Zerena, The Banished

Younger Years

Since the day he was born, the expectations that were placed on him tied him down. Her mother felt that their presence was for a greater purpose and put all of her energy to get him the best as he can be, putting her in rigorous training almost everyday despite them being tired from the previous day. He felt like a failed project waiting to explode.

They weren't close with their family members, his brothers' ignoring or ghosting her presence whenever they were in the same area. His other sibling was the only that ever showed him any semblance of kindness but ultimately went in line with what their brothers' were doing the older he got. Her oldest brother, though also ignoring him for most of his life, was jealous of Zerena from the attention he got from their mother (even the negative ones) and made it his problem to show her where her place was in this family.

Zerena wasn't the most social butterfly like his siblings, he preferred to keep to himself and instead use sign language as a way of communication. During his rest, he wondered off to the outskirts of his tribe's boundaries to distract himself from the lived reality of his life. He often practiced by himself the lessons he learned from his mother or painted different symbols on his body with the nearby berries he found.

The Life-Altering Change Named Vothak

When he was 14, he traveled to his usual spot in the outskirts of the tribe's boundaries to let off some steam and he heard someone calling for help where there was a rushing river. After much consideration, Zerena reluctantly went to save the person, unknowing that they're from the enemy tribe. After an altercation, the stranger (who was a Goliath girl) hastily begs them to teach them in fighting as Zerena won the fight. Zerena agrees, with much hesitation and weird feeling of relating to her.

With the deal set, every two weeks Zerena set off to go teach the Goliath named Vothak. Slowly going from awkward and tense sessions to telling each other parts of themselves they never thought they would share with anyone else, their session turning into just hanging out with each other as they found solace in someone who was in the same position as them.

Zerena grew to adore her and treat her as his equal, making his first friend and his first crush.

The Betrayal

Nearing his 20s, the bond between him and Vothak were as close as inseparable. They both knew each other best and confided in each other with whatever problem was going on in their tribe. In a turn of events, both tribes aware of each other's presence, it tested their bond like never before.

It was only when Vothak started to seem more closed off and flakey in her wording that the alarms went off in Zerena's head. Before Zerena could even question her on it, Vothak at that moment confessed her feelings and in turn, with the mess of emotions that he was feeling, confessed he felt the same. That night, they shared a long conversation under the stars and parted their ways back to their tribe.

It was only a few days later when a group of Goliath with familiar markings ambushed their tribe that the reality of the situation set in and a battle sparked on the grounds of their home. Among the chaos, Zerena saw a spear-ready Vothak fighting against his tribe. Conflicted and hurt by the current situation, Zerena acted on his instincts and defended his tribe against the invading group giving it their all.

It was then Vothak against Zerena, most of the invading tribe was dead and it landed on Zerena to kill the final enemy. Vothak, enraged and determined by the defeat of their tribe, unloaded the dirty laundry of her and Zerena's meeting for all to hear. Zerena faltered in her attack against her, distraught of the horror that was revealing Zerena's biggest secret, and launches himself on her; tackling her to the ground as they fight unarmed. Exhausted from fighting each other, and with Vothak at the end of Zerena’s grip on her, he couldn't bring himself to kill the only person he held dear to him for the past 6 years.

Loosening his grip, Vothak quickly escapes and swears vengeance for her family to kill the tribe. Zauvieth, Zerena's mother and leader, enraged over had transpired and the reveal of the secret: screams at Zerena over the lives lost over a battle that never would have happen if not for their recklessness and banishes them from the tribe, unworthy to be apart of their family. They quickly remove themselves from the territory and lead themselves down the mountain and into new land.

Since then, Zerena wanders place to place, mulling over the relationship between him and Vothak. Confused and hurt over Vothak's sudden betrayal.

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