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Fall Border: A desolate country just south of Berlim, ran by a man so sinister, he would have any man lower than him slain before him in the bat of an eye. He's known for having his most powerful warriors smitten in front of him with a grin. The country itself is divided into two sections, the worthy and the slums. The worthy was mostly made up of his warriors. The other was the slums, which consisted of majority of Fall borders citizens. With it sectioned off like that, it keeps the worthy and poor divided and in line.

Grand, gray doors to a huge throne room were pushed opened and a petite, dark-skinned woman wearing fabric concealing her breast and waist strutted in with her eyes down casted towards the floor the entire time as she made her way to the throne. The walls of the room were a smoky gray with gold drapes waterfalling in sections. Relaxed back in the throne seat was none other than Fall borders ruler, Lord Xhair.

The man ruled with a steel fist, with only one hatred. The hatred for anything magic. No witch, mage, fairy or sorcerer could survive the wrath of Lord Xhair.

The man's skin was thick and gold with a slick head and pointed ears. His face was set in a scowl as he knead his dark brown goatee watching as the woman slowly approached him and then fell to her knees. The servant stretched out as she bowed before the lord.

Lord Xhair raised his left hand and said, "Speak."

The servant lifted to her knees not once bringing her eyes up to meet the Lords'. "The guards have caught someone trying to escape, my lord."

"Bring them." Lord Xhair ordered and the women got up with a bow and then left the room.

Lord Xhair sat upright in his seat just as the doors burst open and two orcs dragged in a struggling woman between them, holding her up by her arms. The woman knew her struggles were futile against the orcs' strong grip, but she did it anyway.

The orcs stomped to the foot of the throne, then stopped. The sound of the woman's striving grunts filled the room.

Lord Xhair peered his already squinted eyes at the woman. "Is this true?"

"Depends on what you're asking, your lord." The woman stated seethingly along with a jerk in the stronghold.

Lord Xhair sat back. "You've tried to escape."

The edge of her lip twitched, "Well then, what you have heard is true."

Lord Xhair slowly stood to his feet, towering superior over them. "You are defiant of our ways."

"Your ways are past due to fall and I'll waste all of my days seeing to it." The woman was brave as she spoke to the lord without fear, keeping her chin raised high.

"Wasted your time you did, because your attempt was a weak cry to end your life," Lord Xhair stepped down from the platform and approached them. He grabbed onto the woman's chin and forced her head up. He turned her face while studying her features. "And such a pretty girl."

"Whether I breath or not, your fall will come. Trust me it will. On that day will bring a joyous celebration for the slums of Fall border. I'll make sure to laugh from my grave."

Lord Xhair's thumb slid to her throat, then started rubbing a line along the length of her skin. "Will you now?" He asked and without her noticing, a blade rolled down the sleeve of his gray robe into the palm of the hand on her neck and he slit her throat.

Blood poured from the slash across her neck, raining down to the gold rug below. The woman's eyes bulged as she started gagging on blood trying to breath.

"Then your blood shall join that of the rest before you who have tried me." He murmured, then stabbed a finger deep into the gaping cut wound and twisted it. The woman just gurgled up blood, unable to scream out. "You thought it was bad before. The slums haven't seen anything yet."

The woman's face cringed and she gained enough energy to spit a wad of blood out which splattered against the Lord's face.

Lord Xhair just grinned a toothy smirk, removing his finger from the inside of her throat and stuck it into his mouth. "Hmm," he hummed as he sucked the blood from his finger then pulled it out with a loud smack. "Greatness taste too good."

He smiled as he reveled in watching life leave her eyes and then her head fell to her chest.

"Ha Ha HAH," he laughed broadly, bashing in the power of his greatness.

"Get her out of here!" He shouted to the orcs holding the now lifeless body of the woman, and then turned to face his throne once again. "And peasant."

He called out to the lady from earlier who was now secretly cowering outside behind the grand doors. Hearing his call, she slowly crept into the room.

"My lord?"

"Clean up this mess. I want it shining like before." He ordered, calmly stepping onto the platform with his throne to sit down.

The lady moved aside to let the orcs carrying the dead woman's' body pass by, then sighed and took a bow. "Yes, my lord."

Lord Xhair lifted his chin high and smiled. Oh how he loved being Lord.

Intro: Brick by boring brick, Paramore

21

Easier to run

Inside the slums...

"You don't understand how bad I want to strangle you right now." Belle seethed at the ginger.

The five children stood facing off in the dim room, only being brightened by a lit candlestick in the corner. The wide room was almost empty, only having a dusty, two-seater couch against the wall and a rusted, black cauldron resting along a hook in the corner.

"Nobody told you to follow me." Rockie said nonchalantly, anonymous to the killing aura wafting from the older teens, but mostly Belle. "I could've did this by myself."

"That's besides the point," Belle gritted out as she clenched her teeth so hard they sent pain through her gums. "You entered a place you were strictly forbidden to."

"And nobody's gotten hurt, cause no one knows I'm here." Rockie retorted back with a smartass smirk.

At that, Belle proceeded to march towards him, but K.O stuck out an arm blocking her way.

"I would let you, but beating him wouldn't do anything. He's too stubborn." K.O muttered to the water magic, whose eyes remained locked on Rockie.

The atmosphere suddenly shifted becoming uncomfortable and suffocating, almost like he shouldn't be here as Drew shuffled on his feet. He didn't want them to be angry with each other. He shyly stepped between them.

"Don't blame him. It was I who had sent for you." Drew said attempting to diffuse the tension some.

"Sorry kid, but no excuses can save him." Maya said sternly to the boy.

"She's right," K.O added in, glaring at Rockie. He was pissed at him for getting them all in this mess. "Now it's time to own up to your stupidness, Sir stupid."

"No wasting time," Belle intervened before Rockie could open his mouth. "We came and did what we said we were going to do. Now, it's time to leave."

"Pfft," Rockie chortled disregarding the girl entirely while he waved them off.

Belle squinted at him. "Would you like to disagree?"

"Hell yeah, I will," Rockie piped back and stepped closer to them. "I get ya'll scared and wanna turn back. Nobody's making you stay, but I made a promise to Drew and I don't plan on backing out. If ya'll decide to join, that's cool too. Then we could really show these people what Dove Clan's made of."

"You've lost your mind." Belle screeched out, a vein in her neck pulsed against the skin there as infuriated anger took hold of her. "We're not just talking about going against the lord, but every warrior who'll die for this border and by doing that, the catastrophic consequences of your action will leave the slums reaping the repercussions."

The white haired girl stepped to the boy until her chest was at his chin with him glaring up at her. "You've never had to make scraps last for weeks just to keep your stomach from consuming itself or worry about monsters raiding your home or seeing innocent people killed in cold blood on the street. Fearing for your life day in and day out, you have never had to deal with that. So imagine dealing with that being tripled after this stunt you're trying to pull." Tears gathered at the brim of her eyes as she glared at Rockie. She then took a breath to gather herself and continued. "I don't know if this is your teen phase or you're going through puberty or what, but this... hero complex that your brain has started to developed has got to stop. You can barely control your magic on a good day, so what makes you think you alone can stand a chance against this border?" Belle took another breath, then moved her eyes to Drew.

"How old are you kid?"

Drew jolted at the quick change in conversation. "Um,... I'm ten ma'am."

"Hmm, I was five when this place broke me. I barely got out with my life so this wish you've got, you might as well kill it. There is nothing that's going to change this place." Belle ended on a low note, almost whispering as her eyes soften on the boys' face. "The only option you have is to give up and keep on surviving."

"How can you-" Rockie started, however ended up wheezing once K.O's fist clashed hard into his stomach.

"That's enough out of you," K.O stated with a satisfied grin.

Maya strutted up behind him and lifted a hand to conjure some thick wooden cufflinks. She yanked the distracted boy hands behind his back and clamped them together so tight, he could barely lift them from his back.

Maya and K.O looked to Belle and she nodded to them.

"Alright squirt. Time to go," K.O stated, shoving Rockie in the back of his head to get him moving. The boy grumbled under his breath, but started walking towards the door with K.O and Maya flanking behind him.

Belle went to follow them exiting the house before slowing down when she passed Drew. The boy looked devastated as he glared down at the floor. She could see tears gleaming his eyes as he tried so hard to fight back crying. It pulled at something deep in Belle's chest because she could relate entirely. However, she was granted a light at the end of her tunnel and there was nothing that she could do for him.

This wretched place.

"I'm so sorry, Drew." Belle said honestly. To be quite frank, it hurt to say that to him, but she meant it. His eyes slowly met hers. "I truly am."

Drew sighed, "I understand. And I apologize for my inconsiderate behavior. My request was selfish. At least let me see you home." The boy said, with his eyes begging for Belle's approval.

Belle shrugged her shoulders. She didn't care whether he came or not and the kid was smart enough not to get caught. She just wanted to get back to the guild. "Do as you like."

They walked out of the house and joined the rest waiting for them, then they started heading back the way they had came. Before completely leaving, Belle paused to look back at the house with the light blue door saddened, then continued on.

Once they reached the area where the roads conjoined, they all stopped and looked over at the orcs, still knocked out behind the pile of hay.

K.O slowly turned to Rockie, tonguing his bottom lip with a frown. "Was all that necessary?"

Rockie made a face in confusion and anger. "What you talking about? I didn't do that."

"You really wanna lie right now?" Maya snapped with a growl as she threw her hands onto her hips, glaring at Rockie.

Rockie bristled at the accusation and daggered his eyes at the two. Were they deaf? "I didn't do it."

"I've been with him this whole time, and he is telling the truth." Drew put out there. No need for them getting any angrier, especially when Rockie was telling the truth. "He really didn't do it. We don't know who had. To be honest, I'm surprised we hadn't noticed it earlier."

"See," Rockie sung-gloated, then stuck his tongue out at them. "Trying to put this mess on me."

Maya was already at her limit with the whole thing, but Rockie's attitude had finally tipped her over as she exploded. "This whole mess is on you." She screamed in his face. "Us being here is on you. We could be safe at home if it wasn't for you."

"Don't blame me for you following me."

Wack

Maya's fist struck out faster than her mind could rethink the choice, but regardless the deed was done, and it felt good.

Rockie's cheek stung as he stumbled back before losing his footing and falling to his butt.

"Maya," Belle sternly called out shaking her head in disapproval. "Help him up so we can keep moving." She ordered to the red head.

Rockie's face was shadowed over as he sat on the ground. "Ya'll gone stop hitting me." He grumbled out seriously.

"Yeah, yeah." Maya retorted unconcerned as she stooped down and helped the smaller teen to his feet.

"Now, let's go." Belle stated, brushing pass them to keep on. The rest followed behind and ran to stay hidden behind the houses.

"I can't believe a place like this actually exists." K.O stated as they ran from the back of one house to the next while remaining alert to their surrounding. "Almost too myth-like to believe."

"Well, believe it." Belle said, hinted with a growl. "Not all stories are myths, no matter how bad I wish this place was."

"Agreed." Drew murmured from Belle's side. His eyes were focused on the ground.

"Then what are we doing?" Rockie exclaimed, stopping in his tracks. K.O ran lightly into his back from the sudden stop, then nudged Rockie to keep on walking. "We're magics-"

"Shut-up Rockie!" The three older teens groaned.

"Why? Cause I'm right?!" Rockie snipped out. "We're trained for this."

Belle just shook her head, disregarding the boy and turned her back on him to carry on.

"Why won't you listen to me?!" Rockie pleaded out to the girls back in anger.

Belle whirled around on the boy, "Because it's insane and stupid, that's why. Trying to go against Lord Xhair is suicidal. The chances of us surviving a fight against his army are none. They'll do everything in their power to kill us. Lord Xhair detest magics to the point that he'll kill a baby if he hears they are born with it. Need I say more?" Belle asked the ginger sarcastically. At this point she was sick of explaining why this was a stupid plan to him. Why was he so adamant on staying here.

"They now have a cure injected into everyone once they are born which kills any born with magic." Drew added in, looking up at the others, whose faces had went pale. "It's also said to remain in our system for life, so if we were to grow into magic later in life, we'd be killed instantly."

"Sweet Arithe," Maya gasped appalled and at the same time K.O covered his mouth as he gagged into his palm.

Belle shuddered, then closed her eyes as she sent up a silent prayer for them.

"I'm with Belle. We gotta get the hell out of here." Maya said, then proceeded to walk on ahead. When she walked passed the space between the houses, two large arms reached out and snatched the girl up into the darkness.

It all happened so fast, that before the kids knew it, an orc standing around ten feet stepped out from the shadows squeezing a struggling Maya against its body.

... Brain break ...

Dove Clan family

Maya Evans

age: 15

weight: 170 lbs

height: 5'6", 167.74 cm

eye color: brown

hair color: red

magic type: wood

likes: shopping

dislikes: egotistic people and the higher power

guild sign color: black

Don't mistake this pretty little miss as a walking beauty queen. This tomboy in a skirt is more of a wild child, always managing to return with a bruise or two (most from her own doing). Maya lives at the guild, but visits her parents back in Fleur regularly. She was sent to stay at Dove Clan after she constantly made wood sticks and hammers to whack the children in her elementary. Between being with her birth family and guild family, Maya can't help to smile at her life. How did she get so lucky?