FETRO 1ST, YEAR 2012

“Those of Stars and Shadows are to be feared.

Feared among men and Gods, cursed be their enemies.

And blessed be their allies. For I was not one.” - Epona Alacer 115 N.C.

- FIRST PERSON -

The night was festive as another year had passed by, I looked below at the land from the spear shaped roof of the Temple of Hayoss.

Oh, how rude of me not to introduce myself. My name is Nora Vesperi, and I live with the unfortunate burden of being a demi-god.

A child of Nagisa. How shameful of me, right? A Bastard of Balance.

-Orculi under you by 2 feet -

I leaped off the roof and towards the ground below me, a loud crash following me with a monstrous roar.
But if you don't mind, I need to run away from this conversation just like I need to run away from my problems, like the overgrown cats chasing me.

I sprinted through the mountains that lay close to the City of Shadows as the Watchers of Corvina followed behind me with ease. I have no weapons with me. There wasn't much I could do.
-Orculi on the .

Warping further ahead, I stumbled slightly over my own footing due to the previous momentum. Warping was not as easy as people think, wormholes, and all that can make you puke kids.

-Orculi on the left another on the right and the last one in the tree on 9th main branch -

Warping for the second time, I landed behind the Amethyst boned animal. Feeling a little woozy, I knew I could only warp one more time before I was done, so I have to make this one count. I grabbed onto one of the many large Amethyst shards on the feline's spine and began to pull at it as the Orculi was quick to react by clawing my shoulder. Finally ripping the shard from the animal's spine, I quickly slashed the neck of the beast as dark purple blood oozed out, getting some of the blood on my white blouse and gray capri pants.
With my face contorting to disgust, I got ready for the other two. The first one already pounced at me with full intent to kill. Forward rolling on my shoulder, I held up the shard as it painfully dragged across the chest and stomach of the large cat. Roaring in pain, the beast fell to the side, bleeding out, the last one. I was already feeling dizzy from my own blood loss from the first Orculi. Now, it was just up to my adrenaline to keep me going.

However, I was feeling bold and a little stupid, "Here, Kitty." My voice was hoarse from the heavy breathing and the workout called survival. Thanks to my awareness ability, I know where the feline was, I just didn't feel like chasing the damn thing. The Watcher of Corvina pounced, and I swiftly got out of the way from the watcher's wrath. With a linear pounce, the Orculi came towards me as I waved the Amethyst shard horizontally, taking out the golden eye of the monster.

I started to breathe heavily as my vision started to blur. The blood loss was no doubt getting to me. Trying my best to prepare myself, the beast came for me again. I could feel my strength decreasing during the single second of the feline's attack, I made an uppercut motion as I stuck the shard in the throat of the dying cat. Smiling to myself in victory, I made my last warp to the City of Shadows, more specifically, the house my older cousin lived in.

I know Akatone heard the large thud on his front door, though he was probably reading and would usually ignore me. But he knew I was bleeding. I heard the door clicking as I leaned on it. It swiftly opened, and I landed on the tiled floor with a grunt. "Wow, you look terrible."
"How observant of you, Akatone." I mumbled out.

"I'll help you with your wound, but you're cleaning my floors." The male ravenette said in pure disgust as he looked at his floors that were once clean, I said nothing and only hummed a yes in response to Akatone. Picking me up, he grabbed my arm and put pressure on my wound as he guided me to his infirmary room.
Akatone placed me on the very uncomfortable mattress. As he walked to his medicine table, he picked up two vials and walked back over to me.

"What's that?" I was quick to question. I really didn't want to be part of some random experiment he had.
"One is a painkiller for obvious reasons made out of tunsu, ginger and Most willow bark and the second one acts as anesthetics so I don't have to hear you complain, made out of chamomile, vasella root, and passionflower." Akatone stated all of this like it was nothing and like I wasn't bleeding out. Pouring the medicine into a small cup, he motioned me to drink it in which I did. This action repeated once more, and I began to feel tired, and with the exhaustion I already had, I fell asleep.

- THIRD PERSON -

Akatone sat patiently as he waited for his younger cousin to wake up. She had been asleep a lot longer than he had anticipated, and with odd worry, he decided to wait. Soon after, small airy coughs could be heard coming from the sleeping body of Nora.
Smiling softly to himself, Akatone got up and walked to the sink to get a glass of water and swiftly put it on the bedside table for Nora before taking his leave. Nora's eyes felt heavy to her as did the rest of her body. Finally, she felt the strength to open her eyes and was met with a bright light coming from the silver light above her. Squinting Nora took a deep breath in as eyes adjusted, and she started to feel her body, which felt numb and her throat felt dry.

Looking around for a source of water, Nora found a full glass on the bedside table to her right. Finally, when she got the numb feeling out of her hands, she reached for the glass.

'Those anesthetics work wonders, that's for sure.' Putting the empty glass down, Nora got up and used the bed for support only to feel a pull in her right shoulder along with a stinging pain. She brought her heavy hand to her shoulder, checking for the wound only for it to not be there.
"Its stitches keep it as clean and dry as possible for the next 24 hours, try not to scratch it, and avoid too much movement. I'll be removing them in 3 to 4 days." Nora lifted her head so fast she almost felt herself get lightheaded, but once her vision focused, Nora saw her older cousin looking at her, his magenta and faded green eyes tired.

"I made food so hurry up, after you eat, you're cleaning my floors." Akatone paused for a second like a moment of realization hit him. "Along with my door, you got blood on that too, I don't want the neighbors thinking I killed someone. Again." Akatone trailed off as he left, and Nora heard his light mumbles as he walked down the hall and to the kitchen.

Nora was used to Akatone's constant want for everything to be clean. He was a perfectionist in Nora's eyes. He was never satisfied when it came to things being clean, but he has a point where he says,'It's clean enough.' though to the human eye, it looks spotless. Guess it’s good we technically aren’t.

Sighing to herself, Nora proceeded to walk down the hall and to the kitchen.

- FIRST PERSON - NORA VESPERI -

In all honesty Akatone's house wasn't that big, when you entered the residence you were met with the living room on your right and the dining room on the left, diangle from the front door and to the left there was the kitchen. In between was the hallway to the right there was the guest bathroom, across from that was the guest room that Akatone had turned into an infirmary, on the left side again at the end of the hall rested the guest room that I occupy and finally the Master bedroom from context clues you can guest that is Akatone's room.

Sounds big, but that's only because of the paragraph explaining it.

"Nora? You alright? You've been standing there looking at the floor for the past 2 minutes."
"I'm all good just explaining the layout to them."

"Them?"

I shrugged my shoulders. He might put me in a quiet box if I tried explaining it to him. "Your food is on the table already, there's also strawberry shortcake if you want some as well, I need to go though my classes are starting soon, I'll stop by your classes and see if you need anything." Akatone was already putting his aruba blue coat on and grabbing his house key. "I wasn't kidding, though. You really need to clean my floors and door. I'll be back at the 5th of morning." Akatone left after that statement. Chuckling to myself I looked at the dried blood and sighed. I was kind of hoping he would let me off the hook but I guess I was expecting too much. But that mess is for later I need some cake.

I stood at the kitchen sink washing my hands, slightly disgusted at the blood I cleaned. Turning off the sink, I dried my hands and got lavender incense out of the cabinet and lit it before putting it in the holding box.
Taking in the scent of lavender I laid on the couch and patiently waited for the incense to burn out. I rested for thirty minutes, the scent calming my nerves, as I slowly got up and walked over to the incense to put it out. But I couldn’t help but notice the gleam of a royal seal on two letters in the corner of the counter. One letter with Akatone’s name and the other with mine. I got closer to the letters and realized both of them were open. I grabbed them both but I opened the one that had my name on the front.

‘To Nora Vesperi: This is the council of Vesperi family we have called upon you to speak about suitors for your marriage. To further grant heirs for the family line, we send this letter to Prince Akatone Vesperi in hopes he will arrive with you at his side when he comes to the castle.
Moonlight upon you. - Viscount Velosyre Caligo’

What? Suitors for marriage? Yeah, no thanks. I’m not that high-ranking in the family. Not bothering to read Akatone’s, I put the letters down on the counter and walked back to my room for some sleep. No way in the Seven Rings of the Underworld will I be marrying anyone just because they told me. I was only seeking one person, and she was no noble in the eyes of the council. Only in my eyes was she so.