Mariam's Point of View

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Mariam stared at the village as it disappeared behind the family, Ciar clenched tightly to her chest. It had only been 2 short years since she arrived, and yet so much had happened. Isaac had joined the guard, she had begun helping the alchemist, and Ciar had been born. Now, they were going back to Osarith, the place she had fled from so many years ago. Sighing, she fell back into her past.

Mariam had been just 16 when she had the encounter with the flesh traders. Of course, she had known of the traders, everyone did. They were people who killed young women and men, dismembered them, cut off their horns if they were a Fellite, and sold their body parts on the black market. Their was always a demand for parts. With the proper techniques, they could be fused back onto a body with magic, making people whole once again. Sure, the new limbs never worked as well as the original, but it was still an improvement. The horns of a Fellite could be ground into magic power, as they were great conductors of mana. The traders were never persecuted by the law. A person or family going missing was barely with noticing in a city the size of Osarith. With nearly 50 million inhabitants in the 8000 square kilometer city, a decrease in population was almost a boon to the city. Besides, the nobles often benefited from the trade, making them reluctant to end it.

The two men had cornered her in an alley, cutting off her escape. She had resigned herself to her fate, but it seemed as if the gods had decided it was not yet her time. Just as the flesh traders lunged at her, one's head disappeared from his shoulders, and the other's innards spilled on the stone floor of the alley. A man stood before her, dressed in a ragged cloak, his dual blades dripping with blood. The man's name was Hurk, and he was a bounty hunter - a man who specialized in killing the vermin in the city. He had offered to escort her home, for a price of course, but upon arriving at her home, Mariam was met with a hell she would never forget. Her home's door had been blasted off its hinges, and the inside of the house was covered in blood. She had found the bodies of her family, or what was left of them, in the dining room. They had all been dismembered and decapitated. Their torsos had been set on the table, severed heads placed on top, as if they were dishes to be served. Their eyes had been gouged out and placed in front of the heads. Mariam had screamed, falling to the floor in despair. Vomit soon covered her as she flailed, screaming in rage at the gods above.

'Why? Why did they save her, but not her family?'

Her brother had been only 5, just beginning to find hobbies he enjoyed. Her father had just gotten a promotion at the bank, and was looking forward to the celebration tomorrow with his friends. Her mother had been just about to give birth to a third child, but now would never get the chance. On the other hand, she had done nothing of note recently. In fact, she had just been expelled from the academy of arts due to "persistent deviant behavior."

Hands grabbed her from behind, and she punched and clawed at them, blinded by her rage and grief. Hurk had simply held her, taking the abuse until she calmed down. He had offered to train her to fight, to make her a bounty hunter like him so she could get revenge on the flesh traders that had slaughtered his family. When told that she had no money to pay him with, he had laughed and told her it was free. He explained that his family had been slaughtered by flesh traders as well. He understood her pain, and wanted to help her. She had accepted his offer, and was soon introduced to his band of bounty hunters. While hunters usually worked alone, due to the need to split the reward if in a group, Hurk and his friends had decided to prioritize safety over reward. His band consisted of 3 hunters, including himself: Hurk, Dylan, and Nyla.

Mariam had thrown herself wholeheartedly into the training, and just two years later, she joined them on the streets. One night, they had stumbled across a large group of flesh traders. Deciding to kill them, the group had launched their attack from the shadows. However, the battle did not go well, and only Hurk and Mariam had managed to escape. Mariam and Hurk, now marked for death by the traders, had been forced to leave the city. They traveled southeast, Mariam trying her best to care for a severely injured Hurk. A month later, Hurk had died just as the pair had reached a small town. A guardsman saw Mariam coming from afar, and came out of the town to aid her. He had introduced himself as Isaac, and offered to help Mariam bury Hurk. She had refused, but accepted his offer to stay at his home.

Over three years, the pair grew closer, until they married. After Mariam received word that the flesh traders had a lead on her location from a friendly bounty hunter in Osarith, the couple had continued to move southeast. After over a year of travel, they happened across the village of Noas. They had decided to settle down. Just nine months after moving in, Mariam had become pregnant with Ciar. Everything after that had been a blur, but now she was headed back.

Isaac did not know of her past. He might have a few guesses, but he had never pried, and she had never offered. While Isaac had become something far more important than a husband to her, her past was something she had hoped she would never have to face again. Isaac had become the sole light in her life after the loss of her friends. Now, he was moving them back to Osarith. Sure, by now the flesh traders would have given up on finding her, but she still had no desire to return. However, she knew Isaac was right.

Looking down at the sleeping Ciar, she smiled. The boy had become a second, even brighter light in her life, driving away the darkness. Ciar had brought so much joy into her life. She remembered the joy she felt when she first heard him cry. The delight upon seeing him crawl around in the alchemist's shop. The happiness and shock when he had walked for the first time. Finally, she remember the tears streaming down her face upon hearing his first words. However, Ciar also baffled her. The child had never been one to babble needlessly. He cried when he needed food or attention, and smiled at her like any other baby, but that was it. At first, this had worried her greatly, but eventually, she had just accepted it. So what if her child was different, it would not stop her from loving him. Then, he had spoken, with perfect distinction, his first words. Ciar had gone from strange silence, to speaking clearly in just 6 months. When Isaac had suggested that darker things may have occurred, Mariam had been shocked. She knew demonic possession was possible, but she had refused to believe it. Nothing had happened to her sweet baby. Isaac had then suggested, much to Mariam's surprise and fear, that they visit Osarith. At first, she had been against the idea. She never wished to return to the city, as it held to many nightmares. Despite her defiance, Isaac had won out in the end. He was right about Ciar. If something truly was wrong with him, Osarith would be the place to find out what it was and fix it. If he was simply a genius, Osarith would be a place that he could thrive. There were many prestigious academies that would be happy to accept Ciar.

Mariam's daydream was interrupted by a squirming in her arms. Looking down again, she saw Ciar's dark gray eyes staring back at her. His eyes and hair were another mystery that was still unsolved. Both were a dull gray. This had puzzled both Isaac and Mariam, as they both had blue eyes and black hair, which was common among Fellites. The boy opened his mouth and spoke to her, surprising Marima.

"Osarith." He said, staring at her intently.

"Yup! That's where we are going." She said back, ruffling his sparse hair.

"Osarith." He repeated, still staring at her.

"Yes...." Mariam replied, confused.

"Osarith. About." Ciar said slowly, squinting his eyes in concentration as he pronounced the second word.

"Oh! You want to know about Osarith!" Mariam exclaimed, suddenly understanding. The boy nodded vigorously, he eyes now gleaming with excitement.

"Well, first it is very big. The city is the second largest in the Fellnor Kingdom, falling only behind the capital. There are four districts, separated into four rings: the Noblis, the Scholae, the Communia, and the Decrepitus. The Noblis is the center most part of the city, and is where all the rich nobles live. This area is surrounded by a wall, shielding it from the outside. The Scholae is the next district. This is where all the schools are. Although it is skinnier than the other districts, it also has its own wall, which separates it from the Communia. The Communia is the next ring. The Communia is where the normal citizens live, and is the second largest ring. About 15 million people live their, or at least, that's how many lived their several years ago. The Communia also has a wall, which separates it from the Decrepitus. The Decrepitus is the slums. Over 30 million people live there. There is no wall on the outside, but no monster attack due to the large population of people. Most people there are homeless and have almost no hope of rising in social status." Mariam explained to the boy, before she mentally slapped herself.

'How will Ciar understand any of that, he's only a baby.' She thought, scolding herself for explaining things in a far to complicated manner. Contrary to her expectations, Ciar was nodding excitedly.

"More!" He nearly shouted at her, his pudgy hands grasping at her.

"Alright! Alright!" Mariam laughed, gently grabbing his hands and holding them still, "I'll explain more."

Daylight soon turned to darkness as Mariam talked to Ciar about Osarith. The child seemed to absorb everything from the culture to the schooling with perfect attention. Making camp that night, Mariam went to sleep, pondering just how her baby could understand so much of what she said at such a young age.

'Dear Helena, please just let him be a genius. I don't think I can bare it if he is possessed.' She whispered, before slipping into the bliss of sleep.