The Branded’s Markings
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Olivia was a strange girl to say the least. A Branded with a very strange Brand at that, but nevertheless the torment she went through in society, she had a loving clergy to raise her and became a devout of Ashera. Truly, she was lucky. She knew she was lucky. She just happened to have a Brand that made her... so very tired. At least they were easy to hide. In winter. Again, more luck for Olivia it wasn’t summer but at least Autumn. Not bad. And again, not so lucky, it was about to turn into a bad day.
Apples... Wheat, Mother Juniper said the gold kind not the brown for the pie, she ran through the mental grocery list in her head and glanced between her basket and the inventory before her. What did Father Augustus say the recipe needed for the beef stew? Obviously beef and carrots and... Peppers? What kind? The Green or Red or... As she studied the items for sale, she didn’t notice that a string of her glove was caught by the woven basket. When she reached forward to grab a pepper, the glove was untied and slipped off. She didn’t realize it had slipped until she felt the actual smooth skin of the pepper, only for it to rot into a blackened wrinkled curl immediately after contact. She paled.
Olivia gasped and dropped her basket, frantically looking around for the missing glove before someone could notice her hand concealed in scripted words, marking her Brand. She realized it was hooked onto the basket. Quickly, she unattached the string from it and--
Someone grabbed her wrist. “My what have we here?” he snarled as she was forced up to her feet.
“A customer,” Olivia frowned to the growling merchant.
“The correct answer is a filthy Branded,” he looked to his produce and gaped. “You did this?” he picked up the rotted pepper.
“It was an accident, I swear it! I swear I just--” she gasped in pain when feeling the scarring run across her clenched palm.
He noticed her first-shaped hand. “You wantin’ to throw a punch at me, that it?”
“No no no just-- Please, sir, I just need to get some food--” Her eyes darted around at the crowd beginning to form. “Okay keep the food! I just-- Tch--” she bit down her lip and lowered her head as the words seared across her body.









