Dimitri has been fighting since he was young. By the time he could walk, he has been helping his mother that was all alone raising him. They were living at a far away village at the outskirts of Atlantia, in a small shabby little hut.
Atlantians were wary of the mother and son pair that came to their village. At first, they accepted the pregnant mother with pity and offered their help because of her circ.u.mstances, being a single mother. The Atlantian villagers were helpful and kind. But when Dimitri was born, they saw his black eyes and hair, something that is not common for Atlantians. They deemed the baby as a cursed child, a heretic.
Since then, the mother and child were cast away at the very edge of the village near a cliff. Dimitri grew up with other Atlantian children bullying him.
One day when Dimitri was at least five years old, he was fetching water in a stream. He was carrying a bucket that was at least half his size. When he reached the stream, he saw no one and sighed in relief. He gone about his task and took his bucket and dipped it in the flowing water. He was very busy doing his task that he did not notice someone creeping from behind him. He was surprised when he felt someone push him from behind and he fell on the running stream.
*SPLASH*
“Look at what we have here.” A voice of a boy said. “The heretic is here.”
*cough cough cough* The little Dimitri coughed out some water that entered his nose. His clothes were soaking wet. Thankfully, the water was just a waist deep and he was not in any kind of danger.
*GIGGLE*
The village children were giggling at Dimitri. He looked at them with anger in his eyes.
“What are you looking at, heretic?!” The boy that pushed him asked.
Dimitri ignored him and got out of the water. He took his bucket of water and opted to walk away from the children that are bullying him.
“Hey heretic, I am talking to you!” The boy yelled.
Dimitri ignored him and still walked away carrying the bucket of water. But the boy did not let him. The boy ran after Dimitri and pulled his arm, making the bucket of water fall and spill on the ground.
“Don’t you ignore me!” The boy yelled. “Do you not know me? I am the son of the village leader. I can do anything I want to you!”
Dimitri stayed silent. He remembered what his mother told him, that if the children bully him just stay silent and not fight back. They are not in a good situation in this village and at the very least they need to keep low as to not be kicked out.
“My father told me that you are a cursed child. That your black eyes and hair are proof of it.” The boy said. The other children with him were still giggling. “You should not be here heretic. The a.d.u.l.ts said you will only bring calamity here.”
Dimitri stayed silent but gripped his fists hard. He had been told of this many times. He does not know why he should be scorned because of his black hair and eyes. He asked his mother this question but all she could do was cry in front of him if he brought this up, and so he did not bring it up again because he does not want to see his mother cry.
Dimitri let the children say hurtful words, keeping his mouth shut. The other children were bigger than him which intimidated him more.
“My father said it was your mother’s fault, that she slept with someone she should not have.” The boy said. “Father said your mother is being punished because she is a s.l.u.t.”
“Take that back.” Dimitri whispered with gritted teeth. He gripped his hand much harder that it started to bleed.
“What? The thing that your mother is a s.l.u.t?” The boy mocked. “But is it not true? If she did not sleep with someone who she should not have, she will not have you who is a heretic, a cursed child.”
“I say take that back!” Dimitri shouted.
“S.l.u.t, s.l.u.t… your mother is a s.l.u.t…” The children started to tease.
Dimitri’s face colored bright red in anger. He did not take it any longer and launched himself on the boy in front of him. He started punching the boy that is bigger than him on the face.
“DO… NOT… TALK ABOUT MY MOTHER LIKE THAT!!!” Dimitri said while punching the boy on the face.
The boy started to bleed. The other children tried to pry Dimitri off the boy.
“Hey get off!”
“He is so strong!”
“Get him off fast. He is bleeding.”
The children that tried to pull Dimitri off of the boy were either thrown away with Dimitri’s elbows or were still trying to stop him from grabbing his arms. These children were bigger than the five year old Dimitri but was not able to stop his strength.
“Dimitri!” Dimitri’s mother’s voice was heard. Dimitri stopped after hearing his mother calling out to him.
“Mother?” Dimitri looked at his shock stricken mother.
“Come, get off of him quick.” His mother pulled him off the boy that was bleeding.
The other children helped the bleeding boy up.
“The village leader will know of what happened to his son.” One boy said and carried the bleeding boy back to the direction of the village.
“What happened Dimitri?” His mother asked. “It took you a long time to fetch some water and when I came to get you, you are fighting with the village leader’s son. Did I not tell you to just stay silent whatever they say to you?” She was wiping dirt from Dimitri’s face.
“I did just that mother, but…” Dimitri trailed off.
“But what?” His mother asked.
“…but they are saying bad things about you.” Dimitri said with a sullen face. “It is fine whatever they tell about me, but I will not let them say bad things about you.”
“Oh Dimitri.” His mother hugged his little body. “I love you my baby boy, but you do not have to do that for me. I am your mother, I should be the one protecting you. Promise me that this will not happen again, okay? Promise me.” Dimitri was little hesitant at first but nodded his little head.
“I promise.” Dimitri said.
“Oh my little boy.” His mother hugged him more. “I am just doing this for us to live peacefully here.”
Dimitri started to shed tears feeling his mother’s warmth. The children’s words still hurt him, and he detest the black hair and eyes that he has. Because of him, his mother was having a hard time.
“Why was I not born with normal features mother?” Dimitri asked. “Why do I look like this? Who is my father?”
“Your father… he is someone who has a high rank.” His mother said.
“If he is someone who has a high rank, then why did he leave us here?” Dimitri asked.
“I will tell you when the time comes, my baby boy.” His mother said with tears falling from her eyes. “When you grow up, I will tell you about your father, okay? So hush now.”
The mother and son walked hand in hand going home to their house.
Edited by: nalyn
