Prelude

Subaru was not estranged to the scent of iron. The young boy would sit quietly in his father's shop, gawking with childish fascination as he witnessed white-hot metal moulded carefully under the hammer. He idolised his father. He was everything Subaru wanted to be: brave, kind, strong and outrageously interesting! How the youth prayed to the Od Laguna that one day, his brilliant silver hair would grow to be as long as his, his slight and immature frame would grow as large as his and most importantly, the child begged to the almighty powers that one day, in some distant future, he would grow to be as cool and as heroic as his wonderful father.

He could ramble all day about how fantastically fascinating his old man was, how he valiantly defended the village from vicious monsters using his powerful magic; how he would occasionally teach Subaru how to swing a sword of his own. Subaru's love for his father was pure.

Subaru was also aware of his elven blood, which he was genuinely proud of. The folk he grew up around were nothing short of incredible in his eyes. The human inside of him, which he was explicitly lectured to be aware of and accept, meant little because the mysterious silver-haired elves of Gusteko were simply that marvellous.

Subaru was, by nearly all means, one of these fantastical people.

However, the thought that he wasn't 'pure' irritated him.

Why couldn't he just be like his father and the rest, why did his father have to marry a human woman. He adored his mother, but she wasn't the same; a small fibre of his mind resented his mother for being human, and he hated himself for even thinking this.

Despite that Subaru was, to put it frankly, a perfect combination of his parents. His beautiful silver hair which reached down past his shoulder blades came from his father and was the defining feature of every elf in his small village. His natural ability to use magic, as well as his obscene and slightly frightening physical strength, were also gifts from his elven heritage. However, his mother gifted him two very defining features which honestly made Subaru who he was. His incredible spiritual affinity, apparently high enough to contract with the spirit of his choosing, was something his mother shared. She would take him to talk to the lesser spirits nightly, teaching him the importance of forming strong relationships with them.

''You should always consider them not just friends, but allies, Subaru,'' his mother would say. She taught him to love the spirits, just as she did. They were so funny and cute, after all! Now the other trait he shares with his mother is much more noticeable - that, of course, being his eyes which inspired fear into the hearts of even the bravest, meanest and scariest men. His gorgeous hazel pupils shone like jars of fresh honey, but despite that, his eyes were still sharp, mean, and utterly cruel-looking. But his father loved them, and so he eventually came to accept that they were more of a gift than anything. They were one of the few things he and his mother shared, and he treasured that fact.

Rich with elven power, Subaru knew that his blood was powerful. The nasty corners of his sub-conscience reminded him of the dark tales of the world across the border, where men and women like himself were captured by thugs and sold as slaves to the wealthy. He was carefully warned by both his parents and the village elders about the dangers of foreigners. After all, his mother was nearly executed simply for being a human.

"Beware of strangers, child," his elderly neighbours would remind him. "Be a good boy."

Good boy. Be a good boy, Subaru.

Fresh snow compacted under the feet of the panicked elf.

''What time is it?'' the boy pondered. It was dark, but he couldn't understand just quite how. He specifically remembers eating with his parents, but he never ate when it was dark - only when the sun shined.

''It's bad for me, after all,'' he murmured, desperately forcing his mind away from the calamity which fell further behind him; his exhaustion-filled legs trudging across the unfamiliar, icy landscape. He didn't explore past the village walls, for it was far too dangerous, even for an elven child. But alas, sating a seven-year old's curiosity was not worth it, and frankly, the child had hoped he'd have never had to venture past the walls which provided him with a calming sense of security.

Subaru was terrified. For the first time in his life, he was truly scared, truly by himself. For the first time, the boy couldn't rely on his mighty father, or look to his stern but soft mother for safety - which he often did. Subaru was clueless about many things, he couldn't yet tie his shoelaces, nor could he play the song on his mother's piano he had practised, but he was certain about one thing:

''Be a good boy, Subaru''

The putrid stench of death sailed in the wind, attacking Subaru like a starving hound, following him like a silent assassin. It was ingrained into his nostrils. A fetid, cruel, inescapable reminder of the fate which befell his people, and which would soon befall him. Subaru was running as fast as his feet would carry him, tears streaming down his cut-laden cheeks, head throbbing, the savage hands of death gripping his trembling shoulders.

The terrain was wicked. Subaru struggled for his grip as he scampered desperately over the frozen plain, yearning for a glimpse of civilisation. He didn't know where he was going, or what he'd do if he found help, but none of those details were on his mind at the moment. All that mattered was staying alive. If they caught him, he wouldn't receive a pleasant death. He knew they despised him. Despised the pointed ears peeking sheepishly from underneath his regal silver hair. Despised the impure blood running through his veins.

He hated himself. There was no other way to describe it, other than pure hatred for his own being. He was a charm of misfortune, a catalyst for pain and suffering. Subaru knew why they were there, what they wanted. Despite never meeting these people, Natsuki Subaru knew why. They weren't here because his father was a mighty warrior, nor were they interested in the fact that the village chief once slew a witch beast with his bare hands. They didn't care that his Aunt Mary and her sister made the most delightful woollen blankets, and they certainly didn't spare a second look towards the stout old man who made a splendid apple pie for his mother every week. All of these wonderful things and yet they couldn't care less. They had one objective, one which they would stop at no length to achieve.

They wanted his blood spilt.

But he didn't come easy, and his parents were not about to hand their baby over to a gang of crooks. They paid the price. Wicked murder fanned throughout the settlement, blood seeped into the icy soil as the heat of life rapidly wasted away. Subaru couldn't help but blame himself. After all, he's the half-blood, the spawn of two races who should have never met in the first place.

''They'd all be alive if I didn't exist'' Subaru thought bitterly. His exhaustion was becoming increasingly prevalent as his small feet stumbled across the frozen dirt. The reality of it all was beginning to hit him, choking his mind with emotion. Grief, pain, sadness, guilt, guilt, guilt. Subaru felt overwhelmingly guilty. His entire family was dead, guts spilt, corpses charred, and it was his fault. It was simple, if he was elsewhere they'd all be alive, living peacefully as they had for centuries before. Natsuki Subaru was responsible for the deaths of the silver-haired elves of Gusteko and was now running as fast as his short legs could possibly carry him, in a direction he simply guessed.

''Be a good boy, Subaru.''

Those words rebounded inside of his head repeatedly, viciously striking his delicate mind, reminding him of his catastrophic failure to follow the most simple of simple instructions. If only he listened. It really wasn't difficult, but he made it that way.

Subaru was now running on fumes, depleted muscles surrendering to fatigue as his mental turmoil drained his final drops of energy. He was starved of motivation to push forward. Saying he had given up wasn't too far from the truth. Natsuki Subaru, the half-elven boy from the snowy seclusion of Gusteko, would die alone - his reason to live torn from his grasp with brutality he thought he could only read in fiction.

He felt his knees shred against the earth, the scent of blood flooding his senses again as the searing burn of razor-like ice entered his wounds with callous sadism. Pure, unadulterated pain gripped his heart, regret and fear sinking him to his lowest - hatred overwhelming his mind, not towards those who had committed the atrocities which led him to flee, but himself.

He hated himself for ignoring the simple requests of his elders. He hated himself for being too weak to clean up his own mess. He hated himself for fleeing from the disaster he had caused. He hated himself for being too pathetic to even save himself, for giving up when times became tough, for turning to self-pity when salvation was so close. He was the only one given the opportunity to live and yet here he was, face down in the snow, wallowing in his pathetic sorrow as he slowly squandered his chance to be free from the shackles of his demise.

The Gusteko-Lugnica border crossing was a heavily populated, high traffic landscape dominated by tradesmen and merchants from countless regions. Due to the relatively warm relationship between the two nations it separated, the border witnessed those from all walks of life journey over it, well-intentioned or not.

The stout slavery laws prevalent in Lugnica forced slave traders to take their business north, often raiding the territories around the border, dragging captives into the mountainous desolation known as eastern Gusteko. The heavy reliance on the mining industry in Gusteko, combined with a relatively scarce population, encouraged the illegal dealing of all races, but the heavy-set demi-humans found in the northern territories of Lugnica were often the primary targets. Demi-humans of all varieties were shipped between the two nations, most often perishing once the Gustekan cold hits, the rest being worked to death in the mountains, mining for highly valuable magical ores and gemstones.

Entire villages would be pillaged without a sliver of mercy, their strongest inhabitants were torn from their homes destined to work as slaves - the rest brutally executed without remorse.

To avoid the cruel terror of the slave trade, races who were closer to extinction would hide themselves away in small, secluded villages. The two most well known of these races were the Oni and the Elves, with many people never spotting a member of either race outside of literature in their lifetimes as their entire races were contained in tiny, self-sustained hamlets. However, there was one significant reason that both the Oni and the Elves were so few and far between.

Power.

To say they were powerful races would be an offensive understatement. They weren't just powerful, they were herculean. They possessed strength at birth that even the most elite humans would sacrifice their short lives for.

Their raw might was so incredible that oni chiefs were known to accidentally crush the hands of human nobles they shook hands with, often leading to accidental conflict due to the misunderstanding. Elven village leaders, who often used small hugs and embraces as greetings, were frequently accused of assault because they could accidentally suffocate the much weaker human tradesman who visited their forest and mountain villages. They had the strength of entire human armies, and if not for their paltry numbers, they would have dominated the lands.

However, significant strength attracts significant attention, especially those jealous of said strength. Jealousy breeds hatred, and hatred leads to conflict.

Whilst the oni had other reasons for their small numbers, many other demi-human races were near extinction for one reason and one reason alone. Humans. Humans are spiteful, greedy creatures. The vast void in strength between the humans and the demi-humans fuelled the fire of hatred within their souls, urging them to take action, to make things fair. Humans banded together, used each other to achieve common goals, countered their lack of strength with sheer numbers and teamwork. When working together, humans could destroy a demi-human village in an evening whilst suffering minimal losses, taking hundreds of captives as slaves and leaving the rest dead, throats torn open.

All of the stories, all of the tales that he treated so lightly were flooding back to him...

Subaru had collapsed face first in the snow, his world slowly caving in around him. The stench of death overwhelmed his senses. The cold grip of the end gently caressed his shoulder.

The lone boy trembled slightly as his fingers clamped into the snow beneath him.

He shouldn't have left them behind.

He shouldn't have cried.

He shouldn't have been a bad boy.

He was bleeding, but he wasn't gravely hurt. He was prone in the snow, aware of the consequences of his sloth but too deep in his self-loathing to care. His friends. His family. His parents. He wasn't burnt in a bread oven like his neighbour...he wasn't cut into pieces and fed to the beasts like his friends…he wasn't impaled on a stake, dead body displayed at the village gate like the chief. He was free, running away from it all, running away after watching his parents die - guts wrenched open and dragged out.

His entire village had given him the key to unlock his door to freedom and he blew it. They let him run but all he could do was stumble and fall, failing at the first hurdle, giving up almost immediately once things got tough.

Subaru felt hot tears welling, melting the piercing cold of the snow beneath him. Resignation. He had accepted his fate. He could hear the audacious cackle of cruel laughter in the near distance, the laugh of the men which would grant his life its shameful conclusion. The heavy, trudging steps of their worn leather boots kicked through the snow, ringing through Subaru's ears as he sinks his near-frostbitten fingers deeper. Their voices were coarse and scratchy, reflecting decades of tobacco smoking, sending shockwaves of pure fear down the spine of the half-elf.

The closer they came, the higher his fear rose. He didn't know what they would do to him, but it wouldn't be pretty. His eyes were fastened shut, small whimpers running out of the boy's mouth as sterling fear took over his heart.

They were mere paces away now, grim laughter echoing as a startling feminine voice called out:

''How delectable, I must say you are much less appealing than we were told''

''Subaru, was it? How are your parents? I'm sure they're doing just fine'' the woman taunted, her overly seductive voice making Subaru cringe, receiving a stark reminder that his parents were not okay.

Subaru was now visibly trembling, eliciting a cruel laugh from the small crowd now gathered around him. Small sobs could be heard from the boy, only inciting them to mock him further.

''What a wimp, I wonder how high his pain tolerance is, I reckon maybe...3 fingernails before we break him'' a rough male voice ridiculed. Subaru heard the sharp sound of a blade being drawn from its sheath, forcing a loud whimper from his throat. He knew what this meant, it was obvious they'd make this as cruel as possible.

He made no effort to move, but his mind was racing. Should he try to stand up? What would even happen?

A hand roughly gripped the boy's hip, tossing him around so he faced the cloudy grey sky. There was eight of them, all male but one, all dressed for the cold aside from the tall-ish female who basically wore nothing but a wide grin on her face.

Subaru's face was red from the cold, hot tears streaming down his cheeks, a look of terror plastered onto his expression. The sight of the boy's face caused pure, genuine laughter to erupt once again from the small group of thugs, the black-haired beauty now standing over his quivering body with a look of pure excitement on her face. Her strange kukri sat loosely in her grip, pointed directly at his face, ready to draw his life from his body.

She bent down at her waist, locking eyes with the petrified half-elf. She licked her lips hungrily, eyeing the boy up and down, observing her prey like a butcher. She was almost scholarly in her observations, taking in every detail. His hair, his eyes, his ears, his bright red face, his grazed and bloody knees, his look of pure horror.

''How delectable'' she uttered. ''Truly an ugly boy, I do hope your innards are sweeter.''

Subaru gasped. He thought of his parents, their dead bodies invading his mind, making him plant his head in his hands, trying desperately to make the thoughts disappear. The tears kept flowing, and the woman simply giggled at the sorry sight before her.

''How irritating'' she mused, standing up straight once again, twirling her curved blade in her right hand.

The woman bent down once again, gripping Subaru by the collar of his shirt with her free left hand, forcing him to his feet. She held him up, Subaru providing no resistance to her aggressiveness, his mind absorbed in the thoughts of his parents which he had abandoned. She was beyond annoyed, her prey giving up was horrifically boring after all.

Nudging his chin up with the butt of her kukri, she forced his eyes to meet hers. The look of agony in his expression sent chills of joy throughout her body as she let his head drop once more.

''I guess it's about time i give you what yo-''

''Weeeeeell then, I guess it's time you puuuut the boy down, he's raaaaather precious to me, after all'' a strange, unfamiliar voice interrupted, snapping Subaru out of his trance.

She instantly dropped the boy, assuming a defensive stance. She glanced around noticing that her companions were dead, decapitated just like those in the village they'd 'visited' earlier. Obviously the handiwork of the tall, slim mage stood before her, who now had a frozen silent Subaru in his arms.

'This is rather problematic,' she pondered, unsure how she could complete her task in this situation.

''I must take my leave, but I assure you boy, I will come back to end you and your filthy bloodline'' the woman spouted, anger and hate in her tone. The man simply chuckled, retorting:

''I doooon't like your chances here, booooowel hunter. This boy is mine, leaveeee my sight immediateeeeely before I have no choice but to end youuuuu''.

And with that, she disappeared. The only trace of her existence being the brutalised corpses of the men she worked with. Subaru was finally safe, in the arms of a man he'd never met, a man who had instilled such fear into the lady he called the 'bowel hunter' that she fled without a second thought.

''Suuuubaru-kun'' the man started. ''You're coming with meeeee, i have a person you'd looooove to meet.''

All he could do was nod in agreement before he drifted off to sleep.