Koei Suoh
As Garleans ruled over Nagxia piece by piece, they’re efforts caved in cities and villages to their whim as they planned to take over the nation as a whole, one step at a time. This would be until their steps were frozen in their tracks. The humid climates and swamp like terrain were the mere inconveniences of the jungles that flourished within Nagxia, making the Garleans’ reign more difficult, but more impenetrable from the variables that laid roots within the trees of the rainforest jungle.
Chapter One
Koei woke from his daze looking around as he felt the floor vibrate beneath him, his head hurt and pounded as the last thing he could recall was having dinner with the other viera boys of his group.As his eyes adjusted in the darkened room, he noticed it wasn't a room at all. The walls were covered in cloth and arched up to a peak in the center. The floor rattled and vibrated beneath him, uneven and tattered. The realization set in quickly. This wasn't a room, but rather a transport wagon. He and his fellow viera were being moved and his master was no longer among them.As the wagon moved, Koei found that he could not, for he was not only covered by the bodies of his fellow peers but also shackled feet to hand to the floor. Whoever did this didn't want any of these boys to escape. More of the boys awoke and realized their positions were the same as Koei, attempting the same struggles and coming to the same conclusion, one of boys yelling for help seemed to catch Koei's attention. Maybe they were meant to stay out but foiled whoever's plans as the rest seemed to follow, the caravan now belted out cries and screams for anyone who would listen causing the caravan to halt its tracks to silence. Bootsteps followed along the side of the wagon, steady as thunder and unnerved from the pleas that bellowed. The door fluttered open as a masked Garlean stared at the group, his eyes only seen still shuddered chills along the teens backs with only the noise of a sob to break the silence.The boy was snagged like a falcon finding its prey, four words uttered in a deep tone by the man that chilled the very soul of every child there, as these words were now engraved within their minds as the boy sobbed once again. The man gripped at the fox-viera’s ear showing the freshly pierced red paper “Red tag, harvest it.” The man threw the child out as the boys heard him yell for help, his words turned into struggles, to crying, to pleading…..to gruesome gurgling ...then silence. They had killed him easily and no mercy, the wagon rolling once more as the caravan stayed silent. A glimpse through the flap had shown a puddle of blood left behind, and the head of the fallen. Koei wished he never looked back, but in other circumstances he'd never forgive himself if he didn't. The rest of the trip stayed silent as the boys struggled for their survival, his eyes felt pain and hot as tears fell. He refused to show his weakness but his body couldn't fight his emotions as more tears began to fall, his breath hicced as his body trembled to stay quiet, as a voice broke through in a whisper next to Koeis ear.“Lean to me and use my shoulder…it should keep you quieted down.” His eyes peeked up seeing the silhouette of one of his tribe mates, taller in form, taking the offer Koei sobbed muffled against the other, feeling the other lean his head to his own as a token of reassurance.
Chapter Two
Koei woke to the rumbling of the covered wagon under him. The vibrations were steady as his eyes peeked open hesitantly, what he saw would be something not easily forgotten. How long had they traveled? It must have been hours, the night had turned to day, the wagon had gathered a smell. His view was more clear than it was the night before, for the sun peeked in as a teased glimmer revealing the state of the wagon. Children of different races were huddled together, looking the same age as Koei, some looked starved, some looked hopeless, some looked….lifeless.The sight was sickening as Koei took note of the amount of his own tribe that was packed in, the number had depleted, he prayed to the twelve they somehow escaped and not…his mind flashed to the one slaughtered, he felt faint as an arm wrapped around his shoulders embraced his small frame.The arm was scaly and the hand large to cover his shoulder easily in comfort. Koei looked up with his squinted blue gaze, taking notice of the Au ra that helped him, his cheeks were sunk but his face showed comforting. “You alright? I’d offer fresh air but it's a bit difficult at the moment.” He attempted to smile weakly to the fox with a soft chuckle, but was only to receive a bewildered expression from the fox, unable to process the humor of the situation.As the au’ra looked upon the small fox’s expression he took note of the confused look he showed, only offering a small smile in urge of some comfort. “I’m called Ryu, ‘least that’s what they call me.” He gestured to whomever outside that was their captors as the dragon with white scales sighed from the situation, speaking up once more, “But I was born as Rento” The au ra’s eyes shined with an emerald glint as he stared down to the fox leaving Koei to only shift uncomfortably in attempt to ease the stiffness of his slim body within their restraints. “Ki-Kietfoix…” the fox spoke up in a mumbled whisper, he was scared to be punished for his voice, but the prickled poke of being rude still jabbed his body “...my name” he spoke up once more finally making eye contact with the au’ra. Koei had noticed his smile first, it made him feel the opposite, how can someone be so happy in such a predicament, this showed on the foxes face as he looked away once more.“Keep yourself together, so many have lost their wits in the same place we are now, losing their sanity or worse their will to live. Comply, but steel your mind and you’ll keep your head, from them and yourself.” Ryu spoke up, he seemed wise, but Koei couldn’t help feel like he would only get them further into trouble. The cart continued to ride, running every bump and groove of the road as the light of the sun was becoming shaded, too early to be night, the light that gave the others hope was becoming snuffed, leaving only the cart paused to a halt, and footsteps that prodded at dirt inching closer.
Chapter Three
The footsteps pounded outside the cart as Koei found himself huddled closer to Rento, his body pressed painfully close to jagged scales. Images of the boy from before flashed before his eyes, his memory of the moment fluctuated replacing the boy with his own face. His eyes pinpoint as they scanned the room, every face around him showed the same horror, meeting the sculpt of Rento’s, the au’ra revealed the same expression, fear. The once smiling scaled face was now a shade of emotion, somehow paler than before, that the fox was not a virgin to as it was now the color of his world that surrounded him, in grim light.The world seemed to become more terrifying as if time had seemed to slow down, every minute felt like an hour, every second….torturous. The footsteps outside pounded like heartbeats that pummeled into the fox’s ears until it stopped, time froze, and breaths halted, the steps had stopped at the wagon’s entrance. The silhouette at the door shadowed as if the grim reaper was standing before them and rolling the dice to pick his choice. Koei found himself doing something he hadn’t done since he was a small boy in the village, praying.The murmurs of the best prayer he could remember, a woman’s voice reading each word to him were suddenly silenced as the flaps of the wagon doors fluttered open, flooding the space with light of the world, blinding the children tucked away. The shadowed figure before now stood before them, more details filtered to view as his eyes adjusted, the light seemed brighter than the usual sunlight as Koei discovered why. For the being that stood before them, was a man of steel.