Very short chapter for a story that simply covers the early life of a particular city elf. Meant to convey the harshness of living in such a horrid place.
Victim of Humanity
Dragon 9:26
Sylnaia sobbed to herself as the humans left her in that alley broken and bloody. The pain across her body was so excruciating that she wasn't even sure where she was injured and where she wasn't, as it all just hurt. She opened her eyes, or tried to as she found that one of them wouldn't. She saw only light-brown and red as her face was effectively buried in the dust and gravel covered ground.
She felt a sticky wetness in her mouth, and as she tried to spit out what was no doubt blood, she found something hard moving around as well. So she moved her right hand to her face to try and pick out whatever was in her mouth to only be horrified by what she saw.
Her right index and middle fingers where missing at the first joint from the knuckle. Only two bloody stubs remained. Her pain and horror addled mind faintly recalls a vicious mabari hound biting at her hand during the assault being the only explanation she could find.
Shifting her head so her other cheek was resting on the blood covered gravel. She used her left hand, which was still intact, to pull out a crimson tooth. The only good thing was that it was her loose baby tooth so at least that wasn't permanent.
Sylnaia was only seven years old when she learned the hard way why her parents warned her to stay away from the humans.
V
Sylnaia awoke to the sound of shouting. She raised her head, which felt impossibly heavier than before, to find herself in her family's small hovel in the Tantervale alienage. Her neighbor Comehl bandaging her up as she lay in bed. The shouting was coming from the other room, she recognized it as her father's voice. Comehl noticed that Sylnaia was awake after she finished bandaging her right hand.
The little elven girl's neighbor was an old woman with grey hair and a face that always seemed sad. But now it was absolutely mournful as she hugged the little girl as fiercely as she dared to not unset the bandaged injuries. Once Comehl released her she looked her in the eye showing great sympathy before the old woman called for Sylnaia's parents.
The door opened to allow the girl's mother to rush in. at the sight of her beloved daughter's horrid state she burst into tears.
Followed shortly was her father, a tall, imposing elf with dark hair and blue-green eyes that was currently enraged. Behind him was Yesyn, Sylnaia's older brother, looking sad and guilty. Their father looked at Yesyn with a great malice before saying, "We'll discuss this later boy,"
Understanding it was his queue to leave the room. Yesyn did so as his and Sylnaia's father slammed the door shut. He then put a strong arm around the sobbing mess that was his wife before looking to Comehl, "That you for your help,"
"If the two of you need anything, please let me know, Fheril" Comehl said sincerely.
"Right now, we need some privacy," Fheril, Sylnaia's father, said. He was always blunt and to the point when he was upset. So the old woman bid her condolences before leaving the room.
Once they were alone, Fheril immediately asked, "Who did this,"
Sylnaia started shivering under her father's gaze, which was fierce, focused and borrowing into her. Finally, she said, "Willem and Boric Holmstrom, as well as their mabari,"
With that, her father turned heel and marched out of the room without another word, Sylnaia's mother then ran to her and hugged her tightly while sobbing all the more fiercely. Sylnaia hugged her back with what little strength she had.