"Come back here you scum!"
A vendor screamed as he ran after someone with a club in his hands in the Bazaar.
But he could not catch up, his fat body could not catch up to the agility and speed possessed by a demihuman, even though he was just a child.
A Young Edward Foxglove ran with all his might, Dodging everyone he could that was trying to catch him. All whilst holding dearly to the fruit and bread in his embrace.
"GHA!"
Eventually, he was hit by a stray club by someone from the crowd, yet he endured the pain and kept running.
"GET HIM!"
It was of no use, he ran away.
He ran And ran and ran until his feet were bleeding from the asphalt streets. His feet, ankles, and knees were all bruised black from the occasional pebbles that would be on the road.
And on top of that, he seemed malnourished, incredibly malnourished.
"Haaa..."
Taking refuge in a small alley, he sat down as he collected his breath.
He was a child, probably 9 or 10 years old fighting for his life in the cruel world. Such was reality.
One's parents were the shield that protected them from the harsh reality of this world until they were ready to face it completely. But he had no such guardians.
His earliest memory was being thrown by someone into this place from a dungeon along with his sister.
'need to go... Emma hungry.'
He thought in his mind, not caring for his wounds he ventured forward, to the shithole he and his sister called home.
He ran and ran and ran until his lungs would give out to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city.
It was small, and fucking pathetic but it was still home.
At least they had a roof over their heads. Even though it was torn. Edward had scavenged for materials to repair the warehouse, well at least some of it so he and his sister could live.
"Emma..."
He entered the warehouse and called his sister's name...but then his worries increased as he didn't hear a response.
"Emma!"
He screamed, frantically running around trying to find his sister...until he did find her, huddled in a corner, wearing a torn blanket.
"Emma!"
She didn't respond, her breathing was heavy. And he could feel it...it was a type of brotherly love, sibling bond.
She was sick?
How? It hadn't rained in a while. How did she fall sick?
How?
He checked her pulse and temperature.
"...OW!"
He yelped as he touched her forehead which was burning.
"...medicine."
He muttered and went to a particular area of the warehouse...he climbed up a few shelves but then...just then.
*BOOOOMMMM!*
An earthshaking explosion was heard, and Edward fell to the ground.
Multiple things fell on him, and as he stood up, pushing the rubble aside...he felt it.
His head became woozy, his footing became unstable and he vomited.
There was nothing inside his stomach, so all that vomit was just stomach acid.
"Foul..."
He muttered, the feeling was foul indeed to him.
A sudden wave of unpleasant energy, accompanied by multiple sounds of explosions.
"Aror...."
those were the last words he muttered, indicating the direction the foul and unpleasant energy was coming from.
And then, he fell unconscious...despite his best efforts to remain awake to protect his sister.
His body felt hot, incredibly hot. A type of reaction to this energy...
It was on this very day that Aror was attacked.
Was it luck that Edward reach home quickly? And was it something else that both of the siblings fell ill?
Whatever it was, it was the day of the Massacre indeed.
A incident, a tragedy that Aror failed to fully recover from, Multiple families torn apart, millions of studs of Infrastructure gone, and multiple lives lost.
And it could also be labeled something else.
The Beginning of the end.
*****
[After some time.]
"Uh...."
Edward woke up, feeling dizzy and wobbly in his gait.
He stood up and first and foremost checked on his sister. After confirming that she was okay he walked outside the Warehouse.
"Dizzyy...."
He muttered as he found it hard to walk properly...his body wanted to vomit but he resisted the urge.
He felt that foul energy...dissipate, but the unpleasant feeling still remained.
And the scent of the atmosphere was anything but pleasant.
He exited the warehouse...and his eyes and mouth opened wide in shock as he stared...at what was Aror.
The high buildings that those humans had built, most destroyed, Blood and guts all over the buildings and streets from where he could see.
Pillars of smoke rose from the destroyed city...as Edward watched in Awe and fear.
"Those humans...were defeated?"
Impossible? they had strong people... Demons...?
He didn't know how he know...it was as if it was in his blood. The knowledge was somehow engraved in his blood that he knew the perpetrators were defeated.
To...damage a human city so much... What demon had attacked?
Humans will fight back...surely?
He knew that the humans had their own heroes and guilds...But he didn't pay it no heed.
He went back inside, and after looking at it his still ill sister, he dragged her into the basement along with whatever food they had and planned to live in the basement for a few days. Hiding, hoping that they were not found.
He locked the door and fell asleep whilst hugging his sick sister.
******
It was after quite a while that Edward returned to the city, only returning to see the state and even then he was cautious. He had left the basement after a few days, going inside to search for food and medicine if he was lucky.
All the places he knew, the Bazaar, and the streets were ruined with numerous repair projects going on.
For the first time in his life, he was able to find a job that actually paid him. Helping with the repairs of the city, clearing up debris, and saving other humans.
He hated it, but if it could provide food for him and Emma, he would do it whilst shutting his mouth and keeping his grievances secret.
He enquired about the disaster, and for the first time, people were hostile towards him, MAinly because he was a good worker, with his demihuman abilities after all, and proved to be useful.
And then he knew, What truly had happened.
"You see..."
An adult male, dressed in construction gear sat down around a fire and started to explain...but then stopped in the middle of his sentence.
His voice was fearful...And his breathing became erratic. His colleagues calmed him down...and after he regained his composure he spoke.
"I remember it as if it was yesterday...What happened was...."
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