Chapter 992: Rachie
“I don’t get how my past really affects what’s to co in the future. I can’t afford to pass this opportunity,” the view over the battlents, Draebala’s always somber weather and decrepit undertone, “-guess I’ll start from the beginning, or sowhere where I can gather my thoughts. I’m a native of the Eipea Empire, well, half-half. My father was subject to a goddess’s whims, so I was told. She gave birth to – most of my childhood mories are of being locked inside. I was taught magic and how the world worked by the very few retainers who cared. Life wasn’t bad, I didn’t think anything of it, and had nothing to compare my situation against. It’s easy to imagine how soone like would beco – I gradually grew to understand and spend ti with the workers. Unfortunate concubines, playthings of the gods who whimsically passed over the realm. Those gods often pluck the fairest maiden or handso man from the hands of their parents and made them into birds in cages. Nothing lasts forever – part of knew it would end soday, and eventually, as my father impregnated the woman he truly loved – my mother, the goddess, delivered a painful sentence. I was forced to watch as my father, a strong and handso man, was forced to fight for his freedom. Tridant’s arena, so it had co to be known, was a place reserved for the grueso duel to the death. The concept’s not so far-fetched,” the voice slowed to painful core mory, he paused to gather thought and breath, “-should I go into details of what happened?”
“Yeah.”
“-Okay, well, my father was made to strip and forced to fight concubines of other gods. Saying a fight’s far from the truth. In reality, the concubines were the very sa maids I ca to learn from. They were killed and slaughtered as age had taken a toll on their visage and body. To win, father had to forsake his humanity and kill – being dubbed the executioner at one point to only be faced with his greatest challenge. It ca after the goddess learned of my sister’s mother. She was forced into the arena – forced to endure the abuse from the god’s minions, forced into sha and unspeakable things. Father endured his fair share – gender didn’t matter, if a god wants one’s body, there’s nothing to be done. Before his grand fight, before I saw my parent kill another, he told to hide my face and harden my heart. Father fought admirably to the bitter end when the goddess’ new plaything entered the field and emasculated my father, the screams and painful screeches – I couldn’t but watch, I felt my innards tore apart, my heart and what I had co to know was destroyed. I swore vengeance to no avail, I was a kid – left to the rcy of a mother who didn’t much care for . Her friends, viper goddesses, had their way – I was forced to do the very sa things my parent had co to do. As they laid there dying hand-in-hand, my father smiled happily as did his wife, my step-mother. Never t her – she seed powerful and earnest. Not once did she answer to the god’s lust... I don’t know how she had the strength of mind to fight the way she did. After that fight, my mother decided she had enough and threw onto a random boat with my half-sister in tow. The ship’s captain, a human from the central continent, showed little to no rcy. To save my sister from whatever cruelty the world had to offer, I did as the captain told . By day I worked the helm and by night I served his chambers. I guess that beca a turning point in my life, I saw how ladies and n looked at , they wanted to experience what a half-blooded boy had to offer. Guess I slept my way until the boat reached the main continent. Instead of hallowing in my own growing despair, I chose to accept my body as a ans of paynt. It was easier knowing I could get what I wanted if I did what I was told. The captain wasn’t that bad a person, he allowed breaks and gave us food, and he treated my sister as if she were part of his family. As our journey neared its end, the crew hosted a big celebration for my departure... between you and , I had slept with every single person on that boat for the two months it took to cross the sea. As recompense, the captain took to one of his friends – I thought my good behavior would have begotten a reward... I was fucking foolish. The orphanage was the worse six years I ever spent. The director took a liking to and my sister, we were kept from the masses and saved for special occasions. I couldn’t protect her, and that tore to pieces. For the second ti, even after I accepted all the world had forced, I found my innards torn. The thought of suicide constantly hung over my head – but as the rule goes, one bearing the blood of a god hasn’t the power to end themselves. The abuse was harshened when they discovered I couldn’t be killed. Then ca another turning point, the director changed for a stranger man. They said he was from the Aapith nation – I was forced into his room that very night. Instead of the usual, he bore a strange look, he narrowed his fierce gaze and nodded. His words resounded, “-a demi-god forced to endure Draebala’s darkness. The world’s forsaken you, my boy, if you don’t respect yourself, no one is ever going to respect you. Taking the abuse and always listening isn’t the way forward. To survive you must adapt and beco cunning, not strong. If you want, I’ll teach you how to make the world yours,” I accepted without questions asked. He taught how to fight and placed in charge of the other orphans. I had the power to stop the abuse, I had the power to make it right. Instead, scoffed when the kids asked for help, I laughed when they recounted their tales, and I smiled when a dead body washed onto the orphanage ground. I heeded my teacher’s wise words and beca who I am. Years passed, and I grew in size and as a person. My ruthlessness brought unwanted attention, and because of my actions, my sister beca the subject of harassnt. Trust ,” the voice darkened as he rembered, “-I had the troublemakers stripped and made to fight to the death. The victor was sent to the god of torture’s chamber. He never returned. I didn’t care. I dug myself a stronghold, built a castle from sticks, and sat on a throne of thorns. My teacher was eventually killed during an attack by bored gods. They flew into town, plucked children from parents’ arms, and recruited the stronger. I wasn’t going to surrender without a fight – just as I readied my spell, my teacher gripped my arms and said,” C’est une grande habileté que de savoir cacher son habileté “1 just like that the flicker of life which had saved plenty of ti extinguished. I later figured the quote ca from Fran?ois de La Rochefoucauld. Not that it mattered, my master died without so much of a fight. He could have saved the orphanage but chose death, I always wanted to ask why he’d never shown his true capabilities, but the question went unanswered. Nothing ever was the sa, a new director arrived at the orphanage – a younger man of lesser intellect. He was the perfect pawn to test my master’s teachings. It worked like a charm, I soon found myself leading various factions of the city from the shadows. I continued deepening the bond my master shared with his kin – I was eventually asked to join their ranks but I refused. They understood why I abstained and said, “-Genus found a good heir. You’re taking his teachings to heart, be wary for the man, as cunning and strong as he was, always kept his cards too close to his chest. To hide one’s ability, the man lived by said principle until his death. If only he had tried, he would have beco more than a thinker, he’d have stood equal to leaders and perhaps had led armies. Rachie, as the inheritor of Genus, the Aapith nation will always have a place for the heir he grood. If you ever need help, don’t forget to reach out, we’ll accept anyone, regardless of their moral standing,” sothing about said offer, I couldn’t shake the feeling of malice. From there, I took a relaxed place at the orphanage and worked behind the scenes. The exploitation of humans, even demi-gods or demons, I saw as pawns, even the sister I had vowed to protect, it reached a point where I nearly sold her as a favor... it’s stupid as I look back, and if it hadn’t been for the director’s ddling, I would have lost my sister like I lost my family. It didn’t matter, I started gaining influence until the orphanage’s operation was disclosed to the town’s lord. The peasants rallied – I forced the children into picking arms and fighting for their lives. Used the chaos to escape, and didn’t expect war to suddenly explode a few months later. I t two interesting characters, ruffians without a shred of morality. They were the perfect bait. We traveled from towns to the cities – had the man play the abuser, the woman the wife, and us as the children. We drew many righteous gentlen and das to our rescue. Always ended the sa, we were given shelter and I took advantage of kindness to steal, kill and even sell our benefactor if the price was right. We broke families, shattered relations, and killed for the sake of survival. At one point, my sister stopped speaking altogether – my mind was on the next sche. Life on the run was fun until it ended. We crossed path with you,” he looked over, “-killed my associates... I had to play the victim else you’d have ended our lives too. I had planned to defraud you, people, as well,” he exhaled, “-more we spent ti, the lesser grew my selfishness – the scope I had used was nothing compared to the scale you eyed. My secret was a mont away from discovery,” he skipped on a nearby ledge, “-feels good to let out my deeper thoughts. I can tell you don’t trust yet, and I wouldn’t trust either. Lord Starix, I’ve fulfilled my part, what about yours?”
“Rachie,” he laughed, “-you are an idiot,” he cackled, “-an earnest fool. I’m pleased it was you we t that day and not so random puppet. It’s true, I don’t trust you, tis sothing earnt, a two-way street. You don’t trust us either, which is fine. Now, as for the paynt – a question and a wish.”
“Who’s your leader?”
“Depends,” he paused, “-and your wish?”
“I don’t need to spell it,” he smiled.
.....
“You wish to et the Devil?” narrowed Starix
“Yeah, I would be honored to et the man behind all of this, I an, look at Draebala, the place that caused so much pain is in the palms of my hand.”
“eting the Devil has its fair share of dangers.”
“I don’t care,” he skipped onto the wall-walk, “-allow an audience with the master.”
“So be it,” a portal summoned, “-don’t be surprised if the Devil’s, let say, a little whimsical.”
“Fine by ,” they entered Rosespian castle. mild vibrations rose from a paper-filled desk, and a loud crash rattled the office, “-wake up, majesty, I need the paperwork for the acquisition of...” voice slowed to a humble march, “-my, are you Rachie?” narrowed éclair.
“MASTER!” retured a gawk.
He held up a finger,”-hold on a mont,” “-master,” éclair vaulted over the desk and tapped, “-ti to wake up.”
“Five more minutes...”
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