Chapter 45: Harbin’s Past

Harbin walked in a flaccid yet unwelcoming body language. She was in a bleak mood, very unlike the cheerful and optimistic Analyst. She was on her way back to the encampment of the Seventh Army, her mind jumbled up by the topic that she had with Leida and Samiyadare.

She was unable to understand.

“Hatred…” she muttered to herself.

She was thinking about the Ak'hims' deep hatred against the humans and the other races on the continent. It was this same hatred that created the deep racism against the Analysts. Analysts that look so similar to the humans bar their crimson red eyes. 

She would know it. She was the victim of this hatred after all. For as long as she could remember, every other demon hated her and her mother for simply being an Analyst. She didn’t really understand back then, thinking that she must have done something bad and wrong to the others. Harbin tried so hard to get the others to accept her, but all that effort only resulted in more ire from the other demons— demons who just simply hit Harbin even harder.

It wasn’t just her either. Her mother, her father and the Analysts close to her all suffer the same fate— looked down and sometimes even beaten up with nobody else to stand up for them. Her mother told Harbin that their family was from nobility. Although, with the way that they were treated, they might as well be beggars.

Every day she could remember seeing the sadness and sorrow within her mother’s eyes. She would always smile and look at Harbin with love and care but deep down, Harbin knew she was just a burden to her mother. 

One day, the day that Harbin turned eight years old, her mother gave her a book and told her that it’s important. A book that an Analyst must protect with their life. Her mother said that she’s entrusting the job to Harbin— her jewel and treasure.

And then she disappeared, never to be found again.

Left alone in the world, Harbin followed her mother’s words to the best of her abilities, protecting the book with her life. Protecting it from the other races, and vile people who wished to take the book away from her. A lot of bruises and injuries fell upon her as she was abandoned by her own family to live out in the streets alone.

It was only one year after that, that she met Klauna for the first time. She could remember being mesmerized by her strength and her beauty. She was like the hero from a story that her mother always used to tell her. A shining star that will come to help those that are in trouble the most. A righteous hero of justice.

Then on the same day, Klauna spoke to her a few words that resonated within her soul. As much as Harbin wanted to protect the book from others, she was only a child. Such a burden will only break her in the long run. A small vile thought inside her mind started to spread, that the others were right, that she was just a useless person that has nothing to offer to the others.

It was Klauna’s words that blew all those thoughts away.

‘I believed that there was more to life and wanted to do something more with it. I followed Lord Klauna’s advice to improve myself…’

Harbin used that motivation to train herself. Growing strong enough that she could protect herself from anyone who dared to hurt her. She trained even harder in order to eventually meet with Klauna once again. All of this while keeping a cheerful and optimistic outlook. When she meets with her again, she wants Klauna to see a great person. 

She was only twelve when she sent in her first application to the army. They rejected her because she was too young. Or  was it maybe because she was an Analyst? She didn’t really care though, she only trained harder till the fateful day came again when she eventually met with Klauna. On the dawn on her thirteenth birthday, when Lionel and the Seventh Army passed by the town that she lived in. How elated Harbin must have been when Lionel approved of her application and she so happens to meet with Klauna again.

She could still remember that day. How excited and happy she felt.

Never meet your heroes is what the humans say.

Needless to say, Klauna was a big disappointment for a teenager Harbin. One year of disappointment. She couldn’t believe that this was the woman she looked up to. The same person that gallantly saved her from those pathetic Ak’hims. She was very close to quitting the army when she turned fourteen.

It was during one of the missions, when the Seventh Army was tasked with protecting a village from a horde of goblins, where Harbin changed her mind. Klauna had shown her valour during an incident where she risked her life in order to save Harbin and the other Analysts.

That disappointment soon changed into newfound respect when she realised that the hero she saw was still inside Klauna. It was just hidden under a pile of negative thoughts and emotions. She thought that the vile substances that Klauna kept drinking were what was causing her to be such a disappointing person. 

She decided to stay in the army and stood by her side in order to rehabilitate her— training and trying even harder to improve herself. Harbin let out a big sigh on the fact that years later, Klauna was still the exact same person she was.

"Hmm?" Harbin muttered when she took a look around herself.

She then realised that something was off and looked around. “Ngah!” Harbin let out a cry after realising that it was nighttime and she was already in the encampment.

“Woke up already?” Klauna’s voice came right up behind her.

“Ngahh!” Harbin let out another cry of shock as she saw Klauna behind her. She was reading a book on a foldable chair that she set up next to Harbin. Klauna closed the book before tossing it to the ground. Harbin could hear her mutter about how it was boring.

“Ho-how long have you been there, Lord Klauna?!” Harbin asked.

“Not that long, almost an hour? Medica sat here for longer, I took her place when she told me that she needed to be back at her triage,” Klauna responded.

“Arghhh! I did it again…” Harbin brought her head down.

“Whatever, come on. Let’s go. If we go now we could still make it for dinner,” Klauna ignored her remark and walked past her.

“Eh? Ah! Yes!” Harbin followed behind Klauna, like a duckling following a mother duck.

They both stayed quiet all the way but Harbin just let out a satisfied smile. She still didn’t understand the war and the hatred and she still hasn’t made any progress on rehabilitating Klauna. But, she felt calm and peaceful after seeing Klauna who literally didn’t give a damn walking around.

Leida was right, there was no point worrying about it. It’s not like they could do anything about it anyways. Best to focus on the things that they can do, like preparing themselves better. One of these days, she is going to rehabilitate Klauna as well, and then she will get to show the hero that Klauna truly is to everyone.

“By the way… thanks for helping me out today,” Klauna said to Harbin with a timid tone, her back still facing Harbin. Apparently, even Klauna can feel embarrassed at times.

Harbin let out a smile. “No problem, Lord Klauna.”

Deep inside her consciousness, all Harbin wanted for was someone to accept and love her.

Kotohood

Thanks for reading! Pretty heavy Harbin focus recently. Next chapter will be on the 1st of April!