Perfectionist

My Shot At Redemption

Alexis' POV.

I'd never had someone want to hold my hand since my parents and Antonio.

You've only just met him, Al-Why are you freaking out?

Don't you remember what happened with Antonio?

You can't trust him.

He feels...Different.

Keep your guard up.

I...

As we entered the shop, a teenage obvliate greeted us,"Welcome esteemed guests. Oh, your highness! The usual?"

"Thanks." Snow let go of my hand, that overwhelming head on my face finally calming down,"For two."

I was still a little dubious of obvliates, no matter how kind they seemed

The only obvliates I saw alive were the ones that barely looked human.

The people I saw here were what I'd call demi-humans.

Horns, wings, coloured skin, scales-You name it.

"Here, have a seat." Leslie brought me over to a seat,"How is it? Have your preconceptions of us been overturned?"

I bit my lip, keeping my silence.

"You thought we were all just ruthless killers, right?"

I couldn't bring myself to face him.

"Those are only the lesser obvliates. They're no better than animals. We are the civilised. We're practically just more exotic humans."

"But y-you've killed billions!" I retorted snappily,"You've left so many orphans and widowed women!"

"So what? Ask any obvliate here about the fathers and husbands they've lost. The humans are just as vicious as us. If not more. They even conspire against themselves."

"If there's one thing that sets humans apart from obvliates-It's that we aren't narrow-minded to the point where we betray another. If we marry, we marry for life. If we are friends, we will never backstab the other. We've been around for years. Humans have killed millions of their kind in that time. But obvliates? There has never been a coup. Never been a single report of an obvliate turning against us."

"But-" I couldn't rebut his words.

They were the truest words I'd ever heard.

It was that simple.

In this war, there was no good or bad, merely two opposing sides being sanctimonious.

The winner was king-always right-and the loser a thief, always wrong.

In every war, the victors were seen as righteous while the losers were casted to the side of villainy.

"It's been a battle of attrition for years now. Your father joined the human's side for a single reason. To give his successor a glory he had prepared."

"Imagine having a child and being a queen. Now pick."

"What?"

"That was his choice. Picking between losing you, or his entire race. He was a king first, father second and many admired him for it."

"..." There was something to being called a second priority that stung.

But I understood his rationale, his drive and convictions.

"Your father loved you." Snow whispered,"You were his everything."

"..."

"But he was a king. We'll never understand what it's like to make such a choice." His voice was deep, cool and collected.

Accept it, Alexis.

I breathed,"Fine. Humans are just as bad as obvliates. Your point?" I deadpanned, collecting myself, stilling my heart.

"We need to focus on the future and rid ourselves of preconceptions. This war, must end."

"You want me, to think of a strategy-To win a war, that has gone on for millions of years? What hope do we have, what advantage?"

"Advantage?" He smirked,"Do you remember the weapons your father built?"

I crossed my arms,"Like the back of my hand."

"Then think back to a single thing. The materials. How did they come into being?"

"My father created them nearly 300 years ago" I replied.

"Why can't any other person replicate these weapons? Surely, if your father had found the combination of elements to build such wondrous materials, humans should have began to mass produce it."

"What are you implying."

"Burning Bull's axe. You've seen it. Your armour. You've worn it. But now, you're an obvliate. You've awoken your true self. Feel a weapon you made."

I took out one of my daggers and held it, a strange throbbing sensation building in my hands,"There's...A throbbing?"

"Energy. More specifically-Flux. This is what makes us obvliates. Within our veins, we have intense amounts of pure flux, allowing for our abilities. With practice, you can control your flux. Move it." Snow held the dagger's blade and I felt the throbbing sensation lessening before intensifying, heating my hand up,"Ah!"

"You should know of Amplite, right? I mean you made this dagger."

I nodded,"With celestium, it boosts an abilities' ranking."

"Amplite boosts flux. But it also contains a secret. You see, amplite boosts flux by taking flux."

"What?" I was confused, unable to comprehend what he had just said.

"Think of it like this. Amplite-Is a leech. A leech that sucks flux. The more it sucks, the more dependent a person is on the weapon because they seem to become considerably weaker when without it."

"But you see...Amplite is a slow killer. It only takes effect after 20 years of use. But when it happens...It cracks. The Amplite that has sucked out all the flux will break because there is nothing to sustain itself on. And in doing so, the user is left without a single bit of flux left. In essence-Permanent overexertion."

He showed me a news article on his phone.

It was a news article on a human website,"The 13 planets are making a joint venture in investing into Gallium's head researcher's technology. All weapons are being replaced with technology from Joel Niko due to overwhelming difference in efficiency. -December 23rd, Year 104.'

"What's the date today?"

I took out my phone and turned it on.

November 20th, Year 124.

I almost felt like laughing when I saw the date.

"You're telling me, in just over a month, there will be billions turned into nothing but a normal human?"

"Weaker than a lesser obvliate." Snow replied,"And in just a few more months after, even more will drop. Their strongest fighters will be nothing more than untrained civilians."

"That's bloody genius." I grinned.

"We have your father to thank for setting the stage."

My smile disappeared.

"You know what happened to him, right?"

"No one blames you."

"I blame me." I looked up at him,"But if what you say is true, I'll have my shot at redemption."