Grass is blood red, not green.
Those who are fools only believe such a thing as green grass exists. It doesn't. Grass is always stained with the red crimson on your feet. Yet you choose to walk barefoot every time, every single time. Though, your feet stain the pure green. You always do what you are used to. You're all the same. Too coddled up in your comfort to even realise what's right and what isn't.
The grass was wet, sticky, and cold under Lucio’s bare feet. The smell of iron and blood stung the atmosphere as countless dead bodies started drowning and washing down the riverfall. This whole scenario was a nightmare.
It felt surreal and staged. Lucio’s breathing slowed down, and his heart rate picked up. Lucio was almost close to hyperventilating and passing out in that wet, red grass. Almost. Until a voice whispered into his ear.
“Are you scared? You look pathetic.”
A floating figure appeared, very human-like yet somewhat closer to a ghost than a human being. Pale, long hair, a long dark cloak around its neck and its eyes the colour of a nothingness, pitch black. The plain sight of this ‘thing’ pretty much had Lucio wanting to die right there on that spot.
His breath hitched in his throat as he mustered up the courage to speak “What..” his eyes narrowing at the figure. “What are you?” The question many ask, but never live long enough to hear the answer.
The floating figure grinned, seemingly pleased with the look of horror painted on Lucio’s face. “I am Rel” it replied, eyeing Lucio like a predator eyeing, with its mouth wide-eyed. ‘Rel’ was close to being mistaken for a dead body. If in this situation “Mistaken” even made sense, Rel might as well be a dead body…that can somehow float and talk.
Lucio calmed his nerves by force, his pale yellow-gold eyes were hard to distinguish with his irises eating the whole of their colour. His Adam's apple bopping in pure terror. “What? What is a Rel?” Lucio muttered, his voice in a high pitch at the end. As if he's trying to understand what's happening, unfortunately, he never will. Nothing here makes sense.
Rel was amused. He had made a disgustingly excited face, excited to see what this human might say next. His mouth curled to the side with a grin
“I am Rel, Rel is me. One and only, Rel.”
Lucio’s hands patterned through the grass to look for any solid object that could possibly hit ‘Rel’ and get him a chance to run off. Smart and sweet is what this thought might sound like, yet Luck wasn't Lucio’s thing.
Rel saw through what Lucio was trying to do, laughing manically, huffingly “Haa…human, oh human. I am not like your kind.. you know.. fragile.” and threw him to the branch of an apple tree. Lucio couldn’t get up. He was in a state of pain, agony, and frantic thudding in his eardrums.
Lucio couldn’t remember anything. Not even his identity. He was tired, his back spine was aching from being flinged as he lay on the grass, its green not visible in the slightest due to all the blood staining.
He groaned in pain as Rel strolled to him, his long black hair's ends flowing due to the windy weather. “Human, Don't underestimate a spirit demon that can disfigure you with a poke” his expression is dark with disappointing eyes. Lucio calmed himself down. It seemed like Rel wasn't big on killing him, so let's take things slow. Huff. “Rel..that's what you said to call you…”
A snicker from Rel stopped the silence from stretching
“Rel, yes. That's my name. What do you mean to ask me, human?”
Lucio’s face looked unamused, quite a brave expression for a mortal being talking to a literal spirit demon. “Don't laugh” he furrowed his eyebrows “Tell me, where am I? Who am I? Why can't I remember anything and why-” he managed to ramble half a plethora of questions before being cut off by Rel,
Rel’s playful demeanor changed to irritation as he spoke in his rough, raggedy voice. “You have so much to ask, I don't have much to reply. All I know is that I was sent as an accompanying spirit demon for you. You have been here all along, under the very tree I threw you upon. As to answer your questions. You are Lucio” he paused “perhaps around eighteen years of age, well. This is Aurelia. The city of Travista. And hmm….let's see..” Rel squinted his eyes as if to think hard “In the simplest way of explanation. You are a nobody. A worthless nobody here. You hold no power, nor were you given an opportunity to choose your own powers. It seems everything has just been randomised for you.”
Lucio then bit his bottom lip, his head lowered down to look at the ground “What do you mean a nobody..” he looked up to Rel, his slender hand clutching the fabric of Rel's pitch black cloak. “Don't fucking mess with me! You mentioned something about powers, what for? Is there a certain reason you need to have powers and your ‘simplest form of explanation’ is very vague.” His eyebrow furrowed, knitting together as he gave a smack to Rel. “Tell me, What the fuck are you trying to say? Do you have social anxiety or something? You illiterate creature”
Rel froze, never in his centuries long of life time had a human spoke to him in such a manner. “WHAT?” he yelled in disbelief “Did i not tell you I can disfigure you with a poke?” His eyes were so wide they could pop out as the itch to laugh ate him up “Hahaha!! I'll tell you, you are a very brave little human” he said as he held his stomach, laughing manically.
Only to be smacked again by lucio “Stop laughing like an idiot, Powers. What are they? And what for??” Lucio couldn’t tolerate this any longer.
Rel paused “Ah well, you know those fairy tale magic thingys, right? Every year. Few, very few people get chosen to head towards the hall of spirits.” He muttered, not exactly keen on being bullied by Lucio. “The chosen ones are then told to pick a power.
That power is always sealed with a spirit-demon. Who then gets unsealed and accompanies the human being..” Lucio thinned his lips. His eyebrow together as he tried to comprehend this information. “So…rel, you're telling me I was chosen. to think, you have also mentioned i wasn't ‘given an opportunity’ to choose my own powers..?” He mumbled in a low voice, moving back and forth “Alright, then that means you are my spirit-demon. I am your owner and I get to borrow or..use your powers?” Lucio made a confused face.
Rel shook his head “not..owner…just say an accomplice. You do not have ownership over me” he deadpanned. Lucio hummed “So…you keep repeating the words ‘Accompanying’ and ‘Accomplice’ can you elaborate? What are we accomplices for?”
“oh? You catch on quite fast, you're very observant of what I say.” Rel stopped floating and stood on the muddy, red grass “Accomplice as in we are partners. You can use my powers as you like and whenever you like. In Travista, we call you, chosen ones ‘Keepers’. Keepers that keep us spirit demons.”
Lucio sighed, so done with Rel as the wind blew his soft medium-dark chestnut hair, a warm, muted chocolate brown with slightly ashy undertones. “I get what you're trying to say Rel” he frowned “But I feel like you're hiding something from me, answer me truthfully. Why do we get chosen to have powers? Is it to fight? And fight what exactly?”
“Human, you are too persistent for your own good. However I have nothing to hide from you, since you will find out sooner or later.” Rel walked out the forest “We have been talking here for too long. The forest isn't exactly a safe place for you mortals.”
Lucio walked behind Rel, his barefeet careful not to step on any sharp obstacles “not safe? As if something resides in the forest?”
“Mostly in the forests. But some of the Man-eaters may make their way into the cities”
Both of them had made their way into the village, by then it was night time already.
