𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄 | 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

🌹 The Saga of Dark Child

Author's Note: Dated August 24, 2010, this one was another old draft I edited and added details to. I had SO MUCH FUN writing this piece, it being very much inspired by Arabic folklore and stories. I hope y'all enjoy it <3

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Amir bit his lip in concentration as he focused his gaze on the rabbit. It was so small and fluffy, he almost hated to kill it. Truly he did. But he hated the gnawing, empty feeling inside his stomach even more. It didn't help that he hadn't eaten in four days. Perhaps then he could show a bit more compassion towards the defenseless creature.

He aimed his bow once again, notching the arrow in anticipation of the kill. In his haste, he stepped on a twig and let off a snap that rang out in the air. The rabbit's innocent gaze locked on him immediately and a twinge of guilt knotted itself in his gut. Almost as soon as it happened, it was over and the rabbit was running for its life in the opposite direction. A sigh escaped Amir's lips and he rolled his eyes at his own sympathetic nature. Obviously, he wouldn't be eating coney tonight.

He was slightly relieved the creature had escaped and lived though. Nevertheless, his stomach was still growling for food it had been deprived of. Same as every other person living in the vicinity. It had been a hard three years, full of troubles and trials. Food was scarce in the market with the cost rising every day. Many had taken to the woods, just as Amir had, in the hopes of procuring sustenance in a cheaper form.

However, being that so many had resorted to this, it left the woods more and more depleted of food resources thanks to animals going into hiding because of overhunting as well as constant harvesting of vegetables and fungus growing therein. Evidently, it was time to move along to a new venue. If Amir wasn't mistaken, there was still a tiny area that wasn't quite as frequented. Perhaps he would have more luck there. He was about to turn away and head in that direction when the snap of a twig reached his ears. His eyes locking on the source immediately, he aimed his bow once again.

But just as he got ready to let the arrow loose, the source stepped out from behind a tree and into his line of view. Amir's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of a young girl near in age to himself, probably 11 or 12 years of age. The dress she wore hung in blue-and-pink tatters over her slight frame. Her midnight-black hair fell in tangles along her skin, an almond-brown gaze connecting instantly to his own. Yet despite her bedraggled appearance, the girl was seemingly in good health. Which was more to be said than most people Amir came in contact with these days.

Amir cleared his throat, speaking up so the girl could hear him, "Who are you? State your business."

If the girl wanted trouble, he would give her trouble. That was another thing that had changed in these past years - you couldn't trust a soul. Everyone was out for their own gain, their own benefit. It was kill or be killed. Survival of the fittest. Or the wealthiest in most cases.

Her dark eyes narrowed and she tilted her head to the side, "My name is Dark Child. I know everyone here. But I haven't seen you around before..."

"I'm Amir. I live not far from here but this is the first time I've been to this part of the woods. Times are tough out there or haven't you heard? You do what you have to to survive," he replied, keeping the details of himself vague.

After all, he didn't know this girl. And she seemed...strange, to say the least. She didn't even have a normal name... She stepped closer to him then and Amir had to stop himself from creating distance between them.

"Be very careful how far deep you go in these woods, Amir. This is my domain and I do not appreciate trespassers. Do you understand me?" she asked, her eyes and tone hardening, "Don't make me do something you'll regret."

She was young, Dark Child, but somehow she managed to exude intimidation and authority. In short? Amir was intrigued. Nodding once in reply to her question, Amir's non-answer was seemingly satisfactory as wordlessly then, she melted back into the shadows as she had arrived. And suddenly, he was alone once more.

But he barely had time to get his bearings before a new voice broke into his thoughts.

"Her bark is worse than her bite, believe me."

His bow was up again, this time pointed behind him at a middle-aged man who had walked up quietly. A little too quietly for Amir's liking. He put both hands up in a "don't shoot" gesture, indicating he was harmless and unarmed. Very slowly (and hesitantly) Amir lowered his bow.

"I see you've met Dark Child...well, not her real name but it's the only name she'll answer to these days. Then again, most of you around these parts don't remember any different," the man shrugged, coming to stand in front of Amir with his hands in his pockets.

Amir frowned, "Who is...was she? Before, I mean,"

"She's the daughter of the Queen...or so the story goes,"

This surprised Amir. He wasn't exactly expecting Dark Child to be someone Royal, much less the Princess. But wait...

"Yeah, I know what you're thinking. "We don't have a Princess in Ealian." And you'd be right - we don't. You see...Dark Child's father isn't King Hafeez. If the stories are to be believed, Queen Zeinab had an affair with a young peasant man. She was newly wedded to King Hafeez at the time and deeply unhappy. It had been an arranged marriage and she was hoping to find love with him. She did not.

So when King Hafeez left for one of the many battles he led, she snuck out of the palace disguised as a peasant. She easily blended in with the crowd and it was on one of these escapades that she met a handsome man whom she fell in love with instantly. His name was Rami. He treated her like the Queen she was although he had no idea of her true identity. For many months, she would sneak out to meet with her lover unbeknownst to the King. But when she found herself with child, she knew she could no longer keep their love a secret.

She told Rami the truth of who she really was. He was upset she had kept this hidden from him but understood her reasoning. You see, he was still very much in love with her despite their social differences. As luck would have it, she was able to keep the pregnancy secret until it was time for her to give birth. She did so in a private chamber of the palace while King Hafeez was out waging war with a neighboring kingdom. Queen Zeinab gave birth to a beautiful baby girl whom later would be named Nura by her true father, Rami. The little family were joyous.

But their happiness was not to last when King Hafeez got word of the child and her paternity. He was furious with Queen Zeinab and forbade her to ever see Rami again. If she did, he would have her executed. And as for the child, he ordered her death immediately. But Queen Zeinab would not hear of her daughter being killed. So she had her handmaidens smuggle her away to be raised by peasants while her lover, Rami, escaped to a different kingdom. The Queen was heartbroken at the loss of her two loves and never quite recovered...even to this day."

Amir stood in silence, soaking in this fairy tale story. And yet...there seemed to be kernels of truth like breadcrumbs sprinkled throughout. It was true that rumors had spread in the kingdom of a mysterious man who King Hafeez had been hunting for years now. And the King had waged war with Asfal Munkhafid. Of course, everyone knew Queen Zeinab had been suffering from depression for many moons now. Yet...

"But why does she go by Dark Child?" he asked, this part of the story still not making sense to him.

The man looked Amir in the eye very seriously, "She was named for 'light', her father believing her to be a new hope for the kingdom. Once she was a bit older, she discovered her origin from her adoptive family and felt since she was abandoned by her parents that she was no longer light but dark. That she was the Dark Child that brought misfortune to others. So she ran away and named herself this, forever isolated in these woods."

Suddenly, Amir felt sympathy for Dark Child and all she had been through. None of it had she deserved. Evidently, he had been convinced as the story finished. It was then that Amir bade the stranger goodbye and began his long trek back home. But not before he noticed a large pile of goji berries hidden behind a tree. He grinned as he scooped them up into his satchel, knowing exactly who had left them there for him.

Dark Child may have named herself after the dark...but she was still full of light.

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»