understand this particular being of flesh, seeing as she was, so far, much different than what he has been taught back on Vektros. A recollection shot quickly through his mind as he awaited for a response from Elvina.


"Today, we discuss the trivial matter of feelings, a common occurence into the life of the primitive beings of flesh we know as humans. Now, what do we know about feelings? They use them to interact each with another. Feelings intervene where their short mind ends, causing them to react without any logic. Feelings are something that we, vektrosians, strictly forbid. Intelligent forms of life do not feel. For feelings are the end of rationality."


Somewhere, not far in distance, a voice was calling out for Elvina. Most likely one of the men from Exton, sent by her father to look for her. The vektrosian could hear it clearly, and probably, Elvina too.

 

[Rosie]

It was like watching a child talk for the first time, so when her name was finally uttered from between his rigid lips, she almost cracked a smile. In a way, it surprised her, yet not in the most unpleasant fashion. Seeing Zael struggle to articulate such a simple name gave him a human like quality. She didn’t think to tell him that, though.


The girl made a move to answer with yet another sarcastic comment. “If someone was named Zael here, they’d be laughed out of the villiage.” Seemed appropriate enough. The atmosphere was calm, and despite the previous (not to mention uncalled for) outburst, Elvina felt safe. That was, until she heard her name being yelled from the small cluster of forest behind her.


“It’s my uncle.” She declared, her voice coated with dread. In a speed that could put Zael to shame, she was on her feet, her eyes fixed on the source of the voice. “Zael, my uncle will try to kill you if he sees you. Do you understand? He will get the whole village to help, and they will murder you.” She stared down at him. “Do you understand me? Yes?” Her voice was frantic, and she didn’t even bother to wait for an answer.


“On your feet.” Elvina demanded with such authority that the man rose on request. Her eyebrows raised in pleasant, yet baffled surprise. “Oh.. you actually did it..” She muttered to herself, trying to rack her brains for somewhere to hide him. Come to think of it, why was she playing judge and jury all of a sudden? She valued the lives of all, yes, but surely self preservation was key here. If she left Zael, there’s a high chance he would slaughter the village before she got back home. Most of the people here were brainwashed as it is, but any fight they put up would be a feeble response. Elvina could imagine Zael’s robotic sarcasm when faced with such entertainment.


The voice was growing closer, and a figure emerged onto the sand. Elvina was right, it was her uncle. Ascot Terrace was his name. He was rather notorious for beating hatred of Vektrosians into her mind from a young age, to little success. In fact, when word got out that she had drawn a Vektrosian with a heart at school, he was waiting by her front door with a belt and a steady hand. Elvina shuddered at the mere sight of him. The hatred she felt for him, matched his dislike for Zael. It was a scary, yet empowering feeling. The man stepped forward and nodded to the figure behind her.


“Elvina, who’s that?” He asked with a soft curiosity. That was one of the most terrifying things about this man. He had a delicate aggression about him. Elvina was silent until he was standing in front of her, his head tilted and his lips pursed in confusion, as if he was trying to recall a name. His eyes darted to her, and he smiled expectantly.


“I won’t ask you again, child. Does he have a name at least?” Ascot grabbed her wrist and yanked her down so she fell flat onto the sand with a small whimper, leaving him face to face with this new man. Ascot took a moment to examine Zael’s torn and withered clothes, until their eyes met again. Meanwhile, Elvina struggled to stand again. Each time she would rise to her hands and knees, Ascot’s foot stomped down on her back, leaving her pinned to the ground. All the while, Ascot’s eyes were as blank as Zael’s. His negligence, in fact, had a body count. But that was information for Ascot, and Ascot only. He was not shy in adding Elvina to that if he simply had to.

 

[Atherium]

The moment Zael was announced that he was to meet Elvina's uncle, his thoughts kicked into gear. What was he doing there, anyway? He had to seek an escape away from these mortals that now were an open threat to him. Even Elvina, seemingly peaceful, was an undeniable threat, as she would draw more human presence around her. Maybe she wasn't that bad, but he couldn't say the same about the others. The moment she ordered him to stand, he did. Why did I just obey a human? He questioned himself, seeing as he had done the standing movement with no other question, as if the girl controlled him. It was the dominance over the territory that she posed. Vektrosians were also a territorial kind of people, and respected the territory of others. That must've been it.


The male saw how Elvina placed herself before him in a more than protective manner, and he already figured the next encounter was not going to be peaceful in any way. He heard it from the man's voice. He was one of the humans that Zael has been taught to avoid and to despise. The typical human scum, with an attitude hard to swallow and behaving as if he was owning the whole damned world. Zael didn't like him in the least, and the moment the elder man approached, the vektrosian made a quick and shameless eye contact with him. He cared not if this man was on his territory, he was just like those that invaded his, and deserved no respect. Low minded fool. The next course of action Ascot took made Zael feel something burst through him. He felt the utter need to grab the newcomer and tear him apart.


As Ascot was lording his authority over his own niece in a way he would over a slave, Zael couldn't help but stare in nothing short of a sickened amazement. What was this lowling better with than the girl to treat her in such way? Humans were such a miserable, pathetic and horrid race. Taking advantage of one another and lording their authority over the weaker and the feeble. The vektrosian could not contain this new feeling that bursted through him well enough. His blue eyes became, all of a sudden, two pools of white for a second, as the uncontrolled rage burned through him to his Core, and from there, spread through his mechanical being. In a swift motion, his hands caught in steel grips Ascot's sides and with ease, the elder human was shoved to the side, thrown like a ragdoll upon the sand.


But Zael seemed to be out of control now. As the human barely managed to do as much as try to get in sitting position, taken by total surprise with the sudden reaction of the vektrosian, Zael all but leaped against him, pinning him helpless to the ground just as he did with Elvina earlier, when they encountered. Something was different, here. Zael seemed to be acting here not by fear, but by something superior than sympathy towards the human girl. He seemed to be trying to get Ascot to regret his vicious actions upon his niece. What the vektrosian didn't yet know was that he was, in a way, experiencing his first unleashed feeling. Would he have been back home, he'd be contained and indoctrinated into banishing it from himself. But here, in the open, he had nobody to do this to him.


"You... miserable wretch! Do you think yourself so strong? Lord yourself over me, I dare you. You are just like the ones that wiped away my kind. Weak, pathetic scum. I should tear you apart limb by limb for what you have just done. But i will not stain myself with your miserable blood. You are not worth it."

 

[Rosie]

“Zael, unhand him!” Elvina managed to yell, quickly scrambling to her feet to break the pair apart. Ascot was as defenceless as he was unreasonable in his ways, and he body was frail in comparison to his attacker’s. The noise would surely rouse attention from the other villagers, who would be making their way back home now. The closest home was located less than 20 feet away. The inhabitants may be drunk out of their mind, but they weren’t deaf.


Her hands grabbed the back of Zael’s shredded shirt and she attempted to yank him back, yet to no avail. Of course, he was overpowering, and it didn’t seem like he even noticed. Ascot had always been aggressive towards her, and although she knew it was wrong, she did not know any different. Even her father was aware of it, yet he made no motions to stop the abuse. Perhaps this was her punishment for being so curious, so sympathetic. Meanwhile, Ascot was wailing and writhing beneath Zael’s grip, and his expression was one of amazement and red hot fury.


“You’re a Vektrosian! You’re the scum that got washed up in the ocean while fleeing from your home. Affairs between humans are none of your concern.” Ascot spat up at the man who was seething above him. His words only infuriated the man more, yet he refused to back down. Such a dangerous form of male entitlement over another Elvina thought to herself, not spotting more figures beginning to emerge from the trees and onto the beach. One strong arm wound round her and dragged her backwards with her heels dragging in the sand.


“Let go of me!” Elvina shrieked at the man who had captured her. She refused to sit on the sidelines while her fellow citizens tried to apprehend Zael in front of her eyes. Why did she feel so protective over him? Since she was a child she was hungry for knowledge about the Vetroskians. Despite being mocked, abused and ridiculed, she could not accept that their lives were unworthy in comparison to theirs. She could not.


“He’s a danger to our village, you have to understand.” The man behind her replied, as calmly as his shaking voice would allow him to. Elvina’s wide eyes watched as more people began to crowd round Zael, fists flying and bodies hitting the floor. She almost laughed at such a pathetic response.


“He is the danger? How can you say such a thing when our only way of dealing with him is ending his life?!” She retorted, still struggling against his tightening grip. “We are the monsters here, not him!” The woman looked up as Ascot staggered towards her. His nose was bloody and his lip was swollen, yet she was incapable of any kind of consolation. His face was twisted in a wry and exhausted expression.


“You let this happen to me. You could have stopped this.” Elvina could feel his hot breath on her cheek when she turned her head away, not wanting to set her eyes on him. His words reeked of beer and smoke. “Your ignorance nearly cost me my life. I should return the favour.” The last thing Elvina saw was her uncle’s blood being spat on the sand next to her left shoe, followed by a knockout force to her cheek. Everything went black. Yet in that, she found peace.

 

[Atherium]

"Leave her alone, she has done nothing wrong!" Zael almost yelled as he pushed back the crowd that was trying to block him away. Why was he taking the defense of a human? Probably because the said human hasn't been hostile towards him. However, with the growing crowd of people gathering around him, circling him like a furious mob, he was growing more and more impatient and eager to tear them to pieces. He could not feel the presence of the energy from the Heart in any of these humans. They have never touched it. They were weak and could be easily defeated. But he was a too proud being to waste time spilling their blood. The only thing that motivated him to fight back was the girl that was now constantly pushed around and harrassed, mainly by her uncle. Oh, how the vektrosian would have shredded that man alive.


The humans were growing yet in number, some drunk, and stumbling closer, some sober. The vektrosian could clearly see a good number of them carrying weapons, such as axes, torches, pitchforks and what not. From the crowd, many a voice rose, speaking out and spewing hateful words toward Zael. He was now facing what he has always been taught about, the mob mentality of the primitives. And even if he would fight back... for how long could he do so? It wasn't as if he had any more help left. He was alone, left for dead in this new world. His eyes switched back and forth towards different faces, grins of scorn and gazes of absolute despise. A certain sound would catch his attention, the punch administered to Elvina by her uncle. He watched as her body fell limp to the ground and how the absolute scum of a man her relative was ordered a bulky youngster to pick her up and carry her back to the village.


Zael's mind was now overcharging and in his being lingered the same sensation of rage, the pure feeling of it. His hands folded into fists which he now threw heavy around himself, knocking back one man after another in a desperate attempt to escape the encirclement and get to the only human being that has been apparently kind to him. He watched as Elvina was carried away into the darkness, and as he struggled fighting his way out, he suddenly felt that ominous weakness again. His Core seemed to be losing its energy and this right in the middle of his fight. He made quite the numbers in people that were already lying on the ground, knocked out cold and with broken teeth, when he himself collapsed to his knees, at first. His mechanism was shutting down slowly, and he could do nothing about it.


A chain was wrapped about his torso, folding his arms together at the sides of it, just as Zael's eyes lost their spark, becoming dead and getting covered by the lids that shut down. His body fell heavy, almost pulling the one that held the chains down. Victorious, the people of Exton now proceeded to carrying the last vektrosian back into the village, to shut him down in one of the old cells destined to criminals. What was going to happen further on to him depended now fully on the village men.


The hours were quickly passing by. Zael was now found within an old, dirty cell. His body was pinned to the wall, with no point of support. He was strapped to the wall with heavy chains, coming across his body, tightly. His arms were also open to the sides and caught to the wall with chains. Nobody wished that, upon the awakening, the vektrosian would break free from containment. A courier has already been sent to the first big city, to give word about Exton detaining the last vektrosian known to be alive. The darkness of the cell, however, was soon penetrated by the light of two optics sparking awake. Zael was coming back into his sense and, finding himself confined in such an uncomfortable way was no surprise to him. The first image to come to his mind was, oddly enough, Elvina's face. For whatever reasons, he hoped she would be fine.

 

[Rosie]

The cell was dingy and wet. Mould dripped from the corners of the room, and ahead of him, was a thick, wooden door that was equipped with a mass of locks and bolts. Escape seemed futile, and for now, it would remain that way. From outside, muffled voices were beginning to make themselves clear, and Zael took a moment from struggling against the chains to listen in.


“You can’t just chuck the girl in there, Ascot. She’s not one of them!” A belchy and deep voice piped up in protest. There were sounds of a struggle, and the second voice that responded made Zael’s hands clench into fists. Ascot. It was unmistakable.


“Were you not there, Alfred? The girl nearly had me killed. She knew the man was a Vektrosian as soon as she laid eyes on him. She’s no better. She has no respect, no empathy, and most of all, no sense. She should be punished along with my attacker.” And with that, the door creaked open, and Ascot dragged Zael’s first awaking thought into the room, throwing her down at his levitated feet. She was in the same clothes she wore the previous night, yet they were worn in and rather dirty. Her hair was no better, and she looked exhausted. Physically, and emotionally, no doubt. Zael didn’t quite know how that


Ascot looked up at Zael with a smug grin. “She doesn’t belong to us anymore. I’m sure the courier will take great pleasure in publishing this twist in this already fascinating story.” Elvina kept her eyes on the ground, but her back rose and fell at a concerning pace. Behind her, a small, pot bellied man was wailing, leaning on an even fatter man for support. Without another word, Ascot made a swift exit and closed the door quietly behind him, leaving the two unlikely acquaintances together.


For a few seconds, Elvina remained silent and still. Gradually, her fingers curled against her palm, and she tilted her head to glare at the man ahead of her. “You..” She growled, suddenly rising to her feet and squaring up in front of him. He was still a few centimetres above her, but her eyes burned through his mechanic brain and into the wall it rested against. “You pathetic mongrel!” Tears bubbled and threatened to roll down her cheeks, but she wiped her eyes indignantly, smearing the moisture before it broke against her skin. “I’m an outcast because of you! My father is distraught!” Her fists thumped against his chest, but to no avail. In fact, it hurt her knuckles more than anything.


“The most infruriating thing is you can’t even comprehend how I feel. Your race is based on knowledge and facts, but what’s the use of that if you don’t have people you love to share it with!?” She screamed at him before proceeding to punch his stomach once, twice, then again, then again for luck. “Do you feel that?!” She yelled, her expression almost desperate as she stared up at the man.

 

[Atherium]

His optics quickly switched to the door as it has been opened, and as soon as he saw Elvina being dragged in by her uncle, Zael felt the storm of anger yet again. This feeling, he began understanding it. It ate him from the inside. It made him jerk the chain around his wrist with the little space he had. All he wished was to set himself free and help out Elvina. He saw how she was thrown towards him and watched Ascot's gaze full of scorn as he spat his words to him. Oh, how he wished he would've crushed the fat bastard's throat when he had the chance. Ascot was the typical agitator, it seemed, the man who could convince masses that he was right in anything, no matter how twisted that anything may be. A horrible piece of sewer filth who would not deserve the least of mercy.


And so the door came shut, leaving Zael and Elvina in total silence with the departing steps on the hallway. The vektrosian had no actual idea what he should say. The human girl has been thrown now into the same pot with himself. The courier would get soon to the first big city, then the news would reach King Tharvas and he would send men who had touched the Heart to see to it that the last vektrosian was put to rest. As for Elvina, the punishment for treason would be, well, beheading. Such primitives the human beings were. His line of thoughts was intrerupted as soon as Elvina stood, shaky, and started hitting her fists against his body. He listened as she left her burst and thrown her anger upon him, slamming her small fists repeatedly into his chest. His sensors picked up the stimulation quickly, and converted it into what felt like pain. No real pain, just a simulation of it. But Zael was withstanding it without a word. He had no choice and even if he did...


He didn't speak a word, letting her unload her anger into him. It wasn't as if it would affect his process of thought. Or was it? Somehow, he understood her words and the meaning behind them. She hated him for what he was. And she blamed him for the fact that now, in the eyes of her people, she was an enemy. He gazed down upon her with something that could only be described as pity mixed with carelessness. An odd mix, indeed.


"If what I witnessed on the beach was love, then I would gladly have you hate me. If stepping on your relative, blood of your blood, and putting her down like you would an animal is love, I never want to feel it. If the feeling you have towards a person who does this to you is love... you're nothing but a mere slave. You chose to stay there on the beach with me. You could have easily denounced me the moment you saw me, yet you did not. But blaming everything on others is what you, humans, know to do the best." Zael uttered in silence as he looked down into Elvina's eyes, not being able to return any of her feelings. He felt nothing towards her, now, and he would not hide it.


Zael cared not any longer what would happen to himself. But the thought that Elvina would suffer as well didn't sit well with him for a reason. She was, in a way, a much more reasonable human than the others. Yes, she shown her true colours now, but that was just a reaction triggered by her desperation. She wasn't thinking straight, to say so. Zael knew she didn't even hate him as much as she claimed she did. She wasn't them. He had to do something about her. He had to somehow get her freedom. And so he drifted into a set of thoughts about how he could try and gain her freedom, at any cost. She was a frail being of flesh, he had to set her free and ensure she made it far enough as not to be reached and exterminated by another one of these vile humans. The reasoning behind it all was still unknown to him, but he felt he was owing it to her.

 

[Rosie]

“What you saw on the beach wasn’t love. If you want to learn about love then you got washed up on the wrong beach.” Elvina muttered, stumbling against the wall behind her and sliding down it until she was sitting in a tired heap on the floor. “There’s no love here. No to me anyway. My curiosity filled me to the brim and made me incapable of being loved.” Her head shook, and she looked over the chains that bound the man to the wall. “My father loved me once. I think he still does. He tried so hard to love me despite my insistence to think of your race as honest.”


From outside, chanting began to start up. Insults, remarks and profanaties were thrown at the small cell they both lay in. Most of them directed to Zael, some directed to Elvina. Amongst the voices, she could make out Monet’s, a girl she was close with since her first day at school. And now, without a thought, she had turned on her because she refused to sit in silence while humans tore down another race, simply because they did not fit into their ideals.


“I was taught that Vektrosians were scum of the earth.” She peered up at Zael, who remained expressionless. “You were probably taught the same about us. Only difference is that you were taught the truth. The only reason you’re hostile towards humans is because we were hostile towards you first. And why?” Her hands flew up in the air in a total I have no idea gesture. “I can’t think of a rational reason to kill another. And any reason you can muster up is a product of human aggression.”


Elvina wasn’t sure what Vektros was like. When she was younger, she imagined flying horses and ten story libraries full of books about things that she had never even heard of. To her, the only thing they were missing were emotions, but it’s impossible for that to be, surely. In amongst the nuts and bolts, there was a chance, and Elvina hung on that for reasons unknown to herself. Maybe, she felt trapped living in Exton. Now, her fanatical assumptions had landed her on death row.


“Don’t you have superhuman strength? You could break those chains easily and escape. Unless you just enjoy being bound by the same materials you’re made of.”

 

[Atherium]

Indeed, it seemed that the human girl has been given the same education about vektrosians as he has been given about humans, yet, they were both different to each another than the rest of their races. Should Elvina have been speaking with another vektrosian than Zael, she would probably receive only answers made with a superiority complex and she would have been mocked as much as possible. Yet Zael was trying his best not to do so, since she wasn't so much of a human as the others. Human was the definition of the worst creatures to ever exist. And this was the living proof. How quick were the others to dispose of the girl at the smallest sign.


"When Tharvas' men touched the Heart Of Creation... they learned of all our secrets. They severed our connection to it, and so they lowered our defenses. With the connection broken, my system is well reduced under its full capacity. The energy from the Heart was what kept us wide awake all the time. Now, however, i will fall whenever my remaining energy has made its course through me. It will go on a constant recycling process. And, as well as you can see, your people have done a great job tying me to this wall. I cannot escape so easily. But I must. I need to set you free. You're a human being much different from the others, and losing you would bring this world nothing but loss. When you escape, do not look behind and do not wait. Dissapear. You don't belong with these filths."


In all honesty, the vektrosian was now working his brilliance on hatching a plan for escape. There had to be a little damn way for Elvina to sneak off as he attracted all the attention upon himself. But not just now. He was bound to the wall, and she, well, she wasn't anything near a chain breaker. There was also no lock to his chains, so the possibility of her being able to make a lockpick out of something in her hair was inexistent. Time passed quickly, and, soon enough, there was not a voice to be heard any longer. People, probably bored and tired already, have retreated to their homes for sleep. Most likely in the next morning, delegates from Zethien would come to take both Zael and Elvina. And from there on, who knew what would happen to them.


Silence befell the scenery now, and Zael couldn't help but recall what Elvina just revealed to him about herself. She seemed to be really something else. She had a curious side to her, which brought her only troubles. He could relate to it, actually, his own curiosity about human emotions bringing him back into the brainwashing programs back in the day. Vektrosians were not allowed to study human emotions indepth, only on the surface. Yet his curiosity would get the best out of him and he would spend hours reading books and trying to reach to the depths of the subject. He even remembered how, once, he managed to convince another one of his kind into smuggling a book that was prohibited. How painful must've been for Elvina to live confined by such short sighted and close minded individuals. She irradiated brilliance and lust for knowledge, and that brought her a great deal of oppression. It made him despise the living beings in that place even more.


The silence would stretch for even more, and Elvina seemed to have fallen asleep, exhausted by the haste of the latest happenings. And all of a sudden, Zael did not want to help her alone escape. No. She was a much bigger chance. She was the only being as of now, that could understand him. She was the only one he would be able to associate with, despite the obvious differences. He had to save her and himself. And that quick enough. But not now.


As a new dawn finally broke, rumour would start spreading across Exton. People would come out hasty of their houses, to look at the oncoming caravan. Armored knights, carrying the banner of Zethien and emblem of the same kingdom would ride on their horses into the small settlement, irradiating pride and an arrogance hard to surpass. The leader of them would stop right in the center of the village and cast a gaze towards the one that was approaching. Elvina's father. The man's walk was rather funny, given the fact he was as overweight as he could without blowing up. He was accompanied by Ascot, who kept whispering to him about how he was doing the village the best by handing in his own daughter to be mercilessly decapitated for treason she's commited by associating herself with the vektrosian. The official, a blond, tall man, with his hair cut short and neat, gazed down into Ascot's eyes as he demanded without further question.


"I want the vektrosian. And the girl. Send for somebody to bring them."

 

[Rosie]

Elvina's father near enough had to take a step back in order to see the official's face. From a distance, the meeting of the two men must have looked almost comical. Physically, they were polar opposites. And supposedly, their perceptions of the circumstances juxtaposed, too, just with more diar consequences. Albert could barely utter out a response, so Ascot naturally spoke for him.


"We do not possess the military that you do in order to transport the pair in the safest fashion. Please give us some time to bring them to you." Ascot bowed low and stepped back a respectable amount, before spinning on his heel and making his way to the cell, accompanied by two rather hefty men that would fit the job. Exton was a village consisting of an underwhelming 60 citizens, so choices were scarce.


The two men barged down the door with unnecessary violence, awakening Elvina with a start. Upon seeing them, the girl assumed death was upon her. What a miserable way to pass on. Even in death she would be demonised and hated. One of the men (she did not care to know their names) roughly hauled her up without a word, and yanked her out into the street. Thankfully the mob had cleared, but people still looked on solemnly from their windows. When Elvina made eye contact, curtains were shut without a second thought. They looked at her like she was a disease. One look from her and they would be able to have an independent thought. What a dangerous thing to have.


Back in the cell, Zael's chains were being fiddled with by the other man, who was not the most dainty of fellows. His fingers sported the consistency and look of fat little sausages, so manoeuvring the key was a test to his physical and mental capabilities. The man was failing miserably on both accounts.


"Move over you useless oaf." Ascot scowled and took the key from him. While he unchained Zael, he was routinely cursing under his breath. Something about a "good for nothing" this and "brick headed" that. Zael did not understand how someone could have a brick for a head. The technicalities were impossible to succeed. Suddenly the insulting comparison clicked, and even he admitted to himself it was not the most creative choice of dialogue, especially since Ascot's spindly and long fingers were encountering their own struggles with his binding.


Finally, Zael was unlocked, and his bare feet landed on the sticky floor with a ungraceful thud. His freedom of movement was short lived, as the man's arms were bound behind him once more for precaution.


"Move it." The man who Ascot was with grumbled, shoving his back to force Zael to walk out the cell and into the early morning light of Exton. It was misty and rather unclear, but a small gathering had appeared in what could be the town square. In the midst of it was Elvina who was kneeling in front of a tall, blonde male, who looked down upon her with the same look Ascot burdened her with. It was like he said before, like some kind of animal. Her father seemed to disagree with this collective, as he had regressed back to bawling next to her, yet restrained from touching her.


Elvina made a decision to not look at her father who was fussing just two metres away from her cowering stance. She couldn't see him like this, just has he couldn't see her in the position she had been dragged into. If she was to be remembered by him, she did not want him to think only of this. Their opinions did not always co-exist harmoniously, but they were family. To others, the blood connection was but a titled thrust upon unwilling participants. When Ascot passed the girl, he gave her back a beating with his heel, simply because he could. It was like a game to him. He was a sadist through and through.


When Zael was presented, the official actually smiled at him.


"So this is the man I've been hearing so much about." He stepped up towards him, examining his face and clothing. "How extraordinary." He muttered to himself. His gloved hand tilted Zael's chin up as if he was inspecting an object to buy, like this was some kind of auction for the last of a kind.

 

[Atherium]

The moment the two bulky brutes barged in the cell, Zael could immediately feel it. The radiation of the Heart. They were some of the ones that conquered Vektros. They were here now to finish wiping away his race. Their eyes held the strange spark that was within any vektrosian eye. The spark of arrogance and supreme dominion. The way they looked upon Elvina and Ascot was full of scorn and despise. The Heart of Creation has mixed its knowledge with the despicable side of the mortal humans, thus turning them into even worse sorts of beings. Far worse than the normal humans. This couldn't end in any way good. The vektrosian witnessed Elvina being hauled away and then his own chains being unlocked. This could be a moment. He could swiftly shove Ascot into the guard and make off. But what about Elvina? He couldn't possibly yank her away from the guard's hands, now, could he?


Before he could think it all through, he was jerked away as well, and he felt weak. So weak that he barely could even walk. He was more likely dragged along by the guard than walking on his own will. The light of the sun affected not his eyes, as he gazed about, meeting firstly the gaze of the blond knight that was leading the group of soldiers. The man was tall, way taller than the average human being. His eyes bore yet the same gaze as the guards'. He has also been exposed to the Heart, and now, as he studied Zael with utmost attention, he grinned with satisfaction. However, the vektrosian, unpleased by such behavior, was quick to jerk his head from the grasp, receiving in exchange for the act a punch that turned his head to the side in a violent motion. Of course, he did not feel the pain, but it made his anger rise yet again. The blond man now spoke up again, in a more than mocking tone.


"Thanks to these fools, there will not be a need for me to waste my time searching for you. They've brought you on a plate. Weak minded peasants."


"Who are you calling a peasant?" Was the quick response of Albert, who stepped up indignated by the royal knight calling him and his people such a name. However, a heavy hand hit him across his face, causing him to yelp and nearly fall flat on his back, as blood immediately formed within his mouth. Blood mixed with small fragments of teeth. The onlookers in the crowd all but gasped seeing their leader being so violently handled. It would have been obvious by now that the royal delegates were up to no good. Zael only watched as the scene unfolded before him, having the exact notion of what was just going on. "This is what happens when the human filthy nature mixes up with the ancient knowledge. It creates monsters. You are all but a product of your miserable endeavours. And you, people of Exton, will pay dearly for your blatant ignorance." Zael spoke out, receiving for such a heavy punch in the stomach that made him instantly bow down from the sheer force.


"Throw the people in their houses and set them all ablaze. This miserable mechanical wretch has poisoned their minds with nonsense. They must not leave this place and spew forth such abhorrences." The officer spoke out to the guards, who were quick to exacute, now yanking every crying woman and child and forcing them into houses, blocking the doors as soon as they did so. As soon as he witnessed such, Ascot was the first to try to make it off and away, his cowardly underside showing in a matter of moments. He did not manage to make two steps before the officer's long sword ran him through, causing him to cough up blood and fall to his knees and then lay down on his stomach, his blood mixing with dirt as he gave out his last breath.


Albert, however, now realising fully what his people have been dragged into, tried protesting again. As he rose his hand, the same sword that impaled Ascot, stained with blood, flinged through the air and hit the side of his neck. A spring of blood would errupt from his barren neck as his head has been cut clean off, and was now rolling in the same dirt in which Ascot lain, stopping exactly near Elvina, the eyes that once gazed upon her with love now gazing into her soul with desperation and undying regret. It was as if he was apologizing to his daughter from beyond the grave. Zael watched the whole scene petrified as more and more rage burned inside him. No. It was all going way too far. The screams of the burning children and women would complete this macabre landscape as the houses were being set ablaze, dense smoke filling the air.


It was then that the Vektrosian bursted, jerking himself with strenght beyond imagining from the grip of the soldier, spinning around and tossing him directly into the officer. The surprised superior fell back, hit by the heavy weight. Zael has already managed to take the sword from the soldier while he spun and now, with it in hand, he proceeded to fighting back the wave of guards that caught gaze of what was happening and came to the aid of their superior. If Zael couldn't use his superhuman strenght any longer, he was going to fight the old fashioned way. But it was way too much for him. He couldn't possibly last like that for long, given that the officer was now pushing the guard off him and rising. Escape.


In a swift movement, the vektrosian quickly rethought his plan of action. Pushing back one last guard, he yanked Elvina from her kneeled position and lifted her in his arms. Even without superhuman strenght, she wasn't that heavy to run with. Before the soldiers could realize what was going on, the mechanical being was racing away with the girl, dissapearing through a cloud of smoke, heading wherever the way took him. "Get them, you mongrels!" The blond knight ordered to his men. One after another, the men mounted up their horses and galloped in the same direction Zael ran.


He has caught a considerable distance running, having entered now into a thick forest. It wasn't easy for him, the bushes would get in his way every now and then. But he was doing his best to get as much distance as possible. However, a vine would cause his foot to get stuck. He only had time to grip Elvina better into his arms as he leaped forward, falling onto a slope and rolling down at high speed, eventually ending up hitting his back against a rock. The girl was luckily still caught tightly against him, while the vibrations in the ground signaled that the soldiers were somewhere up high, galloping past the spot. The two have made an escape. Least for now.

 

[Rosie]

The silence was broken when Elvina’s father fell before her. From her throat, ripped an unforgiving and furious scream, similar to a war cry. She stood up to the official, and was about to spit in his face, figuring that she was going to die anyway, so she had nothing to lose. Havoc was unravelling round her. She never thought to appreciate her father while he was alive. She had always resisted his wishes, gone against them with the knowledge it broke him. The last thing he saw was her paying the price for idiocy. In his next life, Elvina hoped he was blessed with a more gracious daughter. She did not deserve such a patient man as a father.


“You treacherous little-“ She began with wide eyes, but her vision suddenly shifted to the blood splattered ground below her, and pressure began to mount against her stomach from Zael’s shoulder that she was not so gracefully flopped over. Her forehead rested against his back in defeat. She had nothing left, so there was no point in wasting her breath. Everything had been torn from her in less than 2 days, and it was her own fault. Cruel fate washed Zael up their side of the ocean, and also made the Lord And Lady pub such a godforsaken place to spend your evening.


---------------------


The thump that sounded when Zael’s back collided with the boulder made them both halt, but Elvina’s body remained curled in a ball until she was sure they had stopped moving. One eye prized open, then the other, until her head peered round. In her 19 years of living in Exton, she had never been to this part. In fact, she wasn’t sure they were even in Exton anymore. The thought terrified the girl as she had never ventured so far out before. On the other hand, Elvina felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Living in that obnoxious place had worn her down and supressed any kind of potential she spent years building up, despite the contempt expressed by her peers.


Situated behind the rock was a small and narrow road, just big enough for one horse and cart, if that. Clearly, places surrounding Exton were not visited by such wealth, and so the accommodation of transport that did not involve two feet and a sturdy pair of shoes was not accounted for. Elvina stood and rubbed her nose, looking round and then at Zael, who had not spoken yet. Her face was expressionless, yet with an undeniable underlinement of sadness that had imbedded itself into the pigments of her skin. It was there to stay. In comparison to how she looked when the two first met, Elvina looked visibly toughened. She had an air of hostility about her that was not present before. Although in Vektros, relationships were not something that were encouraged, Zael did still have a few Vektrosians he favoured over others. Ones who somehow increased his intellectual performance. Any feelings he felt towards them were based on how beneficial they were to him. If they were taken away from him, it was unlikely he would experience any kind of regret or misery, yet he was able to imagine this hypothetical scenario in his mind from the perspective of a fervent human. It was understandable that she would transition into this eventually, he supposed.


“We need to keep moving.” Elvina muttered as she hoisted her dress up to mavouver herself round the rock, stepping out into the road and beginning to walk down it in a random direction.

 

[Atherium]

The vektrosian indeed could understand the sudden change in the human girl's behavior. In a way, he felt the same, even without feeling. They were now both ripped apart from their homes, denied the right to stay with those that have been with them for their entire lives. Their people have been torn by the same vile scum, thus giving them now a strong reason to remain together. They shared an enemy. They both had to survive, in order to see to it that those at fault for the demise of their families would pay. Dearly. For now, however, they had to find their way into the world and reach a point where they could safely breathe. Or well, at least Elvina could. Zael had absolutely no idea about the geography of the place, the vektrosians did not bother learning about the Mortal Domain.


The vektrosian was quick to stand and follow Elvina, believing she might have an idea where she was headed. He came to walk in the same pace with her. Observing the place they were in, Zael could not help but notice the lush vegetation and the clear path they were walking onto. It surely had to lead somewhere, and somebody has been here recently, the prints of hooves and wheels deep in the dirt still visible. But he could not hold back the question that was irking him. "Do you know where we're headed?" Of course, as he gazed upon girl's face, he observed the sheer confusion imprinted in her features. She had no idea. In fact, the man of Vektros was more than sure she wasn't even thinking where they were headed. They could've as well be ending up in the arms of those that burnt down Exton. But should he try and speak sense into her now? Would she even listen to him?


"Not knowing where we're headed is not a good sign. You should give me a moment to try and determine our position. If only we'd have a map." The vektrosian mumbled, sure as hell Elvina was not even hearing him. He then proceeded to another round of mumbles, seeming distracted by what he was doing. " ... rising from east... setting to west..." He gazed up in the sky through the thick crown of trees above, trying to determine with precision what hour of the day it would be. However, he was slightly unsuccessful. All he knew, and probably not only he, was that it was morning. Was it really worth sharing an information with Elvina, that kept walking seemingly aimless and without even listening to him? Most likely not.


Looking behind himself, Zael saw the rising fumes of Exton dissapearing far into the distance. They were taking more and more distance from the coastal village. If there was a forest here, there must be a river, somewhere, that flows into the ocean. And if there is a river, they most likely will find human settlements along it. The problem was that now, they couldn't trust any human. What if they stumbled into a village that has recently been visited by the strange official and his delegates? The greedy humans would do their best to capture Elvina and Zael knowing they were put a bounty on. Suddenly, the sound of a cart and of horse hooves made Zael turn around, and gaze into the distance. Indeed, a cart was approaching, and it seemed to be filled with... hay? The vektrosian had to be making a quick decision whether to await for the one that was riding the cart or to simply pull Elvina off the road and take another way along with her. The possibility of transportation convinced him to stay, and wait.


The cart finally reached them, and an elderly voice spoke up to Elvina and Zael.


"Hail, travellers. Heading north? I could take you to the first town if you don't mind sitting in a pile of hay. 's where i'm headed." The old man spoke, giving the two the most genuine of smiles. He looked welcoming, to say the least. His hair was white, and rare, in a strange contrast with the thick, long beard that covered his chin and his lower face. Vivid brown eyes studied the vektrosian and Elvina while the man awaited an answer from the two. Zael took a second to think about it. This man might or might have not met the king's officials. But something pointed out that he did not. He didn't seem to know who the two were, he was merely curious, seeing the strange pair in torn clothes wander so decided down the road. Zael gazed upon Elvina, eventually leaving it to her to decide whether or not they should take the offer.

 

[Rosie]

The moment Zael began to mutter to himself, Elvina managed to crack a smile. It was like having a small child insisting that they knew where they were going and taking charge, even though they, in reality, had no idea. When he began to mumble directions to himself and peer at the sky, she shook her head, allowing a few strands to filter down from the loose braid that was slumped over her right shoulder.


“As long as we keep Exton behind us, we’ll be moving in the right direction. I don’t care where it takes us. Just away from there.” As far as Elvina was concerned, walking straight into a firey pit was a better option than returning to the ruin of where she once called her home.


"Hail, travellers. Heading north? I could take you to the first town if you don't mind sitting in a pile of hay. 's where I'm headed."


She looked at Zael, and Zael looked right back at her. If he responded with his unusual dialect then they may lose their only chance of getting out of here. The man seemed oblivious to any rumours that were circulating about the arrival (and now escape) of the last Vetroskian and a girl that shamed her village, resulting in the death of her family and peers. Elvina could imagine that very thought being printed in the bold, eye catching letters on the front cover of every major outlet. They were wanted people. And yet, this man seemed none the wiser. His bushy eyebrows rose expectantly, and he even hazarded a small chuckle while he waited, his fingers drumming on his knee.


“North is fine with us. As is the hay.” The girl wasted no time is clambering up into the back and settling in. Not seeming suspicious was her priority, as their attire didn’t exactly scream they were innocent citizens out for a morning stroll. Zael lowered himself next to her and stared ahead of him when the carriage bumped away down the road once more. Elvina had never been on a carriage before. She doubted her companion had either.


A thought had been circulating in her mind since she was grabbed by the brute who lead her to what was meant to be her public decapitation. Red fingerprints still stood on her left forearm from the incident. Elvina did not wish for them to fade. It simply fuelled her hate for them. She hoped they were lying next to Ascot in a bloody, scrawny pile of wasted life.


Pushing the unashamedly satisfying image from her trail of thought, she began to plot. The deaths of those closest to them were what brought Zael and her together, and consequently, she believed they shared the same motive for this journey. She wanted revenge. Pure, unadulterated revenge on those who had wronged her. That wretched town had been dealt with, but that was the only the beginning of it. Putting everything into perspective, the list seemed endless.


“What are you planning to do when we get to the next town?” She asked the man next to her. She was curious, in the most genuine way. Zael wouldn’t survive one day amongst the race he had been taught to hate. His whole vocabulary would have to regress and his mind would rot in such an uninteresting and mundane environment. Nevermind that, he was the last of his kind, of so she believed. Even Vektrosians must thrive in communities more than under individualistic circumstances.


“Do you not feel..” Elvina furrowed her lower lip under her teeth while she studied for the most appropriate word. “.. lonely?”

 

[Atherium]

Sitting in the hay was a tad bit strange for the vektrosian man. Actually, feeling the hay between his fingers as he helped himself in settling down was a strange experience. His sensors took in the feeling and processed it. In his mind now, hay was associated with a tingly sensation which he would remember each time he'd see hay again. He wondered, however, what was this used for. Of course, throwing such a question towards the man that was so peacefully riding his carriage would make him suspicious. Zael let the question slip away, not wishing to put himself or Elvina into trouble by asking a question just out of curiosity. Unnoticed, the old man was quietly listening to the conversation between the two, and just as unnoted, his lips pulled into a smile of knowledge, hidden by the thick beard.


"Well... " Zael began answering the question, stopping for a few seconds to chose his words wisely. The last thing he wanted was the elder man to find out his origins. "Back home was not any better. The only social intercourse my people would have was when we'd all gather and discuss openly about new plans of development and new discoveries. But i suppose i miss a person, or two. It's quite hard when a daily occurence becomes daily no longer. I..." Suddenly, Zael was stopped by an amused chuckle of the elder. He was quick to cast his gaze back, alarmed by the old man suddenly bursting out like that, seemingly amused by something. Before he could ask what was the matter, the old man spoke up with a tone meant to calm down.


"You're not fooling this old man, young ones. No need to hide your identities. I know as well as you do who you are. But don't worry, that secret goes into the grave with me. I'm no supporter of the regime. Eversince those scoundrels in the royal elite came back from Aldurath, I knew they were up to no good. They've been manipulating the king's weakened mind and made him give decrees for outrageous acts. And now as i passed by Exton, one of them stops me to ask if i've seen a young girl and a vektrosian roaming about. Strange coincidence, wouldn't you think? I know they are looking for you. Don't worry, your secret's safe, children. The people of Skystead, the town i'm headed to, are also opposants of the regime, so you can sit safely there. When you reach the place, seek out inkeeper Zask and tell him Ol' Varas sent you. He'll direct you further."


Zael was surprised, to say the least. He could not get proof enough of the man's honesty, but he felt no fluctuations within him as he spoke and reassured him and Elvina about their safety. But he was a human, and as he's seen so far, humans could not be trusted. Not long did the silence stretch before the old man came up speaking again, all while he was looking down the road he was leading the carriage on.


"Legend has it, my children, that there is a vektrosian, somewhere, hidden within these places. As the tale that goes 'round here says, he gave up immortality and sought a peaceful life within human realm. Chances are you will still find him. But Zask would know more about that story, i'm just an old wreck with a bad memory." The man finished the sentence in a chuckle that was close to a prolonged cough. Zael listened closely to the small story and now could recall the same thing being spoken to him by other vektrosians. So, it seemed there was truth enough to this legend, after all. If there was a vektrosian here, he had to know some things. Maybe even the key to retaking Vektros.

 

[Rosie]

Elvina hadn't even anticipated the existence of such places. She thought she was the only one, yet seemingly not. The prospect of Skystead made her heart soar.


"To think such a open town existed, and so close to me!" She exclaimed, her eyes wide with ambition. "And another Vetroskian living there. Or at least the possibility. That must be exciting for you." She added on with a smile, her fingers interlocking with Zael's merrily. They gave his a brief squeeze, and then they separated again. This contact confused him, yet clearly it was an act of happiness or triumph. Support was another viable option that was momentarily considered. Elvina, on the other hand, seemed to think nothing of it.


The expression of cautious recognition on Zael's face caught her attention. It was her assumption that he had heard of this before. Perhaps it was a myth that had been evidenced. Elvina was not sure, but she decided she would ask in the future.


Around them, the scenery was gradually beginning to transition from thick vegetation to stone walls and huts that lined the open field plains. Elvina had only seen such vast land when she went to look out at the ocean in the evening. As well as that, the carriage began to violently jitter and bump across the now cobbled streets. Even the hay was bouncing round rather excitably, and a few bales toppled down onto their laps. The mess signalled their arrival to Skystead.


When the carriage came to an eventual halt, the pair were met with what could only be describe as an amiable community. Their driver was greeted warmly with smiles and brief greetings, even a few children running beside the carriage who proceeded to squabble over who could pet the horses first. Elvina kicked the bale from her lap and picked a piece of straw from her hair, flicking it onto the ground beside her. A child, around the age of seven, hoisted himself up onto the back and stood on a hay bale, looming down at the pair who had mixed reactions. Elvina had always loved children, and when this particular boy pointed a twig at her face ad demanded he tell her his name, for he was "King Caldwell", she rose to greet him with a low curtesy.


"I am Elvina Terrace. Requesting permission to walk upon your property, for myself and my butler mean no harm." She gestured back to Zael when she mentioned a butler, and smiled back at the King, who's giggle broke his regal facade, but only for a moment. Permission was granted and she hopped down onto the ground with the child, who seemed to take a strong liking to her.


Ol' Varas hobbled up beside the two, and beckoned Zael to join them.


"Come on child, your kind might find hay a suitable chamber but you can't be expected to sleep on it." He called up to him. Elvina felt at home at an extortionate pace. If what Varas said was true, and they would find peace here while they planned to reclaim justice, she would not have chosen a greater sanctuary.

 

[Atherium]

Elvina's gesture of taking his hand was more than confusing. Vektrosians did not make unneeded physical contact. He had learned, however, that this was a display of affection in the human world. So, Elvina was growing affectionate towards him? He only gazed upon her face, noticing the light that suddenly sparked bright within her as she thought of the new place they were getting to. Then the contact was over in short time, leaving him questioning all of it furthermore. Damn his vektrosian habit of analyzing anything given. His kind has been doing this eversince, turning the smallest of things into a great matter of analyse.


And there they were, as soon as the carriage began trembling heavily, its wheels rolling onto the cobblestoned streets. For Zael it was all but a new sensation to note, and this wasn't exactly a pleasant one. He felt as if everything inside him has been shaken and shattered. It was a short lived sensation, as soon as he noticed the child that all but greeted Elvina, and gazed ever so curious at the vektrosian that returned his gaze and immediately mimicked a smile. A king? He cannot be. Or can he? Zael wondered. For him, seeing a human child was even weirder than seeing humans. In all honesty, nobody ever brought word about children back in Vektros. But he figured that this was nothing but innocent play. He was more surprised of how Elvina played along, calling him a butler.


Humans were so much more than what he learned of. Somewhere in the distance, in what was the town square, the town crier was giving the people, who were gathered in great mass around him, the latest news.


Exton burnt to ashes by the treacherous elites that were meant to protect the common folk! How much more will the king's men do? At this pace, no human will be safe any longer! It is now that heroes should rise and save us, so that we may see a new dawn in peace and prosperity!


The people cheered and clapped at the encouraging words, exclaiming less than holy words adressed to the royal elite. Indeed, it seemed Skystead was a safe haven for those that despised the ones that held the reins of the power. Zael listened and watched, awestruck by the similarity between this and the manifests happening in Vektros when humans began attacking. So similar. And they used to say vektrosians and humans were not near alike. So short minded. As soon as he has been called to by Varas, he followed, hopping down from the carriage. People that went on about their daily lives would turn their heads to gaze upon him, as he looked less than gracious, barefoot and clothed in torn rags. His long, curly hair was also a mess, to say the least. However, the people seemed not to mind it, as they were all greeting him warmly, just like they greeted one another. It seemed this was a politic within their city.


"The inn is there." Varas pointed out towards a building. Above the wooden door, a wooden plank had carved into it "Traveller's Rest". The name of the inn. "Ask about Zask. Don't forget to tell 'im who sent you. People here are kind and really good folk, you won't get in troubles if you don't look for them. I have to go deliver this hay to the horse breeder, and some swords to the city guard." The old man continued as he climbed into the carriage and cast a last gaze down upon Zael and Elvina. " So long, children."


The carriage finally moved out of place, heading down the cobblestone street along with the children that were still circling it in a playful manner. Zael, casting a quick glance to Elvina, finally decided to move from the place, trusting she would be following. Crossing the street, he ended up stopping for a moment before the wooden door. Eventually, he finally opened the door, entering first. Gazes were cast to the door that opened to let in the strange couple. People that sat at their tables, enjoying tankards of ale, were for the moment, curious as to who these two were. The silence was dispersed after a few moments, and the patrons were quick to get back to their own. Zael watched, for a second, before moving towards the counter. The inkeeper was a solid man, tall and buff. In all honesty, he was a bit fat, but Zael did not care to analyze such.


"Excuse me, i'm looking for inkeeper Zask? Ol' Varas told me i'd find him in here." The vektrosian spoke, trying to keep his wording limited and to emulate the common folk accent to the best of his abilities. The other man looked him well in the eyes, before suddenly putting up a genuine smile and inviting him to sit down at one of the tables. "Yes, of course, of course. I be Zask. You're running away from the royals, are ya? Tell ya, sonny, those bastards are getting worse by the day. I can't wait to have one knocking at me door so i can punch him square in the face and make 'im swallow his teeth."

 

[Rosie]

The town crier made Elvina's all but temporary smile fade, and she spun round to listen, despite knowing exactly what happened. She just wanted to know if what was being yelled to the gathering crowd was accurate. If it wasn't, she would raise her own voice in opposition. However, what she heard made her pleasantly surprised. The scornful perception of the king's men only enlightened her further to the ideals that Skystead held so dearly. The advocacy of rightful sincerity amongst them when they all began murmuring to each other, talking about the monstrosity of the situation. Elvina even overheard someone call it a tragedy.


The Traveller's Rest was a small, yet functional inn, with a cosy pub situated in what could be considered the lobby. A large fire crackled peacefully amongst the battered arm chairs and stools, giving the room an almost homey feel to it. Chairs creaked in time with the people rocking on them, and much unlike The Lord and Lady pub back in Exton, people drank and talked amongst themselves quietly. People actually looked content with themselves and the company they were surrounded with. Back home, Elvina always thought people drank for a different reason, perhaps escapism. Yet here, drinking was something that brought people together. She did not know it could be utilised in such a way.


Zask was a forward man who was explicit in his feelings towards the royal elite and their aggressive methods to keep "justice" upheld. In a way, his boldness reminded her of Zael. He was the same, yet because he had not been taught to bite his tongue like humans were, but Zask was confident in his words for different reasons. They were driven by pure hatred for the military, so my so that Elvina couldn't help but wonder why. For him to speak in such a way.. there must be personal reasons for him to dislike them so greatly. Her mind cast back to what Varas had said about a Vektrosian living in Skystead as a human. Some kind of trade, if she remembered correctly. Her eyes involuntarily narrowed at the man. Was it possible?


"We barely escaped with our lives. Zael managed to get us out of there before we were killed. The rest were not so lucky.." Her voice trailed off. The memory was still raw, but Zask deserved to know why they had wound up on his doorstep uninvited. He did not seem like the type of man who made a habit of turning people away unless he really had to.

 

[Atherium]

"Yes, Exton..." Zask trailed off with the words as Zael and Elvina had taken a seat at the nearest table. The innkeeper, who was a bartender at the very same time, filled three big, wooden tankards with fresh ale, and brought them to said table, leaving one in front of Zael, one in front of Elvina and placing one in front of himself as he sat down. "I reckon ye be thirsty from the road. The gods have been kind enough to put Ol' Varas in your way. Tell you, that man has a golden heart. You see, my friends, Skystead is, as it has been for really long, a place where outcasts and people who've been wronged to could retreat. We here don't judge anybody, asides from the downright vile, such as the men who control the puppet king now. We're all against those. Hell, we even went as far as to push the official guards away from our town and hire guards from made from our own people, trained by a lion hearted veteran who retreated here some years ago, sick of the oppression in the south. The royals tried to come here, on a said official visit, but we turned 'em away. We don't need their kind here."


Zael watched and listened to the innkeeper with due concentration, somewhat amazed by the freedom with which the latter spoke. He also looked down at the tankard he's been handed. Vektrosians never drank. Obviously, they could, as their bodies were designed in every way like humans, but they did not do certain things. However, curiosity was striking him, and he didn't have the slightest idea what he should do. What if the drink played around with his inner? What if it affected his vital processes? What if...? But oh, it looked better the more he looked at it. Zask was quick to notice his hesitation, and shot a quick question towards him. "Say, son, you don't like mead? I could also give you some juice, i still have some, i just thought ale would quench your thirst way better. And don't worry, it's all on me."


"I..." Zael stopped from uttering further. He knew now that being a vektrosian seemed to bring him more and more troubles in the human world, and even though the people of Skystead seemed fairly good people, what was his security that they wouldn't jump on him the second they heard of his origins? However, how else could he justify that he felt insecure about swallowing any drinks? Eventually, something would betray him at a point. With a well faked sigh, he finally decided to speak out. "I... do not come from these parts. I was washed up on the beach near Exton, that's how i ended up there. I come from Vektros. I'm the presumably last survivor of my kind."


The gazes all but halted on Zael. Everyone from the elderly to the young stopped in their talk, and stared at the vektrosian. He knew this sort of reaction would come out, eventually, he now only had to determine whether or not it was for good or bad. The silence stretched out for long enough, as if people even forgot their words in their process of staring upon the outworldly being that Zael was. Eventually, Zask would end the awkward moment by picking up his own tankard and standing, calling out to everyone that was still having a hard time picking their jaw up from where it fell. "Well? What are you all staring at? Raise your tankards, lads, this day is blessed! This man here is a sign that the gods haven't forgotten us! With his help and his friends', we will come to take down the regime! Bottoms up!"


The excitement in the room picked up as everyone cheered, rushing to down their drinks with thirst, and quickly order new ones. Zael watched and couldn't for the name of hell why was everyone so happy, but it seemed it was to good. However, he was doubting heavy that he was in any way a man sent by the human gods. He did not believe in the said gods and moreover, his own race was one, as he was taught, of demigods. Zask sat back down and proceeded to speak further. Taking out a piece of paper and moving to the counter, he used a feather to write something down. A minute later, he returned and placed the note into Zael's hand. "If you're going to try and help fighting those royal scum, you'll be needing some things. Go to Martha, the leatherworker and give her this note, she'll know what to give you. Keep the note, then head to the blacksmith. He's in the northernmost corner of the town, in his workshop. Present the note and pick whatever you please from there. Militants for the cause receive free weaponry and weapon repair at any time of the day. You might also wanna check out the tailor, if the lady fancies cloth dressing. You're free to spend time at my inn and sleep, if you need, and also, Sarya, 'round the corner, makes some delicious food if you feel hungry."