The Rise Of Natria The Tyrant

A Mother's Sacrifice

[19th August 1917, Forest of Tats, Annarack, Nao]

In the windless dawn of the jungle, footsteps; the crunch of broken twigs and branches; heavy breathing and an infant's cry break the silence. The couple run for their dear lives, their hearts restless; their ears hearing through the deafening silence, they wish to hear it, but they don't want to.

Natria and Flohelm ran; Natria tried to soothe her child, but the jerks of their run did the opposite. Exhaustion came over the little guy; how long could he cry without milk:; the child fell into deep slumber. Quite a relief for his parents, as they had just reached the opening in the forest. In front of them stoop hundreds of acres of cornfield. They were the Great Corn of Tats, in just a few days they would be harvested, for now they were the perfect site for hiding. Suddenly, they heard gunfire from the direction they came from.

The couple entered the corn stalk as soon as they heard the shot.

"They are near." Flohelm whispered, his brow coming together.

Natria nods, as she gently brushes the head of Barchen.

"We are close, the farm is not that distant from Shidan, if we can just mak-" Flohelm was interrupted by another shot from the same direction.

Flohelm grabbed Natria's hand, and the couple tiptoed through the forest; they tried to look for an exit on the other side; it didn't help. The corn didn't seem to end wherever they went. In whichever direction they moved, they always seem to return to the same place. Exhausted, Natria fell to her knees.

"We can't give up, we nee to continue!" Flohelm tried to cheer her up. Natria didn't seem to listen.

Flohelm was about to cheer her again when another shot, this one much louder than the previous one, was heard.

Natria's expression changed; she got alert, her muscles became tight, her face devoid of any expression except rage. Quickly, she got up, and the couple continued their journey. Fifteen minutes had passed since they enter the cornfield. Suddenly, Flohelm heard rustling to his right;

"They are near. We should continue." Flohelm said, each word he spoke reflected his helplessness. He was scared.

"Where did that fucker with the chick go?" a rough voice came from the east. Flohelm's heart dropped, he sat down on the ground trying to muffle his scream.

"Must be around these stalks. I'll make sure he pay for his troubles in interest!" another voice came.

"You think boss will let us have the chick?"

"Only if she survives him, heh." the voices laughed and mocked.

Flohelm' soul boiled and raged with anger; he wanted to shut their mouths there and then but he kept quiet, knowing very well.

"Anyway, search the stalks. I can't wait to enjoy that chick." the voice commanded.

Flohelm and Natria sat still, without moving an inch. With every rustling, their souls vibrated, the hair raised in fear, their hearts felt they would burst, but they kept quiet.

"I heard they had a child or something?" a voice questioned.

"Right about that, she's a used one but that doesn't change the experience for us suckers does it?" they laughed again.

"What would we do with the child?" the voice asked.

"Kill that fucker, throw him off the cliff or something." the other voice replied.

Something snapped in Natria upon hearing the last line. She could never let her child die; that would stain her honour as a mother. Her eyes narrowed down, her face booming with determination; she kissed her son's forehead. Quietly she handles him off to Flohelm. He was confused, then he saw the tears in her wife's eyes.