Chapter Text
Freezing wind flowed through the gigantic hollow tree that was furnished with a few hay beds and a small table with a rug underneath as a place to sit. The place was somewhat homey but a depressing sight to see, dust is building up and bugs are crawling everywhere.
The family living inside is another sad sight. A mother and her two six year old twins that are hungry and afraid, wanting to go back home and constantly crying about it.
"Momma... when is dadda gonna come back?" Yvette's voice is weak and quiet, she's always been a bit more nervous about living in a tree, always complaining about the bugs or the small space of the tree trunk, even crying about the hay beds.
Marigold stares at her child, her dark long hair flowing down her back and her eyes twinkled in the light. Oh her beautiful, poor child. She can't help but pity herself and her children because of this... situation she's in.
Marigold is a strong woman, she's raising twins all alone, and she's raising them well. Her daughter was smart and kind, she already knew how to read and write and she was only 6! Not to mention that she inherited her powers, yellow glowing magic that floated around her fragile body whenever she got nervous, it was cute.
But then... there's her son.
God, what went through her stupid mind to hook up with that bird freak?! Now she can't even look at her child properly without seeing his ugly mug, she absolutely detested it. Zayden wasn't a witch like her and her daughter, no, he took after his father, a bird person. a race of people that have wings and feathers on their skin in certain places like their ears, cheeks or forearms
Her son is a bit different from that, but still a bird person nonetheless. He only has small yellow shimmering wings on his back, they were not noticeable at first but they grow bigger and bigger every day, he can't even tuck them in, forever left to flap them around her. She needs to live hidden away now and it's all his fault, both him and his darned father!
With the war going on between Witches and Bird people, mothers all over the community can't even raise their non-mixed children without hiding away or being refugees. So what was she supposed to do?! She was 19 and dumb, and fell in love with a bird. How was she supposed to know a war would break out between her race and her now ex-boyfriends race?!
Now left with her two kids, hiding away in a hollowed out tree trunk so she doesn't get killed for bearing cursed children. Maybe she could've lied if her kids didn't have any bird traits and said her kids were just a bit different but no! Zayden needed to have wings on his back, those same wings that his father has.
"Daddy isn't coming back honey... we're not going back either. We need to live here and I swear to you, we'll make the best of it soon enough. Mommy is just having a rough time right now" her daughter's sniffles only gave her a more obvious idea of what her children also thought about this situation, it wasn't her fault those bird people are so annoying!
"It's fine Yvette... we're all going to be okay, we need to help mama through this!" Zayden flapped his wings in excitement, hugging her daughter tight so she stopped sobbing,
she was supposed to calm down her daughter, not
him
goddamn it!
Marigold looked away from her children. She couldn't bear seeing wings since the war broke out.
She's been considering running away and living a normal life without her children, but she's not a monster! Marigold is a name of respect, and even doing something shameful in the name of justice like leaving her cursed children to die is not something she can do. Though even with her morals, she can do something .
She can bring her son to the pit at the end of the Shallow forest. A cavern known because people who made cursed children and didn't want to deal with them would throw their kids in there. Something she would have considered hellish one year ago.
She and her ex-boyfriend thought it was a heavily frowned upon thing to do... but now? It's a merciful thing she can do for her children. Zayden wouldn't have lived a good life anyway and Yvette can and should live her life instead of being dragged down because of her brother.
There are no real benefits to her keeping him. He'll die sooner or later if they're found out by Bird or Witch soldiers, and then there's also a danger her innocent daughter would be killed as well. Marigold is a good mother and she needs to decide what's best for her children, so that's what she'll do.
After some more weeks of living in the hollow tree, their food supply finally became modorate instead of low. Both her and her children had the energy to walk for long amounts of time now, and Marigold knew it was a good time to go to the Shallow Forest. She decided to throw a party right before taking her son on a little trip, like some sort of “goodbye party” if you will.
She stayed up all night to beg for some food in the refugee camps and she finally came home with a feast early in the morning when the sun was just peaking through the horizon. quietly hiding all the food she got in the make-shift cabinet she made some days ago specifically for this occasion. she shook her kids up when it was brighter outside but still early.
“Yv… Zay… wake up! Mommy got something good for you all.” a wide smile was straining her cheeks, almost enough to make it seem eery. they both gently opened their eyes and stared at their mother with a questioning gaze, that only made her smile grow
“It’s a very special day today!” she stated as Yvette got out of bed, Zayden was still laying down, almost frozen in curiosity “We’re throwing a party!” Both of her children sprung up in excitement and started bombarding her with questions like “what kind?” “Are we getting more food?” “for what reason?” but also squeals of anticipation in between them.
Marigold opened the make-shift cabinet and revealed three loafs of sweet bread, a glass bottle with blackberry juice and two roasted beef pieces. Her children gasped as they all sat down neatly at their small table. She put the food on the table, starting off with the roasted beef first and her children began to dig in. After she placed everything down, she sat down as well and chewed on some sweet bread.
“What’s the reason for all this?” mumbled Zayden with his mouth full of meat
“Well… I found some nice playground for you two, one to fly through and one to use your magic in! I thought if I paired that up with a good meal, you two would be a little more happy about our situation… I know it’s been hard this month, but I’m finally getting back on my feet and I want to celebrate that with you.” Marigold smiled genuinely and looked down at her plate of food. She wasn’t exactly lying… she’d be back on her feet once Zayden was out of the picture, she could finally join the other refugees and live a somewhat normal life!
“Oh my gosh!! Yes yes!” Yvette hopped up and she started slightly glowing yellow. Such a cute thing
Both of her kids started chatting enthusiastically about how their lives were going to turn around for the better, and that maybe they’ll get to eat like this every day and how they’d be able to play around without needing to hide. Her children's happiness made her happy, but guilty as well because she knew what would actually happen. A depressing yet happy moment, the last one that she’ll share with both of her kids.
After her kids finish eating, she finally tugs at her son's sleeve and tells him it's his turn first to go to the playground. He seemed so happy, wings flapping on his back as he hops around, he smiles from ear to ear, shaking with excitement. Yvette pouts because she isn’t first to go to her playground but she doesn’t argue, she just waves to her brother as we walk out the door and begin to head for the Shallow Forest.
It somewhat disgusts her that her son trusts her this much, even if she knows she taught him the way to the Shallow Forest, he trusts her enough to think she isn’t bringing him there. But he’s wrong to hold any trust into her, she really should’ve taught him more about not trusting anyone.
When they finally arrive at the entrance of that Forest, something in her son's mind probably finally clicks, because he tugs backwards, almost losing grip of her hand. Marigold's hold strengthens and she drags her son towards the end. His hand shakes as he mutters a question… sometimes she forgets her son is smart too
“Are you really doing this?” he keeps walking, he doesn’t stop even if by that question its obvious that he knows what’s about to happen. He’s accepted his fate, it’s evident by the tone of his voice, it sounds depressing. it sends a shiver down her spine that her own son could utter such sad sounding words at such a young age.
“it’s better for both of us and you know that, Zay.” the nickname coming out of her mouth sounds wrong, like she’s not allowed to say it now that she’s abandoning him. Her son probably thinks the same thing because his hands shake more when she says that.
“Okay.” Zaydens works echoed through the forest, his tone is something a mother should usually cry to. It sounds like he’s in so much despair, so much pain, like he’s lost. But she has no right to feel pity for him, she’s doing this to him, no one else.
They reach the end of the forest
There’s a cavern a few steps away. a long thin seemingly endless hole, almost like someone cut the earth's crust and hid the mysteries at the end of it by darkness and mist. The rest of the forest somehow formed around this giant crack, some of the roots covered it just a little bit
Marigold raised up her son by one arm, leaving him suspended in the air, and she hovered him over the hole.
Seeing his expression is a horrible sight. There’s tears in his eyes and his eyebrows are furrowed, almost like he’s angry… but not at her, at the world. He’s not struggling at all, just dangling and looking down at the darkness expectantly. Almost like he just want’s to get it over with.
Just a simple “I’m sorry” escapes from Marigold's mouth and it changes his whole attitude.
He gasps and looks up, but it’s too late. he’s already descending down into the mist
He screams in pain.