Just over the Cineran- Iridine border, barely 19 years ago, a small child was born into a middle class family. I was named Kain, born into the family of Snake. My father was a commander in the Cineran army, a role that he took on with great enthusiasm not only on the battlefield but also at home. He often came home and beat my mother when the war effort was going badly. Although I tried to keep her and my younger sister, Kichi, from the violence, I was often beaten aside for being insolent. My older half brother, Raine, did nothing too help. He longed to be in the Cineran army, and did not want to lose my influential fathers favour. I too longed to be in the army when I was young, practising many hours with my tin dagger.
However, as I grew older, I noticed how the army was changing the older brother. He too was becoming increasing angry with the world. I began to question if I too wanted to turn towards the army if I was to become more like my father. I dreamt of breaking away from Cinera, and making it across the border to Iridine.
During one dark night in Palet, my whole life changed. After a successful battle, my father and brother came home drunk. I ushered my sister into her bedroom to hide her from seeing her father in that state. My brother pushed his way past me and fell into his bedroom in a drunken stupor. My mother and father began to row, over something that I never could make out within the bickering. As the row intensified, I began to worry for my mothersí safety. Suddenly the argument stopped, and I believed that he had fallen asleep in a chair again. As I made my way into the living room, I could tell things werenít right. The table had been tipped over, and in the middle of the room lay my mother. My father was bent over her; a blood stained dirk in his hand. As I backed away, eyes wide, I saw him cradle my slain mothersí body For the first time I saw him shed a tear. He didnít see me as I crept to my room and lay there, for what seemed an eternity, as I tried to make sense of what I had just witnessed.
When I was woken by my brother early the next morning, it still hadnít sunk in. My father sat the three of us down and told us that our beloved mother had run away with a man she had been having an affair with. I wanted to scream, wanted to shout, tell everyone what he had done, but I had no proof. The body had gone; no trace of what went on was left in the living room. I began to plot my revenge, I couldnít let him get away with it. I wouldnít let him get away with it.
During the night, as everyone slept, I gathered my sistersí things and mine together. Only essentials that I could carry would be taken. It was a long way to Iridine, and we would need to move fast. I didnít rouse my brother; I knew he wouldnít believe me and warn father of my plans. I entered fathersí bedroom, where he slept soundly. I drew my fathers dirk from beside his bed, and silently drew it across his throat. I felt his last breath fall from his lips as I placed my hand across his mouth to muffle the scream.
I woke Kichi up and, grabbing my tin dagger as we ran from the house, never looked back. I wish I could have told Kichi why we were going, but I wasnít going to submit her to the full story. By the time we made it to the Iridine border, I had heard rumours about a ìgreatî military commander being slain in his sleep, but I didnít much care. We had to sell most of our possessions just to make it across the border. But finally we were free, finally we can begin a new life here in the City of Iridine.