From Reign

An outsider, outcast, an alien to society… Overlooked by the rest of this world for the kind of person I was, looked down upon because of the history of my forefathers. We were a proud people once, vibrant, happy, willing to do what was right for others or so I was told. During the time of the Great Vidia, we explored the vast void of space for any other beings like us, beings who shared the same concepts and ideas as our great race. For many years our explorers searched the emptiness of space surrounding our world Reign, with little success it was concluded that we were the only beings within this void. Then from out of nowhere, without warning or any signs of a peaceful meeting, they came… A violent race of beings that saw our world as another colony for their empire. Our leader at the time of the invasion, ‘Doorna Auroralis’ sought to extinguish the monsters from Reign. Rallying all of our greatest warriors we engaged them on the Great Plains of Lalm, but we were no match against their advanced weapons and machines. The Great Elvainan people, regardless of our destined fates continued to fight for the future generations of Reign. But our quest for honour became our downfall, the enemy blaster our cities which stood for millenniums to dust. Leaving no part of our history to be seen for those future generations expect for ash. From the destruction of our cities, they came in numbers storming through our land and taking us captive and off world. That was the story my mother told me before she died here on this curtseyed rock.

“You, Thing”, my master called out. “Get away from that window and come clean the floor”. Now, our people, the Great Elvainans are used as personal slaves or other horrific things to keep pleasing the needs of the devilish, Trinain race. “Hurry up you stupid elf get cleaning… I still wonder why my father bought you all those years ago”. Another defect our race has, agelessness. As an Elvainan I am a young teenager but based on a Trinain life cycle and I’m the equivalent to a seventy-year-old being.

“Yes sir coming”, I answered back calmly. The Master then called out to his daughter, eventually the next owner of my depressive & shackled life.

“Coming father”, the Master’s daughter answered back, springing into the room as if on air. “What is it Father?”

“I’m going out for a few hours, watch over it and make sure it completes the chores. Including cleaning the floors well, last time I saw a smeared bug in the hallway”.

“Yes Father”, she answered. Kissing him on the cheek, he walked out the door mumbling in some other language, guess it was to make sure I didn’t understand what they were saying. I continued working on floor as master had instructed going into a trance of rubbing up and down the floor. “Hello again”, the daughter’s voice echoed. Startled by the voice I jumped, only realising it the master’s daughter was standing above me, hands behind her back, rolling on the heels of her feet.

“Forgive me master’s daughter, I did not mean to scare you”, I apologised to the master’s daughter. But what surprised me next was what she said next.

“Mia. My name is Mia, what’s your name?”, she said outstretching her hand. Pure disbelief & shock was running through my mind. Do I answer back? What do I say? What would Master say if she told him my name?

“I answer to whatever my master’s call me”.

“But what is your real name, your Elvainan name. The one from your world, the planet Reign.” Mia looked deeply at me as if she were honestly asking out of interest & not demand. “It’s alright; I’m not like my father you can talk”. Still hesitant to answer her, I was still afraid of what she might do if I did not answer her.

“My mother called me Everlon; we were both from the city Aurallis.” She looked at me strangely for a moment before asking another question.

“Can you tell me more of Reign; the local data-banks only tell us the bad things of the Elvainan creatures as do my tutors. But I do not believe entirely on their philosophy, there are always two sides to a story.” From Mia’s question & willingness to pursue truth, perhaps I could answer her honestly and truthfully about what had happened. Perhaps there were others like her that were more inquisitive about our near-extinct culture. I started to express in a low & meek tone the way of the Elvainan life as told by my mother & of Reign. Time seemed suspended as she continued to ask questions about Elvainan culture, life & history. For a moment I was talking freely with Mia & speaking with a smile, no longer hunched to her but straighten back and head held high. But then her father, my master returned from his venture outdoors.

“Mia! What are you doing with that creature get away from it”, The Master yelled at her as he strode towards us. I was frozen in position as Mia stood up, he plucked her away in one motion as his heavy boot swinged into my stomach, causing me to splutter & vomit bile during the process. “They’re dangerous creatures, how many times have I told you?”

“Everlon is no creature”, she rebutted. “He is a living being who has more kindness, humility & compassion than you will ever have”. Master looked in disgust towards me at what she had just said.

“Mia it is a monster! I knew this would happen when you began visiting the databanks more frequently! Your tutors were stupid to believe it was only a phase. Okay then”, he said with a hideous smile across his face. “I’ll just hand him over to the rest of his kind. Where he belongs! Something I should have done ten years ago”.

“No! You don’t mean...?”

“That’s right; Elvainans aren’t just used as our slaves. But also as our source of energy, slice them open and you’ll find their glowing hearts. It’ll end up just like its mother, our power supply”. A slow, sticky, wet tear rolled down my cheek as soon as master said that. Thinking my mother had passed away from broken heart, she had her heart instead stolen, removed from her body as a source of power. That was why the Trinain’s kept on breeding us; it was so that they could use us as mini-power units. The Master then released Mia from his grip & gripped my neck to strangle me. Mia screamed at her father, begging him to stop as she tugged his robes. The Master backhanded his daughter in the face, calling her a vile name that I dare not say. My hands which were around his wrists to stop him from suffocating me, clinched together as fists & thrusted themselves in his ribs. The impact of my white-knuckled fists forced him flying across to the other side of the room, clean off his feet. My heart was pounding through my ears so loudly I could not hear Mia call out to me. Hands were shaking, body frozen with shock as the Master coughed up blood as his body laid slumped against the wall. The light sound and motion of Mia’s voice, drowned by my beating heart, struggled to pick my frozen body up trying to move me. The sound of her voice became clearer as Mia edged my body closer towards the window leading out to the lower balcony & beyond. The once frozen in terror legs began to move with motion, acting on their own, guiding me towards potential escape & freedom.

I didn’t stop running as Mia’s arms ceased to hold & guide me forward. Mia stood still as I ran through the window, leaping upward & outward from the prison that held me.

Looking back on that decision I wonder what ever happened to Mia, the last thing she said was ‘live’. Now I am but alone, on the run from the Trinain’s and their demand for power. From that day, I do not regret escaping from my captures. I belong to no-one and they do not belong to me, I am Everlon Phoenix and I’m in a place where I can live…