Author's Note: Hey everyone! So, I've been having some writer's block...again lol, and needed to work on something new :) This is a prequel to a new multi-chapter story I currently have in the works. It's a fantasy AU, set in a world of magic, monsters, guilds, etc. This chapter and the next will be Luffy's story, Chapter 3 will focus on Zoro's past, and Chapter 4 will be Nami's. Anyway, I hope ya'll enjoy it! Please let me know what you think!

GENERAL WARNINGS:

- Fantasy AU

- Magic

- Violence

- Found family/fluff (i.e. 'monsters' adopting human kids)

- Attempted slavery

- Child abuse/neglect

The Country of Heaven will continue where 'Genesis' leaves off, just a few years in the future ;)

Chapter 1: The Angel Among the Leaves (Part 1)

As chief, it was Katakuri's duty to travel across the world and offer gifts to the Great Shaman. He would bring news of his tribe and receive guidance in return. On his way home, he encounters someone he never expected: a human child named Luffy, who he makes the mistake of feeding.


Monkey D. Luffy was born in a small village nestled in the mountains…at least that's what he'd been told. No one was really sure. According to the Caretaker of the orphanage he currently lived at, he'd been dropped off on their doorstep as a baby, with only a scribbled note indicating his name, and they'd never found his parents.

Now Luffy was one of forty-five children who lived at Sheep's House, the only orphanage on this side of the Red River.

Despite being rather rundown and located outside of town, kids got adopted pretty often, which made Luffy wonder why no one was ever interested in him. In his seven-years of life, not one family had contacted the orphanage about him.

Huffing quietly, the little boy sat up in bed, careful not to wake the three other children who shared it with him. It was a tight squeeze, especially since he was the smallest of the bunch and often ended up getting pushed off the undersized bed.

Once he managed to lower himself to the wooden floor, Luffy hugged himself in an attempt to warm up his chilled body and made his way through the loft towards the staircase. His feet got colder and colder with each step, making him wish for the umpteenth time that he owned a pair of socks.

As he walked, the child's eyes scanned the room, taking in the other kids sleeping around him. There were a lot of them crammed up in the loft, one of only two living spaces the orphanage had to offer. The other one was downstairs and housed the teenagers, who 'needed more space' or something.

Luffy didn't really understand.

When he reached the staircase, he lightly tiptoed down, carefully avoiding the third step that would always creak when someone stepped on it. Technically, he wasn't supposed to be awake, seeing as it was still in the middle of the night, but how was he supposed to sleep when it was freezing! Even the warmth of the other kids (that was normally enough) couldn't stop him from shivering.

'I wonder if Mother still has the fire going…' Luffy thought when he reached the first floor, desperate for heat. Thankfully, there was a light coming from the main room, indicating the fire was indeed still alive.

Luffy trotted up to the cracked door but stopped when he noticed a certain someone lounging in her rocking chair. Mother Caramel was the Caretaker of Sheep's House and very nice, but for whatever reason, she made him nervous. Luffy always avoided being alone with her if he could help it.

Still…he was cold, and that fire looked really warm.

"U-Uh…Mother?" Luffy called quietly, jumping in fright when the woman whirled around to stare at him, like she'd been caught doing something bad. He gulped when he noticed she wasn't smiling like she normally was. "C-Can I come in?"

Mother Caramel was an elderly blonde lady who always had a pipe between her teeth. Tonight, she wore her traditional nun's robes, like she always did, and hurriedly smiled at Luffy, though it looked a bit…forced.

"Oh, Luffy, you frightened me, dear." The woman said while quickly placing the papers she was going over face down on the table in front of her, "What are you doing up? You know the rules."

"I know, but I'm cold." Luffy explained, padding forward while wringing his hands together in front of him, "I-I wanted to sit by the fire."

"All right, but you need sleep, dear. As soon as you can feel your toes, back up to bed with you." Mother answered, kind smile back on her face. Luffy nodded and wasted no time rushing up to the fireplace and curling up around his knees so his feet were closest to the flames.

The Caretaker watched him closely, making him fidget nervously. In an attempt to distract himself, Luffy glanced out the cracked window. It looked like it was still snowing outside…which meant more shoveling would have to be done when they woke up in the morning.

Shivering at the mere thought of the cold, white stuff, Luffy turned to his left where the bookshelf was. Mother Caramel often read them stories since most of the kids couldn't read.

On top of the fun fairy tales they heard regularly, the Caretaker made sure to educate them on the dangers of the outside world. Though everyone in Twin Peaks was human, that wasn't the case everywhere. There were elves, dwarfs, and even giants! Luffy had expressed excitement about the cool creatures once and had been quickly chided.

"They are dangerous, Luffy! You should count yourself lucky you have never encountered such beasts. Thankfully, there are many brave mages and knights out there who protect us."

He'd never met a mage before but wondered what it would be like to have magic. Some of the older kids aspired to join a Guild when they were old enough. A few could even conjure up sparks or move pebbles with their minds! Luffy had tried to do cool magic stuff, to no avail.

Maybe he'd get magic when he was older? According to Mr. Morgan, one of Mother's associates who stopped by every few weeks, getting into a Guild was the only way to 'get out of the gutter'…whatever that meant.

'…and having magic helps you get adopted…' Luffy thought, biting his lip when it trembled ever so slightly. More than anything, he wanted to be part of a family…but so far, no one wanted him.

He was startled out of his thoughts when a knock sounded at the door, making Mother Caramel's smile falter.

"Oh my, it appears my guests have arrived a tad early. Luffy, be a dear and go back to bed."

He blinked in confusion.

"But-"

"Go upstairs." She ordered, making him flinch, "I won't ask again."

Honestly frightened, Luffy scrambled to his feet and rushed out of the room, heart racing. Though she'd been smiling the whole time, it quickly turned cold. Whoever was at the door must be pretty important.

'But who comes to an orphanage in the middle of the night?' He wondered, stopping on his way up the stairs. Unfortunately, Mother had closed the door behind him, impeding his view of their strange visitors.

After a few seconds of deliberation, Luffy continued up the stairs (deciding that getting back into bed and warming up as much as possible was more important than seeing Mother's guests). When he reached his bed, he awkwardly climbed back into his spot near the wall and pulled the scratchy blanket over him.

Sleep was difficult, but it came eventually.


The following morning, Luffy sat on the floor and held his tiny portion of porridge close to his body. It was a barely a spoonful but that's all he got so he was determined to savor it. The older kids got to sit at the table and laughed loudly as they elbowed each other.

That's right, today was Saturday…adoption day.

Once or twice a month, Mother Caramel would call the names of those lucky enough to have caught the attention of an interested party. That very day, they were taken to their new homes by Mr. Morgan.

Luffy's eyes moved over to the large man in question. He was currently leaning against the wall, looking them over with narrowed eyes. Mr. Morgan wasn't a kind man and was pretty mean looking with his metal jaw and missing hand. He liked to scare them with stories of how he'd lost his hand in a fight with a troll.

"Children, may I have your attention please!" Mother Caramel exclaimed, clapping her hands together. Everyone went silent and vibrated with anticipation as she reached into her pocket for 'the list'. "This month, six of you precious blessings will be adopted. Isn't that wonderful!"

The room erupted into cheers while Luffy tightened his grip on his bowl. He didn't want to get his hopes up, but six was a big number…

Maybe…just maybe…

"When I call your name, please go collect your things and ready yourselves for the journey ahead." She then cleared her throat and held the paper up so she could read it. With each name, Luffy felt his stomach tie itself into knots. The first three were obvious, older kids that had already developed magic abilities.

By the time she reached the last name, Luffy had all but given up hope.

"-and last, but certainly not least…Monkey D. Luffy."

He dropped his bowl on the floor in shock, mouth falling open.

"W-What?"

"She called your name, idiot." One of the boys sitting next to him hissed, nudging him in the side. Luffy closed his mouth and tears started to spring up in the corner of his eyes against his will. Was it true? Someone wanted to adopt…him.

"Of course, you will all be sorely missed, but today you start a new journey," Mother continued, grinning down at them, "Now go on…we don't want to keep your new families waiting, hmmm?"

When everyone stood up and began to move, Luffy felt the reality of what was happening sink in. He was being adopted! A smile appeared on his face and didn't leave until all six of them stood outside, waiting for Mr. Morgan to pull up the cart. Unlike the others, Luffy had literally nothing to his name and hadn't had anyone to say goodbye to.

'I wonder what they'll be like!' Luffy mused, bouncing in place in an attempt to keep himself warm. Mother was thankfully allowing him to keep the shoes he currently wore along with the brown tunic and pants (given to him when an older kid got adopted last year and 'didn't need them anymore').

His bright gaze moved to the left when he heard Mr. Morgan's cart approaching. It was pulled by a weathered looking nag but had never looked more inviting to Luffy.

"Now children," Mother said, flitting around them with bright rosy cheeks, "I expect that you'll be good for your new families and make me proud. You will do that for your Mother, yes?"

"Yes, Mother!" They all exclaimed, accepting her head pats and affection with pleasure.

"All right…let's get this over with." Mr. Morgan interrupted, motioning for them to get in the covered cart. The older children got in first while Mother herself lifted Luffy into the wagon, nails digging into his skinny form.

"Be good, Luffy."

"I will!" He chirped before clamoring into the cart behind the other children. A few minutes later, they were off, heading towards their new future all bundled up in blankets they found inside.

Not far into their journey, Mr. Morgan handed them some delicious looking fruit tarts, instructing them to eat them. Naturally, none of them wasted any time devouring the treats. Just when Luffy had finished licking his fingers, he started to feel very…drowsy.

Noticing the other kids felt the same way, Luffy snuggled into the side of the teenager sitting next to him, swiftly slipping into unconsciousness.


When Luffy woke, he groaned in pain and instinctively clutched at his head that pounded like someone hit him with something. He also noticed immediately that he was very, very cold.

'What happened…' The little boy wondered, blinking sharpness back into his vision, 'I was so warm before…' Sitting up, Luffy looked around, taking in his surroundings. The first thing he realized was that he was no longer in the warm cart.

Instead of the thick blankets and cloth covering he'd fallen asleep under, Luffy was now in a small, metal box of some kind. The side he deemed the 'front' had vertical bars that he grabbed, dread pooling in his belly.

Why was he in a cage? Where was he and where were the other kids?

"Tch…oi!" Someone yelled, startling Luffy, "The brat's awake! Should we dose him again?"

"No, we're almost there. Besides, he's the last one." A familiar voice replied, causing him to shudder. Wasn't that…Mr. Morgan?

"What's g-going on!?" Luffy screeched, stuttering over his words in the cold, "Why am I-"

"Shut up, brat." The boy shrank back when Mr. Morgan's face slid into view. He now understood that they were on a wagon (a different one from before) and the one-handed man had something to do with it.

"W-Why are you doing this?"

The man smirked darkly.

"Damn, this never gets old…seeing all you bright eyed kids fall into despair. You really have no idea what's coming, do you?" Luffy shook his head. "Well then, let Mr. Morgan spell it out for you…we're taking you to your new Master."

"Master?" Luffy questioned, not understanding what the man meant.

"That's right, brat. You see, no one ever gets adopted from Sheep's House…only sold. Caramel's been in the business for years and makes sure everything runs smooth as silk. Though, apparently, you weren't supposed to be on the docket today…" Luffy trembled, fear seeping into his freezing bones, "…she said something about you getting a little too curious. Oh well, lucky for you, we've got a buyer who loves cute little things like you. So sit tight, we're almost there."

With that, Mr. Morgan withdrew, leaving Luffy in his tiny prison.

He fell back onto his bottom and curled up into a ball, terrified.

'I-I thought…I was finally getting a family…' He reflected, barely holding in a sob, 'and what about those other kids? Is this how we all end up?'

Suddenly, everything made sense.

The monthly 'adoptions'.

The lack of visitors at the orphanage and the fact that kids hardly ever met interested 'families' in person.

His nervousness around Mother.

Luffy yelped when the cart suddenly stopped, throwing him down onto the icy metal. He quickly scrambled to his feet and grabbed the bars, desperate to see where they'd taken him. It looked like a good-sized camp with big tents. He peered past the tents to the tall trees and figured they must be in a forest somewhere.

But where, exactly.

"Unload the merchandise, I'll go talk with the buyers."

Luffy did his best to examine his surroundings, but it was difficult with how much his cage swung back and forth in his captor's grip. He did see quite a few horses tethered, meaning there must be a lot of people around.

His view of the camp was obscured when the man entered the (thankfully warmer) tent and set his cage down on top of something, leaving him with a sinister smirk that Luffy returned with a glare of his own. Just because he was scared didn't mean he wasn't going to fight back.

Taking a few seconds to catch his breath, Luffy pulled himself flush with the bars and called out with a tentative,

"H-Hello? Anyone there?"

No response.

Luffy bit his lip and yanked on the bars, hard.

"Let me out! I don't want to be here you stupid-"

"Oi, you trying to get yourself killed!?" A voice hissed, making him stop and search for the speaker. Eventually, Luffy's gaze fell on a cage across from his, one that held the mystery person who was now speaking to him. "These people don't like it when we talk."

"I'm L-Luffy." He said in a much quieter voice, desperate to talk to someone, anyone, "Who are you? W-Will you be my friend?"

"…are you serious?"

"Mhm!" Luffy affirmed, barely holding back tears. He was scared and wanted a friend. "Please…I don't want to be alone!"

"…Zoro. My name is Zoro." The other finally said, prompting Luffy to smile tiredly, "What're you smilin' for, idiot!? Can't you see the situation we're in!?"

He sniffled, not wanting to think about it.

"Sorry…I didn't mean to upset you." Zoro added, stepping forward a bit so Luffy could get a good look at him. The boy was a little older (and taller) than him and had shoulder length green hair…at least it looked sort of green to Luffy. He also looked to have been beaten recently but his eyes were fierce and full of rebellion.

Luffy liked him instantly.

"M-Mr. Morgan said I'm gonna get 'sold'…"

"Yeah, that's what these bastards do, sell kids." Zoro explained, reaching a hand up to scratch at his matted hair, "Must be your first time, huh? Well…hopefully it'll be your last."

Luffy tilted his head in confusion when Zoro inhaled sharply and brought his hands to his chest, cupping his fingers together.

"What're you doing? Are you stupid?"

"Shut up and let me concentrate!" His new friend grunted, squeezing his eyes shut, "I've been practicing…if I can just-" Suddenly, the air chilled unnaturally, making Luffy shudder and back away from the bars. He whimpered and made to ask Zoro what was going on but froze when he turned back to the other boy's cage.

A dark aura now surrounded his new friend, one that felt alive and dangerous. Zoro grit his teeth and the darkness moved to his hand, covering it completely. Luffy watched in amazement as the boy lifted his arm and brought it down on the bars, slicing them in two.

"Woah…" He whispered, eyes bright as Zoro collapsed, breathing hard, "That was awesome!"

"Shhhh! J-Just give me a second and I'll get you out to."

Luffy nodded and covered his mouth while Zoro crawled out of now broken cage. The green-haired boy eyed the lock and jogged over to a nearby barrel, where a ring of keys waited.

"Eh…you're not gonna cut it?"

"Like I have the energy for that!" His friend exclaimed, fumbling around to find the right key, "I don't have endless supplies of magic, you know."

"So you are a mage…so cool!" Luffy continued, throwing himself into Zoro's arms the second the cage was open, "Shishishi, your magic is so much cooler than the one's I saw at the orphanage, and-" Zoro silenced him with a hand over his mouth.

"Luffy, do me a favor and shut up, okay? If they catch us, it's all over."

He nodded numbly, prompting Zoro to gently lower him to his feet.

"Listen, they don't know I have magic, which is why this is our only shot. Next time, they'll be prepared."

"Are we gonna run now?"

"Yeah, so stay close."


Unfortunately, they didn't get far before their former captors noticed they were gone. Zoro cursed under his breath when loud shouts and barks of dogs sounded from the camp.

"Come on!" He exclaimed, grabbing Luffy by the hand and all but dragging him through the snow. The little boy's heart raced as they ran and he did his best to ignore the cold seeping in through his clothing.

Luffy tried to look around to get a sense for where they were, but he didn't recognize anything. All the trees looked the same.

"W-Where are we gonna go?" Luffy questioned, teeth chattering, "Zoro-"

"Let me think!" His new friend hissed, eyes wide as he searched the horizon, not slowing down. With another curse, Zoro jerked him to the right. Luffy peered over his shoulder when the sound of their pursuers grew louder. "Damn…this isn't good."

"Are you lost?"

"No! I-I…" The other boy trailed off with a scowl, "…listen, we passed a dock when they brought me over the border. If we can sneak onto the ferry, we're free!"

"Where's the ferry go?" Luffy asked, imagining a giant, wooden boat in his mind. He'd never been on one before!

"Probably San Faldo…or one of the other major cities." Zoro answered, "It's our best bet to try and get somewhere with lots of people, humans specifically. I doubt any of the Beast Tribes will help us."

"Why not?"

"Because they're more likely to try and eat us, now come on!"

They ran and ran, trying to find the dock Zoro was looking for. Luffy listened hard for water but it was hard to hear with all the noise following them everywhere they went. He was forced to stop when his friend skidded to a halt and tilted his head slightly.

"…I hear water. This way!"

A few minutes later, they emerged from the dense wood, right in front of the source of water. It was indeed a river, but where they emerged, it was a waterfall. Luffy peeked over the edge nervously, gulping at how far the drop was.

"I-Is this where the dock is?"

"No!" Zoro growled, tightening his grip on Luffy's hand, "We went too far upstream and-and the forks over there…" The green-haired boy stamped his foot in frustration and Luffy followed his gaze. Beyond the falls, the river split into two, one narrow and the other wide.

Just as Zoro made to turn around and keep running, men walked out of the forest, holding dogs on chains. Luffy immediately balked and cowered behind his new friend, terrified of the snapping maws closing in on them.

"You brats are more trouble than you're worth." One of them snarled, allowing his dog within a few feet of them, "Come quietly, and we won't punish ya."

"Like hell!" Zoro replied, slowly backing them towards the falls, "We're not slaves!"

"Really? The money we already received says otherwise." The second, beefy man sneered before spitting on the ground, "Now come on, we don't have all day! Unless you'd like to be punished?"

"Z-Zoro." Luffy whimpered when his foot almost slid off the edge, "I-I-I can't go any farther and-"

"It's okay." Zoro whispered, making him look up and sniffle, "Luffy…do you trust me?"

"Mhm." The little boy affirmed, trembling as he did so.

"Listen, just down the wider river is the dock, I'm sure of it. If we can just get there-"

"I can't swim!" Luffy interrupted, burying his face in Zoro's smelly shirt, "Z-Zoro I'm scared-"

"You idiots gonna jump?" The first man said with a dark smirk, "Don't bother, you'll be dead in a few minutes in that freezing water. Trust me." Zoro ignored the bad guy's comment and continued his conversation with Luffy.

"We can do this! It's just a little water, we'll be f-" Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet began to shake, almost sending them over the edge. Their pursuers swiftly lost their balance and the dogs ran off in terror. Luffy wrapped his arms around Zoro's torso as they backpedaled away from the weird thing forming in the air not far from the tumbling water.

It almost looked like a ring of fire and gave off intense warmth.

"An Elemental Serenade…" Zoro mumbled, staring down at the strange ring.

"What's that?" Luffy whispered, unconsciously basking in the warmth.

"It's hard to explain but it's basically a portal." His friend continued, a smirk appearing on his face, "Our way out."

"Don't even think about it brats!" The first man yelled, scrambling towards them. Luffy yelped when Zoro rushed forward, sprinting towards the cliff.

"Hold on!"

Luffy let out a scream when they leapt over the edge and fell directly into the ring of fire. He immediately blacked out.


When the little boy awoke, it was to the chirping of birds and a bright warmth that was utterly unfamiliar to him. It was the middle of winter…why was it so warm? Luffy groaned in pain and opened his eyes directly into the sun, prompting him to immediately close them. His whole body hurt.

'Where am I?' He thought, head rolling to his left. Luffy was currently lying face-up on the ground and could feel mud around him as he slowly gained feeling back into his limbs. Strangely enough, there wasn't any snow around. The weather was warm, but not too hot, and the trees were colored red and yellow, like they were in the autumn season.

When Luffy sat up, memories of what happened came back to him, and he immediately felt his stomach drop in fear. That's right, they'd jumped into the weird portal thing after…

'I was almost sold.' Luffy sobbed at the thought, barely managing to hold in his tears. He never would've guessed that Mother could be so terrible. Wiping his eyes, the little boy stood up on trembling legs and looked around for Zoro, his new friend.

"Z-Zoro! Where are you?" He managed in a raspy voice, taking a few steps towards the nearest tree. It was then that he realized his shoes were gone and the ground beneath him wasn't quite right. A closer look revealed he'd been laying in the center of what appeared to be a weird circle drawn into the ground, like a brand. All of the leaves that were currently falling off the trees landed on the cleared area where scorched leaves crumbled to dust when he touched them.

Luffy whimpered in fear when the wind blew leaves up off the ground and into his face. This place was scary, he didn't want to be here.

Where was the snow?

Where was Zoro?

He didn't want to be alone!

Luffy took off into the forest, desperately searching for Zoro, but no matter how loudly he called for him, there was no response. He checked behind trees and under logs until he stumbled into a different clearing than the one he'd been in, one that opened up into a fairly large field full of white and blue flowers. The boy wandered through the flowers until he came to the edge of a cliff and the vastest of the wood was revealed to him.

The area was huge and completely unfamiliar to him.

Crying silently to himself, Luffy collapsed back onto his bottom and hugged his knees, unable to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

What was he going to do?


Meanwhile…

A lone orc made his way through the forest with practiced ease, moving at a casual pace. Tall for his race, he occasionally had to stoop to avoid hitting his head on branches. Readjusting the pack that rested over his shoulder, the orc glanced down to where his faithful warg walked beside him.

The beast served as both his mount and partner in battle. His coat was pitch black and he'd taken many lives on behalf of his master, earning him the title skiá tou dóry, or Shade of the Spear.

The warg looked up at him when he felt his master's gaze and flicked his pointed ears forward in anticipation of an order.

"Eager to return home, hmmm?" The orc whispered, running a hand over the beast's head, causing it whine in appreciation, "Do not worry, old friend, we will reach the border within the next four cycles of the sun." The massive beast barked softly and raised a leg to scratch where his hand had been.

Though it would be quicker to climb onto his back and ride the rest of the way, Charlotte Katakuri was in no hurry. As chief of his tribe, he had to make the long journey to consult the Great Shaman every few moons, and he'd come to appreciate the time to himself.

When the pair passed a small waterfall, the chief caught sight of his own reflection in the crystal clear water. His visage was one that often terrified beings slighter than himself and was further enhanced by his many tattoos, rings, and marks of glory. Katakuri's tribe, the Mitéra Sárlot (or Mother Charlotte tribe, in the common tongue), was a mixture of various orcs races from across the world, brought together by his sire, Linlin, a particularly powerful female whose lust for power rivaled even the great Ogrul, warrior of legend.

Katakuri himself had tan skin and very pronounced tusks that he would hide behind a scarf whenever he entered towns of weaker species. Some of his siblings teased him when they were young, saying that if he was shorter and a bit skinnier, he could pass as a human.

Of course, humans didn't have tusks and their ears were soft, round little things that no doubt made it difficult to hear predators approaching. Plus, as a seasoned warrior, his body was covered in tattoos that he earned through victory in battle. His most prominent one covered the entire left half of his torso and had been gifted to him by his sire when he'd successfully cleared out a small human nation that had dared to kill one of his siblings.

He'd left none of them alive.

On his ears, he wore rings that had a variety of meanings, all well-earned. In their culture, the more marks and sigils you wore, the more respect you garnered from other orcs. It was a simple way to display your prowess without saying a word.

In traditional style, Katakuri wore furs around his shoulders, thick trousers and boots, and straps across his chest that also served to hold his spear that currently rested in between his shoulder blades. Currently, his scarf was stored in his bag so his tusks were out for all to see.

'Not that there is anyone to see in these woods…' He mused, looking away from the water to the scarlet leaves fluttering around him. Komugi Forest was vast and stretched all the way from the edge of the Beast Lands to where their territory begun, which he wouldn't reach for a few days if he kept his current pace.

The only creatures who frequented this part of the woods (aside from the usual wildlife) were the fairies, and Katakuri didn't consider them particularly dangerous. Annoying, yes…dangerous, no.

Most of the other Beast Tribes were spread out beyond the forest as they wanted to put as much space between them and the human's territory as possible. Unfortunately for him, the Great Shaman's shrine was located on top of a mountain deep in human territory.

Thankfully, he'd had no problems this year. Occasionally, mages would attack him if he got too close to one of their larger settlements.

Katakuri was brought out of his thoughts by a high-pitched whine from his warg that was followed by a long yawn.

"Come, let's set up camp for the night." He said, causing the warg to bark in agreement. By the time the sun set and the moon had risen, Katakuri had placed his tent and started a fire, years of experience making the process simple to complete. While he stoked the fire, his companion rushed out to complete a quick hunt, returning with a large buck hanging from his bloodied maw.

Katakuri praised his companion in Orcish, which he knew the beast preferred to the smooth tongue of the humans, before butchering the deer and roasting it over the fire. Shade, as he fondly called his warg, made himself comfortable against his back as they waited for their meal to completed.

Though the beast was currently relaxed, he knew Shade was on alert and would let him know if he caught the scent of danger. Once the meat was thoroughly cooked, Katakuri tore off a piece for his companion and bit into the leg himself, tearing through it with his sharp teeth.

A few minutes later, just before he intended to retire for the night, Shade tensed at his back and let out a threatening growl. Katakuri narrowed his eyes and scanned the tree line for abnormalities, seeing nothing.

Still, he wasn't stupid enough to dismiss his companion's warning. A warg's nose was a hundred times more sensitive than an orc's. Something was out there.

Katakuri grabbed his spear laying beside him and stood to his feet, followed closely by Shade who hunched low to the ground, teeth barred towards a broad tree on the western edge of the clearing.

He brandished his spear when a twig snapped and a small gasp sounded from the roots of the tree. Katakuri frowned and slowly approached the evergreen. He could hear something scurrying around, hiding in the shadow of the tree and bushes that grew in between the roots.

Using the end of his spear, he cleared away the brush and locked eyes with the 'danger'. Almost immediately, Katakuri lowered his weapon, eyes widening in shock. There, trembling against one of the trees roots, was a human child. It was utterly filthy and male to his eyes.

At his side, Shade stopped growling and tilted his head in confusion at the tiny creature trembling in their shadow. No, this human certainly wasn't a threat to them…but what was he doing so far into the Beast Lands?

"D-Don't eat me…please…" The tiny human managed, voice tired and broken, "I-I don't taste good!" Katakuri knelt down slowly, doing his best not to scare the boy, and placed his spear on the ground so he could raise his hands placatingly (as he knew was the human custom to show you meant no harm).

"I don't want to eat you." He replied, making the kid jump in surprise, "Human flesh does not appeal to me." At that statement, Katakuri could feel Shade's disapproving stare.

Well, it was true. He didn't want to lie to the youngling.

"Y-You don't?" The boy whispered, looking up into Katakuri's scarlet eyes, "…but aren't you a monster? I-I thought-"

"I have no intention of harming you, little one." He soothed, making sure not to make any sudden movements. Was he the first non-human the boy had seen? "Tell me, what are you doing in the Beast Lands? Were you separated from your sires?"

When the boy blinked in confusion, Katakuri recalled that humans used different titles for those who birthed them and swiftly corrected himself.

"Your parents, child, where are they?"

At the word, the little human immediately began to sniffle and curled in on himself.

"I-I-I don't have any…"

'An orphan?' Katakuri mused, interest growing. The nearest human settlement was easily a few days ride past the edge of the forest.

"Are you hungry?" He asked, prompting the child to look up at him again, eyes red and swollen from his tears. When the child nodded, Katakuri slowly reached for him, making him tense slightly, but not pull away.

The boy was expectedly light and swiftly latched onto the corner of his fur cloak with one of his tiny hands. Katakuri carried him back to the camp and settled himself by the fire once more, making use of the light to look the child over.

He was dangerously thin…so much so Katakuri could feel his ribs under his hands. The human's feet were bleeding due to a lack of appropriate footwear, and there was evidence of additional injuries under the young one's meager clothing.

"Here…for you." Katakuri said, handing the boy a chunk of meat. He took the food slowly at first but once he took his first bite, he tore into it almost as ferociously as an orc. Shade stalked around so he could smell the human, making him giggle at the feeling of the warg's wet nose against his face.

"Ne, I like your doggy, mister." The child said, sending him a tired smile while he attempted to pet the massive beast. To his credit, Shade did not bite the human's limb off. Instead, he shook off the child's grabby appendage and sat just out of reach so he could watch the little thing's movements closely.

"He is a warg, not a 'doggy'." Katakuri clarified, growing increasingly concerned with the boy's current state. Humans were not as hardy as orcs in their natural form…if nothing was done, there was a good chance the child would die. "Tell me, how did you come to be in these woods?"

The kid huffed and lowered the meat to his lap, bottom lip trembling as tears formed in his round eyes yet again.

"I…I thought I was gonna get adopted…but they tried to sell me instead."

Katakuri frowned at that but said nothing.

"T-Then I met my new friend, Zoro, and we ran but they caught up to us…I thought we w-were gonna die." The little human wiped his eyes again before continuing. "But then a weird portal thing appeared so we jumped in…and I ended up here."

"A portal?"

"Mhm." The boy affirmed, "It looked like a ring of fire."

Katakuri's stomach dropped. A ring of fire…was he talking about an Elemental Serenade!?

"You and your companion entered a Serenade?" He questioned, prompting the boy to nod.

"Yeah, to get away…but then I couldn't find Zoro anymore and got s-scared-"

Katakuri tuned the human out for a few seconds as he processed the new information. An Elemental Serenade was something of a random occurrence that happened when a fairy died. The Serenade was their clan's way of spiriting the soul of the deceased to the afterlife. Depending on the base element of the fairy, the Serenade would be a different element (fire, ice, earth, etc.) and were almost impossible to predict due to the sudden nature of fairy deaths.

All Serenades created a portal of sorts that many had attempted to utilize to their advantage, but ultimately failed. Most that entered a Serenade had their bodies torn apart and subsequently spread across the land in pieces.

'This boy got extremely lucky.' Katakuri thought, noting the distinct lack of dismemberment, 'Though his friend likely did not…'

"Can I have some more?" The boy asked, big eyes wet with tears. Katakuri hummed, glancing up at what meat was left and back to the child's malnourished body. If he gave him too much, he'd likely get sick.

"Not right now." The boy whimpered in response but didn't complain.

'I need to decide what I'm going to do with him…' Katakuri mused, gently lifted the boy by his flimsy shirt and passing him to Shade, who quickly corralled him so he was settled between his paws and couldn't go anywhere. He didn't want to consider the child a prisoner, but he also didn't want him wandering back into the woods.

He supposed he could try to return him to human territory, but that would take time…time he didn't necessarily have. His tribe had to perform the Ritual of Acceptance within a few days of his return to the Beast Lands or risk dishonoring the Great Shaman.

'I'll decide in the morning.' Katakuri decided, noting the boy had quickly fallen asleep on Shade's paws. Gathering up his spear, he plucked the unconscious human off the ground and took him into the tent, where he'd be warmer. Removing his cloak, Katakuri bundled the human in it like he used to do for his younger siblings.

Unlike some Beast Tribes, he and his clan held no deep hatred for humans. They would attack them just like any other enemy if they posed a threat. Besides, he wasn't so heartless as to let a child die when he could do something about it.

Such an act would dishonor him.

Outside the tent, Shade lay down just beyond the door, facing the woods. He would keep watch and make sure the boy didn't attempt to leave during the night (though he didn't think the human had the strength). Katakuri eyed the human and sighed, curious what fate had in store for both of them.