Born A Freak

It was always painful. Maybe it hadn't hurt a long time ago, but that time was so far in the past that it could have been a different life. How long ago had this "ability" of mine manifested? I had always been a freak; that, I had been made aware of from the very beginning of my now seemingly immortal life. My first memories were not of crying in a mother's arms but awakening in the middle of a forest next to the sea. I had known what those things were. I had known the sea. I had known the forest and the sky, and I had known how to hunt and survive on my own, how to make a shelter, and even the feeling of a family and friends.

But although I had all this knowledge, I knew not who or what I was or where I belonged. Whenever I walked the land, I felt oddly connected to it. Whenever I talked to the humans I knew at least looked the same as me, I felt oddly connected to them without even knowing who they were as individuals, but I never truly belonged anywhere. I lived apart from the other humans because I knew I was different. I was just a tiny child then. I seemed to forever be stuck as a child barely over the age of 5, but I knew as I observed the other children grow older that my actual age was far different. The villagers never really looked at me with derision then, for my existence was comforting for some reason rather than frightening, a sprite, they called me. That was until my power manifested.

One of my children friends and I were out in the woods when we were ambushed by raiders from an enemy village. In order to protect my friend, I had come between him and the crudely-made sword aimed to kill. The beginning of that memory was filled with my blood pouring out of the deep cut down my chest…and pain. The rest was filled with fear, loathing, and more pain. I remember falling, my friend trying to run, the men catching him, and the red that coated the ground as my friend too was cut down in front of my failing vision. I remember stumbling to my feet, tears, and then grabbing one of the men with my right hand in order to stop him from doing anything further. Then, there were screams. The man I was grabbing suddenly began letting out blood curdling screams and trying to wrench my hand off by any means. I remember the pain lessening then for some reason whilst the agony of the man before me only seemed to intensify. The other men's faces who were about to help their accomplice suddenly turned to horror when the man tried to stab me again and I grabbed his arm with my other hand, still clinging to him with my right. The man went rigid as if a massive shock had just been delivered to his entire body and crumpled to the ground, eyes rolled to the back of his head and drool and blood slowly dribbling out of his mouth. The other men ran off screaming into the forest as I stared after them and then at my hands in shock.

I ran to my friend, but he was already fading. Without thinking, I timidly reached out with my left hand to touch my friend to check for signs of life. At my touch, pain shot through my entire body and I recoiled as if touching a burning pan. My friend, however, stirred and stared at me with wide eyes. He glanced down at his body which was still gushing blood and then back at me. I wanted to say something, but my body was trembling with so much pain, I couldn't get any words out. I was too scared…of me, the situation, for my friend…I could barely think straight. Then my friend pushed his tiny body up, blood pouring out of his wound from the motion, but it was as if he didn't even notice. He knelt toward me and grabbed my right hand, probably to comfort me. Instantly, the physical pain began to lessen, but my friend…I'll never forget the look on his face when he started screaming just like the man had and clutching at his wound before he died right in front of me.

After that, I was alone. I distanced myself from the villagers after I had to bring my dead friend back to his family. The horror on their faces, the coldness of my friend, the isolation I already felt forming from the moment those men had run from me in terror…I'll never forget them. What am I? Why…so many different why's. I remember walking away, the wound already healing on my un-aging 5 year old chest but the pain ever so vivid in my mind, though I couldn't feel it physically anymore. I made a vow then and there to never touch anyone with my right hand again. I didn't know what was wrong with me, but at least where my left seemed to only hurt me, my right had killed my friend and caused those screams of agony. I didn't want to think what both had done.

I wandered to further villages but never touched anyone with anything but my left. Every time, more pain would wrack my body. It would fade to a dull ache after a while, but it would never fully fade. It got to the point where I refused to touch anyone at all. I wandered alone with my tired and weakening 5 year old body wondering if I could die. Through all the years and through all the pain, death would never find me. Why should someone like me never get old and die like all the rest? I can't even die from normal wounds. I'm a freak and I will forever be alone. And then, one day, I met him. It was a particularly cold day, and I was wondering if maybe today would be the day I die.

"If I fall asleep in the snow, would I die?" I mumbled to myself.

"That's a morbid thought," a cheery voice shattered my dazed meandering and I shot my head up to see a kid a couple years older than myself with wild spikey blonde hair and clear sky blue eyes grinning at me while propping an over-sized but actually rather lavish greataxe over his shoulder. He seemed to like the color red, because his cloak and tunic were varying shades of the color.

"W-who?! What the heck are you doing out here?!" I stumbled over my words in surprise as I quickly shoved my hands under my cloak out of instinct.

"I could ask you the same thing," he jauntily snickered while never losing his sunny grin.

"N…none of your business…" I sulked, extremely put-off by his merry attitude during my time of deep depression. "Sorry I asked."

"Heh, sorry sorry. I didn't mean to intrude or anything. I just found it odd to find such a young kid wanderin around the forest alone in this weather," he explained politely yet playfully.

Kid? This child barely older than me is calling me that's lived probably ten times his age a kid? What nonsense. He couldn't understand anything. At least, that's what I thought at the time.

"I'm not a kid," is how I chose to respond instead. "Now leave me alone."

The spikey-haired kid's eyes widened rather comically at that, and instead of leaving me alone like I asked, it seemed to only intrigue him further.

"Not a kid?! You're like…" He lifted up his free hand and started counting on his fingers. "…at least four or five years younger than me! And don't get what I said wrong either. I'm totally a kid too!" He puffed out his chest as if that was a thing of pride. "A strong, lovable kid!" he added with a confirming nod of his head and a wide grin.

"Are you sure you're older than me?" I deadpanned, not in the least impressed.

"Ah, Sve! You're killin me…huh?" he was cut off by his own revelation of what just happened.

"What did you just call me?" I narrowed my eyes at the slightly confused but still cheery fool in front of me. What the hell was a Sve?

"Sve…" I watched him roll the word around his tongue a little as if he was experimenting with its pronunciation. "I don't know. It just came out!" He beamed at me like it was such a trivial matter. "I just seem to know that you're Sverige and it came out Sve cuz it sounds cuter kakaka!"

"Sverige? I'll ask again. What the hell is a Sverige?" I pressed in so much frustration that I completely disregarded the 'cuter' comment.

"Geez, you're so uptight. Loosen that crease between your eyebrows a little Sve!" the boy I still knew nothing about but was getting awfully familiar with me held out his hand to poke between my eyebrows.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" I jumped back and curled my cloak tighter around my body on instinct.

The wind suddenly picked up around me and I saw the boy that had been so relaxed and cheerful standing there, axe at the ready in a stance fully prepared to defend himself. He looked more surprised than anything else though and quickly lowered his weapon again at the sight of me huddled in on myself. I noticed the wind suddenly die down again and I glanced nervously between the boy and the trees around me, planning a possible escape route.

"Wait! I'm sorry. People are always tellin me I come on too strong most of the time. I just don't think it's worth mopin around when life can be so great! I didn't mean to make ya feel uncomfortable." He relaxed his stance and shifted his axe back to his shoulder, the bright grin once again returning to his face.

"What do you mean life can be so great?" I shot back at him. "You call me Sverige, but what do you know about me? I know nothing about you! What makes you think you can get so familiar?"

I was beyond annoyed at this point. I was furious. Why was this boy allowed to be so happy while I suffered alone in the dark? What did he know about my 'moping?' How dare he barge into my life calling me Sverige and smiling at me with that stupid grin and that stupid laugh!

"Because…you're just like me no?" his grin faded at this and he cocked his head to the side, furrowing his brow in contemplation. "At least…I think you are. Are you?"

What does that even mean? How the hell am I supposed to know if we're the same or not? How could we be? I'm a basically immortal being with a freakish power that also heals extremely fast. How are we the same?

"We're nothing alike…" I answered. "You'll never understand me."

"Wait, but I really do have this feelin that…" he started.

"NO! I don't know why you even stopped to talk to me for this long. I was just minding my own business when you interrupted me and invaded my privacy with your loud, obnoxious presence!" I growled at him. I don't know why I was being so overly flippant with just this one boy, but him acting so friendly in my solitude only made me want to close my mind more. The pain that had been dull and almost forgotten when the boy had first arrived was flaring up now and all I wanted to do was get away. "Just…LEAVE ME ALONE!"

I turned to leave and started stalking back the way I had come, but I didn't get far. Before I could properly react, he had dropped his axe on the ground and raced to catch up to me and grabbed my right hand in his haste to stop me. It was going to happen again. The memories of pain and fear came back all at once and it clouded my mind so much, I couldn't even pull my hand away.

The cheery kid tensed up and his eyes went wide, but he didn't let go of my hand. He began to grimace and I could see sweat forming on his brow. Slowly, I could see him start to wobble until he ended up on his knees, but he still never let go of my hand. When I started feeling lighter than I had in years, it finally clicked.

"I…IDIOT! Let go!" I shouted and struggled to free my hand from the surprisingly tough stranglehold he had on it. It was difficult without the use of my other hand. I couldn't risk touching him with both. "You're going to get yourself killed!"

Finally, the kid released my hand, panting and sweating as if he had just run a marathon. His eyes were shadowed and his shoulders sagged a little as I backed off in horror, gripping my hand as if that could contain its monstrous power.

"I'm sorry…" my voice was trembling as I was trying to hold back the tears. "This is exactly what I didn't want to happen…I told you you could never understand me…I'm sorry…"

"Hold kæft…" It was barely a whisper, but the boy had said something.

"I'm sorry…" was all I could continue to say.

"Det er sgu rigtigt…" came the mumbled reply.

"What do you mean 'it's damn true'?" I instinctively inquired.

Wait…that wasn't just gibberish to me? It didn't sound like the language I was used to. How did I understand?

"And I thought MY power was rough…" the kid finally calmed his breathing a little more and wiped the sweat off his face. "What the heck was that?"

"Wait…you…you aren't afraid? Or disgusted? And…you have a power too?" I almost couldn't get my questions out fast enough. My fear was shoved aside in my haste to understand.

"Well…I'm goin to be honest. It was a little jarring, but I wouldn't be afraid of someone like you that obviously doesn't want to intentionally hurt anyone with your power and is doing his best all on his own in order to protect everyone," he smiled a genuine smile and pushed himself back to standing, albeit a little wobbly, but standing nonetheless. "And yeah, I have a power as well. I've had it ever since I can remember. It can be extremely destructive and I can't control it all the time, but I've grown to embrace it and I've learned a lot because of it. Did you know I can sail?"

"Sail?" I just responded mechanically. I couldn't even get my thoughts straight. My emotions were flying in a thousand different directions at once: curiosity at his power, joy from his compliment, fear from the scars of my past, anger still from his annoying antics, laughter at his comical expressions as he boasted about himself, sadness at possibly hurting someone, confusion because it seemed like I hadn't, excitement about finding someone that maybe actually could understand me…

"Yeah! I can basically control the wind. Pretty cool huh? I've learned how to build what is apparently called a ship and use the wind to carry me along the water. It's so much fun!" his eyes lit up as he recounted some of his adventures. "And I am tryin to learn how to fly…but I kind of suck at it at the moment. Don't tell my ego that," and he winked as though his own self couldn't hear himself talking.

"You uh…talk a lot don't you…" I couldn't help but say even though I really did want to hear more.

"Do I? I've never really talked to a fellow nation before, so I'm kind of excited," he shrugged half-heartedly.

"A…nation?" I asked. Is that what I was? Was I finally going to find out who I am?

"Yeah…I had a hard time finding out what I was too, but the wind told me," the kid smiled fondly at this and the wind seemed to respond in kind as it swirled around him playfully.

"You can hear what the wind says? I'm sorry…you're answering so many of my questions and I don't even know who you are…" I ashamedly stared at the ground between us.

A loud smack echoed through the trees and I looked up to see the kid facepalming so hard, a small red hand print could be seen spreading from between his fingers.

"I'm so sorry! I never introduced myself…I got so caught up in the moment," the kid looked genuinely flustered for a little as he readjusted himself as if he had walked into the conversation for the first time. "Eh hem…hello Sverige, it is nice to meet ya. My name is Mathias Kholer, also known as the great nation of Danmark."

At that, the kid apparently known as Danmark held out his hand expectantly, but I couldn't help but hesitate again.

"Er…Danmark? Mathias?...what do I call you?" I started, staring at the kid called Danmark's hand like it was a foreign object.

"You really could call me anythin you want. That's basically what I do with others anyways," he smiled.

"Ok…um…Dan…I can't…er more like I won't shake your hand. That contact we had already was a mistake…my power is…" I fumbled along.

"Oh, I kind of forgot already kakaka," Dan laughed it off, but I could see the sweat still dripping down the side of his face and the slight darkness now visible beneath his eyes that were so flawlessly bright before.

"It's too dangerous…" I looked him dead in the eyes and silenced his laughing.

"Look," Dan stopped smiling and grabbed my right hand again before I could react. Damn he was fast.

"I just told ya, I'm a nation, and a strong one. I won't die to somethin like this, and it won't bother me for long. Plus…" he shook my hand around like he was dusting out a cloth. "It's not even doin anything anymore. You must be out of juice or somethin," his face lit up in that same huge grin.

"It's…not?" I asked, my eyes widening.

"Not at all. Maybe ya have it under control?" he playfully laughed as he slapped me in the back. "What happens if I touch your left hand?"

At that, my face lit up. "I almost forgot!"

I hurriedly slipped my right hand out of his grasp and gripped his still outstretched hand with my left. The pain returned with a vengeance, but I was happy about it for once, because I knew I was taking back what Danmark had taken from me. Apparently he realized annoyingly quickly too, because it was only a couple seconds before he hurriedly yanked his hand away and reached for my right hand again, but I was prepared this time. I slid my hand behind my back and dodged his swipe.

"No can do Dan…" I had to catch my breath a little, but my voice was resolute as I stood my ground to face a surprisingly angry Dane. "I won't let you take what is my burden even if you say you can handle it."

"How long have ya felt like such shit?" Dan asked with no hesitation or masked words.

"Sorry?" I asked legitimately unsure how to respond to his blunt question and his sudden drastic change in demeanor.

"How long have ya felt like swords are bein stabbed into your heart and explosions are goin on in your brain? How long have ya felt like every muscle in your body is being weighed down and stiff like you're constantly in chains? How long?" Dan was seething.

"I…I'm sorry…" I could only apologize as if I was being scolded though I barely understood what I was apologizing for.

Dan let out a sigh then and the anger slowly drained from his face. "That long huh?" He gently grasped both my arms, careful to avoid either of my hands, and placed them at my sides, then he pulled me into a tight embrace. "I'm sorry I didn't find ya sooner."

I couldn't help it. I hadn't cried since the day I had to bring back my dead friend, but here, I let my tears fall like rain. All the pent up emotions I had been harboring spilled out in waves. Dan just stood there, supporting me in his arms as my tiny body let out shaking sob after shaking sob. At one point, I almost lifted my arms on reflex to hug him back, but Dan had apparently thought things through more than I thought because the way he was holding me, I couldn't lift my arms. I only cried harder at that. It wasn't out of fear that he was doing that. I knew now. He was doing it to consider my feelings. He was neither trying to take my pain or give the remaining amount back to me. He was just supporting me. In that moment in which I was crying the hardest I've cried in years, I couldn't have been happier.

When I finally quieted down, he pulled away and gave my tear stained face a once-over before smirking and grabbing the ends of my cloak and throwing it over my head.

"Ya look like absolute top-tier shit," he laughed as I fumbled with pulling the cloak off my head and grumbling as I wiped my face off. "Kakaka…but, you're strong ya know."

I paused in my efforts, my cloak still clutched in my hands. His smile turned from joking to soft as he gently pat my head.

"Dealin with that kind of power alone for so long…consider me impressed." He clenched his fist and put up his thumb in some kind of 'good job' gesture.

"You know…you say some nice things. But it's really hard for me to take you seriously with all these antics of yours," I said that with an annoyed frown, but inside, I was so happy and light, it felt like I was floating. My efforts had not been for nothing. Someone had acknowledged me and made it sound like they wouldn't be leaving me any time soon. Did this mean I wasn't going to be alone anymore? The tears almost began to flow once more, but I stifled them as I was not going to cry in front of Dan again.

"You can't take this face seriously?" Dan's shocked voice cut through my musings. He looked appalled that I could even suggest such a thing and swiped his hand around his face like he was showing off a perfect shape. "Is it cuz I'm not holdin my axe anymore? It's cuz I'm not holdin the axe isn't it? I'm plenty reliable and serious when I need to be!" Dan openly pouted as he quickly began scanning the area for the lavish axe he had been carrying earlier.

I sighed out loud watching him pout and mumble about how inspirational and charismatic he was and couldn't help but smile a little. I stretched my arms over my head and clenched and unclenched my fists. It had been a while since I felt this good. Dan was now walking over to his axe that was waiting for him patiently in the snow just a few feet away and my smile dropped a little as I watched him ever-so-slightly grimace as he wiped a little sweat off his brow. Maybe I really shouldn't get too comfortable. I had just met Danmark, and he had just met me. He had no obligations to stay with me, and he had a first-hand experience of my frightening power.

"I can feel your scowl from here," Dan once again cut through my rambling thoughts. "I can tell you a thing or two about frightening po…"

He stopped mid-sentence and froze in his return to me, axe now once again resting on his shoulder. I was just about to ask what was wrong when a blast of wind slammed straight into my chest and I was sent flying back into a tree. My back stung from the impact as I slid unceremoniously to the ground, my vision swirling.

"What just…" I started but couldn't finish when my vision settled and I saw the scene before me.

A large knife glinted from where it was impaled in the tree exactly where I had been standing moments ago. Dan stood bracing his axe against a multitude of swords brandished by an ambush squad that probably saw us as easy targets for quick supplies. I hurriedly looked around for anything I could use as a weapon to help, but Dan shot me a quick look that made me freeze in my tracks. It screamed to stay back. A thousand thoughts ran through my head. Was he as strong as he said he was? I hadn't thought about if he could use that large axe well or not. It seemed way too heavy for his still young-in-stature body, but he soon proved me wrong.

Gritting his teeth, Dan shoved them off and bounded back with amazing speed. I could feel the wind begin to shift around me as Dan threw off his cloak and stood his ground. It was a surprisingly one-sided battle for the most part. I watched in awe as Dan looked almost comfortable and a little like he was having fun as he ducked and weaved between the men's attacks, snapped weapons in half with one swing of his axe, and knocked some of them out with the handle. I was so entranced, I didn't notice when one of them broke off and snuck up behind me. I felt his presence too late to react. I closed my eyes in anticipation of that pain forever seared into my mind the day my powers activated, but it never came. All I felt was a sudden sharp gust of wind followed by a surprised intake of breath and guttural coughs. When I opened my eyes, Dan stood between me and the man, the man's sword piercing his shoulder but his axe impaled deep into the man's chest.

"Don't. Touch. My. Family." Dan growled, anger boiling in his eyes as he withdrew his axe and yanked the sword out of his shoulder. As the man fell lifeless to the ground, he gently handed the sword to me. "Take cover…I'm sorry…" it came out as barely more than a whisper, but I heard it clear as day. What was he apologizing for? He had just saved my life…or at least…saved my immortal life from a death's amount of pain. And wait…family?

I had barely any time to think about what just happened when I suddenly began to feel a slight change in the pressure around the area. The wind had become agitated and chaotic. Dan was slowly advancing on the remaining group still standing where he had left them before coming to my rescue. His eyes were shaded as he held his axe to the side with one hand. One of the men tried to rush him, but a vortex suddenly formed around the Dane and sent the man sprawling backwards and into a nearby tree. The rest of the men hesitantly brandished their weapons. A couple tried firing arrows, but the vortex quickly caught them and sent them flying off in random directions. Then, the first thunder clap echoed across the sky. It was like watching the end of the world. Tornadoes began descending from the blackened sky like extending claws. The men began to panic and threw down their weapons, scattering among the trees, and screaming for their lives. That's when I remembered that Dan had told me to take cover as well. I found a nearby alcove sheltered by sturdy roots and some raised ground and took in the scene before me.

As the tornadoes began to touch down, the sounds became deafening. Screams, whimpers, and snapping branches filled the air as men, animals, and trees alike were being ripped from the ground and tossed haphazardly around like rag dolls to fall who-knows-where. Through it all, Dan stood at the epicenter, eyes pointed skyward with a blank stare, hair and tunic whipping around with the wind. Thunder continued to rock the sky as the destruction ravaged on.

Suddenly, I felt a slight shift in the wind again to see Dan with his axe now jammed into the ground, both hands gripping the handle for dear life, his eyes jammed shut in painful concentration and his teeth grit to the point where blood began trickling down his chin. Slowly, the tornadoes began to retreat back into the clouds, but it was not safe yet. Bodies and trees began raining from the sky in a macabre shower of devastation. I couldn't look for a little.

I crouched in my protective alcove until I mustered the courage to peak back over the side of one of the roots. If Dan would not be afraid of my power, I would not be afraid of his. Dan was leaning heavily on his axe, one hand gripping it for dear life, the other clutching at his chest like he was trying to hold in his heart. His brow was furrowed in pain and concentration as slowly but surely the tornadoes disappeared back into the clouds. When finally the wind returned to nothing but a light breeze, I glanced around at the now wide-open clearing with the Dane at its center and couldn't help but glance at my own hands. Trees were shattered, land leveled, and people and animals that had been tossed around littered the surrounding area. Maybe I didn't have it that bad.

That's when it clicked. He understood better than anyone what it meant to have a frightening power. He could understand the pain of loss and taking a life. He could understand not being able to control his ability. His apology earlier had not been meant solely for me, but to the men, the forest, and the animals that were about to be caught in his uncontrollable power. And yet, he lived with it all. He was able to smile at me and laugh and call life great. I suddenly felt ashamed of a lot of the things I had thought and said about him.

Then I remembered that Dan had just been in a fight after also getting involved with my power and I quickly recovered my motor skills to run over to him. He was still leaning heavily on his axe, but when I got there, the adrenaline seemed to leave his body and he slumped down to the ground.

"That was…rough…" I barely heard him breathe out. "I…didn't think it would…be that much harder…"

"Just relax Dan," I soothed as I looked over his worn body. His shoulder was still bleeding fairly freely and he was trembling slightly. His hair that had looked like it was constantly wind-blown was now limp and sticking to his sweaty face here and there. "Let me…"

"NO!" Dan almost choked on the word as he forced it out so vehemently when he could barely talk.

It was as if he was reading my mind because I was already reaching over with my left hand.

"But, I couldn't do anything during the actual fight. Let me help you too. If you are willing to carry some of my burden, let me carry some of yours," I pleaded with all of my sincerity.

It looked like he might have been wanting to protest more, but his eyes widened comically instead at my last comment and he gave a light chuckle.

"Like a…family…already…" he forced a smile despite his obvious exhaustion. "I couldn't…stop you from this position…even if…I wanted to anyways."

"You're darned right," I playfully smirked as I gently gripped onto his arm.

Normally I was fighting a mental pain, and it hadn't been since my friend that I had really traded physical pain, so the moment I made contact with Dan's skin, I couldn't help but let out a sharp cry. Knife-like pain shot up my arm and every muscle in my body suddenly started screaming as if it was on fire. How was Dan smiling with the full brunt of this?

I made sure to let go after a little because Dan would get mad at me and I didn't think I would be able to move again if I kept hanging on anyways. Dan was now peacefully smiling with his eyes relaxed shut.

"Thank you…" he managed to drawl out before he passed out completely. "I'm glad ya…didn't take it all…"

Suddenly, the pain didn't hurt so much.

Translations:

Hold kæft [Danish] - basically, "Shut up" or "Hold mouth" but could also be a kind of shut up as in "wow" depending on context and how it's used

Det er sgu rigtigt [Danish] - "It's damn true." (He didn't expect to actually find another like him.)