​ The Forsaken - Stories From Gaia

Short Story

 Dan couldn't believe he landed himself in this situation, but there was no doubt that he was in it. And worst of all, if he wasn't careful, this would lead to his death. This man – this wealthy man from one of the better sectors, of all things – was talking about him.

If he stays, he'll only draw more attention to himself. If he tries to walk away, however, there's a high probability that this entitled prick will say something stupid like, 'don't leave when I'm talking about you!' or 'why are you walking away?' As if there is any answer to that sort of question, especially when asked of a Forsaken; those who have been abandoned by the spirit of God, and are therefore not permitted to speak.

At the very least, Dan knew that one option is only taken by those who truly wish to die; look this man straight in the eye.

Fear and panic seemed to decide for him, as he couldn't seem to move at the moment.

"How can you stand this?" the man asked the blacksmith, pointing to Dan. "How do you not go crazy with all of this–," he started waving his index finger in an erratic pattern at the whole of Dan. Then he looked around at the scene, dirty, shabby buildings, peasants dressed in rags. "Hmph, never mind. I guess I already know the answer to that."

The man turned to now face the blacksmith directly. "I swear I would never have thought that the best blacksmith in the Imperium could possibly live in Blue Sector; pathetic. But, your merchandise does speak for itself, doesn't it?" He patted a sword sheathed by his side.

With the man's attention now seemingly on the blacksmith, Dan figured it was as good of a time as any to make his exit. But as he turned and began moving away, what he dreaded came to be.

"Where do you think you're going?" the man said. "Got your fill of dirtying up the place?"

Dan froze. He was now torn between standing still, like a scared animal, and running for the Field of the Forsaken. But he knew that if he ran, guards may chase him if spotted, assuming he had stolen something.

"Turn around and look at me," the man said. "I want to know why you were hanging around here, after First Light."

This was it; this was the no-win scenario that he had always been warned about since he was cast out. When someone is looking to kill, this is how they do it. They put a Forsaken into this exact situation, where no matter what they do, they can be killed with no questions asked. Disobeying a direct order is grounds for death, as is speaking to someone when you're Forsaken, even when specifically addressed.

If only he hadn't been so hungry, he wouldn't have been out in the first place. But it had been days since he had last eaten, and sometimes food gets dropped around town. He hadn't realized just how late it had gotten while he was still trying to find even the smallest scrap. The only choice now would be to try and run, as that at least provided some chance of escape – even if it did open the prospect of being seen and chased by a guard.

He was just about to make a risky, and potentially fatal break, when someone else spoke.

"Why don't you leave him alone?" A young man stepped forward; he had been standing around somewhere in the background, perfectly still and quiet. "He wasn't bothering anyone!"

Even though it was a dumb thing to do, Dan glanced in the direction of this new voice to get a better look; his reflexes often went against his best interests. Fortunately, no one was looking at him anymore, so his movements and actions went unnoticed. And as he got a better look, he recognized this young man; he was a merchant who often drops food and clothing as he pushes his cart through the Field of the Forsaken.

"He's bothering me by being visible," the man responded. "We in Green Sector know how to keep our Forsaken hidden."

'Yeah,' Dan thought, 'by dumping us all here. I was from Green Sector, you bastard!'