THE RUN-AWAYS PT 4—Bara Traith’s Story—A Month Before Bara huffing and trying to breathe: This was his wish after all and he hoped for it to come true with all his heart. Two nights ago thirteen year old Bara has escaped his parents’ house just barely. For so many years he was nothing more than a slave to his mother, father, aunt, and cousin. His parents didn’t like him because they thought he was a cursed child since he came out with long, wild purplish hair, large wolf ears, and black diamond eyes. His skin color was slightly off as well. His parents were a deeper shade of bronze blue while he was more bronze yellow, thus the one thing that really made his parents fearful of him, and treat him badly was the strange marking on his chest. They treated him horribly making him do all the chores, locking him in the barn with the animals at night, and feeding him nothing but scraps. He was so thin and was close to fainting but he stepped bravely onto the side rail and waited as it carried him across to a foreign new island. As he steps down from the rails he notices that the trees are a bright pinkish color and this makes him smile, for he felt that he’d come a more peaceful place where his parents couldn’t find him. Bara: Bara thought to himself as he began wandering down a winding road. He’d seen the sign after leaving the rails and thought that Feerial Village sounded like a nice place to lead a new life. Walking along the road he thinks back to two days earlier when he had to run away and never look back on his terrible, sad life again… Latha tossing food into the barn: Latha Traith, Bara’s mother had come in from the house to feed her son and make sure he had just enough strength to work the next morning. Bara Traith of the Third Clan was apart of the spirit healing clan, but his spirits failed to heal themselves since his family tore him down at every turn. Bara was small for his age standing only at about 5’5 and withering away to nothing, but that didn’t stop his family from cutting him down even more. They beat him mercilessly, yelled at him, and treated him worse than the animals they cared for. Bara sadly after licking up his food: Latha with a deep voice full of anger: Bara trying not to cry: Latha holds up one had to stop from speaking any further. Bara stops talking abruptly and stares at his mother in fear. He didn’t know whether she would slap him or simply give him the evil and spit acid words at him cutting deeper than the actual ones physically put on him. Latha: Bara: Bara used this type of flattery towards his mother to gain more of what he wanted. She sometimes fed into it and gave him what he asked for, but mostly she just ignored him. However, she was in a “good mood” and decided to give him a bit more. Latha tossing in more scraps of food: Bara after picking up the scraps of food: Latha with an angry sigh: Bara: Latha paused for a minute with a look of sadness in her eyes then walked into the barn where her son sat in the hay ready to go to sleep. She stood over him looking sinisterly at the child she was once so happy to carry him in her tummy. She bends down and Bara, who was used to being slapped about, flinches a little as Latha scoops him up in her arms and hugs him tightly. Latha whispering to Bara: Bara in a surprised tone of voice: Latha: Bara crying and hugging her tightly: Latha: Just then Bara’s father walks into the Barn as Latha thrusts him back down on the hay. Jetha looks at his son with hate in his eyes then pulls his wife back out the barn and shuts it closed killing the little light that kept Bara feeling safe. He shivered in the cold barn but was soon asleep in a matter of minutes. A several hours later Latha comes back and swings the barn door open with such force that it shakes the whole barn. Bara awakes with a start then stares blankly at his mother who looks frantic. Latha: Latha hands Bara a bag full of clothes and food. Deep inside, she truly cared about her son and wanted nothing but the best for him. Sadly she couldn’t give this to him and on the surface she hated the fact that he was born the way he was. Bara quickly dresses in his all black servants’ uniform rather old worn work pants slightly too big and a too small shirt that showed his stomach. He ties his hair back and grips the bag in his hands then carefully exits the barn. Bara kissing Latha on the cheek: She hugs him tightly then shoves him towards the woods and sprints back towards the house. Bara runs with such speed into the woods and doesn’t look back once until he hears a yell so violent that he stumbles a bit and almost falls face first to the ground. He gathers his balance and keeps going because he knows that his father and Uncle Saithe are both on his trail. It was near his time to awake anyway to start his work and Jetha was known for waking him earlier than he really wanted to be. He hears them in the distance and decides to ditch the path and follow a different way. Jetha: Saithe: Jetha: That was two days ago and Bara still hadn’t been caught by either one of them. He was happy about this since he was weak and didn’t have much strength after going through the woods stumbling trying to find smoother ground. As he walked around Feerial in the dark he noticed that there were no people around. It wasn’t that late into the night yet, there wasn’t a soul still lingering about. Bara walks slowly down a street and then turns and walks down another. His mother had given him food, but no money so he couldn’t stay anywhere. He walks down a dark alleyway and sees that one of the buildings is abandoned. He pushes open one of the windows and slips right through; this is where he now called home. ** Fazil: Yuki: Casee laughing: Yuki with a thoughtful expression: Casee laughing harder: Yuki with a shy smile: Casee: Fazil closes his eyes, spins three times then points straight ahead. Casee and Yuki begin running in the direction of Fazil’s finger and the game begins. As they play out the day laughing and having a good time, Fazil realizes that it is time to start collecting the goods. Fazil: Casee: Fazil: Casee: Fazil: Casee: Fazil: Casee: Fazil walks in one direction while Casee and Yuki walk in another. As they separate Casee decides to sing Yuki a song. They pass the familiar streets where they met and smile at each other. As they pass the alleyway where Fazil stumbled upon Casee, she stops and looks at it and sees it in a different light. Casee: Yuki: Casee: Yuki: Casee: Yuki: Casee and Yuki are about to walk away from the alley when they hear soft sobs coming from the abandoned building. Casee: Yuki hiding behind Casee: Casee: Yuki: Casee: Yuki: Casee grabbing Yuki’s hand: They walk up to the building and listen first. There’s a little boy inside crying harder and harder. Casee looks into the broken window and sees him sitting all alone in the middle of the charred and dirty floor. Casee: Yuki: Casee: Casee grabs Yuki again and they both slip through the window and walk over to the boy. They see that he is filthy and wearing rags for clothes. His shoes are worn and his once golden greenish skin is covered in dirt. He is wiping his eyes with his dirty hands and doesn’t see Casee and Yuki standing there until Yuki hiccups loudly. Yuki with an embarrassed smile on his face: Boy getting up and about to run away: Casee in a soothing tone: Boy in a hostile tone: Yuki becoming a bit angry: Boy: Casee: Boy: Yuki: Yuki goes off to the other side of the building and stands there with his arms crossed. He looks out one of the dirty windows and stops listening to Casee and the boy. He wasn’t too happy with how the boy was acting around people who were trying to care about him. Boy: Casee: Boy: Yuki: Casee: Yuki with a heavy sigh of defeat: He goes back to looking out the dirt stained window while Casee continues coaxing the boy out of the building. Casee: The boy is taken aback and calms down the angry tone. It seems that Casee has hit a sore spot. Boy stammering in a small voice: Casee: Boy finally giving in to Casee: Casee: Boy: Yuki brightening up: Casee to Yuki: Bara: Casee: Bara: Casee: Yuki sarcastically: Casee makes a face at Yuki then turns back to Bara. Casee: Bara: Casee: ** Bara: Casee: Yuki with his mouth full: Casee rolls her eyes: Bara: Casee: Bara: Casee: Yuki: Casee laughing: Yuki: Casee: Yuki: Casee: Yuki thoughtfully: Bara sounding a bit sad: Casee: Bara smiles at Casee and finds that he likes his new home even if it was dark and filthy and had a rather pungent odor. He looks down the tunnel towards the entrance where the grate is held in place over the top of the hole and hears a pinging sound of something falling in. Bara: Casee about to get up: Yuki: Bara stays behind and starts rummaging through the clothes that Casee took and put in a pile on one of the walls. He begins changing finding a shirt with no buttons and a small t-shirt with weird pictures that he can’t make out pasted on it. Casee and Yuki come back with Fazil walking slowly behind. He has his arms full of an assortment of food and walks over to where the other foods are stored and drops them down. He then turns around and sees Bara dressing on the opposite wall and pauses to get a better look at him. Fazil to Yuki and Casee: Casee: Fazil: Bara: Fazil in a cool tone of voice: Bara: Fazil: Casee: They begin to eat and are laughing and having a good time when Yuki spots the mark on Bara and wonders what it is. Yuki: Bara trying to cover it up: Fazil staring at the mark: Bara perking up: Casee: Fazil: Casee: Yuki: Bara growing angry inside: Fazil: As Fazil ends with these words the four of them start eating again and laughing. They were complete as one and finally Fazil, Casee, Yuki, and Bara had people to care for them, friends to be there for them, and a family to love them. They were a single unit at last, and this is how four separate run-aways became one; how two and three met one more; and how three became four.
The wooded area was rather dense but running blindly and trying to look back was becoming a struggle. It was pitch black outside with the night air stifling and hard to breathe through, but Bara Traith kept running and didn’t stop until he came to a side rail sitting in a rather strange place. He’d come to the edge of the island and stopped short just before falling off to the bottom of nowhere.
I hope this leads to somewhere good. I hope it leads to somewhere secluded.
They’d never think to find me here.
Here you go boy eat up you need your strength to work the fields in the morn.
C-c-can I please have a bit more?
DO YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT YOU HAVEN’T HAD ENOUGH TO EAT?!! AS IF TO SAY THAT I DON’T GIVE YOU ANYTHING?!!!! HOW DARE YOU, YOU UNGRATEFUL THING!
Believe me mother I—
No, you shall not call me by that name; you are no son of mine I tell you. You are Baarda’s child. You belong to the Devil God with that—that mark on ya!
I know that you feed me well, (swallowing hard) but I would love to have some more since it was very good.
Fine then eat up! Eat up now!! This is the last of it.
Can I ask you a question please?
Fine then go ahead let’s hear it!
Why don’t you love me? Why can’t you hug or kiss me? Why won’t you lay with me sometimes and tell me things will be okay?
Run Bara, run away and never come back. (With tears in her eyes) please go. Go on and don’t look back you hear me!
But Latha—
I’m your mother I said go! This is the end of this discussion. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t go on like this when you are my child. However I can’t keep living with the devil’s child either. Your father thinks me cursed as well because I bore a cursed child. Well, he can hurt me, but I can’t keep letting him hurt ya anymore.
But I’m not Baarda’s child I’m yours. I’m yours!
Listen child you’re leaving here tonight and I don’t want to hear another word about it. Your father, his brother, and his brother’s wife will try at nothing to stop you, or worse, kill you if they catch you. I will provide you with a way out so that you may get out alive and live a life of your own. And Bara…I do love you. But, I can’t keep loving you.
Okay Bara dear it’s time to leave. Get up now and take this with you.
Thank you mommy I love you.
Get back here you puny little punk!! I WILL KILL YOU WHEN I SEE YOU!!
Jetha what will happen if he comes into contact with real people? They will fear for their lives! He’s got that mark o’im. You’ve got to put him down!
Don’t you think I know this?!! Just keep going we’ll find him. He can’t get far…
Casee is walking with Yuki and Fazil down an unfamiliar part of Feerial smiling and goofing off. Casee watches as her two friends play sprite a type of game of tag played by Arcanthians and smiles to herself. She was really happy and so were they.
Casee you want to play with us? It’s really no fun with only two people. No offense Yuki, but it’s not.
Don’t worry I was feeling the same way. No fun.
Hey Yuk why do you always do that—end your sentences with either one or two words like you’re summing it up?
I don’t know really. Not sure.
You did it again!
I know. I can’t help it Case. Now play with us we’re bored playing with just the two of us. The game’s no fun without at least three people. And Fazil you’re still it.
Fine. I’ll play. Now Fazil it’s time for you to spin around three times and point the direction for us to run in. Go!
Okay Case you and Yuki need to go back to the underground and wait until I return. Remember: the grate is to be placed over and you guys are to be quiet until you hear me drop the penny down.
We know the drill Fazil just go, and please be careful.
Aren’t I always?
I don’t recall that but I do recall the first day we met where you were almost caught by that vendor.
Yeah, yeah, yeah keep bring that old stuff up. Have I gotten caught since?
Well no, but that’s because you’re lucky. You are a lucky one.
You keep saying that and you won’t eat.
You know I’m just pulling your leg. Now go, Yuki and I are gone out of sight.
I guess I was lucky to be in that alleyway the day Fazil fell over me. I’d run away the year before roaming everywhere when I happened upon that alley.
Yeah I know what you mean. When I see the fountain I see it differently. It has become my lucky spot where I met you.
Yeah and this is mine where I met Fazil, unwillingly, but thankfully at the same time. I guess we were meant to come together.
This has been the best two months of my life. I’m never going back home. Forgotten.
I’ve been gone almost two years. Fazil ran away at least six months before. Now look at us. We’re actually happy!
Come on I’m ready to go home. My feet are killing me. (pointing to his feet) Pain.
Yuk you hear that?
Yeah now can we get away from here?
Wait it sounds like someone’s crying.
I hope you’re not thinking of checking it out! If you are I’m waiting right here.
You won’t be brave with me and come along?
If you hadn’t noticed I’m not actually the brave type. You do it.
You’re coming with me. Now let’s go.
Yuk it’s a little boy crying. I wonder if he’s another one of us.
Well you go check I’ll stand watch.
Don’t be such a baby Yuk, come on we’re going inside. I want to see if he’s all right.
Excuse me.
Who are you people?!! I claimed this spot fair and square!
Don’t worry we don’t want to take your spot we heard you crying outside and thought we’d come in and see if you were okay.
I’m fine! Now you may leave me alone!
You don’t look fine. You look like you haven’t eaten in years, you’re covered in dirt and you’re sitting in an abandoned building crying.
Nice of you to point this all out to me, but I’m fine. Now leave.
Are you a run-away? Did you leave home? Where did you live before?
I don’t know. All I know is that I’m on my own and that’s the way I would like to stay.
No one in this state wants to be alone. (throwing his hands in the air) Craziness!
Please just leave me alone I’m fine here on my own.
Listen, if it helps, Yuki and I are run-aways as well. We stay together with another friend of ours. Maybe we could take you to where we stay and you could eat and get some better clothes that actually cover you. We have clothes there that I’ve made out of things thrown out.
I don’t trust the likes of you! I don’t trust anyone.
Whatever. And Casee why did you tell him my name? I preferred that to stay a secret.
From who Yuk? From who?
Never mind.
I know you have to be scared in this building alone. We would be happy to be your friends and look after you. You look rather young and I’m sure your wings haven’t come in yet. How do you survive?
I-i-i I m-make a way.
Well let us help you. Come with us. It’s going to be okay. We won’t let anything bad happen to you believe me, we’re not like that.
Well fine, but if I want to go you won’t try and stop me will ya?
Of course not. Now what’s your name?
I’m Bara Traith.
Wow you’re a spirit cleanser! That’s awesome I’ve never met one before.
Oh now you perk up! (To Bara) Okay where did you come from?
I came from the bottom of Traal the Fourth Island It leads straight to Sael, at least that’s what the sign said when I stepped on the side rail to this island. I took it and landed here in Feerial Village. I found this building and decided to live in it.
Wow. How old are you?
I’m thirteen.
Oh cool Yuk he’s the same age as you!
Ooh whoopee. That’s so cool.
Okay Bara welcome to the family. Now come on it’s time to go. I don’t want to get back and Fazil is there. He will surely have a fit.
Who’s Fazil?
Don’t worry you’ll meet him soon enough. He’s the head of our wonderful family and he would be happy to meet you…
While inside the tunnels Casee, Yuki, and Bara are sitting in the middle of the left tunnel eating sappas. Bara turns around and looks down one of the tunnels to the right and wonders where it leads.
So have you guys explored this place below the city? It looks rather interesting.
Well… no we’ve used the rail though. That’s so much fun, but Yuki almost fell off so we haven’t done that in a while. We mostly just walk around above ground.
Yeah and I’m not really up for exploring dark tunnels right now. I’ll wait till I’m a little older.
We just prefer not to go looking for trouble is all.
Well that makes sense. I just wonder what’s down here. What did this tunnel used to be?
It used to be a quicker way for travelers coming in from other islands to get around. It’s rather unique and Feerial is the only village that is home to the underground travel station. Fazil told me that. He and I are natives here if you will.
Well I’m not sure which island I’ve come from. But I believe its Traal the Fourth Island. I’ve learned to read a bit on my own. My parents never let me out of their sight and they kept me locked up in a barn, so I couldn’t explore my surroundings. They never taught me anything so I don’t know much. I know of what I hear and what I teach myself.
Aww, that’s rather sad Bara. I know what you must be feeling. My mother and father never taught me, but my mother’s friend taught me as much as she could that’s how I learned to master the Wikgun in my hand.
What’s that? Is it dangerous?
No Yuk it’s a special weapon used to protect us Arcanthians. There are outside worlds out there that we don’t know about. They might be very hostile and we have to have ways to protect ourselves, or just from people like our loser parents.
So how does it work?
Well you have to really need it or want it to show. My mom’s friend, Lorn, says that it only appears when you call for it to come. Once you’ve mastered calling the Wikgun it will come when you want it to. Also it shows up in different forms mostly from the way you use your powers.
So you use your hands to cleanse and heal the heart?
That must be the case I guess.
Uhm, I wonder how my Wikgun will appear. It would be cool to know how I use my power to cleanse the mind.
I’m not really sure how or what my power of cleansing is or does. I know nothing about myself really.
Well you’re part of the Traith Clan or the Third Clan that cleanses the spirit. You are a rare form not many Traith’s are born and not many are seen here on Arcantha. They are said to be the most powerful of all four clans.
Hey there’s a sound coming from the grate. It sounded like something falling in. is someone coming?
Finally it’s Fazil he’s been gone for too long. Come on let’s see what he’s got Yuk I hope it’s something good like more sappas.
Those are so yummy I can’t just eat one!
So this is the new guy huh? What’s his name again?
This is Bara, Bara this is Fazil. He’s very nice and harmless. He comes off as defensive at first but he’s a good person. Sometimes he acts like a big kid even though he’s the oldest.
Listen life’s a blast live it! That’s what I believe. So Bara, since you’re going to a new addition to our little band, tell me, what’s your story?
Not much to tell I ran away because I was tired of being a slave to my family. My mother told me to leave one night, so I did. I haven’t looked back since. Casee and Yuki found me in an abandoned building and brought me here. You don’t mind do you?
Hey, that’s how we got Yuki. Casee found Yuki by the fountain. Have you seen it yet? It’s very beautiful and Casee likes to pray there. She is the hopeful one out of all of us. She keeps us feeling good about ourselves, and so to have her around is a good thing when you’re feeling sad or alone.
Well I didn’t get out much. I was so hungry that my head began hurting. I couldn’t leave and all I did was cry.
Well now you’re one of us and you can have as much food as you like. We share here and we try and get along since we’re all each other have. We are our own family as Casee says.
Yay! I’m so happy now! Come on lets eat I’m starving.
Bara, what’s that mark under your shirt? Is it a spot of dirt?
Oh it’s nothing don’t worry about it. It’s been here since I was born.
Oh that’s a sign of the Head Goddess and Head God Sidia and Charma. It means he’s a special spirit cleanser who can call on Sidia and Charma to come to his aide, tell of future danger, and ask advice. That right there says you’re really powerful Bara.
Really! My mom and dad kept telling me it was the sign of Baarda the Devil God. They told me I was a cursed child all my life. I wonder if they knew the truth all along.
Well, either they did and kept you from trying to tap into your powers or they really didn’t know and thought the sign was Baarda’s.
My mom used to tell me about the Four Clans all the time. I know a lot about them and what powers are what.
So do I, but my mom’s friend to me. What about you Yuk?
I used to read the books that my mom and dad would leave in their study. It was always locked so I had to find a way to get in. They have everything about the Clans and what they do and the history on how we came about. All it was very helpful and rather interesting to read. I learned a great deal from them.
Why, why were my parents such evil people?! They never told me anything about myself or my powers. You guys know so much about yourselves but I hardly know anything except from what you’ve told me just now.
Don’t worry Bara we’ll find out who you are and how to use your powers. We’ll find out more about all of us and how we can all use our powers. Right now we settle in as a new family and eat. Tomorrow is a new day.
