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Bozado Residence…
MPs had just left their home stating they were representatives to reconcile survivors of the bandit incident. Oulo had watched from the window, his mother's hand on his shoulder while his father's expression turned grim as he had opened the door.
They had said the same things they had said to everyone else and offered compensation in the form of money and military career security.
And then they had left.
Oulo sat on the porch now, still staring at the dust cloud that marked the carriage's departure. His mother had put a plate of food in front of him; but he couldn't bring himself to eat.
His siblings were clustered around him, a half-dozen children ranging from toddlers to young kids. They had been unusually quiet all day, sensing the tension in the house, but now, with the MPs gone, they were starting to relax.
"Are you okay, big bro Oulo?" His youngest sister, Marta, climbed into his lap, her small hands reaching up to touch his face. "You look sad."
Oulo forced a smile. "I'm okay, Marta. Just tired is all."
"You should eat," his brother Thomas said, pushing the plate closer. "You need to get your strength back."
"I ain't hungry."
"Are you gonna go back to the Corps?" another sibling asked. "After you heal up?"
Oulo didn't answer. He didn't know. He didn't know anything anymore.
"I'll punch 'em if they come back," one of his younger brothers; Piotr; declared, imitating shadow boxing with his small fists. "I'll punch the bandits right in their stupid faces."
Oulo felt a lump form in his throat. He reached out and ruffled Piotr's hair, the gesture gentle and automatic.
"You do that," he said quietly. "You protect everyone."
Oulo's father took a step on the porch before he lowered himself onto the step beside Oulo. They sat in silence for a moment while watching the sun sink lower in the sky.
"What do you think?" his father asked finally. "About what they said. About the bandits."
Oulo stared at the horizon. "It's a lie."
His father nodded slowly. "I thought so."
"Obsidian was there." Oulo muttered quietly. "The crystal creature, the flying one too. The things they're so afeard of. It saved us. It fought the demon dog. It..." He trailed off before composing himself, the memory of how he nearly fell to his death if not for Obsidian and the flying creature quenching the rising flames was too vivid. "It was real. More real than anythin' they're tellin' us."
His father was silent for a long moment. Then he put his arm around Oulo's shoulders in solidarity.
"Then what do we do?" his father asked. "What do we do when the government's lyin' to us?"
Oulo didn't have an answer.
"I don't rightly know, Daddy. But I reckon we can't just sit here and let 'em keep on lyin'. Somethin's gotta give. Somethin's gotta change."
His father nodded slowly, his weathered hand squeezing Oulo's shoulder. "That's my boy. We could only hope there will be an end to this. Who knows? Maybe that Obsidian fella would stop by again."
"…Yeah."
But as the teen sat there he knew one thing with certainty: the world was changing. No…The world had changed, and the people in power were not going to tell them the truth.
And that truth would find them. Whether they were ready or not.
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