Winter was especially torturous tonight. The campfire seemingly started to freeze, as the bellows of a beast seemingly roar through the forest, a young boy half beast, half man, charges through the vicious thickness of the forest. His fur catches onto the stems and branches, but with no choice, he ran and ran even as parts of his flesh were cut up. When the moment upon the summit came, he basked in the white plains, as his blood softly touched and smudged against the Ivory snow. Past it few lights could be seen illuminating the silky hills.
There was nothing in his wake, nothing other than the sparkling gold light illuminating in the horizon. By then, the boy was cut up in many places, scarlet blood running down his thick grey fur, like an abomination lost from its pack, he weakly hissed and gritted his teeth as he endured it, weakly walking forward. It was ironic, because even before many would call the boy a lone wolf, and after in the end, he was still alone. He mustered up all the strength he could gather and set off towards the lights, to in his knowledge could be a village…or another death sentence, so he proceeded with caution. As he drew closer, a strange rustling could be heard as he could hear footsteps behind them.
Looking back, another boy was there, with jet black hare and soft ice like blue eyes, he looked to the wolf boy with nothing but a detached look. As their two eyes met, they seem to resonate with each other, connecting like a link, a link of destiny, a link of fate, or maybe even just a simple link of-
Luke is then quickly smothered and drowned in a bucket of water, as he squirms and yelps "oh shit!"
Their, in ware house, pieces of gears and bolts, with many machinery and assembly lines frozen, stands a boy, on the shorter side, with jet black hair and icy blue eyes and a tall Lizard beats, the size of a assembly pole, looking down at their boss with a moody expression "you know…sleep is important, but it's not that important where you sleep for way more than you are supposed to" Iron says with a deep and strong grunt. Luke sighs, violet eyes dulling at the sense, with only a small sniff he could feel the intoxicating smog of the factory, as he sighs, the boy next to Iron looks to Luke with a dull, but loyal expression "well, what are we doing today boss, by the way the prez wants us to go to the head office"
Luke sighs lazily getting up, as he pats his shirt down, putting on a muddy, dirt brown work coat getting up. He ruffles his head and neck drying it as he sighs "welp I guess the old man called us forward, so why don't we just see what the coot wants."
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The footsteps of heels can be heard from the echoing hallways, as blazing golden hair is seen flowing through, a young women with deep brunette hair and crystals for eyes can be seen in a bit of a hurry with another tall women right behind, catching up "Miss Mayella, please slow down, we still have plenty of time to make it to the Uru, we should be in no rush"
Ariana looked back at Cam, a long time friend and a servant to their family, as she pouts with her usual puffed up face. This was a big day for her, in fact a big day for the entire kingdom of Taica. For long she had been working on civil rights for the lower classes of Taica, which had been gravely struggling after the civil war ten years ago, and the total annihilation of the Ebonheart clan.
Even before then though, the lower classes seemingly had no rights, but considering the Ebonhearts, who were major benefactors for the poor, they had atleast something. With them gone however, living conditions and treatments towards them became almost unbearable, either working in the smothering cold or blazing heat, causing rising mortality rates and sadly in most cases, increased suicide.
With this rapid increase of the lower class being ravaged like this, Ariana took it upon herself to save these unfortunate civilians. The whole movement was pushed by her only a year ago, and today she will firsthand be able to experience life in one of these impoverished lands, The town being Uru. Uru had been a city that bared the forefront of this depression, being only a rural town that rapidly started industrializing, essentially enslaving its civilians.
And Ariana was about unveil how brutal their reality truly was, with our without her families support.
Ariana sighed as she turned back to wait for the very sluggish Cam who seemed to be reluctant to move any faster "Cam, maybe by the high moons if you would just be a bit faster then we would be in Uru already, seriously what's taking you so long. " Cam looked at her stupefied, as withing the very blazon copper hallway, Bags upon bags of luggage could be seen as she grits her teeth "Miss Mayella, I don't mean to be rude, but if I could recall, we have about 70 pounds worth of stuff to hall and transport, if anything my back is about to crack with how much you are making me carry." Ariana, enthusiastic as she was, suspected the load may have been a bit too much for her normally enthusiastic servant. "oh…..wait then let me help you, you could have just said that from the start, other wise how am I supposed to know you were struggling that much" she says with quite a bit of concern seeing Cam almost hunchbacked and slaving away at the luggage. Cam chuckles shaking her head "no no, its fine miss, I wouldn't exactly have been hired by your father if I couldn't deal with this little load" she says with a cheeky smile as they get outside.
The air instantly assaulted Ariana's light skin, who shivered in the soft winter. Jade foxes with shining emerald eyes can be seen playing around the garden around the frozen fountain, one that never melted past its three streams, and to this day remains frozen in place of an endless time. For a strange reason, whenever her father bought the manor, he had never let Ariana touch the fountain, some rumors saying it was cursed with misfortune, and while she would normally retort, her argument would be squandered with the monstrous Obsidian spear that stood perfectly straight, a slumbering Titan almost waiting to meet its master. Ariana never knew of the origins spear, only that it had been there when he and her father moved into the manor five years ago, Ironically the place she first found Cam.
Cam unloaded the luggage onto to their steed, a giant hefty raven with wings that would terrify even a dragon, and four long legs of a dark stallion. Ariana sighed as she turned to face her "I still will never know why that spear always draws to me, it's illusive…. almost frightening." Cam nodded whilst subtly smiling "Then again, before almost everything scared you" she said teasingly as she mounted on top of their steed. Ariana looked at her with a betrayed gasp "w-what, by the gods I wasn't that cowardly, at least I don't think I was…" Cam laughed as she saw Ariana almost puzzling pieces of her memory, as she pated her on the shoulder, helping her up on the mount "don't worry about it to much, you have grown a lot, considering you are willing to bring the entirety of us in the lower class, I see that you have become a very brave lady…only naïve if anything." Ariana sighs smiling "that's why I think its important to go to Uru, I won't be blind to the actual truths and hardships of others, so come on, we don't much time now do we, if we don't get their by sundown, I'm afraid my father will be very upset with me if he found out"
Cam nodded as she looked to the raven, who was famously called by her BirdShit, with a more apprehensive expression "…I wonder if they are still alive" she mumbled as they took off into the bright snowy plain.
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Yawning immensely as he walked, Luke grudgingly Sauntered to the head office with Noa and Iron. They passed by the many workers, some very elderly, and some cruelly very young children. Everyone however seemed to be in high spirits as Luke passed by, something Luke never understood when he came to Uru ten years ago. Back then and even till now, all the children and anyone under 18 called him "boss" and anyone older called him by his name, or "sweetie". Today especially didn't seem that much different, an old lady a few minutes earlier asked if he could help with the food supplies, and a few kids played with him as they passed by. Noa and Iron always simply followed, both were too stoic or indifferent to participate in the children's games. As Luke looked back he sighed as he continued strolling through the town square "god you both are never going to get a girlfriend, I swear y'all both will have to follow me until y'all die"
Iron hissed as he slapped the back of his head "shut it, I know you just don't want to see the old man, not like any of us do". Noa nodded sort of shrugging "and its not like I'm looking for one anyway, life's too much of a hassle for that." Luke just stared at them for a second, bewildered by their lack of desire other than work….and work, Luke for Noa's case. "…. y'all are hopeless, utterly hopeless."
As they passed through the main bell, a service rang through the halls. Rows of ragged and worn labors in their torn clothes could be seen kneeling, all radially surrounding one figure. The bishop today, wearing a sapphire coat and jet-black shirt with an illuminating golden cross, seemed to be especially energetic today, seemingly going through about 1,000 blessings and praises for those who had been cursed by their gifts. As Noa and Iron stopped to pay their respects, Luke hissed scratching his neck. "Damn…. when the hell is he going to leave, its so irritating to deal with holy users, they are a bunch of actors anyway, just using faith to empower their gift anyway." Iron sighed as he turned to Luke "well its not like we have a choice anyway, if we don't show our faith, our gift would become accursed, and I don't think anyone is waiting around for that." Luke nodded as Noa finished up, who seemed to be a bit more drowsy today than usual."
Luke looked at his friend a bit concerned "you doing good Noa, don't seem hot today" Noa sighed as he shook his head "nah, the old man has us running more shifts than usual, and since the kids seem to not be doing well, I took over their shifts last night." Luke sighed as continued forward "don't worry, I will have a word with him try to get him to lower our shifts, I doubt I can though without beating up an officer or two…and I dotn exactly want to do that."
As they finally got to the main building however, Luke's eyes widened. "….Hah….well it's been a while hasn't it, so that's the family that took you in…." he said, as a women in Brunette and another in jet black hair turned to face them. Noa looked a bit surprised as Iron's eyes widened as well. Luke smiled as he looks to the black-haired women, who stood firmly shielding the brunette haired girl. "It's been a while Cam…you still look as shitty as usual."