[Starting Author's Note]
Greeting my little humans. I feel like I left the Preface in an awkward spot. I think it should have been a little bit longer. I hate how you have so many ideas jumbled in the back of your head that you rush to type down everything so it makes sense and in the end...You're still disatisfied because you're missing a lot of your ideas. That makes sense, yes?
Oh yeah.. So, apparently 'The Tale of Aeria' name is taken by something. Dang it, I thought I was being original but I was way off. I might as well have named it 'The Tale of Syria', right? Unless that's taken too...Kill me now. Just kidding, but actually.. I was pretty pissed when I googled my fanfic's title and it wasn't the first 5 things listed. Ffffuuu!
Disclaimer:I do not own Naruto.
[ Ending Author's Note ]
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| The Start of a Journey |
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The clean and refreshing breeze picked up the peridot-colored leaves with in a twirl. A smile had crept upon my face, sighing as I fell on my back onto the cool grass. So...beautiful this place.
The sunshine leaking in between the petals of what stood tall oak trees. The crystal water flowing downstream with rare colored watercress plants and lotuses. Spring finally arrived and so did my studies floriology. I loved how flowers scented the air with their sweetness. It's a shame many did not appreciate the little things in life. Without these little buds of life, the world wouldn't be so colorful.
The area I had come for 18 years now never failed to displease me. It was comforting, stress-relieving, lively and above all...My home. Nothing beats the comfort of your own home. Well, it wasn't really MY home. It was Aeria's home and nature's masterpiece. This was just a special place, this is what lit the darkness.
Wanting to kill time, I scoped the area for any signs of odd displacements. Nope. Nothing! An 18 year streak of perfection was truly bliss and was one of my 7 wonders of Aeria. I've been scolded many times by Father for running away to here, he always sent me to the library. I obey him like a good child, after all, he is my caretaker but then again.. The smell of old books never really appealed to me so I would gather books and come to this blessedness. I'd rather surround myself around my own studies than study it from this so-called pieces of paper that have been outdated. I guess you can say I am a hands-on type of person?
Falling short of energy, I closed my eyes as a light butterfly tickled my nose. In no more than half an hour, I easily slipped into slumber.
Thud...Thud...Thud..
I batted my lashes open.. The sun was about to go down. Dusk. Just how long had I been asleep? It must have been as little as 4 hours. The pink and purple sky spellbound my eyes. If only this beauteous sky wasn't so short-lived. The night wasn't particularly as bad but it never beat dawn or daylight.
Thud...Thud...Thud..
Hmm? Do I have a headache or is the earth shaking on me? Perhaps this was a dream! I winced as I pinched myself. Nope, I was definitely awake.
Thud...Thud...Thud..
My heart slowly started to race. What is this macabre feeling? My special place never moved me into these emotions before. Unknowingly, my breathing became heavier and saw smoke arise overhead trees. My village!
Thus...Thud...Thud..
A villainous smell raided across my senses. It seemed to grow more and more severe by the second. Foul grunts resonated through the woods around me. I tried to resist crying and forced myself to stay calm but my body defied against me. Just what the hell was going on? I was neither physically or mentally prepared for any of this. Was this an invasion? Or some sick joke?
Only 70 paces away I heard the clanking of metal. Armor. With snickering falling not too short behind. Hastily, I deliberately jumped into the bushes closest to me. This was the best option for immediate coverage.
If only nightfall actually fell sooner on her, maybe her features wouldn't pop out so much. Afterall, her skin was as white as snow and her eyes were as pearly as the full moon. Fortunately, the sound of metal that had pounded into each other and marching had stopped.
What do I do? Investigate? Make a run for home? If she still had a home... Feeling apprehensive, she climbed from the bushes and surveyed her surroundings. A little orb of orange light had flickered on and off from where she heard the marching and stomping. These invaders were still here! Poor men or whatever they were...They had complications starting a fire. How sad.
She paced herself back and forth figuring out what she is supposed to or should do, at the same time calming herself. To be frank, this whole mess was very trying.
"Beat it, dumbfuck! Because of you, we burned a whole village down. The wrong village!" A high-pitched voice rised from the shadows.
So they did raid her village...They burned it down actually.. Did any of her kind survive? Did they escape successfully? She listened in closely and realized the squacking voices to be approaching her area. She quickly hid behind a thick tree, the bushes had already molded into her form inside in which left a gap. It would be obvious to make her be seen.
"Fuck you pit-sniffer, you know better to meddle with I! After all, no one speaks the truth...anymore. Have you not learned?" A more profound voice spoke. Was that actually his name?
But yes.. What this creature of the dark speaks the whole truth. No one ever does speak the truth. Even if one did, no one would genuinely believe it. Such a shame, really.
"You're just lucky he hadn't skinned you alive and marinate you like a piece meat to serve us!"
"Please, we have enough captives to boil and grill from that dreadful little village."
She bit her tongue roughly to calm herself. But the thought of her family behind held as prisoners...or food was morbid! She gingerly climbed the tree and hugged the tree with her bottom on a branch like a koala in stillness.
They approached the water and I had finally seen their faces. My, they weren't very pretty creatures. They almost looked like goblins but how was she to know?
One was tiny with a dull olive green skin tone. His voice was high-pitched and raspy. His face looked almost as if they were smushed together. The other one had sloppy features with a murky-green colored skin tone and was much larger. One eye was placed higher than the other with a slight slant downwards. The poor guy appeared as if someone had punched his faces repeatedly to get it like that. Quite rashly at that! It was so deformed..I almost felt pitiful for him. At least he didn't have a gravelly voice. His was much deeper, but it made him sound...what shall I say? Unsmart? Lacking in intelligence? Yes. That. And his appearance wasn't helping him one bit!
"Bull. Shit. We barely have enough captives to last us more than a few days."
The more screaky one snickered violently "Yes! Bull-shit! That's what your hideous face looks like!" He laughed...or screeched. I wanted to cover my ears desperately but I wouldn't know whether they would pace in my direction. "You're one to talk!" The larger one snapped.
It wasn't too long until the the larger one pounced on the small annoyance and submerged his head in the water until his body went limp. I hugged the tree in my armers tighter. Just what am I seeing! Just who in the right mind would do this? To a comrade! They almost seemed like bickering friends but I guess my assumption was far, very far from the truth!
Feeling squeamish, I turned my head in disgust and terror. Never had I stumble upon such impure acts upon another live being before! Not even with animals...
A large plop in the river resonated through the whispering woods. The "deed" was done. She gulped and looked down at the...ogre? Should she say?
He was crying.
But why? Did he feel guilty? Maybe he meant well but couldn't control his emotions. I always believed people mean well, even the baddest of the bad. Maybe this ogre wasn't so bad...Right? But then again, he just killed a member of this little army.
A loud screech from the other side of the woods echoed into the right as birds had seemed to fly from the area. What the hell was that?
I looked back at the ogre who rushed back to the fiery orb.
"THE BEAST TAMERS ARE COMING! ALERT EVERYONE!"
Beast...tamers?
