7 "Nadia's" Firs

"Nadia" sits at a small table in a space bordered by a hedge filled with flowers. In the center, there was a large tree that creates a shady spot. She's thirteen, and her blonde hair flows in the breeze — the opening in the hedge arches from one side to the other creating a doorway. Two guards appear wearing military uniforms of a long red shirt, loose black pants, and a black belt wrapping around their waist. As well as the standard dir, a sword handle shaped asura weapon. The user channels asura into the handle to form a blade created from their asura. Following behind them are three children roughly nine to thirteen wearing rags for clothes. They wore the thick slave bands around their necks and wrists. The first is the oldest brother Priam, carrying the covered tray. His short white choppy hair and colorless eyes match his sisters. Next is the youngest, Thana. Her hair hangs in matted tangles at her shoulders. She trembled, making the liquid in the clear pitcher slosh around. Trailing behind is Ryo with hair chopped short, similar to her brother, carrying a teacup on a small plate. They glance uneasily at Nadia. All of them too thin for their ages because of mistreatment. Nadia, for whatever reason, decided to make their lives hell.

The guards stood on either side of the entrance as the trio approaches the table. Ryo set the cup down, and Thana moves to pour into the teacup. However, because of the shaking, it spills. Not a drop touches Nadia. However, she jumps up as though burned and began yelling.

"You stupid unbalanced vermin! You spilled onto my dress, you useless mutt of a cheap whore!" Wave after wave of profanity that causes the guards to share a look, doubtless wondering where the palace princess heard such language.

Thana hurries behind Ryo. Priam was standing in front of them taking the brunt of the abuse. Nadia becomes more and more furious as Priam stands defiant.

"Guards!" She screeches.

They rush over, each grabbing Priam by the arms.

"Stop! Let him go!" Ryo cries in alarm. Priam tried to fight their hold with Ryo's help but compared to the guards they had the combined strength of a sick kitten. Overcome with helplessness Ryo and Thana cries heartbreaking sobs.

"Please, don't hurt him!" Thana begs.

However, her words fell on deaf ears. Neither of the guards reacts to her pleas, but Nadia turns thoughtful. A thought comes to her, causing her face to stretch into a grin, that would cause the most hardened men to shiver.

"Give me your dir," she says without taking her eyes off the siblings.

One of them hands Nadia his. It must have been heavy because she quickly grabs it with both hands, following the sound of sloshing water and the glow of the gem embedded in the handle. A blade appears formed from water — the broad watery blade taps against the ground with a wet thud.

"If you take your punishment like a good little girl your big brother and sister can leave."

Thana's face is smeared with tears, and her eyes wide with naivety.

"Your promise?" her voice high with fright.

"Of course, I always keep my promise don't I?"

"Yes," her face further twists in fear.

Priam, yells frantic, "Thana, get out of here! Look at me! Run and don't look back! Thana, please!" his struggles useless against the guards.

Thana ignores him; frightened determination makes her face taunt.

"Thana, No!" Ryo yells.

Ryo tries to grab her as she steps toward Nadia. One of the guards that are holding Priam let him go to restrain Ryo. She screams and cries. Reaching for Thana as she gets further away.

"Thana! Thana, no! Please, run away!" Ryo and Priam continue to cry out.

Her small limbs shake with terror, but resolutely moving forward. Ryo and Priam pull and flail against the guards with all the might they can muster. Yelling for Thana to run, to get away before it's too late. When Thana was close enough, Nadia struggles to raise the sword.

For a small blissful moment, their eyes shine with the hope this was all a bad joke and that she will put the sword down and laugh with her typical deranged smile. The thought dies a swift death when she loses control, and the sword bears down onto Thana. I watch, helpless, as the sword landed on her shoulder, sinking in.

"Thana!" Priam and Ryo's screams drown out the sound of fragile bones breaking.

"Ahhh!" Thana cries out falling to her knees. Panicking, Nadia puts a bloodied foot onto Thana's chest to leverage the sword out. It slips out with a sickening wet noise. Thana is making inhuman noises and choking on her blood. As I watch everything unfold, I pray for that to be the end. Instead, the weight causes it to fall once more. This time, landing on the top of Thana's head with a nauseating crunch and finally put Thana out of her misery. She falls to the ground broken and dead. Her eyes wide and forever twisted in fear and pain. Once again, Nadia tries to pull the sword out. Seemingly, oblivious to her actions. Like she was pulling out a sword stuck in the ground rather than another person.

Priam pries himself lose. He charges at Nadia, vengeance in his eyes. However, he reaches her as she swings the sword out of his dead sister. It flies up in an arc catching him in the throat right below his slave band. Blood sprays from his neck. He tries to stop the flow with his hands. He reaches out with a bloodied hand, trying to bring her with him in death. Scared and confused she takes a step back watch as he bled out. He falls glaring at her while he gurgles on his blood. She stands there holding the sword staring down at him. Sees the moment the life left his eyes. She glances between Priam, Thana, and back again. Still confused, uncomprehending that she has killed them.

A change comes over her. In a moment of enlightenment, she understands. Years she has toed the line, stopping just short of crossing it, now, that she finds herself on the other side. She realizes she has gone too far. But, having already fallen off the cliff, there is only one way to go. A single tear slips down her cheek mixing in with the blood, forever lost and stained red.

Her face stretches into a smile as she begins to giggle. It's small at first. Before steadily increasing in mirth and volume. Until the sounds of her deranged laughter booms across the clearing. I knew she had lost the fragile grip of reality we all maintain. Still laughing, she steadily raises the sword. Forcefully bringing the sword down onto Priam's neck. Up and down, repeatedly chopping until his head lay severed from the rest of him. The watery blade slowly stains red as she viciously hacked away. Blood flew, landing on flowers, the table, and Nadia. The beautiful space had become a blood-soaked nightmare. All that's left of sweet Thana is a tiny shattered body lying next to the head of her big brother, Priam.

I watch petrified. Unable to look away. Each moment sears into my brain. I quake understanding everything and wishing for ignorance. Nadia continues to stand there giggling. I try searching for the guards hoping they would put a stop to the madness, but they and Ryo were gone. The bloody blade loses its form and sloshes onto the ground. She stumbles, finally dropping the dir. Only to begin screaming and grabbing her head. She's covered in blood, but her blonde hair is still visible. From the roots to the tips of her hair, the blonde is leeched away and consumed by the inky jet black hair. When she saw what happened she, once again, laughs.