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goddessofeternity · 9 months ago

Text

Fragile

Chapter 4: From the Ashes

“You make a beautiful bride…”

“....”

“Our lord is finally going to have a lady in the castle��it will be good to have a more womanly touch around here.”

The maids hadn’t stopped talking about the changes that would happen once I was married to Jacob. As they brushed my hair and fitted me for the day, I made my plans to get the women out and find where my parents were being kept. The wedding was tomorrow and I had to work quickly to get all of this done in only a day. I tried to sneak back, but that large man was now guarding the storage room and more maids kept their eyes on me. I had to think of something to distract them…but it probably wouldn’t be long enough to do much of anything.

Glancing into the mirror, the woman brushing my hair had a brand mark peeking from underneath her collar. The woman fetching my dress had one on her back…or from what I could see that her dress wasn’t covering. These women were victims, but they acted as if nothing was wrong with their situation. It most likely would happen to the women in the storage room…if most of them survived that is.

“Oh you look like a vision!” The maids smiled and giggled as they finished dressing me, but I said nothing as I looked them over.

“Don’t you want to be free of this man?”

The maids grew silent and looked between each other before they plastered smiles onto their faces. It seemed that he had trained them–more like forced them to behave. They just smiled and went about cleaning my room…now no longer speaking to me.

“I will get us all out of here. I…I know that it has probably been terrible for you but I-”

“Enough!” The maids and I flinched as one of them through her gloves down on the ground. It was the first genuine emotion that I had seen from any of them. “You will only make our lives harder if you try anything foolish…so mind your business and keep him happy.”

“I only want to help-”

“You don’t get it! There is no help that you can provide for us. You are now his property as much as any of us.”

“...” No. I couldn’t believe that or I would have truly lost myself. I just nodded my head as they left my room. I could not give up with my parents' lives on the line or those women down there. Opening my window, I frowned at the men walking around under it and occasionally glancing up at me. I smiled and waved and they just proceeded along as I huffed in frustration. The castle was quite large so I would need to do something substantial to have enough time to go search it without interruptions. “I need something…anything…”

I was starting to get a headache thinking about things, so I left my room to get some air. The good thing about Jacob being here is that I could be out in the sun and walk in the gardens. My maids were close behind me to make sure I didn’t do anything that would get them in trouble, but I couldn’t just not do anything. This monster needed to be stopped before more women and children lost their lives to his madness.

Sitting on a stone bench, I rubbed my forehead as I looked over the fountain. The maids gave me some space and I looked around the garden to figure something out. A man was yelling at some stable boys about the horses, while another man was getting the horses into the stables. I could sabotage the horses, but that would not nearly be enough. An uncomfortable feeling traveled up my spine and looking upwards…I saw Jacob staring at me from a balcony drinking wine.

I looked away as he smiled at me and sipped his wine. I had to do something…perhaps I could ask General Nim to assist me, but I’m sure that he was gone by now. His words about just calling out to him came back to me, but it just seemed so foolish. Still feeling his eyes on me, I left further into the gardens…my maids following diligently behind me. I would have to get rid of them before long too. I just had to have something…anything to get out of this mess.

“Lord Malcovy doesn’t really care what happens to them…” I stopped walking and pretended to look over the flowers as interesting things came to my ears. “As long as we keep him locked in there…and just give him bread and water occasionally we will be fine…”

“Yes, but how long do we have to do this? That old man has a fucking problem…hell the bastard almost killed Benjen with that broom! I need a break from watching that man…”

“At least you just have to do that…Lord Malcovy brought in that skeleton and I’ve never been so disgusted in my life. Once this wedding is over…I’m throwing that thing in the river…”

“You’re gonna be cursed if you do something like that…”

My anger spiked hearing them speak about my mother that way and I rushed around the bushes to confront them, but that large man from before blocked my view. “Get out of my way-”

“The lord of the castle wishes to see you…right this second…” I was going to decline, but his grip on my arm didn’t allow it. I silently fumed as I was dragged away towards Jacob, but now I knew where my father most likely was, but my mother was more important. Something had to give and I would turn the tides in my favor.

~~~

“Ah wife…come sit with me…” I frowned as the large man pushed me into the room and slammed the door shut. Jacob gestured to the seat next to him, but I just sat across from him. He seemed displeased but he just chuckled and poured more wine into two glasses. “Your fire hasn’t gone out I see.”

“...”

“It would do you well to speak when spoken to.”

“You have barely had a taste of my “fire”.”

“Hmhmm…” He placed his glass down and leaned forward in his chair to look me up and down. His gaze made me nauseous, but I looked at him straight on anyway. “I will kill your father if you even think of “rescuing” him. Your mother will be in worse shape if you keep snooping around and my people talk…not that they have much choice…or say…”

“...”

“Nothing to say? Has your fire finally burned out? I did enjoy it while it lasted. I just want you to remember I am a man of my word. You make my children and your family stay safe…you stay out of my treasure chest…I might consider letting some of them go…as a wedding gift…and if you please me in bed…I might be even more generous…and I don’t just mean about my seed…”

I’m gonna rip his throat out.

“May I be excused?”

“Of course…I will see you in the morning…wife…”

I brushed past the man as I made my way to my room. It was now or never to get what I wanted and save my family and these women. The maids were quick to try and prepare me for bed, but I shut the door in their faces. I laid out on my bed for hours plotting out what I would do…and by the time I made my decision…the sun was already down. Blowing out my candle, I went to work making the bed look as if I was laying it. Rummaging through my various dresses…I found a dress the same shade as my hair and laid it where my head would. It would be enough to trick them if they only peeked in from the door. Changing into something more appropriate…I tied my hair back to prepare to make a change. Opening my window, I leaned out to see if anyone was out, but with it finally getting darker…there wasn’t a person in sight.

Finding a stone to grab, I hoisted myself out the window and began to scale the wall. As I scaled higher, I could hear some of the guards walking and talking under me. I prayed that they didn’t look up here. I was too far up to deal with them at the moment and I needed the height to see the layout of the grounds. As I reached for another brick…I gasped as it slipped out the wall. Gritting my teeth, I let my grip loose and caught it before grabbing the wall once more. I huffed out and hung suspended by one hand.

Now I had one hand occupied and needed to pull myself back up. I was glad that I kept up with my exercise often. Unfortunately, as I tried to dig my foot into the wall some dirt brushed off and fell onto the men below. Thinking quickly…I tossed the brick into some bushes further away and they went to investigate it, which gave me some relief. Not wasting more time…I finished my climb to the top of the castle. Hiding behind some of the spires, I scanned around where I heard the men talking about my family.

I squinted as I saw several guards near another section of the castle. It wouldn’t make sense for one random place to be guarded like that. It would have to be where my parents were located. Sliding down the roof, I ran across the merlons of the castle until I went into the shadows when one of them glanced up at me. Jumping down carefully…I grabbed the first man and knocked him out, but the other two turned just as he hit the floor.

“What the-?!”

I struck him hard under the chin before backhanding him. The other man rushed me with his spear, but I twirled around it as he jabbed it at me and punched him in the jaw. He staggered from the blow, but I didn’t let up as I gave him a running knee to the nose and we both fell to the ground.

“You bitch-”

I ignored him because he started to get loud and I beat him across his face until he finally passed out. I dragged their bodies into the bushes and tied them with some rope they had. After I finished gagging them, I went through the door and after checking some rooms…I finally let out a sigh of relief when I saw my father drinking in the corner.

“Father! Thank the gods that I found you!” I rushed over to him and gathered him to his feet. “We have to get out of here quickly….we just have to-”

A sharp sting against my cheek made me stagger back in surprise. My father tossed his drink to the side and grabbed my shoulders. I couldn’t tell if his red face was from the drinking or anger, but it didn’t matter because we had no time for his antics. “Father…we have to leave-”

“You ruin everything that you touch!” I flinched at his words as he shook in anger. “I had everything all worked out with him! How dare you come here and ruin this?!”

“I-I…I just…I had to get you and mother out…”

“Shut your mouth! He took your mother from me once he saw how disobedient you are! I have no idea where she is! You stupid stupid girl!”

“I-I…p-please I…we can’t-”

“When did you get so disobedient?! I have raised you better than this! Gods…I have done everything for you…I made you into the perfect woman for any man to have and you can’t even keep me and your mother happy!”

“F-Father…I…p-please…” Tears pricked my eyes as I tried to form any words to calm him down. Something to calm myself down, but they were trapped in my throat and I couldn’t do anything to force them out. My mother had always been my emotional weak point, but my father…he was my mental weakness. He always had a way of tearing me down and making me question anything I ever did. I was never good enough for much in life…so he molded me into the perfect woman…whore…for men. It kept a roof over our heads and food in our bellies, but it tore a hole right through my heart.

“I just want my wife back! You stupid fucking girl!”

“Now now father-in-law…you shouldn’t make my bride so upset the day before her wedding.” I turned quickly to see Jacob and the large man in the doorway. The man was fuming behind Jacob, but Jacob himself seemed calm and amused to see me here. I, however, was not happy to see him at all. My element of surprise was taken from me and now I was sure to regret everything if his word was to be believed.

I had risked the life of my father and the body of my mother on a chance that I might be able to save them…that I might be able to get those women out. I risked everything for the small chance that for once I could make a difference and change my life.

I thought I could finally walk away…

“Kemla…take her back to her room…then make sure my dear father-in-law is given more wine and comfort for the night.”

“D-Don’t touch-”

“Go on with him now, Regan! Before you mess something else up!” I folded my lips together as my courage and strength fizzled out. My father’s grip on me was too tight and I feared it would hang over me forever.

Kemla pulled me away quickly and my mind raced as I was tossed back into my room. I waited with bated breath for Jacob to enter the room, but he never did. My body shook in fear at what he probably was doing to them because of my incompetence. I tried to leave the room, but the door was locked or blocked or…argh! I shook the window, but it seems that he anticipated my rebellion because the window was tightly locked as well. I paced around my room before the weight of everything crashed into me. I let out an angry and desperate shriek as I banged on the door and windows. Desperate to do something…anything…in a perfect world they would get annoyed and just let me leave, but this was not a perfect world. Nothing about my life would ever be perfect again…and I only had myself to blame.

The fireplace crackled as I cried and raged and I didn’t pay it much attention, until it really made itself known. It surged out of its pit, and I recoiled against the door, holding my hands up to shield myself. I shut my eyes tight thinking this was how I was going to die…a random fire that spread as I thought about my failures.

As an individual and as a daughter.

Opening my eyes, I gasped softly as the fire was halted in midair. It was just floating there almost wistfully, and peacefully. Standing up, I gasped as it swirled in the air. Testing something…I pushed against the air and watched in fascination as it moved according to my will. I kept going until it was settled back into the fireplace. I couldn’t control my curiosity as I reached out toward the flames, and gasped in surprise as the fire didn’t hurt me. Recoiling back, I looked at my hand in interest.

I know what general Nim and my father had said and the use of my blood, but seeing how the fire reacted to me was something special. If I could do that…what else could I do? Balling my fists up…I had to be better and do something. I couldn’t cry and wallow…he would still need my father to be at the wedding to give me away and keep up appearances. He would not kill him yet…I had to believe that.

My mother…I would have to pray to whatever God I could that her body was safe before I could rescue her. I had to believe that her body was still alright.

I had too.

~~~

“Oh! You make such a beautiful bride!”

“...”

Reminiscent of the other day, the maids were fawning over me as they fixed my dress and hair to their liking. The only difference was the fact that these weren’t the same women. I could only imagine what he had done to the other women. I hoped that they were safe or gotten away from him. Although…that was just wishful thinking on my part. I glanced into the mirror as I gripped my bouquet tight. I didn’t want to marry this man, but I would do what needed to be done to get what I needed.

Looking out the window, I saw the various people filling the castle to attend the wedding. I would get as close to him as possible, before I made my move. That man, Kemla, would be an issue, but not one that I was worried about. The maids did their finishing touches before leaving the room. I took several deep breaths as I waited for my father to appear and a knock at the door meant that he was here.

“C-Come in…” Hearing him open the door, I sighed and shut my eyes to send out a small prayer. “Father…I know that I-”

“You had better learn some obedience girl…” I jumped and turned to see Kemla staring at me in anger. I narrowed my eyes at him as he returned it just as angrily. He moved closer to me and I backed away, intent on grabbing something to hit him with if he touched me. “My lord is being merciful since this is his wedding day, but don’t expect it much more if you keep your attitude up.”

“I hope you don’t expect me to care about him or your threats especially…”

“I will ring your neck, you-”

“Move.” I moved around him and he was surprised by my curt attitude, as was I. My courage over the last few days surprised me, but I couldn’t rely on that forever. How long would it keep up until I slipped through my many cracks once more? He stormed after me and I could feel him about to grab me, but I turned and moved my arm to glare at him once more. “Don’t you touch me. I’m sure he would not like my dress to be ruined or for me to be late.”

“I’ll ruin you…”

“Try it.” The candles in the hallway flickered over us, and I once again was surprised to see their flames do that, but I didn’t betray that emotion on my face. He didn’t need to see me give an inch on anything.

“The young lord wanted to send you a gift…” He growled as he tossed me a small box, which I caught while still glaring at him. “Wear it and be completely prepared in an hour.”

“I thought it was time now?”

“He has other things to attend to. Now, don’t cause any trouble until then…” With a final sneer, he disappeared down the hall and the maids rushed up to check over my hair and dress once more. Rubbing my temple, I decided to just walk around the castle to keep my mind busy, although the maids were giving me quite the headache with their constant chatter.

“Ladies…might you bring me something to snack on? Some wine too? My nerves are getting the better of me…I’ll just sit over there…”

“Of course! We will be right back!” I frowned once they turned away, mostly because of how easy it was to be rid of them. The other women wouldn’t let me out of their sight. These maids must have been new. Hopefully, this would all be over soon and I could free them from this torment. Not wanting to waste more time, I went about searching through the castle. My father was probably getting ready, but my mother would be difficult to find. The various guards were at the great hall so it was easier to navigate without someone stopping me.

I was growing frustrated because I had a limited amount of time to look. He would have to keep her somewhere safe and secure. A vault? Underground? No…where could he…or maybe…

He was a sick and twisted man…and the torture of women seemed to fuel him. He would want to do something that would utterly break me apart. Stopping outside his bedroom, I released a deep breath before I opened the door. His room looked freshly cleaned and ready for…his wedding night. Pushing that out of my mind…I looked through his wardrobe and under his bed for anything, maybe another secret room, but it was looking to be empty and it was looking like I wasted my time here.

“Stupid…”

Sitting on the bed, I tugged at a loose curl of hair as I tried to think of any idea of where she could be kept, but this castle was large and I was running out of time. I leaned my head back with a sigh and took more deep breaths. Closing my eyes, I tried to think how I would get out of this. There was nothing coming to me and time was not on my side to sit here and ponder. Opening my eyes, my heart leapt to my throat and tears instantly fell as I screamed and climbed onto the bed.

Suspended by the curtains of the bed, were the skeletal remains of my mother. He took it a step further by having her dressed in a gown and having what looked like fresh eyes stuck into her eye sockets. I shook and cried as I reached towards her, but recoiled back in horror. Why would anyone do this?! How could such monsters exist in this world?! Why did it have to be me and my mother?! He wanted to sleep with me with her right above us like this?! Gods above! Why?! Why?!

I…I had to get her down or-

“I have no idea where she went?! We have to find her quickly!”

I rushed off the bed and went to one of his wardrobes and managed to squeeze myself in just as they looked into the room. I held my hand over my mouth as I held back my sobs. My beautiful mother had been disrespected for the last time. Once they left, I rushed out the room and began running down the halls. I had to get out of this dress and do something about my mother and this awful man!

“...” I stopped to not only catch my breath, but because I heard a small sniffle. I looked down the hall before I opened the door to a room. It was probably not good to be distracted, but the cries sounded familiar. I was once again shocked seeing James and Caleb in the corner of the room chained up and holding onto each other.

“Boys!” They flinched hearing me call out to them as I rushed over to grab at their bindings. “What…why…what happened?!”

“The…the lord…he came to get us…he…he was angry.” Caleb sniffled as James silently looked at the ground. “He’s mad at you Ms. Regan…and he said he would hurt us…”

My blood was boiling even more now and the lines this man would cross for some control was disgusting. How dare he take these boys from their families?! They didn’t seem like they had been here that long, but I could see some bruises on their bodies, which meant that he had been beating on them. I balled my fists up just thinking about breaking his teeth down his throat. Wait a minute…

“Wait…he…he didn’t get Emily did he?”

Their silent nods was all I needed to see before I rushed to my feet. She was not here and the three of them were always together. It was odd to see them apart, and if she wasn’t here then he had different plans for her. She was just a little girl…and…oh…

Oh no!

“Boys…I will get you both out of here and back to your parents. I’m going to get Emily and we will leave this place.” They nodded silently and I grabbed the skirts of my dress to run faster towards that secret room of his. Two men were guarding it, but I only saw red as I quickly dispatched them and ran into the room. Descending the stairs, I could hear the women talking and the smell of burned flesh invaded my senses.

“Emily!” The women jumped as I charged into the room and began to look around for her. I didn’t care about anything but her right now. Sweet little Emily didn’t deserve to see such horrors and they would haunt her for the rest of her life. “Is there a little girl in here? Was she just brought in? Brown hair, blue eyes?”

“Y-Yeah…but she-”

“M-M-Ms. Regan?” Hearing her small voice…I saw some of the other women holding and whispering to her as she shook and tears fell from her face. Her small frame was littered in bruises and lashes from a whip. I dropped beside her and brushed her hair from her face, which it seemed like he had haphazardly cut at it. “N-No…it…it hurts…”

“I…I know…I’m going to get you out of here…”

“Hey…” The woman from the other day placed her hand on my shoulder. “You don’t understand…she-”

“Dumb fucking woman!” I stood up as Kemla barged into the room and pushed the women aside to get to me. I stood up as he advanced over to me, his arm outstretched to grab me, but I pivoted out of the way. He growled and lunged for me once more, but I continued to evade him. The dress was becoming something of a problem though and I almost tripped on it as he lunged once more. “You are too nosy and hardheaded! You will be married to the young lord and you will fucking like it!”

“I will not let this man have his way anymore!” I gasped as I moved back and my heel caught my dress and it tore, causing me to fall back, but his hand snaked out and caught me by the throat. I choked out as he lifted me up and against the wall. His face was seething in rage and I would not take it anymore. I drove my heel into his eye and he dropped me as blood rushed from his eye. The other women moved around the room as he picked up a barrel to throw at me, which I dodged easily since the dress was torn around my legs. He swung his fist at me and I ducked under it and punched him in the jaw. He growled and grabbed my arm and tossed me against the stone fireplace.

I hissed out as pain shot up and down my back. I struggled to get to my feet, but he rushed forward and kicked me square in my ribs, and I gasped feeling something crack. Grabbing my hair, he let loose another punch to my ribs, which finally got a pained scream from me. Once he brought his fist back again, I lifted my foot up to block it. He pulled my hair back more but I drove my other foot against his nose. I slammed into it repeatedly until it snapped and he dropped me.

My adrenaline pushed the pain back as I landed on my feet, clasped my hands together and slammed them under his chin, blood and teeth shooting from his mouth. He managed to backhand me, but not before I retaliated by kicking between his legs. He toppled over and I took the fire poker and slashed against his chest. He roared in pain and I kept up my assault until he fell through a table. I held my ribs as I advanced over to him but not before he threw some ashes into my eyes. I coughed and tried to rub them away, but he took the fire poker away from me and stabbed it into my leg.

“Ahh!” I fell down and he chuckled and ripped it from my leg, but I was still ready to go and kicked him in the shin. He grabbed me by the throat and dragged me across the floor until my head hit the fireplace. My head started to spin at the sudden and harsh contact, and he lifted me to slam my face against the corner of the fireplace. I threw my hands out to grab the corner, but he was so strong and he tried to force me down. Looking into the fireplace, I quickly reached out and threw some of the embers at his face.

“Ahh!”

I looked around for the fire poker, but he grabbed the front of my dress and tossed me up against the ceiling. I held onto the chains that were on the ceiling and tucked myself away in them. It was time to finish this and get to that monster of a man. Kemla tried to grab me and I saw a hook hanging near me and grabbed it. I yelped as he grabbed my leg, but with an angry shout, I took the hook and jammed it under his chin. He coughed out blood and I took the other end and pulled it hard until he was dangling from the ceiling…his feet were kicking frantically before he finally stopped moving.

I held my injured ribs because they ached the most, and I limped over to the women and helped them to their feet. I looked over at Emily as she cried in the corner against another woman. “Emily…”

“What are we going to do now?” I looked around as the other woman looked at Kemla’s body with some renewed hope.

“You can leave. All the guards are at the great hall, so security is low right now. You have to take this chance now while you can.”

They looked afraid, but nodded their heads as they began to head up the stairs. I only hoped that they didn’t face much resistance from anyone. I felt a bit foolish, but I whispered to general Nim. I know it was silly to do such a thing, but it gave me immense comfort to do it. Emily was being held by another woman and whispering comforting words to her. I limped over, but when I touched Emily’s head she flinched away from me. “Emily…”

“You have to understand something…the young lord came in here and beat on her and…” The thoughts that were plaguing her made my heart squeeze. I grabbed the fire poker and was going to give it to her to defend herself, but Emily suddenly screamed and knocked it away from me. She rushed to another corner of the room and I quickly limped after her.

“Emily! I-I’m sorry! Please…talk to me. I just want to help you…” I held my hands up as she trembled in the corner and more tears ran down her face. I knelt as best as I could as she started to sniffle and hiccup. “You can talk to me…I won’t let him hurt you anymore…”

“...” She blinked up at me through her tears and I smiled warmly at her. I could see so many thoughts swirling in her head. She opened and closed her mouth so many times before she finally spoke up. “He…he hurt m-me…”

“I know…I know sweetie…I’ll make sure to stop him alright?” I thought it would give her some reassurance, but she just shook her head frantically. The other woman looked down at the ground before giving us some space. “Emily…?”

“T-That man…h-he…hurt me…” I furrowed my brow as she repeated what she had said before, but it only took another second to think that maybe she meant something else. Something that I didn’t even consider but the thought almost made me sick, with anger and sadness. He was a monster, but for some reason…I didn’t think he was that much of a monster.

“W-Where did he hurt you?” The words felt like they were stuck to my throat as I forced them out. Tears spilled from her eyes once more as she touched her…private area. My vision turned a deep scarlet and the fireplace behind me raged.

“H-Here…” I felt a boiling rage like nothing I had ever felt in my life. I was going to kill this man and everything-! “W-With that…”

I looked at her, looked at her pointed hand and my mind went numb seeing the fire poker. Everything was spinning out of control and I felt myself begin to blackout. The other woman stepped up to me and I could only faintly hear her words.

“He…he was angry with you for being disobedient…he took the children…beat them…he didn’t hold back on her…he…he used the burning poker on her…area…she screamed for so long and for so many hours…”

“Ah…wife…there you are…still causing so much trouble…” My body went rigid as his voice flowed into the room, Emily screaming and folding herself up into a tight ball. The woman grabbed her and pressed up against the wall. “You have some gall to avoid me and stall my wedding!”

“...” I turned to him without another word and gestured for the woman to take Emily and leave. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do to this man, but it wouldn’t be pleasant. He chuckled as he let them run past him and he sauntered slowly around the room.

“Ah…even in that ruined dress…you still look like a vision. I would have loved to rip that dress another way. I see you somehow killed Kemla…such a strong woman. You really are a stubborn-”

The crack of the fire poker against his skull reverberated around the room. He staggered back with a shocked expression as his blood ran down his face. I cared little for his games and psychological torment…I cared little for it all. He tried to reach for his dagger, but I stabbed him in his leg, twisting it further until he started to scream. Yanking it out, I cracked him across his skull with it once more. Blood was now spurting from the wound in thick volumes as he tried to stand.

“Y-You b..bitch!” I slammed the curved portion of the poker into his cheek and kicked his feet from under him. His sudden fall caused the poker to rip through his cheek causing it to flop open, resulting in a large and gaping wound on his face. He tried to kick at me, but I stabbed deep into his leg once more and turned it quickly, and I relished in hearing the snap of his bones. The fire from the fireplace raged around me, before swirling out across the room, setting it ablaze. “I-I’ll kill…y-you…!”

My mind was numb and his blood splattered against my face once I slammed the poker against his jaw once more. His cheek was almost completely dripping off his face as he started to move back against the floor. The flames from the fireplace spread out across the floor, and he yelled in pain as it burned his palms. He looked around the room frantically, before he saw another fire poker by the fireplace. He quickly tried to make his way over there, but I advanced on him and grabbed him by the hair–before slamming his teeth against it.

He began to choke on his teeth that didn’t fall from his mouth. I wouldn’t let him choke on his teeth. I couldn’t let him die like that. It would be horrible, it would be sad, it would inhumane.

It would be too damn easy…

He was on his hands and knees choking and trying to get the teeth out of his throat. With all my rage and strength behind it…I kicked him hard enough in the gut that he flipped over and fell onto his back. He moved to get off his back, but I stomped on his nose a few times and I heard it snap loudly. Dropping down on top of him, I slammed the poker into his chest…right into the center of his frame. More of his blood splashed onto my face, but I didn’t care…didn’t flinch…I don’t think I had even blinked since I first struck him.

I could see the life fading from his eyes, but I didn’t want him to go just yet. He didn’t get to slip away in peace. He didn’t deserve to drift off so wistfully. I wanted to hurt him more. Sweet Emily deserved her justice, and I would make sure that she’d get it. I had been holding the poker so tight–that my hand had begun to bleed. I held my bleeding palm over his face and watched as it dripped into his mouth. His eyes that were about to close upon his death, suddenly shot open. He looked around wildly before he locked his eyes on me once more.

The fear that spread over his face was nothing compared to the look of pain that eclipsed it when I slammed the poker against his face once more. His erupted into blood as I slammed the poker against his face again and again. He tried to push me off, but I held firm with my thighs as I continued to hit him. His blood soaked into my dress and into my skin as I finally saw the white of his skeleton. I continued to slam the poker further and harder into his face. The crunch of his nose was quickly followed by the sound of his skull fracturing.

His face was quickly becoming a pile of gore and pieces of bone. His blood was washing over me and it grew chunkier by the second. His eyes were bulging from his face now, the skin pulled back from all of my strikes. He had long since stopped breathing and fighting back, but I wasn’t done. I hit his face more as his jaw snapped and his eyes exploded like rotten tomatoes as I threw all of my weight into my swing. I don’t know how long I had hit him, but at this point…the poker was connecting with the hard ground now.

I think that I would have kept going if something didn’t stop me mid swing. I tried to strike his face once more, but something was stopping me. It didn’t take a genius to realize that someone had grabbed the poker. I didn’t waste another second as I stood quickly to drive my foot into the face of the person stopping me. I barely registered that it was the general…I still don’t think that I had blinked once throughout this ordeal.

I ripped away from him to leave this room and the bodies behind. Stepping out, I saw that the women were huddled together not too far away. It seems that his army had come to assist them, and I didn’t really care as long as they would be safe…as long as Emily would be taken care of. A chorus of laughter made me glance up towards the window…I could see that the wedding guests didn’t even know what had transpired. How could they have not realized that anything was amiss?

I gritted my teeth so hard that I think my teeth almost splintered. I stormed towards the grand hall, guards and maids gasping and staring at me in shock. I ignored their attempts to stop me and threw open the doors. Standing under the altar–I knocked over the podium of the priest and the room finally acknowledged my presence. There was a collective gasp, before some of the women began to scream and whisper. His blood continued to run down my face and I wiped it off as I glared around the room.

“The lord of the castle is dead. There will be no wedding today.” I glanced down at my wedding dress as it was drenched in blood and ripped in pieces. The feeling of this still on my skin made me even angrier, but it also just made me upset. “I killed him. If the rest of you value your lives…get the hell out of here now!”

My anger caused the candles around the room to flare up once more, and they didn’t need to be told twice as they rushed out of the hall. I let out several staggering breaths before I tore the wedding arch down and ripped at my dress. I was tired. Tired of all of this pain and suffering…what was it all for? Those women did not deserve that. The children that I had grown to love didn’t deserve it. Emily didn’t deserve her innocence to be ripped away from her in such a cruel and sickening manner.

I ripped away the flowers and other decorations and screamed as the candles lit the curtains on fire. It only took a matter of seconds for the whole room to catch alight. I couldn’t live this life anymore. I was tired of being the puppet in someone else’s show. The strings that held me together were finally breaking apart, but at what cost? The cost of my sanity? The cost of an innocent girl's future? My parents?

What would my life matter now? What if he had still gone and killed my father anyway? Disposed of my mother? My feeling that he wouldn’t was just that–a feeling. Did this man really need my father around for appearances? Probably not…and I just went along and did something so foolish as to get caught yesterday. I should have been smarter, but clearly I was only good enough for one thing.

I didn’t know when he had entered the room, but the general had grabbed my wrist. I didn’t even try and bother breaking away from him. My shoulders slumped in defeat as his voice washed over me.

“Regan…calm down…he’s dead…” He placed his hands on my shoulders so that I would look him in his eye. “You are safe…the captives are safe too.”

“...” His words were slowly starting to register to me, and suddenly the weight of everything began to crash into me. I finally blinked and the tears surged from my eyes, and the pain tore through me as I began to sob. I couldn’t even look at what I had done to those men. I couldn’t believe that amount of anger was inside of me. My hands flew up to my face as I just cried and sank to my knees. The general never released his hold on me–despite all of my wailing and trembling. The room continued to rage into an inferno as my adrenaline died down and exhaustion took me.

~~~

“Mmm…”

A small smile crossed my face as I felt the rays of the sun washing over my face. It was the perfect thing to wake up too. It also helped that the bed I was laying in was comfortable and soft. My body ached, but not enough that I had to be careful sitting up. It was also as I sat up that I remembered everything that had gone on. I threw the blankets back to rush out of this unfamiliar room, but a hand on my shoulder pulled me back into the bed. Blowing my hair from my face, I blinked in surprise at General Nim sitting in a seat by the bed. He relaxed back into his seat before he looked back at his clipboard and began writing things off.

“G-General Nim? What’s going on-”

“Nim.”

“H-Huh?”

“You don’t have to keep calling me general in private…” He didn’t glance up from his work, but I could still see the frown on his face. “You need to rest.”

“I-I feel fine…I have to check on-”

“Already done.” He rubbed his chin as he kept looking at his clipboard. “The women all have gotten their care and are on the road to recovery. The boys are also safe and back with their families. My army cleaned up all the other troublesome bits…”

“W-What about Emily?” Hearing that, he finally looked up at me and I was afraid to hear what he would say since his face was so serious. He must have realized my worried look because his face relaxed before he placed his clipboard down and leaned back in the chair.

“She’s recovering well and I’ve been told that the surgery to…restore her innocence also went well.” I released the breath I had been holding and relaxed once more against the bed, but not before I sprang back up to ask about my- “Your father is still alive…regrettably and we have also recovered your mother’s body. I was waiting for you to wake up so you can properly bury her.”

“I…” I sat back against the pillows in stunned silence. This man didn’t owe me anything and yet…he did all of this to help me. “I…why? Why did you help me?”

“Hmm…I told you before…I saw something in you…something that I wish I had when I was younger…”

“Y-Younger? You…you don’t even look like you’re over thirty…” I furrowed my brow as I really inspected him. “Actually…are generals always this…young? F-Forgive me if I offended you!”

“Mmm…” He crossed his legs and looked at me with an amused smirk. “Yes well…immortality will do that to you…”

“I-Immortality? Are you a mythical creature too?”

“Hmm? No…just a god.”

“Oh…HUH?!” I stared in surprise, but he just yawned and stretched before standing by the window, opening it more, allowing the sunlight to really wash over me. “I-I’m sorry…this is…a lot…”

“Yes I suppose it is.” He sighed and stared hard at me. “You have questions…go ahead and ask them.”

“W-Well…I hadn’t heard of a war…so why were you recruiting so many people?”

“...” His gaze finally let me and he looked back out the window. “I had no intention of letting these people actually fight…”

“Really?”

“Yes…they were more for patrols and scouting…of course that sort of thing has its risks. This was only supposed to last for a couple of months…then they would be free to leave. Of course, they would be compensated heavily for uprooting them like this.”

“Ah ok…” I played with the sheets for a bit before I looked back at him. He seemed deep in thought as he looked outside. It almost felt like there was more to what he was telling me. “So…you’re a god? What are you doing here then? Did you…did you really hear me call out to you?”

“....” He didn’t look at me as the mood in the room seemed to grow stale. “I wasn’t always a god…I…I’ll just leave it at that.”

I looked down at my hands as silence overtook us once more. He didn’t seem like the type who talked very much, but he was entertaining my questions. Slipping out of the bed, I sat across from him and looked out the window. I closed my eyes and soaked in the sunlight, but his voice made me look at him once more.

“I’m here because you called for me. Nothing more and nothing less…”

“Mmm…you’re not very good at lying…”

He glared at me, but I just looked him right back in his eye. He sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. “You really have a lot of spunk underneath everything. Fine fine…I…I just wanted to give you another shot.”

“Another shot?”

“Yes…I told you once before that I see your potential and I would hate to see you waste away here…for a father who has no love for you. I have seen how you react to my army…I see that a light envelopes not only your eyes, but your entire being. Forgive the pun, but you have a fire that deserves to burn as bright as the light you give off.”

I blushed deeply hearing him say that about me. There was no one that really ever said such things about me, much less a man that I barely knew. I fiddled with my hair and figured he was done, but he kept going.

“I only ask that you give yourself a chance. A chance to have the happiness that you deserve. I would be glad to have you join me.”

“I…” Was it alright to grasp this? It felt too good to be true and I didn’t want to be heartbroken over this. I could admit that I thought about his army often. I had this draw to them and I wanted to feel that adventure, the rush of combat. I could preach all I wanted that I didn’t like violence, but the truth was…it was exciting. I loved the power that I had to protect myself and defend people I cared about. Being in the army gave me all of that, I could help others too. It would give me a new purpose…and perhaps a family amongst my comrades. “My…can I see my mother?”

“Of course…”

He didn’t ask me to answer him as he led me out of the room. I rolled my neck to get the knot out of my neck. I would have to do more stretching to get my body relaxed once more. It wasn’t until we were outside that I realized that we weren’t anywhere that I recognized. Stepping down the stairs, I watched as men, women, and other creatures I had never seen before conversed, sparred, ran drills and ate food across a large courtyard. I looked behind me at the large stone building and gasped as I saw an emblem and the army’s name decorated it in large silver letters.

Nim looked at me with a small smirk, and I turned away from him because I knew that I looked like a gawking child. I wanted to look away from them, but I was so very interested in what they were all doing. I think I would have stood there all day, but Nim gently guided me away with a firm hand on my shoulder. Many of the soldiers were looking at me curiously and I shrank under their curious, but intense gazes. They all greeted Nim with salutes and general well wishes, which he only responded with grunts and a few nods. I giggled at his lack of wanting to engage in conversation.

We finally arrived at a building that had a solemn air to it and once we entered it, I could hear some people sniffling and crying. We continued walking, but peeking into some of the rooms, I saw bodies covered with sheets. I pressed my lips tight together as I continued to follow Nim. His fist was closed tightly and I wanted to say something reassuring, but I feared I would say the wrong thing–so I just silently followed him.

He opened a door for me and inside was a beautiful coffin with flower carvings on it and I knew that it was her. I rushed in and dropped to my knees as I touched it gently. Nim didn’t rush me as I placed my forehead on it and cried. As much as I hated seeing her like this, I peeked inside and saw that she was perfectly intact. The crude dress and accessories were removed and she laid with folded hands in a bed of the most beautiful flowers I had ever seen.

He had gone out of his way to do this wondrous thing for me. I had never felt this amount of kindness in my life since my mother passed. I felt like I would never know such things without having to give something of myself up for it. I gave this man nothing and he gave me everything.

“I want to join you.”

“Hmm?”

I wiped my tears and fully faced him so he could see how serious I was. Standing up, I held my hand out for him to take–which he did without much more resistance. “I…I want this…all of it. It is the least that I could do…after everything you’ve done for me.”

“Regan…I don’t want you to do this because I did something for you. Tell me that you want this for you. Speak from your heart.”

“I…” I squeezed his hand and cleared my throat, a strength that I had never felt before rose up into my core. “I want to join your ranks. I want to do this because it has been calling out to me since you first arrived. I want this more than anything that I’ve ever wanted in my life. I will not disappoint you.”

“Good…I look forward to it.”

~~~

The last five months were some of the rewarding, but difficult months of my life. I don’t believe that anything could compare to it. Once he was sure that I recovered well, Nim put me on a strict routine and diet. I trained for six days straight with the other soldiers and learned how to use various different weapons. He didn’t want to admit it, but I could see that he was proud to see how efficient I was with a sword. Although, I also had a strong love for spears and I would have to work some more practice with it into my routine. Nim had also taken to training me himself, which the others said was something he had never done before.

The others were happy they didn’t have to train with such a harsh and brutal teacher, but I loved it. He was tough on me, but he was also very caring too. He held back at first, but I assured him that I didn’t want him to. I regretted that for the first three months, but I quickly learned from it. I checked on the children as much as I could, and they seemed to be doing well. Emily had become more withdrawn, but Caleb and James assured me that they would always look after her. The other women also were recovering smoothly and Nim cleared up the castle and what happened with Jacob. It was amazing to see the things he could just make go away whenever he got involved.

I found myself wanting to speak with my father, but Nim forbade me from seeing him. My father was dumped back at our home where he was quite livid. My mother was no longer by his side and neither was I to provide him with money. Perhaps I would see him again someday, but now was just not the right time–not when I was so happy. Mother was still in the morgue and I wanted to bury her, but just the other day, Nim told me to hold off on it. I was a bit frustrated with that, but he always had good reasons for the things he did and I trusted him.

“Fffuck!”

I snapped to attention as a groan sounded from under me. I chuckled as one of the newest spitfires laid face down in the dirt. I stepped from over him as he turned over on his back. “What kind of training session is this?! You are impossible to beat!”

“T-That’s not true…” I blushed deeply as I shuffled my practice sword in my hands. “I…you did very well…it wasn’t too bad…”

“Oh bullshit! You call this not too bad?!” He gestured around the field and I looked at the ground as several other bodies groaned from the floor and tried getting up. I just hoped that I didn’t send someone to the infirmary again. “I hate it here…”

“You can quit then…”

“G-G-General Nim!” I saluted with the others as Nim walked into the training field and shook his head at the others who were still groaning and didn’t acknowledge him.

“At ease…Regan…come with me.” I nodded quickly as I followed after him. He probably wanted to have a private session together. We finally stopped a bit away from the camp and I looked at him in confusion. “I have something that I would like to ask you.”

“O-Oh ok…”

“Would you like to join my pantheon?”

“Huh?”

“Well…it isn’t really a pantheon yet…you’d be the only one in it…if you’d like, that is…”

“What would this sort of thing entail?”

“You would have status, power, respect, riches beyond your wildest dreams.” I pursed my lips as he told me all of this, but wasn’t that what I already had? “I’m losing you…”

“I…maybe?” He groaned and I giggled at his annoyed face.

“Listen…I have never done this before. The bottom line is that you would be making so much more of a difference. You would be my right hand woman…you would be in the presence of other gods. The influence you would have would extend to the army as a whole too. I need someone I can trust to help me run things effectively, someone like you Regan. A person with a pure heart and good head on her shoulders…”

“W-Why me? I haven’t even been here very long…I-I don’t deserve something like this…”

“I always had you in mind…and seeing you these last few months further cemented that for me. I will say that this would mean you’d be exposed to a great evil though…”

“A great evil?”

He blew out a breath as he looked away for a second, almost like his mind had gone somewhere else before he focused on me once more. I blinked as he held out his hand to me and I took it without hesitation. I caught his smirk before the world around me seemed to disappear and now I was in a large room. I gasped at the stars racing across the sky, and hearing a gasp…I looked behind me to see a woman happily approaching us.

My face grew warm laying eyes on her. She was an absolute marvel of a woman and her eyes shimmered like the stars above my head. I wish that I had something better to wear than my training clothes that smelled like dirt and sweat. I thought she would have stopped moving once she was in front of us, but she kept going until she took me into her arms and gave me a hug. Her touch was so comforting that I almost cried, because it felt like I was hugging my mother once more.

“Hello Regan!”

“I-I…h-hello…” She held me at arms length before looking me up and down. “So beautiful…you didn’t tell me it was today Nim…”

“Apologies, my lady.” He bowed to her and it was surprising to see considering he was a god. I thought gods would never bow to anyone.

“No matter…” She smiled at me once more and I couldn’t help but smile back. “So you’ve accepted being in his pantheon?”

“W-Well no…I um…he was going to tell me about a great evil?”

“Oh…” Her smile faded just as quickly as it came, and Nim frowned when it did. He seemed more tense being here, maybe it was because of this great evil? “The Darkness…��

“The Darkness?”

“Yes…come and walk with me, both of you.” Nim followed her easily and I quickly took her left side as we walked through this magnificent building. I was in awe at how beautiful everything was…from the shining floors and fresh flowers–to the intricate architecture of the structure. “My name is Serafina…and like Nim…I am a goddess…although unlike Nim, I have always been a goddess because I created everything in the known universe.”

I gasped in surprise, but I kept silent as I looked around and she continued. “I would like to say that the universe is a safe place, but nothing is ever that simple. My counterpart, the Darkness, doesn’t take so kindly to how I…govern the universe and its inhabitants. The Darkness is evil and malice incarnate and it seems to destroy and control everything in the universe. All chances to have peace have been met with more death and fighting. They won’t listen to me anymore. I only seek for all my creations to live lives filled with joy and happiness. I am not so naive that I believe nothing bad will happen sometimes, but the Darkness wants complete subjugation. I will not allow such things to transpire and I seek to end this conflict.”

We finally stopped walking and ended up in a garden that was beautiful, but I was more focused on her words. It was so much to process and I’m sure there was more to it than what she had said, and that I would eventually hear more about it. There was so much that the average person would never know about, and I had the chance to make sure they never did. I had the opportunity to allow others to live a life of peace. I could make sure that more tragedies would never happen again. This journey that I had embarked on was more than I realized…it couldn’t just be about me finding myself. It was about the whole universe itself, and I would never let more tragedies happen.

“I’ll do it.”

“Really?” They both blinked at me in surprise. “Regan…sweetheart…this is a serious thing that is being asked of you. Perhaps you should think more about it.”

“No.” I stepped back from them and they both looked worried, but I was sure about this. “This is not something that I have to think about. I can feel in my heart…no, I can feel in my soul that I have to do this. A decision like this does need to be thought carefully about, but I know this is what I was meant to do. I don’t know how, but I can just feel it. Lives will be lost every second that I’m indecisive and that is not something I can allow to happen any longer.”

They both stared at me before lady Serafina’s face lit up with a dazzling smile and Nim looked more proud of me than ever. “Come along dear…Nim has been planning something for you!”

“M-My lady!” I watched incredibly amused as his face grew red as we continued through the garden. I gasped as we made it to a beautiful cemetery deep in the garden that was overflowing with flowers and beautiful statues. I could see my mother’s coffin waiting near a bundle of wildflowers, and I rushed over to it.

“I…what?”

“I thought she deserved to be buried somewhere beautiful after the hardships she has been through the last few years.” I blinked through my tears at Nim before flinging myself into his arms. He faltered for a second before he reciprocated it. “She will have her eternal rest amongst the stars and you can visit her anytime you’d like.”

“R-Really?!”

“Of course…” Lady Serafina swiped her arms over the coffin and I watched as it lowered into the ground and more flowers grew around it, and a fresh coat of polish appeared over it. “I’ll leave the two of you to it…”

“T-Thank you, my lady.” She smiled one more time before she walked away from us. I blew my mother a kiss as the dirt covered her and she was finally put to rest properly. Nim allowed me to have my silence as I wiped my tears. Finally catching my breath, I looked at Nim with new resolve and hope in my eyes.

“I’m ready.”

“Good…you’re gonna be a force to be reckoned with…”

Nim explained everything to me once more and what would happen once I was officially a part of his pantheon. The new power that I would wield physically and socially. It was intimidating, but he believed in me and most importantly I finally believed in myself. I would make Nim and my mother proud, and I would make sure no one ever felt pain like I felt ever again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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goddessofeternity · 9 months ago

Text

Fragile

Chapter 3: Revelations

“I told you to sleep with him!”

“I…he…he was understanding about it…it really was no problem-”

“Shut up, stupid girl!” I looked down at the table as he paced around the kitchen and mumbled to himself, taking a drink of his alcohol he laughed before clapping his hands. “You know what…it doesn’t even matter. Things will be moving the way that I want soon regardless…”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t you worry about it. You won’t be going to that brothel anymore. Keep your weight up and dress in the things that I have brought for you.”

“O-Ok…” He turned to leave towards the room my mother was in, but I had to know about what Nim told me last night. I had to know how much my father knew about me and why he wanted my blood so much. “F-Father?”

“I’m busy girl…don’t disturb me…”

“T-The general told me that I’m…a phoenix…”

“...” My father stood in the hall, the shadows that cast over him made him seem bigger and more intimidating. He said nothing for some time, and I was afraid of his response. He finally turned and the anger in his eyes made me flinch out of my seat. I had never seen such a look on his face before. Moving around the table, he gripped me up by my arms and slammed me against the wall. “That man speaks nothing but lies! He knows nothing about this family! Don’t ever question your father!”

“I…I believed him! I-It would make sense why you always drink my blood! P-Please…I…I just want to know…please…”

His face twisted into an angry grimace before he let me go. I rubbed my arms as he rubbed his face. “I suppose…this is my last kindness for you…”

“Last kindness-?”

“Silence girl.” I folded my lips and sat down as he drank more and paced around the table. He was in his head for a few more minutes, before he sneered down at me. I just looked back down at my hands as he let out a breath. “Your mother was a phoenix and yes…that makes you one as well.”

“Really?!” I looked up with a smile because it meant that my mother and I had more in common with each other. It meant that maybe I could be more than just some…working girl. His frown made my smile disappear once more. “I-I’m sorry…”

“Your blood has sustained me, Regan.” I looked up at him as I heard the elation in his voice. His eyes held a sparkle that had been familiar to me in the last few weeks. There was a joy there that I thought would never cross his face again, especially since I had failed to sleep with General Nim. “I can drink as much as I want and never suffer liver damage…I will never grow old and weak…I can live this life forever. I will be free from the petty diseases that plague men! You will keep me around…won’t you Regan?”

“I…”

“My wonderful and beautiful daughter…you are the only thing I have left. My only family and you bring me so much joy.” He chuckled as he played with strands of my hair. “You look so much like your mother…I can’t lose you…you don’t want to lose me either right?”

“I…n-no��you’ll never lose me. I’ll always take care of you.”

“Good girl…” I looked down at my hands sadly as he kissed my head and went to see my mother once more. Perhaps…perhaps I shouldn’t care about any of this. It would not change our lives, but he was safe now. I could be proud of that…right? My mind drifted back to the general and his army. He said that he would be here for a while and that thought made me happy. It would allow me to watch them train more. My father would be with my mother for some time, so maybe I could go see them once more.

Slipping out, I was greeted with the children rushing up to me. They didn’t seem to be in any trouble, but I could only wonder why they weren’t with their parents right now. Seeing them just reminded me that I had to check on the orphaned children. The money that I had given them was enough to let them stay in an inn for a while.

“Hi, Ms. Regan!”

“Oh! Hello, Emily…what are you all doing here?” I didn’t want my father to hear them and I quickly moved them away from the house. James and Caleb were at her side with big grins on their faces.

“The army is training right now! It looks so cool!” I smiled as James bounced up and down, such a boy. “You should go there and fight too!”

“Oh no…you all shouldn’t be over there in the first place, “ I planted my hands on my hips and frowned at them, and they looked at the floor ashamed. “I’m not going to fight everyone just because you all saw me fight one time.”

“It was so cool though! You were so strong and fast!” Caleb’s eyes sparkled as he smiled even wider. “I didn’t even know that you could beat someone up like that!”

“N-Now now…you children have to get on home…Emily, I’ll see you later and we can braid hair alright?”

“Yay!”

“Caleb…James…no more sneaking around near the camp. You both could get hurt if you do that again. Now…if I teach you some defensive skills will you both stay away?”

“Yes!”

“Good…now all of you head home.” I chuckled as they ran off talking excitedly to each other. Although I was telling them to behave, I couldn’t help but rush over to the camp. I was no better than them, but they intrigued me and the general was also kind. He did seem a bit gruff, but he seemed to have a good heart. The men and women were training in tight and coordinated formations, their armor and weapons cleaning beautifully under the sun. I wanted to try and wield these weapons and train too. My father was not in danger anymore, perhaps I could have something for myself.

Fighting was never something that I enjoyed, but I was surprisingly good at it. Men were dangerous and my father would rather have me on my back for them then defend myself. At times, I had to take care of myself and I had to admit…it was oddly thrilling and empowering. The draw I had to this army was like nothing I had ever felt before, and I knew that I would be sad when they were gone.

“Stalking my army now?”

“Ah!” I jumped and looked up into the tree above me to see that General Nim was sitting over me on a branch. He seemed bored as he looked at his soldiers' train while eating a chocolate cake. “N-No I…I just was curious…”

“Right…” He slid off the branch and easily landed on his feet, not even disturbing his cake as he did. Cutting another piece off with a fork, he looked me over with piercing eyes. Did he wish to actually sleep with me now? “What about them makes you so curious?”

“H-Huh? O-Oh well…” I gave them another glance before I shuffled in place under his stare. “I…I think that the armor is pretty…”

“The…armor?” He tilted his head in confusion and I realized how embarrassing it was to say that to a general. I looked quickly at the ground, just plain embarrassed. He probably wanted it to be intimidating and be described as something cooler.

“I…I mean…I think it just looks nice under the sunlight…”

“....” He just stared at me before looking at his army. “It looks even prettier under the moonlight…”

“Huh?” I looked up at him as he smirked at his soldiers. I didn’t think he would agree with my sentiment. Looking at them too…I smiled as they all started to spar with each other and run drills around the camp. “They look…happy…”

“Tch…I doubt they would describe it like that most of the time.”

“No no look…” I stepped towards him and placed his fork down. “Look at them…despite all their hard days of training…they look happy to be around each other. They are still laughing and smiling. There is a sense of…companionship and friendship behind all of it. Sure…there is duty and honor to be found and that in itself is also beautiful, but I don’t think they mind it…”

“Is that why you are curious?”

“Yes I…I would love to have that…besides what I have now…”

“...” I glanced at him and blushed heavily as he just stared at me.

“I-I mean…I-I shouldn’t say things like that. M-My father wouldn’t like to hear me talk about this sort of thing…”

“So…he controls every aspect of your life?”

“What? I mean he-”

“Do you not have a backbone? Where is your sense of self worth?”

“I…well I just…”

“How long are you going to have him trample all over you and stop you from living your life? He is nothing but a drunken fool who-”

“Do not…speak of him that way.” He stopped when I glared at him and he looked down at his wrist. I looked down and gasped seeing that I had his wrist tightly gripped in my hand. I didn’t even realize that I had grabbed him. “I-I’m sorry!”

“...” He looked me up and down for a bit before he looked back over his army. I didn’t want to leave yet, so I just watched alongside him. I couldn’t help the smile that eventually came to my face as I watched. I loved seeing them with their various weapons and laughing and sometimes arguing with each other. I wondered what it must be like to have a bond like that…to work together and laugh together. I often wished for siblings, but perhaps it was good that I was an only child. I wouldn’t want my sibling or siblings to do what I have to do.

I wondered what kind of adventures these soldiers might have gone on together. What beautiful things had they managed to see out in the world? Reading books always was my escape, but it also fueled my desire for more. Seeing the state of my father however…made it nothing more than a dead dream. Was the purpose of my life just to serve my father and lay with men who saw me as more than nothing meat on pretty sheets?

“You can have this.”

“Huh?”

I looked up at the general and his gaze was strong and set. I wondered how long he had been looking at me…how long we had been standing here. How long had I finally allowed myself to dream after so very long? I clasped my hands together as I stared into his eyes, searching for a reason. What reason did he have to comfort and care about me? Why was he even entertaining me? I was no one…nothing.

“You have talent. You could live a life that you want for once. I can see that you will do more than be your fathers cash cow.”

“I…I couldn’t…”

“You would have power…camaraderie…respect…”

“I…no one has ever…treated me with respect…” He sharply inhaled at me saying that before he broke eye contact and looked back at his army. I pulled my gaze over to them too, but now my heart just ached. It wanted to leap from my chest and join them and soak in their joy. I never cared to use violence and fight, but if my talents could help others…maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing. Although…it wouldn’t be right. “M-My father…he…”

“Fine…” He said nothing more as he started to walk away and I couldn’t help but stagger forward, reaching out to him. This could be my chance to leave. My chance to chase after something bigger than all of this, but my feet wouldn’t move further. They wouldn’t move as much as my heart was screaming at me to do it. I didn’t want to have sex anymore…I hated it so much. I hated the stares, the yelling, the hitting…all of it!

I finally willed myself to rush away from him. It wouldn’t do me any good to sit here and wish for something that would be so selfish to have. I had a responsibility to my father to take care of him, and I couldn’t bear to leave my mother’s body alone with him. I dragged my feet as I wiped the tears from my eyes. I could see my father moving around from the window as I approached. I braced myself to hear him yell at me for not having money and being out for too long.

“Finally! My precious daughter has returned!” I tilted my head in confusion at him as I closed the door to our home. I would have loved to see him happy, but this could just be another act to make me think things were fine again. “I can finally let you know about a project that I have been working on!”

“A project?” He never really seemed to do much of anything…

“Yes! The general was a thorn in my side and although you didn’t sleep with him…” I looked down at the table and sipped on my water. “I was also working on a way to secure my…our future in this damned village.”

“O-Ok…” I was more worried than ever as he was practically shaking in excitement, before tossing a silk dress at me. I was glad to see that it was not a nightgown, but it was a very pretty dress.

“Now…continue to put more meat on your bones and stop going to that brothel. We have no need for that any longer. I would hate for him to think that I’m a liar…”

“Him?” Oh no…what has my father done now? Who did he set me up with now?

“Yes yes…I have managed to secure a husband for you.”

“A…a husband?” I dropped the dress from my hands as I looked at him in disbelief. He found a husband for me?”

“Yes yes…I have already sold you over to him and he will be coming to collect you soon. So, I need you to act right and dress appropriately.”

“F-Father! You can’t-”

“I can and I did! You are no longer my problem and we'll both live better and richer lives because of your new husband. He is a noble who will take care of you.”

“I just…I don’t want to-”

“It is over and done with.” I looked into my glass of water and my father sighed before he reached across the table to hold my hand. “Think about how much your life will change…think about your mother.”

“M-Mother…?”

“He will give me even more money and I can give your mother an even more beautiful case to rest in.” I just nodded, but I would rather she be buried and surrounded by flowers. Why does he keep doing these things with me? Was the brothel not enough? Now he was selling me off to a man who I didn’t love or want. “Regan, I love you and I want what is best for you…so do this to make your father happy.”

“Y-Yes…”

“Good girl.” My lips trembled as he patted my head before he went off to see my mother once more. I fisted my skirt tightly before tears fell from my eyes. I didn’t want to do this anymore. My heart wasn’t strong enough to handle much more turmoil and disgusting men and their sweat. Going to sit by the window, I was surprised to see the general standing outside by a tree. I think that he thought he was hiding, but he sort of stuck out terribly.

“General Nim?” I pulled my shawl tight over my shoulders as he stepped from behind the tree. “Is there something wrong?

“I’ve just come by to say that we might not stay as long as I suspected we might.” My heart instantly sunk hearing that. I thought that I would have more time to see them, perhaps even go and join their training. My father and whatever war was going on must have put a pin in it. “I’ve come to ask once more if you want to join us…”

“I…I can’t…my father has arranged a marriage for me…and I’m to meet my husband soon.” I exhaled deeply before looking up at him once more. “I’m sorry but I just…I just don’t see why you waste your time on me…”

“....” He sighed deeply before he looked up at the sky. “I wish that someone reached out to me when I needed it. I wished that I was stronger…and I can see a strength in you that I never had. I only wish to give you the tools you need to embrace your future. That is all…I won’t force you to do something that you don’t want.”

“I…” He saw something in me and that…that was a comfort.

“My army will be leaving by the end of the week. We probably won’t be back here in the foreseeable future. Although…if you ever need help or change your mind…just call out for me…”

“Call out for you? How would you hear me?”

“I’ll hear you.” I blinked in confusion, but I nodded as he walked away. He was a lot kinder than I thought he was. He didn’t need to concern himself with me, but he did anyway. I blew out a deep breath as I thought about what my life would be like now.

I just hope that the man is kind…

~~~

“Would you stand up straight?!”

“Y-Yes father….” My father had woken me up early to prepare me for my fiancé. I hated that term, it felt foreign and strange on my lips. I didn’t want a husband…I didn’t even know if I wanted to be in this dress right now. My mind was far away and I didn’t even realize that the man was there until he was in front of my face. I blinked at the man as he raised a worried brow at me.

“H-Hello…”

“Hello again…” My face grew red as my father glared at me and I was embarrassed that I missed his earlier greeting. “My name is Jacob…I believe that you are Regan?”

“Y-Yes I am…it is quite nice to meet you.” I tried not to flinch as he kissed my hand and my father looked very pleased. I wanted to hide under my blankets for the next few years. He was handsome…he was not quite as stunning as general Nim, but he had good features. Brown hair and matching eyes, and he was well built despite being a noble. I thought he would have been one of the fat ones…

“I know that this is short notice, but I hope that we can learn more about each other and grow to love one another…”

“I…I wish the same…”

“Good…I already had your wedding dress prepared and we can get married in the next few days…”

“What?!”

“I have been annoyed by many that I need to take a wife…the sooner we are wed, the sooner I don’t have to hear more talk of it.” He waved away my surprise before he took my hands. “I must say…when your father approached me and told me of his beautiful daughter I thought he was lying. I’m glad to see that he was telling the truth.”

“T-Thank you…but…shouldn’t we get to know each other more?”

“Of course…after the wedding we will have time to know each other's interests and other such things.”

“Oh…right…”

“Now…let’s go.” He extended his arm to me and I just looked at it before looking at my father who just nodded his head. I grabbed him and was surprised to see him leading me away towards his carriage. Surely we weren’t leaving right now!

“I…I haven’t had a chance to pack or say a prayer to my mother!” I wanted to speak to my father or at least say goodbye, but looking back at our home, the door was already shutting quickly. “...”

“I will send someone later to retrieve your things…and I believe that your father said he doesn’t like goodbyes.”

“Yes…of course…” I wordlessly climbed into the carriage and played with my fingers anxiously. My father just wanted to get rid of me and he succeeded. I finally managed to get him the riches that he desired so he was done with me. Perhaps now I could lay my mother's body to rest? I didn’t even get a chance to see the children or say goodbye to them. I suppose this would be my life…just having other people decide things for me and the general direction of my life. Something caught my eye and I sat up straighter as we reached the outskirts of town and I saw general Nim disappear behind a tree. I sat back in my seat and tried not to cry over seeing him once last time. He only wanted to help and I had turned him away.

“Don’t cry, my dear…” I looked over at Jacob as he wiped at my eyes. Taking a seat beside me, he held my hand tight. “We will have a good life together…”

“I…we will?”

“Of course…you just have to follow and obey me…and you will never want for nothing…my beautiful wife…”

“I-”

“Now then…you just keep quiet and relax until we get home.” I furrowed my brow as he kissed my hand before he looked over some paperwork. I settled into my seat before slowly drifting off to sleep. He said it would be a long ride, so it would be best to be prepared for the rest of the day.

~~~

Silence.

That was all that I had experienced over the last two days.

Jacob never wanted me to speak unless spoken too. I had wanted to explore what would become my new home, but he refused to let me see entire sections of the castle. It was a shame though, because it was a beautiful home. I had started to see myself living here, but his cold attitude towards me made me think otherwise.

I ate my food slowly, but quickly so that I could leave the table and retreat to my room. He didn’t like it when I picked at my food. There was nothing more I could do, because he didn’t want to speak to me. It didn’t take a genius to see that I was just a pretty accessory to show off to others since he was at his marriage age. I was also at the proper age to…have children as well.

The thought made me lose my appetite.

“May I be excused-”

“End of the week…”

“E-Excuse me?”

“We will be married by the end of the week…and by the end of the month you will be carrying my son.”

“I…b-but isn’t it to-”

“You know what I liked about you that your father boasted about?” I was about to open my mouth to answer, but he just kept going. “He guaranteed me an obedient and quiet wife. You don’t speak unless I tell you to speak…understand?”

“Y-Yes…I…I understand-”

“We also have to get you a damn teacher. You clearly have some issues with your intelligence judging by the way you speak. I won’t have a wife who can’t hold a conversation like a normal human being.”

“...” A wave of embarrassment washed over me as he belittled me and my intelligence. I was very intelligent…and that didn’t factor into how I spoke. I was just shy and so used to being yelled at and disrespected. I just preferred to talk in smaller sentences because I knew I would be talked over and my thoughts didn’t matter.

The shyness was also a large factor.

“You will give birth to several children…at least six children. I need at least four boys from you and you can have the girls for yourself until they are old enough to be useful.”

Six children?! Useful?!

“Although…” He looked up from his food and papers to scan me up and down. “A woman’s body does get rather…unbecoming and plump after carrying a child…so I’ll have to start looking for a mistress…”

“A-A mistress?”

“Yes yes…I can’t be expected to still sleep with you after all of the children are born. So I will need someone to please me…”

So…he wanted to have me birth his children…and then he would openly have an affair because of the changes my body would go through? Who was this disgusting man that my father had sold me off to? I glanced at the door as I weighed my many options…because we weren’t even sleeping in the same room yet. I could easily just sneak out and-

‘Do this to make your father happy.’

My father’s words echoed in my mind as I gripped the tablecloth. Was it worth being disrespected like this? It had only been two days and my father probably didn’t receive his payment yet.

“Bring it in!” I tore out of my thoughts as he yelled at a man who quickly disappeared. “Your father…didn’t seem to care about selling you off. I thought that being nice when we met would stop any issues, but he was quick to go back home when you got to the carriage. Haha…you must be a real piece of work…but I’ll fix that…such a pretty face needs to be handled correctly…”

“...”

The door swung open once more and the man came in with a tray with bottles and something else I couldn’t see on it. As he got closer, I blinked in confusion at the needle on it. The man left us alone once more and Jacob stood from his seat to sit beside me. My lips pressed in a thin line as he brushed my hair back over my ear.

“Of course…there was an even greater reason why I just had to marry you. Your father told me all about your unwavering loyalty and care for your loved ones. That is how I know that you will stay by my side and never sleep with other men.” He pulled the tray closer to us, but he didn’t break eye contact with me. “You’ll do this for your father…and once our children are here…you will do anything for them, correct?”

“I…I…”

“Good good…” My hand tightly gripped my fork and he took it and placed it on the table. I sucked in a breath as he turned my hand over, and slowly traced the palm of my hand. “Your father informed me of something interesting about you…about your blood.”

No. No no please…

“Longevity…perfect health…perfect form…no worries about the pressures of life…” His hand traveled up to pull back my sleeve as he caressed my wrist. Lifting it up, he kissed it gently before he flicked it a few times, before he grabbed the needle. I tried to move back but he caught my wrist. “You will not move. You will sit still and not make a sound. Your father is relying on you, but not just him. The corpse of your mother is also on the line.”

A rush of anger ran through me at the mention of my mother. How much did my father tell him about our family? Jacob just laughed at me and I winced as the needle sank into my vein. My lips trembled in anger and sadness as I watched my blood drain into the small bottles on the tray.

“Good…you may go to bed now.” He removed the needle with a harsh yank, but I could barely feel it. I could feel my blood rushing to my head now in silent anger. “Learn to eat all of your food too…I need you to be healthy so I can keep a fresh supply.”

“....”

“Good night wife.” He kissed my hand and left the room with a chuckle as he juggled the bottles. With a slam of the door, the candles blew out with a harsh swish, blanketing me and the room in total darkness. I tried to take several deep breaths, but it just came out as struggling gasps. I…I had to make it through this and be strong. It might not be as bad as he was making it out. If we started to develop genuine feelings…perhaps I would be happy and content in time?

“Ugh…” Who was I kidding right now? I was trying far too hard to convince myself that everything would be alright.

How would I deal with this situation?

~~~

Jacob had left to handle some business so I was left with the staff who watched me like a hawk. I wish they didn’t hover so much when all I wanted to do was walk around and read. I tried to go and exercise, but they forbid me from doing such “activities”. I missed seeing the children already and I wished that I could at least visit.

“My lady…”

“Yes?” I sighed and put my book down as a butler came with more needles and bottles. I hoped this would not be my daily routine. The needles left no marks, but it was exhausting to do this for so long. Jacob threw a fit the last time I said that I wanted a break and I had shut down and just let him have his way. I was not one to need to be constantly moving, but I at least needed to go outside and be in the sun.

“I’m done, my lady.”

“Alright…” I rubbed my arm and left my book behind to hurry outside. The staff were right on my heels and it was starting to bother me even more. Were they that fearful that I would run away? I suppose I could…but it would not look well for my father or my mother. Throwing the doors open, I took in a deep breath and smiled widely at feeling the sun on my skin. I closed my eyes for only a second, but it was already ruined as someone stepped into my path.

“Lady Fastolfe…you shouldn’t be outside unless the lord is here on the grounds.” The man was quite large and I had to look up at him. He glared down at me and I think he was trying to scare me, but he was doing a poor job honestly.

“I only wish to sit in the sun…”

“You must return to the castle. I will drag you back there if I must.” I frowned as he stepped closer to me and I moved back to plant my feet. I would not have this man touching me, and I would fight for even five minutes of fresh air and sunlight. I would not run away from the castle, so why was this such an issue? He sighed as if I was making his life hard and I only wanted to have a bit of freedom. He reached his arm and grabbed my arm, but I proceeded to punch him in the throat. He staggered back before he swung his fist at me in anger, and the other maids started to panic behind him.

I ducked under it to drive my fist under his chin and kick his feet from under him. More people were starting to show and now I was worried. I suppose this was the only amount of fresh sun and air I would get until Jacob comes back. The large man let out a flurry of curses as I went back into the castle. They were all trying to calm him down, but I didn’t care about him at all.

Rushing into my room, I locked the door and threw myself into my pillows. Tears streamed into the pillows as I tried to muffle my cries. Being denied even the light of day was starting to get to me…my father didn’t even do this to me. Why was my life just a constant cycle of other people using me for their own pleasure? The offer from the general was looking more and more appealing, but I would be married to keep my father off the streets and hopefully give my mother a proper burial.

Although…maybe he could have helped me deal with my father? I would never know…I was too foolish to even really try and ask for help. I had dug my own grave and it was time that I laid in it, but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt so badly. It didn’t mean my heart didn’t ache with the regret of it all. I buried my face deeper into the pillow as sobs racked through my body. I didn’t know how long I was crying, but another sound made me stop.

Lifting my head and wiping my face, as I glanced towards the door. I hope they weren’t trying to get inside of my room. The sound was muffled and sounded like someone was in pain. Moving toward my door–I placed my ear against it, but furrowed my brow as there was nothing but silence on the other end. I stood there for a bit longer, but I didn’t hear the sound anymore. Shaking my head, I sat on the bed with a heavy and tired groan, and once my head hit the pillow…the sound started up again. Sitting back up, I looked around the room as the sound continued. It wasn’t coming from outside or the other side of my room, but it also didn’t sound too far away.

Moving around the room, I placed my ears against the wall as I could still hear the pained groans and whispers. Ending up by my bed once more, I could hear the sounds more by the bed. Looking under the bed–I noticed a grate near the corner of the bed. Moving the bed aside…I placed my ear against it and I could hear sniffles and mumbling clearer, but not enough to make it out completely. Curiosity was starting to consume me and I wouldn’t be reprimanded if I was inside the castle. Stepping outside my room, I looked both ways to see that the halls were empty. Although. I heard the faint yelling of the man I had hit and the other maids trying to calm him down.

This would be the perfect time to see my way to the sounds that I had heard. They were coming from somewhere deep in the castle. I couldn’t remember if I had seen a cellar or anything, but something did exist here. I rushed past the kitchen as the staff went about making food. The less people that saw me the better. I frowned as the sounds started to fade and I turned on my heel to see if I could find another grate approximately where my room was.

A storage room held my answer as I peeked in and heard the sounds once more, but now they were clearer. Searching around the room for the grate, I instead only found boxes and cobwebs. Kneeling on the floor, I pushed them out of the way and gasped when I saw marks on the floor. It seemed that this box had been moved a lot judging by the wear on the floor. There was nothing under the box though.

So why had it been moved so much?

Touching the floor it seemed like normal stone, but it was oddly warm to the touch. As I touched the floor more, one of the stones shifted and pressed into the ground under my weight. I flinched back as it shifted before returning to normal. A sound behind me made me rush to my feet and I watched as the wall in front of me broke apart and revealed a flight of stairs. The sounds that I had been hearing suddenly stopped completely.

Taking a calming breath, I descended down and the darkness of the area made me nervous to go further, but my curiosity consumed me more. The walls were slick and wet as the heat began to rise as I went further down. I could already feel sweat beginning to trickle down my face, but it was far from unbearable. The heat was comforting to me, but now having new information about myself…was this because of my Phoenix heritage?

Shaking my head, I kept going further because this was not the time to be thinking about this. A large door was at the bottom and preparing myself–I opened the heavy latch and witnessed the most horrifying sight that I had ever seen.

There were several women chained to the walls and ceiling in little clothing and the smell of burning flesh filled the air. I covered my mouth as they shrank away from me and silently began to cry. In the corner of the room was a large furnace and several branding irons. Looking at the women, I could see the mark of Jacob’s family on different parts of each woman. The chains holding some of them were so burned into their skin that I feared that they would never have them removed. The furnace crackled fiercely and staring closer–I gasped and took a step back as I saw several blackened arms poking out of it.

The chains above my head and I looked up as several dead bodies hung amongst the few women that were alive. Hooks were driven deep into their skin allowing them to be hung up like meat. I flinched as their blood fell on my face and one of the women opened her eyes and looked right at me.

“R…R…R-Run…a-away…”

“I…what…?” I couldn’t leave these women like this to suffer, but I didn’t know when Jacob would come back, or if the staff had some to look for me. I think that hidden door didn’t close behind me either. “I…I’m gonna get you out of here…I just have to-”

“Don’t bother…” I looked over at a woman pinned to a wall as she chuckled humorlessly. I stepped around more women to better look at her. She had a brand under her ribcage and several cuts over her chest and arms. She was so thin that I was surprised that she could even be considered a person anymore. “He likes to play with his toys before we either are forced into labor or killed.”

“What…why would he do that?”

“Because he likes it…I don’t know…I stopped caring a long time ago…”

“I still have to do something…”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night…”

I frowned at her tone, but went to look around the rest of the room and my heart broke as the women moved away from me and some had started to cry once more. It was when I went to a table against the wall that my blood ran cold.

Several bottles of blood were on the table and looking at the women–I could see that some of them were drinking it from bowls on the floor. He couldn’t possibly be using my blood to help with his sick games. “What…what is he using this blood for?”

“Longevity…and a constant supply of toys…” I tensed up as Jacob’s voice traveled towards me from the doorway. I pressed back against the wall as Jacob wore an intense frown on his face, but I just matched his as he stormed over to me. “What the fuck are you doing down here?!”

“W-What are you doing to these women! Release them!”

“Oh wife…it is far too early for you to even dream of ordering me around.” He looked around the room and the women shrank under his gaze, but I held firm when he looked back at me. “Ah…the fire that burns within you is quite lovely…”

“...”

“These women are my personal slaves to do what I want with them. The blood that I receive from you allows me to keep them alive longer…so that I can run my tests…”

“What tests could you possibly-”

“Sacrifice.” He smiled and walked around the room, pulling on chains and touching several of the women. I looked around for something to defend myself with, but he was a weak enough looking man–I could probably just take him with my bare hands. “The gods are quite generous when I give them a surplus of women’s souls to play with. I also just personally like to see how far I can push a human body. The limits that it can withstand is astounding! Men are so much different from women…they tend to crack more easily but a woman…right up until you think her spirit is broken…she bounces right back! Stronger! Fiercer! More beautiful than ever and I want to see it in all shapes and forms…all ages…”

A woman in the corner cried out and looking closer…I could see her cradling the charred remains of an infant in her arms.

No.

“You animal!” I lunged at him but he was quicker as he held a blade to my throat. “I’m not afraid of your little sword…”

“Ah…you are cheeker than I thought…I think I might like that in my future children…”

“I’m not having your children! I’m taking these women and we are leaving here!”

“Hmm…” He tilted his head and rubbed his chin as he took a step forward and I moved back, not wanting the blade to knick my neck. “Interesting…”

“What?”

“You lose that speech problem when you are passionate and fierce…when you have something to care for. The strength envelops you and takes over…like a warrior. Oh Regan…we are going to do beautiful things together.”

“Never!

“By the gods!” He advanced on me and grabbed the back of my neck, but that sword was pressing into my stomach. “You are beautiful! If I wasn’t going to make you my wife…I would have loved to hear the sounds you’d make here…witness the strength of your character fleeing your body…the way your body would look writhing in pain and suffering…oh where have you been all my life…all those sacrifices and the gods finally sent my perfect specimen in the form of a wife!”

“The gods sent me to send you straight to hell!” I hissed out at him as his grip on my neck grew tighter. “You will suffer ten times worse after I’m rid of you!”

“Yes yes…you are perfect…” I scrunched my face up as he pulled me closer until our lips almost touched, but he stopped suddenly. “Remember wife…your father might be a useless pawn…but that mother of yours isn’t…”

“E-Excuse me?!”

“There she is once more…” I moved my head as he put his sword away to stroke my face. “The mere mention of your mother and you turn into a simpering girl. I wonder what woman I will have on our wedding night…”

“You’ll have no such thing-”

“Even the delicate bones of your mother tell me how beautiful she was…” My eyes widened as I thought about him being that close to her. “I wanted to cycle through those bones…to feel her…because your father is quite attached to her…”

“Don’t you talk about her!”

“Then be obedient like I told you to!” I yelped as he slapped me across the face before gripping my face up. “Your mother and father are mine! I took them as insurance and if you push me further! I will have your father stripped of his skin slowly and as painfully as possible for however long it takes for him to die! I will fuck the bones of your mother in front of you and defile them in so many ways you won’t be able to bear it! There is no end to the amount of creativity in my mind!”

“...”

“I will not stop there if you continue to act like a child Regan. I will go to that village and if there is even one person you care about…I will destroy them because I can and I own this land and I own you…now go to your room and prepare for our wedding. Don’t make me have to act on my threats…I would rather play with my pets now…”

“...” He released me and I dropped to my knees as once more I was rendered powerless to do much more than whimper. The large man came back and took me back to my room, and he went back to mumbling angrily to me. I could care less about his attitude right now.

I was useless when it really mattered. I was weak and I would never be able to escape the thoughts and people that plague me. Laying on my pillow…I could hear the wails of the women under me. It was muffled, but I could still hear them. Looking out the window…I hadn’t realized that night had fallen. The sky was pitch black and not a star was in sight…not even the heavens wanted to shine on this awful place.

No.

I could not let this man control me…I had to rescue my mother and give her the rest that she deserved. I would not allow her to be a plaything for this monster. I would rescue my father too, because despite the hardships that he put me through…he was still my father and I loved him. I would play along…but I would save my family and those girls. I would stop this man from causing further harm against the general populace.

It was time to stop crying and being weak. It was time to stand up and fight back!

Throwing the curtains open, I looked up at the ebony sky as my resolve strengthened. Tightening my fists…I held my hand out to the cold night…the wind whipping fiercely through my scarlet locks.

“As the silent night as my witness…I, Regan Fastolfe, vow to free the women of this castle from tyranny. Put my mother to her eternal rest and send Jacob Malcovy…to the deepest pits of eternal hell…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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#Regan #Nim #angst #torture #writing #my writing #original story #original work #oc

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goddessofeternity · 9 months ago

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Fragile

Chapter 2: Different Directions

“I have no idea how I managed to have a child so foolish!”

“I-I’m sorry…” My father sighed as he drank his wine and I cleaned the kitchen. I told him about the recruitment flyers and it just made him angrier. I didn’t bring enough money last night, but he was more concerned that my face was bruised. He didn’t care for the story about why I looked like that. I diligently went about making sure our home was manageable because he would get upset if it got messier. He was the main reason that it was messy, but I couldn’t say that to his face. He would just yell and hit me if I did that.

“Regan!” I jumped as he slammed his glass on the table. He was already swaying in his chair and I was afraid he’d fall over and throw up, causing more of a mess.

“Y-Yes?”

“Go! Go and get me more money now!” I glanced outside seeing that it was bright out and people were going about their day. I really didn’t want people to see me walking in the brothel on full display. It was probably empty as well…

“F-Father…the brothel will be empty this early-”

“I don’t care! Force your way in then! Sleep with the damn cleaning staff if you have to! I need more money now! I won’t be recruited into this war that I don’t give a fuck about!”

“Father I-”

“Get out now Regan! Get me my fucking money!” I yelped as he threw his glass at me. I folded my lips tight as I rushed from our home. I quickly maneuvered past the stares and whispers once more towards the brothel. I jumped back as men in armor rushed past me and started to knock on doors. They were putting more signs up and it was then that I realized that this must be the Eclipse Order. Their black and silver armor was beautiful under the sun and the fabric from their various cloths shimmered like stars. I was in awe as I watched them move in coordinated formations. I had never seen an army before and this being my first experience was amazing!

Shaking my head, I ran towards the brothel and shut the door quickly. The faster this day was done the better. My mind wandered back to the army though as time in the brothel passed by. It was the first time that my mind was completely focused on something else during the ordeal. By the time I left…my hands were filled with bags of money. My father would be sure to be happy about this, and maybe I could see more of that army walking around.

“Father! I’m home and I have the…money…” Placing the bags down, I was confused at the silence of the house. My father rarely went out this late in the day unless he needed to get more alcohol, but our cabinets were full. I searched the house for him before stopping to look down the hall where he kept my mother. I swallowed before moving down to listen at the door, but hearing nothing I moved away from the room quickly. Where did he go?

“Regan!” I jumped as he burst through the door. I braced myself for his usual scolding, but I was greeted with…a smile? He had several bags in his arms and he had cleaned himself up considerably. Setting the bags down, I flinched back as he rapidly approached me and held my face in his hands. “My shining beauty of a daughter!”

“F-Father!”

“Come come! Sit down and relax!” I blinked in confusion as he sat me down and dug around the bags he brought in. “I see you brought home some coins…good girl. You don’t have to worry about that anymore though…”

“I…is everything alright?” He just smiled at me and I had to admit that it was unnerving. My father hadn’t smiled this much since my mother died. He wasn’t even a happy drunk…just angry and frustrated.

“Of course! Ah! Here we are!” I watched as he produced a beautiful silk gown out of the bag as well as other accessories and make up. “You’ve been doing such a good job over the years that I thought it was about time to reward you and let you relax.”

“R-Relax?” He wanted me to stop? Just hours ago he was yelling and telling me to work harder to support us both. What had changed in the short amount of time we had seen each other last?

“I thought it was about time I took care of you,” I flinched again as he moved around me, but he just gently took my hair and brushed out the tangles. “Your hair is just as beautiful as your mothers.”

“T-Thank you…” I touched the gown and was sure that I had never touched such finery in my life. My father…he got this for me? I blinked at the tears coming to my face…he hated to see me cry. Were all of these bags filled with things for me? Should I ask? Or was this just some elaborate prank from my father? No no…he wouldn’t do something like that. He never went out of his way for something like that. “Are…are the rest of the things in here…for me?”

“Of course, my flower.” My heart clenched as he called me his nickname he gave me when I was younger. The tears finally did fall this time and I tried to stop my shoulders from trembling. “You deserve this after all of the hard work you’ve done over the years.”

“T-T-Thank you father…” He caught my reflection in the kitchen window and I tried to quickly wipe the tears away, but he beat me to it. Kneeling down, he brushed my tears away and held my hands tight.

“Don’t cry, my flower…I will take care of everything from this moment on.” His eyes sparkled with a joy that I thought would never return. I don’t know what caused this change in him, but I hoped it was the gods finally answering my many prayers. I didn’t know how much longer I could have done this before I broke. “Now…let’s get all your new clothes set up and we can cook dinner together.”

“Ok!”

~~~

The next two weeks were filled with laughter, love and so much healing. My father and I had put the shadows of the past behind us. I hadn’t seen the inside of a brothel since that day. The extra coins that I had leftover went to the children under the bridge and I was hoping to convince my father to finally bury my mother. He often went out at night, but I never really questioned it because he seemed to come back happier and happier. Mr. Jerry had offered to give me some other work, but my father was still against that. He didn’t want me working anymore because I had done enough.

I enjoyed wearing the pretty dresses that my father had gifted me and this newfound freedom gave me time for myself. I hadn’t smiled this much in years and now I just couldn’t stop. There were no more tears and no more disgusting men hovering over me. I didn’t need to get my hair and body stained with their musk. No more laying in beds filled with filth and having my ears invaded with sounds of moaning people.

I had my freedom and now all I did was clean around our home and cook. Although, I should probably get a cookbook. My skills in the kitchen were much to be desired. Sitting by a window, I closed my eyes as the breeze caressed my face and hair. Folding my hands together, I thanked whatever god I could for the good fortune that had found me before saying something to my mother.

“Mother…father is smiling again! He’s really smiling! He has been so much happier than I have ever seen him since you've been gone. I don’t have to work in that place anymore and we can be a family again. I will convince him to bury you properly and maybe we can leave this village, because despite our better situation…the looks from other women still cause me pain. I just want to start over and be done with the point in my life. I miss you everyday and I hope this news has brought you some peace.”

I smiled to myself before I opened my eyes and blinked in surprise at the army marching through our village once more. My thoughts drifted to them so much, but I was also worried for my father. I managed to deter them when they asked if a man lived here a week ago, but I was afraid they would find out…which was another reason that we needed to leave. Men were still being recruited by the day, and I still didn’t know why. It surely wasn’t my business, but I was just a bit curious.

Speaking of men, I hadn’t seen those men since that day they attacked me. I would have thought they would try to find me, but they never did. I never even saw them around town again, but they might have just been passing travelers. That night made me train more so I could better defend myself and my father if someone tried to take him away. I didn’t think I had much of a chance against trained soldiers, but I would do anything for my father.

“Regan! I’m home!” I smiled as my father walked in and set some food on the table. I took his other bag and he sat in his chair with a groan.

“Welcome home…are you alright?” I massaged his shoulder and he relaxed more into his seat as I did. “Father I…could we talk about…moving mother-”

“Now now Regan…your father has just gotten home from a tiring day…” He cut me off with a wave and I just went back to massaging his shoulders. I suppose I could try again another day when he was in a better mood. “So how was your day, my flower?”

“Oh! Well…I made some bread today! It might be a bit burnt, but it should be good! I hope…” I smiled as he chuckled at me. It was my favorite sound over these last few weeks, and I was glad that I could easily bring it out of him. “I also finished reading a book that I’ve come to enjoy…but I hope to get some more…”

“I’ll be sure to get some more for you then.” I smiled as he stood and rolled his shoulders and patted my head. “I think I’m gonna rest for the day…we can work on dinner later…”

“Alright…have a good rest, father.” I really didn’t want to ruin the mood, but I had to tell him about how close the army was to our village again. He couldn’t just wander around anymore or they would recruit him to their efforts. I had to do my part to protect him. “F-Father!”

“Hmm? Yes? Something wrong, my flower?” I looked down and played with my fingers as he walked back into the kitchen and placed his hand on my shoulder. I didn’t want to see him upset, so I just kept my head down.

“The…the army is patrolling the village again. I’m worried that they might come here again-ah!” His grip on my shoulder tightened, but when I looked up he just had a smile on his face. There wasn’t any anger, but it was not an easy expression to read either.

“You know…on second thought…let’s get some fresh air and have a picnic.”

“B-But the army is out there-”

“Now now, my flower…we’ll just have to be sneaky.” He winked at me and kissed my forehead before getting some food in a basket. I wanted to say more, but he went to his room and I silently went to get changed. When I came back to the kitchen, he had a box and held the basket in his other hand. “Come along, Regan…we shouldn’t think about such things right now. We should enjoy our time together.”

“Of course.” I held the basket as he took my hand and we snuck out of the village to a secluded spot in the woods near our home. I laid out the blanket as my father watched the village with a deep look of concentration. He sat down with a sigh and we ate our food in silence, and I wondered if he was upset. “Father shouldn’t you eat-”

“Regan…I have no idea why these men are here, but they won’t break our family up no matter what…”

“Of course! I would never allow it to happen!” I held his hand tight and he chuckled and shook his head. How could I make him believe me? There had to be something that I could do to make this tense air around us disappear.

“All those nights I was away…I was securing our future. I have learned a great deal over the weeks and now it is time to act.” I tilted my head and he cupped my cheek tenderly and I closed my eyes to lean into him. I knew that he wouldn’t let our life crumble away so easily like this. My father was an intelligent man and I had faith in him. “So…I have something for you, my flower.”

He grabbed the box that he brought with him and handed it to me. He had been spoiling me with gifts almost every day. I didn’t need anything more than his support and love. I opened the box and there was more silk and I smiled and laughed.

“I don’t need any more dresses! I’ll be spoiled at this rate father!” I smiled as I pulled it out of the box to get a better look at it. Fully pulling it out, my smile vanished from my face. It was a white and lacy baby doll dress. My hands trembled as I looked at my father, who smiled and kissed the side of my head. “I…w-what-”

“That general has been looking lonely, Regan…” I held the dress tight in my hands as I stared at it with blurry eyes. I shook as my father brushed my hair over my shoulder to whisper in my ear. “You don’t want your father to die in some pointless war right? You want me to be safe and healthy, don’t you? Go and be a good girl for the most important man in your life and fuck that man till he forgets about this recruitment…”

“F-Father…p-please…” No no no no no. I hated sex. I hated it so much! I didn’t like the way it made me feel. It was revolting and degrading and horrible! This wasn’t happening right now…it couldn’t be! He was happy…we both were! I thought that this awful life was behind us and we could move on. I didn’t want to do this anymore…

“Now…clean all of this up. Those men probably aren’t near our home anymore. Avoiding them has been annoying and I won’t do it anymore.”

“F-Father...please…”

“I hate it when you complain!” I gasped as he grabbed my dress and pulled me close. “If you think you’re done being useful to be… then you have another thing coming girl!”

I cried out as he released me and stormed away towards our home. I gathered our things up as he turned back to glare at me. I thought that I was done…that I was free. When I arrived back home, my father brushed my hair and did my makeup. My lips trembled as he warned me not to cry or I would ruin my face. That was even harder to do as I pulled the dress on my body. It was supposed to make a woman feel sexy, but it made me sick. It was meant to entice desire, but I wanted peace. The silk was supposed to be soft…so why did every brush of its fabric feel like knives digging into my skin? They were claws pulling and digging at flesh that just didn’t want to be touched anymore.

My father threw a long cloak over me and pushed me outside. I struggled to take a breath as I pulled the hood over my head. It was late so no one could see how destroyed I was. My father needed me to do this so he wouldn’t be drafted. It was my duty as his daughter to do that right? A child should take care of their parents when the time comes right? Doing this and providing for our family using my body was the right thing…right?

“Just…just do what you have to do Regan…it will be over soon. Maybe…maybe everything will go back to how it was after this? We can move away and leave this behind forever…”

The encampment was far from our home, but not too far. My father had described the man and his tent so I wouldn’t miss it. I sighed deeply as I saw the men(and women!) walking around and talking and laughing. They were all winding down for the night so this might be easy to do. I stuck to the shadows around the camp until I spotted his tent. It was large but not much more than the others. It was quite easy to get inside of their area, but-

“Hey…so did you hear about the general bullying those new recruits?”

“Oh yeah…some of them were crying and throwing up after the training. I swear…people really need to read the fine print if they want to join.”

“I’m thinking about putting in some vacation time…spend time with my girls…”

“Eh…yeah I was thinking the same, but man watching the general mess with these recruits makes me want to stick around a bit longer.”

“I just might too haha!”

Looking around fast, I ducked into another tent that was thankfully empty of those soldiers. I was closer to the tent of the general, but I would have to wait until the soldiers passed. The fewer people that see me the better. A light shone in my eye and I turned to see the moon shining on some weapons from a flap in the tent, strewn out over tables and stands. I lost myself as I went to inspect a sword and a shield and even a spear. They were beautiful, and although I was no blacksmith…I could see how wonderfully they were crafted. I had been thinking so much about this army, but not out of fear for my father. Of course, I did care about his safety, but there was a draw to them that I had never had before. A desire to do something I had never done before, but I felt…joy…being near them. An excitement to do something new…

I jumped as I heard some shuffling and rushed away from the tent. I could not bother with useless thoughts. I had to focus on…seducing…this general to save my father. I had to clear my mind to prepare for this. Taking a deep breath…I finally made it to his tent. Removing the cloak, I gave myself a final pep talk as I stepped over the threshold. It was surprisingly homey in here…there were a few chairs and a sofa in the far right corner and a large table was in the center of the room with papers thrown about. On the other side, there was a weapon stand filled with different types of swords. Glancing up, I noticed a sweet smell coming from some sticks, and smoke was coming from them. All sorts of other trinkets were set up around the poles holding the tent up. I suppose this army was well-traveled and they would be here for some time, considering that he was this comfortable. I raised a brow at a small white box that was humming near the weapon stand, curiosity consumed me as I touched it. Opening it, I was surprised to find it cold and it had drinks inside of it.

Who was this man with his strange contraption?

“If you have something you want, get on with it…or get the hell out now…” I jumped as a deep voice traveled through the tent. A section of the tent was closed off with a large sheet. I suppose he didn’t want his room in the open. My face grew hot thinking about…doing intimate things with him here. There were no walls and the whole camp would be able to hear us, but I could not stop when I came so far. Smoothing out my dress and fixing my hair, I pulled back the sheet to finally look at the general.

He was a massive man, probably the largest man that I had ever seen. His back was to me as he leaned over a table scanned over a map and made notes on it. I was sure that if he stood up straight he would be a giant. He didn’t seem like he would be a…gentle partner. I was not going to like this any more than I already did, and being sore was the worst.

“Are you going to speak?”

“I-I…well I-”

“You are wasting my time, and time is precious to me right now…” His back was still to me and I took a confident breath and walked closer to him. Men liked to feel a woman touch on them, so that would have to be my approach to this. I wrapped my arm across his shoulder, but I was more than surprised when he grabbed my wrist. He moved me around to push me against the table, but my instincts kicked in. Grabbing his wrist, I twisted out of his grasp and flipped us around until I had him pinned against the table. He made a surprised sound, but he moved me back against the table again.

“...”

He raised a brow as he looked at me, and my face burned hot. He was a gorgeous man…probably the most beautiful man that I had ever seen. He was missing an eye, but his other eye was a stunning green color. He was as big as I thought he would be, and I was starting to feel even more uncomfortable about this. He could break me in half!

“What the hell are you doing?”

“I…y-you’re men wanted to give you a gift for the night. I’m here to give you a good night…” I held his gaze, but I was starting to worry as he just continued to stare. He finally released me and I rubbed my wrist before he turned back to look over the map.

“Yes well…they can send you back…”

“But I-”

“Not. Interested.” My face burned even more as he ignored me. It was not often that men ignored me, and it shouldn’t have bothered me either. I had to do this for my father though, no matter how much I didn’t want to or how much this man was intimidating. Steeling myself, I moved under his arm until I was nose to nose with him. Grabbing his belt, I pulled him closer as I sat up on the desk. My cheeks hurt as blood filled them even quicker. He really was a very handsome man. I only hoped that he wasn’t a kisser…I hated when they wanted to do that.

He wasn’t pushing me away now and I took that opportunity to run my fingers over his chest and open it slightly. I ran my hands under to feel his warm skin and pulled him even closer with my legs. Our lips were mere inches apart and before I knew it…he pulled us both back and fell onto his bed. I was wondering why he didn’t touch me, but then his hands held my thighs. I managed to straddle him, but his silence was unnerving…like he was studying me. I had to be more forward, so I pulled his shirt open, but I accidentally tore some buttons off.

“S-Sorry…” I jumped as his hand traveled up my waist and he kept his other firmly on my thigh. Feeling uncomfortable, I pushed him back on the bed as I tried to work his pants off. I shifted my shoulder so the strap of the dress came down. Leaning down, I began to kiss on his chest and-

“Ah!” I jumped up as he slapped my rear. Looking down at him, he wore an unimpressed expression. “D-Did I do something you didn’t like? I-I could do more if you want…u-um…I could use my mouth or…I-I just…” My lips trembled as I tried to come up with something to get him in a good mood.

“I knew it.”

“Huh?”

“Why are you doing something you clearly aren’t comfortable with?”

“What? N-No I…I’m sorry if I’m not doing a good job. I could just use my mouth or bend over the table if you’d rather prefer that!”

“You’re shaking…ugh…listen how about we just…” He sat up and tried to move me off, but I couldn’t do this empty-handed. I pushed him back onto the bed, pinning his hands over his head. His eye widened in surprise, but I had to do this! “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want too…”

“Yes I do! You have no idea about what I have to do!”

“I’m not going to sleep with you…”

“W-Well…I find that hard to believe…I-I can feel you on my thigh…” His face grew red at the statement and he looked away from me.

“Well um…you should be more than aware that you are a very beautiful and attractive woman…I can’t really help that…”

“J-Just…we have to do this…please…”

“...” He sighed before he slipped from my grasp and flipped me over and now I was laying on the bed. I guess he really did want this after all. I closed my eyes as I felt him touch my stomach and arm. I felt him moving the dress about, but his hand finally rested on my cheek. “Don’t cry…”

Opening my eyes, his gaze was gentle and he had fixed the dress back on my body. He wiped away tears that fell from my eyes. I wasn’t supposed to cry unless the man liked it. My father told me never to cry unless the man wanted me to. My lips trembled as he became surprisingly gentle as he continued to rub the tears from my eyes.

“You never have to do something you don’t want to do. I won’t sleep with you and I’m not going to hurt you. Your life is more than some sexual object for the pleasure of men.”

“B-But I…”

“You are a special woman and you will do great things in this life. You are a beautiful woman who has seen too much horror and pain…you won’t experience anymore tonight.”

“I…I…” I couldn’t believe that this man was saying these things to me, because I didn’t deserve them…I didn’t, but it was so nice. I couldn’t stop the tears and I just let it all out. I hugged the general and although he was a bit awkward…his touch was comforting and he didn’t pull away until I was done some minutes later.

I felt incredibly embarrassed as he draped a blanket around my shoulders and gave me some water to drink. He was a very quiet man, but…he was also very sweet. I silently continued to drink my water before he finally spoke up once more.

“So what’s a Phoenix doing in the middle of such a backwater village?”

“I…huh?” He looked away from his map as he heard the confusion in my voice.

“A Phoenix…I could tell as soon as you walked in here. Your kind always gives off a certain energy when they are in an area. When you said my men sent you I didn’t believe it for a second…I figured you were some assassin…”

“S-So why did you let me get so close?”

“Boredom.”

“Wha…?” I just stared in disbelief at this man. He didn’t seem to care at all. He must be a very good combatant if a possible assassin didn’t phase him. “Wait…what about me being a…Phoenix?”

“…”

“I-I’m only curious…it…it would clear some things up for me…” His piercing gaze made me look down at the blankets nervously. Now he just seemed upset with me.

“The mythological bird of fire that rises from its own ashes. With a mastery over fire and the healing tears…or kiss…whichever they prefer. An immortal creature that lives for a thousand years before dying and coming back to life from its own ashes. That is what you are…”

“…” This…this made no sense. My father never said anything about this to me or my mother. I wouldn’t have believed anyone else, but I could feel the truth in his words. “W-Wait…does…does phoenix blood give health benefits…f-for example?”

“Yes it does. It has been said that consuming it gives many health benefits and immunity to multiple conditions. The most common thing it achieves is immortality for an extended period of time, but only if consumed on a regular basis.”

“...” No no no…this explained so much about the actions of my father. It explained why I seemed to heal quickly when injured. My father always looked young, but I just thought it was good genetics. He was using me for more than just my body…but also my blood?!

“Are you going to tell me why you did this?”

“H-Huh? Oh…my…my father doesn’t want to be drafted to the war…and I…he wanted me to sleep with you to save him from it…”

“...What?”

“I-It’s not his fault! I-It’s my duty as his daughter to help him with things! A-A child should do their best to support their parents!” I was quick to intercept as his face fell into a heavy frown and I could swear the air around him was changing. “Please I-”

“Are you insane?!” I flinched away from him as his scream sounded almost like a thunderclap. He let out a breath before he stood up over me. “You are his daughter…”

“Y-Yes…” I couldn’t bring myself to look at him as he paced around the small space, mumbling to himself.

“Listen to me…” He placed his hand on my head and I finally looked up at him. My heart skipped a beat as I looked upon his beautiful visage. He was…gentler than I thought he would be. “Your father is supposed to protect you and love you…this is not love or care. He is using you for his own personal reasons. You are so much more than that.”

“I…”

“I can see that you are determined…I won’t draft your father, but he shouldn’t be allowed to continue doing this to you.”

“I…I appreciate your concern…but this is my problem. I…I have to do what I must for him…”

“...”

“M-May I go now?”

“Yes you may.” I picked my cloak back up and hastily covered myself in it. I was beyond embarrassed about all of this, but I had more questions for my father than anything. The general was so kind and I did appreciate it, but all that mattered was the safety of my father. I was about to head out, but his voice reached out to me.

“If you need help…I will be here for some time. Just ask for me and I will assist you.”

“W-Why do you care so much about me? I’m…I’m just a…working girl…”

“I told you that you are more than that, and don’t refer to yourself like that again. For your other question…I don’t like to see women in situations like this. It…I just don’t like it.”

“O-Ok…oh! W-What do I call you?”

“Nim.”

“R-Regan.”

Once I made it home, my father was incredibly excited about something and I hadn’t even told him about what happened with the general. I told him about the general and he just praised me for a job well done. I wanted to ask him about what I was told, but it didn’t seem like the right moment. He would probably be upset about it, but I had to know more about it. My father’s erratic behavior lately has been making me more and more concerned. I just hope that things will start to change for the better.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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#Regan #Nim #oc #writing #my writing #original story #original work

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goddessofeternity · 9 months ago

Text

Fragile

Chapter 1: A Broken Home

My mother had the most beautiful locks of crimson-red hair. Most thought that she would have the personality to match it, but no, she was as gentle as she was beautiful. There was never a day when she did not have a smile on her face. She was kind to those who berated and lashed out at her. I wanted nothing more than to be just like her, beautiful and kind. I always recalled the memories of her whenever I was in this state. This state of emptiness and sadness. I longed for her to brush my hair during these moments. It was the only time that I enjoyed, her hands were soft and gentle. It was a time when my father cared for me and didn’t strike me. It was a time when the three of us would enjoy our walks, enjoy making dinner together, and just enjoy being a family.

The stars were bright again tonight, the moon rivaling their celestial beauty. Its rays were shining on me, and I often wished that it would take away everything I felt when I came to this cursed place. This place filled with nothing but-

“A-Almost…!”

I felt my heart sink and cave further in my chest as I gripped the sheets under me. My body moved against them, despite how much I wanted it to be still. The moon was my salvation during these moments, and I continued to gaze at it, even as the hands upon my waist gripped my breasts. The heavy smell of tobacco and alcohol was heavy on the breath of the man, and his other hand snaked out and caught me by the throat.

“F-Fuck…you…are a tight bitch…!”

His grip was tighter and tighter before he finally released his seed inside of me. His grip on my neck was tight, and it increased more as he rutted against me a few more times, before he slipped out of me. I inhaled deeply as he moved from the bed and cleaned himself off before he took a long drag of his cigar. I sat up and rubbed my neck, just as he threw a sack of coins at me.

“T-Thank you…”

“Tch…thank that tight cunt of yours. Your parents should be proud of such a quality breed of woman they produced.”

“....”

He left without another word and I almost threw up from the heavy tobacco and the disgust that I felt coursing through me. I dressed myself before I held the sack close to my chest as I left the room. I ignored the many voices around me, begging me to join them. I could not stand to be here any longer than I needed to be.

My own flame of hair was a tousled and ruined mess, and my father would let me have it again if I didn’t fix myself. The looks upon my back made me want to hide away from it all. My mother was well loved and to see her daughter leave a different man’s house often was…

No! Just go home, Regan! Don’t think about it!

My home soon came into sight and I released a nervous breath. My father was probably awake and waiting for me, but…maybe he wasn’t. He could be asleep and I wouldn’t have to hear him yell again.

My hand barely touched the handle before the door thrust open. I barely managed to dodge the force of the swing, but I was also not quick enough to dodge my father's rage.

“You stupid girl!” I flinched as he grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled me into the house. I didn’t say a thing as he tossed me to the ground. “You almost had me coming to find you! You can never do anything right!”

“I-I…I…I brought you more c-coins…” I produced the sack and his face lit up as he snatched it from me. I looked back down at the ground as he paced. “The…the man was…energetic…”

“Good good…that means you are finally doing something right. Now I can use this to-“

I glanced up to see his face turning an angry bright red. I tried to run through what I could have done to make him upset, but I could think of nothing. Maybe there were not enough coins?

“Ungrateful!” I finally let out a sound as he roughly grabbed my hair again. “This is the only good thing your mother left you! And you can’t even properly take care of it!”

“F-Father I-“ I yelped as he pulled me to my feet and led me to a cracked mirror.

“Look at yourself!”

I blinked at my broken expression as tears stung the corners of my eyes. My hair was a mess, but his grip on it was making it worse. I loved my hair and I didn’t like it when it was in disarray, but it was the result of something he made me do. It was my greatest treasure and he was the cause of its current state.

“Father I-“

“Apologize to your mother!” He started to drag me down the hall, and the panic quickly swept in.

“N-No! P-Please! I-I-I will clean myself up! F-Forgive me! I…I will get more coins!”

The prospect of more money made him stop and he released my hair. Scratching his chin, he finally grinned and muttered to himself before walking back into the living room. I scrambled out of the hall and rushed into my room. My heart was thundering in my chest, and I sank to the floor trying to calm it down.

“M-Mother…” I tucked my knees up as I cried. Most of my night ended like this. Crying and praying that the next day would be better than the last, but it never did. It was just an unyielding cycle of pain and my father's harsh words. “This hurts so much…”

I soon let sleep take over me as I leaned against the door, but the thundering sound of boots soon woke me up. I bolted from the floor and over to my bed just as my father tore open the door.

“Get up now!”

“Y-Yes!” He threw the sack of coins at me and I flinched as they spilled over the floor. “F-Father?”

“This is not enough! You said you would get more coins! So go do it and be gone from my sight!”

“I-I thought that…m-maybe I could r-rest today? M-Make some more tomorrow?”

“You bitch!” His hand stung my cheek as I fell back against my bed. I couldn’t even register the pain of it before he climbed atop my body and wrapped a hand around my neck. “You will make my money now! If I tell you to do something, do it! If I want you to grovel you grovel! If I want you to fuck, you do it!”

“Y-Yes…f-father…” He released me with a grumble before he snapped his fingers at me.

“Kitchen now.”

I left quickly without a word, it would be best to just remain silent. I sat at our table as my father rummaged around with a grumble. I looked down at our tablecloth as he did, running my fingers over the intricate patterns my mother had woven into it. I loved to watch her knit, it was something I was never quite good at, but I was eager to get better at it. It was a soft blue that matched the color my father's eyes used to be, now they just looked like muddy pools of despair. I smiled at the bunnies that ran along the borders, I was adamant about adding them.

She had also made sure to add many many bright blooms of flowers since I often brought wildflowers back a lot. It was a time I longed for, but that was just my mind wishing for the impossible. I kept my gaze on the tablecloth as my father finally located the knife he was searching for. I barely even flinched anymore as he sliced down my arm, I just held my arm over the glass he produced. My father drank my blood with heavy gulps before he slammed the glass next to me. I cleaned it wordlessly, but his eyes on my back made me feel uncomfortable. My mother told me that I was something special, more than what other children my age had been. It was because of this that my blood would be sought after if people knew about this. My father took that knowledge and used it for his own personal benefit. My blood was his own personal drug and he always drank it at least once a week. The knife didn’t even feel like anything anymore. My blood seemed to make him stronger, and more alert, and he even seemed healthier after he drank from me. He refused to tell me what I truly was, but after he threw me out for a week just for asking, I just kept my mouth shut about it.

It was so addicting to him that I was often surprised that he didn’t try to sell it. I would prefer him taking my blood if it meant that I wasn’t soiled by the men of our village. I quickly left the kitchen without another glance. He wanted his money and it wouldn’t be good to make him wait any longer for it.

I released a breath into the cool air and glanced around me, but there was not much work I could do late at night. Going to another man’s bed so soon was not something I wanted to do so soon again. The men in our village made my skin crawl, and I hated the way most of them looked at me. I know what I did was the reason, but I would never do such a thing if I had a choice. The looks of the women were even worse. I pulled my shawl tighter over my shoulder as I made my way to the village. I made sure that I never slept with the husbands of any of them, but they still viewed me in disdain. I wished that I could clear their suspicions of me, but I didn’t have the heart for it.

Many began to blow out their candles and sleep for the night, but the brothel was lively and thriving still. It seemed that they never slept at all there. I had to find something to do or I would never be allowed back home. I just wanted to go back home and rest, but I couldn’t sneak into my home. I learned from that mistake once before and I would not make it again. Perhaps I could find some things to sell…

“Hey…”

I wish that I was better at talking and reacting to other people because the squeak that I unleashed was so embarrassing. I felt my face heat up as I looked at a man staring at me from his doorframe. I looked down at the ground as he sighed and cleared his throat. “Y-Yes?”

“Do you need help with something? You’ve been wandering around for a while…not really a good time to wander around.”

“N-N-No…I just…I…um…t-taking a walk…”

“A walk? You look like you’re searching for something more like it…”

“I…I-I am…”

“You gotta speak up a bit, sweetheart…”

“I-I’m looking f-for a j-job!”

“You can’t do that in the morning?”

“I…my father will not let me h-home…I…I h-have to bring home money…” I still didn’t look the man in the eyes, but his eyes were traveling all over my body. Perhaps he didn’t believe me? Or…maybe he wanted more from me. It made the most sense…it was what most men had always wanted from me.

“Here.” I blinked as he held out a bag of money to me. I slowly grasped it from him and I just had no idea why he gave it to me. “Go home and get some sleep.”

“I…but why did-”

“Go home and sleep. When you get up, come back here and you can make some money.” I stared at him and he sighed and waved his hand at me. “You need money right? Well…I need someone to help me around here.”

“I…t-thank you…” He grumbled before he shut the door and I smiled down at the money. This would make my father happy! I would be able to rest and not have to go to the brothels anymore! I thanked the man once more before I left back to my home, a wide smile spreading across my face.

Clearing my throat, I slowly opened and peeked into my home. It was usually quiet, but I suppose my father must have stepped out. Slowly walking through the hallway, I caught sight of my father asleep at the kitchen table. Releasing a breath, I walked in and placed a blanket over him. I wordlessly set about cleaning up the bottles of alcohol and tidying up the kitchen.

“Mmm…” I flinched hearing him groan in his sleep but relaxed when he didn’t wake up. Once I was finished, I placed a blanket over his shoulders and kissed his temple. I couldn’t help but watch him as he slept so peacefully. It was the only time that he looked like his old self. I missed when he was healthy and lively…

“I miss you, Papa…” He grumbled in his sleep once more and I backed away from him. I hated to hope anymore that he would get better. There was a time that I thought he was, but…

Glancing down the far corridor at the slightly ajar door told me that that chance was long gone. A heavy chill always seemed to emerge from that room, and it horrified me to my bones.

He would never get better and it was dumb to hope for something better. He would always be an abusive drunk and I would always be his cash cow.

That was our story and nothing would change that.

~~~

“Can you clean?”

“Y-Y-Yes!”

“Handle money?”

“Y-Y-Yes!”

“Customers?”

“O-Oh…um…I…”

“It’s fine…” I glanced up at my new boss and he rubbed his chin. I wish I could tell what he was thinking. He’d probably get rid of me because I couldn’t talk to people. My father was always right about these things…I could never be more than just a thing for men to play with. I should have never come-

“Alright let’s get started.”

“H-Huh? I-I thought…”

“That I wouldn’t hire you? Well…I need some help around this damn store…and you need money. I’d say that this is good for us both. Now, there isn’t really a uniform, just dress appropriately. I’ll pay you every week and I expect you here early in the morning.”

“Y-Yes!”

“No need to yell darlin…come on…” I scurried after him quickly as he ran over what I would need to do in the store. There was a lot for such a small store, but I think I could do most of it. “So…you got all that?”

“Y-Yes…I think so…”

“Alright good…let’s get started…” For the first time in a while, I felt good about doing something. I wasn’t pleasing filthy men, I wasn’t being hit by my father, I wasn’t being told how useless I was. I was doing something that didn’t make me hate myself. I smiled to myself as I moved more boxes and the owner greeted some customers. Some of them were eyeing me, and it did make me nervous, but I just went into the storage room.

“Hmm…knives…knives…” I would have to label these boxes to find things much faster so I could stock the store. I suppose the owner was just used to the mess around here. I guess this would be what they called organized chaos. The room was filled to the ceiling with weathered boxes and even more cobwebs. The smell of old books was heavy and I could smell a dead mouse somewhere in the room. Walking to a window, I let in a breeze to air it out.

“Ms. Regan!” I smiled as I leaned out the window at a group of children as they ran over to me. The children in the village had attached themselves to me, and I was glad to be surrounded by their innocence. It made the hard days more bearable. “You work for Mr. Hairy Man?”

“Oh I…y-yes I do…” I suppressed the giggle before it left my lips. I suppose my boss was a hairy older man. His tight shirt barely did much to hide his chest hair, and his arms were just as bushy. Thinking about it now, I was surprised not to see a beard on his face. I think it would have fit his image more. “You should call him by his proper name though…”

“That’s boring! He looks like a bear!”

“Hehe…I suppose that he does. I have to get back to work though.”

“Ms. Regan! Are you gonna play with us later?” I smiled at little Emily as her bright eyes sparkled in excitement. She was always eager for me to see her. She loved to practice her hairstyling skills on me. She reminded me of how I used to be with my mother, so I had a soft spot for her.

“No way Emily! I wanna watch Ms. Regan fight again!” The other boys chimed in agreement and I grimaced a bit. I didn’t want them to ever witness violence in their young lives. Children were innocent, and I wanted to preserve that. It was unfortunate that they happened to catch me fighting off some men who wanted to take my money. Although it was good that they didn’t see the start of it. Men could be heartless when a woman didn’t give them what they wanted.

“Now now…you must run along. There will be no fighting today. I have to work and I don’t want to get in trouble.” I glanced back into the room as I heard some shuffling. “We can play later.”

“Ok!” I giggled at their sweet chimes as they all ran off to play. Turning back, I went back to cleaning the room and moving more boxes. The insects that scurried about made my skin crawl, but it was much better than lying with men who reeked of alcohol and sex. I couldn’t stop the smile on my face from forming. This was finally the time for me to lead a better life. As long as I brought money home, my father could not be angry with me. Money was the most important thing in the world to him, and I would get it if it meant no more brothels.

I spent the rest of the morning just cleaning the back room and organizing it. I found a sheet to cover my mouth and nose, the last thing I wanted was something gross coating my nose and throat. My boss didn’t come to check on me as much, but it meant that I could concentrate on what I was doing. It also gave me time to think about some things. My father often spent his days either sleeping until the sun went down or gambling at an associate's home. The chances of seeing him were incredibly slim and I was glad for it.

The thought of leaving him behind crept into my mind once more, but I just pushed it back once more. I could never leave him in the state that he was in, it would be right and I was his only family. As his daughter, it was only right to take care of him, like any child should. If I was not here, he would drink himself to death and I just couldn’t let that happen to him. Making enough money was the only thing I could do right, despite the way that I did it. If he was away from this place, perhaps he could be happy again.

Maybe…maybe I could too…

“Hey…”

“EEP!” I jumped as my boss appeared behind me and I promptly dropped everything that I was holding. Trying to grab everything, I just made more of a mess as I tripped over more objects on the floor. A mass of dust managed to kick up and sent me into a coughing mess as I fell to the ground. My face burned as I looked up at my boss who only looked confused by my reaction. “Y-Yes sir?”

“I was just coming to tell you to take a break.”

“O-Oh..ok…” He left without another word and I bounced up quickly to clean up my mess. He was going to fire me if I didn’t learn how not to trip over my own feet. I rushed into the main room and he handed me a plate of food and we sat down by a window in silence. I had to wonder if he knew about me, most people in the village seemed to know much to my horror. “Um…t-thank you again for giving me this job…I really needed it…”

“Eh…I could see that you were struggling and everyone else in this damn village looked like they’d steal from me the moment they got the chance.”

“I…”

“Look…I won’t pry into your personal business and I won’t ask about it either. Anybody with eyes can see that you have some demons. You work and show up on time and I won’t complain.”

“A-Alright…I can do that.” I happily continued to eat and we had some small talk before the break was over and I continued with my work. He seemed pretty happy about how I organized and cleaned it. I was something of an expert at cleaning up messy spaces because my father just couldn’t be bothered to do it. I saw the children one more time before it was already time to head back home. Jared offered to walk me home, but I didn’t want to risk my father seeing him or him seeing that I was…well who I was.

My smile that I had managed to keep on my face disappeared as I walked home. The women of the village whispered amongst themselves as I walked home. Their hatred of me was warranted, but I really wish it wasn’t. I never wanted to hurt anyone and my father didn’t seem to even notice the looks he also received. The prospect of gambling and drinking was more enthralling I suppose.

Seeing my home get closer suddenly made me feel uneasy and I slowed down completely. Jared didn’t give a daily pay, but a weekly one. My father always wanted his money each day and without fail. Turning up empty handed would incur his wrath and I didn’t want to see it when I finally felt good about myself. The coins that Jerry had first given to me would not keep him happy for long. I would have to wait the week out until I received my payment. Glancing back at my home, I saw my father walk by a window and I instantly ran away.

I just couldn’t go home without his coins and I couldn’t stomach being at the brothel right now. I felt clean for once and not like a used cloth. I hated scrubbing my skin raw after every visit to that awful place. I would just have to rest somewhere else and hope that no one told my father where I went. I had to hold onto this bit of happiness that I managed to grasp before it all came crumbling down.

~~~

I could only wonder if he knew that I was gone.

It had been only three days since I had been working for Mr. Jerry but my father had not made a sound. The last time I didn’t return home from the brothel at a good time, he made sure the whole village knew about it. Yelling and kicking on doors and even throwing his fists about until I finally showed up. I hadn’t meant to not show up, but I was so tired from the night before that I fell asleep in the bed. I hated those beds, but sleep had just overtaken me.

I didn’t think my father would ever stop yelling and beating me.

“Regan…” I flinched as I looked away from this window as Mr. Jared raised his brows at me. “Sorry darlin…I was calling you but you seemed to be in your own world.”

“I-I’m sorry…I’ll continue cleaning right now.”

“Listen…if you need some time away…”

“No! No please I…I want to keep doing this…it…it makes me happy.”

“Cleaning an old store, stocking shelves, and occasionally welcoming customers makes you happy?”

“Y-Yes?” Is it a strange thing to like?

“Haha! You are a strange one miss…just keep up the good work and try not to space out so much eh?”

“Y-Yes sir!” I was content with this bit of happiness that I managed to acquire for myself. My short days of bliss meant peace and I could think about the future. Perhaps…perhaps I could convince my father that this was a better way to make money. It was something that I had been mulling about for the last few days. If he was drunk…maybe the conversation would be better. No…he would forget by the time he was sober and it would all be for nothing. I frowned as my mind thought about other ways to convince him, but I just decided to keep cleaning and go about my day.

As much as I didn’t want to…the children wanted me to teach them how to fight. I told them it was for self-defense, but the boys didn’t really listen. I suppose it was just a result of them wanting to fight and be tough. I smiled to myself because those children brought some joy into my life, despite the harshness of my father.

I perked up as the bell for the store rang and someone entered the store. Quickly putting my broom away, I brushed the dust from my clothes to greet the customer. I put on my best smile so I didn’t unnerve our customer. Mr. Jerry said that I had to smile more because I’d make the shop seem gloomy. He also said that it would be awful to see someone so pretty look so sad all the time. I didn’t want to be this way, but life hadn’t been kind enough for my smiles.

“Hello! Welcome to-”

“You stupid girl!” I yelped as my father rushed over to me and grabbed my hair. “How dare you run away from me! Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you?!”

“I-I’m s-sorry! I…I just wanted…”

“You always want…want…want!” I tried to pull away from him, but his grip on my hair was too tight. “I give you everything…and you don’t show back up home?!”

“P-Please…”

“Hey!” I blinked through my tears to look as Mr. Jerry marched over to us and removed my hair from my fathers grasp. “You aren’t gonna be treating her like this in my damn store!”

“This is my daughter and I can do what I want with her!”

“Not here, you can’t!”

“Oh I see…” My father smirked as he looked between the two of us. “You’ve been fucking him to make my money.”

“N-No! I-I work here! I…I just clean and s-stock the shelves.”

“I never told you that you could get a fucking job!” I gasped in pain as he grabbed my arm and started to pull me toward the door. “Ungrateful child!”

“Hey! Let the girl go now!”

“N-No! M-Mr. Jerry…thank you for all you’ve done. I don’t think that I’ll be coming back to help anymore.”

“Wait-”

My father dragged me from the store with a final slam of the door. I kept my head down as he grumbled to himself in anger. I felt nothing but shame as I could feel people watching us and whispering about us. My father was gripping my wrist so tight…I was sure to have bruises in the morning. I gasped as my father threw me on the floor once we were inside. I barely could react as he gripped my throat.

“I have been looking for you for days!”

“I-I’m sorry-”

“NO!” I cried out as he grabbed my hair once more and dragged me down the hall. He was taking me down to that room. Please…anything but that room!

“F-Father please! I-I’m so sorry! I-I’ll never do this again!” I couldn’t go in there again! It was too much and it was too painful! Why couldn't he see how much it hurt me?!”

“You will act the way I want you to act, you stupid fucking girl!”

He kicked the door to the room open and I shut my eyes as tight as I could. If I couldn’t see anything then I would be alright. It wasn’t there looking right into my soul. My father cared little for me, shielding myself from the pain. I grimaced as he pushed my face into cold glass and the harder he pressed, the more I knew he wouldn’t stop.

“Open your fucking eyes and apologize…” His lips were at my ear and tears streamed from my face. “Tell her that you’re sorry.”

“I-I’m sorry! I’m so so sorry! Please father I-”

“Open your eyes and look at her! Don’t be disrespectful!” He gripped my hair tighter and slammed my head against the glass, and my eyes flew open from the pain. My lips quivered as I stared at the skeleton of my late mother. Being this close made the smell invade my nostrils even more, and I wanted to gag…but my father would hate that. I never wanted to see her like this again, but my stupidity led me right back here. Her skull still had faint traces of her hair on it and her jaw was hanging open eerily. I was only forced into this room when my father wanted to discipline me. “Now I had better not ever catch you working again!”

“Y-Yes father…” He kept a firm grip on my neck so I wouldn’t look away from her. If I refused or fought back, he would make sure I couldn’t eat. It wouldn’t be that bad since it was only for a few days. He had to keep meat on my bones or the men wouldn’t want to sleep with me. As long as he didn’t hit me again, I could stand not eating. I just never wanted to be in this room ever again.

He released me and I sniffled as he knelt beside me and placed his hand on the coffin. I didn’t know how he could look at her like this. It was horrifying, but suggesting to bury her was only met with yelling and hitting on me. He also made me take more than one man because the money I would make would make him forgive me.

“Leave. I need time alone with your mother…”

I wiped my tears and stood to leave when I heard the unmistakable sound of my father undoing his pants. I shut the door without another word as he went about his version of “remembering” her.

~~~

“Well…that was a very fun time.”

“...”

I wordlessly put my clothes back on as the man drank his wine and smoked from a pipe. My father forced me on one of the visiting nobles that often passed through town. This man was a duke who often cheated on his wife and my father wanted me to sleep with him for months. I was always…busy…with someone else or the other women were quicker. He liked to take several women into his room and I never liked doing this with other women around. Everyone already hated me, but the women in the brothels were even more ruthless. I was often told of my beauty and men preferred me more than them. I could never understand their jealousy over this because I never wanted this life in the first place.

“You should move closer to my mansion,” I shuddered as he played with my hair and licked my shoulder and neck. “You don’t have to live in this disgusting village…you keep working that tongue and you might have a prosperous future ahead…”

I shut my eyes tight as he kissed on my shoulders and held my breasts. I hated this. I hate this so much. I hated hearing them talk about what I did for them. I’m a filthy and disgusting person and sex makes me feel even worse. Tears fell from my face and he reached out to wipe them away and for a moment…I thought he might try to comfort me, but he just laid me back down and went right back to his pleasure. I learned not to cry, because some of the men liked it and their stamina seemed to be boundless. I knew this, but my day was already hard enough and I just couldn’t help it.

Once he was done…I took the money that he had left behind. I was honestly surprised to see how much he had left for me to take. Although, I suppose it made sense since he was a duke. I hoped that this was a good enough amount that my father wouldn’t make me come back for some time. My father had to be asleep this late at night and it would give me time to do something that I hadn’t been able to do for a few weeks. Traveling outside of the village, I breathed out a deep breath as the night brought a sudden chill.

“Kids? Are you here?”

A broken down bridge held several orphaned children that other people refused to take in. The children that I often saw in the village were lucky to see their parents and have food everyday. I wish that there was more that I could do for them, but I didn’t trust that my father wouldn’t do something to harm them to punish me. I tried to come here often and give them food and some money, but my father took up most of my time.

They quickly ran over to me and hugged my waist and my heart broke for them. Despite my circumstances…I still had a roof over my head and I ate regularly. Some of them were getting sick and I tried my best to get them medicine.

“M-Ms. Regan…where were you?”

“I…I was getting more money for you all…I’m sorry it took so long for me to come and check on all of you.”

“It’s cold…”

“I know sweetie…I’m hoping that this will be enough so that you all can sleep at an inn for a bit.” I produced the bag of coins from my dress and tucked it in the oldest boy’s pants. It was all I could afford to give them before I went back to my father with his share. Still, I spent the next few hours starting a fire and placing their blankets close to it. It was gonna get even colder and they would get colds quickly if their blankets were frigid. I wish that I would have thought to bring food from the brothel…although I didn’t trust anything there to eat or drink.

I left the children with comforting words and bedtime stories so they could rest easily. The older children would set off in the morning to find an inn and get some food in their stomachs.

I prayed that this would get better for not only them, but also for myself.

I sighed deeply as I began my walk home, but it was not the quiet walk that I was hoping it would be. These quiet nights were the only time I had moments to myself, but now it was being interrupted. Some men began to follow me as I made it back into the village gates. I had never seen them before and I hoped that they weren’t bandits. It was the last thing our quiet little village needed at the moment. Perhaps they were just looking for somewhere to rest for the night, but that was just wishful thinking.

Looking over my shoulder, I quickened my pace as more men seemed to appear behind me. I blew a hair from my face as they whispered and laughed. The crude remarks they made about me weren’t necessary and I knew exactly what they wanted from me. Walking faster, I made my way to the square before entering an alley between abandoned buildings. I didn’t want to wake anyone with what was about to happen.

It was just terrible that these men made the decision that they did.

“So…you finally decided to stop avoiding us. That’s a good choice dollface…”

“...”

“Aw come on…let me hear that pretty voice that I know you have…” I glanced over his shoulder at his two companions who snickered and blew kisses at me. Hearing a crunch, I sighed hearing some more men walking up behind me. I was glad that there were no children around because this wasn’t something they should see. I faced the men that had approached me from behind with another sigh.

“I would like to go home…could you move aside please?” The only response I received was a collection of snickers. The man in front of me ignored me to look at his other companions.

“Damn…I guess she isn’t charmed by us in the least.” He looked me up and down and I frowned at the action. “You’re really breaking our hearts, you know?”

“I would just like to go home and rest…”

“Come on…it’s time to stop playing-” The man behind me had reached his hand out but I caught it while I glared at the man in front of me. “What the hell?!”

“Do not touch me…please…” I turned and twisted his wrists and he yelled and sank to his knees as he tried to pull away from me. His wrists were starting to turn red and his friends tried to intervene, but I shoved him into them instead. “Just go away please…”

“Fucking bitch!” I let out a frustrated breath as one of the men tried to punch me and I stepped to the side and he crashed into his companion. He pushed off his friend to try and hit me once more, but I slapped his hand away. I moved further back as he unleashed a volley of strikes at me and one of the men behind me tried to punch me as well. Grabbing the fist of the man in front of me, I pivoted on my heel and landed a kick to the jaw of the other man. “Bitch-”

Striking him in the throat…I punched him in his face several times before slamming my elbow into his neck. As he began to choke, I backhanded him, and his blood splattered across the ground. The other three men all charged at me at once, but I kicked off the wall to roundhouse kick one, before grabbing another by his head and tossing him over me into the wall. The final man squared up to me and for the first time in a while, engaged with me in close quarter combat. He was good and he met my strikes with his own, but I didn’t want to be here forever. I gave him a quick kick to his knee, which made it snap horribly.

“Fuck-”

I kneed him in the jaw before he finished his phrase and slammed him to the ground before slamming my fist down into his nose, breaking it. I was going to continue but one of them grabbed my hair and it felt like he was going to take my head off. I grunted as the other two grabbed my arms and lifted me up. Kicking my legs, I hit one in the chin and threw my leg back to hit the man on my hair between the legs. Turning to the remaining man, I elbowed him before digging my nails into his eyes and slammed his head into the wall.

The man I kicked in the dick charged at me and tackled me to the ground. I clawed and kicked at him as he tried to rip my shirt off. I grunted as he slapped me across the face several times, but I caught his hand and slammed my head into his nose. I punched him hard in the jaw and he finally slumped to the ground. The last man held his hands up and ran off and I huffed and rubbed my sore cheeks and walked off.

I could admit that it was exhilarating to exert myself like that once more. I didn’t like to resort to violence if I didn’t have to, but I knew what those men wanted from me. I would not allow that to happen to me. My life was already terrible and I didn’t want to add more trauma onto my heart.

As I began to walk home…a paper pinned to a house caught my attention. Taking it into my hands, my heart sank as I read its contents over and over again.

Attention! People of Kaltara village!

`War is looming on your homes, and your lives are on the line! Men and young men of age will be questioned and drafted to the efforts. Considerable compensation and benefits will be awarded to these chosen men and their families! Your cooperation is mandatory and nonnegotiable. This campaign is for your future as well as the many! Recruitments will begin tomorrow at noon!

~The Eclipse Order

There was a war on the horizon? Why had we not been informed of this sooner? Who was the Eclipse Order? I had never heard of them, but this was a serious problem. My father could not be drafted for war, much less in his condition! I had to do something to keep him safe and out of harm's way. He was not fit for war or any else really. I crumpled the paper up as I went home. I had to keep him safe.

No matter what it takes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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goddessofeternity · 1 year ago

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Chronicles of the Supernovas: Children of Darkness

Chapter 24: Decisive Brawl

Nim

There was still something that we needed to do.

The others were busy with moving Altair and getting the ship together and ready. Lady Serafina had drawn the Darkness away to give us our chance. The threat from that Atrocity was still too fresh though for Masami. Watching her now, she was fooling everyone else with her smiles and apologies, but the lies were deep in her eyes. She was ready to burst at the seams and her eyes held such bloodthirst that I was surprised that she could smile like that. The peaceful woman that we had all come to know was gone, or maybe she was never really there. I exhaled deeply glancing at Callum, because he seemed happy to have his wife back by his side. He was the one that was going to lose something if she kept it up, but the poor fool was too blind right now.

“Hey…time to go…” Nerissa walked over and looked at me curiously. “What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing important…” I looked down and made a fist, feeling my energy coming back to me quickly. I never thought that I would be powerless like that. These weapons were a deadly foe. “Have your powers come back quicker?”

“Yeah actually…I feel pretty good right now.” To show her meaning, she drew the water out of the various plants and formed daggers made of water. Turning towards a tree…she sliced it and several others cleanly in half. “See? Not my best work, but still good enough.”

“Hmm yes…” I flexed my fingers and smirked at the electricity that flowed over them. I had to be almost at sixty-five percent right now. That would be enough to get us the rest of the way home. “I only worry about this Morlo…”

“Yeah…you would think that he would have shown up by now…” She scratched her head as we walked over to the ship. “He sends us all of these lackeys to face, but the big man himself just doesn't show up.”

“If he’s smart, he’ll stay away as long as he can. After the stunt that he pulled, he should stay in hiding for the rest of his life.”

“Heh…I want to get my hands on him before you do big guy…”

“Trust me little one…you won’t want to see what I do to him.” I smirked down at her as the woman finished healing Altair. It seemed that his captors took some turns roughing him up. He seemed better than he was when we first found him, but that was probably because the woman was babying him so damn much.

“Hey cyclops! Hurry up, you old fart!” Nerissa snickered as a vein formed on my forehead and the child was lucky the woman was standing next to him and glaring at me. I picked up the pace as he chuckled behind her. “Surprised you could move that fast…”

“Listen you little fuc-” The smurf stepped into my view and I glared right back at her, but seeing the former hole in her clothes made me brush past her. She should have been more careful and not so damn reckless because of this kid. He was a walking red flag even more than Nerissa was at the time of her birth. There was always something about a star child that made the Darkness more jumpy than ever. Glanching at Nerissa, I could see why they wanted Altair so bad. Her untapped potential and power was staggering at times, and losing her was devastating to the Darkness. I could see the need to not want to fail again.

The other star children were safely hidden and protected by some of my best soldiers and Regan and Tove go on a rotation to guard them every few centuries. The Darkness was incredibly bitter about the whole thing, and I was quite smug about it. Although, being cocky about it was never in my mind for long, there was no telling what could happen when it concerned them.

“Get on the damn ship brat…” I frowned at him over the woman’s shoulder and he laughed and strutted in with her close behind him. The others soon followed and it was finally time to head back to the temple. The woman was eager to pick up the rest of the children, but we had to secure Altair first. She thankfully didn’t fight it, but she also gave me a nasty look too. I let her have it though, she wouldn’t get the nice version of myself for long…just…just until I was sure that she was fully recovered. Callum gave me a look so that definitely meant that I had to let it go.

“Hehe…” That giggle meant that Ka’seem was once again flirting with Masami’s sister. After everything that happened and what he saw Masami do. I was surprised that he thought it was a good idea to keep pursuing that. Speaking of regrets, he was facing them now as Masami stomped over and grabbed him by the back of his throat. He let out the most unmanly squeak from his mouth as she dragged him away. Her sister was a pretty little thing, so I could see why he would attempt such a thing.

Nerissa started up the ship and Celica made her rounds to check up on everyone and I took the chance to sit back on a chair and close my eye and rest. The journey back would be enough for me to get an adequate amount of sleep. The sounds of everyone's quiet chatter lulled me into an easy enough sleep. My mind did what it always did when it was at rest…think about her. I wondered if she was alright and healing after her fight. Or perhaps she was still fighting against them.

Perhaps I should take Lady Serafina’s advice and check on Kay. No…I was just being sentimental right now because of Cel-

“Ow…” I opened my eye when I felt someone stand over me. I glanced out to see that she had reached her hand out to touch my shoulder. The grip I had on her wrist was turning it red. She didn’t seem fazed by it though.

“Mmm…sorry…” I released her and she sighed before placing her hand on her hip. She looked well enough…the color was back on her face, and her eyes sparkled with intrigue. She had found some fresh clothes to wear, but I could still see the bandages that wrapped across her waist peeking under the small shirt. It is always painfully ironic that a goddess of health could heal so slowly. It was leagues better than most and was still fast, but serious injuries took her at most a week or two.

Not that she ever got this hurt often.

“I just want to make sure that any injuries you have are healing properly.”

“My powers have been coming back quick enough.” I leaned back further in the chair to stare out the window. “You don’t need to waste your healing abilities on me.”

“....” She sighed and I closed my eye again, figuring that she had walked away. “I’m alright…”

I released a breath through my nose at her tone. So small…so quiet…vulnerable. I opened my eye once more to see her standing over me with a frown. “Listen…you need to rest…stop worrying about everyone else and-”

“I’m fine-”

“You almost died Celica!” I hissed through my teeth at her, quiet enough that I didn’t disturb everyone else, but just enough frustration for her to know I was pissed off about it. She looked surprised at my tone as I sat up and rubbed a hand down my face. She had to be the most infuriating woman I had ever met! I’ve been around a long time and she was still the worst person to be around.

“Nim…I had to keep him safe and I did that…I won’t apologize for that…”

“You’re a selfish one, you know that?” My fist tightened on the arm of the chair. Her care for children was commendable, but she made such a foolish mistake that almost cost her her life, and she felt nothing for it. “Have you thought about how everyone else would have felt with you being gone?! How would the rest of us would deal with that? Hell��do you think that is a conversation I want to have with your father?”

“I can’t help that I want to keep him safe! It’s my job! He is just a little boy who has his whole life ahead of him! I will not let the Darkness take his childhood away from him when he has already lost so much of his innocence! You can’t be mad at me! Not for this!”

“Goddamn it woman! You-”

She huffed out a breath before she grabbed my hand and squeezed it…tight. Tight enough that I could feel that her strength was definitely back, but not enough to break it. She didn’t stop there before she placed my hand against her chest. I furrowed my brow at the action and was about to move it, but she held firm.

“You feel that right?” I was gonna ask what she meant, but the steady beating of her heart silenced me. “I’m alive and I’m not going anywhere. I know that everyone was worried and I’m not displacing any feelings here. If my time comes…then I would hope that I’ve done that fighting and saving someone, especially a child.”

She placed her hand on my shoulder and her eyes held my gaze hard with determination and strength radiating through her. “I’m sorry.”

“...fine…” She released me and I crossed my arms as I leaned back in the chair once more. “Just don’t let it happen again…bitch…”

“Yes of course stupid mutt.” She smiled at me before walking back to the others. The rest that I got was much needed and I only hoped that we were closer to finishing this mission so I could relax and get a damn drink, but we weren’t out of the woods yet, because the next thing I knew…I was thrown from my seat as the ship started spiraling through space. Once it began to right itself, I rushed to the front as everyone looked at a ship that was approaching us quickly.

“What the hell is going on now?!”

“I think something is coming at us!”

“Kid! Get further back in the ship!”

“Why?! I want to know what’s going on!”

“You fucking brat-”

Crack!

“Get him off the glass!” Ka’seem yelled from the pilot seat and I took notice of a man outside the window. The glass was already cracked from his earlier strike, and he raised his fist to strike it again, but I moved to intercept him. I didn’t make it far as he jumped away from the glass and the ship that fired at us decided to become a battering ram. Ka’seem tried to turn the ship as best as he could, but it still slammed into us hard. It took me off my feet as I slammed into a wall. The side of the ship burst into flames and the force from space went quickly to work trying to drag us out. The woman had a grip on the child and Masami and her sister were holding onto other frames in the ship. The man from earlier burst from the flames right at Altair. A weapon raised and ready to kill him, but I charged at him with an angered cry.

I caught the blade in my bare hands before I punched him in the jaw. He didn’t even flinch before he headbutted me. It surprised me that I reeled from it, but I suppose my abilities still weren’t fully restored. It would not matter because I would break this fool with only my bare minimum regardless. I gave him an even stronger headbutt before we spiraled through the air. I managed to get the weapon out of his hands before I slammed my fist into his face again. He retaliated in kind with his own flurry of blows. He gripped my shirt as we went through the air, and he planted his feet against a pillar before he pushed off, sending us flying across the ship and through a wall.

“Nim!” Callum charged into the room and knocked the man off me before we all finally fell to the floor. I glanced at the other room for a quick second and saw that the woman managed to freeze the wall up, but the ship was still plummeting. Callum and the man wrestled each other for a bit before Callum kicked him across the room, remnants of his strength becoming clearer. The shaking of the ship was starting to make me sick to my stomach.

“Ka’seem! Get the ship steady!”

“I’m fucking trying up here!”

The man roared like a beast as he fought Callum before I joined his side to combat the man as well. His rage washed over us like a plague as the force of his strikes became stronger and stronger. The only reason that this would be is if the Darkness gave him some of its power. I caught his fist before it collided with my face just as the kid shouted over all the chaos.

“That’s him! That’s Morlo!”

This was him?! I had to admit that I expected much more from this man and Callum shared a look with me. The room took on a sinister chill as the woman burst into the room and slammed Morlo onto the ground. He instantly coughed up blood before she slammed her heel into his nose, sending him through the floor. She blew out a chilled breath before she charged after him with a shrill cry. Callum and I were quick to follow her.

“You son of a bitch!” She delivered a swift punch to his ribs, but he stood strong despite staggering back. “He’s just a child! All of them are!”

“Children are easily exploitable! That brat is no different bitch!” Withdrawing a gun, he shot at the woman but I jumped in front of her and cut the bullets with my sword. “I will not fail my mission again!”

“I will rip you apart for what you have done!” I held her back as she clawed at him. “Nim move!”

“We have to at least bring him back alive. Lady Serafina will want to question him…we need any information that he might have.”

“Fuck that!”

“I agree with Nim Celica…we have to take him back-” I flinched back as the man shot at us and we ducked behind various objects. I hated feeling defenseless like some mortal. My abilities needed to come back in full soon. I was ready to take him back, but if he kept this up I actually would kill him instead. The ship suddenly grinded to a halt, but the sudden force made us launch into the air. That bastard took the opportunity to launch himself at the smurf. She turned just as he grabbed her by the throat.

I flung myself over as the zero gravity activated and punched him once more in the jaw. The woman kneed him in the stomach before Callum came over and slammed his elbow into his nose. He roared and took a hidden blade from his leg and stabbed Callum in the shoulder. Spinning through the air, the four of us finally settled on the ceiling, and we were once again in a brutal fight.

This mortal would have never stood a chance if the three of us had our full abilities. I could feel my electricity slowly breaking through, but I could not risk it on this ship. The old fashioned way was perfectly fine with me. Morlo struck out at me, but I threw his arm down and two tapped him in the face before Callum followed up with his own punches. Morlo took a few but so did we as he proved to be a competent fighter despite our strange area of combat. The woman advanced on him too with her own blows and kicks. Her abilities seemed to be coming back as she wielded an ice dagger in her hands. I gave her a quick look before she tossed a pair to myself and Callum, and I blocked a strike to my face from Morlo.

“The Light will taste defeat at the hands of my master! First however, I will break her spirit with the deaths of her precious Supernovas!”

The man was a crazed lunatic as his strikes became more and more powerful by the second. His eyes were wide and crazed and saliva was spewing from his mouth. There was something in his eyes as Callum and the woman both charged at him. There was more than a growing sense of hatred, his pupils seemed to be changing. It would not be strange if he was changing in more ways than one. The Darkness seemed to be keen on making new creations. I would have to handle this quick if my suspicions were right.

The zero gravity suddenly stopped and the four of us plummeted to the floor, but on the way down the three of us attacked Morlo as one. It was amazing how we could always be in sync when the chips were down. Callum struck towards his stomach, while the woman aimed for his heart and I went for his head. Morlo pivoted in the air and twisted just as Callum almost made contact with him. The quick turn almost made him collide his blade with smurfette, but she was quick to react and caught the blade and slammed it into his chest. I growled as he managed to dodge my swing to his head, but I continued my momentum and slashed his throat.

He choked out some blood as we slammed through the ground and that is when he finally awakened. I didn’t react fast enough as a black mass consumed my face. I heard the others struggle next to me as we continued to crash through the ship. I was sure that I heard the others yell out for us before a harsh chill consumed my body and I realized that we were out in space now. My arms felt heavy and my sight came back and I saw the creature that Morlo became.

The man was long gone and there was nothing but an amalgamation of various parts of different creatures mixed into the man. Most of the mass was a dark ball of liquid that was slimy to the touch and frankly I didn’t like that I could taste some it either as it wiggled across my face. Morlo or what was left of him was in the center of it. Only his head was visible, but his eyes had sunken deep into his skull and a shrill scream emerged from his mouth every few seconds. The thing that worried me the most was the fact that the mass seemed to be heading back to the ship and I could barely move. Glancing to my left, I could see Callum struggling to break me from its grasp. The woman was completely covered but she was fighting back against it.

“Hey fucker!” I looked up as Nerissa was falling towards us with her ax raised over her head. Ka’seem was close behind her as they both collided with the mass, sending us further into space. Nerissa managed to sever Callum away from the beast and Ka’seem managed to dig me out. I spit out some of its disgusting gunk before moving towards the woman, but she didn’t need any help as the mass that had her started to freeze over.

I flinched back as she shatter the mass around her and shards of ice flew out around us. Her face was red with anger as she willed her spear to her side. It was at this moment that I felt the familiar feeling of electricity coursing over me. Morlo’s face disappeared into the mass and that told me all I needed to know about finishing him off.

Nerissa charged at the beast once more and we were all quick to follow her. The blue one managed to freeze its limbs as they swung at us with sharpened blades. Conjuring up some lightning, I managed to make a sword from it before I charged for the center of the mass. Morlo didn’t make it easy as one of the tendrils snaked out and caught me in the ribs. I coughed out a bit of blood as a chunk of my flesh stung from the wound. Such a wound would not bother me now or ever. I ducked and dodged as he shot out more tentacles at me, but Nerissa and Ka’seem came to my side and cut them away.

The mass that was Morlo began to vomit out smaller masses that soon attacked us. Smurfette sprang into action alongside Callum and I, and the three of us made quick work of them. Although we seemed to be having the upper hand, Morlo seemed to grow larger and larger. His attacks became more targeted as well. Although our abilities were coming back at a good pace, we still needed to be cautious about the whole thing, but I wanted to finish this bastard because he had caused far too much pain. I stole a glance at the woman as she fought off the smaller enemies that were surrounding us.

I hated feeling that this lesser being, this disgusting mortal had almost taken her away. She might piss me off, but that didn’t mean that some low life and his gaggle of imbeciles could finish her off. I roared as my sword blazed with raw power. Callum blasted the creature with his pure light and he recoiled in pain and agony and his core revealed itself. The woman floated above the mass and blasted it with her ice and his face twisted in pain as the entire thing began to freeze. I was so close to finishing this, but he was an annoying bastard. With a piercing roar, I was thrown back from him as my ears bled and my head began to spin. The others also flinched away from it, but Nerissa and Ka’seem recovered quickly. Nerissa gathered water into the air above her head before she formed a water snare for the creature, but he broke one of his tendrils free and pierced her through her chest.

“NIM! HURRY THE FUCK UP!”

It was easier said than done since I hated to fly and my ears were ringing, but feeling something around my waist, I looked down to see a vine. Ka’seem was almost as strong as me, so when he nodded at me and swung me towards Morlo. I knew that I had the force to knock this fucker into the next few galaxies. The others parted the way for me as Ka’seem slammed me into the mass. Callum’s light had still managed to weaken it, and it was still immobile from the ice and water from the girls.

“N-No! I-I…the…the LIGHT!!!”

“You aren’t worthy to speak her name!” I cut through all of his disgusting body as my lightning consumed and broke him apart. The blade striking the top of his head, before I split him down the middle. Lightning crackled and sparks flew as we both roared, one of pain and one of determination and victory. His body cracked apart and exploded when I managed to cut all the way through him. We all were thrown away from him and I grunted as I managed to slam into the ship. My head was spinning as I looked over at the former mass.

The others gathered around him and I held my head as I did as well. The only thing left of him was his split head, but the bastard still found the strength to talk.

“My…my master will…avenge me…destroy the…Light…” A broken chuckle escaped him as he began to disintegrate. “This is not…my end…you bast-”

“The Darkness has no need for weakness.” I rolled my neck as I looked down at his pathetic attempts to warn us. “They made you a monster because you were no longer needed. A brainless and weak creature that in the end still couldn’t finish the job.”

“F-Fuck you all!”

“No Morlo…you don’t get to have the last word for what you have done.” The woman moved up as her eyes glowed dangerously. Reaching a hand out, she grasped his skull and slammed it together once more. “Hell will not be your final resting place…no…I have something in mind for men like you…something far far worse than Hell…”

He yelled out more curses before the woman crushed his head into delicate shards of ice. With a final sigh, we watched as his pieces scattered away before returning to the ship, and at last we returned back to Lady Serafina’s temple to finally complete our mission.

~~~

“You’re making this such a big deal…”

“I won’t have the brat in her home looking like…this…”

“Hey!”

“Shut up and move it…little shit…” Altair grumbled as I shoved him along through the halls of the temple. The trip back to the temple was mostly spent sleeping and feeling our energy come back, and thankfully nothing else. Now, we just had to make a final introduction.

Opening the doors of her throne room, I inhaled deeply as I saw her looking up at the moon. She was covered in some bandages, but she looked fine from here…she always did honestly. Hearing the doors open, she turned to dazzle us with her smile. Altair even paused when she laid her eyes on him, but I just pushed him further in while the woman glared at me.

“Altair…”

“You…you were the other voice that I heard…”

“Yes…I’m sorry if I was confusing you…” She crossed the room with slow steps and I frowned at that. She really needed to be resting and not worried about the brat, but I suppose that would be asking too much. “I just want to stress the point to you that you are safe.”

“I…I know…I feel…safe…”

“Good…” She smiled once more before she kneeled to his height and held her hand out to him. He hesitated for only a second before he took it. His face was a bright crimson as she brushed his hair back and held his cheek. “I will make sure that you never have to be scared and worried ever again. You deserve to live a life of peace and security, and I would like to give you that…for you and your grandfather.”

“W-What?! He’s alive?!” I glanced to the right of the room as a man walked into the room. He was quite young to be a grandfather. The pair ran at each other and embraced and I couldn’t help but smile at their joyous reunion. I guess the little brat did deserve a win after everything that he had been through, we all did honestly.

“I trust that you all will get some rest?”

“I think we should be saying that to you instead, my lady.” I frowned at her before she laughed and patted my shoulder. “Seriously…”

“Oh my wolf…you worry far too much…all of you do…”

“With good reason, my lady.” Callum stepped up beside me before he looked over at Masami and her sister. “There is a lot that we have to discuss once we rest, my lady.”

“Yes I know Callum, but I want to thank all of you for protecting another one of my precious star children. You all fought valiantly and for that you have my eternal gratitude. Rest my Supernovas you have earned it. Until we meet again…”

I sighed as everyone began to break away and head home. I’d give Nerissa and Ka’seem a day before I show up to their temples and kick their asses. I needed to rest, but I didn’t want to leave her side yet. The woman smirked at me and I couldn’t help but send her one myself. I could admit that I was worried that we had almost lost her. It only meant that we still needed to train and grow ever stronger to make sure something like that didn’t happen again.

This particular mission was over for now, but the Darkness always had more things up their sleeve. I knew that this was only the beginning and things were changing at a rapid pace. We would have to be more ready than ever, because now having the time to rest and think. Something in the air was making my hair stand on end. Something was happening and the feeling in the pit of my stomach was one that I hadn’t felt in…well it had been some time. I glanced at Lady Serafina to see if she felt what I felt, and the worry on her face confirmed it as she led Altair and his grandfather away. Ka’seem barely was out of the temple but his face changed as he stopped talking to Nerissa. I hadn’t seen him this pale in years, but the speed in which he left the temple and the raw energy that I felt suddenly shook my core.

I ran outside the temple as I felt a familiar surge of power. Lady Serafina appeared at my side as we looked into the vastness of space. The battle…no…the war was far from over. Something had awaken and been unleashed into the cosmos again, something that should have stayed buried. This fight with the Darkness would now only get harder, fiercer, and more deadlier from this point on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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#Callum #Nim #Celica #Ka'seem #Nerissa #Altair #Masami #Chiharu #Serafina #fighting #writers #writing #my writing #original story #original work #one down...nine to go #this is only the beginning

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goddessofeternity · 1 year ago

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Chronicles of the Supernovas: Children of Darkness

Chapter 23: Crimson Butterfly

Callum

There was something else coming towards us? This was not the time for us to have anymore problems to deal with. If I could just manage to get the weapons from these creatures, mercenaries? Whatever they were. I felt weaker than ever and it must have a mix of blood loss and the chains draining more and more of my divinity away. We just didn’t have the means to something else coming towards us and causing problems.

“Mmm…” I turned at hearing Celica whimper before she fell onto the ground again, her breaths coming in quicker and quicker. Her eyes were darting around rapidly, this was it she was fading fast now.

“Aww look at the little blue goddess…” Nim growled as the large man stomped over to us and knelt down to look at Celica. He grabbed her by the hair until she was looking him in the eye. “You look like you’re dying sweetheart~”

“Let her go!”

“Get the fuck off of her!”

“Not much that you bastards can do to stop me now is there?” He chuckled more as we yelled and cursed at him. I swear I saw red as he traced his fingers slowly across her body. “This one has a nice body…I wonder if-”

“Put her down.” The man grumbled as he dropped Celica unceremoniously before placing his large boot on her head. Uris walked out of the brush as she narrowed her eyes at him. “We have the child secured…one of the Atrocities will come to pick them up.”

“Why do those bastards get to have all the fun?”

“They have more authority than either of us, that's why. Now just stay put and don’t mess this up.” She glanced at the sky with a grimace. “I want to be far from this planet already…”

“Such a coward…”

“You haven’t seen her anger…” Before the man could get a final word, she disappeared in the direction they took Altair.

“Get your disgusting feet off her head!” Nerissa was struggling in her chains with her teeth bared. The man just chuckled as he removed his foot and went towards her. “Do something to me instead you piece of shit!”

“Heh…I like some fire in my women…” Licking his lips, he kicked Nerissa so hard that I heard something crack, which was not a good sign. Her divinity must practically be gone, a kick like that wouldn’t have broken something otherwise.

“Hey! Get the fuck away from her!” Ka’seem looked ready to bite the man’s head off and Nim was seething in anger while also looking confused.

“Nim…what is it?” I glanced between him, Celica and Nerissa. The situation was continuing to get worse and worse. “Is it whatever you heard approaching?”

“Yes…its getting faster and…wait-”

Whatever Nim had been hearing was now in ear range for me, it was moving towards us so fast that a dirt cloud began to kick up. It was upon us before I could even blink through the dirt to see it. In an instant the cloud of dirt cleared away, and everything grew silent as it did. There was nothing here, whatever it was didn’t appear to us. A shadow crossed over us and looking up into the sky, my heart stopped at the sight before me. My jaw went slack at the magnificent sight before me.

High in the sky, with the full moon at her back and illuminating her…was Masami. Her appearance itself also stunned me into silence. An all black outfit with butterfly motifs decorated her, with a large bright red bow tied behind her back, but it was her true form that captivated me. Nine large kitsune tails unfurled behind her, each one had a wisp of fire on its tips. Her golden eyes narrowed before she plummeted down to the ground with a yell. The force knocked us as well as our enemies back, a great ring of fire erupting from it. Standing up, she flicked the embers from her tails before she started to circle the large man.

“Oh? A little lady like you shouldn’t be here~” The man chuckled and taunted her, but Masami held no emotions on her face as they circled each other. I had never seen such a look on her face, calculating…fierce…powerful. “I guess you think you’ll beat me huh?!”

“...”

The man growled and roared in anger at the silence that she was giving him. It was then that fear coursed through my body. Masami could not face this man, she wasn’t a fighter! He would kill her! He completely towered over her in every way. He was at least twelve feet tall and made Nim’s physique look like he was an action figure. He would crush my wife…he would kill her. “Masami! Get out of here!”

“Bitch!” The man swung his gauntlet towards her face and I felt faint at being so damn useless, but it seemed my wife had more surprises up her sleeve. Her eyes narrowed once more and flexing her hands, two fans appeared and she counted his blow, the ground cracking under feet, but she didn’t move an inch nor did her knees buckle. The others gasped in surprise at my side as she and the man collided over and over again. The sounds of his gauntlets reverberated off the metal of her fans as they clashed over and over again. She never broke her eye contact with him and she held her ground beautifully.

He attempted to change his strategy, but Masami ran up his body and kneed him hard in the face before grabbing his hair and dragged him down to the ground, his head bouncing off it with a sickening thud. Her tails whipped behind her aggressively as she backed up to put herself between us. The man charged at her and so did the other creatures he had hidden away in the woods. Masami never missed a beat as she met the man head on and with a swift kick to his jaw, she sent him crashing far into the woods. Landing on her feet, she took a breath and thrust her arms out and another massive ring of fire surrounded us before it pushed out and consumed the creatures rushing at us.

With a sigh, for the first time in days…I made eye contact with Masami. It was far too brief as she broke the contact immediately to look over at everyone else. The moment was cut even shorter as a large blade flew at us from the forest, but Masami caught it in the folds of her fan without breaking eye contact with us. She sighed again as her golden eyes flickered with an anger that I had never seen before. The man charged at us once more and the closer he came, the more agitated Masami seemed to get. I suppose he thought he would get the upper hand, but I couldn’t believe that anymore. How strong was my wife?! Throwing a fist at her head, I blinked and suddenly Masami was standing behind him, only she was holding his head in her hand. With a toss, she kicked it across the field before she unleashed another ring of fire around the clearing. The remaining creatures scurried away just as the man’s body dropped.

“What the fuck?!” Nerissa’s shout shook me from the haze of what I just witnessed. She…it was like she was a different person. The Masami I had come to know was not a fighter nor did she care for violence. Who was this woman that was standing before me?

“That was…I didn’t know that you had that in you Masami!” Ka’seem and Nerissa were singing her their praises and the blush that crossed her face made my heart melt. Her tails curled around her body and ears flattened against her head, and she just looked so precious. “Wait…you’re a damn fox?!”

“Oh…yeah…heh…sorry about that…I can explain later.” She moved over to Celica and took a vial from the pouch on her leg. Helping her drink it, she sighed in relief as Celica coughed and groaned. “My mother made it so it should heal you right up…”

“Heh…I…she kept…h-her word…”

“Hmm?” Celica just shook her head before Masami laid her on the ground. I wished that she would at least look at me. I deserved that at least but just gazing upon her made my tongue twist into a knot. “I’m going to get you all out of here, but I also have to find Altair because your strength won’t be up quickly enough.”

“You know where he is?” Nim questioned as he kept observing the woods around us. “I figured that they would have left by now.”

“No, I can get to them in about five minutes…I’m pretty fast~” Her wink almost made my heart burst from my chest. “Come on…everybody stand up…I’ll have to find the key for your chains from that goddess, but we are open targets out here. Also…it’s rude to eavesdrop on someone…you should do what you came here to do…”

I raised a brow as Masami looked over at the trees with a growl. Two figures emerged with twin grins on their faces. One was brandishing a sword while the other held some sort of gun. “Now…we just didn’t want to interrupt…that would be rude~”

“And eavesdropping isn’t?” Masami once again kept her head as she walked around us to block us from their view. I did not like the danger she kept putting herself into, but we would be useless to her right now. I stood as best I could with the others and Masami quickly put Celica on Nim’s back before she turned to growl at our attackers.

“You would be right…let’s cut to the chase!”

Once again, I was greeted with the sight of my wife fighting to protect me and my friends with frightening ferocity. The two men were struggling to even match her speed as the strikes from her fans kept them at a distance. It wasn’t until I looked close that I saw blades were sticking out of them. She barely paid the man with a gun any mind as she deflected his bullets with her left fan and slashed the man with the sword’s stomach. Kicking him in the chest, she rushed the man with the gun. Dodging and weaving them, with a quick slice, she cut open his throat, and blocked the spray of his blood with her fan before she turned and flicked it into the eyes of the other man.

“GET UP!” I leaned against Ka’seem as we quickly sharpened to attention at her screaming at us. We weren’t the fastest in the world, but we moved well enough. My curiosity and worry got the best of me as I glanced back at Masami. Unfurling her fans, fire erupted around her and formed butterflies made of fire. Almost like a dance, she twirled her fans in perfect symmetry as more and more butterflies formed around her before they rushed at the man, encasing him in a beautiful display of fire and butterflies.

Rushing into the trees, it was hard to keep moving so fast with my leg and my stamina was just not here for some reason. Leaves falling made me look up as Masami followed us by leaping from branch to branch. The man was no longer a problem I suppose as she kept pushing us further.

“Just keep going everyone I-”

We came to a grinding halt as the man appeared from nowhere and tackled Masami off the branch she was on. I winced as they crashed to the ground and he punched and kicked at my beloved wife, who wasn’t fazed by a punch to her face. She didn’t miss a beat as she grabbed the back of his neck and slammed him into the ground. Her opponent sliced across her stomach with a hidden blade before he rushed at us. Nim stepped forward to block us from the attack, but Masami leapt on the man’s shoulder and tightened her legs under his arms, and took out her own hidden blade and slammed it into his neck over and over again. The man choked on his blood before she jumped off him, but not before slamming the blade into his larynx and dragging it down, opening it up and exposing part of his throat to us.

Masami huffed in annoyance before she kicked his body away without a care in the world. She was just so…different…

“I know it’s hard…but let’s keep going so we can get Altair and away from this planet.” I glanced at Celica as she huffed next to me. Her color was coming back to her skin and the light in her eyes was back already. What in the world was that mixture that Masami gave to her? I had to speak to her and get my marriage back together, but she just wouldn’t speak to me or look in my direction.

“Masami-”

“We have to keep up so we don’t lose them. I can’t leave you all behind so…stay close.” She was doing everything in her power not to acknowledge me and it was starting to bother me now.

“Masami…there are a lot of allies of the Darkness here…can you…handle this until we get these chains off? Not to mention…there are a few gods running around here too…” Nerissa’s questions mirrored my own thoughts and also my fears. Clearly she could fight, but having to tackle a god was out of the question and I would never allow-

“Oh you don’t need to worry about that…” Looking over her shoulder, a smile crossed her face as she twirled her fan between her fingers. “I have had a lot of experience with gods…”

What did that mean?!

“Be that as it may…you can’t keep this fighting up Masami. Clearly you can fight, but this is out of your league.” Nim glared daggers into her back and she stopped walking and sighed deeply.

“Listen to me…” Looking over each of us, her eyes narrowed and the glow from them felt…sinister. “Don’t ever doubt my fighting skills and how long I can tangle with anyone or anything. I’m not just a simple housewife as you can see. I have done things that would even make all of you shudder. Now keep walking.”

My brow furrowed deeply as she stunned us into a heavy silence. What kinds of things has she done in her past? Who was she?

“Wait!”

We grinded to a halt as Nerissa’s outburst almost made my heart sink that something else might have happened. Nerissa was wearing a look of astonishment on her face, but also one of realization.

“Nerissa…you can’t be yelling like that…what is it?”

“Sorry its just…you’re the Crimson Butterfly aren’t you?”

“....” Masami blinked at her question almost like she was surprised that it was even brought up. “Yes I am.”

“I fucking knew it! The butterflies gave it away and then the fighting style with the fans and brutality!”

“The Crimson Butterfly?” What was that title about? Nim practically exploded as he pushed past Nerissa and Ka’seem.

“That was you?!”

“Um…yes? Again?”

“Then that was you that dealt with that god in my sector two years ago?! I had been tracking him for weeks, Masami!”

“Hmmm…oh! Yes well…I was assigned to do it since he was getting erratic. Lady Serafina wanted you to focus on other things, remember? I just saved you time and resources.”

“I was going to go back for him because he personally pissed me off!” Nim sighed and stormed off. “This is unbelievable!”

“Yes…I remember that I got many Gods asking me to do something about this elusive person that was taking matters into their own hands…against many laws too. I remember there was not much that I could do, but I was going to look into it…” Celica chimed in as Masami just chuckled uncomfortably.

“I had so much paperwork to get through from other Gods complaining about you for months. I thought this elusive person was quite cool to be dodging my pantheon and me so well.” Nerissa and Masami shared a smile, but I could not. Lady Serafina had her dealing with Gods on the side? How much longer had it been going on? How much did I really know about my wife? My heart continued to sink and when she caught my glance, I was the one to turn away first. There would need to be a serious conversation with lady Serafina after all was said and done.

The forest seemed to get deeper as we trekked through it. Masami was once again above us in the trees, watching over us and for enemies. How did she even get to this planet? I suppose Lady Serafina had something to do with it. She was placing my wife in too much danger!

“Stop.”

Masami jumped from her branch to stand protectively in front of us as her ears flicked back and forth. Taking her fans out, she crouched and I could faintly hear something running towards us. Whoever this was sure didn’t care about us hearing them as they stepped on leaves and branches in their rush to attack us. Gripping her fans tight as the figure sped towards us, Masami swung her fans at where the person’s head should have been, but they ducked under it just in time.

“EEP!” The person…woman didn’t catch her balance in time and tripped over a rock and crashed right into Ka’seem. Once the dust settled, we were greeted with a kitsune with dark blue hair and tails with a sword strapped to her hip. Ka’seem seemed heavily annoyed as he grumbled, but soon stopped as he took in the woman straddling him.

“I-I-I’m so sorry!” Her gentle voice was quite soothing to hear, and judging by the look on Ka’seem’s face he didn’t seem to mind anymore that he was taken down by her. He groaned as she grabbed his face and lifted him until they were face to face. “A-Are you alright?! I didn’t hurt you did I?! Oh! Y-Your head is bleeding!”

“Chiharu? What are you doing here?!” Looking away from Ka’seem, the kitsune—Chiharu blinked at her with the same golden eyes as Masami. Sisters perhaps? So besides a mother, she also had a sister that she kept from me. This was starting to become too much.

“O-Oh well…I just thought that-”

“Chiharu.”

“Hmm?” Pointing her finger down at Ka’seem, Chiharu looked down at him as her sister pointed out a finger. Her face turned several shades of red before she jumped off him finally. “I-I-I’m sorry! That was so…I…I did not mean…”

“Hey it's cool…wasn’t the worst thing to ever happen to me.” He flashed his famous smile at her which made her giggle, but hearing a growl from Masami he cleared his throat and looked away from her.

“Chiharu…”

“Oh! I…I thought that you needed help and I didn’t want you to be alone with this…” She turned to Masami but looked down at the ground nervously. “I…I asked Lady Serafina to send me here too. I…overheard your conversation with her and mother…”

“Ugh…my love…” Masami strode over and tilted her chin up before she rubbed her cheek against hers. “This is a very dangerous place. I…I can’t have anything happen to you and I have to protect all of them. I can’t worry about you too.”

“I’ll be fine! Besides…you trained me…so what better teacher could I ask for? I also saw the child and some of the enemies you were facing not too far from here.”

“Really?! Well…we might wrap this up sooner rather than later.”

“There is also an Atrocity supposedly coming….you have to get us out of here quickly.” Masami finally looked at me once more, before she sighed.

“I will handle it.”

“Masami-”

“I will handle it!” She cleared her throat, clearly not meaning to snap at me before she turned away. “Let’s just move on, everyone.”

I could feel a vein in my head about to burst at this point as we moved on. I was ready to get into an argument with her at this point if it wasn’t for Chiharu popping up next to me.

“Hello…”

“Ah hello…Chiharu, correct? I am saying that right?”

“Mmhmm…it’s nice to finally and formally meet you brother. I wish the circumstances were better though…”

“Yes…well…I hope that we can continue to get to know each other.” I smiled as her tails shook excitedly, so precious.

“I look forward to it! You also don’t have to worry about my sister! She is the best fighter in our family, even better than our brothers and parents! She once fought for three days straight and without rest! She even fought mythical creatures with a heavy injury that should have killed her within hours!”

“Ahem! F-Focus Chiharu…” Huh…I guess she was not used to someone singing her apparent praises and so highly either. Chiharu was almost like a loving fan.

“So…brothers? Any other family members I should hear about?”

“Oh! I have two older brothers and two other older sisters and one younger sister.” Her smile quickly fell as something else crossed her mind. “I…I had another older sister…but she-”

“Chiharu.”

The conversation immediately died and silence once again consumed us. The tone that Masami carried was one of finality. A rough subject that I couldn’t help but be curious about. What more are you keeping from me Masami?

“The fighting is slowing down.” Looking up at Nim’s statement, it was true that the fight with lady Serafina and the Darkness was getting slower.

“Good…that means that we will have an opening soon. We have to move quicker.”

“Oh sister! What happened!?” Chiharu rushed up to inspect Masami’s stomach that was lightly bleeding from the man she fought not too long ago.

“Oh…I didn’t even notice it. It's shallow and barely feels like anything. I have had worse injuries than this love. Focus up ok?”

“Yes sister.” As we walked faster, Masami could not take her eyes off her sister for too long. There was more of an edge to her now then before. I thought Masami was not a fighter, but seeing Chiharu that felt like an even more clear statement. She seemed like she was made of glass and just too delicate to be out here. It was easy to judge beings by their appearance, but I doubt she would come out here if she wasn’t a fighter. That sword at her hip had to mean something, so I would give her the benefit of a doubt. Masami had kept a relatively cool head, but with her sister here…she seemed anxious.

“I’m going to head in further to scout out the enemies guarding Altair. Celica needs more time to rest and I don’t want you all out in the open.”

“Sister…”

“I don’t have time to babysit them…lady Serafina is giving us an opening and-”

A sickening crack invaded my ears as a man appeared behind Masami and hit her in her ribcage with a large blunt weapon. I could barely process anything that was happening as she was launched far into the trees away from us, the only thing she left behind was a splatter of blood on the ground. Chiharu stepped in front of us defensively, but I could only look in the direction that my wife was sent too.

“Masami!”

“Where the fuck are all of these bastards coming from?!” Nerissa growled beside me, but Chiharu backed further into us, her tails spilled out to block us from the view of another new enemy. “We have to get these damn chains off now!”

“I thought it was taking too long for the others to bring you Gods along…and the only thing that I see is a bunch of foxes.” He cracked his neck and advanced on us and Chiharu stepped back more, her hand gripping the hilt of her sword tight. Her stance was tight and ready, but I could practically hear her heart thundering in her chest. “You should move, little girl, before I break you worse than the other one.”

The only response that he received was a growl and her tails whipping the air angrily. The air around us felt heavy, almost like a tornado was about to kick up. Chiharu was seconds from drawing her sword as he slammed it towards us, but Masami appeared from the forest. An almost inhuman cry erupted from her mouth as she slammed into him. One of her blades stopped the blow, but the man only scoffed at her before he slammed his weapon down on her again. Only this time, her injury from his earlier attack caused her to grab her ribs, unable to take the brute force of the blow. Seizing his opening the man grabbed her by the face and slammed her into the ground.

“Gah!”

“Get away from her!” I ran around from Chiharu to do something…anything! I didn’t care that I was basically a mortal now! I could not let this continue to happen to my wife!

“Stop!” Chiharu yanked me back by the chains and I was seconds from losing it now. “You can’t do anything to help her!”

“That is my wife! Your sister! I would rather die right here then let her continue to be treated like this!” “Dying here would lose its meaning! You have to think about more than your personal feelings right now! The very cosmos needs you! My sister will be fine!”

“You don’t know that-”

“Gah!” I turned from Chiharu as the man stomped Masami into the ground and I heard several more of her bones break and crack. I winced every time I heard her gasp for breath, but Chiharu was right and my wife was proving to be a formidable opponent. Slamming his foot down once more, Masami caught his foot.

“Let me go, little fox-AAHHH!!!” A great fire emerged from the hole that Masami was occupying and the man screamed in pain as he was engulfed in flames. The skin was starting to melt from his body and his flesh was blackened from it. As quickly as it started, the fire burned out and Masami climbed out of the hole holding her side. Biting her lip, she relocated her shoulder and popped some of her ribs back in place without anything more than a squeak.

“Alright…let’s keep going…”

“Wait wait hold on!” Ka’seem walked up to her and she raised a delicate brow at him. “You need to relax now. You have several injuries and these guys just keep coming and coming! You have to try and break these chains off of us.”

“I agree with that.” Celica spoke up and she looked better than ever at my side, which I was more than glad for. “If you can manage to break these off, then I can heal everyone and we can make this trip faster. You don’t have to do this by yourself Masami…Altair must be close by if we are seeing this many enemies.”

“If I could break your chains I would…unfortunately I’m not a Celestial kitsune yet…I might have been able to do something about it if I was. I’m wishing that one of my parents was here at the moment, it would have been easy for them.”

“We still need a plan for getting off this planet…” Nim sighed as he shifted his stance. “Lady Serafina and the Darkness are slowing down, but that means nothing when we have no means to leave this place.”

“Oh! I think I saw that some of the people had those vehicles when I was coming over here.” Chiharu chimed in as she looked off in what I could assume was their direction. “We could take one of those right?”

“Yeah if we don’t get knocked out of space again…” Ka’seem grumbled to himself, which Nerissa rightfully elbowed him about. “Look I’m just saying that we haven’t been having the best of luck during this mission.”

“Well don’t jinx us more!”

“I’m not! Just making an observation is all…”

“Nothing will happen as long as I am here. Now, Chiharu and I will just scope out the area and get the key and come back. We won’t get caught up in any fighting since you all are about to lose your heads over me doing it.”

“With good reason, don’t you think?” Masami glanced at me as I mumbled under my breath. Her ears twitched as she looked over my face. I desperately wanted to see some semblance of my wife behind her eyes, but at the moment she was a hardened shell of herself. There was no weakness behind her eyes, no hesitation to do what she thought was necessary to complete this mission. A mission that she should have never been on in the first place.

“I’ll watch my sister’s back, I promise.” Chiharu gave me a warm smile, but the fear I held in my heart wasn’t just about her safety anymore. It was the growing feeling of discovering things about my wife that I wasn’t sure that I liked. Things that made me question who she really was deep down.

“Well…who’s gonna keep you safe?” It was hard to tell if Ka’seem was just being flirty or showing genuine care towards Chiharu, but seeing her blush and his immediate smirk…I already had my answer. Although, he was once again silenced by Masami glaring at him and her eyes growing slited. He must have lost his mind if he thought anything was going to happen with her.

“Regardless…” Masami finally stopped glaring at Ka’seem to look at us once more. “We will be in and out and once we are…we can get Altair and move this mission forward and get home.”

“There is no talking you out of anything is there?” Celica shook her head at Masami and it was hard not to agree. She could be stubborn when the situation demanded it.

“Oh not at all.”

“Masami…”

“Yes I hear them Chiharu…” Instantly alert, we began to back away as more of the Darkness's creatures advanced towards us. “Run!”

Everyone instantly took off to put some distance between us, but my leg was starting to hurt me more and more and I was slowing down. Chiharu noticed and turned to help me along, but I would rather she just kept running along with her sister.

“Callum!” Chiharu grabbed me just as a net almost snagged me. A faint buzzing noise sounded from it, which was not a good sign. More enemies with guns were barring down on us and if I had my abilities I would eviscerate them until there was nothing left to oppose us. The Darkness was ready for us, but it would not be much longer before this was over. “Watch it!”

“Thank you Chiharu…I…I haven’t felt this weak in some time.”

“I imagine it must be hard to deal with…watch it!” She pushed me along as she cut some bullets they shot at us in half. She was much quicker than I was thinking that she was. She also did it without much effort too. The only problem was that I was slowing her down by a lot. I noticed that Masami was hanging back to keep an eye on us. I wish that she wasn’t treating me like I barely existed. The frequency with how much they were shooting at us increased, but Masami and Chiharu didn’t let it slow us down as they fought off our pursuers.

I was confident that we would be fine until a net almost caught Nerissa and Masami cut it, but its electricity running through it stunned her.

“Masami!”

“K-Keep going!” Chiharu grabbed me and kept moving me forward, but that was never going to sit right with me.

“Chiharu go and help your sister!”

“She will be fine! Move it!” We didn’t even get much farther as some of the creatures cut us off in the front. Chiharu was quick to take the lead and slash at them. She moved like the wind itself and she struck strong and true. The speed, strength, and skill of a true warrior. It made me even more curious about the skills of the rest of their family, especially considering she said that Masami was the best fighter in their family.

“Caught me a live one!” Everyone turned at once and my heart sank as Masami was wrapped up in one of the nets and gritting her teeth in pain. I watched in even more horror as the net seemed to be alive and traveled up to her neck before it covered her face.

“Masami!”

“I swear I have no idea how the lot of you are having such trouble with these animals.” The woman smiled at us, before looking at Chiharu. “Now why don’t you get your pretty ass over here?”

“Let my wife go right this instant!”

“You aren’t really in any position to speak handsome!” The woman chuckled as she poked Masami with the hilt of her weapon. Looking at her, it quickly became apparent that she could not breathe with the net over her face, as she moved about in frustration. I opened my mouth once more to battle down the frustrating woman, but Chiharu stepped forward and sheathed her sword.

“Chiharu…what are you…?”

Masami finally stopped struggling and firmly planted her feet and the woman looked at her in confusion. Her tails burst from the net and the air grew hot for the slightest second, before it cooled considerably, and just as soon as the cool breeze brushed over us, a raging fire consumed us. The force of the fire that emerged from Masami. The woman didn’t stand a single chance as her skin melted like it was cheese. I didn’t know how we would even be able to withstand it, but Chiharu simply stepped in front of us to dispel my worries.

With a firm foot in front of herself and others behind her, she twirled her arms in a circular motion and the wind around us began to bend to her whim. The inferno that Masami caused was pushed away from us, but it was also strengthened by the winds formed by Chiharu. I watched in awe at the power displayed by the two sisters. The fire grew fiercer and Chiharu moved back closer to us and a bubble of air protected us from the blaze, and she pushed it out to consume the forest around us. Destruction and death being left in its wake, before she pushed the inferno back to Masami, who had broken free from her bindings.

She was almost levitating from the force of her flames and her eyes glowed a bright red as she raised her hands skyward and their abilities combined into a massive and destructive tornado. I was breathless watching the display…and I was also feeling other things that I hoped would settle before anyone noticed, because it was definitely not the time for such things. As quickly as it began, it was over and Chiharu took a breath as she blew the excess embers away from us and the coolness of the night washed over us once more.

“Your wife is such a fucking badass Callum.”

“Yes…I suppose she is.” I could only agree with Nerissa’s statement as Masami flipped her hair over her shoulder and walked towards us. Her eyes were once again a beautiful gold, but they still held an intensity as strong as the inferno she conjured. There was not much I could say about it at this moment, she was more stubborn than I ever thought.

“Sister are you alright?”

“I’m fine…I heal quite quickly so this is nothing…I’m just worried that they’ve moved Altair farther away after all of that.”

“There is also the issue that an Atrocity is coming to the planet soon…and that’s only if they aren’t here already.” Nim sighed as he looked off into the distance. “We have a real problem on our hands at the moment.”

“Well…we need to get these chains and our strength back up before they make themselves known….” Masami looked ready to comment, but Celica beat her to the punch. “No one is doubting your skills Masami…you have clearly shown that you can handle yourself…we just want to be ready…”

“Hmm….which one would the Darkness even send to this planet anyway?” Nerissa squinted at the sky as she pursed her lips. “Anyone of them is annoying to deal with…”

“Heh…knowing the Darkness it will send two…”

“Ka’seem!”

“Hey! I’m just saying this whole situation has been fucking us from the start! Trying some reverse psychology here!”

“Are these Atrocities really that dangerous?” Chiharu tilted her head as she looked between us. “I mean…in the fact that you all seem to be worried. Forgive me, but I just assumed that no one could equal all of you.”

“Heh…listen sweetheart…” Ka’seem smiled at her and Masami already was glaring at him over her sisters shoulder. “T-They are the chosen fighter for the Darkness much like we are for lady Serafina. With that in mind…their destructive power is on par with our own. I guess the Darkness didn’t like that lady Serafina had her own strike force. Let’s just say that the battles can get intense…I had a fight that destroyed the landscape of several planets…in just that one fight.”

“Yeah and we and the people of those planets are still cleaning up…” Celica grumbled and I shook my head remembering the mess that was caused that whole week.

“Regardless…they are very very powerful and we just don’t want Masami to fight by herself if she doesn’t have to.”

“Still…which one is it?”

The question hung in the air before we all silently went back to walking towards where Altair and the rest of our enemies should be. We didn’t manage to get much distance as I could swear that I heard someone calling out to us. Masami and Chiharu’s ears perked up as they looked over their shoulders and I squinted as I saw a man with dark hair running towards us with a large smile on his face and waving.

“Ah!”

I whipped my head to look at Masami as she let out an excited squeal. Her entire presence seemed to change at the sight of this man, even Chiharu was trapped in this state as she smiled brightly. Masami didn’t waste a second as the man entered the charred field and Masami threw her arms around his neck. I was never a jealous man, and I was completely confident in my marriage…well…besides the other thing…but seeing her eyes light up over this man…and nuzzle his face! I tried not to be bothered by it…yeah…

“Jin! What are you doing here?!” Placing her back on her feet, the man chuckled as he stroked her cheek and kissed the top of her head.

“I came to assist you, my sweet butterfly…” He flashed a smile at Chiharu who seemed to melt at him. “Are you alright Chiharu? Your father would kill me if something happened to his girls!”

“I’m fine uncle! We should be even better with you here!” Oh…ok…just an uncle. I can’t take anymore last minute secrets at this point.

“How did you know where to find us?”

“Hehe…well I had a rather uncomfortable conversation with your mother…and that…goddess sent me here as backup, but I can see that you didn’t really need me.”

“I learned from the best did I not?”

“You would be right…you always make me proud.” The more help the merrier at this point. He glanced at us but he didn’t seem interested in us.

Rude.

“My uncle is one of the most accomplished fighters in our clan…he trained Masami ever since she was young. The reason that she is as good as she is…is because of him. With him here…I doubt there is much that we can’t accomplish.”

He fell into step beside Masami and I sighed as I thought of the many many things I would have to talk with her about. As we all began our walk onward, I couldn’t help but listen to Masami talk excitedly with her uncle. Ka’seem also took the opportunity to flirt with Chiharu again. He was just asking for trouble, but I would keep my mouth shut.

“Run into any trouble?”

“Nothing that I couldn’t handle…”

“Hmm…I’m impressed…I thought married life would slow you down.”

“Never…I stay in shape and I keep up with my training in between everything else.”

“These…creatures haven’t given you any trouble?”

“Oh please!” Masami laughed her usual beautiful laugh and I just wanted to hear it more at the moment. “You know that I never have trouble with such small fry.”

“Hmm…strange…I thought Uris would have sent better creatures to handle this situation…”

“Huh? Uris?”

I stopped dead in my tracks, as did everyone else as we turned to look at the pair. Masami looked confused as her uncle patted her head, but the rest of us knew immediately what he was talking about.

“Masami get away-”

“Shh shh…I’m having a conversation with my niece right now.” His smile radiated with nothing short of pure evil and malice. Masami furrowed her eyebrows in confusion at him. “Now Masami…I had hoped to get more of a show out of you…”

“I…uncle what are you talking about?” He stepped away from her as his tails sparkled with electricity. I quickly realized that electricity was a weakness for kitsune and it was no different as Masami and Chiharu were stunned into place. “U-Uncle…what are you doing?”

“Oh…my sweet butterfly…how blind you are.” He stroked her cheek once more before he walked up to us. “Nice to finally meet you all…in person anyway…”

“Who the fuck are you?” Nerissa growled out our collective thoughts and he just chuckled and shook his head. I frowned as the shadows under his feet started trembling and laughing under him.

“Why…I’m Jin Igarashi…but after today…I don’t think my family would be happy to see me after what happens happens.” Bowing to us in clear mockery, he smiled manically. “You would better know me as an Atrocity of the Darkness.”

“What?” No…this made sense. We had heard for some time that there was another Atrocity but we had never encountered them. They played in the shadows and had been a thorn in our side for years now. An Atrocity that was the fiercest that we had seen in awhile. The others were more subdued in recent years, but this new one was like a natural disaster of epic proportions. Like the Darkness had no control of their own monster.

“Now…I of course have come to pick up the child. The Darkness really needs a win right now since you Supernovas can be so annoying. So…I thought it was about time that I made my debut, and judging by the looks on my nieces faces…I succeeded!”

“Uncle Jin…what is the meaning of this? Let me and Chiharu go right now!” I jolted as he suddenly appeared in front of her and held her face in his palms.

“Masami…you know…you have always been my favorite. You are what I wish my idiotic son was…powerful…driven…a monster. I blame that human mother of his…I should have bred with a kitsune. I could have had a powerful child, but that damn bitch Shino just wasn’t fertile…”

“U-Uncle-”

“Shh! Chiharu please! The last person I want to hear speak right now is you!” He released Masami and chuckled as he folded his arms and paced. “Now…here is what is going to happen…”

He reached into his pocket and tossed some keys at Chiharu’s feet. My eyes widened at the sight because they were exactly what we needed. Why the hell did he give them to us now? Why would he go against the Darkness? “Take the brat and move on already. I refuse to be on this fucking planet much longer.”

“Why are you just giving that to us?” Nim stepped beside me and even without his abilities, he just seemed to radiate power. “I refuse to believe it is just out of the kindness of your heart…the Darkness would never just give the child up.”

“You would be right…Supernova…but that is something that I will just have to deal with. My liege is starting to get bored with fighting the Light. Just as I’m bored playing the reformed man to my idiotic family.”

“Uncle…what are you talking about?” I could hear the pain in Masami’s voice as she looked close to tears. The heartbreak all over her face pained me like no other, but this could also be a golden opportunity for us. If the Darkness truly had lost interest with Altair, that made our mission even easier.

“Masami…this would be the moment where I’d tell you that it could have been different…” Jin chuckled as he shook his head and shrugged. “Except that it really isn’t…now forgive me for monologuing, but this is probably going to be the last time you see me for some time…also listen up Supernovas…this is quite the fun tale.”

The energy that emanated from this man was growing more sinister as he paced and circled around Masami, the shadows under his feet were even laughing. There was an unhinged air about this man that was making me sick to my stomach, and his close proximity to my wife made it worse. I could practically feel Chiharu trembling even though she was two people over.

“Uncle…”

“Masami…I’m only letting you go because you are my favorite…you mean everything to me, and I need you grow more…more ferocious…more deadly…and more perfect. You have always been my mission Masami…ever since you were young…I saw the potential and I knew that I had to help you grow your wings, but I also needed more. I needed more strength and power…and that is when the Darkness sought me out…”

“Wha-”

“Shh shh…” He was swift. It could be because I didn’t have my abilities right now, but I also had a feeling that it was just because he was. He caressed Masami’s face and I could see the fear in her eyes from over his shoulder. The fear and confusion on her face spoke several volumes, and her weapons dropped from her hands as her eyes darted all over his face. “It was simple at first…just do a few errands here and there. Destroy a few of their enemies and just cause some issues for the Supernovas, but it was never enough for me and I needed more. Playing nice with my brother and your bitch mother was getting tiring and my son was a waste. No…admittedly…the only thing that I enjoyed was you, my butterfly.”

I grinded my teeth as he placed a hand on her shoulder and circled around her as he smirked at me. Everything about him just made me want to put my hands around his throat, and violence was never usually my first option. This was no man, no kitsune, not even a plague…he was an awful entity that needed to be eradicated. Everything in my body screamed that if he wasn’t dealt with…it would only lead to more pain and suffering for Masami and her family, as well as the rest of the cosmos.

“The Darkness just needed one more thing from me…one final nail in the coffin to give me the strength…the power…the authority that I so rightfully deserved…something that my brother couldn’t also take from me. It was time to do away with weakness…or so I thought…”

His gaze turned to Chiharu who gasped as he appeared before us and grabbed her face. He was holding her face so tight I could hear her teeth moving against each other. “It was supposed to be you, you know…” His red eyes blazed angrily as his tails cut the air with electricity. “Weak, useless, pathetic, and annoying little Chiharu…”

“Hey! Get your hands off her, you son of a bitch!” Ka’seem stormed forward but Jin didn’t even look at him as he kept his eyes locked on Chiharu’s. With a quick bolt, he sent Ka’seem flying into the ground. The others were quick to check on him, but I would not take my gaze off this man. I didn’t care that there was nothing I could do right now, I needed to study everything about him.

“Of all his children…you were the one that had nothing. That spark in you just never seemed to manifest. Of all his children…you were always the sorriest.” He brought her face closer to his before he smiled once more. “I thought I should do my brother one last favor…one last good brotherly deed…and it just so happened to align with what the Darkness asked of me.”

“Un-Uncle…J-Jin…-”

“I was supposed to kill you on the Lunar Festival Chiharu.” Masami choked out a gasp and Chiharu was shaking terribly now at the venom and severity of his words. “I had everything planned out, everything was perfect and it would have been flawless too…but I ran into some complications that day too.”

Chiharu let out a pained gasp as he released her face and went back over to Masami, who I noticed now was wearing an expression that I could not place. It was like she had seen the Darkness themselves and all the color was draining from her face, like a hidden truth was coming to light with his words. I could only imagine that that sick grin was plastered on his face. He moved around Masami before draping his arm across her shoulder and smiling at us, leaning his cheek on top of Masami’s head as he kept up that damn smile.

“She heard my plans that day, Masami…she was going to ruin everything that I had spent years building. I couldn’t let her stop me…she wanted to understand…she wanted to know why I would hurt her precious baby sister. I wouldn’t let her fuck this up…but it was also my opportunity…”

“N-No…” Chiharu’s broken voice spoke a truth that I soon quickly realized as well. An earlier interaction with Chiharu ran through my mind as a grim thought crossed over me.

“I killed Koyuki.”

Masami said nothing as a chill ran through the air and Chiharu was choking back her sobs. Jin started to laugh as if the confession of killing his own niece was nothing…like he just kicked a pebble on the side of the road. I couldn’t take my eyes off Masami as her blank stare continued, the light in her eyes was completely gone, but the rage…I could see a rage forming that was going to spill any second. It was a rage that I unfortunately, knew far too well. It was a ferocity that would not be so easily tamed. I was afraid to see my wife when it finally freed itself.

“So! With that being said…I will take my leave. Chiharu I hope never to see you again because I just might still kill you…I don’t know I’m workshopping it. Supernovas I will be seeing the lot of you more often and I hope to break you as much as I have my dear nieces and family.” He turned towards Masami who now looked ready to burst at the seams. He patted her cheek and smiled wickedly. “I hope to see you bloom further…I’m far from done with you. Your story is not done yet, niece. You have no idea about the things you are capable of…the things you have yet to do…the things you will do for me…”

With a final chuckle from him and his shadows, Jin was gone in a fog of shadows, leaving us with our freedom, but his nieces with unimaginable heartbreak. Once he was gone, the electricity binding them faltered and Chiharu instantly fell to her knees and cried into her hands. Masami was fuming and the air grew hot and a sweat took over my body immediately.

I stepped toward her as she started to hyperventilate, her eyes darting around widely as her hands flew to her hair as she started to pull strands of hair from her head. Before I could say something to calm her, she exploded.

“JIN!!!!” A blaze stronger than what she ever did to our enemies erupted from the ground under her feet. It was like we weren’t even there and the others cried out as they were burned and I rolled to put the flames out. “YOU MOTHERFUCKER!! I WILL KILL YOU!!!”

“Masami!” I cried out as she ran off into the woods. She was on a warpath and I could hear her screams of rage tear through the forest. A fire was spreading rapidly and I glanced at Chiharu as she got her bearings together to give chase to her.

“Sister!”

“Callum, we have to go now!” Nim rushed over to me with the keys in his hands and we didn’t waste another minute as we rushed after her. She was far too quick for us, and after a while we had to catch our breaths. “Fuck…”

“We…we can’t stop now…I have to get to her…she needs me…”

“Callum I understand that, but we should work on getting these chains off so we can.” Celica’s calm voice beside me gave me some reassurance, but not enough as we tried to figure out another plan. It wasn’t much longer before Chiharu appeared, but her appearance was vastly different than what we saw only minutes ago. Her clothes and face were covered in blood and she walked over to us with trembling hands as she turned the key in our chains.

“S-She…I…I can’t stop her when…s-she’s like this…” I rolled my wrists as she let out several breaths to try and calm herself. I could feel my strength already starting to return to me, but it was slow. “I-I…she…she scares me…when she’s like this…s-she scares everyone…n-no one can stop her when she’s a-angry…”

“Chiharu…we will get her and calm her down, I promise…”

“You don’t understand! My sister has done…unspeakable things in her anger…horrible horrible things that I…you just don’t…”

“Chiharu…I know-”

“You don’t know anything! You have no idea who my sister is! That’s the point…you know nothing about her!”

“....”

“I…I’m so sorry I…f-forgive me I-”

“No…you…you’re right…I don’t know her…” I had to take a calming breath because she was not at fault, she wasn’t who I was really angry at. The person that I was angry at the most was myself for being so blind to the person I married, and I was even mad at her for never being honest with me. What kind of marriage was built on lies?

“Hey…take a deep breath sweetheart…yeah that's it breath…” Ka’seem was doing his best to calm Chiharu, so I went over to the others who looked deep in thought.

“Callum, we have to get Altair right now as our powers start to come back….” Celica sighed and ran a hand over her face in frustration. “I know you are worried about Masami…but we have to get him before the planet starts its feeding process again.”

“I can sort of feel the path of water again…and I think they are a bit more south. I don’t think they’ll be moving anytime soon.” Nerissa had a faraway gaze as she looked in said direction. “Yeah…they…they aren’t really moving on. We should go now-”

The silence of the forest was broken by the screams of many men and women. Cries of pain and help ran out like a warning bell. I was glad that I couldn’t hear much else, but fearful about the rage that Masami was going through right now. The others glanced at me, but I had nothing more to say about the situation. I just wanted to find her and talk and help her heal through all of this.

“We…we should get ready to move now.” Celica touched my shoulder and guided me back to where Ka’seem had started a fire, and Chiharu sat beside him with her knees drawn up. Her ears flicked as the screams continued, before she pinned them to her head and closed her eyes.

“Chiharu…” Nim’s voice jolted her before she looked up at him with teary eyes. “We need to get going and get your sister while we’re at it.”

“O-Ok…” She put on a brave face as she stood and I saw so much of Masami in her. I hoped that after everything was all said and done, that she could look at her sister without that fear in her eyes. I hoped that I could too…

“We should be able to get there in about twenty minutes if we run…I just worry that your powers might not-”

A man was thrown haphazardly in front of the fire pit with a face that was barely recognizable as he gasped for air that refused to fill his lungs. His skin was black from being seared by flames and I could see that his left arms and legs were broken. His right eye was about to fall from his skull and he just honestly didn’t seem like he had much life left. His good eye widened in fear as my wife walked from the shadows, but she wasn’t alone either. With a bloodied blade in her left hand, her right was gripping Uris by her hair and dragged her across the ground as she screamed.

Many things shocked me into silence tonight, but this was…this was nothing compared to what I saw now. There was no life in her eyes anymore, there was just rage boiling on her face. Blood was covering her from head to toe. The scent of blood and organs was heavy on her and if I wasn’t so used to such things, I probably would have thrown up. My eyes flickered down to Uris, who didn’t look as bad as the man did. She the only injuries that I could see on her was a black eye and blood was pouring from a wound on her side. The chains that once held us back were on her now and pinned behind her back.

“Masami-”

“Where. Is. He?!” The fire crackled behind me as she growled out at the man. Uris was crying more and more before Nerissa stepped up.

“Masami…maybe you should just…let her go…we could-”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP!” I think we all collectively flinched at her shout as she pointed the blade at Nerissa, before she looked back at the man. “Tell me where he is…and I’ll make it swift…where the fuck is the monster you were with?!”

“I-I…p-please-” He choked on his blood more before he moaned in pain at Masami stomping his face into the dirt.

“I DON’T WANT YOU TO BEG!!! WHERE THE FUCK IS HE?!”

“Masami! You have to calm down and be rational about this right now!” Celica tried her hand at talking a bit of sense to her, but she just ignored her.

“I…I…d-don’t-”

“Then you are useless.” The man didn’t even have a chance to scream for a final time before Masami separated the top of his skull from his lower jaw, before she threw it at Uris, who had been trying to sneak away. Snatching her by the hair again, she dragged her back over kicking and screaming. “You have one chance…”

“I-I really don’t know where he went! I…I was just told to secure the child for Morlo! I’m sorry for all of this! P-Please!”

“Masami! My love…this anger that you are feeling is completely justified…but right now we should focus on leaving so you can confront him! Don’t take this out on Uris…she says that she doesn’t know…so just let her be!”

Her ear twitched in my direction as she let Uris go, before she looked at me with eyes so filled with hate and fury that I took a step back. “I don’t need you to tell me my anger is justified! I don’t need to hear your usual self righteous fucking prattle! No one wants to hear Serafina’s dog roll over and preach like he always fucking does! You have no idea what you are talking about!”

“....” My emotions were flipping on an axis at her words, the pure contempt in them made my heart shatter. Was that really what she thought about me? No…I…I refuse to believe that she means any of this in her anger. “Masami…”

“Masami! That was uncalled for and you know it!” Nim marched over to her and grabbed her shoulder. Masami didn’t hesitate once he touched her as she turned and palm struck him in the chin before grabbing his arm and kicking in his chin and tossing him aside. I was sure that I heard something crack, but whether it was his chin or ribs I wasn’t sure. Celica and Nerissa instantly went to his side as he groaned in pain.

Masami turned back to Uris and gripped her hair and threw her face into the makeshift fire pit. The screams from Uris shook me more than anything, and not because I had never seen such things, but because it was from my sweet wife. A woman who I was sure that I had never really known in the first place. “You are useless to me. You made your choice in this.”

I thought nothing more could shock me when it came to her, but things just kept spiraling out with her. She was losing it and nothing would bring her back from herself. What did her uncle hope to accomplish by turning her into some…monster for some sick plan? What was the goal of it all? Did I even care anymore I just wanted-

“Please help me! Lord Callum please!” Masami kept her foot on the back of her head as she screamed and begged, and I could see the fire beginning to burn patches of her skin off. Masami said nothing more, the screams coming from Uris didn’t mean anything to her. Masami flipped Uris onto her back before she slammed her nails into her throat. Spurts of blood splashed on her face as Uris choked on her blood. Masami pushed her nails in further until she stopped and pulled her throat out, and with it her spine until she finally reached the end. Masami held her spine in her hands like it was a chain with Uris’s head at the end of it like a ball. With an annoyed grunt, she tossed it into the dirt before the fire engulfed Uris’s corpse. No one moved to stop her anymore and maybe that was for the best. She needed to release this anger and hate, or maybe I was just too scared to confront her for what she truly might be.

“Sister…” Chiharu moved up to her before she ran off again, and Masami rolled her eyes and tried to move past her, but Chiharu didn’t let her. “We will find him…I promise. We have to go and-gahh!”

Masami grabbed her sister by the throat as she took several steps forward and her eyes blazed. Ka’seem bounced up, but Masami just put a wall of flame up to block him. Her nails dug into her skin so deeply that she began to bleed from the pressure. Chiharu desperately tried to remove her fingers, but Masami had an iron grip.

“You need to learn to speak when spoken too! I have no need or time for your sympathetic words! I need fucking results! I need pain! I need his death on my blade no matter the fucking cost!” Masami shook her and tears fell from Chiharu’s eyes, but Masami did not care. “I will not stop until that monster is begging for me to stop! I will raze the very heavens and hell to find and destroy him! When he is finally dead, I will go to hell itself to constantly torture him everyday! I don’t want a trace of him left in this life or any life! If you will not do what needs to be done…I fucking will!”

Masami tossed her to the ground as she began to walk away and Chiharu coughed and tried to catch her breath. She didn’t get very far before she stopped and dropped the blade she was carrying. She started to choke and she turned to look at Chiharu with wide eyes. I looked at her too as she held her throat, but her other hand was outstretched towards her sister. Slowly standing, Chiharu bended the air in her throat until Masami was gasping for air. Masami’s eyes were still filled with rage as Chiharu took her literal breath from her lungs. It didn’t take much more before Masami finally collapsed and for the first time in a while…it was silent.

Chiharu silently cried as she grabbed her sister and tied her up and laid her beside the campfire. She sniffled a bit before she left us alone and went further into the woods.

“Callum…” I flinched as Celica walked over and held my cheek in her hand. I didn’t even realize that I was crying until she wiped my tears. I turned from the others as I cleaned my face off, and I felt her healing touch course over my body. Nim soon walked over to me and patted my shoulder.

“She’ll break out of this Callum…” He rubbed his chin and sighed. “I think she broke my jaw and some ribs…”

“I might have to get her something nice for that…” Nim rolled his eyes at Celica’s teasing as she lifted his shirt and healed his ribs and face. “I am not up to full strength, but I can look over everyone after this is all finished…”

I couldn’t take my eyes off Masami as she lay unconscious in the dirt. Nerissa and Ka’seem were watching over her, but I couldn’t force myself to move any closer to her. What happens to us now? Where does our marriage go from here?

“Celica!” We all turned as Altair came running from the woods and Celica ran over to hug him tightly. “You’re ok!”

“Yes! Oh sweetheart…I’m alright…” She pulled back to smile at him. “I’m just glad that you’re safe. Did they hurt you?”

“No I-” He gasped at the ball and chain Masami made of Uris, but Celica moved him away from it. “Was that a head?”

“Let’s go over here ok? I want to make sure that you’re ok.”

Chiharu soon emerged from the woods tucking her sword away. Upon looking at her sister, tears filled her eyes once more before she looked away and wiped at her eyes. She was much stronger than she or her uncle gave her credit for. It takes a great deal of strength to do something like that and stand up to a family member. Ka’seem was instantly at her side and wiped her tears away before she launched herself against his chest and cried. He looked surprised but held her and rubbed her back, and it was funny to see him like that. He was definitely smitten with her, at least a little bit. Hopefully, that wouldn’t turn into an issue.

“So…we should get going huh?” Nerissa sighed as she braided her hair back. “My powers still feel a bit off though…”

“We should wait a bit…maybe only an hour before we head off.” Celica smiled down at Altair as she ruffled his hair. “Ka’seem said the feeding cycle is in three more hours, so we should be fine for now.”

“I just want to get my hands on this Morlo bastard once and for all. We have to also crack down on the distribution of these weapons, because they almost wiped us out and those were a few lucky mortals and a goddess who can barely fight.”

“Hey…” Celica glared at him, but he just rolled his eye. “She just…died…have some class for once….”

“She almost had us wiped out and Altair was almost taken away from us.” Nim once more rolled his eye at her.

“I…that is true, but still be a bit more sensitive about it.”

“We should just find a ship and get out of here. We have no time to think about Morlo. Altair is our only concern. So, we have to get going now.”

I moved away from them as the headache in my head started to form and annoy me. It wasn’t until I heard Masami start to sniffle. Chiharu was sitting next to her and she looked down at her sister. Masami sniffled and cried as she looked up at the night sky.

“Sister…”

“He…he took her away. H-He took her away from us…and for what?!” Chiharu wiped her tears away as she untied her. “I…I don’t understand…why would he do this?”

“...”

“I…I swear I will kill him. No matter what…I don’t care if I die trying either….”

“You should care…we can’t lose someone else in this family.” Masami sat up as Chiharu wiped her tears away. “We will get him Masami…all of us together. He will pay for what he has done, but we can’t lose you in the process. Koyuki would want you to live your life.”

“....” Masami held Chiharu’s cheek before she brushed her fingers over her neck. “O-Oh my love…I-I’m so sorry…I…I never wanted to hurt you I….”

“I know…” Masami and Chiharu hugged each other as Masami kept apologizing to her, and it actually made me feel a bit better. Once they parted, Masami looked over at Nim and mouthed an apology to him, which he just gave her a brief nod about. We suddenly locked eyes, but she looked away just as quickly.

“We should go…when I picked up Altair…I made sure that the vehicle that was there could take us away from here.” Chiharu tightened the bow in her ponytail as she smiled at us. She was sure a positive one. “We should get there in about twenty minutes if we walk.”

“I…I will meet you there. I want to wash some of this blood off first.” Masami quickly disappeared into another direction, and I could feel everyone staring at me hard.

“Oh you have plenty of time Callum…” Nerissa smirked at me and I cleared my throat as I followed after her. She didn’t get too far and the sounds of a waterfall let me the rest of the way. I stopped just outside the forest as she cleaned off her face and ears. Under the glow of the moon, she was just as beautiful as the day I had met her. It was like her true form enhanced her beauty even more. Her ears flicked as I got closer, but she remained silent as I stood next to her and looked at the waterfall.

One of her tails brushed against my leg and she cleared her throat as I looked down at her. “S-Sorry…”

“You don’t have to apologize…”

“....” She folded her lips before she started to wash the blood from her tails, and I knelt down and reached a hand out to touch one of them. She yelped in surprise and I drew my hand back. I suppose they were sensitive.

“Sorry.”

“No it's…they’re sensitive. I was just surprised.” I nodded before I gently touched it and she sighed and I joined her in cleaning her tails off.

“They’re soft…”

“T-Thank you…” Her face took on that usual red hue that I loved so much. A stark contrast to what I had seen some time ago. “Do…so…you like it?”

“I love them…I love you…” Her eyes sparkled with tears as I moved forward to hold her cheek. “No matter what you may look like…you will always be Masami to me…”

“I…I'm so sorry…” I wiped more of her tears as she cried as tugged on my shirt. “I never wanted you to see me like that.”

“Talk to me Masami. I just wish you never would have lied to me…why did you?” I kissed her trembling hand as she wiped a stray tear.

“My father…he told me some ridiculous lie because he is so protective. It…it was stupid and my mother already yelled at him about it. I will probably give him a piece of my mind too, but…there are more important things to concern my parents with…”

“Koyuki…and…your uncle-”

“Don’t call him that!” She growled at me in anger, before her ears flattened and she looked at the water. “S-Sorry…”

“It’s ok…”

“No it isn’t! None of this is ok!” She pulled away from me and stood up. Rubbing her arms she walked across the shoreline and I quickly followed her. “I…I trusted him. He taught me everything I know. He was like a second father to me…and it meant nothing!”

“...”

“My parents were never happy with me training with him, my mother was strongly against it, but my father convinced her he had changed. I thought he had changed…he was probably a monster from the day he was born…”

“....” I walked up to her and turned her to face me once more. “I just want you to heal from this my love. The time for action will come, but this will consume you and destroy you!”

“It already has! You don’t understand how much her death changed me!” I wanted to believe something different, but I could see the resolve in her eyes, as well as its fury. She was holding herself and her emotions back right now, but it would crumble down eventually, and I worried what that outcome would look like. “Koyuki was the sun Callum. She was my little sister, but she felt older than me. I looked up to her…and I failed her and didn’t keep her safe…”

“He was someone you trusted…that was not your fault that you couldn’t see the madman that he was! Please…I can’t lose you to this anger…”

“I will always be angry, Callum! I will always want to make him pay for what he took from my family. Didn’t you hear him? He was going to get Chiharu! He still might by what he said! I will never let him hurt this family again! I will not be satiated until he is dead…”

“....”

There was no talking her out of this…at least right now. I know the vengeance that she wanted, but it would just harm her soul more than anything, and destroy her relationships. Losing my mother was the worst thing that had happened to me, but I learned to move on from it…maybe I could help her see things differently.

“Are…are we ok, Callum?” Her softened voice melted my heart, because I could never truly be mad at her. Things in our marriage would definitely be different now, and we would have to have a serious conversation after all this, but I was confident we would come out on top.

“Of course…” I pulled her close by her waist, and her face grew bright red, and seeing her still react to me like that made me feel good that we could get past this. She was still so shy after all these years, and had grown even more beautiful. “I love these…”

“O-Oh?” I touched her ears gently and she moaned a bit. “T-They are sensitive!”

“That was a pleasant sound…” I lightly blew on her ear before I nibbled as she made her sweet sounds some more. My hand traveled from her waist to stroke one of her tails and she straightened up against me. “Hmm…more ways to tease you~”

“S-Stop it…w-we have to go…” I smiled and kissed the top of her head. I looked up at the sky as the fighting pulled away from us. Lady Serafina was giving us our chance to escape and be done with this place. It would give us time to heal and recover from everything that has happened so far. Masami held my waist tight and I looked down at her and moved a stray hair from her face. My beautiful wife…my angel…I would not let this break us. I would not let that man break her any further.

Cupping her cheeks, I kissed her deeply under the moonlight, sending a silent prayer to Lady Serafina that we would be alright. That I wouldn’t lose my wife to the hate and pain in her heart, or to the vengeance that would surely destroy her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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goddessofeternity · 1 year ago

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Chronicles of the Supernovas: Children of Darkness

Chapter 22: Truths, Lies...and a little Family Drama

Masami

My marriage is really over.

After three hundred and twenty-five years, my wonderful and loving marriage with my dear husband was over and there was nothing that I could do about it. I would be gone by the time that he came back from the mission that he was on. I finally manage to pack the last of my bags and clean up around the house. I could at least make sure our…his own home was clean when he returned. After hauling all of my things to the front door, I turned off the stove to finish up the rest of the meals that I made for him. I just fell into my normal routine as I cleaned around the house. It was starting to get dusty and I should change the bed sheets. The garden also needed to be tended to so I should probably do that before I left as well.

“Oh! I didn’t get the groceries! I should go…” Before I had even realized it, much of the house was clean and food was stocked again.

I felt my heart rip to pieces when I saw that it wasn’t there anymore. I held my hand against my chest as I took several breaths so I wouldn’t cry for the sixth time. Rubbing my temples, I rushed to the door to grab my bags before I broke down again.

I would have rushed out quicker if I didn’t catch a glimpse of our wedding picture on the wall. A day that was overflowing with joy, laughter and love. A day that my heart was filled with so much love that I feared it would burst forth like a geyser. Perhaps I shouldn’t have left my wedding dress behind for him to see. This whole situation was heartbreaking enough as it was.

Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I grabbed my bags and left my home. I was sure that I would never recover from this pain, for the rest of my life.

~~~

“Welcome home Lady Masami!”

“Shh! Shh! Thank you…I don’t want to wake anyone up right now. I’ll just head to my room.” The maids dispersed without another sound. The walk to my room felt heavy and tiring, like I had been walking for months without rest. Finally reaching my room, I opened the door and laid out on my bed with a heavy thud. The days ahead would be long and painful, but my family would be here for me in this trying time. My body would have its rest, but my heart would need more than rest to heal its damage. I turned my face into my pillows so that I would not wake anyone with my crying and whimpering, they deserved a good rest before hearing my horrid tale. It was not long before the rays of the sun forced me awake and I forced myself out of bed. Leaving my room to take a shower, my ears were assaulted by a high pitched scream.

“KYAAA!” I couldn’t help but smile as my youngest sister came flying down the hall at me. “I had no idea you were coming home!”

“Yes I…I thought it was time for a visit.” I rubbed her head as I nuzzled her cheek. “I was about to take a bath before seeing everyone…would you like to join me?”

“Yes!” I smiled at her enthusiasm as we went to the bath. The maids laid out one of my favorite kimonos as we laid in the water. “Ohhh…Mimi-chan! I’ve missed you so much!”

I chuckled as she snuggled up against me and I stroked her hair once more. She was still the same after not seeing her for almost thirty years. Although it seemed as though she let her hair grow out again, and she was a bit more…busty. Something that I’m sure that my father was not happy about. If he was going to be upset, he should be upset with himself for marrying our mother. She was quite curvy and well filled out to put it bluntly. So it only made sense that her daughters would be the same.

Hmm…I missed them after so long.

“So! Mimi-chan! You have to tell me all about your life so far! How is my brother-in-law?” My heart skipped a beat as I looked into her shining eyes. So hopeful and filled to the brim with a curiosity to hear more about a husband that I no longer had. “Or…are you here to tell us that we’re gonna have a new family member?”

“O-Oh no…I’m not pregnant Emi. I just wanted to visit everyone again. Callum…he’s fine. He has some business that he is taking care of…”

“Ugh!” She pouted and sank into the water and blew bubbles in annoyance. “....”

“Emi…I can’t hear you if you’re talking with a mouth full of water…”

“I want to meet him already!” I shook my head as she jumped up from the water. “These stupid rules about not revealing ourselves are so stupid and outdated!”

“I…I’m sure that they are in place for a good reason Emiko.” I desperately wanted to change the topic from my marriage. “So…how are you? I heard that you have someone in your life now.”

“Oh yeah…he was in my life. I have moved on from him and taken on a new partner.” She sighed dreamily before sinking into the water. “Father isn’t all too pleased with all of my frequent lovers. I just have a lot of love to give.”

“I think father just wants us to be his flowers forever.” I giggled as she rolled her eyes and twirled a loose hair around her finger. “I’m guessing that you…”

“Hmm? Oh yeah…the first time was awkward…but everything after was great!” I never thought that my youngest sister would have already…ahem…done the deed. I suppose it was because our parents weren’t as strict with us. I also think my father forgot that when children grow up that they start to think about such things. I was never the type, but I’m sure he was more concerned about my brothers getting into some trouble.

“Oh oh! Hikaru is supposed to be bringing her lover over to meet us today. You came at the perfect time Mimi-chan. Father is being a baby about the whole thing, but mother is excited though.”

“Hikaru is seeing someone?” Huh…she only has ever seemed interested in her potions and such things. She had loves here and there, but for the most part she seemed content on being alone. I really needed to check on my siblings more.

I suppose now I would have the chance.

“I think mother is hoping for one of us to get married at this point. She probably wants to see us as happy as you are.”

“Yes I…marriage is really a beautiful thing…” I guess that was the difference with my parents. My father wanted his girls to be unmarried flowers, while my mother wanted us to be married to our lovers, but she was happy for her nonetheless. After we got out of the bath, my mood immediately went right back down. I hoped that I could put on another happy face before my parents. I was not ready to talk to them about my struggles. My parents had changed the mansion once more, but it still held that familiar air to it.

Emiko walked with me to the main sitting area and I could hear the sounds of Mei’s biwa as we drew closer. Her talent was unmatched and it was always such a soothing sound to listen to early in the morning. I’m sure that my parents were already sitting and eating breakfast to listen to her.

“Father! Mother! Mei! Good morning! Look who came to visit!” I smiled at her hyper voice so early in the morning. My mother was not a morning person so the twitch of her eyebrow was not missed. It was quickly gone once she locked eyes with me. Both her and my father rushed to hug and nuzzle me before I could even greet them.

“Oh Masami! Oh I’ve missed you so much!”

“Are you well butterfly? Is your…husband treating you well?” I was glad that my face was buried in between them.

“Father…you don’t have to say it like he’s some creature…” I chuckled as Mei stopped her playing to hug and nuzzle me too. “You have to stop being so cautious about it.”

“Yes I know I know…I mean no disrespect. I just wish you never left home…”

“Father…”

“Oh Takeshi enough!” He grunted as my mother jabbed him in the chest with her elbow. “She has been married for many years now. Our girls will not stay here forever.”

“I mean…they could…” Her growl silenced him and we all shared a laugh at that. Perhaps this wouldn’t be so hard if I was surrounded by my family.

“Now…come sit and eat with us. Your brothers are away at the moment and Hikaru should be coming with her lover soon too.”

“Tch…” My mother glared at my father and he coughed and sipped his tea away from her. She never failed to put my father on ice. The glint from the gem on her forehead in the sun made me stare. It was such a beautiful gift that was given to her by the Gods. She never did say why they gave it to her though.

“Callum…Callum is well. He had some work to do so he’s away at the moment. So…I thought that I would come visit.”

“Oh I wish that my boyfriend was here…”

“I don’t…” I chuckled as my father mumbled against his tea cup and my mother pulled his ear.

“You need to stop…let our girls be happy.”

“They are happy…right here with me and you. Isn’t that right Mei?”

“Hmm?” Mei looked up from her biwa and just shrugged. “I have no opinion about it.”

My father pouted at her as my mother rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to me. The way that she was looking at me was too motherly and analyzing. If I didn’t think they noticed before I was wrong because my mother was looking right through me.

“Masami-“

“Hello family!” I was saved by Hikaru throwing open the tatami doors.

“I have such loud children in the morning…” My mother grumbled under her breath and my father chuckled and kissed her head. The sight made my heart ache in the best and worst way.

“Oh! Masami!” I was once again assaulted by a hug and nuzzles as Hikaru almost took the breath from my lungs. “I didn’t know you were coming to visit! I would have gotten your room together and had some potions ready for your garden.”

“It’s ok Hikaru…this was a spontaneous thing. I just really missed everyone so I thought I would stop by.” My mother was still staring hard at me as Hikaru informed everyone that her lover was here. Mei was also giving me the side-eye, but I just focused on eating a rice cake.

“So…your…partner is here? Now?” Hikaru rolled her eyes as she went into the hallway and came back pulling on the arm of a handsome kitsune with dark brown hair and gentle eyes to match.

“Welcome to our home. I hope the trip to come here was good.” My mother elbowed my father hard and he just frowned in his usual pouty attitude.

“Oh! Y-Yes my lady. Your lands are beautiful and your home even more so.”

“I’m glad that you think so. I thought it was important for my children to be surrounded by beautiful things.” He gave us all a swift bow before looking at my father and mother and touching his forehead to the floor in respect. “My lord…my lady…thank you for allowing me into your home…and for giving life to the woman I love. I see that she gets her beauty from her mother.”

“Hehe…charmer…” My mother giggled and the look on my father’s face almost made me choke on my tea. “You can raise your head…what was your name?”

“Oh…my name is Yasuke Nagamasaki…I come from a region in the west.” I was surprised that he had gifts for not only our parents, but also for me and my siblings. I eventually left them to their conversation, I would hate to watch my father grill Yasuke. Hopefully Hikaru and my mother could keep the peace. Walking around the outskirts of the mansion, I was greeted by another relative that I hadn’t seen even longer.

“Masaru?”

“Oh! Well there’s a face that I haven’t seen in a long time.” He hugged me and he seemed to have gotten even taller. I thought my brothers were tall, but Masaru was becoming a tree. “I thought we would had lost you to married life.”

“Mmm…you should try it sometime. You might like it.”

“Nah…when I meet a woman who can throw me over a cliff…then there might be something to consider there…”

“Uh huh…so…is your father around?”

“He was here just the other day. He got into an argument with your mother the other day.”

“What for?” My mother and my uncle were notorious for their arguments, but honestly I felt as though my mother was still punishing my uncle. The things he did in the past were…horrible and unforgiving, but they were out of his control. There was so much evil in the world and something attached to my uncle. He only ever wanted to make things right and be the man that he was always meant to be. I missed him terribly.

“Oh…well Shino showed up unexpectedly and spooked her. Aunt Izumi thought that…well she was not happy about hearing Shino shriek and my father was standing in the same room.”

“It was just an unfortunate coincidence…my mother has got to stop with her attitude. Things will never change and get better if we hold onto hate.”

“That is funny coming from you…” I only shoot him a look and he threw up his hands immediately. “Sorry sorry! Anyway…I swear you are closer to my father then I am. You truly are his favorite…”

“Mmm….well don’t say that…you are his son…his only child. I highly doubt that I’m his favorite.” He scoffed and sat down on the veranda with a frown. I suppose something must have happened if he was making that face.

“Masaru…”

“We had an argument a few weeks back. We were in another land and you know…my father and I just travel and train and train and train. It seems to be the only thing that we ever do together. The only thing that we do besides train is drink together and occasionally have an actual father and son bonding moment that includes more drinks and sometimes women.”

I sat down beside him as he sighed and rubbed his temple in further frustration. The fur on his tails was even standing on edge as he thought about his father. I had never known the two of them to argue about anything. I hoped that whatever it was they could work through it.

“What caused the argument?”

“You.”

“Me?”

“Oh yeah…and this is hardly the first time.” They argued about me? Why in the world would they have an argument about me? And it wasn’t the first time? “We got into a fight with some bandits and I had gotten injured. One of the men got the better of me…and after we left my father…he just snapped.”

“....”

“You are useless boy! How can you not handle some simple bandits?! You need to be more like Masami! She would never have struggled with them! She has always been perfect! While you can only be described as highly unexceptional! This is why she is my favorite! The only one who has a fucking spark!”

“He…he said that?”

“Oh yeah he did…it continued on for a bit too. Wishing that you were his daughter instead…hoping that you would come home soon. I was fed up with it and I came back here. I hadn’t seen my father in over two months, well that was until I saw him arguing with your mother. He barely spared me a glance though.”

“I’m so sorry Masaru…I never thought that…” I didn’t truly even know what to say to him. My uncle and I had always been close. He was like a second father to me, he was my mentor and he helped me with a lot of things, even though my mother absolutely loathe him. I could actually see that he seemed to prefer me over his own son, but to admit such a thing to his face? It was a horrible thing to do.

“Hey…you aren’t at fault here. It's just my idiot of a father being an ass. We will eventually talk and work things out like we always do.”

“Still…he should have never said those things to you.”

“Eh…he’s been really stressed out lately. I think it's mostly because he’s been trying to have his own territory, so it's been hard to gather resources and people. He’s trying to get out of your father and mothers way. Now with that argument the other day, I feel that he might want it even more.”

“Mmm…I wish I could have seen him before he left…” Masaru chuckled before he stood up and patted my head. I grumbled and fixed my hair as he did.

“I’m sure that he would love a visit from his favorite.”

“M-Masaru!” He said nothing else as he walked back into the house and I sighed deeply. It seemed that my family needed some therapy or just help in general. It had been some time since there was any sort of drama in the family, but now it seemed as though things had resumed. My problems could be swept away in their current mess though. Although, my mother could be more hawk than kitsune when it came to us.

Speaking of family, besides my brothers, there was still someone that I hadn’t seen yet. I should go and see if she is awake. Of all my sisters, I think I missed my sweet sweet Chiharu the most and I wished that I had brought her a gift. I would make sure to get her something soon since I had the time for it now. Standing by her door, I could hear her shuffling around, most likely getting ready for the day. She was probably fussing with her hair. I suppose that I should help her with that, and I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face when I knocked and I could hear her fussing more.

“C-Come in!”

I was assaulted by the gentle aroma of various flowers and the sight of many many stuffed animals. My dearest sister was such a girly girl. My father loved to spoil her with delicate and feminine things. I suppose that she got that from watching me. I was never as into stuffed animals as she was, but others often remarked on my feminine grace, but that was to be expected of the eldest daughter of a powerful clan.

“Well good morning my love!” I smiled at Chiharu from her vanity mirror and her eyes almost left her skull when she saw me. No more words were said as she flung herself into my arms. The force behind the hug was stronger than I thought it would be, but we laughed the whole way down to the floor. Like I thought, her hair was giving her trouble once more. She had also gotten even more beautiful and I thanked my parents everyday for being together. My siblings and I were stunning and I would forever be conceited about that.

“Masami! I’ve missed you so much! You have been gone far too long and you must never be away that long again!” I kissed the top of her head and sat up only to see that she had tears in her eyes.

“Oh love…please don’t cry…” I wiped her tears as she tried and failed to keep a straight face. “Come on…let’s fix your hair hmm?”

“O-Ok…” She was practically vibrating in her seat as I brushed through her long hair. Grabbing her bow, I tied half of her hair up into a bun and let the rest fall over her shoulders and back. I never knew how she couldn’t keep her hair tamed, it was so soft and didn’t tangle up too badly.

“There you go. The prettiest kitsune in all the lands.”

“I think that will always go to you, Masami. If you weren’t married you would probably get more marriage proposals than me and Mei.”

“You both have been getting marriage proposals?”

“Oh yes…father mostly burns the letters anyway, but some of them still get through. The only reason Emi or Hikaru haven’t gotten any is because father has spread a rumor about her having poor health.

“Poor health huh?” Yes, that was quite the believable rumor considering how often she runs around and is keen on being the most hyperactive kitsune around.

“Hehe yes…Hikaru hasn’t been getting many proposals because she and father somehow convinced the entire kitsune populace that she was the cause of a recent plague across the region.”

“Huh?”

“Hehe…so every person that has ever been in contact with her has gotten a “deadly” illness. Of course it was nothing serious, but enough people thought it was. It turns out that father and Hikaru mastermind and plotted around with her magic and potions. It was quite a big issue for a while. Mother was beside herself in anger for weeks.”

“I…wow…I’d imagine so.”

“Hehe…father and Hikaru were effectively banished from home for three months before mother let them come back, and even then she made them sleep out in the gardens for another three.”

“Yes that…that sounds like something mother would do.”

“I guess the man that Hikaru is seeing most know that everything was a lie, or maybe she just really likes him, which I’m glad for her. Seeing your love with Callum makes me wish the same for the rest of our siblings.”

“Yeah…” I brushed through her tail before I moved on quickly. “How about for yourself?”

“O-Oh I…I don’t know…I would like to love…b-but…” I raised a brow as her stutter came back in full force, something that only really happened when she was nervous or embarrassed. I thought it was adorable.

“What is it?”

“W-Well…you know…when you have someone you…d-do things together…”

“Yes? That is usually something you do with a lover. You go on dates and vacations and such…”

“N-Not that! I mean…things that…m-married people do…l-like you and our parents…”

“Like me and…oh! Oh!” Her face burned bright as she looked down at her hands. I twirled the brush in my hands as my own face grew red. Intimate matters were something that I kept private myself and I often got flustered too. Now, to hear my precious and innocent Chiharu bring it up brought a whole wave of embarrassment. “Well…um…you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to love.”

“I know..b-but…it just seems so…like so much and embarrassing…”

“Well…in my um…experience…when it is someone you love and who respects and appreciates you…it will be a wonderful experience. You won’t even feel embarrassed I promise.”

“Really? W-What about you?”

“Oh I…it…it was perfect.”

“Well…that does make me feel better.” I was about to ask her if she had any other stories to tell, but Mei suddenly appeared at the door.

“Sorry to interrupt, but mother wants to see you Masami.” Of course she did. She couldn’t just let me sulk for one day.

“Alright…we can chat later Chiharu.” My smile disappeared once I made my way down the hallway. What was I to say to them? That my marriage is over and my heart is broken? My father would lose his mind over it and my mother would try to stop him from doing something so stupid.

I sighed outside the room before I entered to see my mother with an already calculating frown, while my father just looked confused, bless his heart.

“Yes mother?”

“I thought that I would check on you my butterfly. You seemed distracted when you came in this morning…more closed off.”

“Oh…I’m just tired…it felt strange to be in a bed that I haven’t slept in for so long.”

“You could always stay Masami. Your bed will feel familiar once more.” My mother rolled her eyes but kept her comments to herself.

“I’m fine really…I just cleaned and prepped dinner for Callum. It just took most of the afternoon since I also went to get food and tend the garden a bit.”

“Does the man do nothing to help you? I swear…”

“No no! I enjoy tending to my home and Callum! Being a housewife is very calming and relaxing for me…I just…needed a break and Callum helps me around the house all the time.”

“Mmhmm…” My father grumbled and went to the other side of the room to sign his documents, but my mother didn’t seem convinced of what I was telling her at all.

“Masami…is there something going on with you and Callum?” She held my hand and pulled me in close to her. It was easy to relax against her and I just wanted to cry because I had no idea how everything just seemed to fall apart. We should have been planning for our anniversary right now, or at least just loving each other.

“I…yes…” I didn’t want to admit the problems in my own home, especially seeing how wonderful and perfect my parent’s marriage is. It was such a stupid thing to leave him for. It just made no sense to me and I hated it.

“What?! What happened?”

“I…something happened that wasn’t supposed to happen. The one thing that I wasn’t supposed to do as a kitsune.”

“The…what my butterfly?”

“I shouldn’t have done it!” I buried my face in my hands as my tears finally spilled out. “There was a waterfall and I just wanted to soak in it…I had no idea he was there! Callum saw my tails and everything! So I left…I left our home, my ring, him! It’s over between us!”

“Oh my dear…” My mother hugged me tight and rubbed my back, but it barely did much to comfort me. The love of my life was gone because of a simple mistake. These stupid rules ruined everything and they just made no sense. “I…I’m sorry butterfly, but I don’t see how him knowing that you are a kitsune would ruin your marriage.”

“W-What? Of course it would…that’s why I had you all be in disguise for the wedding. I couldn’t let him know the truth.”

“That’s why we haven’t had a proper meeting with him? I thought it was because we needed to keep our identities hidden because of the forces that he faces. It was understandable, which is why we never fought it and took you for your word that he was a good man. I thought that he knew you were a kitsune?”

“N-No…f-father told me that once a kitsune’s lover sees their true form that they would to leave or something horrific would happen…and it would be even more dangerous because Callum is a Supernova. If my identity would put him in danger with his greatest enemy…I could not risk that no matter what. Our family has a history of misfortune…so I took father’s advice and kept it to myself.”

“....” I leaned back to wipe my eyes and my mother was wearing a blank expression on her face. Her tails suddenly cut through the air angrily before she slowly turned to look at my father…who was currently climbing out the window. “Takeshi!”

I blinked in confusion as my father jumped from the window and my mother practically tore out the window as she chased after him, a slew of curses spewing from her mouth. Rubbing my eyes, it was not long before I heard more cursing and things crashing. The maids walking the halls squeaked in shock as I could hear my mother wrestling my father. It was not long before they both stumbled back into the room, with my mother pinning my father’s arm behind his back before shoving him to the ground, her knee deep in the center of his back.

“I-Izumi! I-I give! I give!”

“Apologize now!”

“L-Listen I only-”

“APOLOGIZE!”

My father grumbled despite the death grip my mother had on his arms at the moment. If she kept up the force, I’m sure that she would have caused some damage if not ripped them off. “F-Fine…”

Releasing him, my father rolled his arm as he grimaced in pain, and my mother stood over him with her arms crossed and seething in rage. Taking my hands, my father sighed once more before he looked at me quite seriously. “My butterfly…what I told you about the secret and keeping it…was not true. I…it was an old myth that has been disproven for many many years. I…I have always had a hard time with you girls growing up, and when you announced your engagement…well I thought I was losing my daughter. I should never have been petty and done something that has caused you great distress. Forgive me, daughter.”

“....” There was no conceivable way that my father lied to me just because…I…of all the things to do! “So I…I left my husband for no reason! A lie!”

“Masami…I…I know and it is still a failing of mine-”

I wanted to have my chance to rail into him, but my mother suddenly looked out the window. Her eyes were alert, but it was like she was looking at something far away. My father instantly stood and held her hand, and she tightened her grip, which meant that she wasn’t having a vision. She hadn’t had a vision in quite some time, but I just took that as a good thing. I could have been seeing things, but it almost looked like the gem on her forehead started to shimmer.

“Takeshi…I’m going to head out for a bit.” She gave me a smile before she planted a gentle kiss on my father’s head. “Try not to tell our daughter more ridiculous things.”

“Mmm…” Once she left, I glared daggers into his skull and he rubbed the back of his nervously. “Masami…please forgive me…I never meant to hurt you…”

“Hmph!” I turned my nose at him, intending on making him work for my forgiveness. This also meant that I had no reason to stay. I could save my marriage and be happy once more. “I will think about it…”

“Well…that is the best that I can hope for huh?”

“Yes…yes it is…”

I was more than a little curious about whatever it was that my mother was doing. It seemed to be something serious, but my father did not budge from his spot. He was always ready to follow my mother anywhere she went to keep her safe. Of course, she would argue him down about being able to take care of herself, but I think she secretly liked to put up a fuss and have my father care for her. Once I finished nagging my father in the ground, I could not help being curious.

I followed my mothers scent deep into the woods outside our home. Perhaps she was just taking a walk, she often did this every few months, but was always gone for hours at a time. Whenever I asked, she just said she liked the peace and quiet that the forest brings. I never believed it for a second, but I never pressed the issue and eventually left her to her secrets. Now, there was a pull and a need to discover what she was doing. After that, I would leave and be ready to talk to Callum and explain what happened and apologize for everything.

It was eerily quiet despite it being so early in the morning. There wasn’t even any animals running around. I quicken my pace towards my mother because I didn’t like the feeling that I was getting. It wasn’t until I heard her voice that I finally stopped.

“Yes…I know…it is holding strong…I promise that you have nothing to worry about and if anything happens you will be the first to know.”

“....”

“Yes…I will stay close by to ensure that it doesn’t break or that no one has discovered it.” I crept closer so that I could hear who she was talking to.

“I have to get to them…but they are fighting back far more fiercely than I would like. They want that child badly…but she’s running out of time…”

“I have faith that you will persevere and get through your battle. I wish that I could give you more hope than just my words.”

Wait…that female voice sounded like…

“I can’t send it directly to her while I am fighting…”

“I’m glad that I was able to make it so quickly for you, but yes…there is no telling if it will be delivered while they are fighting. It could get lost or smashed in all of the chaos…”

“Masami…perhaps you could help?” My ears perked up as I stepped through the brush. My mother’s eyes narrowed as I stepped over to her. Looking at the person she was talking to…I was surprised to see a pure white kitsune, and even more surprised when I realized that I recognized her.

“Lady Serafina?!”

“Masami! What are you doing out here?!” I flinched at my mothers tone, but she relaxed when lady Serafina placed a hand on her shoulder. It was only after she did that I realized that I could see right through her hand, and most of her body for that matter. This was only an image of her, her real body must be indisposed somewhere else, and by the sounds of it, she needed to get somewhere in a hurry-

“Is Callum alright?!” My heart leaped to my throat as I rushed over to stand beside my mother, who still looked annoyed at me being here. That didn’t matter because Callum was the only person on my mind. They were in the middle of a mission and she was voicing such concerns that something must have happened.

“He…well they are running into some serious issues. Celica in particular is going through the worst of it. She’s dying Masami…and she has less than an hour left if something isn’t done.”

“What?!” I felt sick. I felt useless and weak. MY legs felt like they were going to give out under me if not for my mother holding my waist. My Callum was in danger and my best friend…she…she would be dead in an hour. What in the world was happening on that mission?

“It is the weapons that are being spread across the cosmos…” She turned and ran a agitated hand through her hair. “They give even the weakest mortals strength and if a god was to wield them…well it has been a disaster.”

“There….there must be something that can be done right?! You have to help them!”

“Masami I am trying…believe me I am. The Darkness is making it impossible to make it down to the planet. I came here to ask your mother for a healing tonic she specifically made for injuries only the Darkness causes.”

“You made a medicine for injuries that the Darkness causes?” I raised a brow at my mother who sighed deeply before sharing a look with lady Serafina.

“Do you remember all those years ago when…when we were at war with the Nobara clan? Those creatures in the woods were from the Darkness. It caused a lot of injuries but…well your mother is pretty smart when given the right tools and cause. So I made something that Celica needs to heal.”

“I…I remember them but…” That day flashed back in my mind, thoughts of the war always found their way to my mind at random. The entity in the field that day, it was not just some creature…it was-

“It is exactly what you think it is Masami.” I snapped my eyes up to meet lady Serafina’s and she only gave me a weary smile. “You were…very lucky that day- no…luck had nothing to do with it. You are stronger than anyone would dare give you credit for.”

“...” I highly doubt that. It had to have been sheer luck for things to go my way that day. The thing that was nagging me was how did my mother and lady Serafina know each other? Looking at my mother, it seemed that she didn’t even want me in these woods, and I swear that gem on her forehead was shimmering again. “Mother…what is your relationship with Lady Serafina? That gem on your forehead…what is it and what are you hiding in this forest?”

“Masami…” My mother sighed deeply as she faced me. “My butterfly…I promise that this is nothing for you to worry about. We…we have known each other for a while and the reason for that is nothing to be concerned about. Your friend and husband are in danger…”

“I…”

“You can discuss it with her later.” I looked back at lady Serafina as she locked eyes with my mother. “You can tell her about it, but for now I need something from her.”

“What? My daughter is not about to be tangled up into something that is no concern of hers…this is something that your people have to handle.”

“Mother please…” I grabbed her arm and she sighed in annoyance. “What is it, my lady?”

“I need you to go to Zosmuna and get this medicine to Celica. I will send you there so I would need you prepare. Celica does not have much time…none of them do. I could fight the Darkness for a long time…they don’t have that and the child must be moved.”

I could feel my mother growing agitated next to me, but I could only think about my love and my friends. I had to help them no matter the cost.

“Mother…I will be alright.” She closed her eyes and I could see the gears in her head spinning, spinning in fear. “Callum will be there…I will be surrounded by gods who will keep me safe.”

“I…I don’t like this one bit…”

“Mother…I will be just fine. I will be in and out.” I hugged her close and she nodded against my shoulder.

“Alright…just be careful. Your father is going to have a heart attack over this though.”

“Yeah…I imagine that he would.” Rubbing my cheek and giving me a final hug my mother left me alone with lady Serafina.

“So…how are we doing this?”

“I will send you to the planet and I’ll give you something to track them if you need it. Other than that just get the medicine to Celica. I will try to wrap this fight with the Darkness up so you all can make it back to my temple.”

“Alright…I can do that…” Turning back to the mansion, I was stopped by her speaking up once more.

“I know that it has been some time Masami…but hopefully you won’t have to get involved…”

“Yes…for their sakes…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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goddessofeternity · 1 year ago

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Chronicles of the Supernovas: Children of Darkness

Chapter 21: Hope and Despair

Callum

This was not supposed to be happening.

Celica would not make it much longer if we didn’t get off this planet and heal her. Where and why was everything going so wrong? The Darkness appearing made everything much much worse. There was no telling how long Lady Serafina and the Darkness would be fighting. We were so close! We finally have Altair and completed our mission, but we were losing Celica in the process. She would probably see this as a noble sacrifice, but I would never let her think that. She had so much to give to the cosmos, and she was my oldest friend.

I just can’t bear to lose her.

I watched her as she managed to fall asleep despite the pain of her injury and the planet eating itself. For over two painful hours, we sat in silence as we waited for it to pass. I had no doubt that Lady Serafina could feel Celica’s life force draining from her body. I imagined that it was hard for her to feel it, but that was nothing compared to seeing it. Her breaths were becoming more and more labored, and I’m sure that she stopped breathing at times. Her skin was paler than ever and her ice was making it hard to even be near her. Nim was watching over her like a hawk and Altair looked ready to burst into tears. He had held onto her hand despite us warning him he would get frostbite. Nerissa was pacing so much that she had made a path on the floor. Ka’seem looked the worst, he had gotten choked up when she had stopped breathing. He was blaming him more and more as her breathing grew slower and she mumbled incoherently.

“It’s stopping…” I glanced at Nerissa as she watched the movements of the planet start to slow down. Sure enough, the movements were slowing and Ka’seem stepped out from under our temporary shelter to inspect it. His shoulders and movements were tense, and I wish I knew what to say to him. Altair finally separated from Celica to look up at the moon. It was bright and full on, and the cloudless night made it easier for us to see that Lady Serafina and the Darkness were still fighting.

“We should move. We’ll make camp somewhere and just…figure something out. I’ll try and contact Lady Serafina, but…” I released a breath as I rubbed my head. “I’ll try…”

No one said anything and Nerissa took Altair by the hand as she led him away, with Ka’seem following them closely. Nim gathered Celica into his arms, but she barely even made a sound. We shared a look before following the others. I could not stop staring at Celica as she started to mumble in her delirium.

“Staring will do nothing for her…”

“It isn’t like there is anything else to do Nim.”

“.....”

“Your thoughts on this would be appreciated.”

“I have nothing to say about this Callum. Anything that needs to be said would just be redundant.”

“Talking to her would bring her some comfort I imagine.” Her eyes were starting to open for a split second, before they closed again. “She needs us Nim…not more of your indifference.”

“....” He sighed and he knew that I was making sense. Nim was never one to talk about his deeper feelings, but now was not the time for it and he knew that. It was not the time for stubbornness. The silence carried us still as we found an area under a sea of trees to rest. Ka’seem managed to make some makeshift huts for us to sleep in. Nim placed Celica in one and she seemed to relax for a bit, but now her wound was getting blacker. The veins on her arms were turning black as well. I grimaced as blood began to seep from the makeshift bandages and was just as dark.

I placed my hand over her wounds and poured my light energy into it, but it just didn’t seem to make a difference. She seemed to relax, but it just made her comfortable. It was what I wanted, but I also just wanted her to be ok. As a God of light, I should have been able to heal her much better than this, but I feel that this mission is teaching us to learn more healing techniques. Celica was just always the one to go to. She was a tough woman and an even better healer, but we relied on her too much and it showed. How long had we been taking her for granted, and why did she never speak up about it?

“You know that she would never complain about anything.” I forced a chuckle as Nim sat beside me as we saw her breathing relax a little.

“I suppose you are right about that…”

“Mmm…”

“Celica!” We leaned forward as she move her head side to side and tried to raise her arms. “Take it easy please…you must conserve your strength.” Her mumbling just continued and I sighed now even more frustrated. All of this waiting around was starting to bother me. My dearest friend was dying and there was not a thing I could do about it.

“Callum…keep calm, she is probably-”

“My…Mykel…” My heart almost broke hearing her say that name. It had been some time since she last spoke it. He was always a sore subject for her, but hearing from her now just caused me more pain. “Mykel….mother…”

“I’m gonna take a walk.”

“Nim-” He was gone before I could even finish. It would be best to let her rest and contact Lady Serafina. Leaving the hut, I was about to meditate and contact Lady Serafina, but I saw Altair sitting by himself under a tree. Ka’seem and Nerissa were in deep conversation as they skinned some animals for us to eat. The boy was scared and he was trying to act like he wasn’t.

“May I sit with you?” Altair flinched as he looked up and me before he nodded and moved over. He pulled his knees up and buried his face between them. “It is alright to be afraid. There is no shame in it.”

“I…I’m not scared.” I could practically hear the pouting in his voice. “I just have things on my mind.”

“I’m a good listener. We have…we have time to talk about anything you are worried about. I know that you must have some questions by now.”

“....” He peeked at me for a second, weighing whether he really wanted to talk to me right now. He pulled on a lock of his hair before he faced me. “Is she going to be ok?”

“I don’t have an answer for that. I wish that I could ease your worries, the worries of the rest of my friends, but I can’t.”

“....”

“We are doing our best to keep her comfortable until we can get some help.”

“There is no one coming to help us though. That thing is keeping us here and I don’t think that Goddess will be able to keep fighting it. Just face it…we’re screwed.”

“Hey…” I clapped him on the shoulder and he frowned at me but I just laughed. “That Goddess above us is much much stronger than you think. She will not let the Darkness get to us no matter what. We just have to have a bit more patience.”

“Is this the Goddess that I heard you guys talking about? The one who is supposed to keep me safe from all of this?”

“Yes…Lady Serafina is a benevolent Goddess who wants nothing more than peace across the cosmos. When she found out about you, she halted everything to find you and keep you safe. Of course, there were some bumps in the road, but at least we have you.”

“What…what is she like?”

“Oh she is magnificent….she truly has a heart of gold and does her best to cater to the many needs of the beings across the universe. She is the Celestial Mother and we owe her everything that has ever been made.”

“So…she made a lot of stuff…like what?”

“Well…she made people and Gods…animals and planets and solar systems. Her laugher even creates the stars in the sky.”

“Her laughter?

“Oh yes, once I met her, she explained that some stars can come about by her laughter, but once are formed when a person is born. We all are attached to them in some way.” “Really? So I have one too?” I chuckled as he smiled for the first time since Celica was injured. He looked up at the night sky in marvel. “I’ve never really heard about her…”

“Yes well…spreading the word about her is a work in progress.” Honestly, it was taking longer than I would have liked, but Lady Serafina wasn’t exactly keen on spreading any gospel about herself in the first place. Being the humble person she was, she didn’t want people to sing praises about her. Compared to most of the Gods, she was incredibly humble.

“I…will I make a good impression? I still don’t think that I’m very special…”

“Trust me Altair…she already loves you.” I chuckled at his flushed face, before my gaze turned down to my ring. I could feel Masami’s ring burning in my pocket and I wanted so badly to finish this and talk to her. It was unlike her to not want to talk to me when we had a disagreement. I had to find out what it was that made her want to halt our entire marriage.

“You’re married?”

“Huh? Oh…yes I am…” I didn’t realize that I was just staring at my ring. It was the first time I really had the time to think about since the mission took a turn.

“How long have you been married? What is she like?” Children always asked too many questions, but it was keeping him occupied.

“We’ve been married for over three hundred years…three hundred and twenty-five to be exact. We have an anniversary to plan soon.”

“Wow! That’s such a long time! Is she a Goddess too?”

“She…” Well now I knew that she is a kitsune, but before I was led to believe that she was a simple fae and that explained her long life well enough for me. “No she…is something special though. She is the light of my life. She is beautiful, sweet, and the other half of my soul. Perhaps one day you will meet someone like that.”

“I’d rather get back to my grandpa then think about girls. Girls are really annoying anyway. They always want something.”

“Haha…yes, but it often depends on the type of woman you bring into your life. Not all women are so superficial.”

“Still annoying…” I ruffled his hair and he pouted at me. I was about to continue to tell him about Lady Serafina, but Nim appeared and gave me a solemn look. My heart skipped several beats as I left Altair to go back to the hut. Nerissa and Ka’seem were standing right outside of it, and Nerissa looked as if she had been crying. Ka’seem kept to himself and was twirling his daggers around. Entering the tent, I was relieved to see that Celica was awake.

“H…Hey…” I knelt beside her and took her hand as she coughed something fierce. “You guys…have…to stop crying…”

“That…isn’t an easy thing to ask us.” She weakly squeezed my hand before she stared at the ceiling. There were so many emotions running across her face right now, but the ones I could see clearly were anger and sadness. There was also some bits of frustration behind her eyes as well. “Tell us how you feel?”

“Frustrated.”

“That’s to be expected.” She rolled her eyes at Nim as he stepped into the tent and looked over her. “You just can’t help doing the most when it comes to children.”

“I…guess I can’t…”

“We have to get you back to Lady Serafina’s temple…perhaps if you’re there you will be able to heal.” It was probably going to be a hard task with them fighting above our heads, but we had to do something at this point. Getting settled was not something that we really should be doing. The faster we came up with a plan, the faster she could recover and get better.

“I…I don’t think so…”

“Hey-”

“Just…just listen…to me…both of you…” She blew out a breath before she looked at Nim and he knelt down to take her other hand. The veins in her skin were becoming even more prominent and I was terrified to check how close to her heart it was. Her bright eyes were even duller than they were an hour ago, and I refused to even guess how much longer she had. For the first time in a while, her eyes sparkled with tears. It took me back to see her so vulnerable and I just wanted to take her pain away.

“Celica-”

“I'm dying…” She sniffled and her hand tightened against mine. “There is no…denying that…I need you both to…promise me something…”

“Celica…don’t say that.” Nim looked away from her and she just sighed and shook her head.

“Promise me!” Another coughing fit wracked over her body and Nerissa pushed in an orb of water for her to drink from. After taking some hefty sips of it, she relaxed against the floor again. “You…you can’t deny me…not now…”

“....”

“I…I need you both…to free Mykel…and my mother. They need to…they have to have…a happily ever after…” More tears streamed down her face as she tried to blink them away. “I…I promised…I promised my father…he needs to…see her again…and Mykel…needs to have a life…”

“I…I promise.” Nim silently nodded his head and we both knew that was the most we would get out of him. “We…you just have to hold on as long as you can. You have to promise us that.”

“I…I promise…also…tell your sister…that she’s in charge…” She laughed weakly before she took a deep breath. “You make up with Masami ok? I…I’d hate to know you’re…still fighting…”

A few more tears rolled down her cheeks, and I reached out to wipe them away before I cupped her cheek. “You will make it through this…and Masami and I will be just fine…”

She smiled and turned her face into my palm to lay a gentle kiss against it. “I know…that’s also a gift…a blessing for your…continued happiness and future bliss…you’re both…my best friends…yes…you are included in it…mutt…”

“Tch…who says I want it…icy bitch…” These two could never stop their taunting with each other. Celica turned his hand over and placed a kiss on his knuckles. “What was that for?”

“For you…to get that…stick out of your ass.” I couldn’t stop my laugh at the sight of Nim’s face as a vein almost jumped from his temple. “Nim…seriously though…that was for you…to find love…”

“Celica…” It was nice to witness moments when the two of them weren’t fighting, I only wished the situation was better.

“No no…I want you to find…and have love…real true love…something to…to carry you through…infinity…and…so you’ll never doubt…that someone…loves you…for you…endlessly…” She trailed off before she passed out into what I hoped was a peaceful rest. Her hand felt so fragile in mine and Nim’s composure was starting to break. He raised her hand to his forehead before gently setting it down. This…this was going to hit us far too hard, and the Darkness would pay for what they have done. Nim stormed off before I could say anything more, and I looked down at her once again as she seemed to sleep peacefully.

“Is…is she sleeping?” I nodded as Nerissa moved by my side and brushed away Celica’s matted hair from her forehead. I could hear Nim and Ka’seem’s frantic conversation that sounded like it was about to become an argument. Altair was crying now, and I couldn’t muster the strength to go and comfort him.

“Yes…we have to move on from here.”

“O-Ok…” I could feel her eyes on me, and if she was expecting me to say something comforting, she would have to try someone else. I did not see a way out of this, and she had to realize that. Kind words would not free us from this planet to help her. I took Celica into my arms and Nerissa was close behind, as was Altair. Nim and Ka’seem finished whatever it was that made them look ready to throw their fists at each other. The only thing that we could do was make our way further into the forest. I suspected that the Darkness would eventually send someone or something after us, and we would have to fight them off. Things were never easy, and with Celica like this it would only get worse from here. The walk was silent, and the only thing that made noise was the creatures around us. Celica was still breathing in my ear thankfully as a full hour passed us by. Altair was starting to rub his eyes and yawn, which meant that we would have to stop soon. I would prefer to keep moving frankly, but he was just a child. There was a clearing up ahead, and that would have to be where we settle for now, or until the planet started to feed again.

“Nim we should-”

I barely dodged something that bolted from deep in the forest. The only problem with my sudden movement was that I was holding Celica. The sudden need to move caused her to slip from my arms. I managed to grab her, but not before a sharp pain shot through my left leg. The pain was enough that I took a knee, but I made sure that she didn't hit the ground. The others moved and I looked at my leg and furrowed my brow as a simple pike gave me a deep cut. Something like this should not have hurt this bad unless…

“Guys!”

My words of caution did not matter as a series of fights took place before my eyes. Nerissa was engaged in a fight with a brute of a man, as was Nim. Ka’seem fought a woman who looked like a Goddess that I’m sure I had seen before. I turned my attention back as the pike was yanked out of the ground by a tall man with pitch black eyes.

“In battle…it is always wise to take out the weakest link…” He smirked as he scanned over Celica and my leg. “It was a good call to aim for the bitch…saving others will get you in the position that you see yourself in.”

“I don’t feel particularly in danger.”

“Hehe…not yet you mean.” He struck his pike at me with blinding speed, but he had to realize that there was no way that he could catch me. His weapon was one of those God killing weapons, and my leg aches fiercely, but that didn’t mean that my speed was gone. The only problem was Celica was a target and the others were occupied. I stood and faced him, but my attention was once again thrown away as I heard Altair shout.

One of their cohorts grabbed him by the shoulder and began to drag him away and I moved to intercept them. Holding Celica was a problem as I held her waist and appeared at Altair’s side. The woman looked up in surprise, but grunted in pain as I hit her aside with the back of my fist. I hated putting my hands on women, but they could not have him. The woman was unconscious before she even hit the floor, and I pulled Altair to his feet. The others were fighting around me, but my focus had to be on Altair and Celica. They were more important right now and the others would have to fend for themselves.

I caught Nerissa from the side of my eyes fighting the larger man, but I also saw more people pouring in from the forest. It was starting to get crowded and I would have to remedy that. Laying Celica down, I pushed Altair behind me and felt my power surge over me. My leg was burning for me to relax, but I could not let anything else happen! A radiant force of light erupted from my being, and the men and women around us were consumed in my light. Almost like a bug being hit by a trap, they burned and struggled on the floor and their screams echoed harshly in my ears.

Nerissa threw her opponent across the field right into the one that Nim was fighting. Nim took his sword and cut right through them. It didn’t seem to matter because they just kept coming from deep in the woods. Their weapons were shining an eerie black under the moonlight, but I would get rid of those soon enough. I caught Nim’s gaze and he nodded at me as we prepared to intercept the weapons before they did any serious damage to any of us.

Speed was certainly on our side as we both moved around the clearing to take the weapons, but I couldn’t help but wince at the wound on my leg. These weapons were far too potent and it almost felt like a poison moving through my body. I was starting to slow down, but not remarkably so. Despite the volume of enemies coming through, we all fought them off. Altair was still next to Celica who had woken up and was holding onto him.

The last weapon was in the hands of a mere mortal, and that would be the end of this charade. My staff barely managed to hit him before I felt the pressure of a blade in my side. I barely choked out in pain before I was slammed down onto the ground. I blinked up at the goddess that Ka’seem was fighting. I knew that I had seen her before.

“Uris?”

“Hello Lord Callum…it’s lovely to see you.”

“You…you’re working with the Darkness?! Why?!”

“I don’t exactly have the time to talk about that. I have a job that I must do…and as a goddess of Light…I was the only option to keep up with you and Nim.” She swept her long hair over her shoulder before plunging her staff into my stab wound.

“Gah!”

“Bitch!” Nerissa charged over and swung her ax wildly and Uris had no problem dodging the blows. Ka’seem rushed over to assist her and the three of them began to fight and I finally took note that Nim wasn’t even here anymore. I could hear him fighting in the distance though, so his fight must be tougher than he thought.

“Stop it!”

“Altair!” My heart sank as I heard Celica yell with the last bit of strength that she probably possessed in her weakened frame. Another hulk of a creature had Altair in his arms and Celica was under its foot. The ground was freezing under her, but she was only flailing about at this point.

“Hey-” I went to stand up, but the wound that I had sustained from those weapons made my sense of gravity shift and I fell to my knees. Dammit…this was not happening! Uris was having trouble fighting Nerissa and Ka’seem which could mean something if they kept it up. Uris was never a goddess that was known for her fighting abilities. It honestly made no sense for her to even be doing this.

How many other gods had defected to the other side by now?

I had no time to think about such things as the hulking man carried Altair into the woods. I could not will my body to move. The weapon that struck me must have had some sort of numbing agent. I was starting to bleed out into the grass and Celica was starting to struggle more than ever. She was practically dragging herself across the grass to follow after them. Where the hell was Nim?

“Give…give him…back!” Celica pulled herself to her feet in a test of strength that I could honestly not even be surprised by. That woman was always full of surprises and stronger than anyone gave her credit for.

Well…those were my thoughts before she tilted over and fell face first into the dirt. My breath left my body as I realized that she was not moving at all. She wasn’t even breathing anymore.

“CELICA!!” My fear and anger mixed together and my light burst from my body all at once. It had been awhile since such fear coursed over me. It was even worse for the enemies around us. Nim had returned and lightning struck the ground, and the force felt like it was rocking the planet. Combined with my light burst it decimated everyone in the field.

Almost…everyone.

Uris had managed to block the blast from the man that had Altair and he rushed off into the woods with Altair. Uris looked down at Celica with no emotion in her usually kind eyes. Raising her staff, she went to stab her in the head. I moved at the same time Nim did, but he was faster than me at the moment and hopefully he would reach her first. My heart skipped a beat as the staff was inches from Celica’s head, but she flipped the staff up and a blade appeared and stabbed Nim square in the chest. Everything felt slower as she twisted it in before pulling it out of him. Blood instantly poured out of his mouth as he dropped to his knees.

“Noo!” I turned as Nerissa ran full sprint toward Uris with her ax raised and ready. Ka’seem was right behind her but he failed to notice someone behind him.

“Ka’seem behind you!” Both Nerissa and Ka’seem turned at my warning, but Ka’seem was not quick enough to dodge the arrows that pierced his body.

“Ka’seem!” I could see the gears turning in Nerissa’s mind as she looked between them both, unable to decide who to go to. She was the only one that might be able to go after Altair at least. The rest of us were to incapacitated at this point. I was sure that I could do something and Nim was still moving, so Uris probably missed something vital. It didn’t mean much since it definitely would have weakened him.

“I suggest you stop while you can Nerissa…” Uris sighed as she looked down at Celica with sad eyes. “I think that you should give up now.”

“Fuck you bitch!” Nerissa growled through clenched teeth and began to advance to her. “I don’t have shit to say to you. You’ve picked your side so stick that “advice” up your fucking cunt bitch!”

“So vulgar…” No more words were shared as the both of them clashed and I turned my attention to Nim and Celica. Ka’seem was pulling the arrows from his body as the person in the tree made their way over to him. Nim had grabbed Celica who, by some divine miracle, was still breathing and awake, but I feared that she wouldn’t be lucky for much longer.

“We have to get the damn kid…” Nim was bleeding more than I thought he was, but he was more focused on the storm around us. “You need to get up.”

“I would if I could Nim!” I didn’t mean to snap at him, but this whole situation was a pain in the ass. Ka’seem brushed off his injuries to face the archer and Nerissa was having a tough time keeping up with Uris. It would continue like this if she didn’t tap into her other abilities, but she was terrible at it. I barely could get my thoughts together before a shadow overtook the three of us. A figure crashed into Nim and completely knocked me away from him and Celica.

As the dust finally settled, a gasp escaped me as I saw a very very large man had a God killing weapon made into a gauntlet, and it was buried far into Nim’s chest and it was splayed in his blood. In his other fist he held a dark chain and Celica was hanging from it with her arms tied behind her back. He made eye contact with me and smiled before he snapped his fingers.

Any energy left in my body was sucked out as the same chains appeared from nowhere and wrapped around my body. Hearing the gasp from Ka’seem and Nerissa was not a good thing to hear either. It was good for Uris as Nerissa seemed to catch her off guard and was slamming her fist into her face, but the chains pulled her back.

“These are the “Supernovas”? What a joke…” Snapping his fingers again, it pulled us all together and the situation just went from bad to worse to astronomically bad. Now the five of us were on our knees in a clearing and Altair was gone, and Lady Serafina was still fighting with no end in sight. Celica could barely even stay on her knees as she rocked back and forth. This was a dangerous obstacle for her since these God killing weapons drained our divinity. The chains were draining my power and in theory they could essentially make us mortal and we were sitting ducks. Her divinity was probably the only thing that was keeping her stable, so Celica was in more danger than ever.

No way to contact our pantheons, Lady Serafina in combat, in essence, we were screwed.

“Morlo should be on his way to retrieve the child.” The large man smiled down at us as the archer that Ka’seem had been fighting came to speak with him. “We have to dispose of them soon. Our liege will wrap up their fight with the Light. The child-”

“Give him back you fucking rat!” Nerissa tried to get up but the man just laughed at her failed attempt. The chains were affecting us faster than I thought. Ka’seem and Nim were also starting to breathe heavier.

I…I saw no way out of this.

I breathed out a frustrated sigh as our enemies moved away from us to talk and I leaned into Celica so she wasn’t using all of her strength to sit up.

“Does anyone have any idea how we can get out of this? Anything at all?” Ka’seem was met with only silence and Nerissa cursing to herself. “We have to think of something guys-”

“There is no plan right now Ka’seem! Damnit!” Nim growled at Ka’seem who turned to kick him and I was getting more annoyed now.

“Fuck you Nim! I’m trying to be positive and come up with solutions for Serafina’s sake! Stop being so fucking negative!”

“Could you two stop fucking fighting!” Great. Now Nerissa would join in their arguing. Celica felt like she was about to pitch over again. “We’ve all been off our game here!”

“Some more than others…”

“Really Nim? You want to go at this with me now?!” Ka’seem looked ready to headbutt Nim into the ground and I’m sure Nim would be sparking with lightning right now if he could.

The three of them kept up their arguing and I just turned to look at Celica. “You’re gonna be ok…we’ll make it out of this. I just have to think.”

Feeling Nim tense up next to me, I watched as his head snapped up and his eye glanced to the side.

“What is it?” He furrowed his brows as his ear started to twitch.

“Something is coming…and it's approaching fast…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Chronicles of the Supernovas: Children of Darkness

Chapter 20: Last Chance, Make it Count

Morlo

The child was gone. The child was gone and I had no idea how important to my liege that the brat was. I should have been better informed and I could have done better. I needed this to work and I needed to crush the Light where she stood. I wanted to watch her bleed, I wanted to watch her suffer under the might that was my liege. She deserved the worst type of pain imaginable. There was no future with her in power. She couldn’t make the decision that my liege made each and every day. Beings in this universe continued to show me how weak her rule truly was. Suffering and pain was all that followed behind that fake smile of hers. She was a plague that needed to be expunged from the universe.

The child had destroyed the facility and those Supernovas had taken the children. Everything was starting to fall apart, and I needed to stop it. My liege was growing more and more restless and it would be a matter of time before they acted on their anger. Those other Gods had failed to show up and assist me. They were nothing more than a bunch of cowards, even my men were starting to question and fear what would come next. Loyalty was something that was not so easily kept in times such as this.

“Mmm…” I frowned as I glared at the woman resting in my bed. I didn’t expect such loyalty from Brielle. She was nothing more to me than a way to handle my more intimate frustrations. So I was quite surprised to see her take me away from the base. I didn’t even inform her of my plans or where I was going, but somehow she managed to gather a large number of my men and myself, and led us to her personal bunker.

“Foolish woman…” I sat at her side and ran my hand down her bare back. She shivered under my touch, but otherwise stayed asleep. Her dark hair was matted to her skin from the intense sex we had a few hours ago. It was the only time that she was quiet, and the only time that I could think around her. I hated sitting here and waiting for nothing short of anger that I was sure to receive. I would have no more chances. I had to retrieve the child and make this right.

“Tsk tsk tsk…oh Morlo….you are so naïve…”

“What?!” I flipped around to scan the room as a voice traveled through it. Whoever it was, make my stomach turn, even my hair was beginning to stand on end. It wasn’t until I looked at the shadows of the room that a figure started to form. It was not my liege, their presence would have felt much worse. I would probably be dead at that point too. The figure stayed in the shadows, and I couldn’t make out what they were. The only thing I could see was a twisted smile in the darkness of the room. “Who are you?!”

“Oh…just a friendly face…here to make sure you don’t fuck up….”

“Funny…now get the hell out of here before I toss you out.”

“Is that anyway to talk to someone who is trying to help you? My master is not pleased with you at all Morlo…they were ready to tear you apart.”

I swallowed back my nerves as the shadow laughed and moved across the room. I was right. Of course my liege was angry with me. I seemed to keep failing at this fucking assignment. The child was stubborn, but I didn’t realize how much. I figured that I instilled enough fear in his heart, but it just wasn’t enough. The shadow moved and I snapped back to look at it as it slinked across the ceiling. Its grin making me feel more uneasy.

“Say whatever it is you need to report and leave. I have no time for you.”

“Shush now…we don’t want to wake her~” Hearing the voice by the bed now, I flinched as it was beside Brielle. A dagger shining in the dim light was pressed against her neck. I craned my head around to look at the ceiling again. The same grin was still there, but another was right beside Brielle. A chuckle shook my thoughts as another twisted grin appeared in the corner of the room. Whatever this being was, it took multiple forms, but it seemed keen on hiding itself. It was something powerful, and I could not handle it in a fight, I could admit that.

“Step away from her now.” The words left me before I could stop them. No sooner did I admit my weakness, I open my damn mouth for the bitch.

“Aww…I didn’t know that you cared so much. I’d like a turn with her-”

“Move!” Its chuckles flooded my ears as I lunged at it. It just danced around the room before settling near right in front of my face. There was an almost static energy in the air as the shadows grin widened. My breath caught in my throat as its red eyes burned through me. It was infuriating to feel so weak in the presence of this thing. Its taunting was starting to get to me as well. “I will not be toyed with!”

“Fine…” The shadows ceased their taunting and one large shadow loomed over me. I stared deep at it, unflinching, before its mouth opened into its sinister grin. “My master wants you to finish them. Do whatever you must to halt their progress. The child has to be caught.”

“I have contacts that are going to head them off. This will be the final stretch. I will not fail. I will personally go to finish the job.”

“Now if only I could believe that.” The shadow chuckled and backed away as Brielle started to stir. “If you fail once more….my master says I get to have my fun with you, and you don’t want that my friend. I like it when my prey screams, and you look like you scream like a bitch.”

“You-!”

A sinister chuckle was the only thing I received as the shadow left form the room. I was beginning to see red as Brielle yawned and touched my wrist.

“Morlo…what is it-”

“That insufferable group of Gods!” Brielle gasped as my hand tightened around her throat. I did not care for her struggling and scratching. “I will not continue to be disrespected! I will not continue to be used like a pawn! I have conquered countless planets! I will be damned if this is over for me!”

“M-Mor…lo…” Gathering myself, I released Brielle as she coughed and I stood from the bed to think. It was time to call in my elite fighters and their weapons to finish these Supernovas and get that brat. “Brielle…I need a-”

A punch to my jaw when I looked at her almost made me take a knee, but I just glared at the stupid woman as her eyes narrowed. “Like hell I will! You almost killed me you fucking animal!”

“I seem to recall you liking some pain with your pleasure.”

“Fuck you! You know that’s not what I meant!” She growled and cursed as she threw a shirt over her head and massaged her neck. She would get over it like she does with everything that we do together. A deep silence fell over us both as I made my calls. Promises of money and other riches would entice anyone to do anything in this life. It was always so simple to buy power and status even more so. The only thing that was difficult to acquire was respect….

I glanced at Brielle as she made some calls and yelled at some idiots. She caught my gaze before she rolled her eyes, but continued to procure more men for me to use. Yes…power and status was easy to come by with money, as was respect. There was nothing like respect…and loyalty.

Something that Brielle was in constant supply of.

“Ugh…whenever you say the word…you have some more men ready to follow your orders.” Brielle cleared her throat as she rolled her neck. I moved towards her turned back as I looked over her form. My handprints were bright across her purple skin, she was not as dark as the rest of her race. Usually the darker ones were in the poorer parts of the planet. Although, she didn’t care to talk about her more decorated past.

She flinched as I brushed my fingers across her neck. I could feel her looking at me from the reflection in the window, but I kept my focus on her neck. Pulling out some ointment from my pouch, I rubbed it into her neck. A sigh escaped her lips as she relaxed against me, she was…she was really becoming a nuisance. Women always were more trouble than they were worth. This one just happened to be particularly annoying.

“Is this your version of an apology?”

“....”

“Fine fine…annoying man…”

“You show me all of this unyielding loyalty…why? There is nothing between us other than our physical relationship, and that is barely anything to write home about.”

“Maybe I just want a strong man in my life, it's refreshing to see.”

“Mmm.” She rolled her shoulder and I retreated to another room to contact my brother and mother. They had been trying to speak with me for the last few days, but things just never seemed to calm down. If things went wrong…then this would be our last conversation. I just had to not fail, that would continue to be my mindset. I had to keep my focus on why I was doing this and I would not take anymore missteps.

A lone video screen sat waiting for me as I forwarded a message to my mother. It would be surprising to see if she was awake right now. She liked to rest early to prepare for her days ahead. The selfish part of my brain wanted her awake and ready to receive my call. It might be the last time I speak to her and that she sees her firstborn. No no…I would succeed and that would be it.

The screen flashing to life and seeing my mother’s bright face light up warmed my solemn spirit immensely. Her graying brown hair was done in a tight braid and she quickly brushed the sleep from her eyes to smile at me. Her blue eyes seemed to illuminate in the darkness of her room as she fumbled for a light source.

“Mother…”

“Hold on, hold on! I want to see my baby bright and clear!” I sighed as she cursed to herself and stood to turn on some lights. She should be looking for and wearing her glasses. The light from the screen would just damage them more. I should have never called her this late. “Morlo!”

“Yes Mother? I’m sorry that I woke you up.”

“Baby no! I was hoping to hear from you soon! Your brother has been asking me to let him know if you called. Are you eating and getting enough sleep? You look tired…”

“Yes Mother…I am fine. I just wanted to see you.”

“Oh sweetheart….oh! Fenra! Your brother is on the video screen!”

“What? Fenra is there? Mother you really don’t-” I sighed and rubbed my temple as I could hear my younger brother rushing towards her. Before long, there he was and completely out of breath. My brother was never the most athletic man. I told him to get better and work out more, but he never seemed to hear me. His glasses kept falling down his nose and he looked so much like he did when we were children. The only glaring difference that he was a man now…was the infant in his arms. A rather plump baby that looked so much like him with dark brown hair and a tiny nose. The only thing different was the green eyes, which I suppose was thanks to my sister-in-law. She wasn’t interesting enough for me to waste my time meeting, but she made my brother happy, so I suppose she was alright.

“Morlo! Hey! I didn’t think that we would ever hear from you!”

“I’ve been busy.”

“Yes…doing something that you aren’t supposed to be doing.” I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at my mothers tone. She desperately tried to figure out what I did for work, but I would not relent and tell her. “Please tell me that you’re being safe at least.”

“I’m not in danger.”

“Come on Morlo…we just worry about you. We don’t hear from you for months at a time. You act so fidgety and you never tell us anything. We just worry if you’re safe-”

“I am fine! My work is of no concern to either of you! You have roofs over your heads and you are protected and well fed! You both always ask about this! It is none of your business!”

I leaned back in my seat as they stared at me in silence, probably thinking about something to say to me again. It would never matter what they would say, my life and mind was made up. This needed to be done and I would never rest until I completed what I needed done.

“Morlo…” My heart sank as my mother started to cry and my brother tried to console her. I would not be shaken by her tears again. I almost let that stop me once before, but I had to do this for my father and in his honor. “I just want you safe baby…please….just come home for a bit.”

“I refuse. You should rest mother…” I could practically hear my brother steaming on the other end. He was always so attached to our mother. He would probably try and “yell” at me and make me see reason. It was too late for such things. My mother took the child and left and I faced my brother as he rubbed the back of his neck. He…he looked like our father when he did that. “Say what you have to say.”

“I just wish you would be more considerate of her feelings. Be considerate about how we both feel. I know you have this big bad brooding thing you do, but can you just save it?”

“I won’t be coming back.”

“Do not say that! Do you want our mother to hear you say that?! Gods…you’ll give her a damn heart attack you dick!”

“Do not ever say that again.” I leaned forward and he glared at me as he shrugged his shoulders. “You know how I feel about that.”

“Morlo…ever heard of freedom of speech? If I want to invoke the Gods I will. You can’t hold onto this forever-”

“That bitch took our father!”

“He was a damn psychopath and you know it! You just don’t want to fucking believe it!”

“You were a child then! You have no idea what he was doing! Don’t you ever disrespect the honor of our father again!”

“He was a damn terrorist Morlo! He put us through years of grief! You are fucking delusional!”

“Shut the fuck up Fenra! Our father was a genius who wanted to change the world! Sometimes sacrifices needed to be made!”

“At the cost of his family?! He is-”

“Enough!” I slammed my fist against the desk and Fenra just sighed more as we fell into a deep silence. He never cared for our father and look at the bigger picture. He made those sacrifices because it was the only way to make progress. The ways of the Gods had to be changed, and the Light was the biggest obstacle of all.

“Look…just…just visit…your nephew would like to meet you. I would like to go drinking with you and maybe go hunting like we used to. I have gotten much better with my archery and swordplay.”

“Tch…yeah right. You need to use other weapons instead. Enter the modern age brother, and your skills just might get better.”

“Well…here’s hoping that my dear brother comes to show me how to use them.” I smirked as he waggled his eyebrows at me. He would never allow me to be angry with him. I often tried, but I suppose it was the curse of family. I would only allow this weakness in privacy.

“Get some rest Fenra…you have a child to raise. Aren’t children that age more likely to cry in the middle of the night? You should sleep.”

“Fine fine…but I’ll have you know…my son is an excellent sleeper. I barely have any trouble with him.”

“Hmm….good night brother.”

“Good night Morlo, I love you…stay safe.”

“I know I know…” Once he left, I rubbed my head in quiet frustration. My liege should have punished me by now. Something must have happened, or perhaps I just wasn’t important anymore. No no…I was still needed until my liege disposed of me. My contacts would be on the move to those Supernovas. This would still work.

“You never speak about your father…”

“Go back to bed Brielle.”

“You talk about your mother and brother, but your father is a mystery to me.” Her hands on my back made me straighten up. I would not let her talk me into talking about my feelings. Looking up at her, I paused looking at her throat once more. It was beginning to bother me now.

“Cover your throat.”

“I think I like it. Almost like some battle scars.”

“You are the craziest fucking woman I have ever encountered.” She just laughed and wrapped her arms around my neck and rubbed my chest.

“Tell me about him.”

“....” She would not leave me alone unless I gave her an answer. Staring at the screen, the memories of my father invaded my mind once more. “He was an ambitious man…who only ever wanted to make sure his family was happy. Although, his path to getting there was filled with death and misery. The Gods don’t like change or challenges to their order.”

“I suppose your father wanted to make some big changes.”

“He wanted the Gods to take accountability for all the suffering that they unleashed upon man. The sickness, the death, war, all of the above. Even the horror of childbirth…my mother almost died bringing my brother into the world. My father did everything he could to speak to the Gods and beg for an audience.”

“I suppose he never got one?” The memory annoyed me as Brielle straddled me and rubbed my shoulders. It had been some time since I talked about my father, but it felt good to get it out. It was surprising to see Brielle take an interest, but I wouldn’t dwell on it.

“Oh…he got an audience…but that was only after he destroyed a temple. I remember it because he wanted to bring me along. The God…I don’t even remember his name…but I remember the pleasure he got when he tortured my father in front of me. I remember when he made my father watch as he….had his fun with me.”

“....”

“Ever since that moment, my father decided to change his tactics. He began attacking that God’s followers. He burned villages, destroyed families, even went to the point of making weapons of mass destruction. I helped him get the message around that the Gods wanted to control us and they relished in our suffering. These Gods think we owe them love and gifts, when all we want to do it live. We were going strong for years, and my father and I were feared, but we were also respected.”

“So…the ends justified the means?”

“Always!” I gripped her shoulders tight and her eyes widened immensely. She needed to understand that no good would come from these so-called divine beings. The sooner more people realize they weren’t needed the better. “Then that bitch got involved and ruined everything!”

“What?”

“The blasted Light! That “perfect” and “benevolent” goddess who thinks that she can control and rule over everyone! She even bends the other Gods to her whim! She is the head and she must be stopped! Once she falls then the rest of them fall. My liege will create something better than what she did!”

“Morlo…aren’t you just following another God? How do you know that your liege won’t just-”

“They would never! I have their utmost confidence and I know what they are planning to do! We will succeed and I will avenge my father.”

“What did…this Light…do to your father?”

“....” It was something I could never forget for the rest of my life. Her cold eyes barring down on my father and I. He wasn’t even doing anything wrong that day. He was doing a service to the people. The children of mere Gods didn’t deserve to live. My father captured them and set them loose in a forest, like fresh game ready to be plucked. My father and I spent hours hunting down each and every one of them. Their screams often helped me sleep at night. It was a deep comfort for me and my father. I would do it again if I had the time for it.

I remember my father yelling at the Light as she stared us down. There was no beauty to her whatsoever. There was only a heartless monster as she berated my father for the good thing he had done. The good thing that we had both done! Those children would have grown up to become monsters! Making more of humanity slaves to their rule! The Light did not hesitate when she struck my father down. She split his body right down the middle with her scythe, I didn’t even have the chance to yell or take his body. She showed no mercy as she grinded his body to ash. The blow she gave me should have killed me that day. The pain was unimaginable as I felt like my head was splitting open. My scar was just a reminder to give her the same treatment one day, and that day was fast approaching.

“It doesn’t matter. He is no longer with us. My liege will take care of him in the afterlife.”

“....” Brielle just stayed silent and scanned over my face. She could have her thoughts, I would close my eyes and rest before continuing my plans. I needed all of my strength to finish this. As she adjusted on my lap, I figured that she was going to get off, but then I felt her press her lips against mine. Grabbing her shoulders, I pulled her back and there was something in her eyes that I had never seen. Something that felt too…intimate. “Morlo…”

“You need to stop Brielle…we have an agreement.”

“Morlo I-”

“I can’t love you. I will not give you children. Don’t allow yourself to feel this way for me. I want your body and you want mine. Let’s keep it as simple as that.”

“Foolish man…” She reached under the chair and reclined it back until she was leaning over me. “I know that. I don’t want your love. I want your ambition. You want to burn the Gods, then so do I. I follow only the strong. Let us wreck the cosmos together!”

The woman was an idiot. It would be her downfall and we both knew it. We would most likely be the death of each other. I didn’t need her comfort, not really, but…I would take it for as long as I could. I hated admitting how her touch made me feel. Her words gave me strength, her presence made me stronger, but her love…it would be too much to bear, and I would never be able to reciprocate it back to her.

For now, her body would be my final solace.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Chronicles of the Supernovas: Children of Darkness

Chapter 19: Feeding Time

Ka’seem

My burning flesh woke me up before the animal chewing on my arm did, and it was a good thing because the damn creature had most of my leg in its mouth already. I stabbed my dagger deep into its face and it scurried away howling in pain. Sitting up, the ship was nowhere in sight and I patted the fire from my skin before I turned into some creature's dinner once again. I had hoped the others would be near me when we crashed, but it looks like I would have to find them instead. Looking up at the sky, I could still feel the presence of Lady Serafina fighting against the Darkness. With the two of them fighting, it meant that we were once again stuck. If she could manage to distract it enough, we might be able to slip away. The only problem is the damn ship was destroyed and we had to transport the kid.

Callum and Nerissa were the only ones who could teleport to other planets whenever they wished, except Callum didn’t practice with it enough. Nerissa’s abilities relied on the bracelet that she seemed to have left behind. Hopefully, someone else landed with the kid and was keeping him safe. Losing him would make this whole thing pointless. Wiping my daggers off, I moved through the mud and swiped away the drooping leaves in my path. The air was thick and it was almost too hard to breathe. I did not care if I was the damn God of Nature, swamps fucking suck.

Once the mud started to reach my knees, I called a vine forward and jumped across the treetops to travel. With a higher vantage point, I could see the swamp better. Hopefully, if the ship was still burning somewhere, the others would be near it too. As I traveled on, I couldn’t help but keep glancing at the sky. The fight raging above me was so tangible and terrifying. Even through the murky clouds, I could see bolts of energy and power sparking up every few minutes, it almost looked like fireworks.

If only they were right?

I flinched as a bug the size of a small dog almost nailed me in the face. Its multiple eyes zeroed in on me for a second and I thought I would have to fight the damn thing, but it just flew off.

“Good I would hate to-”

A pressure in my back sent me back into the mud and I couldn’t look up as something held my face into the dirt. I could hear the brief sound of wings beating, and a sharp pain in my spine. Gathering my power, I swatted the damn thing off my back. Wiping the mud from my eyes, I almost lost my lunch at the thing before me. It was definitely an insect of some sort, but it had some type of fungal growth forming on its face. Its exoskeleton was so transparent that I could see its internal organs. Four large wings were beating on its back, but the razor sharp talons had my attention. Its four eyes sat on four stalks above its head and they all twisted and turned when I started to reach for my daggers.

The moment it unhinged its jaws at me, I leapt forward to slice its eyes off. It shrieked and started to swing wildly and one of its talons caught me across the waist. I hissed as it dug a bit deep, but I grabbed one of the talons and drove it into its stomach. Its other talons kept swinging about crazily before the fungus on its head started to move. I watched in disgust as it separated from the body and scurried off in tiny legs.

“What the fuck?”

Annoyed with the damn thing, I dropped a nearby tree on it and winced at its dying shriek before the swamp grew quiet once more. Looking at my waist, I cursed to myself as I tore my sleeve and wrapped it across my waist. Hopefully, it would heal at a decent pace until I could find Celica. Honestly, thinking about it now, I hoped that she was alright. She barely looked like she could stand before, and I could only imagine that the crash made it worse.

“Where are you guys at?”

After securing my wounds, I traveled further through the swamp and thankfully I could see some smoke. That ship made some distance in the crash, but it also meant that someone might be there waiting to group up. As I started to get closer, something wet touched my cheek. Pausing on a branch, I wiped it off. It seemed to be water, which wouldn’t be strange in a swamp. I was going to turn and leave, but when it hit my face again, I finally noticed that it was snowing. I snapped my head up and sure enough, high up in the trees was Celica.

She was unconscious and bent backwards over a tree branch that looked ready to snap under her weight. Her head was bleeding, but I really didn’t care about that, because the branch snapped. I jumped up towards her and caught her. I held her close as I hit several branches before I hit the ground, the wind completely knocked out of my lungs. I could still feel her breathing which was good for her, but I fucking couldn’t. Once I gathered my breath back, I sat up and held her head up to better inspect her. Besides the head wound, she seemed to be fine. She managed to form her ice armor, and that was probably what hit me in the face.

“Celica…hey…can you hear me?” The only response that I got from her was a groan and a few mumbled words that I couldn’t make out. Well, we were almost at the wreckage so I could leave her there and see if anything survived the crash. I hope that someone packed up some water, although if I could find a water goddess that could work too. “Alright…lovely…let’s go.”

Making it to the ship, unfortunately there was nothing else here. Adjusting Celica in my arms once more, I laid her down in the broken part of the cockpit. Some supplies were sprawled out around the ground so I would have to take some quick inventory on it. Lady Serafina and the Darkness would probably still be fighting for a while, so we would have to make something of this place for now.

Looking through the things I managed to gather, we only had a few rations, so we would have to hunt anything that was here. The first aid kit barely had anything in it, but hopefully no one was hurt too bad. Relying on Celica was not gonna happen for the rest of this mission, our natural healing would have to tide us over. There were a few pairs of clothes that I was about to change into since the weather was so damn humid and sticky here. The sun looked like it was about to set soon, and I would have liked to look for the others before it set. Leaving Celica behind was not an option though, so I hoped for the best.

Once I changed and started a small fire, I cleaned the blood and dirt from Celica’s face and visible parts of her body. It wasn’t until I touched her back that I saw she had a wound on her shoulder. It didn’t look too deep, but I would have to look over it.

“Excuse me for a sec…” Tearing her shirt off, I carefully turned her over and used the energy of the trees around us to heal her wound. The only response I got from her was a small groan. I hoped that she would wake up soon, because this was not my specialty. Her wound closed up well enough and that would have to do for now. I had to make a note to ask her to show me some more healing techniques. I bandaged her up as best as I could and dressed her in another shirt before I sat next to her and tried to figure out what to do next.

“I have to contact the others and find the kid soon.” Placing my hand against the ground, I felt the planet pulse under my palm. Every inch of the fauna and flora made its way into my mind. I could even see every animal that ran across the ground. Pushing it forward, I tried to see if I could sense the others, and thankfully I found them. Callum was waking up a few miles away from us to our north, Nim was cursing to himself as he smacked some trees down about a mile away from Callum. Nerissa, of course, managed to find a river to clean herself off, not even more than 300 meters from us. If she turned and walked to her west, she would walk right into us. Now to find the kid-

“What happened?!” I looked up as the kid emerged from the swamp looking like a wreck. He rushed over to Celica and looked over her with wide eyes. Someone is in love. Looking over at him, there was still some snow on his head. I guess Celica must have shielded him before they crashed. Lucky kid indeed. “How…w-what happened to her?”

“The same thing that happened to all of us kid. Someone didn’t like us taking you and crashed our ship on Zosmuna.”

“Zosmuna?”

“Yup…a real crappy place to land if you ask me.” In my search for the others, I noticed what planet we had crashed on. It would be the planet that has a habit of eating the living organisms of it every so often. If we were lucky, it had already gone through its feeding process.

“Will she be ok?” I looked back at the kid and smirked as he held Celica’s hand in his. Yeah, he was completely smitten with her. I mean I couldn’t blame him really, she was gorgeous.

“Yeah…I believe so. She was already struggling before so she needs some extra rest. It would be best if she is as comfortable as possible. You think you could look after her for me real quick?”

“Yeah! Of course I can!” I rolled my eyes at his sudden chivalrous need to protect Celica. If it kept him calm and in my sights, I didn’t care. Pulsing my power through my body once more, I sent a few leaves to direct the others towards us. The kid and I sat in silence for a while as he ate some of the rations I managed to scrape together. Nerissa was taking her time to get here…maybe she might have stopped to hunt something. I did also pass the message along that we would need some things.

“So…you have a grandfather waiting for you at home?” It would be best to feel the kid out even though he was being a little brat back on Zhikar. The tough act he kept trying to pull was not fooling me at all. This was a kid who was terrified and desperate for it to be over.

“Doesn’t everyone?”

Dickhead.

“Look…I know that you might not want to admit how afraid you are, but I get it Altair. I really do. This is a lot for a kid your age to be dealing with. We meant it when we said that we want to take you home so you can be safe. It would ease our hearts a bit if we knew that you had some family to go back to.”

“He might be dead.” I tossed some rocks into the brush as he sat beside me and drew his legs up to his chin. He was a tiny kid for his age, although he might hit a growth spurt soon enough. Looking over his frame, he could be quite the fighter. If he practiced his abilities and took some lessons he could be a force to be reckoned with. That blast he caused on Zhikar was enough to show how powerful the kid was, and also how dangerous it would be if someone else had their grip on him. “When they took me away…they beat him up….there was a lot of blood.”

“I see…”

“I might not have any family left anymore.”

“You can’t think like that…he could still be alive. Hell, he might even be trying to find you. I think he’d be pretty happy to see you.”

“Yeah…maybe…” He buried his face between his legs and now I started to feel really bad. It had been some time since I had to deal with kids this young. I was probably losing my damn touch when it came to dealing with them.

“I see what you’re trying to do…I’m not stupid.”

“Yeah? What am I trying to do?”

“Distract me so that I’m not scared. It doesn’t really matter what you do. This whole thing is always going to be scary. All the things that I’ve seen…all the kids that were killed. I just want it to be over.”

“It will be over Altair. Hey look up there…” I moved closer to him and placed a hand on his shoulder as we looked up at the sky. “You see those lights sparking up there?”

“Yeah…what is that?”

“That…is a magnificent woman fighting against evil incarnate to make sure that you are safe and back home where you belong. We weren’t lying when we said that we wanted you safe. We’ll put our lives on the line to defend you and make sure nothing happens to you. As you can see…” I looked back at Celica as she seemed to finally relax in her sleep. “We are willing to do whatever it takes….”

“....”

“Keep your chin up for just a bit longer…once the others make it here…we’ll come up with a plan to get out of here.”

“I…” I raised a brow as he looked down at his hands and squeezed them tight. “I really do have…powers…don’t I?”

“Oh yeah you do. A boundless amount of it too. That is why once we get you home, we can start to show you how to control it.”

“What am I? I thought that I was just a normal kid.”

“That…is a tough question to answer.” I leaned back on my hands as the fighting above our heads grew fiercer. “There is not much that we know about star children. The few in existence have chosen to live their lives from all of this conflict. We respect their decision and haven’t pestered them about studying their abilities. We only really swing around to check up on them every now and then. We have Nerissa who is also a star child, but she barely even relies or practices her abilities. All we know is that their power is so immense that even Lady Serafina doesn’t know its limits. They are…you…are capable of some pretty incredible things.”

“...” I chuckled as he looked down at his hands in wonder. I guess he could act like the child he actually was. “Will you guys ever figure out what…a star child can do?”

“Well…with Nerissa being so damn difficult and not caring for her other abilities…probably not. I’d like to document it in the records and I’m sure a few members of my pantheon would love to know more about them.”

“Records? Your…pantheon?”

“Heh…I guess I could give you a quick rundown. We won’t be going anywhere for a while…”

I couldn’t help but chuckle again as the kid got comfortable so he could listen to me. If I could ease his worries for a bit I would do it. Really didn’t need his powers to freak out again and blow us to smithereens.

“So…the short story is my pantheon specifically handles the research and study of the wide universe. We study the various plant life, civilizations, creatures and monsters, and just the general aspects of it. We keep it all in my temple in the biggest library in the cosmos-”

“You have a massive library!” I was taken completely aback as the kid almost jumped out of his shoes at me. He coughed awkwardly as his cheeks got red, but I didn’t miss that sparkle in his eyes. Seems the kid had a love for books. I could totally get that though, my gorgeous looks weren’t the only thing I was packing after all.

“Yeah…the Celestial Athenaeum…all the texts that have ever existed and will ever exist. We have it all there.”

“You…you think I could see it?”

“Yeah I do.” I ruffled his hair which he did not appreciate as he frowned. “When I can…I tend to spend hours there.”

“Do you have an observatory?”

“....” Huh.

“Wait…so you study everything in the universe and you don’t have an observatory? You don’t have someone to study the stars and planets?”

“Hmm….that…well…” It was something that Tori and the others had been pestering me about. We were just so consumed with looking over everything else.

“That seems to be pretty irresponsible for a God…seems like you’re just being lazy.”

“Hey!” I pulled on his ear and he yelped in pain as he whined and tried to hit me. “I just haven’t had the time! I’m gonna get a dedicated team to do that eventually. The universe is a big place and I have to find someone qualified. I don’t see you volunteering for it!”

“Who would want to work with you?!” He rubbed his ear when I released it, before he stuck his tongue at me. I couldn’t help but do the same to him. Little brat.

“I’ll have you know that I’m a great boss and an even better God.”

“You seem really irresponsible.”

“Shut it.” He smiled like he won a damn prize as we watched the sky continue to spark up. Where the hell were the others? This was taking them way too long. When I sent that message…it should have led them right to us.

“Thanks.”

“Hmm? For what?”

“Distracting me.” His ears turned red as he rubbed his head. “I…I don’t feel as nervous as I did before.”

“No problem Altair.”

“Do you have siblings?”

“...yeah…”

“You just seem to know how to talk to kids is all. Most adults talk to me like I don’t understand anything. I’m not that young.”

“Heh…well it’s been a while. I’m surprised that I still know how.”

“I wish that I had siblings. It would be fun to have someone to play with all the time. Are you guys really close?”

No. “Yeah.”

“Well…they must be excited to know their brother is a God. I know I would be.”

They aren’t. In fact…they…despise me for it.

“The family get-togethers must be really crazy then.”

If they would come, that is.

“Hey…how would you like to get a recommendation to that academy that Celica was telling you about? A smart kid like you should get the very best education.”

“Really?! I’ve never been to school before. My grandfather always taught me at home.”

“Yeah…it would be my pleasure.” I would say anything to get him to stop talking about my family. The relatively short attention span of a child was my saving grace. Just thinking about them made my stomach turn. It wasn’t as bad as the twists and turns it made of my heart though. Altair was trying to stay up, but he was swaying and about to fall asleep. The sun was basically done and a shadow of a cloud passed over our heads. These clouds would make seeing Lady Serafina and the Darkness fighting hard.

Looking up at it, bright red eyes leered into my soul. I couldn’t even release a sound as the damn thing scared the shit out of me. It was massive, how didn’t I hear or notice it? I couldn’t even make out its figure because the size of its jaws almost took up most of my body. Its jaws that were open and about to snap over me if I didn’t finally snap out of my stupor. I only had time to grab its upper jaw and dig my other foot into its lower one to keep it open. Its teeth stabbed right through the center of my palms and it propelled us both through the broken cockpit. I could hear Altair scream and I prayed that it didn’t hit him or Celica.

I grunted as it slammed me into the ground several times. Keeping its jaw open with one hand, I reached for my dagger, but a light consumed my vision. Its jaws closed on me tighter and the fucking thing was strong as hell. I called some plants to pry the things mouth open but it would not budge!

Realizing it now, I couldn’t move my legs even if I wanted to. Whatever this thing was, its gums wrapped around my ankles and held me in place. Before I could figure out how to get out, my vision was consumed by a blinding red light.

I could feel my bones in my body quake and rattle as the energy blast rocked my core. My flesh was burning and the smell of my skin consumed the dank air. A scream ripped from deep in my lungs as it held me against the ground. The assault continued for several more seconds before it stopped. My vision was shot and I grimaced as it started back up again. That shit would really tear me apart another time. Reaching out of its mouth, I slammed my hand against the ground, tearing open a fissure in the ground. It was enough to cause it to lose its footing, and with it its grip on me. Rolling out between its massive teeth, I ducked as a tail almost hit me.

The creature itself was massive, which made sense considering how big its teeth and jaws were. Looking at it more, it was obvious now that it was not some creature native to Zosmuna. No, the Darkness had sent some of its creations to track us down and get the kid. Speaking of, I could see him trying to hide in the wreckage of the ship. Good, it meant that he wasn’t hurt too much and Celica was also alright. The Darkness and its little lackeys were far too creative with the beasts that they made. It was not the time to dwell on it, because it advanced on me with a hideous roar.

I slashed at its claws as it attacked me with ferocious strikes. The thing was fast, but I kept pace with it easily enough, despite how much my body was screaming at me. Stomping a foot down, jagged rocks erupted from the ground and impaled it in its sides. The beast didn’t even flinch as it just continued to snap its jaws at me. Summoning more jagged rocks over its head, I slammed them down deep into its cranium. This seemed to stun it long enough for me to jump on its back and drag my daggers across its throat. A dark smoke emerged from it but the smoke seemed to have a mind of its own.

The smoke rose into the air and seemed to turn solid before several blasts of energy rushed at me. I sliced and weaved away from them. A few blasts nicked my side, but I could shrug it off easily enough. The creature began to stir under me and before I could move, it tossed me off and tried to chomp down on me. Grabbing its jaw, I flexed my strength and snapped its jaw and it finally dropped.

“Fuck…” My body felt like it was on fire. My wounds were starting to bleed more heavily. Moving back towards the ship, I sighed in relief as Altair peeked around to look at me. Celica was also sitting up and although she still looked pale, she seemed relaxed. “Hey…”

“Ka’seem…” I sank down next to Celica as she started to slowly heal my wounds. Releasing a relieved sigh, I leaned my head against her shoulder as she got to work. Her healing touch was always so comforting. It was like a gentle caress from a mother and I really needed that right now. “The others?”

“I…sent the message…they honestly should be here soon.”

“This is the most that I can do. You’ll have to heal on your own for now. You shouldn’t feel much pain though.”

“Thanks…as long as I can still stand and wield my daggers…it's better than nothing.” Altair looked like a deer caught in a hunter's snare. “Hey…I’m alright…this is far from the worst that I’ve ever felt. Once the others get here we can figure out a plan of attack.”

“O-Ok…”

“Altair…we will get you back home. I promise you.” Celica rubbed his cheek and he lit up like a Christmas tree. “Help me stand up love…I need to stretch a bit. I won’t get better sitting and sleeping all the time.”

“Ok…” I shared a glance with Celica at his solemn tone. Poor kid had just been through way too much. He didn’t deserve it, hell none of those kids did really. It was just another unfortunate thing that we couldn’t prevent in time. Sometimes doing this job really did suck. With so much power you would think there would be more things we could stop, but even the Gods had their limits.

Sitting back further in the cockpit, I pulled my hair loose before leaning my head back. The fight raging above our heads didn’t seem like it was losing steam. If that was the case, we would have to figure out a way to sneak out of here. How could we do that? I had no damn idea. The others were better at planning this sort of thing. I was more than content with leaving it to them. I did my fair share of work.

The damn planet was also making some movements that I did not like in the slightest. It would not be long before it started its eating process. I would have to ask Celica about this headache that was forming. This whole mission was turning into a shit show.

“Altair…be careful of the debris around here…I don’t want you to cut yourself on something.”

“Ok…”

Looking back at the pair, I smiled as the kid started to open up more. Peace was never a thing that seemed to last though. Moments had to be appreciated when we got them. I just wished that the fucking creature had stayed dead.

“Ka’seem!” I could barely react as the creature crashed down on top of the ship. It almost managed to crush me, but I held some of it away from my frame. The parts almost crunched down on my face if the thing kept stepping on it, but it had other plans.

Hearing the kid scream,I could see them both just a bit through the parts of the ship. Celica was fending it off well enough in her condition, but her focus kept drifting back to Altair. Grabbing the metal, I pulled it apart just to catch a horrifying scene unfold. The kid made a break for it as Celica faced it, but it didn’t care about her. Setting its eyes on the kid, it lunged forward, mouth agape about to tear the kid apart.

Celica moved faster than she had been moving since Zhikar. Her weapon was completely discarded as she threw the kid out of the war. A sickening crunch echoed through the air, only being overshadowed by the piercing scream from Celica. The creatures teeth sank into her midsection, tearing right through her. A fountain of her blood erupted and dripped down from its jaws. This woman was tough because despite its jaws sinking deeper into her frame, she gripped its teeth and tried to break free.

“CELICA!” The forest erupted around us through my anger and the beast soon found that it had bigger problems at hand. Still biting Celica, it turned just as my fists collided with its face. The trees and ground beneath us shook as I rocked it to the core. Jagged rocks pierced it long enough to make it lose grip on Celica. I didn’t have the time to tell her to brace herself as I yanked her off its teeth. I gave her credit for not crying out anymore.

Setting her down, the beast rushed us again, but now I was pissed the fuck off. Forming a spiked gauntlet, I uppercutted right through its lower jaw. The creature swiped me across my chest, but the adrenaline pumping through me barely made me register it. Reaching into the open wound under its jaw, I tore it open right down the middle. When it began to twitch and try to reform itself, I created a cage of rocks and enclosed it within it. It was fighting against it, but I had enough. I exhaled deeply as I crushed the ball into the size of a marble.

Catching it in my hands, I looked it over for a bit, before I turned and threw it back into the atmosphere. It could report its failure to its fucking master. I rushed back over to Celica as the kid cried over her. I held my face together as I looked at her wound, because if I didn’t the kid would cry worse than he already was. The wound had to be almost six or seven inches wide. The tooth that ripped through her caught most of her midsection and some of her left side was completely gone. It was turning her skin black and the blood that leaked from her was also a deep black.

“You…a-a-al…right?” I looked over as she brushed the kid’s hair back from his eyes. He just cried harder as he held her hand. “It…it’s not…that bad…”

She glanced at me to confirm it, but I could only give the faintest shake of my head. Her brow furrowed, but that was the only emotion she could really show without scaring the kid. Her bright eyes were even starting to look dull. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!

“Come on lovely…we should get you inside.” I moved as slowly as I could to not make it painful for her, but her screams told me otherwise. Just as I placed her in the ship, Callum and Nim both emerged from the forest. Rushing to the ship, they both stepped back in horror as they looked over Celica. “Guys…we have to talk.”

The tone of my voice made them both flinch. They nodded but didn’t once take their eyes off of her as her breathing grew more and more shallow. It was tough to see, but I knew it was worse for them. The three of them had been together forever, and despite their relationship, Nim still cared for Celica alot, anyone could see that. Callum was whispering some comforting words to her, and she tried to smile through her pain.

“What the hell is all the noise around here?” I couldn’t look at Nerissa as she stumbled through the forest towards us. “I heard all this damn screaming and thought there was a-what happened?!”

She almost knocked me over as she dropped down next to Celica. I think I deserved to be pushed around a bit. If I would have properly killed that thing she wouldn't have gotten like this. She was even starting to get better from her earlier use of her abilities, now she was further back in a danger zone I wasn’t sure any of us could get her back from. I could barely hold onto my emotions as I recounted to them what happened to her.

Nerissa kept her eyes trained on me as I recounted my story. Her hand in mine was the only thing keeping me from choking up through it. Nim and Callum still had their eyes fiercely trained on her as she passed out. Altair held her other hand tight, despite her powers acting up and starting to freeze the area around us.

“We have to keep moving.”

“What?” I looked at Nim as I wrapped up and he finally took his eyes off her to glare at me. “She is in no condition to be moved.”

“That creature knows that we are over here. If we stay, the Darkness will just send more to attack us and she’ll be in more danger. We have to move now.”

“Moving her will just cause her more pain!”

“She’ll just have to deal with it.”

“Listen you heartless bastard! Have some compassion for once in your life! We have no idea how much worse it could get if we move her!”

“Sitting here will just make us easier targets Ka’seem! We have to go now!”

“There is nowhere to go if you haven’t noticed! Lady Serafina and the Darkness are fighting above us, the planet is about to start eating! This has to be our base of operations for now!”

“I said we are leaving!”

“Fuck that! I’m not moving her!”

“Maybe if you weren’t such an idiot she wouldn’t be dying!”

“NIM!” I gritted my teeth and Nim looked away as Callum and Nerissa yelled at him. It took all of my strength to not knock him the fuck out. He just huffed and looked away from me back to Celica.

“Listen you fucking mutt…” His eye snapped over to my face as the ground started to tremble. “Unless we need to…we are not moving her. So make yourself useful and find something to ease her pain until we can leave. I’d suggest you do that now…before I have to put you on a leash again.”

His eyes slitted as lightning crackled above us. It was a low blow, but honestly I was sick and tired of everything right now. We had to do something right on this mission, and I didn’t want to listen to him order me around right now. I’d apologize later if I felt like it.

“Hey!” Nerissa got between us and shoved us away from each other. “Ka’seem knock it off! Nim please…just take a lap or something. At the end of the day, we are stuck here and we…we have to make Celica comfortable.”

Nim didn’t say anything more as he stormed away and I looked away from Callum as he gave me a look. I realized the situation was dire, but everytime Nim gets riled up it leads to more problems. Something that we didn’t need right now.

The next few hours had to be the tensest hours of my life. Celica was in a constant state of delirium. She would wake up and mumble to herself, before passing out again. We had managed to find some things to eat, but she couldn’t hold any of it down. Her wound was also getting more concerning as it continued to slowly move across her body. I was terrified of what would happen if it reached her heart. When the others noticed, they tried to ignore it and hope for the best, but we were all nervous. We had to get off this planet.

Nerissa and the kid didn’t leave Celica’s side for a second. Nim and Callum had gone off to look for more food, but I was too focused on this planet. It should have started its feeding process already. It would be a disaster when it finally starts up. Lady Serafina and the Darkness were still fighting and it was starting to dawn on me that they could do this for a while. One of them would have to back off, and Lady Serafina would never leave us alone. They could fight each other over this planet for the next hundred years if they wanted.

Celica…she didn’t have that kind of time. Lady Serafina was the only one who could heal her at this point. She was getting weaker and weaker and her body was not healing itself anymore. We cleaned and managed her wounds as best we could, but it definitely wasn’t enough. I closed my eyes once more as I dug my fingers into the dirt. The planet was shifting again and it seemed that it was almost time.

“Ka’seem…” I kept my focus on my task, even though I probably should talk to him. With a frustrated breath, I stood up to face him, brushing the dirt from my clothes as I did. It really didn’t matter since I was covered in dirt and dried blood. My own injuries were screaming at me, but I just ignored it. “I know that you are worried about her…”

“Are you not worried about her?’

“....”

“Seriously?” I rolled my eyes as he frowned. “I know that you got this I don’t give a fuck mentally but I’m going to need you to care just for a bit.”

“I don’t-”

“Yes you do, Nim. Despite how much you fight…you have to think about her pain right now. She needs strength right now…not an asshole who’s being difficult.”

“....”

“Also…I’m sorry about earlier. It was out of line…I’m just really annoyed and nothing seems to be going right for us. I just want Celica to recover and the kid somewhere safe.”

“Agreed.” Closing my eyes, I rolled my neck to get an annoying knot out. I flinched as I opened them and Nim was in my face. “Y-Yeah?”

“You know that when we get home that I’m gonna kick your ass right?”

“Mmm…yeah yeah…” He smirked and I couldn’t help but chuckle. As much as he could be an ass, he was still one of my best friends. It was hard to be mad at the bastard for too long. “Also…I think the planet is about to start feeding-”

The ground suddenly started to shift and we both lost our footing. It seemed that the planet was going to start feeding. I had no idea how it started, but we had to move. Nim and I rushed back to the others and Callum had already picked Celica up. Nerissa had a hold on Altair and with a quick nod we all rushed off into the treetops. The trees were starting to bend and twist under the movements of the planet. Creatures of all sizes were running and flying away but most of them were being crushed by falling trees and sinking under the dirt.

It wasn’t long before we reached some flat land and booked it across. The ground was starting to open up under our feet and I could briefly see what looked like several rows of mouths. When I said the planet had a feeding process, I didn’t expect to see that. The mouths were leaking with something that looked like acid, probably making it easier to digest things. It would be fascinating to study, but I would have to do that later. Nerissa pulled some water from the air, and made us a bridge to run over.

Unfortunately, the mouths did more than just leak acid. It started to spit it out into large fountains. Some of it caught Nerissa on the shoulder and our water bridge wavered and dissolved. I quickly pulled some of the dirt up to keep our momentum. I looked back at Callum and Celica and they seemed fine and so did the kid. We continued to run until we were under a cliffside, and finally caught our breaths as the planet shifted and changed around us. The mountains and ground rose and shifted and more and more creatures were falling prey to it. I felt kind of bad for them having to die like that.

That was nature at its finest I suppose.

As Celica continued to weaken and with it the temperature dropped. We all huddled together as we waited out the planet’s feast. The worst thing about it all was the wait, and we had no idea what would come first. The end of the fighting between the Light and Darkness, or the end of our dear friends’ life…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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goddessofeternity · 1 year ago

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Chronicles of the Supernovas: Children of Darkness

Chapter 18: Unlucky Break

Nerissa

The blast came from the ground, and with it came bone shaking pain and a massive fucking headache. The whole area had turned white and red with the blood of the many creatures and men we were fighting. The only thing that I knew right now, was that my body felt like fire and I wanted my vision to clear up already! The blood from my head had leaked into my mouth and it made me think about how long it had been since I was really hurt…well…unless I count what happened with that woman from earlier.

Damn. She really did have a nice ass.

I groaned as my head pounded more against my skull and my vision started to clear more and I was greeted with the pleasant image of a sword about to be stabbed in my face. I grabbed it easily enough and flipped it around to stab the idiot in the throat. Once he fell over, I sat up to take stock of what happened to everyone else. I saw Nim pushing a ship off of his body with a slew of curses pouring out his mouth. Hearing a sound, I looked over my shoulder as Callum walked over holding his head. Blood was flowing into his eye and he even looked annoyed before he looked down at me.

“Need some help?”

“Huh? No…just enjoying Nim having a temper tantrum.”

“Nerissa…”

“Yeah?” I looked at his pointed finger and groaned as I saw my leg had decided to leave my body. I didn’t even notice that it was gone. Hopefully Celica could patch that right-

“What happened to Celica and Ka’seem?!”

“I have no idea, but I think they were still underground when that blast happened. I imagine that a majority of the children most likely perished.” I followed his gaze as we watched Nim look over the other children that caught the brunt of the blast on the surface with us. It seemed that we would just keep taking losses here. We had to do something right��I had to do something right. I fucked up royally earlier and I didn’t want to lose anymore innocent lives. “Nerissa…”

“Yeah?”

“You have to move on from it.” I groaned as he lifted me up and held my weight against him. “I know what happened earlier is bothering you, but we have to focus on what we do next…”

“...” I poked him in the cheek and he glanced at me with a raised brow. “What about you…you haven’t been the most aware person since we came here.”

“...I suppose you are right about that…” We moved over to Nim who was gathering the bodies of several children without anything more than a deep frown. I wonder what was going through his head…besides the frustration of course. Nothing about this mission had been going our way, and maybe it would have been…but I managed to destroy that. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the last bit of rain as it fell on us.

“I was supposed to get those kids out of here…”

Nim and Callum both looked at me, and I didn’t have to see their faces to know they were thinking about what to say to me. There wouldn’t be much they could say to make me feel better about everything I had managed to do. Sweet Serafina…I was still such a child at times. Callum patted my head and I hated that he was still trying. I wanted to be sad about this and I should feel terrible.

“Well…who knew that the ground would explode around us…” Nim sighed as he laid another child down. “Unless you plan to cry about it…help me gather the rest of the children so we can find Ka’seem and the smurf…”

“Wow…you have such a way with words…that makes me feel soo much better…” He rolled his eye at me before I willed the rain away. I gathered some water into my leg so I could at least stand until we found Celica.

“I’m going to see if I can find them in the debris-”

Callum was quickly cut short as the ground started to shake under us once more. Nim and Callum drew their weapons and I quickly took up their rear. Some of the rubble in the main structure was starting to rise, but I could hear the faint sounds of someone yelling. Nim and Callum noticed too and we all cautiously looked into the hole as it continued to rise. The voices became more distinct and I sighed in relief at hearing them.

“Hey! You almost kicked me! I’m trying to be as careful as possible!”

“I have to make sure that they are ok!”

“Well damn Celica! I had no idea that’s what you wanted this whole time! You damn psychopath!”

Slap!

“OW! Chill the hell out! How does anyone concentrate when you’re like this!”

I chuckled as Ka’seem and Celica were both screaming at each other, and before long, the huge mound of dirt cleared away and showed a tattered and bruised up looking pair of Gods. Ka’seem didn’t look too bad, but he had a large wound on his side, and his hair had fallen out of its ponytail, and the lovely handprint from Celica on the side of his face. Celica still looked pale from when she used her abilities, but her face was fractured, and small bits of ice fell off her face. Her ice armor was tougher than I thought if she was virtually unscathed, but she needed some rest soon, but she would never listen to any of us when there were children involved.

Speaking of…

“Whatcha got there Celica?” She snapped her head to glare at me, but her features softened as she held two boys close to her chest. One of them was bruised up and had some dried blood on his face, but he was fine. The other one is the one that gave me pause, and he caught Callum and Nim’s attention as well. “Is that…?”

“Yes…Nerissa I need your help…come here.” My heart swelled in pride as she called me over.I had no right to feel that way, but I could finally do something to make up for my idiotic blunder earlier. I wasted no more time as I ran over to the crater and knelt beside her. The little boy’s skin had turned a deep black and there were constellations forming on his arms. His hair had turned white, but it was slowly fading away to a honey blonde. He was so still that I would have thought he was dead, if I didn’t see his chest rising slightly. I couldn’t explain it, but there was something about being near him that made my heart melt. It just felt good to be in his presence.

“You feel that?”

“Y-Yeah…is this how it felt when you guys found me?”

“Yes.” My cheeks flushed as they all answered in unison, so gentle and so loving. There was no hesitation in their voices either. I had never met the other star children, most of them chose to remain hidden and have their lives private. The only beings that knew where they were was Serafina, the Trinity, and the Ancients. It was better that way for them and if anyone tried to look for them. I heard they were quite the group too, so we might get along if our paths ever crossed.

“Will he be alright?” I looked at the other boy as he held tightly to Celica. His eyes were large with tears that were threatening to fall. “H-He just got so upset…and then everything just turned white! I’m sure that he didn’t mean it!”

“Hey hey…it’s ok…we’re gonna make sure that he wakes up and is good as new.” I looked back at the boy as he groaned and turned in Celica’s arms. The energy coursing over his body was starting to leak out of him. A small cluster of stars was starting to form around us, and we really didn’t need any celestial bodies floating around like that. I puffed out a breath as I brushed them away to focus on him.

I didn’t like to admit that I was not that well versed with my celestial powers. I focused more on my water abilities and my other Goddess given abilities. I guess this was my signal to start my training back up. The least I could do was ease some of the excess energy off of him. Shutting my eyes, I held my hands over his body and felt a rush of his power flow over me. I almost fell over from the sheer strength the kid was exerting. I held his arm tight as his power continued to flow into me, my own skin taking on a more celestial appearance.

With a deep sigh, the boy relaxed against Celica and his skin turned back to his usual hue. I quickly stood away from him as the energy made my body tremble. The rush that I got from him felt better than any high I had ever had.

“Remember your breathing Nerissa…” I nodded as Callum placed a hand on my shoulder. With several deep breaths, I dispelled the energy from my body and fell back against Callum. “Good job…”

“Thanks…”

“Mmm…” I snapped back to look at the boy as he started to wake up. Celica was whispering calming words to him as she healed him, but his speech was slightly slurred. I chuckled and he opened his eyes to glare, and I marveled at how pretty his pale green eyes were. The residual effect of his powers were slowly fading away. “What…what happened?”

“You’re safe Altair…”

Altair? Huh…what a name choice.

“N-No…” He moved away from Celica and looked around at us with anger, but also fear in his eyes. “The…voice said you were just using me…I just want my grandfather….”

“Voice?” I shrugged at Ka’seem as he shook his head at Altair. “Sorry buddy, but if you heard any sort of voice, it was not a friend.”

“Huh? I’m supposed to trust your word?” He glared at Ka’seem and slowly rose to his feet, despite Celica protesting about it. “I’m not gonna listen or trust a man with a ponytail. You look like damn twink-”

I tried to hold back my laugh, but the face Ka’seem made was far too funny. His jaw was slack as he stared at Altair, before it turned a bright red. I blinked and Ka’seem had him by the ear and looked ready to pull it off.

“OW!”

“Listen here you little shit…” Ka’seem seethed through gritted teeth, his eyes slitting angrily. “This damn twink! Saved your little ass! Besides…even if I did swing for the other side, it shouldn’t matter! You owe me your life you shit! Also learn some respect…no one likes a homophobe…”

“OW! Ok!” I giggled as Ka’seem released his ear with a huff and Celica glared at the back of his head as she healed his ear. “Jerk…”

“Hey hey…stop it Altair…” Celica gently chastised him and I was surprised that he actually settled down. “Guys…I need you to get the rest of the children…”

“Huh? You mean you managed to save some of them!?” Celica nodded solemnly as she looked behind us at the rest of the bodies.

“I encased the rest of the children in ice quickly enough. You might have to do some digging, but they are still alive.”

“Alright…once we get the children we can reconvene back with the children you rescued at that auction. Once that is done, we go and get this Morlo person…”

“He might have been killed in the blast.” I shrugged as I made some water for the kids to drink. “That is the only option that seems right to me.”

“No he’s probably alive…” We glanced at the other boy as he finished drinking his water. “I heard him talking about how he has friends who can teleport him wherever he wants.”

“What?” Nim growled through his teeth and the boy jumped closer to Celica. “Of course…it is never that simple for us…”

“Roy…did you hear anything else about this Morlo?” Sometimes I envied the gentle touch Celica had with children. There was just something about her that they loved and they always sought out her attention. I wish that I was like that, but I think my eyes really kill any chance of a kid liking me, not that I was great with them anyway.

“Just that he had powerful friends…and he wanted the barrier down soon…”

“We need that barrier down…” Altair winced as Callum spoke about the barrier, but he didn’t push it more thankfully. “Let’s get the children out of here. Celica you continue healing the boys, and Nerissa watch her back.”

“Aye aye captain…” I gave him a mock salute as the boys went to get the rest of the children. I plopped down next to Celica who gave me a look. “What?”

“You seem to be in a better mood.” I shrugged and looked aways from her, but she continued her prying as she pursed her lips. “I just want you to make better decisions Nerissa.”

Here we go.

“Celica…I…I know that you do, everyone does.” I leaned back on my hands and closed my eyes feeling the sun pour into my skin. I never seemed to be able to do things right since we came to this damn planet. “Gonna kick my ass when this is over?”

“Definitely. Although, I could be inclined to forgive you quicker if you can clutch up for this final stretch?” I didn’t need to open my eyes to know that she was smirking at me. I guess I was too lovable to be mad at for long. “Although…”

“Ow ow!” I cried out as she pinched and pulled my cheek super fucking hard. What the hell was she trying to do, rip my face off?!

“If you ever do something as stupid as that again…I will freeze you down to your atoms and shatter you piece by piece until you beg for a mercy that will never come, because I will do it over and over again. Understand?”

“Y-Yes ma’am!” I rubbed my cheek as she smiled and continued to tend to Altair and Roy. I was going to continue to pout but feeling her soft touch healing my leg, I kept quiet. Glancing at Altair, it seemed like he had a little crush on our ice queen. It wasn’t hard to miss with how he was gazing at her. Looking at the sky, I stood up, almost knocking Roy right over. “Celica!”

“What is it?”

“Look at the sky!”

“Huh?” Her gasp told me that I hadn’t been seeing things and what we were looking at was the real deal. There was no fluctuation in the sky anymore, no obvious power lingering in the air, no sense of entrapment. It was just the atmosphere.

The barrier was gone.

There was no time to waste as we gathered the children together and called for some backup. Half of Callum’s pantheon would be coming to collect the children, while Nim’s would handle their protection. This meant that the Darkness would be on this planet soon enough. We had to get off as soon as possible.

“Come along you two…” Celica led the boys away towards the rest of the children. I kept my eyes to the sky as I followed behind her. Hopefully our people would be here quickly and we could get the hell out of here. “Nerissa…could you get the children some water? Most of them are dehydrated.”

“Yeah sure.” Once we made sure the children were properly safe. I didn’t want to waste this precious amount of time we had much longer. The few children that were still here were scared, but once Altair and Roy assured them we were fine, they moved along without much complaint. I was about to make sure that they all had enough water, but something caught my eye back in the forest. I frowned before I made my way over there. It was most likely a child that we might have missed.

“Hey…you can come out…I’m not gonna hurt you. I just want to make sure that you are safe…we can bring you back to your family…”

“What happens to the ones that have no family to return to?”

“Well…we take them to a place they will be safe at. Security, an education, food, and anything else they could possibly need.” I looked over my shoulder at the Onkai woman from before, and I really didn’t like the familiar feeling of that dagger in my back again. I must really be off my game right now, but I also had no time to entertain her. “Is that a sufficient enough answer for you?”

“No…no it isn’t. I thought you would have left after our last fight.”

“Well…clearly I didn’t. Now…would you get that damn knife away from me. I have more important things to deal with then fighting a little girl again.”

“I’m the one with the knife in your back right now!” I held my hands up defensively as she growled at me. She was kinda cute when she was angry. She was also not very aware of her surroundings because water was traveling up her boots and she didn’t flinch yet. “So how about you do me a favor and-ahh!”

“You know…I thought you were more aware than that.” I chuckled as she wiggled in my water snare. The water traveled further up her body before her arms were pinned to her sides and the dagger now rested at my feet. I looked over it with a frown. This was something that I would have to look further into when this mission was done. I never complained about my job, but this was super annoying. These god-killing weapons were being created and shipped across the cosmos more and more. I would have to tell Amias about this. He would love to hear about this topic again. Making him suffer through more and more paperwork was my own personal pleasure.

“Fuck you and release me now!”

“No.”

“Bitch! When I get out of this I-”

“Except you won’t get out of this because I have to release you from it. You will stay there for as long as I deem fit. You have almost killed me twice now and I have some words about it.”

“Oh fuck off you cow tiddied bitch! I have nothing to say to you gods! You have brought nothing but suffering to my people for years! Its about time you get a taste of your medicine!” I had to admit that the angry bite in her voice took me aback. I didn’t know what history she had, but it was not something I could dwell on now.

“Listen…I don’t want any problems with you, and I want nothing more than to help with Zhikar if there is anything I can do. Right now, I really have to make sure these children are safe! There are much more pressing matters at hand than dealing with you!”

“...”

“You know that I’m right and I’m positive that you would have killed me already if you knew I was lying! You let me go before and I’m only asking for some more of that faith I saw in you earlier. Letting you go might be dumb, considering you have managed to get another one of these weapons…”

“I-”

“So this is the little snake that almost took you away from us.” The shiver that travelled up my spine was nothing compared to what the woman in my snare was probably feeling. Celica’s chilled voice felt like it was freezing the air as my snare froze solid. Celica stepped up beside me and the woman gasped as the ice traveled further up her neck. “I was hoping to have a chat with you.”

“W-Wait Celica! Let her go! You don’t have to worry about her causing us any trouble!”

“I don’t see a reason why I shouldn’t make her realize her mistake for a bit.” Her eyes turned a sharp blue as she glared. “Tell me where those weapons came from…now.”

The woman gasped as the ice crackled across her body and if I didn’t do something she would experience something more painful than some frostbite. Celica was a scary woman when it came to getting information out of other beings. It was usually entertaining, but I really didn’t want to see this woman’s body as a bunch of ice cubes.

“I asked you a question!” I snapped back to reality as the woman screamed now. Celica was not a good listener when she was angry. What could I do to-ah ha!

“Celica wait!” I dashed into her line of vision and before she could open her mouth, I released my trump card. “You can’t hurt her! In accordance to the Law of Patheons #12: We can not inflict any type of punishment of the others pantheons. Unless face-”

“They wish to face several harsh charges, and not limited to imprisonment and stripped of their abilities in the Oblivion Maxiumum Secruity Prison in the Void.”

“Exactly! See I knew that you would remember that!” I laughed akwradly under her piercing glare before I turned to look back at the woman. The ice quickly disappeared as fast as it had came, but Celica was not done as I still felt her eyes on my back.

“She isn’t in your pantheon Nerissa…”

“What? O-Of course she is!” I looked back at the woman who’s eyes flicked rapidly back and forth between me and Celica. I grabbed her hand and she gasped as a light emanated over our joined hands. “I, Nerissa, Supernova and Goddess of Water, hereby bring you…um…?”

“A-Arwen D-Dornala.”

“Arwen Dornala into my service to protect and serve the various species in the infinite cosmos to the best of your abilities. On my honor as a Goddess, so I say, so it shall be!”

The air crackled a bit from the oath, but other than that it was quiet in the woods around us. The chill was gone and I grabbed Arwen to stand quickly. “Listen…some people are coming to collect the children and keep them safe. I want you to go with them and ensure that they are safe ok?”

“W-What? What the hell was all of that?! I didn’t-”

“Now Arwen! We can discuss this later just do as I say.” She glared at my sharp tone, but left my side quickly and gave Celica a wide berth. I watched her rush off before my gaze shifted back to an angry Celica. “So…I-”

“Don’t….ever do that again. Invoking the laws on me like that…you have more balls than I give you credit for.”

“Yeah well…”

“She tried to kill you Nerissa. Who’s to say that she won’t try a stunt like that again?”

“I know I know…I just could see more bubbling under the surface. She just wants to ensure that her people are safe. I can see that she is not a big fan of the gods, but she still let me go…jsut spreading a little faith.”

“Hn. Come on…the others have arrived to take the children. I can hear the ships landing.”

“Right!”

The rest of my patheon was going to get a real kick out of hearing about the newest member to our fold. Although, there was a high probability that they would laugh at how pathetic this whole thing was.

~~~

“HAHAHA!”

My eyes could not roll any higher into my skull as I sat on a wooden crate as everyone moved around me. The sun was finally down for the day and we were greeted with the sounds of various nocturnal animals and the odd child crying here and there. I would have loved to enjoy the sounds of nature from my home planet, but someone was making that difficult for me.

“Why are you here Sol?” I gritted my teeth as she finally calmed her laughter down and closed her fan with a loud slap. I narrowed my eyes now as she looked down and me and tried not to laugh again. “I seriously hate you with a fiery passion.”

Soliana was supposed to be taking a vacation right now, so what the hell was she doing here? I looked over her shoulder as the rest of my pantheon helped Callum’s load the kids into their ship. Amias sent me a nod but I rolled my eyes as Soliana just smirked at me. Even Fate had shown up to help, but that wasn’t to odd I suppose.

“I was enjoying my time off, but then I heard that some help was needed and thought I could use a quick detour. Too much relaxing makes me uncomfortable, I have to keep active. It helps make sure that my figure is intact.”

“Right…”

“So…that’s the child huh?” I looked over at Altair as he sat with his friend and was handed some fresh clothes and food. I had to always give Callum credit with his pantheon, they were always prepared to the tee with supplies for these rescue missions. The Greynore siblings were quick and efficient and I could only hope that my own slowpokes would get a move on. These kids had been through so much, and I was glad that we could give them a better life after all this.

“Yeah…he’s got a mouth on him, but he seems like a sweet kid.”

“So…we have a new member in our flock huh? Seems she really gave you a rough time…” Hearing her start to snicker again, I sighed and walked away from her. “Oh come now dear, this is really quite the story you have dropped on us.”

“A story that I would rather not talk about.”

“Hmmhmm~”

“Just make sure that Arwen is looked after and have Amias fill her in on what happens next for her.”

“I don’t know dear…she doesn’t seem too happy about this. She almost got into it with Fate a bit ago.” I frowned as we almost witnessed Fate floor our new “companion”. Fate was a woman who had patience to a point…a small one. So when I heard that Arwen had pissed her off, I was not surprised when I saw her fist collide into Arwen’s nose. Hopefully they don’t keep trying to kill each other in the near future.

“She will have to deal with it for now Sol…now run along and go help or something…” She chuckled once more before she sauntered off.

“Nerissa!”

“Coming!” Ka’seem and the others were gathered around Altair, who looked nervous about them hovering over him like that. “What’s up?”

“Most of the children are on the ship and ready to go.” Callum looked over at them as the final few were loaded on board. “Zaleria went into town with Amias to gather the children from the auction that we saved. The only thing we have to do now is get Altair out of here.”

“Alright that sounds like a plan. Is there something else?” I shifted my weight as the others had several different looks on their faces. “What?”

“We plan on taking Altair with us on another ship, but the silence from Lady Serafina is concerning.” Callum glanced at the moon before he sighed. “I have tried to reach her, but I have heard nothing in response. I fear that if we leave the planet now, something terrible might happen.”

“We also can’t stay here forever Callum. The Darkness must know that we have the boy. They could be on their way right now. We have to leave now before we are trapped.” Nim glared around the dark forest as more creatures woke and stirred. “We have to make a decision and soon.”

“I know Nim…I just have a bad feeling about this. Also, Celica needs to rest and recover her strength. It is not good for her to be out here this long.”

“Callum…I’m…fine. I just want to…get the children out of here.” We all glanced at her with sour looks as she gave us such a pathetic lie. He was right…she was using too much power and she was looking worse by the hour. Of course, with her stubborn ass you would never really be able to say much to her.

“Fine…let’s go.”

“Alright Roy…we need you to get in the aircraft with the rest of the children. We are going to travel with Altair. It is to dangerous for you to stay with him.” Nim looked down at Roy with a glare that left no room for an argument.

“I-I…”

“Roy sweetheart…” I chuckled as Celica glared at Nim before her tone became so soft and motherly. She reached out and stroked Roy’s hair and he instantly relaxed. The kid basically melted from her touch and I understood that feeling. Celica just had that charm to her and I loved when she would give me the rare headpat and comfort…shit was nice. “We…are going to take good care of him. You…can both be roommates when this is over…I promise.”

“Really? We can live together and just…be happy again?”

“Yes. I mean everyword that I’ve…ever said.” He pouted as he thought about it before he nodded. He shared a quick word with Altair before he went over to one of the ships. I looked back at Altair as he watched his friend leave. His eyes were starting to get wet with tears.

Cute.

“Smile kid!” I slapped him on the back and he almost ate dirt and Celica was about to lose her head about it, but I brung him back to his feet. “This will be a fun trip and you get to meet a very attractive lady at the end of this!”

“Mmm…do I have to sit next to the cyclops?” I almost choked as I suppressed a laugh, but Ka’seem and Celica were quick to laugh in Nim’s face. Nim was fuming and I could see the cracks of electricity bouncing off the veins on his forehead. The kid was going to have a boot shoved up his ass soon enough it he didn’t stop.

“You can sit with me love…” Celica smiled and took his hand as they made their way over to our new ship.

“That kid is obsessed with her…I get it though.”

“Yeah you would…” I snorted as Ka’seem leaned against me with a smirk.

“Please…you know Celica is very fucking attractive. You would have been with her if she let you.” His cough and akward blush made me smile harder.

“Yeah yeah…”

“Come on and walk you two.” Nim’s voice carried over from the ship and we ran over to catch it. He would have left us too if we didn’t move. Once Callum was sure that all the kids were on the ships and leaving, we finally departed too. It was never often that we had such a chill time with a mission with all five of us, but it worked out somehow, except for the earlier blunder.

“Hey.”

“Hey…” I moved over in my seat as Ka’seem handed me something to drink. I looked back out the window as the lights from the cities came to life. My heart skipped as I watched them pass us by. I hadn’t even been here long and…I was already missing it. I learned nothing and I also caused so many people to die because I couldn’t just grow up. Honestly, I just wanted to jump off the ship and try my luck again, but it felt like the damage was done. It wouldn’t feel right stepping foot here again for awhile. Maybe, maybe I didn’t really belong here afterall.

“So…when are we coming back?”

“Huh?” I lifted a brow at Ka’seem as he sipped his drink before turning to look at me. “I…I don’t think that I…”

“Oh…you think that you shouldn’t come back because you fucked some shit up…” I pouted and could feel my cheeks getting warm. He is such a dick. “Well…I don’t think you should let your heritage go so fast.”

“Ka’seem…I don’t want to fuck this beautiful place up again…it would be better this way. Aren’t you upset about this?”

“Oh yeah…I’m partly to blame for that mess too. I should have been the responsible one and put my foot down.” He leaned back in his seat with a yawn before looking at me. “Don’t carry that frustration and anger on your shoulder alone Nerissa. We both have some growing to do. We aren’t perfect beings like our followers think we are. We make mistakes just like anyone does. The only thing we can do it learn to grow the fuck up. We have to strive to be better than we were today.”

“What if I can’t do that? What if I never grow up from being childish and acting like a horny teenager? Lady Serafina was crazy for letting me become a Supernova. I suck at this job.”

“Hey listen…” I sighed as he moved closer and put our drinks down. Tilting my head up with his finger, he smiled his goofy smile at me and I couldn’t help but giggle. “I won’t stand to hear my best friend say such ridiculous things about herself. You are the perfect person for this job. I know that, Lady Serafina knows that, and so does everyone else you’ve helped over the years. Hey, remember that planet that you saved a few months ago?”

“Oh yeah…the one in Nim’s sector right? The one that everyone thought was going to be lost?”

“Yeah…everyone was deadset on having it destroyed because their was no way that it could come back from the plague on it, but you didn’t give up on it. The remaining species there was saved because of you. You saved them from extinction Nerissa! So you messed up a bit today, that is just a small bump in the road. Your years of endless service speak volumes about you, even if you can’t see it sometimes. It’s there and we all see it. Don’t be so quick to bench yourself.”

This idiot was useful to keep around after all. I buried my face into his shoulder so he wouldn’t see my damn tears. He just chuckled and wrapped his arm around me before we looked out the window as we broke through the atmosphere.

“I guess…we can come back soon…”

“Yeah…I thought so…”

“Ah…there you are.”

“Hmm?” I glanced over Ka’seem’s shoulder as Callum appeared behind us. “Something wrong?”

“No no…Celica went to lay down to rest. You has been really weak since she finally settled and stopped pushing hearself. I was hoping that you both could check on her occasionally and if you could get her some fresh water.”

“Sure no problem.” He nodded at us before he left and I settled back into the chair beside Ka’seem and felt my eyes start to get heavy. With one good yawn, I was out like a light. I thought Ka’seem would have left, but he just snored away right next to me. I didn’t know how much time had passed, but I felt like it was good enough because when the first strike hit the ship, I sprang right to my feet.

“What is going on?!”

I ran into the cockpit to see Callum and Nim fumbling around with the controls of the ship. One of the wings was on fire outside and I was about to put it out, but another attack rocked the ship and knocked me off my feet. Celica stumbled into the room and she rushed to the cockpit to help the others. Altair was trembling under a table and Ka’seem was trying to keep him calm. Another blast of something hit the ship and the whole back half blew off.

“AHH!”

The vastness of space almost sucked Altair out, but I managed to grab him as I held a pillar. It was starting to give way and the fire was spreading through the ship now. Celica rushed over and make a wall of ice to block the entrance before we were sucked out. The poor kid just couldn’t catch a break from all of this.

“What the fuck is hitting us?!”

“We can’t see anything! Just hold on!”

“The ship is barely hanging on!” Nim looked over at us and was about to check on us, but he paused. It wasn’t just him either, we all froze as the same feeling washed over us. The burning ship didn’t seem so bad anymore as their presence became known. Approaching us at inhuman speed and ferocity, was the Darkness itself. Its gaping maw and looming arms reaching to grasp us, to tear our little ship apart and take Altair away from us.

“TURN THE SHIP AROUND!” Callum and Nim desperately tried to make the ship move, but it was going too fast and the controls stopped working. The Darkness was getting too close, too fast and we could do nothing. My legs collapsed under me and I held Altair tight against my body. The fear that this bastard put into me was not appreciated, but I just couldn’t move.

It was finally upon us, and it brought the ship to a grinding halt. We all stopped and looked up at it as they looked down at us. This couldn’t be the end, not now! We…we have to get Altair out of here!

My worried were silenced immediately as a golden light consumed our vision, and once it cleared, a beautiful and ferocious sight greeted us. Serafina charged at the Darkness in her full armor with a harsh battle cry. Her sword struck true and the wails from the Darkness made the entire ship and my bones shake. She didn’t glance our way before she once again lashed out at the Darkness once more.

“MOVE!” Her voice seemed to rattle us back into action and we all moved to get the ship moving again, but it started moving in the worst possible way. One of the arms from the Darkness managed to strike out and hit us hard. We became a tumble of limbs and the ship hurled through space at a terribly sickening speed. I tried to reach for the controls, since Callum was knocked away from it.

“Fuck!”

I crawled across the floor and managed to grab it, but the force was too much and I couldn’t get a good grip. All I managed to do was make it spin even more. I briefly could see that we entered the atmosphere of another planet, but everything was spinning to fast. The ship was breaking up around me and I could hear the others yelling and being sucked out of the fallen apart ship. I couldn’t register my own status before the sound of an explosion and darkness took over me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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goddessofeternity · 1 year ago

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Chronicles of the Supernovas: Children of Darkness

Chapter 17: Another Shot at Freedom

Altair

Make it stop…

It hurts…

Grandfather the pain won’t stop.

He won’t stop hurting me.

I thought that I could finally rest and just drift off to sleep, but he would not let me. If I tried to close my eyes for even a second, he would strike me with that metal bar again. If I didn’t stand to face him, then he would kick and punch me over and over again. I didn’t think it was possible for me to stand up any longer. My left leg felt funny, and I don’t think I could even move it. The pain was too much and he never seemed to be bored with me. He just kept shouting about how I ruined everything for him and how the “Supernovas” would kill him. The world just continued to spin as my body stung in so much pain.

“Gah!” My arm made a horrible sound and it burned like fire as I tried to cradle it to my chest, but it hurt too much to move it. I finally just let myself cry as I heard his heavy breathing over me. I flinched as the bar dropped near my face. The man stopped to catch his breath before he went to sit down and wipe my blood from his hands. A whimper escaped from me as I buried my face against the ground. The pain was too much and I wanted it to stop, and I wanted to rest and see my grandfather again, but I wasn’t sure if he was even alive. He had to be alive…he was the only person I had left.

“You…are a fucking stain on everything I am working for…” I peeked up at Morlo as he glared at me and gripped the arm of his chair. The other adults in the room looked worried about how angry he was getting. I didn’t think he could get much angrier than how he was with me. I wish that I could stop whatever it was that he thought I did, because then I wouldn’t have to suffer anymore. All he would yell and mutter about was a barrier, but it didn’t make sense to me. “Are you listening to me child?”

“Y-Yes…yes sir…” I wasn’t really, but it would be stupid to tell him otherwise.

“You know what you have to do for me, and I can end your pain and suffering right now. You help me and I help you. It is the simplest of things and I would hope that you cooperate before I break your other arm.”

Oh. That would explain why it hurts so much.

“I-I will t-try-”

“Don’t TRY! DO IT!” I flinched as his voice echoed around the walls of the small room. He rushed over to me and lifted me by my collar. I cried out as my arm was jostled and he snarled at me. Everything around me felt dark and I was slipping into it, but he just would not let me. He continued to shake me until my eyes were wide open once again. “I am so sick of you fucking children! All you do is fuck everything up!”

I gasped in pain as I was slammed to the ground, my head bouncing off it as his hands gripped my neck tight. When would he stop hurting me? When would it sink in for him that I could not do what he wants? The voices had finally stopped, but I didn’t trust that they wouldn’t start back up again. There was too much happening all at once, and it was just too much.

“You will drop that barrier or you will end up just like your friend over there.” I gritted my teeth as he forced me to look into a corner of the room. I had done my best not to look over there since he had dragged me in here, but shutting my eyes didn’t matter to him. With a punch to my stomach, my eyes flew open, just to see Van being reduced to just bones. A creature was eating away at his stomach and the look on his face was horrible. It had completely eaten his lower half, and it saved his upper half for last.

Roy was in the other corner with a look of pure fear on his face. He had not made a sound since we were brought back, and he never would again, ever since Morlo had his tongue removed. I’m sure if I did nothing that he would kill him next. Roy knew that I had no idea about any powers or anything, and he sat with his knees drawn staring at Van, probably realizing he might be next.

I could just not do what this man wanted from me and he wouldn definitely kill me once I failed at doing it. There would be no way to get out of this mess, and I would never see my grandfather again, and that was if he was even alive at this point. I squinted as Morlo stepped into my view again with his nostrils flared out. He raised his fist to hit me again, and I didn’t have the strength to try and move anymore. His fists just struck me over and over again, and my blood pooled in my mouth as everything started to get dark around me.

“Sir!”

“What?!”

“Those people from earlier are advancing towards us!” Morlo cursed to himself and left me alone at last. Roy looked at me before he just looked back at the ground. I gritted my teeth as I dragged myself across the ground, my leg and arm burning. I had to get out of here, even if it meant I would be beat again. He needed me and he wouldn’t kill me. I could use that, yeah, yeah I could escape if I hurried. I needed Roy to help me, but he was too scared to even look at me. I could hear the men outside the room yelling and loud crashes, something bad was happening and I didn’t want to stick around any longer.

“R-Roy…we have to get…o-out…” I dragged myself closer to him but he just flinched away and scooted away from me. I shouldn’t have felt mad but I wanted to yell. I was scared too! I just wanted to go home! I didn’t want to die without knowing if my grandfather was alright. I had to believe in something!

A growl made my throat get dry as I looked over my shoulder. The creature that was eating Van snarled and dropped some of Van’s insides from its jaws. I looked at Roy who didn’t even react to it.

I was going to die. This was it. I couldn’t run or fight back. It would tear me apart. It turned its gaze on Roy and it was my chance to get out, so why did I do the stupid thing and throw my shoe at it?

Roy even looked surprised at my stupid idea, but he stayed where he was. I suppose…this is what I get for being a good person. The creature lunged at me and I scooted back quickly as its sharp nails scraped against the floor, sending sparks into the air. I looked around for anything that I could use to defend myself, but there was nothing there.

I threw my arms up in defense but the teeth sinking into my good arm made me cry out. It shook me back and forth like a dog before it tossed me across the room, my back hitting a metal table. My head was spinning and I couldn’t even get my focus again before it was biting me again. My blood flowed out of me and it seemed to make it hungrier. I thought that it was over for me, but the creature let go of me. Blinking through my tears, I saw that Roy had started to hit it with a chair. I pulled myself up a bit, but the pain was too much and I slumped back down.

I didn’t think he would actually come around and help me out, but he was. I just wish that it felt like it mattered. I was too hurt to even run and it was strong. Roy would eventually be beated by the thing and we would die, and that would just be it.

The creature took its large claws and slapped him away before it settled back on me. My vision was getting more and more blurry as it ran at me.

Will death feel as painful as my arms and leg feels?

I blinked at the creature as its teeth were almost around my leg again, but there was something sticking out of its mouth now. It was pointy and jagged and I was sure that it would feel terrible as it ate me. The creature was not moving anymore as its eyes started to grow wider and wider. I managed to glance at Roy who looked surprised that it stopped. I watched as the stick it its mouth moved and split it in half right from it jaw. I didn’t have the strength to look at it anymore as I fell to my back. Roy was making noises and I could briefly hear other people. Morlo was probably back to finish me and Roy off now that his creature had failed. I wish that I just would bleed out already. It was getting harder and harder to breath as the room started to spin around me.

“Breathe…come on sweetheart…” A soft voice was speaking to me now, but it was not the gentle voice that I had been hearing for the last few days. It sounded so close to me, and a soothing pressure covered me all over. I guess this is what it felt like to die. It was nicer than I thought it would be. There was a hand on my face now, and I couldn’t help but flinch. I was so used to being hit and bitten by now. I was nervous to open my eyes, but there was something about this person that felt so different.

I opened my eyes and I was greeted with the most beautiful thing that I had ever seen in my life. A woman was smiling at me and her eyes were so pink! I had never seen someone with pink eyes before, or blue skin for that matter! She smiled at me and my face grew warm as she did. “H-Hello…”

“We finally found you.” Both her hands touched my face now and she started to glow and my eyes felt like they were going to burst from my head. She placed a kiss on my forehead and my arms and leg didn’t hurt that much anymore. I touched my chest as the warm feeling spread over me. I…I felt fine! It didn’t hurt anymore! “All better now?”

“Y-Yes…”

She nodded before she helped me to my feet and looked over at Roy before her pretty eyes grew soft. She held her hand out to me and I carefully took it. There was something about her that made me feel safe. Roy backed away as she knelt in front of him and touched his cheek.

“It’s alright…let me see what happened…” Roy shook his head before he looked at me, and the fear in his eyes almost made me cry. He seemed like such a strong person, stronger than me anyway. I felt like I could really trust this woman and she had healed me.

“It’s ok…m-maybe she can help?” The woman nodded before she smiled at him. His cheeks grew red and he slowly opened his mouth. I looked away at the sight of where his tongue used to be. It was just a swollen mess in his mouth and I didn’t know how he didn’t choke on his own blood. The woman took in an angry breath and I could swear that I saw my breath. The room even felt colder as she stared at Roy.

“Just relax sweetheart…” I watched with wide eyes as her finger brushed across his lips and he jumped back and held his mouth.

“W-What?! What’s wrong?”

“My…my tongue…” I rushed forward and he opened his mouth and he had a new tongue in his mouth again! It was like nothing happened! We both turned to look at the woman who did nothing but smile at us. Why did she do it?

“W-Who are you?”

“I am a goddess…and I have been tasked with getting you and all the other children away from these people and back to your families, and those that don’t have families will be taken care of by me.”

“O-Other adults have hurt us…you’re just saying words right now…” Roy nodded his head at my words, but the woman just sighed and nodded.

“I know that other people have hurt you…but I swear on my honor as a goddess that I will get you out of here safely. We just want to protect you.”

“We?”

“Yes…myself and some others have come to get you all out of here.”

I couldn’t really trust her right? Yeah she had saved me and Roy…but so many people had hurt us up until this point. I snuck another peek at her as she looked over Roy and kept glancing at the door. She…was really really pretty. My face heated up again when I looked at her, even moreso when she glanced at me and smiled again.

“Celica.”

“H-Huh?”

“My name is Celica…I hope that hearing my name will make you feel more comfortable and we can talk as we leave. Your friend seems ready to go.”

I looked over at Roy who looked just as interested in her as I felt. He whispered his name to her in hushed embarrassment and she smiled and ruffled his hair. I guess…I guess we really had no other choice and she was better than being with Morlo. “F-Fine…let’s get out of here…my…my name is Altair…”

“Altair?” A beautfiul laugh moved her before she reached out and brushed my hair out of my face. I hated that I knew my face was red. “A perfect and fitting name. Your parents have amazing taste.”

I was about to ask her what she meant by that, but I couldn’t as a man barreled into the room, covered in blood and other things. His daggers were dripping in some green goo and the smell almost made me throw up. Roy actually flinched and latched onto Celica and I should have done that, but I didn’t want her to know how afraid I was.

“Celica…we have to go…now! These damn creatures are coming out of the damn walls and I locked all the kids up in a room, but they are chewing through the heavy wall of vines I put up.”

“Alright…Ka’seem...this is Roy…and Altair…” He raised a brow as she said my name. He finally looked over at me and Roy, but when he laid his eyes on me, he just stared. It was almost like there was a twinkle in his eyes when he did. They both shared a look and he walked up to me before he knelt down and placed his hand on my shoulder. It felt so comforting, almost like my grandfather was here with me. I missed him so much and I hoped that he was alright. If…If they were Gods…then maybe I could ask if he was ok? They would have the answers to everything right?

“I wanted to ask if-”

The man pushed me down just as a beast rushed into the room and almost would have killed Roy, but Celica took her weapon and cut it in half. It was so quick that I almost didn’t see it. It didn’t look hard, but she was already out of breath. Looking at her more, she seemed almost like she was going to be sick. I gasped as a large vine wrapped around the throats of the other creatures in the room and their necks snapped. Celica grabbed me and Roy and we rushed out of the room, into a hallway filled with bodies and blood. I guess there were more creatures and men in here then I thought there was. Celica held us close to her body, I guess to shield us from it, but we had already seen too much. I could hear the cries of the other children as we rounded a corner. There were beasts clawing and biting at the vines on the doors. The other kids were crying loudly at all the noise. Celica let go of us and held her weapon above her head and threw it with so much force that it knocked me and Roy to the ground. I watched with wide eyes as she traveled after it and caught it out of the air. She turned on her heel and impaled one against the wall, before pulling it out to slam into another one. She brushed her hair from her face, but her legs gave out, but she grabbed the wall before she fell. She took a breath before she waved us over to her side.

“Alright…we are gonna get the rest of the children…and then get you…to safety.” She looked really pale now, and I was actually worried about her. She placed her hands over the walls and I gasped as ice covered the vines and they broke off. She quickly shoved us into the room and she shushed all the children as she looked over them all.

“Hey…Altair…”

“Yeah?”

“Do you…do you think we’re safe now? Like we can actually make it out of this?”

“I…I think so…I…I’m just sad that Van is not gonna be here with us…”

“Yeah…” We said nothing for a bit as Celica continued to make sure everyone was alright. The other man didn’t come back yet, and I was hoping that maybe he ran off to go and kill Morlo. That would make me feel better than ever. It felt good to not have to worry about anything for a while, but then the voices started to make my head hurt again.

“They are lying to you Altair…”

“W-What? N-No…they want to help…”

“They will kill you just like your friend. They only want your power.”

“That…that isn’t…”

“Hey Altair…you ok?” Roy touched my shoulder but I shrugged him off as I stood up. I held my head as the voice kept talking and making me feel sick. It made me feel gross and scared. I glanced at Celica and the other man as they talked to each other in hushed voices. Were they talking about whatever these powers were? Did they just want to use me like Morlo does? How long before they hurt me because I didn’t do what they said? Was the voice right?

“Come to me Altair…I have your grandfather…I will help you.”

“He…he’s alive?”

“Yes…don’t let them take you…come outside and see me Altair…”

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and I heard Roy talking to Celica and that man and they came to check on me, but I moved away from them. I had to see my grandfather, he was the only thing I had left in my life. So many people were pushing and pulling me in too many directions and I can’t take it anymore! I felt like pulling my hair out! I just wanted everything to stop!

“Hey buddy it’s ok…I promise you that we are the good guys and don’t want to hurt you. We just need to talk to you about somethings…”

“Like what?! What do you really want with me?!” They looked at each other in surprise from my outburst, but I just wanted to hear the truth, for once about everything.

“You have to know that getting you was our first priority, and we need you to bring down that barrier on the planet so we can all leave.”

“I…what?” They sounded just like Morlo now! They were the same as him! Wanting me to do something and have powers that I know I don’t have! That voice in my head was right about them! “No…I…I can’t…”

“Of course you can. If you just focus and-” I slapped the man’s hand away as I backed away from them.

“Altair…sweetie I know this is scary, but if you just-”

“NO! You have no idea what this is like! I just want to go back home to my grandfather! I don’t want to be beat and starved and almost killed anymore!”

“Altair…we want to take you back to your grandfather…we just can’t leave the planet because of the-”

“Yeah the barrier I know! I can’t bring it down! I have no powers! I’m just a kid who misses his grandfather!” Before they could say anything, I ran. I ignored them and Roy as I ran and tripped over the bodies of the dead. There was too much bad things happening to me at once. I just wanted it all to end! The voice in my head was so loud now and it was the only thing that I could hear now. My head hurt so much, and my nose was starting to bleed. The few creatures that were still alive were trying to bite at me, but they kept falling back away from me. Celica and that man must have been keeping them off me, but I didn’t want their help anymore. They just wanted to use me and gain something from me that I just didn’t have.

“Altair!”

I finally stopped to catch my breath as I looked at Celica, Roy and that other man finally catching up to me. I hated that Celica looked so concerned for me, both of them did. I didn’t even think that Roy liked me that much. It wasn’t like we were friends, and I didn’t want or need any either.

“Altair please…we really only want to get you home safe.” The man held his hands up and slowly walked over to me, but I just backed away again. He knelt down to my level and that alone just made me angrier. I wasn’t some child!

“Don’t treat me like a kid! You are just like the other adults who have hurt me and used me for something that I don’t even have!”

“Altair no…we just want you to be safe. Your life and the lives of the rest of the children matter to us! Please just let us help you! It is dangerous here and we have to leave!”

“They want to hurt you Altair…don’t let them take you!”

My head felt like it was splitting in half and my nose was dripping with blood and my ears were ringing. The floor was shaking under my feet and I looked at the group in front of me, and they looked like they were moving slow. The room we were in was starting to shake and more of those creatures stormed into the room. My skin felt weird and it hurt and looking at my hands, my skin was glowing. The others were screaming at me, but everything hurt and I wanted it to end.

It had to end!

“NO!”

The room grew whiter and whiter before it exploded around me and the sudden light turned to complete darkness around me. It didn’t matter because the voices were gone, along with the lies and half-truths. For the first time in forever, there was silence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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goddessofeternity · 1 year ago

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Chronicles of the Supernovas: Children of Darkness

Chapter 16: Confrontations

Nim

The woman was dead set on holding a vigil for the people she could not bring back from the dead. Death gods were more uptight than the average god, and I could only suspect that she gave the God of Death something in return. As long as it didn’t impede our mission any further I didn’t really care. Although she was weak from the amount of power she had to use, she was intent on not slowing down for another moment longer. Frankly, it was one of the things I respected about her, although I suspected Callum wanted to drag out the vigil a bit, so she could take a break.

Stubborn woman.

Glancing over at Nerissa and Ka’seem they silently went through the town and carried the people who weren’t revived to our makeshift graves for them. The woman really ripped into them and it showed all over their slow and stiff movements. I would have my words for them later, because she had inflicted some fear into them and they gave her a wide berth of space. I smirked as she glared at them angrily as she buried the bodies. Callum was busy with the locals who looked equal parts scared and angry. Nerissa had briefly mentioned a woman who had surprised her with a godly weapon and injured her. I frowned as I looked at more people peeking at us from behind the buildings. If one had such a weapon, it wouldn't be strange for more people to have them. The female and Callum seemed to be more fruitful with their endeavors than the rest of us. We would have to deal with that when this clears up. So a trafficking ring, a star child, the Darkness and now we have beings with god killing weapons running around.

What the fuck is going on?

“Nim?”

I glanced at Nerissa as she fingered her ponytail nervously. I studied her face as she bit her lip and tugged the ends of her ruined skirt. I guess she could tell that I was pretty angry with her, and it was good that she did. Clearly we didn’t teach her enough in all these years, and once this was over I would be sure to drill some sense back into her. Smurfette could have Ka’seem, she would probably literally run him through. “Yes?”

“Callum says that we should start the service. The people are getting restless.” I glanced back at the populace and some were starting to argue with Ka’seem. Such a bold group of people. If it was any other God, they would be dead for even looking their way. I rolled my neck as I made my way over to the small service, the glares on my back meant little to me. The smurf gave me a quick glance and I made my way over to her. She was sitting suspended in the air, which told me that standing had been too much for her.

“What is it?”

“The mountains.”

“Hmm? Is that where the child is?”

“It…it should be…it would be lovely to know if it was a boy or girl…hell…even what they look like.”

“It is never easy.”

Her humorless chuckle was the only response I received as Callum started the service. Nerissa and Ka’seem already had their heads bowed as Callum began his prayer, and I closed my eye as he kept talking. It was silent for a time, save for Callum praying. The woman’s labored breathing made me open my eye to glance at her. I doubt anyone else heard it since she was holding back her struggle with everything else going on. She kept her head bowed and eyes closed throughout the service. I watched as sweat formed on her forehead.

Stubborn.

“Celica…” She frowned at me but stopped when she saw my outstretched hand. Stepping back on the ground, she wordlessly took my hand and leaned her weight on me. Nothing really needed to be said as we watched the service and I poured what energy I could into her. She just needed enough to keep going and finish this. She would be taking a long rest after this mission was over, and I think I would as well. This was a fucking mess and no one wanted to admit it. I could blame it on the fact it had been some time since we had a mission together, but that was a shitty excuse. I frowned as some of the men marched over to the service.

“You and your people need to leave our home at once! You come here and you think that burying these people will absolve you! I can assure you that it will not!”

“I can assure you that we will leave at once…we only wish to give your people a good service. I know that our companions have-”

“Hey! We don’t care about your apologies! You and your people need to clear the fuck out now-”

“Is there a problem here?” I narrowed my eye as the men and Callum turned to look at me. I towered over them, and they all balked at me. Their entire mannerisms and tones changed as they backed away from me. Callum sighed, but I was not as friendly as he was, and they would accept this kindness from us whether they wanted it or not.

“You people have done enough damage! You need to leave!”

“We…are going to bury these people and you are gonna back out of our way or I’ll bury you with them.”

“Nim!” I ignored Callum as the man looked at me in surprise.

“Do I make myself clear?” The man said nothing further, probably realizing it was a futile effort. Callum sighed more before he shot a quick glare at me. Shaking his head, he went back to finish the service. Nerissa and Ka’seem continued to keep their distance. I glanced down at the woman as she bit her nail in deep thought. She seemed a bit better, but she knew how to play a good poker face. She released my hand and went to join a frustrated looking Callum. I glared at the rest of the locals and they gave us a wide berth of space. I could only imagine how Lady Serafina would feel if she knew about this, and disappointing her would be a pain that I wouldn’t be able to bear.

“Nim…” I looked to my left as Nerissa walked over to me. Callum was still doing his prayer and the woman had left my side to join him. I guess Nerissa saw her chance to speak with me again. “So I thought that-”

“You thought nothing, that is the problem Nerissa.”

“I-”

“You have a duty that you must uphold as a Supernova…this was not the time or place to be fucking the locals.” I crossed my arms as I continued to stare at the service. If I looked at her now, I would lose the last of my patience. She shuffled wordlessly at my side, probably trying to gather whatever words she thought would make this better.

Nothing would make the death of an innocent better.

“These people are dead because of your incessant need to sleep around. Families have been split apart unnecessarily because of you and Ka’seem. There is no amount of apologizes that can make this better for them Nerissa…” I exhaled deeply from my nose before I finally looked at her. She met my gaze easily, but I could see the tears springing to her eyes that she was forcing back. Her fists were shaking and despite my anger, I hated to feel so disappointed in her, but I was. She knew far better than this, and so did that damn Ka’seem. “These are your people Nerissa…this is not a good first impression…they might not like you coming back here after this.”

“...” Her fist relaxed, but the fear of my words crossed over her face. With a swipe of her hand, her tears disappeared. “I understand…I’ll continue to look over the service.”

“...” I furrowed my brow as I watched her walk away, her back straight and her usual strong resolve coursing over her once more. Ka’seem glanced my way, but I just shook my head and he continued with what he was doing.

It took another hour, but we finished the service and I had to give Ka’seem some credit…he made the service beautiful with his use of his abilities. The thought that it was because of him and Nerissa still made it sour, but we just had to move past it. The woman needed the rest and it was not long before we made our way up to the mountains. The heat of Zhikar was starting to get irritating and I had already shed some of my layers off. The others weren’t doing any better as we continued our trek. Nerissa was lucky in that regard, having a resistance to heat didn’t seem to be a good blessing in my opinion, but now I could see it had its uses.

The sun would not set for another few hours, and I could only hope that we’d actually make some progress this time. I could hear the sounds of ship engines and others landing, but it was still a bit far off. I would have actually preferred to come under the cover of night, but the woman was incessant on getting to them now. Glancing through the treetops, the barrier flickered and I walked forward faster. There was no telling when that thing would come down…I hated when she was right.

“Hold on…” I looked back at Ka’seem as he scanned over the trees before his eyes narrowed on a distant tree. With the flick of a finger, a vine shot out and changed the direction of a camera. Hearing their cameras focus, I sent a minor jolt through the forest to disrupt them. At least one of us was paying attention, I was too focused on listening to the ships to even notice those cameras. I nodded at Ka’seem before we kept going. I could only hope that the others were paying as much attention as we should.

“Do we need to discuss an approach to this?” This silence from everyone was starting to get to me, and that was saying a lot.

“Well…I would say that we should split up to cover more ground…but it would be better to work as a unified front…” Callum appeared at my side and it was good to see that whatever was plaguing his mind had stopped for the time being. “We can clear out any adversaries quickly and then we can find the children.”

“I…agree…” The woman appeared on my right and I frowned at how pale her face was becoming. “We might have…the…the element of surprise now, but it will not last…forever…” My frown deepened as she looked up at the mountain with a frown. I opened my mouth, but she turned to glare at me before I could get the breath out. “We…are not stopping dog…shut the hell up….”

I held back my tongue as she floated past me and I rolled my eye instead. Truthfully, I should have dragged her ass back, but she would just fuss more. A few Onkai would not be a problem for any of us to deal with…unless anymore gods showed up…or…

“Nerissa.”

“Huh? Yes?” She quickly appeared in the woman’s place, her tone was enough to tell me she was eager to help with anything.

“That Onkai…the one who attacked you with that weapon…did it seem like she was allied with anyone else?”

“No…she seemed to just be angry that I was here at all. I don’t know why, but she was definitely alone.”

“Alright…we can’t have anymore surprises.” The others answered back in agreement before the silence continued. The forests around the mountain were covered in cameras, and we needed to be quick before they realized that all of their cameras were on the fritz. The sounds of the ships were getting closer, but it was still far off. I would have brought up talking about a strategy, but a series of growls sounded in the brush around us. I was definitely not surprised to know that something would be out here to guard the ships. The Darkness probably had them ready in case they needed protection, but some simple beasts would never be enough.

I willed my sword into my hand as deformed creatures of the Darkness finally showed their faces. I did not have the time to wonder why they looked as they did, because they were upon us in an instant. The quiet forest exploded with sound as the five of us fought back against the beasts. I found my gaze looking between my opponent and the woman. She was holding her own, but she was moving painfully slow.

“Nim!”

“I know!” I turned as one lunged for my shoulder, and I hacked its head clean off before more seemed to spring from deeper in the woods. Peering into the thicket, I watched as more made their way towards us at an alarming rate. They were quick, despite the sounds of breaking bones and fevered breaths. These creatures were a joke compared to the usual ones that we would fight. Those beasts would have at least given us a challenge.

With a charged step, I thrust my sword out and impaled several of them on my blade, before I slammed it into the ground, bolts of electricity rising from the ground. More of the creatures shrieked in pain, but more seemed to just come. Nerissa appeared at my side and with a nod, we both launched into our attack.

Nerissa was as swift and precise as ever, just like I taught her. It was not so far-fetched to believe that her element was water. She was fluid and flexible with every strike of her ax, she was a splendid combatant. She never flinched as I swung my blade near her, confident in my own ability to not strike her. A giggle escaped her lips as her eyes blazed in excitement, blood was spilling everywhere and the smell they were emitting was burning my nose. The constant cracking of their movements matched every crack of lighting I inflicted on them with my sword. I cut another in half before it tried to to grab Nerissa by her hair, and she turned and vaulted over my shoulder and slammed her blade into another.

Waves and waves of them were coming down the slope and it was making me more and more irritated. Ka’seem was helping the woman with a few creatures and Callum was collecting a large amount of bodies under his feet. I was about to join him, but a sharp pain in my shoulder stopped me. Before I could look at it, I was dragged away from the others. I cut the tendril that dragged me away and stood quickly to face my adversary.

I narrowed my eye at the humanoid creature looking at me. Its head was tilted at a full 90 degree angle and its body was covered in dark scales. It was almost my height and its long talons reached the ground and clicked with an annoying metallic sound. Tendrils emerging from its back slapped the ground as it clicked at me. Its eyes were disturbingly calm and subdued, but the dark smile on its lips told me enough. The blood dripping from its rows of teeth also told me more than I wished to know. It would not matter, it would soon be deep in the bowels of hell.

In unison, we both charged at each other and it swung its talons at me and I blocked them with my sword. I frowned as my blade did not break through its talons. I smirked as I pushed it back, it was not everyday that something could not easily be cut down from my blade. Its clicking noises were getting progressively louder as it charged back at me. I dodged its blows as I gripped my sword tight, preparing to swing back. I was surprised by its speed as it launched itself at me and kicked me square in the chest, driving me into the ground.

I held back my gasp of pain as I grabbed its ankle and slammed it into the ground beside me. It roared in pain and I raised my sword to hack off its head.

“Mama…” I paused mere inches from its neck. I…surely I didn’t hear what I think I did? My brows furrowed as it turned its head to look at me. Its eyes were frighteningly human and childlike, tears were even pricking the corners of its eyes. It whimpered as its eyes bore into my soul, childlike wails emerged from its maw. Children…I could not handle children…

I hesitated.

The Darkness made a foul beast indeed.

I blinked and it was suddenly upon me and I cursed to myself as it grabbed my face. My moment of hesitation led to it slamming me face first into the dirt, dragging me through the forest, before it flung me through several trees. I finally let out that gasp of pain and sprung back to my feet as it attacked me again. Its strikes were fiercer and more powerful now, and I could not get that image out of my head. The Darkness was making more and more hideous and monstrous creations, but this was by far the worst thing I had seen so far. To use the innocence of a child to make something like this was beyond anything I had seen, and I could not fathom why this was a necessary thing.

Was this the reason it wanted the star child? To make a powerful creature to destroy everything?

I roared in anger as its tendrils struck out and me and I sliced them to pieces, but more just sprang from its back. This creature was a pain in the ass, and I had no doubts that I would be able to handle it, but that childish edge that it had…

With an inhuman shriek it charged at me once more and I matched its speed. We were a flurry of blows and the forest shook around us. I dug my feet into the dirt as I pushed it back and finally an opening had presented itself to me. The creature staggered over its feet and it flailed back, and I thrust my sword at its chest.

“Help me…”

Its pained and terrified whisper shook me and I just barely moved my sword, just grazing its ribcage. It just had to have the fucking guise of a child. It was toying with me and it knew it, but I could not waste time on this damn thing. There were more important things to handle than this monstrosity, but perhaps…

I blinked as its talon was inches from my face, but I caught it and slammed my foot onto its chest, making it sink further into the ground. It roared and writhed under me, begging with the pained and anguished sounds of a child. I could not let anything get in the way of the star child, it would be disastrous…and Lady Serafina would be destroyed.

I would never allow her to know sadness again.

I channeled all of my energy into my body, the lightning crackling and snapping, damaging the forest around us. A heavy wind picked up as strom clouds brewed overhead. It was time to end this farce and move on. The creature looked at me with pure hatred and anger now, no longer was it trying to play with me, now it was just pissed.

That would make this easy.

With a simple flex of my arm, a torrent of lightning strikes rained down on the creature, the ground shaking and rumbling around me. The trees ripping from the ground, dead grass catching fire from the sparks, a large crater forming under my feet, slowing drawing us both down, as if it were quicksand. With a deep breath, the strikes stopped just as quickly as they came. I released the hand of the now charred monstrosity, and I sneered at it as it twitched in death, its tentrils weakly swaying before falling limp.

Bowing my head, I said a quick prayer for it. It had once been something so innocent and good, the least I could do is pray its soul is at peace.

“That is if Zeresu didn’t get her hands on it first…”

“Wow!”

I looked down at Nerissa as she just seemed to appear beside the creature, poking its remains with a finger. I looked over my shoulder and sure enough the others were done with what they were doing. I looked back at Nerissa as she played with one of the tendrils, and I snatched it away from her.

“Hey! I at least wanted to take something back from this fight!”

“It was my fight in the first place, and besides…this creature was once a child. It needs to be treated better than some souvenirs, little one.”

“It…it was a kid?” Her face paled as she stood away from it. She almost heaved as she continued to look at it, but she quickly left my side. I placed the tendril back down before I rejoined the others. Callum and Ka’seem looked better than ever and didn’t have a single scratch on them. Bodies were piled up a few feet from them, and the smell of death was very heavy now that I caught my bearings. I glanced at the woman as she coughed and Nerissa gave her some water to drink.

She still looked as if she could fall over and die at any second, but she was holding strong despite all of the fighting that just happened.

Shame.

“Don’t look so down…dog….”

It was like she could read my fucking mind.

Bitch.

“Come on…we have to move quickly…they will be on alert now after hearing all of that fighting.” Callum spoke quickly before I could retort. She was lucky…I would have thrown her into orbit and she wouldn’t have the strength to come back. Although, that barrier would probably stop her sudden departure. I’d pay money to see her get fried like a mosquito. Regardless, it was time to continue our trek. My display just now would probably have them scrambling, but it was not like they could make it very far. I could hear them in the distance, but it must have been obvious to them that they could do nothing.

“Nim…” I glanced at Callum as he walked up to me, a deep frown of concern running across his face. “We have to talk about the other children…and Celica…”

“If the woman wants to carry on then that is her problem Callum…you know that neither one of us have ever been able to talk her out of anything.”

“She needs to rest…one of us should stay with her back here, while the rest of us go on…”

“So make the other two babysit then…they would be able to subdue her since she’s weak…”

“Nim…”

“I’m not doing it Callum…she is a Goddess…she is fully aware of the actions she has chosen. She made the decision to weaken herself. I won’t slow down for her, none of us should.”

“And if her weakened state gets her killed?”

“She-“

“Is a Goddess yes…but now we know there is a black market here and the denizens have access to god killing weapons.”

“….” I hated when he was right, especially when it came to matters like this. I was fully intent on letting the woman go through her pains and finish this mission. I glanced at her and she was lagging further and further behind.

Damn it.

I growled low in my throat as Callum smiled at me triumphantly, already knowing that he won this debate. I truly could not stand this group of imbeciles.

I marched over to the woman, just as she tripped over a low branch, and I caught her wrist before she slammed against the ground.

“Oh!” She looked grateful until she saw that it was me and her face contorted into a frown. “You can let me go…”

“Hn.”

I watched as she straightened herself out and walked ahead of me more confidently. Callum watched on with a pleased grin, and I wanted to smack the hell out of him. I kept my eye on her as she started to stagger about. It was not long before her breath grew heavy once again, and I had finally had enough.

“You know that you can rely on us…”

“….” A frown crossed her face as she considered my words. She watched Ka’seem and Nerissa as they conversed with Callum. I could already hear what she wanted to say before her mouth even opened. “How can I? How can I…possibly rely on them?”

“They did something stupid-“

“Stupid?!” Her hair raised in her outburst as the ground beneath her feet froze. “They…I…what would possess them to…do that…”

“Your guess is as good as mine.”

“So…so many I couldn’t…I hate failing the beings that we’re supposed to protect.” She rubbed her arms as a deep frown of sadness engulfed her. It was funny that she was the most empathetic of all of us. Sure, we all cared for the well being of the lives across the cosmos, but she didn’t know how to give up on anyone. I suppose that she was the best of us, which was also funny since Callum exists in the group. I never knew what to say when she was like this, so I just kept quiet and kept an eye on her as we kept up our climb. Callum glanced at us a few times, but other than that, it was quiet.

After about 15 minutes, we finally were overlooking the group of our targets. Several ships were docked off deep in the woods, but my attention was solely focused on the group of children that were being moved towards a building past the ships. All different species of children were there as far as I could see. They had cut most of the forest away to make room for their ships and the building housing the children. I imagine that our main adversary was deep in the building somewhere.

“Alright…Ka’seem is there any underground areas in the building we need to know of?”

“Let me see…” We waited as he crouched and held his hand against the grass, his brow furrowing in deep thought. “There is an underground area, but it only goes down one level. There are more children down there too.”

“Ok…we have to be mindful of the children. They are our first priority in this. If the leader decides to show themselves we ignore them. We are just here for the children and the star child.”

“We’re gonna have to deal with more creatures of the Darkness.” Ka’seem sighed as he looked over the hill once more. Sure enough, I could see those abominations prowling around the area. I wonder if those were also more children that were warped into such creatures. Hopefully they could be saved by the end of this, but that was asking too much.

Our job was never that simple.

“Nerissa…you’re with me and Callum. Ka’seem you go with the smurf and make sure to keep an eye on her. I know we discussed not splitting up, but this might be the best option.”

I could feel her fuming to yell at me as the pair nodded in agreement. Once we went over our plan once more, we split up to execute it. Ka’seem and the woman were circling around the back to try and sneak into the building. Myself and the others would attack them outright, it would create the distraction they needed and draw those abominations towards us. The plan was to focus entirely on the children, but I was concerned about the leader. I had no information on this “Morlo” and I hated that. An unknown was always annoying to deal with. The Darkness could have given this man any kind of ability that could be a problem for us.

Sliding down the hill, we crouched into the bushes. Callum nodded before he disappeared into the brush to our right. Clapping my hands together and rubbing them, a lightning cloud started to form above us. Nerissa rolled her hands together and a steady rain started to fall. The children were upset about it, but the guards kept moving them along. With a faster combined pressure, the lightning began to hit the building as well as some of the ships. A panic quickly spread, and Nerissa rained down a torrent of water upon them.

The mixture caused many to stumble through the rain, most shielding their faces to try and see through it all and avoid the wrath of my lightning. With a shout, Nerissa charged out and began to tear the men down. Callum jumped from a high tree, slamming his foot into one’s face. I could hear the crunch of his bones breaking before Callum vaulted over his face to strike another. The children were frozen in fear which was good, they didn't need to be running off.

My strikes matched each lightning strike as I fought some of the creatures. They were grotesque and horrid, but I wouldn’t let them distract me from what I had to do. I winced as a claw sliced across my back. I turned and grabbed its jaw before it clamped on my shoulder. I tore its jaw back before I used the remaining pieces to slam into another one. I didn’t waste anymore time as I went to fight some other creatures. Nerissa and Callum didn’t waste much time and they engaged in their fights. I grunted as one was suddenly airborne and took me with it.

I did not like being in the air! Damn, vertigo!

The fucking thing was stupid as hell to have me in the air in the middle of a lightning storm. So, I called down a quick strike and toasted the damn thing. Releasing me, I summoned my sword to my hand and with a downward strike, I slammed hard into the ground, causing it to rumble and shake. The lightning and rain washing over the place, sending several of their ships toppling over.

“Careful Nim!” I grunted as I pulled my sword from the ground and shrugged at Callum, who just rolled his eyes at me. I leapt from the hole and joined his side as the creatures began to surround us, but a bloodthirsty Nerissa soon jumped over the horde and landed on my left. “So…how should we precede?”

“Nerissa…rally up the children.” Her frustrated groan made me smirk. “You can tear a few of them down for us on the way…”

“Excellent….”

I blinked as a bullet grazed my cheek and I turned to glare at several men that had their guns and other weapons raised. Nerissa didn’t waste anymore time as she tore into the crowd, and Callum was not far behind her. The children were smart enough to hide in the forest away from the fight. Ka’seem and the woman should be making good progress on the children still inside the building. I was going to join the fray to wrap things up, but I paused as I felt a chill under my feet.

Looking at the ground, a heavy layer of ice seemed to be coming up from the ground. It spread across the ground and the ground beneath our feet began to tremble and groan. What were the two of them doing down there? I had no real time to ponder on it, because even several layers above the surface, I could hear the woman shout.

“NO!”

And then the world exploded around us.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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goddessofeternity · 3 years ago

Text

Love Amidst the Darkness

Chapter 21: Darkness Falls

A nightmare.

A terrible terrible nightmare.

That was the only way to describe what Althea was experiencing right now. There was nothing but death and screaming everywhere she looked. Her ears were ringing as another explosion rocked the walls of the palace. The only reason she was moving was because her mother held her tight in her arms, making sure she did not trip on her dress. Her mother was screaming out orders and various knights ran past them to follow them. She had no idea where her father had disappeared to. Everything was happening so fast and she didn’t know how to react to any of it.

Just over an hour ago, flakes of snow began to descend from the sky. Winter was still months off and it had confused her, but she cared little about it. She just wanted to see Duran and talk to him about their problems, or…his problems with her. She had done something wrong and she had to fix it, but he was gone. Honora had still not come back from trying to talk to him.

What if something had gone wrong? Her palms were slick with a worried sweat as her mother and the various guards let them further down into the castle. The escape tunnels that her parents drilled into her finally were having their use. Althea said nothing as she gripped onto her mother and descended the stairs, her voice had long since left her. Marina was whispering comforting words to her as she and the triplets also followed them down.

Where were Duran and Honora?

“Look out!” Althea barely had time to react as she was snatched back as the celing gave way. The knights shielded them all with their shields as debris fell from over their heads. Althea buried her face into her mothers chest, silently willing it all to stop. It was not long before it stopped and her mother held her face and looked her over.

“Althea…are you alright?! You weren’t hurt?!” Althea numbly shook her head as her mother sighed and kissed her forehead. Her mother lifted her to her feet before she turned to address the guards. “We have to find another way out of the palace. Are there any other exits available for us to use?”

“No, your majesty. This was the only other place that was available. The only way to leave the palace is either through the front or back entrances.” The queen cursed to herself as she tried to weigh the options laid before her. The attack was swift and calculated, but the cause was still unknown. Gathering her daughter, the queen ascended the stairs once more, before the ceiling gave way again. Kyros had left once the snow had started to stick, and several knights burst into the throne room. A surge of creatures seemed to just appear from the western side of the kingdom, and several knights went with the king. Hestia feared for her love as she made sure that the kingdom was secured when he left, but she didn’t expect what transpired in the marketplace. Several of their subjects began to behave oddly and attacked other people. It caused a wave of mayhem as people panicked and it was not long before people were dying left and right. The people were morphing into dark beasts and undead versions of themselves. It became too much for the knights as the surviving people tried to rush the palace for safety. In that panic, the knights were overrun and could not tell if the people were monsters or not. The palace courtyard was overrun with panicked people and creatures. Thankfully, the knights were able to push them back, but no one expected what happened next.

A large man had managed to enter the palace from one of the tunnel exits. He had managed to kill several groups of knights before he was stopped. Unfortunately, his entrance made way for more creatures to flood the halls. Hestia felt her heart jump in her chest as she witnessed it all. So many brave men and women were slaughtered before her eyes. She had been in the western wing of the palace to find Althea. She had been mere feet away as the creatures swarmed into the room. She had managed to push most of them back as she lit fire to them, but the western wing had been lost in the process. Knights had been stationed there to make sure nothing else made it past.

Glancing at her daughter, she frowned seeing the lost expression on her face. All of this had to happened when she was so broken. Hestia gripped her hand tightly as they made their way back to the first floor. There was no way that they would be able to leave through either of the exits. They would have to make a stand and defend until there was a break in all of this.

“Knights of Melodia!” The gathered knights stood to attention as the queen addressed them. She knew there was fear in their hearts, but an intense desire to protect and defend their kingdom was fueling them on. “We must push these beasts out of the palace! We have to take a stand and defend the palace until the king and knight commander can rejoin us! These devils will not take our home from us! We will fight till our last breaths! Defend your kingdom! Take back your homes! Make these creatures wish they never attacked our kingdom!”

With a resounding roar, the knights dispersed to battle the creatures. Hestia released a breath as she thought about where to hide Althea away. The only thought was one that she wished she didn’t have, but it would be safe and tucked away as she led the knights still in the palace. Holding her daughter tight, she looked deep in her eyes.

“Althea…my sweet rose…I know that you are afraid, that you want to know what will happen. I assure you that we will make it through this. I’m going to take you to the northern tower with many guards to defend you. I have to make sure these creatures are driven out of our home. I will come get you when it is safe again.”

“...”

“Althea!” Her daughter flinched hearing the raised voice of her mother. “You have to move! I will not allow your heart to lead to your death! Now move it!”

Althea blinked rapidly before she gathered her skirts and went with her mother up the stairs. She glanced outside as the wind and snow continued to rattle the windows. It was just a sea of white, but squinting she could see the very distinct color of red bleeding through. Fire was being lauched in the air far from the palace. “Mother…is father…?”

“Yes,” Hestia refused to look out the windows, she knew that Kyros could handle himself. This would not be like when he went to war, she faith in him. Just like he had faith in her to keep their daughter and people safe. Ascending the fourth set of stairs, a loud and horrific roar finally broke the windows of the palace. Hestia shielded Althea as glass fell from the frames as the heavy winds from the storm rocked the hallway. Standing up, Hestia looked out the window as her worst fears came to life. The large white dragon from her paintings was raging through the marketplace. Her grip tightened on Althea’s wrist as she looked at it. She couldn’t take Althea up to that tower now, there was no telling what would happen if she did.

Her breath caught as the dragon turned and looked toward the palace. Opening its mouth, Hestia’s eyes widened as it roared again, a blash of ice shards coming from its mouth. “GET DOWN!”

Althea gasped as her mother grabbed her and they tripped down a few stairs as the icec shards ripped through the open windows. She cried out as the cold sting from it pierced her skin. Looking down at her arm, a small icicle was lodged into her shoulder. “M-Mother…”

“Shh…I’ll take it out. You will heal, my love.” Althea whimpered as her mother removed it and her wound started to heal itself. Looking at her mother, she reached out and touched her bleeding forehead. It seemed as one of the icicles had managed to nick her on the side of her head, her long hair having fallen from its updo. She was hardly worried about her own wounds as she looked over Althea quickly. A scream made them both look back up the stairs, and Althea felt ready to throw up at the sight.

“Molly!” The triplets…twins…were screaming as their sister was pinned to the wall by the icicles. Several had twisted into her abdomen and legs, and her blood traveled down the walls onto her other sister who was crying under her. Her head had flopped to the side, and two spears were lodged into her face. One in the center of her forehead and another through her left eye. The last bit of life in her eyes finally left her as her sister cried and mourned for her. Althea felt nothing but guilt and horror for them. She had never really cared for them, but they didn’t deserve this.

Marina had to drag one of the sisters down the stairs as she tried to recover her sisters body. A knight carried the other one down as she kicked and screamed at him. Hestia peeked over the window frame as the dragon started to charge the palace. Quickly standing, she thrust her arms out and a mountain of flames erupted from the ground. Althea found herself in awe at the sheer power that her mother was showing, she had never seen anything like it. Her eyes were glowing a deep red as she held her arms high and the fire climbed higher into the sky. She could hear the roars of the dragon on the other side of it. It was an awful sound as it roared in pain. The queen cupped her hands tightly and the flames condensed, perfectly copying her movements. Althea could feel the intense heat from where she sat on the stairs. The wall of fire morphed into a large ball and Althea was surprised to see that the dragon was inside of it! Althea looked at her mother as she lifted her hands slowly above her head, like she was lifting the dragon too! With a mighty yell, the queen threw all of her weight into her throw, sending the dragon far outside the limits of the kingdom.

“A-Althea…let’s go…” Althea grabbed her mothers outstretched hand as they went back down the stairs. Hestia wiped her bloody nose as her head pounded in her head. It had been far too long since she exerted that much power. Hopefully it would buy them some much needed time to plot and figure out what to do. She wished that Althea didn’t have to witness anymore death in such a short amout of time, but she knew that she couldn’t shield her from it forever. The knights fell into a tight triangle around them as they ran through the second floor.

Althea shivered as she held herself tight as they continued their run. She was getting tired as well, but she knew that she had to press on. This storm was brutal as she felt like her fingers were going to fall off. Looking at the windows again, she still saw the distant waves of fire from her father, but it didn’t seem like they were getting any closer to them. Perhaps he was managing to hold them off? It was all she could hope for at the moment. Her heart and mind were racing as she thought about Duran and Honora out there fighting. She was glad that Liam was away from the kingdom on a scouting mission. She was not sure her heart could take worrying for anyone else.

A sudden crash in front of them made the group pause. The knights readied their weapons and the queen pushed Althea behind her. The group slowly backed away from the sudden hole in the wall. The howling wind was the only sound as they waited with bated breath. After some time, a knight went forward to investigate the hole. After peering into it, he motioned them forward.

“We should be able to get to the southern wing of the palace-”

Althea screamed as a beast jumped from the hole onto the knights shoulder, before it sunk its teeth into his neck, ripping his head from his shoulders. Its head split into two as its jaw peeled back and roared at them. The knights rushed forward to fight it as Hestia grabbed Althea and they ran back where they came from. Athea covered her ears as the knights screamed and were dying behind her. Her stomach turned seeing how many knights they were running out of. It was not enough and there was no telling if those men fighting that beast would come back.

“Ahhh!” Althea looked over her shoulder as one of the twins screamed. The beast had caught up to them and now had the girls dress in its teeth. She tried to crawl away from it and her other sister rushed forward to grab her hand, but a knight pulled her back. “Please! Help me! Your Majesty!”

Hestia looked at the girl with a hard expression, but she had no choice. She would not risk her daughter to try and save her, no matter how much it hurt her to leave her. The queen pulled on Althea’s arm as they disappeared down the hallway. The beast finally took hold of the girl and sank its jaws into her waist and slammed her against the floor. The sounds of her screams mixed with the sickening sounds of her bones cracking. The beast used its claws to rip into her body, her various organs spilling out as she let out blood curdling screams. The last thing Althea saw was it sink its teeth into her face, ripping the flesh on her face clean off. She finally had enough and hunched over to throw up, her throat stinging as tears ran down her face.

Hestia rubbed her daughters back as Marina held her hair back and tried to comfort her. Hestia tried to weigh her options once more as everything fell apart around them. There were only ten knights with them, plus herself, Althea, Marina, and Eva, the last of the triplets. Looking out the windows, there was only one thing she could think of. “Althea…I need you to fly out of here and head straight for Dragleic…”

“W-What? M-Mother I…I can’t…”

“Yes you can!” She didn’t mean to yell at her daughter in such a fragile state, but she could not coddle her right now. “You must…you can not stay here and these creatures are in our home. I need you to do this.”

“I…I can’t leave you and father! Come with me!” Hestia wished more than anything that she could leave with her daughter and husband, but it was just not possible.

“I will not leave your father or abandon our kingdom. You are the future Althea…you have to survive this…I will not accept anything else.”

“Mother please! Come with me!”

“I…I’m in no condition to travel, my sweet rose. I have to find another way to escape.”

“What-” Another loud crash rocked the palace and Hestia held her daughter tight so she wouldn’t fall. Another one of those beasts burst through the windows and almost slashed Althea across the chest if several arrows didn’t strike its body with a high amount of force. Althea watched as Liam emerged from down the hallway with his bow drawn.

“Miss me princess?” He winked at her as he jogged up and she hugged him tight. She really was glad that he was alright, but she was so very scared for him too. He should have stayed away from the kingdom somewhere safe. Now she had another person to be afraid for.

“Liam…” Her mother appeared at her side as she held her hand across her heart. “Did you see the king or anymore knights that could come to assist us?”

“The king is still fighting outside the town and I have gathered some knights to help here, they should still be coming up the stairs now. I will get you and the princess out of here, your majesty.”

The group traveled through the hole as they went towards the southern area of the palace. Liam was quick and efficient as he struck down the creatures that crossed their paths. Althea had often seen him practice with his bow, but to see him really use it was nothing short of impressive. Althea felt even more at ease with him by her side.

Hestia soon stopped as she looked out the windows before she turned to her daughter and the tired group. Althea never really realized how big the palace was until they found themselves trying to get out of it. She looked at her mother as she saw the gears turning in her head. With a heavy sigh, she turned to Althea and held her face.

“Althea…I need you to stay in this room and do not leave until someone can come and get you. I must see to it that the palace gets secured and wait for your father.”

“Mother it’s dangerous! You should stay with me and the knights!” Tears sprang to her eyes, but her mother shook her head and wiped them away. “Please…”

“I have to do my part in this. Stay safe, my sweet rose.” Althea watched in horror as her mother and some knights left the room. Marina sat Althea down on a bench and wrapped a blanket around her and held her close. Liam went to stand by the window with his bow ready as he peered out of it. The other knights stood at attention at the door, ready for anything. Althea prayed to all of the gods she could think of. She wanted her parents to come back, she wanted her kingdom to be safe, she wanted her friends by her side, but most of all…she just wanted Duran.

She wanted him to hold her again and love her. She wanted to fix their problems, because he couldn’t mean everything that he had said. He was stressed and she did something to make it worse for him. If she could alleviate whatever pain he was feeling than she would. Love was worth fighting for and she couldn’t give up on him. She flinched as more tremors rocked the palace and Marina held onto her.

“Althea…you musn’t despair. Your parents will set everything right once again. You have to be strong. Neither I or your loyal knights will leave your side.” Marina smiled at her and Althea appreicated her kind words as she leaned against her. Althea felt immense comfort in Marina at the moment, and she thought about telling her about the feelings that she used to have for her. They were fleeting feelings, but they were real. There was no telling what could happen, so it would be best to just get it off her chest.

“Eva…it’s cold. Why don’t you sit with me and the princess.” Althea had completely forgotten about the other occupant in the room. She was silently crying to herself in the corner of the room. She looked up tearfully and Althea opened the blanket to her. Rubbing her eyes, she snuggled into the blanket and the girls silently sat as their kingdom went to hell around them.

♛

Liam had circled the room for the hundredth time before Marina convinced him to take a seat and conserve his energy, but he just grumbled and looked out the window. It had only been twenty minutes since the queen had left them alone, and despite the horror around them, Althea found herself dozing off against Marina.

“I’m going to go and look around. We can’t stay here like this!” Liam finally snapped, jolting Althea awake.

“The queen specifically told us to wait here. It has not been long since she left our side. Please…sit down and be patient.”

“We are sitting ducks right here! Who knows when the roof will cave in again, or something attacks us in this small space! I would rather get the princess to a more secure location. That dragon was knocked out, but who knows when it will wake up. We have have to get out of here and make some serious distance.”

“....” Althea rubbed her eyes as she listened to Liam grow more and more frustrated. The knights seemed to agree with his plan, but Marina was firmly against leaving the room. Eva was silent, but fresh tears sprang to her eyes once more. Althea rubbed her back, but it did little to comfort the grieving girl. Liam groaned as he sat down and twirled his bow in his hands.

“Liam…”

“Hmm? Yes?”

“Have…have you seen D-Duran? Or Honora?” His frown broke her heart as she balled up her fists. He scratched his head before her shook it solemnly.

“I…I honestly thought they were with you. Seeing them no by your side…it…I’m worried. I have some faith that they will be ok, but this is madness. I hope they are somewhere safe.”

Althea looked down at her hands as they began to shake. She honestly hoped that he would have lied to her instead. Not knowing was worse than anything, and she was not sure how much more she could take. The windows in the room suddenly shattered and the wind and snow entered the room.

“I can’t take this anymore!” Althea watched as Eva screamed and ran out of the room. Not wanting to see more death, Althea took off after her. “I just want to go home! I want my mother and father!”

“ALTHEA!” Marina, Liam and the knights quickly ran after their princess as she chased the crazed and saddened girl.

“Eva please wait! You have to come back to the room! You will be safer there!” Althea managed to grab onto her sleeves. “Please! You must stay calm!”

“How can I stay calm?! My sisters are dead and the kingdom is falling apart! There is nothing to live for anymore!”

“That isn’t true! We…we have to believe that everything will work out! I…”

“You don’t even believe that!” Althea flinched at her words, because deep down, she really didn’t believe it. “We will all die here!”

“Althea! Eva! Come back to the room!” Marina grabbed both of them as the knights escorted them back. “How could you both do something so foolish and rash! You could have been killed if there was a creature out here!”

Althea followed Marina and the knights, but feeling something watching her, she looked at one of the windows and screamed. Staring at them was a large eye, belonging to a massive creature. Before anyone could react, it slammed into the palace, sending them all to the floor. Liam grabbed her as it shoved a large talon into the palace, several of the guards getting impaled. The ceiling started to fall around them and so was most of the floor. The beast dragged the bodies of the knights out before it began to consume them. Liam held her down as it peered into the palace, Althea prayed that it would leave them be. It didn’t take much longer before it left, but that was not the end of their troubles.

The floor was unstable and Liam held her waist tight as the floor started to collapse under them. Liam held onto his bow that had managed to get hooked onto a raised piece of the floor. The floor started to tilt at an angle and Althea could feel herself start to slip from his grasp. She tightedned her arms around his neck as he looked around.

“Liam!” They both looked to their left as Marina was on a more secure area of the floor. “Hand me the princess! You’ll both fall if you stay there any longer!”

“Help me!” The group looked as Eva was holding onto a curtain, but the floor was no longer under her feet. The only thing keeping her up, was her own strength and that of the curtain itself. Liam grunted as he looked at Althea.

“I’ll need you to climb on my shoulders and jump across to Lady Marina. Before you say anything, I will be fine and you will make it. I’m gonna get her and we will get out of here!”

Knowing that she would not win, Althea climbed onto his shoulders. He held her ankles with his other hand and she looked worriedly at Marina, who held her hand out to her. Biting her lip, Althea jumped towards her and was surprised by her strength as she hoisted her up. Althea huffed out a breath as she looked back at Liam who managed to climb to the other side of the large hole in the floor. He began to shimmy along the wall, but Althea could hear the distinct sound of fabric tearing. Eva was not doing it any favors as she cried and moved about.

“Stop moving! The curtain will tear if you keep it up!” Liam shouted at her, but she would not listen as she cried and continued to flail about. Liam was making it to her at a good pace and he reached her side and reached for her hand. “Calm down and just reach for my hand carefully…you will be fine if you don’t panic.”

Eva sniffled as she reached for his hands, but her eyes suddenly widened in fear and she started to scream, but the curtain finally tore and she fell right as Liam almost had her. All they could hear were her horrid screams before they stopped with a sickening crunch. Althea looked at Liam and her heart sank to her stomach.

“LIAM!” He turned just as a creature almost hit him in the back. He rolled out of the way as it struck at him again. “Liam jump over here! You have to!”

“Marina take the princess and run! I’ll make sure that this thing doesn’t follow after you. Just get somewhere safe and I’ll find you!”

“No! Marina please we can’t leave him.” Marina didn’t hesitate as she dragged Althea down the hall. Althea tried to pull away from her as she watched Liam battle the beast, but more quickly joined the fight.

“He is doing his duty and making sure you get out! We can not dishonor him by going back!” Silent tears rolled down her face as they went up more stairs. Althea could not believe that she possibly left her friend alone to die…but what could she do? She only had a knife and her fire control was not very good. She’d be more of a burden then anything. Marina stopped and looked around before she grabbed a halberd from a suit of armor. She tested the weight and swung it a few times before she nodded and grasped it tightly.

“Y-You know how to use that?”

“Of course,” Marina smiled as she twirled it in her hand. “Being the only daughter, my father wanted to make sure I could defend myself. Don’t you remember my performance at the tournament?”

“Oh yes…it all…it all just feels like such a long time ago.”

“I know. I’m going to get you out of here.” She stroked Althea’s cheek before the pair continued their ascent to the north tower. It was high and out of the way, and if worse came to worse, Althea could fly out of it. The heavy winds could be a problem, but she was sure that she could manage it. The pair silently went through the palace before Marina made them duck into a room. She shushed Althea as more beasts ran past them. “Alright…we’re almost there.”

“M-Marina…”

“Yes? What’s wrong?”

“There…there’s someone in here.”

Marina looked over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes as there was indeed someone in the room with them, the balcony to be more exact. The figure was not looking at them, and Marina took the time to quickly rip the bottoms of her and Althea’s dresses. She wished that she had done it earlier, but so much was happening she didn’t think much about it. The figure was not moving, but Marina could still hear the beasts outside of the door. She would have to take her chances with whoever the figure was and hopefully they weren’t hostile.

“Marina what do we do?” Marina looked at her with a worried expression before she decided to confront the figure. She made Althea stand in the far corner as she approached them cautiously. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that it was a woman. Wearing a heavy cloak, the woman kicked her feet as she watched the carnage around them.

“Who are you?! State your business!” The woman sighed deeply before she removed her hood, a thick mane of red hair falling over her shoulders. She looked over her shoulder annoyed and Althea gasped upon looking at her face. Her eyes were pitch black and soulless, but with the tiniest hint of blue deep within them. She stood and stepped into the room and threw off her cloak with an even more annoyed scowl. Marina gripped her halberd tightly, she did not like the feeling that this woman was giving her.

“Oh…I didn’t think anyone would be alive in this damn palace anymore.” She crossed her arms and leaned against a blade that Marina didn’t even see her pull out. Marina kept looking between the woman and her blade. She could not figure out what to focus on, but there was one thing she knew she had to do, she had to get Althea far away from here. “What’s wrong? You look scared…is something wrong?”

“Althea…leave now.”

“Marina-”

“NOW!” Marina yelled at her and Althea moved but the woman’s sword inpaled itself into the wall by her face. Marina turned to swing at the woman, but found her suddenly in her face, holding her face between her fingers.

“I’m a bit bored…how about you and me play for a bit?” Marina glared as she tried to move from the womans grasp, but she was stronger than she looked. Her eyes felt like they were staring into her soul and the chill she felt was far worse than the chill outside the palace walls. With a simple flick of her wrist, she tossed Marina to the other side of the room.

Marina vaulted back to her feet as the woman laughed and her blade dislodged from the wall into her hands. The woman was upon her in an instant and their blades clashed with a harsh metallic clang. Marina grunted as the woman pushed her back, despite digging her heels into the floor. Althea watched as Marina pushed her away and swung her halberd at her, but the woman blocked and parried her swings with ease.

“Aw is that all you’ve got? You’re supposed to be protecting her and this is the best that you can do?” Her blows were making Marina stagger back, but she didn’t let her get the upper hand as she struck back at her too. Marina swung for her head and she ducked under her swing and hit her in the chin with the hilt of her sword. Marina only staggered for a split second as the blow took her off her feet, but she flipped back, her foot collided with the chin of the woman, who hissed in anger. Marina was not finished though as she stuck the halberd in the ground and swung around it to kick the woman in the stomach, sending her crashing into some crates. Marina winced as she tasted blood, having bit her tongue.

“Come on Althea! We need to go!” Althea didn’t waste a second as she grabbed Marina’s hand and the pair left the room. Althea heard the woman start to laugh as they ran away.

“Marina…are you ok?!”

“I’m fine but…that woman was not trying at all. I…if she really wanted to…I would have been dead…” The thought made Althea’s heart beat frantically in fear. She could not imagine losing Marina or anyone else for that matter. Marina had been by her side for years, and she meant everything to her. “Now Althea I need you to-”

Althea gasped as the woman appeared at Marina’s side and kicked her through the wall. Althea fell against the floor as the woman laughed and wiped the blood from her chin. She didn’t even glance at Althea as her soulless eyes blazed with an intense fury.

“Bitch! You get one good shot and you think you can walk away from me!” She finally looked at Althea, and the young princess fumbled for her knife. “I’m gonna rip the pretty princess apart and then I will give you a fate worse than death!”

The woman dodged a sword that flew at her face, before Marina charged out of the hole like a furious battle maiden. With a mighty yell, the women battled each other and Althea had never seen a more fierce confrontation. Marina was fast…every movement she made was quick and precise. The woman laughed and talked down to her, but Marina did not let it get to her. Althea winced as the woman’s sword sliced Marina on her waist, but she did not stop. The woman went in for a stab, but Marina turned the halberd in her hands, sliding against the blade. Grabbing the woman by her shirt, she headbutted her, before punching her in the face. The womans face did not change as she smiled at Marina, before she punched her right back, except Marina slammed into a suit of armor.

Marina had barely time to catch her bearing as the woman stabbed her in her stomach. Marina screamed as she twisted the blade in before grabbing her hair, the two glaring deep into each others eyes. “You know that I’m just playing with you right…I could have killed you so long ago…but you’d make a fine addition…”

“Stop it!” Althea jumped onto her back and slammed her knife into her back, but the woman shrugged her off and backhanded her before looking back at Marina. She twisted her knife in further as she got a sick sense of delight hearing her scream. “M-Marina!”

Hearing the cries of the princess, Marina grabbed a piece of glass and stabbed the woman in the throat as many times as she could muster. The woman stumbled back to her feet, but much to their horror, she just smiled and licked her own blood from her palms. Marina gasped as she tried to crawl to her halberd, but the woman kicked her hard in the stomach.

“I will never understand you mortals…clinging to life…clinging to hope…there is nothing left for you…you fight and fight, but for what? Death is inevitable…I am inevitable…”

Althea watched in horror as she grabbed Marina by the hair and lifted her in the air. The womans blade appeared in her hands, and in a single fluid motion, she stabbed Marina right in the chest.

“NOO!” Marina fell to her knees as the woman relished in Althea’s desperate cries. Marina held onto the womans shoes, not wanting to let her win. The woman’s eyes sparkled in delight as she watched Marina sink to the floor.

“A fine addition you will make…now then…” Althea flinched as the woman advanced on her. She searched around for her knife, but it was lost somewhere in the rubble. She tried to conjure her fire, but her hands would not stop shaking. The woman grabbed her throat and Althea was face to face with her dark eyes. She couldn’t explain it, but looking into them, she felt her strength leave her, her will to live, all her emotions seemed to just bleed out of her body. “You look familiar girl…like I’ve seen you before…no matter, you will make an excellent plaything for-”

Althea gasped as she was dropped to the floor. Marina had found her strength again and had stabbed her halberd through the woman’s throat. The woman turned and looked at Marina with pure hatred in her eyes. She grabbed the halberd, but Marina kept a tight grip on it. Marina slammed the woman against a window and it shattered at the sudden impact. With a yell, Marina forced her all the way out of the window, but the woman was stubborn and she took hold of her.

“Marina! Let go of it!”

“L-Live Althea…you have to…”

With a final shove and before she could grab her, Althea watched as Marina and the woman fell from the window. “MARINA!”

The princess watched the window in horror before she started to hyperventilate. She was all alone and no one knew where she was. Beasts and other creatures were crawling all over the palace. Her friends and parents were gone…she would die here. This was the end of her story, she would be a forgotten chapter in this tale.

“No no…please…” Althea backed up against a wall before she slid down, holding her knees tight. She cried out as her body shook in absolute terror. Everything was fine, the war was over and this shouldn’t be happening. Marina was not dead, Liam was alive and fighting, Honora and Duran were safe, and most importantly so were her parents.

She was safe.

Yes, if she willed the bad things away then she would be safe. Her life was not crumbling around her, innocent people were not dead! Her parents would come get her and she would never worry about the bad things ever again.

“Everything w-will be ok…”

“Oh but it won’t be…” Althea looked up and blinked through her tears at the woman that Marina fought. There was not an injury on her body, in fact, she looked incredibly spry and healthy, like she aged backwards. She knelt in front of Althea and smiled darkly at the terrified girl.

“You see…all of this sweet sweet death will never end. It will go on forever and ever…an endless cycle of misery for every last soul here. You will watch as your perfect little life is torn apart, while I…relish in your misery, before I kill you.”

“N-No…”

“Oh yes sweet girl…” She held her hand against Althea’s cheek before she twirled a strand of her hair around her finger. “You’ve made some people very very angry…so I get the fun of peeling back this soft flesh of yours and doing what I see fit with you. When I finally grant you death…your soul will forever enter a cycle of torment.”

The young princesses eyes widened in terror as the woman smiled and talked to her in a sweet voice. She talked about such horrible things so casually, like it was the most normal thing in the world. Feeling her strength come back to her legs, Althea ran from the woman. She didn’t look back, but the woman didn’t chase her, instead she just laughed.

“Fly fly away little birdie, but soon you will be trapped! You will be caged and no one will ever come to save you! Your life will know nothing but eternal suffering! Everyone you ever hold dear will be lost! Happiness will never find you! You will only destroy whatever you hold dear!”

Althea blocked her out as she descended a flight of stairs. She gasped as her shoe snagged onto something and she fell down the stairs. Finally reaching the bottom, the princess hit a sharp piece of metal that went into her leg. She cried out as she looked at it and saw how deep it was. She reached for the wall and slowly pulled herself up.

“I…I’ve got to get this out…” The pain was unbearable and she wanted to just fall over and give up, but she couldn’t. So many gave their lives to keep her safe, so ripping a piece of her dress, she bit hard on it before grabbing the piece of metal. With a hard pull, she managed to get a lot of it out, but she stopped and fell to her knees. Tears leaked from her eyes as she felt it tear the inside of her leg.

With a tight grasp, she pulled it out finally, screaming hard into her makeshift gag. The pain almost made her pass out, but she had to heal. She had to focus on healing and nothing else. Wobbling to her feet, she hugged the walls and made her way through the palace.

She found that she was good at blocking out the sounds of people screaming their final breaths. Moving to another staircase, she heard a sound above her and looking up she could just make out Liam’s body falling past her, into the dark depths of the palace.

“Liam!” Hopping by faster, she descended the stairs and she gasped as she saw Eva’s body. She had landed on a raised spear from a suit of armor. Althea remembered hearing a distinct cracking sound, but landing on a spear wouldn’t do that. Moving around her body, Althea saw that her limbs had been bent and broken out of shape. Tears of blood streamed from her mouth and eyes. It looked like some of those beasts had ripped into her flesh too, judging by the number of bite marks on her body and missing flesh.

Althea looked away from the horrid sight as she tried to find Liam. He fell from so high, but she didn’t want to think of anything even remotely negative. If he was terribly injured, she could try and heal him. They could then find her parents and get out of here. After the most painful walk of her life, she finally made it back to where Liam fell, but to her horror, there was just another hole. He must have kept falling into the depths of the palace.

“That…that means he…he’s d-dead…” Hearing a noise behind her, Althea tried to hop away, but a familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Althea!” Althea watched as Duran ran down the hall and took her into his arms. She was honestly to stunned to hug him back. She was even more taken back by him kissing her, but she moved from his embrace. “I…how I have missed you! I saw that the kingdom was being attacked and I-”

“What? What are you talking about? The…you…h-how can you just come here and kiss me like that?! A-After everything that you said…” Tears fell from her eyes as her hands shook and Duran frowned at her as he took her hands.

“What I said? Althea the last time we talked I went on the expedition. It went on longer than what we thought.”

“I…what?” That couldn’t be right…he came back some time ago with his father. He…he had said all of those awful things to her. He was so so terrible to her and her heart felt like it had been ripped from her chest. “....”

“Althea?” It…it must have been one of the creatures. Perhaps it had shapeshifted into Duran and tried to hurt her? Creatures that could change their shape weren’t exactly a new thing, but what would be the purpose of it? What was the gain of it all?

“Althea…we should really get out of here. It is too dangerous and we need to find your parents and…” He stopped as she buried her face in her hands and cried. He gathered her into his arms and rubbed her back. “My love…”

“Y-You…you were so a-awful! I thought…I thought you didn’t love me anymore!”

“No no! I don’t know what happened, but we will make it right together. I just want to make sure that you are safe. I love you…”

“O-Oh D-Duran…I love you more!” She gripped his body tightly as he continued to rub her back. Everything would be alright now that he was here…now that her Duran was finally back and they could end this nightmare. “I-I…you made me feel so foolish…”

“No no…you’re not foolish.” He leaned back and kissed her forehead, before he looked into her eyes. “You could never be foolish…just naive…”

Her eyes widened as he gave her a hard push and she fell over the railings of the stairs, Duran looked down at her as she fell. His voice travelling to her as she fell. “We are reaching the final act…will you be there to witness it I wonder?”

Althea felt every blunt blow as she hit the stairs, but thankfully her dress got caught on an exposed piece of the palace walls. She quickly grabbed onto it, but her arm had gotten cut during the fall. She used all of her strength to try and get over the railing, but her arm hurt too much. She cried out and lost her hold.

She didn’t like to fly, but now she really had to to save her life. Mustering her strength and remembering what her parents taught her, Althea managed to assume her Phoenix form, but forgot that her pain still carried over. She could barely stay airborne before she crashed into a wall and hit the floor hard. Turning back, she gasped as she held her bleeding arm.

Sitting up slowly, she managed to get to her feet and began to hop down the hall. She would go to the throne room, it had to be where her mother had gone. Hopefully…hopefully her father made it back to the palace in one piece. She couldn’t bare to think about Duran and…what he had done. Her heart could only take so much.

♛

Hestia had lost count of the amount of creatures she had burned. It was like an endless stream of them kept coming, like a hive of insects. She had only left Althea’s side for thirty minutes, but she felt her heart shatter every second she was away from her. The palace needed to be secured, once they could take a proper stand, they could hold out until their allies arrived. The friends in the north would take longer to reach, but if word got to Dragleic, they would be able to reach them quicker. She hoped they would not have to call on them and that Dragleic and Kastria would be enough.

Hestia furrowed her brows as she made her way through the palace. A creature was stalking her, but she didn’t pay it much mind. It seemed to enjoy following her, but still she didn’t really care for it. The creature finally attacked her as she rounded a corner, but she didn’t even look at it as it was engulfed in her flames. “Disgusting creature…”

Holding her skirts up, she finally made her way to the throne room. She was honestly surprised to see that it was mostly untouched. A few pillars were knocked over and some rubble was on the floor, but all in all, it was mostly fine. Walking over to her throne, she touched it gingerly before she looked at her husbands throne. “Kyros…where are you, my love?”

Hearing a sound, Hestia turned and felt her heart soar as Kyros walked into the room. He was wounded but he looked well. His bloodied sword dragged across the ground, and his gaze was downcast as he breathed heavily.

“Kyros…” He looked up at the sound of her voice, she rushed over to him and the pair embraced tightly before he held her chin up to kiss her. “Oh my love…you’re alright…”

“Yes…I barely managed to get away from the battlefield…we have to retreat and regroup. The kingdom will be lost soon. Where is Althea?”

“She is safe with her knights and Marina. I wanted to secure the palace as we waited for you, but we can get her right now.” He nodded and kissed her once more before she stepped away from him to head back up to their daughter. “We will have to find another exit…that dragon has been silent since I…Kyros?”

Seeing that he was not following her, but instead looking out the large windows as the fighting grew louder and fiercer. His grip was tight on his sword, to the point that his fingers were bleeding. His shoulders began to shake as he looked down at the floor. Hestia could feel his pain, but the kingdom was lost and the only thing that mattered now was their family.

“Kyros…” She walked back to him, intent on dragging him out if she needed to. “My love…we should-”

Hestia gasped as she held her hand against her chest, her blood spilling from her palm. His sword was shaking as he looked at her. His eyes were wide and dark veins formed near his eyes. He stepped forward and Hestia stepped several paces back. “Kyros…what are you doing?”

“....”

He swung at her again, more aggression in his swings. Hestia almost tripped on her dress and she moved out of the way. “Kyros! My love! Stop it!”

“H-Hestia…” He held a hand against his head as his body shook. Hestia was at a loss on whether to defend herself or try to figure out what was going on. He suddenly roared in anger as he charged at her, swinging his sword. Hestia dodged all of his intended swings, but he was just picking up the pace. Tears sprang to her eyes, and she cried out as his sword sliced her arm.

“Kyros, my love! Please stop it! You’re hurting me!” He didn’t stop as he threw his fire at her and she swiped it away. “Kyros!”

“F-Finish it!”

“Kyros! My love, please! I love you and whatever is happening…we can get through it!” Hestia held her bleeding hand as Kyros stopped and slammed his hand against his head. “W-We’re going to be parents again…I’m pregnant! Stop this so we can leave and get Althea and raise our baby!”

“Mother!” Hestia turned at the sound of Althea’s voice. She should not be here to see her father like this. She needed to far away from here while she tried to fix this. Althea ran over to her parents, hurt and confused to why they were still here.

“Althea-”

Althea felt her world spin and her body grow cold. In the simplest motion, she watched as her father’s sword separated her mothers head from her shoulders. Althea watched as her head rolled across the floor, a look of pure pain on her face, before the life faded from her eyes.

“AHH!” Althea held her hands against her head as she looked at her mother. Her beautiful and perfect mother who was a guiding light in her life, was gone, just like that. Her own father, the love of her mother’s life had ended it, just like that.

“H-Hestia…” Althea looked through her tears as her father dropped his sword. His body convulsed as he cried and fell to his knees. “H-Hestia! My love!”

Althea dropped to her knees as her father clutched her mothers dress. His screams echoed through the palace, a great fire erupting around them. The world was literally burning around them, but Althea could not move and her father was heartbroken.

“A-Althea…” Althea watched as her father reached out to her, but she shook her head rapidly. How could he expect her to just go to him, after what he did?! She was gone and it was all his fault! He had killed her mother…his wife! “Althea…please…I…h-how did this…”

“Y-You killed her…father…your sword…you killed her!” Althea held her hand against her chest and she moved back away from him. He shook his head before he stood up.

“Althea…I would never ever hurt you and your mother. I…I would never do…” He didn’t look at her as he moved towards Althea again. “There…there is something wrong…ever since I got back from fighting that beast…I…I haven’t felt right…my rosebud please believe me…you…you are all that I have left…”

She wanted to believe him, but none of it made any sense. Nothing in her life the last few weeks seemed to make much sense anymore. “F-Father I…”

“Ack!” Kyros gasped and held his head and Althea noticed the darkening veins near his eyes. He coughed up a black blood and Althea stood to help him. She…he was still her father and she couldn’t really believe that he was in the right mind. These creatures were doing something to them, and he was the only thing that she had left. “Althea stay back!”

“Father I-”

“N-No I…” He seemed to be fighting against his own body as he picked up his sword. He looked at Althea as tears sprang to her eyes. His beautiful rose of a daughter held such fear in her eyes, fear that he never wanted her to experience. He needed to keep her safe, he needed to take her away from here, but how could he do it without Hestia…how would they ever recover? His hands shook as he raised the blade.

“F-Father…”

Kyros looked at his daughter as he felt his mind start to slip away, the perfect combination of him and Hestia. He looked down at the love of his life, who didn’t deserve to leave this life like this…without him. His mind finally slipped away before he spoke up once more. “Must…get rid of loose ends…”

For the second time, in such a short amount of time, Althea felt nothing but the deepest sense of pain and loss in her soul. Her father dropped his sword against his neck, over and over again, dropping to his knees. His head was barely handing on as his gaze found Althea’s. She was holding herself tight as she watched her father, finally behead himself. His body falling beside her mother, and Althea cried out as she ran over to them both.

“No no no!” Althea clutched at her parents bodies as she cried out. They were gone…and she was truly all alone. The kingdom of Melodia had truly fallen…the royal family was finished. Althea held her parents bodies for what seemed like forever. She had nothing left anymore and she’d rather die here with her parents, then continue to live in a world without them.

♛

Althea had finally managed to drag herself from out of the palace. It was like all the creatures in the palace had left. The dragon was no where in sight anymore either. She could still hear people screaming in the marketplace, but she just no longer cared. The palace was crumbling behind her and the courtyard was a destroyed mess. If she kept walking, perhaps something would finally come along to kill her too.

“Princess!” The grief striken princess looked up as the knight commander appeared before her. He was holding her horse and several others, but she just didn’t care about anything he had to say. “We have to get you and your parents-”

“They’re dead.” The commander faltered at her empty tone, before he took in her appearance. The princess was torn and broken. Her clothes were torn and she looked so defeated. The…the deaths of the king and queen were not something he was expecting to hear. The loss of their leaders would make it hard to rebuild the kingdom, but with the princess, there was still a chance.

“Princess…I…I am so very sorry to hear about what happened to your parents. We will have time to grieve for them, but I must get you out of here. You are the future of Melodia and we are nothing without you.”

“....” Althea could not bring herself to care much about what he was saying right now. There was nothing more that she could want. She was so angry, but also so very sad. She wanted the hurt and pain to stop, so when the knight commander stood, and his body was cleaved in two in front of her eyes, she hated that she didn’t get struck with him.

“Ah…still alive I see…” Looking at the culprit, her heart ached as she saw Duran sling a massive claymore onto his shoulders. “What’s wrong?”

He tilted his head as she gripped her dress and started to cry. Falling to her knees, she looked up at him with pure fury in her eyes. “Y-You…you ruined everything! I hate you! Why would you do this to me?! Just kill me and be done with it you monster!”

She beat her hands against the ground as she laid her forehead on it. She couldn’t take this anymore! It was too much! Her heart and soul hurt too much! She looked up and Duran as he walked up to her and looked down at her. “What more do you want from me! How much more can be taken from me?!”

“...” She cried her heart out as he sucked his teeth at her. He reached down and grabbed her chin, looking her deep in her eyes, looking over her face. He grabbed her throat and lifted her from the ground. “Fine…if you want to die so much…with you gone…this vessel will stop fighting me! I need him to be perfect! You are ruining everything!”

Althea gripped his wrists as he started to choke the life out of her. The snow was falling softly as she looked up at the sky. She would join her parents soon, and she could finally know peace after this nightmare. Her vision was fading and her hands went limp at her sides. Almost…just a bit…more…

“AGH!!!” Althea gasped as the air surged back into her lungs. She sat up as she saw Honora had tackled Duran into the snow. The two fought each other and Althea slowly stood as she watched them. She was sure that Honora had perished in all this mess, but Honora was stubborn…so she should have known better. Althea winced as Duran punched Honora across her jaw, but she rebounded quickly and punched him back. Duran cursed before he picked up his claymore and Honora grabbed her sword.

Althea watched as they scrambled to their feet before their blades met. She flinched at the harsh metallic sounds when they clashed. The force of their swings hit so hard that sparks flew from them. Duran swung with deadly force and Honora, but she was more nimble. His blade was far too heavy to be of any use against a faster opponent. Honora roared as she swung down at his head, growling when it didn’t land.

“Why are the women here so fucking stubborn and stupid?!” Duran struck her sword hard and her knees almost buckled under the force, but she held her ground and pushed him back.

“Fuck you! I don’t even know who you are anymore!” Honora circles him as her eyes burned. “You have some fucking nerve Duran!”

“Oh I have nerve? Not something you should really say to me with her standing right there…”

��You can say whatever you want! I’m done with you and I’m taking the princess out of here! She never deserved this!”

“How would you know what she deserves?! You haven’t been honest with her from the start!”

“It was never important you dick! You weren’t honest with her either!” Althea looked between the former friends as they circled each other. Duran smiled wickedly as he dragged his claymore across the ground. The snowfall grew harsher as they faced each other, and despite it all. She couldn’t help but worry how this would play out, and what had they not been honest about? Did anything even matter anymore?

“I suppose you could be right, but having two virgins is quite the accomplishment. I’m honestly quite proud of such an achievement…you weren’t the princesses tight cunt…but…I’m not picky….”

Honora roared in fury as she wildly spun her blade at Duran. He frowned at her fury as she was actually pushing him back. He stood his ground and swung hard for her midsection, but she ducked under his swing and sliced him across his stomach. The two knights had grown fiercer and fiercer with their blows. Blood was starting to stain the snow as they cut and sliced into each other's bodies. Duran was aiming to kill, but Honora didn’t seem as eager.

Althea felt her mind race as she tried to process but also block out Duran’s harsh words. He…he used to be intimate with Honora? How long ago had that been? Did she even really care at this point? Her heart was aching as Honora fought Duran, but even with her very limited knowledge, Althea could see that Honora was starting to falter and slow down. Her swings were still fast, but there was a sluggishness to them. Althea felt her breath catch in her throat as Duran kicked snow in Honora’s face, temporally stunning her. Duran kicked her in the chest as she slid across the ground before she slammed into the broken fountain.

He threw his claymore into her shoulder and her screams rattled Althea. She couldn’t take seeing this anymore. Going to her side, Althea tried to take the claymore out, but it was stuck.

“Althea…stop and go! Just leave me here!”

“I don’t want to see anyone else die! You’re my friend!” Althea cried as she pulled on the claymore. “I can’t take anymore loss!”

“Althea…look out!” Althea turned just as Duran slapped her across the face, falling to the ground. Honora struggled against the claymore as Duran grabbed Althea by the throat and started to choke her out once more. Honora tried to kick him and pull at the claymore, but he was just out of her reach. “Leave her alone! Stop it!”

“It’s time to finish this foolish fucking game!”

“No!” Honora yelled as she ripped her arm from the claymore, her flesh tearing and blood spilling from her severed limb. Duran turned just as she kicked him square in the nose. Althea scrambled to her feet as Honora helped her stand up. “A-Are you alright?”

“H-Honora…your arm…”

“It doesn’t…it doesn’t matter…” Honora turned as Duran roared out and charged at them, holding a discarded sword. Honora pushed Althea out of the way as he stabbed her through her stomach, she coughed out blood as she grabbed the sword. Honora rammed her nails into his eyes and he yelled as they fell to the floor. Taking the sword out, Honora coughed out more blood as she felt her vision fade in and out. Duran was not finished with her as he raised the sword above his head to finally put an end to her.

He just never expected the princess to retaliate in her own way. He coughed out blood and looked down at his chest, he looked in shock at the blade poking through his chest. He looked over his shoulder as the princess cried out before she shoved it deeper into his chest. She tore it from his chest and he collapsed against the fountain. Althea dropped the sword from her shaking hands, before she collapsed in from of him. He reached out to touch her, but she moved from his touch.

“Y-You…you ruined…e-everything…” He coughed out more blood as his hand fell to his side. “I…I hope y-you suffer…n-never…know happiness…”

His eyes closed and Althea couldn’t bring herself to cry for him, but her heart was breaking even still. She had loved him more than anything and they were always supposed to be together, but he had destroyed them. She couldn’t love him anymore, she felt nothing in her heart for him. She was glad that he was dead. Hearing a cough, Althea rushed over to Honora who was trying to sit up.

“Honora!” She helped her sit up, before the pair stood slowly. “I-I’m gonna get you out of here…”

“J-Just leave me…”

“I-I won’t!” Thinking quickly, she leaned forward and left a soft kiss on her lips. She hoped that her healing abilities would kick in and keep her going until they found help. The two girls slowly walked out of the palace grounds, but Althea whistled for her horse, who thankfully was still alright. “You just have to climb on Honora….please you will be ok.”

“I…I can’t…” Honora coughed out blood as she leaned against a wall. Althea’s hands were shaking as blood kept pouring from her dear friend. Her healing abilities weren’t working! Why could she never do anything right?! Honora had to be ok and she would give anything to make sure she’d be ok!

“I’m sorry…”

“What?” Why on Edrion was she apologizing? “Honora…why are you apologizing?! I should be sorry for not being able to heal you!”

“N-No…I…Duran and I…we…it was only a f-few times…I…I never…wanted him like that…please believe me…”

“Honora…I don’t care about that! I will always believe you…”

“I…I was jealous of you….I-I wanted to be…p-pretty like you…and perfect…” Honora coughed out as her body started to shake. “E-Everyone just…loves you…”

“Honora stop it! Please! Get on the horse!” Althea tried to get her to stand, but she would not budge. Honora sighed as she grabbed Althea’s hand. She looked her deep in her eyes and Althea didn’t like the look she was giving her. “H-Honora…you…you have to get on my h-horse…you…I have no one left…”

“Y-You…you have to live…” She wiped away Althea’s tears as she cried out. “You deserve…it. B-Be happy…” Althea held her hands tight, and she watched as Honora shake and tears started to fall. “I…I’m so s-sorry…I f-failed you…”

“N-No Honora! Never! You have done everything right!”

“I…I d-don’t want to die…not yet…”

“Y-You won’t! Please don’t leave me Honora! I-I don’t want to be alone! You’re my best friend!”

“I-I’m sorry…y-you’re my best f-friend too,” Althea gasped as Honora’s grip on her hand loosened. “I…I…l-love you…p-princess…”

“H-Honora? Honora?” Althea held her hand tight as Honora’s eyes started to close before she stopped moving altogether. “Honora! Please! No no no! Don’t leave me!”

Althea shook Honora’s body, but there was no response from her anymore. The winds sudden howl carried the sounds of the various beasts in the marketplace. Althea wanted to disappear as she backed away from the body of her dearest friend. Stardust nudged her and she flinched as he nibbled on her dress. The young princess looked at her body for a long time, before she looked at her home. Her parents, her love, her friends, her people…it was all gone.

She had nothing, she was nothing.

She mounted Stardust as the winds grew harsher and the sounds of the monsters drew closer. The young princess of Melodia finally took off, leaving everything she had ever known behind.

Including her heart.

♛

The shock of the deaths of the Melodian monarchs reached all across Edrion. A land that had flourished and been abundant with life, was lost within a matter of hours. The heavy frost that had taken over the kingdom reached the very borders of its territory. Nothing survived the carnage from that awful day. The only person who had made it was the young princess of Melodia, who when arriving at Dragleic, was silent and cold as she relayed the news to her godparents. The king and queen were devastated at the loss of their closest friends. The queen had cried in her room for weeks and the king had started to drink heavily. They took it upon themselves to visit the kingdom to retrieve their bodies, and they were shocked at the sight before them.

The frost had stopped falling, but now the kingdom was under a heavy layer of ice, frozen in time. Their knights had managed to recover the bodies, but not before another snow storm seemed to kick up, almost like it was trying to get rid of them. The funeral for the leaders of Melodia was a terribly solemn affair as their friends attended before the rest of the royals showed. The collective grew worried for the orphaned princess, who even at their funeral, she had said nothing. She retreated to her room soon after the funeral, and she only left to eat, but she rarely spoke anymore.

Three long and hard months passed as the princess stared out her window. Her eyes held no emotion to them anymore. Her usual bright smiles were replaced with a hard and straight face. The king and queen tried their best to make her talk or even crack a smile, but her face never changed. It was harder and harder to get her to even eat anymore.

“Althea?” The princess didn’t flinch as the young princess Evelyn entered her room. Despite her best efforts, she could not reach her friend. “I…would you like to see the baby dragons? It would be good to go outside and feel the sun on your skin…”

“....”

“I…everyone is just really worried about you. I’m worried about you. The maids have said that you’ve barely eaten again.”

“....”

“Empress Xiaoli and Liling are coming to visit you again. I heard that uncle Klein and aunt Yvette will also stop by…it will be good to see everyone again…right?”

“....”

“O-Ok…I’ll just…I’ll leave you alone. We…we love you Althea…I just…I want you to always know and remember that. We’re all here to talk when you are ready.” Evelyn stared at Althea for a bit longer before she slowly shut her door.

Tears were falling down her face once more, as her hand shook. She stared in the direction of her fallen kingdom. Blood coated her dress as a knife dropped from her lap. Her wrists bleeding from the deep wounds she inflicted on herself. She cried not from the pain, but because her wounds were healing already. Death had escaped her once again, and she wished that it would let her go. Why did the gods not just let her die? Why did she have to live in this horrible world? Nothing mattered to her anymore.

Althea fell from the chair as she grabbed the knife and stabbed herself over and over again. It never mattered how much she did it, the wounds just kept healing.

“L-Let me die…please…it hurts too much…” She slammed the knife weakly against her legs. “I want to die. I want to die. I want to die!”

Althea screamed her heart out as her cries fell on deaf ears. She would never be able to escape this pain in her heart. The gods wanted her to suffer. Duran was right…she was nothing and didn’t deserve happiness. She wanted to rot away and see her parents again, but for some reason, so many thought she deserved to live, but she could not see it.

The young princess spent the rest of her years searching and begging for dead, but death never came for her. Instead, her journey was far from over, there was much much more that needed to be done. She could not see why death did not want her, but she would not give up on trying to grasp it. Her former lover was correct, she was nothing.

She would never be nothing.

She would never know love.

She would never have happiness.

No matter how much she wished for it, her life and purpose was far from over. For you see, in the fallen kingdom of roses, the universe still had plans, for its broken and crumbled rose of a princess.

♛

“....”

“What?”

“Eh? What?”

“You keep tapping your damn nails and it is frustrating.”

“Oh…was I supposed to be considerate of a stupid fucking cyborg?”

“I am not a cyborg.”

“Right ok…” The red haired woman rolled her eyes as she kicked her feet and looked back at the falling kingdom. A wide smile crossed her face as she felt soul after soul enter her body. It had been too long since she felt the sweet caress of death on her skin, much less to this scale! She bit her lips as more people fell under them. She would enjoy it more if she didn’t have to hear the annoying mechanical sounds from her partner. His robotic arm was making an annoying racket and she opened her mouth to yell, but he cut her off.

“Why were you letting that woman just throw you around like that? You should have just killed her…”

“Oh…I just wanted to have some fun. She was a good fighter, but that damn princess was such a distraction. You know…our leige is going to be pissed about all of this. Your little experiment is dead because you wanted to play with her.”

“....”

“Khiseyar….he was supposed to be the vessel…”

“I am very aware of that Zeresu! That…that stupid emotion always holds mortals back! If she never existed this would have worked.”

“Or…you could have done it earlier like you were told. Instead, you wanted to make your little test dummies and send them at this kingdom. This was supposed to be easy…”

“It was for my research…now I can make something even better.”

“Right…” Zeresu looked on as the princess rode off. It would be boring to fight someone who had lost their will. There was someone more important to her to fight then some pampered princess. The girl did look very familiar for some reason, but she still could not place it.

“What are you doing with those?” Zeresu looked up at Khiseyar as he frowned at her. “The sounds they are making are annoying…”

“Really?” A dark smile crossed her face as she held her new toys up to her face. “I think these are my favorite sounds…”

Zeresu chuckled as she twirled the souls of the king and queen of Melodia in her palms. She juggled them in her hands before holding one in each palm. It was not everyday that she collected such powerful souls with such powerful emotions. There love was strong and those were always the best to rip apart. They kept trying to reach for each other in their spiritual forms, desperate to hold each other in death, to be together. Zeresu smiled as she brought them close together, their fingers inches from touching before she yanked them apart. She pushed and pulled them over and over again. They kept crying out for each other.

“Get rid of them already…”

“Shut up! Some people like to play with their food…it makes it taste better.” Zeresu leaned her head back as she swallowed the soul of the king. Twirling the queen around, she popped her in soon after. “Mmm…heartbreak…”

“Isn’t that just the opposite of what you want?”

“Oh not at all…I-”

Khiseyar jumped from the roof as a glaive struck the place he was standing at. Zeresu stood up with a wicked smile as they both looked up into the sky. The heavy frost came to a grinding halt as the figure above their heads looked down at them with cold and angry eyes. Khiseyar left once the two made eye contact, he refused to be in the middle of this again. Zeresu smiled as she drew her weapon, her smile only growing wider.

“Celica~”

Zeresu felt nothing but pure glee as Celica yelled and charged down at her. The glaive shook beside her and she barely dodged it as it swung for her head. Drawing her sword, she blocked it and turned just as Celica appeared and grabbed her face, slamming her through the roof of the palace. Her eyes were raging a frosty blue, her pupils turning into hard slits. Zeresu smiled as Celica finally let her face go and threw her into a wall.

“O-Oh…have I made you mad, little dragon?” Her smile widened as Celica snarled at her, fangs emerging from her teeth. “Aw…you don’t want to talk to your favorite person? You really should…your mother and Mykel had some interesting things to say-”

She never finished her whole sentence as Celica was once again in her face, although her glaive had been tossed away. Zeresu felt every bone in her body crack as Celica’s fist almost caved her face in. The blow should have killed her…it would have killed anyone else, but she was not just anyone. The blow did, however, send her flying through the palace. Celica was right on her heels and having enough of being manhandled, Zeresu stopped her momentum and caught another fist aimed for her face. She locked fingers with Celica as the two woman stared eye to eye. Their bones were breaking and snapping as they flexed their strength. Celica did not flinch at the pain, she only wanted to finally be done with this annoying bitch. Zeresu brought her leg down onto Celica’s knee, and hearing a nice crack, she smiled at her hiss of pain. Celica did not let that deter her as spears of ice shot out and caught Zeresu in her kneecaps. With an angry yell, Celica kicked the shards hard, snapping the bones in her legs.

Zeresu gasped before she received another fist to her jaw now. Zeresu smiled against Celica’s fist before she bit into it, and tore it off.

“Bitch!”

“There’s my scream!” Zeresu spit the blood into Celica’s eyes before she took the ice spear and slammed it into Celica’s left eye. Taking the momentum, she kicked Celica’s legs from under her and jammed the spear in deeper as she climbed on top of her. “Tell me how it feels Celica! Scream for me you stupid bitch!”

Celica roared as she grabbed Zeresu’s shirt and yanked her down against the spear in her eye. Zeresu growled in pain as the spear traveled into her eye and she was nose to nose with Celica. The hatred burning between the two women, had built of a long long period of time. Even laying eyes on the other was enough for them to fight it out for weeks at a time, but Celica was tired of it. She wanted her dead, she wanted her to suffer.

Celica summoned more spears and they stabbed into Zeresu, but the woman ripped herself out of Celica’s hold. Celica jumped to her feet, her eye injury already ignored and forgotten. The pair circled each other for what seemed like a few seconds before they descended onto the other. Every punch and every kick from them rocked the palace. It was already on its last legs, but now it didn’t stand a chance. Holding each others shirts, they kept punching each other harder and harder. Blood was spilling out everywhere. Zeresu’s face was broken and misshappened, and Celica was not far behind.

Zeresu fell against some rubble and Celica smiled as she pinned her down, freezing her hands against the ground. She released a flurry of punches to the womans’s face over and over again. She grabbed a large rock and slammed it into her face. “Die! Die you fucking bitch! Die-”

Celica grunted as something hit her in the back, sending her flying off Zeresu, who despite it all, was laughing hysterically. Celica glared at Khiseyar as he picked Zeresu up and they disappeared in a shroud of darkness. Celica pulled herself to her feet and called to her glaive, and it appeared in her hands.

“FUCK!!” Celica screamed in anger, her powers flexing turning the interior of the palace into a more frozen mess than the kingdom outside. Celica held her side as she floated outside, and she frowned at the frozen kingdom before her eyes. She reached out to touch a frozen corpse, but a gentle hand stopped her.

“Celica…you can’t touch it…it…this kingdom is lost…” Celica glared at Serafina as she snatched her hand away from her. She could already feel her body healing just standing next to her. She didn’t even realize she had a punctured lung as she took a deep breath.

“I won’t just let it end like this for these people. There must be something that I can do here…”

“I’m afraid that you can’t. This ice is…it is corrupted with the power of the Darkness. If you touch it, I have no idea what it could do to you.”

“....”

“We have to go…we both knew that this was going to happen again…”

“I should have gotten here sooner…”

“No…this had to happen. No matter how we feel about it. Althea needs to walk this path and her kingdom had to fall…I wish there was another way, but this was her fate…”

“She’s just a child…”

“I know…hopefully…hopefully someday she will recover. Someday she will be happy once again…I know you love this place Celica, but it was always going to end like this…”

“....” Serafina wanted to say more, but she knew Celica would just hate her more for it. She hated being so matter of fact about the loss of life, but it was their reality. This was their long and hard path that they had to walk on.

“I can hear them…”

“Hmm?”

“The king and queen…their souls are crying for each other…now that Zeresu has them…they will never find each other…rest in peace…they’ll never be together again…”

“I know…I…I wish that something could be done…but it can’t…” Celica’s hands shook as she felt her rage boiling.

“They talked about a vessel…”

“What?”

“A vessel. I…I think they wanted to use that boy Duran as a vessel…an earlier one…before…before him….”

Serafina felt her heart thunder in her chest. No, there was still so much more time before any of it happens. Did the Darkness truly believe they could make a vessel before he was born? Was something like that even possible? She turned away from Celica as she bit her nail, it shouldn’t be possible, but what if it was?! No…she would never allow it. The universe could not fall…not again.

“Come Celica…we have much to discuss.”

As Serafina disappeared, Celica took one last look at the kingdom of roses, and she felt nothing but heartache. So many lives were lost, and she couldn’t do anything about it, but the princess, maybe she could do something for her.

“Princess Althea of Melodia, on my honor as a Goddess…I bless you with everlasting peace and happiness. It may not come as soon as you like, but I swear that when it comes, you will only know the truest love. There will come times where you are lost, but even in those dark times, you will always have someone or something that will bring you back to the light.”

Celica traveled to Dragleic, the princess was asleep in her bed. Tears ran down her face, but Celica entered her room and wiped them away. “I give you this blessing, princess…” Celica leaned down and gently kissed her forehead and her tears stopped as she fell into a peaceful rest. Stepping onto the windowsill, Celica gave her a long look.

“Always remember princess…where there is shadow, there is light, and even amidst the darkness…love can be found….and it can be yours…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Thanks so so much for reading Love Amidst the Darkness. It was the first story I ever wrote in a story format lol! I used to to a lot of RP, so I was nervous about writing like this. The first twelve chapters I wrote back in 2016 and I had stopped, so if they look sloppy I didn’t change anything. I wanted to keep it the same to see if I improved. This story has gone through a lot of changes and backtracking over the years considering its finally done now in 2022! I love this story despite any flaws it has. I’m so happy it is done! Thanks so much for reading my first ever story! I have many more stories to share, so please stay tuned!

1-800-273-8255 Suicide Prevention Hotline Number.

I always like to add this if I write anything with someone hurting themself. It does not matter if they are fictional or not. It is still triggering and I want everyone to be safe. You are never alone in this life...ever.

#Althea #King Kyros #Queen Hestia #Duran #Honora #Liam #Marina #mature themes #original story #original work #writing #death #angst #oc #Zeresu #Khiseyar #Serafina #Celica #finale

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goddessofeternity · 3 years ago

Text

Love Amidst the Darkness

Chapter 20: End of the Beginning

Althea yawned and stretched as she snuggled against her pillow, her body felt sore. It was an odd type of soreness. She furrowed her brows as she squirmed in bed, and opening her eyes, she was met with eyes the color of the sky. Her memories of last night came flooding back into her mind. It was not a dream and Duran was really in her bed, stroking her cheek and smiling at her. She had no real idea how to feel after such a night of passion. Is this what all lovers felt like after making love? Is this why people in her novels always talked so highly about the act? She felt more connected to Duran than ever and she felt like she was floating on the clouds.

Well…if only it weren’t for the discomfort between her legs…

“Mmm…”

“Are you alright? Does it hurt?” Duran moved closer to her and kissed her forehead. “I told you to let me know if it hurt.”

“No I…it just feels a bit sore…you…you were perfect. It only hurt for a second…and then…” She blushed heavily as she stared at her fingers.

“Then what?”

“It…it felt…really really good…” She whispered out in a tiny voice and he chuckled and pulled her against his chest. He stroked her hair and found her shyness very adorable.

“I’m glad that you enjoyed it so much. I’m glad that I was able to please you.” She leaned back to look into his eyes.

“Will it always be like this? So…wonderful?”

“Yes…it will always be like this if you’d like. I would want nothing more to be close to you like this always…” The pair shared a gentle kiss before Althea pursed her lips in thought. “What’s on your mind love?”

“I…well…did you enjoy yourself too? I know…I know that you have experience…but I…I hoped that I made you feel good too.”

He coughed awkwardly as he looked away from her adorable face. How was he going to describe this? She was too precious and sweet. “Ahem…I um…well you were perfect love. I felt very very good too. I don’t expect you to be an expert at love making…but you did fantastic for your first time.”

“How did it feel for you though? I’m very curious…” His face burned even brighter as she placed her hands on his chest. His heart was thundering before he let out a deep breath.

“You…you my love…” He pulled her close and kissed her lips. “You feel like magic…”

“I…I do?” She felt her face heat up as a deep look of love and passion crossed his face. She found herself burning for him again. “How?”

“You feel soft…” He kissed her cheek and stroked her bare side. “You taste like the sweetest flower.” He held her cheek and kissed her deeply before his tongue ran across her lower lip. Althea shook in his arms as he held her close against his chest. “Your warmth…when we make love…when I feel you so tightly wrapped around me…there is no greater feeling than you.”

“...” He smiled as his love suddenly became speechless against him, he chuckled and held her tight and kissed her forehead. “Duran…”

“Hmm?”

“I…I want…I want you to love me again.”

“Are you sure? He breathed as she looked up at him shyly. “You should rest since you still are sore, my love.”

“I…I want you…more than anything…”

Duran stole a glance out the window, and considered his options. The sun was just peeking over the horizon. He would love nothing more than to give her what she craved, her pleasure meant more than anything to him. He was afraid that they would get caught in their act of passion. It was still quite early, but did he really want to risk it?

“Althea…I want too, but I think that I should leave soon…I-”

“Duran…” She hushed his words with a gentle kiss to his lips, and he groaned against her as he pulled her against him. His hands hovered over her tiny waist, but he pulled back anyway. “Duran…”

“My love…I want to make love again, trust me when I say that I do…I just don’t want to get caught. Your parents would-“

“Is my body not enough for you?” He looked at her quickly as she frowned and looked at her hands. “I-I know you said that it was fine that they weren’t large but…”

“Althea…” He pulled her back against him as a deep blush crossed his face. “Do you feel that?”

“Y-Yes…”

“You will always be enough for me. The strength and beauty of your heart will be enough for me. I…gods I love you more than you could ever realize…”

Unable to deny her much longer, Duran pulled her into a deep kiss and once again ignited the strength of their passion, and the two made love once again just as the sun breached the horizon.

~~~

“Hmm~” Althea was bursting with energy as she sat at her harp and played a lovely new tune. It had been a week since the armies had come back and everything seemed to be falling back into place. Her dear friends were back at her side, her mother and father were happier than ever, Marina was coming back today, and most importantly, she had the love of her life by her side. She wondered what her parents were doing at the moment. Ever since her father had come back, the pair had been inseparable, and for once Althea understood the feeling. She had wanted to spend more and more time with Duran, but he had gotten busy training and spending time with his family. “Hmm~”

“You’ve been in a good mood lately…” Althea looked over at her and smiled as Honora walked into her music room. Surprisingly, she was wearing a pretty blue dress and not her usual armor. Setting her harp to the side, she quickly bounced over to her and hugged her tight. “Not saying that it’s a bad thing or anything.”

“There are many things to be happy about! My father is safe and sound and my dearest friends are back home! Also…I have Duran back by my side. There are many many things to be grateful for. What’s the occasion? This is a very pretty dress, you look beautiful!”

“Oh thank you…my parents were asked to come to the palace to discuss our territory. My mother had some ideas for some things, and I think the queen wanted to discuss things we need for our fields and things.”

“Oh? Well…it’s a beautiful dress and I can’t wait to visit you soon. I haven’t been to the manor in such a long time.”

“Yeah…my mother really took to decorating it and making it look beautiful. I would have helped her more with it, but I don’t really have an eye for it.”

“Well…maybe you will soon. We could decorate and get some nice things for your room.”

“I would like that actually…so I thought you just played the piano. You sound really good on the harp.”

“Oh yes…I was never really getting much inspiration to make new music on it, but I’ve been in a really good mood, and I just had to come down and play!”

“Well…my parents want me to learn a safer skill, so maybe you could teach me to play an instrument some time?”

“Oh of course! I would love too! We need more time together since we haven’t had the time.”

“Yeah I know…” Honora sighed as she sat on a nearby bench, smoothing out her dress, she crossed her legs and looked forlornly out the window. “My parents were terrified when I went to war. They asked me to slow down for a bit and relax at home. I didn’t want to worry them anymore, so I’m working on being a “noble” daughter. It will put their minds at ease, but I miss training and spending my days looking after you…”

“I’m sure that you will be back on the training grounds in time,” Althea sat beside her and took her hands in her own. “We are spending time together right now…how about we make the best of it right now?”

“Yeah…I think that would do me some good.” Althea smiled and went to clean up her music sheets, and Honora tilted her head as she looked at her friend and princess. “Althea…”

“Hmm? Yes?”

“You seem different…like something has changed with you…”

“Really? In what way?”

“You just…look more mature I suppose. It could be because I haven’t seen you in over three months…”

Althea pursed her lips as she considered her words, but she could not say that she felt very different. She couldn’t have changed that much in only a few months time. Her parents didn’t seem to notice anything different about her. Letting it go, she looped her arm through Honora’s and they made their way through the palace. She could hear her mother talking with Honora’s parents. Opening the door to her drawing room, she smiled at her parents as she slipped into the room with Honora.

Althea smiled seeing her parents together once more. Her mother had been smiling more than she had ever seen for the last week. They were never far from each other for too long, and she wanted to have that with Duran, but she would have to discuss that with her mother soon. Now with the war over, her fiance would come back eventually and she would be expected to entertain him. She hated thinking about such a foul person.

“So…it will be some time before the autumn season comes around. So…we will be supplying you with some crops to test out your management of the fields. We will expect your cows and chickens to have reproduced twice as much. You have the space for them now, and the more you have, the more valuable your lands will be. It will of course take time, but we will assist you as best we can.”

“Thank you, your majesties. We couldn’t be more thankful for this wonderful opportunity that you have given to us. We will work on this right away. Come Honora, you have lessons to get to.”

Althea smiled as Honora rolled her eyes and followed after her parents as they left the drawing room. It would seem that she would have to do things with Honora another day, for now, she would spend time with her parents before seeing Duran again.

“Oh my rosebud…I have missed you so terribly.” Althea giggled as her father hugged her tight and kissed the top of her head. “Your mother told you about how the both of us met, I trust you enjoyed listening to how scary your mother was?”

“I could have been much worse…”

“Oh I don’t think that is possible. Merely being in your presence was enough to strike the rawest fear in my heart, my lovely tree woman.”

“Oh…oh be quiet…” Althea and Kyros chuckled as the queen grew embarrassed and looked away from them. It was nice to see them together once more, but it made her miss her own lover.

Oh.

The young princess found that her heart was ready to leap from her chest at the thought. Duran was not merely courting her, he truly was her lover in a more physical way. She fought off the growing blush on her face, afraid that her parents would notice. A thought was nagging at her mind, and since her parents were both here, she might as well ask.

“Mother…father…what is going to happen now? Do…do we have to contact my…fiance?”

The pair shared a look, before her father reached over and grasped her hand. “My princess…we don’t have to think about or talk about that. You have so long before you have to marry him, but if he was unpleasant and you don’t care for him, we can call it off.”

“Really?!” Her father chuckled at her enthusiasm and her mother smiled at her. If he was being serious, then perhaps it would be easier to be with Duran! Her mother was not a royal, and she married her father just fine. She could really have her happy ending soon and begin a beautiful life. “I-I mean…that would make me really happy.”

“Was he rude to you at your ball?!” Her father frowned and looked at his queen. “I have no problem raising hell if he did anything to you…”

“No no! Father please…he…he was a bit rude to me. I didn’t really like him, but I didn’t want to disappoint anyone so I didn’t say anything.”

“Althea…” Her mother went to her side as her father seethed and held her hand. “You would never upset us. Even if he is a prince, he should never take advantage of you and make you feel uncomfortable. We will have a discussion with his father and mother and we will handle this immediately.”

“My daughter, you deserve the world and only the best partner is allowed to be by your side. You must tell us if someone disrespects you, no alliance is worth you being mistreated. You really don’t even need someone to help you rule. I would rather have you rule on your own.”

“Kyros…” Hestia rolled her eyes as she elbowed her husband. “She deserves to be with the love of her life one day. She isn’t going to rule the kingdom by herself forever…”

“She could…” Althea laughed as her mother rolled her eyes at her husband. Things were moving at a better pace then she thought. It would make being with Duran much more possible! She would have to talk with her mother and Duran about this more. Her parents left her to her devices and she went to the gardens to garden. Life was finally moving in a direction that she could get behind, it was finally time to grasp that happiness.

♛

Hestia sighed as she stroked her brush against her canvas. It had been some time since she had a vision, and they scared her more and more. Winter was still some months away, but it could be that it was years away. She rubbed her face in irritation as she continued to paint, and the more the image came together. It made no sense to her and that fact did nothing to placate her intense worry. Leaning back in her chair, she just continued to stare at it.

“Hestia…”

Hestia looked over her shoulder as Kyros walked behind her and kissed her neck. “I’m sorry…did I wake you up?”

“It is never easy to sleep without you…”

“Yes…I know the feeling…I just…I felt the urge to paint and I needed to see what is was immediately.”

“Well…let’s look at it together…”

The royal couple observed the painting, but both quickly realized that it was not something they could really piece together. The painting told them nothing about their daughter this time around. It was the same dragon from the last painting. There was nothing to gain from it and it made Hestia more and more afraid. The couple had already gotten more guards around the castle and their friends from Dragleic were busy researching to see if they could find this species too.

“I can’t make no sense of this Kyros…I just want our daughter to be safe…and any other child that me have…” She held a hand against her stomach and he placed his own atop hers. “I want our family to be safe Kyros…”

“We will be Hestia, we will.” She sighed as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead. “You have to stop stressing yourself out, my love. It is affecting your health and you need your rest. I will worry about this issue for the time being. We have other things that we have to worry about. We need to focus on being happy.”

“I’m sorry…”

“Hestia…you have nothing to be sorry for. You are a mother and it is only right to worry about your family. Hestia, I love you and your beautiful soul. We will be alright.”

“I love you too Kyros, I just…” She blew out a tired breath as she looked into his eyes. “I’m sorry that it has been hard for me to get pregnant. All of this stress is making it harder for us to conceive…it was so much easier with Althea…”

“Hey hey…there is no rush. You just focus on your health and our baby will soon be here. We didn’t have anything to worry about when Althea was conceived. I just want you to relax and then we can try again ok?”

“Alright…” The pair shared a sweet kiss before leaving her drawing room. Hestia looked at the painting once more before letting her husband lead her back to their bedroom. “Kyros…”

“Yes?” The pair settled in their bed and he leaned back against their pillows, giving her his full attention.

“I think that we should let Althea find her own happiness. I don’t want her to marry any of these stuffy and rude royals. Our daughter does deserve that don’t you think?”

“I…” He pouted as he considered her words. “I really would like it if she was single forever…yes, I think I would prefer that…”

“Kyros…” He punched his side and he yelped in pain. “I want her to know real and true love…”

“Ok ok I know…it was annoying getting all of those marriage proposals for her.” He crossed his arms and frowned. “It was the same when I was her age…just so many proposals. I’m glad that our council is much better than the ones we had during our first few years of ruling.”

“I couldn’t stand them very much either…” Kyros kissed her hand and she moved over and straddles him. “Well…how about we focus on something more fun?”

“Oh? My fiery wife is at it again I see.”

“You love it when I get like this…” She smiled as he sat up and placed his hands on her hips, pulling her closer.

“Oh…I really really do…” Hestia wrapped her arms around his neck as they shared a deep kiss before Kyros rolled her under him, and they made love, letting their future happiness be the only thing fueling them forward.

♛

“Do you have to go?”

“Yes…I’m sorry love. I want to stay, but this expedition won’t take too long and I’ll be back before you know it.”

Althea pouted as Duran kissed her forehead before kissing her hands. He had been incredibly busy since their first time making love, and she missed him terribly. He was now heading on an expedition to make sure that all traces of their enemy were gone. She didn’t want him to do something so horrible and dangerous. Liam wasn’t even going with him and Honora was taking a break for the next three months. She would be alone for the next week and she didn’t want that more than anything.

“I just want you to be very very safe…”

“I will be very very very safe…” She giggled as he rubbed his nose against hers. He loved to hear her laugh and hated when she was sad. He kissed her softly before he pulled her close and stroked her hair. “It will be a routine expedition and I will be going with my father, the strongest man in the army besides your father.”

“Ok…” She buried her face into his chest and he chuckled feeling her face tickle his chest. “I love you…”

“I love you more, my princess.” Sharing one last kiss, Duran climbed from her window just as a knock came at her door.

“Come in!” Heading to her wardrobe, she sighed as she started to search for a dress. “I hope that you can help me pick out a dress for the day. I just can’t seem to pick something…”

“Hmm…I always say that you look wonderful in blue and some purple tones…to match your eyes…”

Althea gasped and turned as Marina stood in her doorway with a big smile on her face. Althea wasted no time as she launched herself into her open arms. “Marina! I’ve missed you so much!”

“It has only been a few days since we last saw each other! You couldn’t have missed me that much…”

“I know…I think that I’m being a bit too clingy lately…with the war being over I just want everyone I care about to be close to me.”

“I can understand that…war is a scary thing that no one should have to experience. I’m just glad that we did not lose as many people as I thought we would. We are once again enjoying a time of peace and that is something to be thankful for.”

“I agree…this means that we can go out riding again! I so missed our time together just being together.”

“I can’t wait for that either…so how about we get you dressed and ready for your day.” Althea excitedly went to stand on her stool as Marina helped her get dressed. Althea hummed to herself as Marina quietly went about getting her stockings and dress on.

“....” Althea stopped her humming when Marina paused and her eyes looked over her body. Althea looked at her confused before she stepped down and sat on her stool.

“Marina…are you ok?”

“I…Althea…” Marina looked at the bedroom door before she looked Althea deep in her eyes with a serious expression. “Did…did a man share your bed with you?”

“W-What?!” Althea felt her face instantly heat up at her question. Why would she ask her that? More importantly, could she really tell? “I…I have not had someone in my bed…”

“Althea…” Marina sighed and bit her lip as she looked upon her face. “I have been your lady in waiting for many years now. I have seen you flourish into a beautiful young girl…I can tell when you have now become a young woman.”

“I…”

“Althea…I just want you to be honest with me. If someone hurt you-”

“No! No he didn’t hurt me! I…I wanted it to happen!” Marina let out a breath before she placed a hand on Althea’s shoulder.

“This was a consenual decision?”

“Yes I promise…please you musn’t tell my mother and father. I…we are in love and I just…I just wanted to express that…with him.”

“Althea…I will not speak of this with your parents, but you must realize that this is a very serious thing you have done. Love is beautiful, but love also could mean the making of a child and you are far too young to have a child. You are also the princess and you could be dishonored if you are with child…I just want you to be safe. Do I…do I know this young man?”

“Y-Yes…it…it’s my knight Duran…”

“Ah…I actually am not too surprised to hear that. You both seemed to harbor feeling for each other…”

“Will my mother and father be able to tell?”

“Your mother might be able to, but I am not sure about the king. She either has already noticed or she hasn’t yet. I just hope that this was the right choice that you and your knight have made.”

“I believe that it is. I wouldn’t change what we did for anything in the world. We love each other and I won’t let anyone get in the way of that, even my own parents.”

“Hmm…when did you get so tough?” Marina stroked her cheek before continuing to help her get dressed. Althea let out a sigh of relief that Marina decided to keep her secret to herself. Looking into her mirror, she scanned her body, curious to see these changes that Marina said that she could see. She still felt the same, and she couldn’t see any real changes. Once she was dressed, Althea went down to see if her mother was ready for whatever it was that she had planned.

Walking into her drawing room, she was surprised to see her mother laughing with Honora as she fretted over a canvas. Seeing her daughter, Hestis ushered her over and Althea grimaced at the sight before her.

“Althea stop it! I can feel your eyes judging my painting! It just isn’t done yet, but when it is you will think its the most perfect thing in the world!” Althea highly doubted that as Honora had her attention fully focused on the canvas. Her mother was trying her best not to laugh, but it would not be long before it was a hard task.

“Honora…is this also apart of the skills that your parents thought you should learn?”

“Yes of course…the queen was nice enough to tutor me. I don’t think that I have a green thumb so I thought this was the next best option. I might try music too, you sounded lovely on your harp and even more on your piano.”

“I…would love to tutor you, but I don’t think that painting is your calling…” Her mother tried to hide her smirk and Althea just shook her head. “What exactly are you trying to paint?”

“Oh I thought I would do something simple and paint the fruits in that bowl over there.” Althea looked over at the bowl of apples, bananas, and oranges with a very raised brow. Looking back at the canvas just confused her even more.

“Oh…”

“What?” Hearing the tone in her friends voice, Honora finally looked back at her, her pretty face covered in various paint. “Does it not look like that?”

“I…I thought that you were painting a monster…”

It was that remark that finally made the queen burst into laughter. Honora looked at her friend in horrified betrayal and Althea just shrugged her shoulders. “It does not look like a monster!”

“It…it does Honora. I thought it was some horrible eldritch creature…” Honora gaped in astonishment as the queen laughed even harder. Pouting, Honora took her canvas and just threw the rest of her paint over it. “I only wish to be honest with you…”

“Yeah well…ugh…I guess…”

“Now now Honora…” The queen took several calming breaths as she patted the young girl on the shoulder. “This also might not be something that you are very skilled at. There are many other skills that you can work on instead.”

“I’m starting to think this whole thing is pointless, your majesty. I’m just not that talented with anything other than my sword.”

“Oh I don’t believe that. I thought that I had no real talent either, but I soon found out that I did! You just have to find something that works for you. Something that you might like and want to improve on it.”

“Mmm…I don’t have anything like that right now…”

“It will come to you in time…” Althea smiled as Honora thought about some skill she would like to learn. Sitting beside her mother, Althea leaned against her with a content sigh. It felt nice not to worry about the looming war over their heads anymore, and she could see her father and friends whenever she wanted again. “How are you Althea?”

“I’m alright…just happy…”

“Well…I’m glad that you are happy, my sweet rose. Nothing could bring me greater joy than that.” Kissing her head, the pair smiled as Honora seemed really deep in her thoughts. “Honora…you don’t have to think so hard about it today dear…”

“I want to figure it out though…I want to leave her having done something…”

“Well…the king is busy and I have nothing to do and neither does Althea. Why don’t we have a girls day to ourselves?”

“A girl’s day?”

“Oh! Yes! My mother and I often have days were the staff pampers us and we dress up and talk and eat sweets and just have a good time together. Oh! We could even get massages! Honora you’ll love it!”

“I…well…I guess it does sound pretty nice…” Althea clapped excitedly as she practically dragged Honora out of the room, with her mother following close behind. Looking back at her queen, Honora looked very worried. “I’m going to regret this aren’t I?”

“Well it depends on you dear…” Honora sighed as Althea listed all of the things that they would be doing. It was an impressive number of things that she wanted to do, and Honora was sure that they would not get them done. The princess was determined though, she wanted a nice day with her mother and friend and she would have it!

So, the trio set out to have what the princess called the “best day ever”. It was a day filled with laughter, silly talks, good food, and even better massages. Honora was more than excited to continue this little get together and maybe bring her mother next time. She seemed to particularly like the massages she received and passed out rather quickly. Hestia was just glad to see her daughter so happy and at peace again. There was no telling when her vision would come to pass, but her husband was right, they had to enjoy what they had now. It would do no one any favors to constantly stress about it, so she wouldn’t. More and more knights were on guard and their beloved kingdom would be safe, but more importantly so would their daughter. So, the queen enjoyed a day of pampering, because tomorrow was never promised, and she resolved to continue looking forward and never back. The future was theirs to grasp, and nothing would get in the way of that again.

♛

Althea counted the days that Duran had left with a heavy heart. It had only been two weeks, but she found that she missed him in more ways than one. Honora and Marina kept her plenty busy though, and she was grateful for it. They knew how much she missed Duran and had done everything to take her mind off of him. Her parents were busy dealing with the fallout of her marriage falling through, but other than that, they were busy being in love. She couldn’t count the amount of times she caught them kissing throughout the palace. She was embarrassed to admit that she was jealous of them and how open they could be about their love.

She often looked from the windows every few days to see if she could see the expedition team right over the hills. She often wondered if she might have missed them and he was waiting to surprise her in the night or early morning. She wanted to write a letter, but she decided against it, and she wanted to be more positive anyway. If he said he would be safe and back soon than she would believe him and have faith.

“Althea!” The young princess jumped as Marina rounded the corner of her room quickly. “The knights have returned!”

“Oh!” Althea wondered if there was a god out there listening to her worried mind. Rushing to the courtyard, she looked around for Duran, but she only saw his father. After searching for another ten minutes, she realized that she should check her room instead. He often did that in the past, so why would he change that now. With an excited smile, she dashed up to her room and quickly shut her door.

“Duran?” She whispered as she looked behind her curtains and wardrobe. Frowning, she looked over her room more and called out his name. “Duran?”

She was starting to get worried now that he was clearly not in her room. He must have gone home first, yes that would make sense. He would want to see his mother and siblings after being gone and he would visit her later. Walking past her window, she stopped as she spotted him in the courtyard. Her heart fluttered in joy at seeing him, but she was confused and surprised that she didn’t see him at first. She was sure that she looked everywhere for him, but that did not matter because he was home at last!

She quickly went around her room to clean it up a bit and find a pretty nightgown to wear for the night. It could be the night that they make love again! She had missed him being close to her in that way. She’d have to ask him not to leave again for so long, he deserved a break after all.

She busied herself for the rest of the day and before long night had fallen over the kingdom. Althea sat excitedly in her nightgown and made sure the candles she lit weren’t burning anything. Smoothing out her nightgown again, she looked at her window in anticipation.

“Where are you, my love?” Althea played with the frills on her dress as a full hour went by without anything. Another two hours passed as she laid against her pillows, eyes getting heavy. By now, a full five hours passed and the young princess was fast asleep. As she turned in her bed, a sound at her window woke her up. “Duran?”

Rushing to her window, she smiled as she threw it open. Her smile fell as it was only a bird roosting outside. With a sad sigh, she closed her window and fell face first into her pillows. “I guess I’ll see him tomorrow…”

Falling asleep she dreamed of nothing more than being in the arms of her love, eager to hear about his day and to talk of hers. She wanted to also discuss speaking with her father about their relationship finally. Her mother would also be on her side and Duran was a good and honorable young man, who only wanted to love her and protecting their beloved kingdom. His father had a good standing in the kingdom and he fought valiantly in the war. It was clear to see that he was a good choice to rule beside her and be her husband someday.

The various thoughts ran through her head, and she fell asleep with a pleased smile. She would talk with her beloved in the morning. He was never far from her side when he wasn’t busy, and she would shower him in many many kisses. She finally drifted off into a blissful sleep filled only with dreams of a beautiful day with her love.

“Althea…”

“Mmm…”

“Althea wake up…it is almost noon…” Jolting out of her sleep, Althea rubbed her eyes as Marina smiled at her with a dress in her hands. Althea gasped as she leaped from her bed, Marina close behind to get her ready for the day. She almost tripped as she raced down to the courtyard once she was dressed. The knights were taking their break and she remembered that Duran liked to relax by himself and eat in a secluded spot. He was such a people person, so she was surprised that he preferred to be alone. He would be glad to see her!

“Hmm~” Humming to herself, she smiled as she spotted him. He wasn’t eating but was instead, swinging his sword. He was entirley focused on his swings, and Althea loved how determined he looked. He was so handsome and she took the time to appreciate him as she looked him up and down. He was getting more muscular, something that she found that she liked alot. “Duran~”

“....”

“Duran~”

“....” She frowned at him now, because she was sure that he heard her the second time. He couldn’t be that focused that he was ignoring her. Walking around to face him, she planted her hands on her hips and he finally looked up at her and sheathed his sword. “What?”

“I…” She blinked in surprise at his irritated tone. “I’m sorry? I…you didn’t come to see me after you came back…did something happen?”

“No…I didn’t realize that you needed to see me so often…” Althea folded her hands together as she looked down at the ground. Something must have happened…why was he being so cold to her?

“If something happened…we can talk about it and maybe we can figure it out…”

“I told you nothing is wrong. Do I have to continue to repeat myself around you? Don’t you have some lessons to get to?” He unsheathed his sword again and began to swing it with more force. Althea looked at him with wide eyed hurt and shock. The tears sprang to her eyes before she realized it, and hearing her sniffle, it was like a switch turned in his head. “A-Althea…I’m so sorry I…”

“I-If you wish to be alone…that is all you had to say…”

“No no…my love…” He rushed forward and took her hands and kissed them. She flinched as he took her hands, even his hands were cold. Wiping her tears, he pulled her into a tight hug. “I’m just a bit stressed out…I haven’t been feeling to well lately…I should not have taken my stress out on you. I love you.”

“I-I love you too.” She pulled back and looked deep in his eyes. His eyes still sparkled the same as they always did. For some reason, he felt so distant, but now he just seemed to be back. “You must tell me if something upsets you…I want to help you.”

“I know…” He kissed her hand once more, before leaving a small kiss on her lips. “That won’t have again…but, you shouldn’t be so close to me when I swing my sword. I don’t want to hurt you accidently.”

“You could never hurt me Duran, but I will be more careful when you have your sword.” Sharing another kiss, they sat in the grass and he handed his beloved the other half of his sandwich. “Oh…you don’t have to share your lunch with me, you’ve been training all day. You need your strength.”

“Don’t worry about me. I will have a full meal when I get home. My mother makes sure that my father and I eat until our stomachs burst. You look like you just woke up so I know that you didn’t eat anything…you have some bedhead love…”

Althea gasped as her hands flew to her hair and Duran chuckled. After helping her fix her hair, she nibbled on his lunch. “Duran…”

“Hmm?”

“I think that we should talk to my father about our relationship.” Duran choked on his sandwich and beat his chest as he looked at her like she had grown a second head. “I mean it…we have nothing to hide. We are at peace and I won’t have to marry my awful fiance…we should finally grasp this chance at our happy ending.”

“I…I know that you are right, but the king might not want a peasant to marry his only daughter and heir…we might need to really convince him, and I’m not sure I will be able to.”

“You won’t have to worry about that. I recently learned that my mother didn’t come from the most royal of backgrounds.”

“Really?”

“I’ll tell you about it someday, but just think about it please? We also have my mother on our side too if you’ve forgotten.”

“Well…when you put it like that…ok…we should talk to your father. I do admit that I dislike all of this sneaking around…”

“Hehe…me too. How about we tell him…this week. It’ll give us some time to think about what we want to say, and we can get it over and done with.”

“Alright…that sounds like a plan. Although, I think I would like to spend some more alone time with you before we do that…”

“Yeah?”

“Mmhmm…” He moved closer to her and left a passionate kiss against her lips before he held her chin, and rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip. “I have to admit…I have missed you…”

“I’ve missed you too,” she released a shaky breath as he planted another kiss on her lips. “Will you…come to my room…tonight?”

“Of course.” He brushed a strand of her hair over her shoulder, before he laid a kiss on her bare shoulder. “I fully intend to show you how much I have missed you…”

“Oh Duran…” She sighed lovingly before wrapping her arms around his neck and the pair kissed with the strongest passion. Althea left his side that day with the biggest smile, and she could not wait to share her bed with him again. The prospect of talking to her father was scary, but she was confident. He would probably be upset, but she would not give up! She bounced through the palace, going through her usual routines for the day.

She would look out the windows occasionally to see Duran training, and sometimes he would catch her eyes and smile up at her. She should probably talk with her mother first and discuss it with her, but that could wait until later. She had something more important that would take up her time tonight. So, the princess waited in her room, eager to share her love with Duran. She waited…and waited…and waited for her knight that never came. He said he would come, and she believed him that he would come. It was far into the night before she realized that he was not coming and she finally just went to sleep.

The next morning, she woke up in a foul mood. Marina had asked her several times what was the matter, but she never received an answer. Althea had looked for Duran, but none of the other knights had seen him that morning. She had even gone to her mother, but she didn’t see him either. She had now gone from upset to worry, and matters only grew worse as the days dragged on. The days blended together and now Althea felt nothing but panic. She would have gone to see Honora, but she was away with her family.

A full two weeks had gone by, since anyone had seen Duran. It was another week before he appeared again. She had spotted him walking through the halls of the palace. It was a lonely hall and there was nothing of note where he was walking. Althea had rushed forward to him, more happy to see him alright then upset.

“Duran! Oh where have you been?!” She gathered her skirts so she wouldn’t trip, but he was just scanning the walls and mumbling to himself. She did not care if someone heard her, she just wanted to know where he was. “My love!”

She ran around him to face her, but he just kept walking and looking around the walls. He just brushed past her, like she wasn’t even there. She ran back in front of him, but once again he just walked past her.

“Duran!”

“What?!” She flinched as he raised his voice at her. Dropping her skirts, she folded her hands in front of her, and willed her tears to go away. His eyes held an anger to them that she had never seen. An anger towards her, that she had never seen. What had happened?

“D-Duran…please…don’t yell at me-”

“Why not?! Why should I not yell at you?! Tell me Althea…please explain to me why I shouldn’t yell at you for always being up my ass?!”

“I…I don’t see why you-”

“Would you just leave me alone for once?!” He pushed past her an retreated further into the castle. Althea blinked away her tears before she chased after him. Throwing open the door he disappeared behind it, she quickly descended the stairs after him.

“Duran! Yelling and getting angry at me won’t fix whatever is wrong! We can talk about and fix whatever is wrong-”

“Enough!” Althea stopped as he yelled once more. The anger in his eyes had now become a raging inferno as he ran a hand through his hair. She looked down at him from her step with nothing but pain in her eyes. She only wanted to know what was wrong and what she could have done to make him so angry. “You have no idea how much your neediness has pissed me off!”

“Duran…I…I’m sorry, but…how could I have made you upset? You’ve been gone for weeks! Just talk to me!”

“Listen to me, Althea…” Duran ascended the stairs and stopped in front of her. Holding her face in her hands, he leaned in close and Althea closed her eyes, waiting to feel his lips against hers once more. “I want you to never seek me out again. You’ve been nothing but a pain in my ass ever since I took your virginity. I should have known this would happen…you’ve been a waste of time.”

He released his hold on her with an annoyed toss. Althea held her head to the side as tears fell down her face. Duran continued to walk down the stairs, with not even one more glance at her. Balling her fists up, Althea continued to follow him. This was not her knight, there was something definitely wrong with him! “Duran!”

He stopped once more and let out an exasperated breath before he turned to look at her. She paused once more as she looked into his eyes. Her heart skipped a beat as there was nothing in his eyes. The usual sparkle in his eyes was gone, there was just a blank expression. “You have to realize that you’ve overstayed your welcome. I have no use for you anymore. Playing with you was fun, but I have things that I have to do…”

“Playing with me? What-”

“Is the princess of a kingdom really supposed to be so uneducated? Yes, playing with you. I would have never thought you would be so easy. I say a few nice things and go above and beyond and you spread your legs just like that!” He laughed as he crossed his arms and walked back up to her. Her lips quivered as he got into her face, he looked her up and down before another chuckle came from his lips.

“Y-You…d-don’t mean that…”

“Aw…don’t cry beautiful…” He held her face and wiped her tears away. A shiver ran up her spine as she looked into his emotionless gaze. His hands suddenly felt colder than they had before, she bit her lip so that she wouldn’t cry out. “I had fun at least…you were nice and tight like I thought you would be…”

“....”

“Now…get the fuck out of my sight. I had better never see you again.” He let her face go and continued his descent. “Fucking virgins…always getting attached and bitching…”

Althea shook terribly as he finally disappeared. Unable to hold herself together much longer, she collapsed on the stairs and cried her heart out. Why would he say such awful things to her? Did he truly not love her like he said that he did? Was all of it a lie? Just to get into her bed? The young princess could not understand as she kept crying and holding herself. Her heart felt like it was right on the verge of shattering.

Was it something she did? Why was he so hostile and rude? Althea could not think of where it all went wrong, but she would do whatever she could to make it right.

♛

Althea spent the next week trying to get Duran to talk to her, but he did nothing but ignore her. He would train with the other knights and just go right home. Marina was beside herself in anger as she tried to make Althea feel better, but nothing seemed to work. Althea had barely eaten since Duran had snapped on her. The princess kept a brave face in front of her parents, but it wouldn’t be enough eventually as Duran grew more and more difficult to talk to. It was not only Althea feeling these changes with him, but those around him too. He had grown more aggressive in his sparring with the other knights. He had managed to put over thirty men in the hospital and his father was beside himself in rage. Liam had even tried to calm him down, but he only received a broken nose in the process.

Althea could barely sleep at night anymore as she spent half of that time crying into her pillows. When she was awake, she would wonder the quiet halls thinking of how to rectify the situation with her love. It was late one night, that she spotted Duran in the courtyards again, and she quickly ran out, not caring one bit that she was in her nightgown.

“Duran!”

Her knight stopped with his back facing her, his shoulders tense and his fist shaking in anger. He didn’t turn to look at her, but he stayed and that was enough for her. He would only have to listen to her and they could fix everything and go back to how everything was before.

“M-My love please…I-I know that you are upset…and I don’t know why…but! I…I want to fix whatever I didn wrong! P-Please don’t leave me…I will do anything! I l-love you so much Duran! Just talk to me!” She held her nightgown tight as she cried out to him and he turned with a fire in his eyes and marched up to her. She stumbled back and fell on the ground as he towered over her.

“You don’t fucking get it you dumb bitch! None of this is about you! I could care less of a fuck about you! You were a good little girl to fuck! That is it! That is all you will ever be! A good thing to fuck! You have no other value than that! I do not love you! I do not care about you!” He knelt down and a dark smile crossed his face. “You see what I’m saying girl? You are nothing to me…a spoiled little princess so desperate for love that you let the first man who was nice to you get in between your legs.”

“D-Don’t say that…”

“Oh…but it is so true. It was not hard to be everything that you wanted. This game has been fun, but I’m afraid that I am bored with you. In fact, I bored with everything around here. Goodbye little princess, I do hope that whoever has you next will have a better time than I did…if that ever happens.”

He patted her head and stood up to leave her in the dirt, but she grabbed his pants. He looked down at her and rolled his eyes at her tear stained face. “I-I’m sorry! D-Don’t leave me Duran please! I can be better! Whatever it is that you want I will do! Y-You…w-we are in love…d-don’t throw it all away! We talked about our future so much! Will you really give up on us?! Just like that?!”

“Yes.”

He moved his leg from her grasp and walked away from her, smiling at her pained cries. The princess laid in the dirt until a patrolling knight happened to find her there. She continued to cry as he carried her through the halls, the other various knights took up his flank. The king and queen were more than confused as they were woken from their sleep. Seeing their distraught daughter however, send them both in a raging fit. The princess was completely unconsolable as she cried against her mother, neither of her parents able to figure out what was wrong. The king had yelled all the night trying to figure out what had happened, but no one had an answers for him.

Althea soon cried herself to sleep in her mothers arms.Not wanting her to sleep alone, her parents laid in bed with her. The king was intent on finding out in the morning the cause for his daughter sadness, but the queen had a feeling she knew what was wrong. She would have quite the talk with her daughter’s knight when the morning comes around.

Althea was an empty shell of herself for the next two weeks. She barely talked or ate, she had even less sleep than before. Marina and her parents did everything to get her to talk, but she would not make a sound. Hestia had contacted Duran’s family immediately, but she was surprised to hear that they had not seen Duran in over two weeks. They were just as confused as their queen was. Hestia kept her anger in check for the most part, but seeing the devastation on the face of her daughter made that hard. Kyros was even worse off as he relentlessly tried to figure it all out, and Hestia realized that she would have to tell her husband about the secret romance. He was beginning to take his anger out on the knights during training, and that was not something he should be doing at all.

The queen sat at her desk highly frustrated as she looked over her papers. How could she focus on things going on in the kingdom when her daughter was like this? She leaned back in her seat with a tired sigh, but a knock at her door made her fix her posture. “Come in…”

“Your Majesty?” Hestia smiled as Honora peeked into the room, holding some paperwork in her arms. “We have returned from our trip. My mother caught a fever so she sent me to bring these to the palace for you. If I missed something I could have them back here before the day is over.”

“Oh thank you Honora, you can place them on the desk.” Rubbing her temple, she looked at Honora and wondered if she could break through to Althea. “Honora…I need you to check on Althea…”

“Of course, your majesty. I…is something wrong? You seem…agitated.”

“Something happened with Althea and no one has been able to console her for the past week. I thought having a friend closer to her age would help that out some…”

“Oh! Of course! I’ll head to her right now!” Honora sprinted out of the study before the queen could say another word. Gathering up her skirts, she dashed up the stairs until she was finally at Althea’s room. Leaning an ear to the door, she couldn’t hear anything, but she gently pushed the door open.

Althea was seated at her window just writing in a book at her desk. Walking further into the room, Honora placed a hand on her shoulder and Althea looked up and Honora held back a gasp. Althea was always a vision and she always looked perfect, but this was not who Honora was looking at right now. Her eyes were bright red and tears stained her pretty face, and her hair was a complete mess. The bags under her eyes looked as if she hadn’t slept in months. A plate of untouched food was by her side and Honora noticed how sickly she suddenly looked.

“Honora…” Honora blinked her thoughts away as Althea said her name in a raspy tone. Had she not been speaking? Fat tears rolled down her face as she threw herself into Honora’s arms and cried. “H-Honora you have to help me!”

“O-Of course! You have to tell me what is wrong! Did something happen?”

“Only the worst possible thing in the world! You have to tell him to talk to me again! He doesn’t love me anymore! Please please please fix this! I-I’ll do anything!”

“Shh shh…just tell me what is going on…”

Honora listened quietly as her friend and princess recounted everything that had happened in her absence. It was hard for her to talk about it as she sniffled and cried, but Honora still understood all of it. Honestly, she couldn’t really believe her ears because nothing about it sounded right. It didn’t sound like her friend that she grew up with. He loved Althea and that was clear to see, so to hear everything that she was saying right now? It was a hard pill to swallow. Althea could barely recount most of the story as she burst into tears. Honora held her close as her anger spiked and she felt ready to punch through a wall.

“I’ll talk to him and fix this…”

“You will?!”

“Of course…I’ll just have to find him…”

“N-No one has seen him for some time…”

“Well…I know the places he likes to hang out at. You need to eat Althea…once I smack him around, I’ll have him back here on his knees begging for your forgiveness.” She wiped away Althea’s tears before she left her. Once she closed her door, Honora took off with the rage of an angry bull. The knights quickly cleared a path for her as she made her way out of the palace. She didn’t even bother changing from the pretty dress she was wearing. She was far too angry to be concerned with what she was wearing.

She had stopped at several places that he often went to after a long day, but she grew more and more frustrated when she could not find him. The various catcalls were also not helping as she stormed through the streets. She went down the back alleys of the last place she thought he might be at, but was more irritated to find nothing once more.

“Where the hell are you?”

“Ahh!”

Hearing someone yell, Honora ran toward its source and was relieved to finally find Duran, but it was not a sight she expected to see either. A man laid facedown in the dirt and Duran just looked at him before rolling his neck. Upon closer inspection, she saw a pool of blood form under the man.

“Duran!” He turned at the sound of his name just as she stomped forward and slammed him against a wall. “What the hell are you doing?! Did…did you just kill this man?!”

“That’s what it looks like isn’t it? Now would you piss off…I have other things that I need to do…” He tried to move from her grasp, but she slammed him back against the wall. Now he was starting to get angry as he looked down at her. She almost faltered under such a cold glare, but brushed it aside.

“Bullshit! How could you say those things to Althea! How could you just kill this man?!” Her hands shook angrily as he just stared at her. “You have to make it right with her! There was no reason for you to break her heart like that!”

“….”

“Say something!” She flinched as he grabbed her arm, it wasn’t the fact that he did, but it was because how cold his hand was, like he had taken a dip in a frozen lake. What the hell had he been doing?!

“Is it just a thing in this kingdom for the women to be insufferable…” Twisting her arm, he jolted from her grasp and slammed her against the wall, twisting her arm behind her back. “I think I’ve had my fill with the lot of you…”

“Get off! Duran…damn you! What the fuck is the matter with you?” She tried to break out of his grasp, but he was so much stronger than she was. It was almost unreal how much he was, she would have easily broken out of this. “Fuck! Just go and talk to her!”

“Why would I do a thing like that?”

“She loves you dumbass! I will kick your ass the second I get out of this hold!” Honora groaned as she pressed her face against the wall. She was about to try and push him off, but he just pushed her further against the wall.

“Why are you really here Honora?” His voice at her ear made her pause, but it also held a sick undertone to it that she didn’t like one bit. “Is it to be a good friend like you think you are? Is it the guilt you still feel at judging the princess so harshly? Or…is there something more beneath the surface?”

She stuggled against him and her face burned up as he pressed himself against her. His other hand held tight to her arms, as his other tailed her bare back, before playing with the beads there. He chuckled before he turned her to face him, holding her wrists above her head. She kicked between his legs but he just moved out of the way. She flinched away as he reached forward and playing with her necklace.

“You know…between you and Liam…I thought you were the more honest one, but who am I kidding? Women are sneaky creatures…”

“What the fuck are you talking about?!” She tried kicking at him again, but he just swatted her attempts away. “I’ve been nothing but honest! If anyone hasn’t been honest it is you! You never really cared about her at all did you?!”

“Who can say?” He got close to her face, his eyes raging a stormy blue. “Now…you interrupt me again and I’ll fucking kill you.”

“....” What had happened? He was fine after they had come back from the war. She narrowed her eyes as she thought back to what had happened recently. All she could think of was the expedition, but everyone else who came back didn’t show…this personality change. She had read once that head injuries could sometimes affect the mind, maybe that was what this was. It has to be, because if it wasn’t she wouldn't know how to deal with. Hell, she couldn’t handle it now.

“You seem to like your pretty dresses and the attention that you’ve been getting, haven’t you? You are no longer just an ex knights daughter…a lowly farmer. You actually hold some value that you never did as a knight.”

“Shut up! I have never been ashamed of my life! Much less abouth my father! I have never cared about jewels and dresses!”

“Don’t lie! I can see it all over your face!” He slameed his fist into the fall beside her head, before he chuckled. “You will never be anything in this life. The knight commander? Don’t make me laugh…if you led this army it would nothing more than a laughing stock. You prance around in this dresses and hold your head up high and look down at the people who are now under you. They sneer and plot behind your back Honora.”

“You’re a liar!”

“Or…ah…I see now….there is some jealousy under the surface. Did you hope that someone would notice you more if you wore the pretty dresses and grew out your hair? You want someone to look at you the way I do at the princess? What did you really come out here for?”

“I…I came to get you to talk to Althea! She’s heartbroken…you…you mean everything to her…” Honora looked away from, missing the wide smile that crossed his face. Feeling content, he released her and she fell to the ground, rubbing her wrists and glaring up at him. “What is wrong with you?”

“I’m merely bored with all of this. This kingdom, you people, that girl, it was a fun experiment while it lasted, but I think it has run its course…”

“What are talking about?” She stood up slowly as he sighed and shook his head. That same expressionless look was once again on his face, and now she was truly convinced that something had gone wrong in his head. “This isn’t a game! The princesses feelings aren’t some game or experiment that you can just toy with!”

“You can say that, but there was a time that you wished to be rid of the princess…”

“What? No I didn’t! I would never want-”

“Her gaze began to shift towards me and it sparked a fire in you. Her insulting you in your home was just the final straw. You couldn’t stand to watch someone who had never know hardship, struggle, loss, and genuine hopelessness get what you could never have! You couldn’t believe she would be so stupid as to wanting genuine friendship, but you never wanted that! You never wanted her close!”

“N-No I…I…”

“It was always me Honora!” He stepped forward and looked down at her as her lip quivered. “You just wanted me to notice you! How pathetic and petty to think I would give a damn about you if you tried to be some lady of the court! You will never know the pleasures of love and you will never be Althea! You are a farmers daughter who thought that she mattered…who thought she could change. Thought she could change my heart, but here’s something you should know Honora…”

He knelt in front of her before he snatched the necklace from her neck and inspected the precious jewels on it. “You have no value…not even worth a good fuck. Your pretty dresses and new holier than thou attitude will never make me want you. Why would I want such a desperate and pathetic woman at my side?”

“....”

“Now pick yourself up,” she flinched as he threw her necklace at her face before he got up and walked away. “Seeing that pitiful look on your face is making me want to hurl.”

Honora looked at her destroyed necklace with teary eyes. He was a monster, a far cry from the person she once knew. He destroyed more than a necklace, he destroyed her pride. How was she going to explain this to Althea? Could…could she even face Althea after this? It…she hated that what he said was so very true. She hated feeling like this. Her tears fell against her balled up fists, but she would not allow herself to cry. It would do no one any good, she had to make all of this right.

Just as she picked herself up, gathering the last bit of her will, a particular and odd sight went across her vision. Looking up at the sky, she was shocked to see a familiar sight before her eyes. Despite the warmth of the sudden season, and it being far off. There was no mistaking what she was witnessing.

Falling from the sky, in showers of white, was an ominous snowfall.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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goddessofeternity · 3 years ago

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Love Amidst the Darkness

Chapter 19: Moments of Bliss

Althea twirled her pen between her fingers with anticipation as she stared at her bedroom door every few minutes. She was currently being fitted for a dress for her visit to the Chowa empire, but she could not focus knowing that the mail carrier could arrive any minute. She was glad to learn that she could send letters to the army and even better she would get responses from everyone! The war had been raging for over a month now and she couldn’t wait for everyone to come home. She was worried most for her mother though, she had been working herself incredibly hard since her father and the armies left. Althea could not convince her to take a break and rest. It took Althea writing letters to her godmother to finally convince her. Now, Althea and her mother were getting ready to spend a few days in the Chowa Empire with their close allies and friends.

“Althea…how would you like to wear your hair today?” Althea perked up as she smiled at Marina briefly before looking at the door again. “The mail carrier will be here soon.”

“I know…I just wish he would arrive faster. I would like my hair tied up please. I just hope this trip will be good on my mother…”

“I’m sure that it will be. She just misses your father terribly and is worried for him.” Marina sighed sadly as she brushed through Althea’s hair. “You just have to continue to be here for her and rely on each others strength.”

“I know…you’re right…”

“We should head downstairs…your mother is probably already waiting for us. I can’t wait to spend some more time with you again. It has been far too long since we enjoyed each others company.”

“Yes I know…we get to experience a new land and spend time with each other again.” The pair made their way through the palace and Althea could not help the sigh that escaped her as she frowned at her mother. The queen was sitting on a bench once again signing and looking over her paperwork. She ran a tired hand over her eyes before getting back to it.

“Mother…”

The queen kept her writing up, not quite hearing her daughter call out to her. Althea walked to her mother and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. The queen jumped slightly and looked at her daughter with a confused glance.

“Yes, my love?”

“We have a long trip ahead of us mother…we really should get going. Someone else can look over things while we have some time to relax.”

“I can’t relax…this must all be done. I don’t want your father working on anything when he comes back. Our friends know that we are coming…if we show up a bit late they will understand…”

“They will worry about us. There has been so much danger that it will fill their hearts with fear…”

“….” The queen considered the words of her daughter before she sighed and closed her book. “You’re right…I’m sorry my sweet rose.”

Althea smiled as her mother finally joined her side and they climbed into the carriage and the knights packed their bags up. Marina sat beside Althea and gave her an encouraging nudge before she began to read a book. Althea wrung her hands together before she looked at her tired mother.

“Mother…I miss him too…” The queen flinched hearing the sadness in her daughter's voice. “We have barely spent any time together since he left. I know there is always work that needs to be done, but I still need my mother…I hate seeing you overwork yourself so hard…”

“….” Hestia stood and kneel in front of her young daughter and held her cheek. “You are absolutely right…I…I haven’t been the best mother at the moment and you deserve me at my absolute best…”

“I know…”

“So…when we get to the Empire you will have me at my best. Plus, I hear that the empress has many exciting things to show us. Despite my mood, I do hope that you are excited to see a new place.”

“As long as we are together…I’ll absolutely enjoy it!”

The queen and princess held each other in a tight and warm embrace and enjoyed some small talk, while Marina smiled behind her book, happy that he pair were able to talk to each other again.

♛

“Oh!”

Althea and her mother looked out their carriage with wide, but excited eyes. The Chowa empire was nothing like either of them had ever seen. All of its many colors were vibrant and the architecture was unique and beautiful. Althea looked at the people and noticed that it was not just the empress and Liling, but all the residents had animal like features. There were so many different smells in the air and the young princess was excited to try them all. She hoped to learn some new things to cook for her family and friends. The carriage soon arrived at the imperial palace and they were greeted with an entire staff of maids.

“Greetings, Queen Hestia, Princess Althea and Lady Marina. We will be your caretakers while you are staying in our lovely country. The empress is awaiting you in the gardens. We will handle and put away all of your belongings.”

“Thank you…I hope that we didn’t take too long in getting here.” The group ascended the stairs and their head maid smile kindly at them.

“Oh not at all. You arrived right on time. The festival is tomorrow and we only need to get your measurements for your hanfu. The empress had told me that you favor golds and reds, while the princess loves blues and purples.”

“Hanfu?”

“Yes…it is traditional wear that is worn for such special occasions. The empresses…wife…has been spending the last few weeks preparing the finest silk for you both.”

Althea frowned and found herself uncomfortable with how she addressed Liling. Liling was such a wonderful and sweet person. She hoped that the older woman didn’t have to hear such things from the people meant to serve her. Glancing at her mother, Althea was not too surprised to see her mother sporting an icy glare at the back of the woman’s head. The flames of the candles in the room slightly flickered harshly.

“Is this common behavior in the empire?”

“Hmm?” The maid looked over her shoulder and almost tripped when she gazed at the queen. “W-What ever do you mean, Your Majesty?”

“Is it common to speak in such a tone about the ruler of your empire? To clearly disrespect them in front of guests from another nation? That is an act of treason and shows weakness in the country…”

“I-I…that woman isn’t-”

“That woman” is the empress as well and she will be ruling over you and ensuring that things in the empire are running smoothly. She is making sure that you still have work and have a roof over your head. You live a good life because she has made the empress happy…so keeping such a tone about her love is not something you should continue to do.”

“Yes…such a thing would be foolish to continue.”

Althea and her mother looked toward the throne as they had finally made their way further inside the palace. The maid had failed to realize that the empress was standing by her throne, and she was wearing a glare that could freeze oceans. The maid looked ready to cry and with a snap of her fingers, several guards stormed into the room and snatched her away.

“Y-Your I-Imperial Majesty! Please! I meant no disrespect! Have mercy on me!” The empress ignored her pleas with a roll of her eyes before she smiled at Althea and her mother. Althea looked at the retreating woman for a bit, before she realized that she probably shouldn’t stare.

“Your Imperial Majesty…” Hestia nodded at her fellow royal as Althea and Marina dropped into curtsies. Hestia gestured for her gifts to be brought forward and the empress raised a brow at the sheer volume of them. “I thought it would make up for years of communication and meetings that were missed. I also thought some wedding gifts were in order.”

“Thank you for the gifts. I’m sorry that you had to experience the…personal feelings of my own subjects. Ever since we came back after the wedding…it has been…difficult…”

“Well…” Hestia approached the empress and grasped her hands tightly. “I do hope that this fades soon and you both can be happy. I hope that our presence here will bring you both some comfort.”

“Thank you…I really have appreciated your friendship over the months. Come…why don’t we head to the gardens. Liling has been setting up all day for your arrival.”

The group arrived at the gardens and Althea found herself once again taken aback by the stunning architecture. A large tree with branches took up most of the garden. Its long and sweeping branched were almost making a natural shade over the area. A small pond with flower petals floating in its waters was teeming with aquatic life she had never seen before. She took notice of General Honghui helping Liling set up the table that was at the base of the large tree. Walking over to the pair, Althea looked at another larger pond with an intricate bridge running over it to another section with interest. It seemed that some construction was happening.

The stone pathways were designed almost like a chessboard with their black and white colors, but every other stone had dragons etched into them. Althea was never one to really take notice of architecture but she was about to. A shrine was attached to a small gazebo to the northern part of the garden and the smell of incense filled her senses, the loveliest scent of…roses?

“I see you like the gardens princess.”

“Oh!” Althea flushed as everyone was looking at her with a smile. She didn’t realize that she was staring so much. “It’s very beautiful here…it’s so different from the types of gardens that I have seen. I also didn’t expect to smell roses her either.”

“Well…trade has proved quite lucrative and Liling used the roses you let her have to their fullest.” The empress smiled and held her wife’s hand when she walked up to them. “I didn’t realize that she had such a green thumb.”

“Well neither did I…I thought it would make you both feel more at home to be surrounded by the scent of roses.”

“That is very kind of you…thank you Liling.” Althea was about to thank her as well, but feeling something against her legs she looked down and was quite shocked.

“Lyna? What on Edrion are you doing here?” Althea knelt as the lioness licked her palms and rubbed against her.

“Surprise!” Althea and her mother both snapped their heads back to the large table as empress Yvette appeared from behind the tree. Matteo made an immediate run for Hestia, who knelt quickly to scoop him into her arms. “I thought I would visit too since I heard you both were coming.”

“Yvette!” Hestia rushed to her friend and engulfed her in a tight hug, but pulled back to glare harshly at her. “You should be home resting! I’m always glad to see you, but your baby could be born soon!”

“Oh I still have another month…besides…I…I couldn’t bear staying in the palace much longer with Klein out there…it’s too much on my heart…”

A noticeable and harsh silence fell over the group at her words. It was surprising that emperor Klein had joined the war efforts with king Kyros and Zacharias. He had been very concerned about his wife’s pregnancy and was never far from her. Their empire had also had a terrible storm and was in the process of being rebuilt. Althea imagined he left for the same reason everyone else did…to ensure the safety of their loved ones. Emperor Klein was going to be a father again and she could only imagine that the empress was more upset than she let on.

“We are more than happy to have you in our home and would love to visit while the war is still going on.” Liling offered with a kind smile, but Althea didn’t think her smile matched her words. Everyone was tense and worried about the war right now. It was a hard thing to worry and wait on news for. Althea did her very best to keep her spirts up, but the only thing really keeping her going was the letters she received. The only problem was that the mail carrier didn’t arrive before they had left.

“Let’s eat and we can discuss plans for the festival tomorrow.”

The collective agreed easily as they sat around the table and began to converse. Everyone fell easily into their conversations. It was friendly conversation, but it was also so very forced. No one wanted to talk about the war, but it was the only things on their minds. Althea wondered if it would be like this the entire campaign. Hushed conversations, restrained feelings and frantic hearts had suddenly become the norm, and Althea desperately wanted things to go back to the way it was.

♛

Althea sighed as she walked through the halls of the palace and wished that she was in a better mood. It seemed the week in Chowa had done little for her and her mother. They were only going to stay for three days, but her mother insisted that they stay longer. The festival was fun, but she honestly could not really remember it, despite how beautiful it was. Her mother had seemed to grow more and more quiet as time went on. Despite their conversation on the way to Chowa, their ride back was silent except for Marina occasionally striking up conversation.

Her mother often was in meetings or would lock herself in her drawing room. Althea had to continue her lessons, but she barely paid any attention. She probably wrote an entire book with her recent thoughts she had been having. She had gone through two books at this point and the mail carrier had still not shown up. She was beginning to fear that something had happened to him, or worse something had happened to the armies. The knights and other nobles were even becoming restless and anxious as the days passed without a word.

Althea wrapped her robes around her body tighter as she walked the halls, occasionally greeting the odd knight here and there. It was hard for her to sleep at night, so she found walking to be the best remedy for it. She was surprised by her own bravery at doing such a thing. The incident with Lord Derrick was often in her mind, but she had more control of her fire and that gave her more confidence than ever. Finally resting, she sat by a window as she looked up at the full moon.

“Gods…please…whoever is listening…let my father and my friends come back home safely. I want nothing more than to see and hold them again. It has only been a month and a half…but I fear that without word my mother and I will worry ourselves sick and I…” The young princess looked over her shoulder to make sure no one was around before looking back at the moon. “I wish to hear news from my love…I want to know that he is safe and doing his best. I wonder if he thinks about me as much as I think about him. I…I long for his touch…for his kiss…

Holding a hand to her heart, she prayed with every ounce of feeling in her heart. Surely word would come to them soon and they could breath a sigh of relief. It was very optimistic, but she hoped that news of the war ending would come sooner rather than later. It would be good to push such an awful thing as far from their minds as possible. The distant sound of banging metal made her jump, and she squinted in the darkness of the palace as several knights came into view.

“Y-Yes?” No sooner had she thought about Lord Derrick…now there were knights approaching her in the cover of darkness. It brought back awful memories, but she held firm as one of them stepped forward.

“We would like to ask for your assistance in regards to the queen.”

“What? What has happened to my mother?!” Althea sprang to her feet and rushed to her parents bedchambers. The knights were close on her heels as they hurried along. “Is she ill? Why haven’t you taken her to the doctor?”

“No princess…she is…” They had reached the door, but when Althea went to grab the handle she paused just shy of it. Her heart sank to her chest as she heard the very distinct sounds of her mother crying her heart out. From the sounds, she was trying to mask her cries into one of her many pillows, but it was clear all the same. Looking at the knights, they all looked saddened as they looked towards the ground. The knight who asked for her assistance stepped forward again.

“She has been crying every night since you both returned from the Chowa empire…”

“What? Why have I just been informed of this?”

“She…she usually stops after about an hour…but she has been crying for well over three hours at this point. We did not want to disturb your rest before princess. We just figured that she was upset about the war and the king…since there has been no word for awhile.”

Althea clenched her hands tightly before she looked back at the door. Her heart broke hearing her mother so sad and heartbroken. She quickly dismissed the knights before readying herself and quietly opening the door. Holding a small ball of fire, Althea was surprised by the state of the room, it was covered with half painted canvases and ones that had been torn to shreds. Pillows were thrown all over the floor and it looked as if her mother had burned some of the paintings. Looking towards the bed, Althea felt her heart sink more as her mother had her face buried into a pillow.

The queen was trembling as her cries rocked her body. Only a thin sheet covered her lower body as her left hand gripped the pillow tight. Her other hand was tightly clenched around the sheets on the other side of her…where her husband should have been. Althea finally found her courage and stepped towards the large bed. “Mother…”

The queen gasped as she shot up from under the pillow. Althea almost cried as she saw how red her mother’s face and eyes were. The queen quickly wiped at her eyes and cleaned off her face as Althea climbed into the bed. Clearing her throat and conjuring her own ball of flame, the queen gave her daughter the weakest smile she had ever seen. It was hard to fake any other emotion when she looked the way that she did.

“My…my sweet rose…what on Edrion are you doing up so late? You should be in bed and resting…you have lessons in the morning.”

“I can’t sleep that well at night…I’ve been taking walks throughout the halls. The knights were concerned and asked me to check on you…mother you…you don’t have to be alone in your sadness. I’m here too, let me be here for you.”

“….” The queen released a tired and sad breath as she looked at her daughter. How strong she seemed to become over the course of this year….where had the time gone? Flipping back her blankets…Hestia gestured Althea forward and the young princess climbed in beside her mother. Hestia reached over to hold her daughter, but Althea surprised her again by grabbing her instead.

“We don’t have to be sad, mother…father and the armies will be back. We just have to have faith in them. We have the toughest men and women fighting beside him. If you ever get sad…we can go out riding or you can teach me how to paint and I’ll show you how to cook.”

“….” Her mother remained silent before she buried her face into her daughter's chest. Althea held her mother tighter as she felt her nightgown get wet. “Thank you, Althea…”

“I’ll always be here for you mother…”

“You miss Duran terribly too, don’t you?”

“Everyday…but…I know that he’s going to be ok. I have to believe that…it’s the only thing I can do.”

“….” Althea continued to hold her mother tight as her sniffles started to fade. Figuring her mother was falling asleep, Althea moved away to let her rest, but she was surprised to see that her mother was wide awake and wearing a look of intense thought.

“Mother? What’s wrong?”

“Have I ever told you about how I met your father?”

“You haven’t actually…it is a story that I have always wanted to hear though.”

“Mmm…well it is quite the tale…so get comfortable my sweet girl…”

~~~

“We have to do something!”

“Obviously you fool! Who knows what could happen if we don’t act quickly!”

“How could he even do something like this?!”

“Silence you fool!”

The collective group of council members all glanced at the end of the long table. The young prince was silently writing and signing papers in deep concentration. A boy of only seventeen, but he carried the true poise and strength of a royal twice his age. The council had been apprehensive about talking around him, but they were getting restless and so were the citizens.

It had been over eight months since king Rasvan disappeared. The kingdom had since been in a state of panic at the loss of their ruler. It had been silent the first couple weeks, but the information had been leaked to the public. A panic had ensued over it, but the army had managed to keep things in order. Although, it was only a matter of time before they were riled up again.

The young prince had said not a word since his father disappeared. No words of worry, anger, fear, nothing. He simply dressed himself and went to collect his fathers work. He fell into this routine for the past eight months without complaint. Those around him often worried about his mental state, but he was diligent in his work and the kingdom had fallen back into order slowly…but there was steady progress.

“We should be more considerate of his highness…” One of the councilmen whispered to his peers. “This is his father we are talking about…”

“The boy does not care! It’s been months since he left!” Another councilman growled back, throwing his arms in the air. “We need to discuss how the king didn’t leave anything to help!”

The young prince sighed deeply as he leaned on his hands and looked over his foolish council. He had finished his work a while ago, and now he just listened to the useless prattle of tired old men. They failed to notice his gaze so he just waited and drummed his fingers on the table. He glanced to his left and smiled at the woman in the corner.

“Should I get their attention?” She whispered amused at their arguments.

The prince smiled and shook his head. Their constant prattle was humorous at times. He needed to rest his writing hand anyway. They would stop their bickering soon enough he hoped. It was a full fifteen minutes before he yawned and caught the attention of one of his councilmen.

“Prince Kyros! I see that you are finished with your paperwork, excellent!” The young prince resisted the urge to roll his eyes as the men looked over the documents with satisfied expressions. “We have looked over some potential candidates for a wife and we have some very good options!”

Kyros winced at the prospect of “shopping” for a wife. He considered the whole thing pretty barbaric and he didn’t really see the need to be married. Sure he liked women, but the only reason they wanted him to have a wife was to have heirs and secure the bloodline. Something else that wasn’t really needed. Ever since his…ever since the king left, the council had been frantic about everything. Many kept up the search for the fleeing king, but Kyros didn’t really see the point.

He kept silent about it though, if he had to hear them whine anymore and he’d lose his mind. “I think that I’ll rest for the day…I’ve been signing things all morning.”

“Your highness-“

“He’s tired…he needs his strength if you want him to lead this country. We will convene again tomorrow.” Kyros smiled at the annoyed faces of the men around them, with a firm nod he left the room quickly.

“Thank you…I have no idea how the king dealt with them after all these years…”

“He didn’t really…he often ignored them and only paid attention when he was bored.”

“Yeah…that sounds right…” Hearing the bitter tone in his voice, the woman placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “How are this annoying afternoon though?”

“Well…just looking after the young prince who has not been very happy lately. I would have hoped that after so long, he would finally show me his wonderful smile.”

“Heh…I have to much to worry about right now…this whole wife business is pissing me off. I just want to make sure that the kingdom prospers and is safe for the future ahead.”

“I see I see…so when will your happiness be at the forefront of your duties?” The young prince looked away at her words, knowing that she was right. His head maid had a way of reading him, but it was to be expected since she raised him when his mother left. He often wondered at times if she teased him just because she could. Many whispered behind their backs if something was happening under the surface, but both of them just ignored such things.

“You should get some air…it will be good for you…maybe you could have a nice flight?” He thought about her suggestion, not really wanting to take a break, but he probably did need one. “Go on…shoo…I had better not see you in here for a few hours.”

“H-Hey!” He groaned as she pushed him through the hallways, a small giggle escaped her lips. “I’m going already! You are so pushy, Ms. Boulviere!”

“Have fun!” She gave him a parting smile before she slammed the palace doors in his face. Scratching his head, he looked around the garden quizzically. He was not often in the large gardens of the palace that he had lived in for so long. The scent of the roses were sweet as he walked through their thorny bushes, and sat beneath a tree.

“Ugh…maybe she was right. I hope that those idiots in there can handle not being alone without me for awhile.” The young man sighed as he leaned his head back against the tree, preparing to take a short nap. That was the plan, but it seemed that fate had something else in store for him. Hearing something rustle above him, Kyros opened one eye as leaves started to fall from the tree. Fully opening his eyes, he stood and narrowed his eyes as a large mass moved in between the branches.

“What the?”

Hearing a distinct snap, the weight of whatever was in the tree finally gave way, but Kyros saw the last thing that he had ever expected to see. With a startled yelp, a young girl fell from the branches right on top of him. The pair groaned at the rough landing and when he sat up, Kyros was met with a girl with the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. The pair blinked at each other before the girl blushed, or he think she did, it was hard to tell with her messy appearance. He was about to say more, but a fist to his face was not what he expected.

“Ow! What the hell is wrong with you?!”

“Fuck you! You’re nothing but a pervert feeling up on me like that!”

“You fell from the tree you stupid girl! I had to catch you!”

“You call that a catch!? You felt up my ass!”

“I did not!” Kyros blushed a deep red at the insinuation. “Why would I want to feel up on such a dirty girl like you anyway!”

For the second time that day, Kyros received a fist to the face from the girl. He fell back on the ground and held his nose as he looked up at her in anger.

♛

“Mother!”

Queen Hestia chuckled in embarrassment as her daughter looked at her in horror. “I was…quite the angry young lady.”

“I thought a young lady wasn’t supposed to use such language either…” The queen smirked at the sassy remark from her daughter.

“Yes…well I didn’t have such a great upbringing like you do, my love.” She rubbed her daughter’s cheek tenderly. “I thought that your father was an insufferable brat.”

“How did you know about all the other things that happened that day?”

“Your father recounted everything that happened that day to me. It is something that I could never truly forget.”

“Well continue! I want to hear more!”

“Alright alright…now where was I?”

~~~

“She punched me…right in the face! Like some some…animal! Ouch!” Kyros looked at Ms. Boulviere when she slapped his shoulder. She rolled her eyes before she twisted another tissue into his nose. “What was that for?”

“She is still a young lady…you should at least go and apologize to her.”

“Apologize! She punched me in the face! Even if I wanted to, I can’t! You ran off after she punched me in the face.”

“Kyros…” He winced when she gave her “mom” voice. Despite being the heir and in charge of her, she had raised him, so he was awfully weak to her when she got mad at him. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes, because she would just scold him again. “You go find her right now and apologize to her.”

“Alright alright!” Removing the tissues from his nose, he marched to the stables to retrieve his horse. A few knights accompanied him, but he didn’t see the need for it. Although, he suspected that it was he didn’t run off like the king did. He wouldn’t abandon his responsibilities like he did, he loved this kingdom and its people. He would never let anything happen to them if he had anything to do with it. So, now he left the comforts of his home to search for a girl that was not really worth his time or energy. She was rude and had barely even let his say anything, some “young lady” she was.

The young prince grumbled to himself as he went through the woods with his knights in silence. It was not often that he ventured out to the forest by the kingdom. He only really traveled when visiting the allied nations. Speaking of which, he would have to do that very soon since it looked like the king was not coming back.

“Stupid old man…”

“Your highness, I think we need to rest the horses for a bit…” Kyros shook himself from his thoughts and dismounted his horse as the men took a break. Peering through the trees, he couldn’t really see the palace anymore. Looking back at the knights, he decided to just keep walking on foot for a bit. They would be alright for a while.

Once he was sure they weren’t paying attention, the prince disappeared into the brush. He continued walking even as he heard the panic from the knights. He gave them some credit for noticing that he was gone so quickly. Ignoring them, he continued ducking and weaving through the thick bushes.

“I can’t believe that I’m doing this!” He grumbled and slapped a branch away, but failed to realize it, returning and hitting him in the face. “Damnit!”

“Heehee…”

Hearing a giggle above him, he looked up and held his nose to see the dir-…the girl up in the tree and smirking at him. She was lounging across it so leisurely and he wanted it to break again so she would fall on her face.

“Glad to see that my pain is enjoyable for you…”

“It is actually…nothing like seeing a little pervert get some karma…”

Kyros’s face flamed a bright red as he jumped to his feet. “Stop calling me that! I am not a pervert! Ugh! Look…I…I’m sorry. If I accidentally touched you inappropriately…I did not mean it.”

She made a surprised noise at his apology before she leaped from the tree and landed easily on her feet. She walked up to him and he tensed up, alert and ready for another possible punch. She was his height so he was sure he could take her, but it wouldn’t be right to do that.

Although with how hard she hits…she might as well be a man.

“I didn’t think the prince knew how to apologize…fine I accept your apology…now shoo shoo…I was having a nap.”

Ignoring her tone, he glanced up at the tree and noticed she had made some sort of makeshift bed. Several articles of clothing were strewn about the various branches as well. It seemed that she had been living here for some time.

“Gonna make fun of how I live now too?”

“What? No no I…I’m just curious…how long have you lived out here?”

“Oh…my whole life.”

“Huh?! How old are you?”

“That’s rude to ask me my age.” She huffed and rolled her eyes at him. “If you must know…I’m nineteen…”

“Oh alright…” Now Kyros found himself at a loss for words. He had come to do what was asked of him, but now face to face with the strange girl again…he was unsure of his next course of action. “Right…goodbye then.”

The girl waved her hand dismissively as she climbed back up her tree. Kyros watched her the entire time before he turned to find his frantic knights. The trip back to the palace was as silent as the trip there. Although she was rude and annoying, he could not help but feel bad for her. A young lady really shouldn’t be living in the woods in a tree.

The rest of his day was consumed with thoughts of the tree girl. He barely ate dinner that night and no one could rouse him from these intrusive thoughts. He laid in bed that night thinking more and more before he finally had enough. Throwing off his blankets, Kyros marched to the kitchens, skillfully avoiding the night patrol.

Peering into the kitchen, he quickly went around and gathered some food into his robes. He thought about grabbing some utensils, but she probably didn’t care about that. Just as he was about to sneak back out, he jumped in fright seeing his head maid staring at him.

“Gods…don’t do that! How did you know I was down here?!”

“You have a compassionate heart…that’s how I knew you were down here. It isn’t in your nature to leave someone in need alone.”

“What? No I…I’m just getting a late night snack…”

“In your boots? With a cloak to match? Also sneaking around the knight rotations?”

“….”

With a heavy sigh and chuckle, she walked around him and found a large basket and began to fill it with food and some blankets he didn’t realize that she was carrying. She really did know him well and figured he would do this.

Clever woman.

“Now make sure that you stay safe…I want you back here in bed in no more than two hours.”

“Yes yes, thank you mother…” He had said it in a joking manner, but he caught the soft look in her eyes all the same.

“Go on…” She pushed him along towards the stables and quietly shut the large doors behind him. Holding tight to the basket, Kyros went back to the woods with haste. The knights would occasionally check to make sure he was sleeping, but hopefully they wouldn’t check on this night.

Seeing the familiar tree, Kyros dismounted his steed and conjured a flame to his hand. The forest was a much more frightening place under the cover of darkness. Every sound made him more and more on edge. Finally reaching the tree, he glanced up trying to see if she was asleep.

“Psst! Psst! Hey you!”

“That is not my name…”

“Gods!” Kyros jumped at the voice behind him, the basket soaring through the air. The girl caught the basket easily and peered inside curiously. “Why would you sneak up on me like that!”

“I thought it would be funny…and I was right.” She laughed at him and his face grew red. This girl was going to be the death of him. “Having a picnic in the dark?”

“No, you blasted woman! I brought that for you!”

“Huh?” She looked down at the basket and then back at him before looking at it again. “Yeah…I don’t want this…”

“What? Why not?”

“I really don’t want you pity…or whatever this is kid…”

“Kid?! I’m only two years younger than you! That hardly makes me a child. Just take the damn basket!”

“No.”

“Ugh!” Throwing his hands up, the young prince stormed in a circle in agitation. Such a difficult and stubborn woman! She was so annoying! He could see why she lived in the woods…who would be able to stand her! He sure wasn’t going too! So with that all set he stormed off back to his horse.

“Hey! Wait!” Ignoring her, he grabbed the reins of his horse and was about to mount, but she pulled hard on his arm. “I’m sorry…I’m only teasing…”

“….”

“Listen I…I really appreciate this…you really didn’t need to do this though…”

“Yeah well…apparently I’m a compassionate person…even to crazy tree women that punch me in the face…”

She giggled and he found that she had a nice smile…only nice…it wasn’t extraordinary or anything. She reached into the basket and nibbled on some of the bread and her eyes sparkled in delight. She really did have beautiful eyes though. Coughing awkwardly, he looked away from her as he rocked back and forth on his heels.

“So…I’m gonna go now…”

“Oh please…you came this far, you might as well join me and eat. So sit down.”

The young prince grumbled at her commanding tone, but sat down anyway. He bit into an apple she tossed at him and they both sat in a comfortable silence. He glanced at her every few minutes and watched her eyes light up every time she ate something. She must not have had anything fresh to eat in a very long time.

“Why were you at the palace?”

“Huh? Oh…well…I’ve never been to this area of Edrion before…and I wanted to explore.” She twirled a strand of hair around her finger, suddenly becoming quite shy. “I’ve never really been around many people and I thought about going to the marketplace…”

“If you wanted to meet people…camping in the tree in my garden was not a great choice.”

“Yeah well…” She huffed and sighed as she looked at the bread on her lap. “I thought…I thought the palace looked pretty. A sweet smell was also coming from over the wall, so I wanted to see it.”

“Oh yeah…you’ll notice that a lot. The scent of roses is strong throughout the kingdom.”

“I don’t think I’m staying much longer…”

“Huh?” That was not what he expected.

“I’m not very good around other people and this is all I know…”

“You would really rather be out here…just because your social skills aren’t up to par?”

Her casual shrug bothered him. It bothered him more than it should have and he just couldn’t fathom why. Despite her aggressive nature, she did not seem to be any real trouble…

“I think you should stick around…my cooks at the palace are really good…I could bring you more food…”

“I don’t want your pity…”

“It’s not pity! I swear I just…I could help you with your people skills I mean. Perhaps you could visit the marketplace. I also…I don’t really have anyone close in age that I can speak to…so…yeah…”

Her sudden giggles made his face burn up and he was ready to change his mind immediately. This was truly the most infuriating girl he had ever met, and he met the princesses from across the seas! Now that was an annoying bunch of royals.

“Aww…how sweet of the little pervert…fine I’ll stick around for a bit, but it won’t be for long.”

“Enough you annoying woman!” Kyros rose to his feet angrily as his face turned as bright as a tomato. “My name is Kyros! Learn to use it!”

“Oh? What a strong name your parents gave you…too bad it’s wasted on you…”

“Oh shove off, you crazy tree woman!” Despite his rising attitude and anger, she laughed at him. Her giggles filled the still air and Kyros found himself enamored with the sound. It definitely didn’t fit such a wild animal.

“My name is Hestia…I look forward to giving you hell.”

♛

“Mother…”

“Hmm?”

“You were awful…”

The queen burst into laughter at her daughter's deadpan expression. It was so much like her father’s face in his youth when she teased and did such wild and wicked things. The princess was completely floored by the story that she was hearing. This sounded nothing like her calm, collected, poised and graceful mother. This girl in the story sounded truly unhinged in her mind.

“Oh my rose…I knew that this story would surprise you. I can assure you, this is a true story. I was a wild child and your father had no idea what to do with me half of the time.”

“So…how exactly did he fall in love with you?”

Hestia smiled as the memory rushed back into her mind. A love story for the ages is what it was called. A brave and strong prince, and the wild girl that managed to capture his heart.

“Alright…I’ll tell you the rest…”

~~~

It was not long before a deep friendship formed between the two new friends. Kyros had come to enjoy her company and so did Hestia. He would often travel to the forest and the pair would explore and talk. He would tell her about everything that happened in his day, and she would talk about her time in the forest. He was always fascinated by the things she would experience pass the palace walls. Before he knew it, the days become weeks, and the weeks became months, and before long a year had passed. Months had passed and Kyros was the happiest that he had been for a long time.

Ms. Boulviere was incredibly happy to see him so filled with joy. He would often come back to the palace and talk about his adventures with the young lady. She often wondered if something more was brewing under the surface between them. Even if they weren't…it was nice to see him having a friend to spend time with. She worried for him though, the council had been getting more and more pushy with their “suggestions” and it was starting to bother the prince. He was good at hiding his feelings, but he couldn’t keep them from her.

So, she figured it was time to bring the mystery girl to the palace after so long and see who had captured his attention. What she didn’t expect…was that the knights took the retrieval a bit too seriously.

“I’ll cut your damn eyes out! Let me go right now!”

Kyros was busy talking with the council, so she thought it would be a nice surprise to have the young lady brought in. If only the knights could be gentler with her, they were really giving her a bad impression.

“Ow shit!” It would seem that she still liked to punch people as well.

“Guards…you can let her go! I will take care and watch over her.” Hestia growled low in her throat at the guards before looking at the older woman warily. She seemed to be the woman that Kyros seemed to always rave about, but that meant little to her. Those guards showed up to her home and just dragged her away! Where the hell was Kyros!?

“Where the hell is the prince? I want to see him right now!”

“I’m terribly sorry about how the guards brought you here…the prince is busy at the moment and once he is done I will bring you to him.”

“What purpose do you need me here for?” The tone in her voice made the elder woman pause. It was filled with a worried type of strength. Her eyes darted to the knights warily every time one of them even shifted his weight. She was on edge and seemed ready to bolt at any second. “I would rather talk to him outside.”

“I’m sorry dear...but you are safe...no one here will hurt you.”

“I’ve been told such lies before and I will not stay here!” Ms. Boulviere gasped as the young woman tried to jump from the window. The guards quickly rushed to grab her, but once he touched her shoulder, she threw her arm back and a spray of fire washed over the guard. Ms. Boulviere gasped as Hestia looked terrified as the guard was being put out.

“Dear...please...just calm down-”

“No! I...I won’t be tricked by you! Where is Kyros?!”

“He doesn’t know that you are here.” Hestia visibly flinched at that and she slowly backed up to one of the large doors. “I brought you here as a surprise for him…his birthday is tomorrow and I wanted to ask you to join the festivities.”

“His birthday?”

“Yes…it will be the first one without his father. I thought having a friend come would make him feel better about it.”

“...”

“I once again apologize for the way the knights brought you here…if you don’t wish to-”

“You...aren’t you going to ask?”

“I don’t believe that is any of my business...but...if you want to talk about it...I will listen...”

Hestia considered her words before she glared at the guards and Ms. Boulviere sent them away. Gesturing to a chair, both sat down in silence before Hestia finally spoke up.

“I...I don’t like to stay in one place for too long...this is not normal for me to do...I...I can’t risk someone finding me again.”

“Again? Who is looking for you, dear?”

“Hunters...poachers...rapists....”

“Oh my! Whatever for?”

“Kyros...he...he isn’t the only phoenix in Edrion...”

“You mean...”

“Yes...although my mother was quick to abandon me. Unfortunately, I helped the wrong people and they found out what I could do. My life has been a series of running across several continents and living in the wild...I...this is the first place that I have ever really stayed for long...”

“My dear...” She went to sit beside her and hold her hand. “You will never have to worry about such awful things happening to you while you are here. I’m sure that once the prince learns about-”

“NO! I mean...I don’t want him to know about it. I’m...I’m not ready to share it with him yet...”

“I understand...I shall keep this to myself...” Hestia let out a heavy sigh and Ms. Boulviere smiled knowing that the future would be bright for the pair. “So...I suppose you don’t want to come to his birthday ball?”

“No no…I…I’ll come…” Hestia fingered her hair for a bit before looking at Ms. Boulviere. “I…I don’t have anything…t-to wear…”

“Oh sweetheart…you won’t have to worry about that! If you would follow me, I can get your measurements and we can show you how to dance if you’d like…”

It was at this moment that Hestia really thought about what she was agreeing to. She would be around a lot of other people. It would be nothing like when it was just her and Kyros in the forest. Important people would be around her, and they would judge and probably laugh at such a dirty forest girl. Although…she really wanted to see Kyros. He had been busy for the last week and he assured her that he would be back soon…but she really missed his company. This was completely out of her comfort zone, but she would face her fears, especially if it meant more time with him.

“I…I can do that…ma’am…”

“You can just call me Ms. Boulviere. Come along…we have much to do it a short amount of time.”

~~~

Kyros wanted to burn the entire palace down at the moment. His stupid council had invited everyone across Edrion to his birthday ball. They had even conjured up a ridiculous story about the king being sick, so he couldn’t make the ball.

“Not like he would care or show anyway…” He grumbled under his breath and glanced around his ballroom, confused that Ms. Boulviere was not around. He had seen her earlier in the day, but she had since vanished from his sight. She would be able to keep his mind clear of all these intrusive thoughts and feelings. All the noble daughters and princesses would piss him off, but he would have to be courteous and friendly, because one of them could be “his future wife and queen”.

“They just want the pretty dresses and the chance to bear my child…disgusting…”

If he was to be truly honest with himself…he wanted and wished for only one thing. He would love nothing more than for Hestia to be here with him. She did not need pretty dresses and jewels, it did not matter to him what she looked like. She was real and she was funny and when it would slip through her cracks, she was kind and gentle. He leaned his chin on his hand as a maid shined his shoes, glancing out toward the forest, he resolved to sneak away to see her. He longed to hear her laughter more than anything, it was the only present he wanted. She was not like most of the girls in his life, she was much much better.

“Your highness…it is time to greet your guests…”

“Alright…here I come…” With a tired sigh, the prince threw his cloak over his shoulders and marched down the halls, the sounds of merriment and music soared into his ears. He couldn’t find joy in these parties anymore. It was just another event to him, and it was event he wanted to wrap up quickly. Ignoring the fanfare, he went straight to the princesses and after a brief chat, he took one by the hand and let her have the honor of the first dance.

“You look rather dashing tonight, your highness.”

“Yes…”

“I’m honored that you would choose me to dance with…I heard that your favorite color was blue…is that what drew your eyes to me?”

“Mmhmm…”

“Ahaha! Oh I knew that you would!” The princess laughed obnoxiously and looked at the others, who were fuming in the crowd. Kyros had forgotten her name once they made it to the dancefloor. He was looking everywhere except at her. He wondered what Hestia would think about balls…would she think they were silly? Or would she enjoy them? If he could bring her he would ask her…and the sight of her in a dress made him smile. She would look so silly…

“Oh I knew you would find that funny!” Another obnoxious laugh made him look at the princess, tearing him from his thoughts. Was she always this close to him before? She was pressed against him quite close.

“Right…” He would have to finish this dance quickly, and maybe he could find some way to slip away. Holding her waist, he almost rolled his eyes at the purr that came from her lips. He twirled her around the room, and he caught the council nodding approvingly. It was at that moment he caught Ms. Boulviere at the top of the staircase in the back of the room. He kept up his dancing, but kept looking at her highly confused. She was beckoning someone to enter the room, but he could not see who.

He slowly danced closer and dipped the princess and just as he looked back up at the staircase he froze. In his stunned state, he dropped the princess and she cried something fierce but he could not focus on her. He slowly stood straight as he looked at the stunning creature at the top of the stairs. The sight was unlike anything he had ever witnessed, and in his opinion nothing could ever compare to it either.

Hestia stood at the top of the staircase with a burning red face. The ballroom grew quiet as everyone looked to see who had captured the attention of the prince. She was a vision in a deep red dress that perfectly hugged a figure that Kyros didn’t even think she had. A light dust of makeup accented her surprisingly delicate features, her gorgeous eyes seemed to pop, and that alone rattled his heart. She nervously tugged at the fabric of her dress as all eyes were on her. The thing that really surprised him was her hair. Her hair was always a mess and it was so often riddled with dirt and grime, he thought she was a brunette, but no, she was so much more.

He could only describe it as the color of moonlight. It was not white, but it was definitely not fully blonde. It was like the rays of the full moon had trapped itself in her hair. Roses were entwined in the strands that cascaded down her back, and even from this distance, he could smell her sweet perfume. She was…he just had no words. He did not care that he was staring like an idiot up at her, she was magnificent.

This was the scariest thing she had ever done in her life, and she had fought monsters before! So many people were staring. Did she look bad? Did she still smell bad? She had been bathed and scrubbed with various oils over ten times! She wanted to run away, maybe everyone would forget that she ever showed up if she left quickly! Already starting to back up, a firm hand on her back stopped her.

“Dear…you look so beautiful…it would be a shame to waste such a pretty dress.” Hestia looked at Ms. Boulviere as she whispered to her.

“I look foolish! I should go…”

“Do you really? How about you look at the prince?”

“Huh?” Looking at her pointed finger, Hestia’s face burned up as she locked eyes with Kyros. She had not even seen him standing there! A much prettier girl was on the floor pouting under him, and she almost laughed at her pitiful face. Her body did go stiff having his gaze on her, but she found that she liked to have his undivided attention. She could be brave…yes, she could do it! It was just her and Kyros…that was all she had to imagine in her head…she could do this!

“Hestia…” Hearing him call her name, made her heart skip a beat. He had stepped over the girl and was holding the railing of the stairs, with his hand outstretched to her. His gaze was gentle and his smile that was across his face was even more so. It was in that moment that everyone around them seemed to disappear. Holding the skirts of her dress up in one hand, she slid her other down the railing as she slowly descended the stairs. She slipped her gloved hand into his, and he led her down onto the floor. Their eyes never parted as the crowd separated for them. The two of them were in their own world and nothing could break such intense eye contact.

Remembering what Ms. Boulviere said, Hestia quickly dropped into a deep curtsy. “H-Happy birthday, your highness.”

Kyros frowned as she curtsied to him, it just did not feel right to him. She should never have to bow to him. He pulled her back to her feet and laid a gentle hand against her waist. She sharply inhaled a breath as he pulled her close to him. His lips were right at her ear as they moved across the ballroom floor. “Never lower your gaze from mine again…you are not beneath me Hestia. You are…so much more to me than that…”

Her heart was ready to leap from her chest as she leaned her head against his shoulder as he held her ever closer. She could not let him see her red face, she could not let him see how much that meant to her. He did not see her as less than him, even though she was. She was nothing, she had no one. Her own mother left her for dead…she didn’t deserve to feel…happy. She didn’t deserve to…to love him. It was something that she refused to acknowledge, but she could not deny it no longer. She loved this stupid kid and she didn’t know what to do about it.

Had she always been this delicate?

Holding her body against his, he was reminded of just how much smaller she was than him. It was not by much, but she just felt like it. She was also very soft…wait was that inappropriate to say? Now, his face was taking on a red hue as they danced. He wondered if she thought he looked handsome tonight. He did not really pay any attention to his looks, but now he wished that at least glanced at a mirror, but how was he supposed to know she would come! Looking like this no less! A ray of moonlight gifted from the Gods themselves.

“Kyros…” Her voice against him made shivers go up his spine. “Everyone is staring…”

“Are you nervous?” He whispered back to her, sending glares over her head at the council staring hard at her. “You don’t need to be…just stay by my side…”

“Ok…” He left out a breath as her hand tighten against his shoulder. As they continued their dance, she opened up more and soon they danced to a more upbeat tune. The other princesses were getting more and more angrier at the pair. They did not care about the glances from the other occupants of the room, they only had eyes for each other.

“Hestia…”

“Hmm?”

“You…you look very beautiful.”

“Oh…t-thank you Kyros…”

“I didn’t think you had it in you. Here I thought you would be the crazy tree girl forever…didn’t think you could clean up so well-”

It had been a while, but there was something familiar and kind of comforting to feel her fist crack his nose again. He fell back on the floor and looked up at her flaming face as her fist shook in anger. He had said it to get her riled up, but he didn’t expect a punch. It was a comforting and he loved her fiery personality. All he could do was laugh as he held his nose and stood up. The collective were gasping and whispering amongst themselves, but he could care less.

It was not long before she joined him in his laughter, and hearing her laugh was the final missing piece in this surprisingly perfect night. It was what he wanted to hear the most, and he loved it.

No, he just loved her. He loved her in all her imperfections. He would love her when she couldn’t find things to love about herself. He would do it all for her. She deserved the world and he would make sure she would have it.

Forever.

~~~

The months seemed to fly by and any thoughts about the king had left his mind. He only thought about her and that was enough for him. They were never vocal about their mutual feelings, but those around them could see it clear as day. The council were not happy about this new development one bit, they could not stand to see such a rough girl in the palace walls. Ms. Boulviere had been showing her the ways around such high society and it had been rough, but she was getting the hang of it. Kyros was surprised to see that Hestia seemed to like the pretty dresses. So Kyros would often leave them for her as gifts. He didn’t tell her they were from him, but maybe he would one day.

Hestia loved that she had her own room in the palace. The bed was comfortable and she had the best sleep she ever had in her life. She would have delicious food, nice clothes, and she was around the person she loved. It was not how she expected her life to take this course, but she was grateful for it regardless. Her lessons were infuriating though, but after a while she came to enjoy them. It was fun to learn about the world and its inner workings. Those old men on the council seemed to hate her, but she really could care less about them. Ms. Boulviere had been so kind to her, and Hestia wondered if that was what it felt like to have a mother.

Kyros was lucky in that regard.

“Hestia?” Ms. Boulviere peeked into her room just as she was jumping on it. Hestia quickly sat down, embarrassed to be caught. “Oh don’t be embarrassed dear…Kyros did the same thing when he was young. Now…he would like for you to join him on a ride into the forest. He thought you would like to visit your home again.”

“Oh! I would love too!” Any time to spend with him she would take it. A cough soon caught her attention and she turned back around quickly. “Are you still sick? The doctor said that you should be resting…”

“Oh no I can’t…I have too much to do. I always get sick when the seasons change. You run along now, Kyros is excited to head out. He should be by the stables.”

“Alright…but you should drink some tea!”

After getting dressed, Hestia quickly went to the stables. A happy and excited smile gracing her lovely face. The knights smiled seeing her race by, despite the council expressing their dislike for the girl, the knights and common people had quickly taken to her. She was a breath of fresh air after the kingdom had been in disarray of the king disappearing. So they all welcomed her, despite knowing that she probably would not stay forever. Marriage proposals had been flooding the palace ever since the prince’s birthday ball, and it was only a matter of time before he choose a bride.

“Hestia! Over here!” The young prince was completely smitten with his love. She might not know it, but he sure was. He helped her mount his horse and the pair set off for a quiet ride through the forest. Hestia held him tight around his waist and rested against his back. She loved listening to his gentle breathing and strong heart, she just felt safe when he was near.

“How come you didn’t let me ride my horse?” She had been ecstatic when he surprised her with a horse for her birthday. He had showered her with gifts but nothing she said had deterred him from getting her things. She had just learned to roll with it really, there was nothing to be done about it.

“I thought it would be better this way…besides I wanted to talk to you about something…”

“Oh? Well you sound serious…”

“Yeah…I am…” He reached up and held her hand that was around his waist, she blushed but squeezed it back as they continued to travel.

“You know you passed my tree some time ago right?”

“Yeah…I just wanted to go further into the forest.” It was not long before they dismounted, and Kyros held his hand out to her and intertwined their fingers as they walked. Although he suggested it, Kyros found himself incredibly nervous and shy at the moment. Hestia felt exactly the same as they traveled onward. “So…you come out here often?”

“Oh shut up!” She shoved his shoulder and he playfully shoved her back. It was not long before she pulled his crown from his head and held it away from him. “Come and get it, your highness!”

“Oh no! I need that back, you crazy woman!” He lunged for it, but she jumped out of the way. She stuck her tongue out at him as he jumped at her. “I’m going to catch you Hestia!”

“I don’t think that you will!” The pair laughed as they chased each other through the woods. It was the most carefree that either of them had felt for a long time. Hestia felt like she finally belonged somewhere and Kyros could actually show his true smile to someone other than Ms. Boulviere. The trials and tribulations brought about by the king had fled his mind. None of it mattered anymore, he had Hestia and Ms. Boulviere and that was all he would ever need. He could finally know what true joy and happiness felt like.

Hestia had managed to avoid and evade him for longer than she thought. Stopping to catch her breath, she fixed his crown on her head and peered into a creek. “Hmm…not bad…”

Glancing over her shoulder, she expected to see Kyros at any second. After a few minutes, she realized how quiet it seemed to be. “I guess he got lost…”

Trekking through the woods, Hestia started to get worried as she traveled deeper into the forest. There was no sign of him. “Kyros! Kyros where are you?! You can have your crown back…you’re scaring me…”

After another fifteen minutes, she finally had found him. Letting out a deep exhale, she smiled as she walked over to him. “Kyros…I was calling you. You can’t not say anything…scared me half to death…Kyros?”

He wasn’t saying anything as he looked down at a small pond in front of him. She could not see his face, but the tightness of his shoulders and his clenched fist worried her. Stepping forward, her heart leaped into her throat, as she looked upon a body floating face down in the pond. His head had been separated from his body. The pond was a bright red as his blood filled it to the brim. It did not take a genius to realize who it was. The regal clothing, the crown, the same dark hair as the prince. They had found the missing king. She looked at Kyros and her heart broke seeing his expression.

There was nothing.

The light seemed to have faded from his eyes. He just stared at the body of the king like he was a foreign object. There was no type of attachment, no anger, no sadness, there was nothing there. He said nothing as he stared.

“Kyros…” She slipped her hand into his and squeezed it, but there was no response from him. “Kyros…I’m sorr-”

He tore his hand away from her and just walked away. She looked back at the body and then the retreating form of Kyros before she ran after him. He had already mounted his horse and just waited for her. She silently climbed on and he took them back to the palace. She barely could say two words to him before he disappeared into the depths of the palace. Hestia was at a loss for words as the days flew past her.

The funeral for the king was silent and the kingdom mourned for their king, but the prince said nothing. He gave no speech, he shed no tears, and he didn’t even look at the coffin. He was there when the body was buried and then retreated into the palace. Hestia had stayed behind, but Ms. Boulviere had encouraged her to check on him, and so she did. The palace was quiet as she tried to gather her thoughts on what to say to him. It was hard to console someone when someone died, but she hoped to comfort him somehow.

As she drew closer to his room, she heard the distinct sounds of crashing and banging. Rushing to his room, she threw open the door and ducked as a vase flew at the door. Kyros had torn his room apart and was a disheveled mess. His crown was stuck in a mirror and his clothes were a mess. His fists were red and bruised and she saw the other mirror in the room was smashed. “Kyros! Kyros please stop!”

“Bastard!” Hestia flinched as he threw another vase against a wall. “Why am I not surprised that he did this?!”

“Did what?”

“This!” Kyros threw his hands in the air as he paced around his room. “He never wanted the responsibility of the kingdom! He never gave a damn about anything! He sure as shit didn’t care about me!”

“Kyros…”

“I was only born to throw this kingdom onto! My mother didn’t care about me either! She just wanted the kings cock and money! Fucking bitch! Fuck the both of you!” He punched the mirror and blood flowed from the wound as he angrily looked into its broken shards. “He never cared about me…he ignored me my entire childhood…I was just his replacement. My birthdays didn’t matter to him…his people did not matter. He just wanted to drink and lounge around. The kingdom almost collapsed in on itself if I didn’t care so fucking much!”

“....”

Kyros collapsed to his knees as he laughed humorlessly and weakly hit his hands against the mirror. “He never loved me…I was nothing to him. I did not matter. He always made sure that knights were everywhere I went…that was the only way he “cared”.” He couldn’t let something happen to his precious asset. The king never cared about his prince…his son. He left once he realized I…I could do it…nothing left for him here. Fucking coward!”

Hestia held her hand against her heart as Kyros poured his emotions out. It was heartbreaking to watch and she often felt that way about her mother. Her mother had left her when she was young and had never looked back. She was grateful for the elderly woman who looked after her, but she couldn’t replace her mother. It was a temporary feeling, but it was just not enough. She had held onto the fact that her mother would come back, so she never really got attached to the old woman, but her mother never did return. It was a hole in her heart that she thought she would never fill…until she met Kyros.

Kneeling beside him, she touched his shoulder and he finally looked at her and her heart shattered. Tears were running down his face and she wiped his tears. “Hestia…please…don’t leave me too…”

No more words could be said, she would never let him feel such pain again. Seeing his tears were too much to bear on her heart. He deserved love, they both did. The world had been cruel to them and it was high time that they truly grasped their happiness. Her body had moved on its own as she kissed his tear stained cheeks and he pulled her close as he kissed her neck. Their bodies moved as one as they kissed each other. The kiss was salty from his tears, but Hestia did not care…she would take in all of his tears. He didn’t deserve this pain, she would accept it too. She would accept all of him.

Their bodies moved across the room as their clothes left their bodies. Desperate to love the other, desperate to make the pain go away. It was not their imagined first time, but despite the situation, it was theirs. It belonged to them and they cherished it, and they would continue to love each other, even during the rough times, the sad times, but especially during the happy ones.

♛

“Mother?”

“Hmm?”

“Oh you…you just stopped…”

“Well…it was getting to be a bit much. I never thought that I would tell you this story without your father here. It wasn’t always such happy times for us in our youth, but thankfully, we still found each other and now…now we have you…the ultimate testament to our love.”

Althea smiled as her mother caressed her cheek. She never knew much about her grandparents and now she could see why. It was probably hard to talk about them. She was glad that her parents loved her as much as they did. She was also glad that she had Duran…someone that she could love and who loved her back just as much.

“The story is almost over, my sweet rose. Once it’s done…we can have a nice long rest.”

“Ok! I can’t wait to hear more!”

~~~

The council was not happy when Kyros informed them that he intended to marry Hestia. They had no real say and he was ready to torch them all. It had been six months since his father had died and the pair were planning their wedding. Hestia had been drilled in many many things that were to be expected of a royal and she took them all with a grace that surprised him. It was a happy time for them, but the kingdom was facing a crisis. A sickness had overtaken it, and many people were dying from it. He imagined that the council was too worried about this than his wedding, and he was selfishly glad for it. As the princess consort, Hestia had taken her new duties seriously. He suspected after what happened with his father she wanted to help as much as she could. She really did have a kind heart under her tough exterior. It was not all good news for the happy, but busy couple.

Ms. Boulviere had contracted the illness and she seemed to grow worse and worse as the days dragged on. The doctors weren’t any close to finding a cure, and Hestia could see that this fact was killing Kyros. He visted her everyday and made sure she was comfortable and Hestia would visit her and read her favorite books to her. It kept her happy and that was enough for her. She was happy that Kyros was not going to be alone, but he hated when she talked like that. The days were blending together and Kyros finally received the news that he was dreading.

“This is unacceptable! Where the hell is that other doctor that I sent for?!”

“He said the same thing, your highness. She doesn’t have much longer…you…you have to prepare yourself for the worst…”

“I don’t have to do anything!”

“Kyros…” Hestia placed a hand on his arm and he visibly relaxed, but he was still a bit tense. With a heavy sigh, he took her hand and the pair left the room. “I…I know this is scary,..but we should speak with her…see what she wants…”

“....” Kyros hesitated outside her door and Hestia patiently waited for him to open the door. After a good ten minutes he pushed open the door. Ms. Boulviere was sitting up and staring out the window, but hearing the door she turned and brightly smiled at them.

“Oh! Hello…I thought you both had a meeting to go to…”

“...” Kyros just looked at the ground, so Hestia stepped over to the bed and took a seat as she grabbed her hand.

“We did but…we don’t have good news…”

“I’m dying aren’t I?”

“Don’t say that!” Both women looked at the prince in surprise. The candles in the room burned bright in his anger. “You won’t die! Just let me heal you!”

“Kyros…I have accepted that this is my fate. I will not fight it…”

“You can! This is ridiculous! I can’t lose you!” Hestia looked between the pair with worried eyes. Kyros could not accept that she just wanted to let nature take its course. Hestia did not wish for it either, but she had to respect her decision. Kyros was essentially losing his mother and he couldn’t take losing that connection.

“Come here…” She held her arms out to him and he reluctantly sank into her embrace. “I know that you don’t like this…but it is my decision. I already am quite old…this would become reality soon enough. I won’t live forever like you will my sweet boy. This is the reality that you have to accept. Now I know that its not fair, but this life. You have a new chapter of your life that you are going to embark on with Hestia. A life filled with love and happiness. I want you to enter that life joyfully and wholeheartedly.”

“I…” Hestia walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder with a warm smile. Her smile once again was powerful enough to give him strength. He would need that when…when she was gone. “Alright…I…I respect your decision….:

“Hmm…thank you…now I just hope that I can make it to see your wedding…” He let out a sad sigh and Hestia had a brilliant idea.

“You can still make it…we can move the date up!” The others looked at her in surprise, but she just nodded excitedly. “You deserve to be at the wedding! We can do it in three days…that way the nobles and other royals won’t be so upset and can maybe make it.”

“Hestia…my princess…are you sure that you want to do that?”

“Of course…don’t fight me on this! You know that you won’t win!”

~~~

Once again, the council was not happy about the wedding being moved up, but their words mattered little to the young couple. They only had eyes for each other that day. Nothing would sour their moods on this joyous day, especially not some irritating old men. The pair married in the gardens surrounded by thousands of roses, and despite the ongoing illness in the kingdom it was a beautiful and loving day. Ms. Boulviere had made it and she could not stop crying watching the prince marry the woman he loved more than anything. The coronation would take place in another month, the couple wanted time to enjoy being newlyweds for a bit, and Kyros wanted to spend as much time with Ms. Boulviere as much as he could.

It seemed that life was against him though, for it was only after the wedding that she grew sicker and it was reaching the time for goodbyes. Hestia stayed by his side the whole time as he held her hand. Ms. Boulviere smiled at him and rubbed his cheek as her coughs grew worse. Hestia quickly fetched her water, and helped her drink it as she tried to speak up.

“No no…save your strength…” Kyros was putting on his bravest face, but his voice kept cracking and his hands were shaking as he held onto her frail hands. “You don’t…you don’t have to say anything…”

“No I…my Kyros…I just…I’m so happy that you found your other half…” Kyros grasped both of her hands as the tears finally fell from his eyes. “You have been…such a wonderful light in my life…my sweet boy…”

Ms. Boulviere grew weaker and weaker. She didn’t have the strength to grasp his hand anymore, and the light was fading from her eyes. “Kyros…”

“You…you were always more than my maid. I want you to always remember that! You…you mean everything to me…I can never thank you enough for raising me. I love you so much…thank you. Thank you for being my mother…Althea…”

“Thank you for letting me…love…you…thank…you…for letting me be…you..r…mo..th..er…” With her last words, she finally closed her eyes for the last time. Hestia held Kyros close as he cried against her, her own tears fell down her face as the woman who had raised him, and her own mentor had left this world.

Her funeral was a solemn affair, but Kyros had Hestia by his side, so he was able to make it through, but his heart still ached. It was another few days before he was in a better mood. He wanted to be alone in his grief, and Hestia had respected that, but she was still close by if he needed her. A few nights later, he joined his wife on their balcony as the sun started to rise on a new day.

“Kyros?” He held her hand tightly as he looked at her with sad eyes. “Is something else troubling you?”

“I...I’ve just come to realize that I will have this pain in my heart once more...there will come the day that...that you will leave me too...”

“Kyros I...” Hestia bit her lip lightly as she watched the sun rise. Its warm rays washed over them and with it she felt strength course through her. She didn’t need to be afraid anymore, and she surely didn't need to hide this from her husband. “I have something that I have kept from you.”

“You...you have? What is it?”

“I...I was in hiding from people who wanted to hurt and sell me...possibly even rape me...”

“What?!”

“I...they wanted to do this because they found out that I’m...I am also a Phoenix....” Kyros stared in disbelief and shock...so she grabbed a ray of sunlight and washed it over the balcony. She conjured a flame into her hand before it disappeared. “I’m sorry I never told you...I was just afraid and Ms. Boulviere found out...and I’m sorry I just-”

His lips cut her off and she held him tight as they kissed under the rising sun. He pulled away from her with a smirk.

“That is quite a secret to carry around, dear wife…” She smiled as he wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her back against his chest. “I guess…that means that we have forever…”

She smiled warmly at the thought as they swayed back and forth in each others arms, before she turned around, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Yes Kyros, forever and always…”

The two lovers of fire kissed with a passion that would burn away despair, ignite hope, and in those ashes would a kingdom be reborn, into a legacy that lasted over four millennia, and that would only know love and hope.

♛

Althea found herself at a loss for words as her mother finished the story. It was a lot to take in, it was a fantastic tale, and she wished that she could have witnessed it. Her parents had gone through so much, and she imagined that her mother left out some details. Althea leaned into her mothers arms and Hestia smiled as she held her beloved daughter tight.

“Thank you…for loving me as much as you do mother.”

“Hmm…thank you for allowing me to be a mother and loving me as much as you do.” Hestia squeezed her daughter tight and Althea giggled.

“I didn’t know that’s where my name came from…”

“Oh yes…we were always planning on telling you some day. I thought we would do it together, but plans do change. When we found out that I was pregnant, your father was hoping that you were a girl. We both knew that we wanted to honor her if our baby turned out to be a girl. A beautiful name for a princess and the wonderful woman who raised the king.”

“Father will come home mother…I know he will…” Althea yawned as she settled against her mother. Hestia rubbed her back as she pulled the blankets around them both. “He definitely will come back…”

“Yes…yes he will.”

The queen and princess drifted into a peaceful slumber, one filled with hope and anticipation. Hestia resolved to keep her spirits up and pray for the best. Although no more letters came, Althea and Hestia wrote several. The pair kept busy and soon enough, when the war campaign reached its third month, a familiar sound rang throughout the kingdom. Althea burst from her bedroom and the queen was not far behind as she raced from her study. The knights were tripping over their feet to catch up to them.

Althea and her mother stood outside the palace, looking over the fields and the trumpets blew. The two waited with bated breath, and then, finally over the far hill, the army arrived. Being proper about their return was the last thing on either of their minds. It seemed that most of the kingdom felt the same. People were rushing towards the army as they drew closer and closer. Althea heard the all too familiar sound of people crying and mourning the ones who didn’t make it. Her heart stung but she had to believe they were ok.

Her father should have been in the front of the army, but he was nowhere to be seen. She raced through the army with her mother, but her mother spotted the knight commander and they stopped, breathing heavily from their sprint.

“J..Jeremiah…where…where is my husband?” Hestia tried to keep her shaky voice still, but not seeing Kyros terrified her. “He…he should have been in the front…”

“The king is alive, your majesty.” Hestia let out a breath and almost collapsed if Althea wasn’t holding onto her. “Some knights were struggling in the back, so he stayed back to help them along…he should be coming over the hill now.”

Althea and her mother turned just as the king rode over the hill. He was messy and tired, but he was in one piece. Tears sprang to their eyes as they raced across the fields. The king seeing them coming dismounted his horse, and just as his feet touched the grass, he was tackled to the ground by his wife.

“Hestia omph-” She crashed her lips against his and he held her tight as they shared a desperate and happy kiss. They parted for only a second before their lips met again and again. Sitting up, he held her face and wiped her tears. “I told you I would come back…”

“Yes! Yes you did…” She sniffled and laughed as he kissed her forehead. He went to kiss her again, but another tackle, courtesy of his daughter, took him down.

“Oof!”

“Father! Oh I’ve missed you so much! I’ve been counting the days since you’ve been gone! I love you! I love you! I love you!”

“I love you more rosebud…I could never leave you and your mother…” He pulled his girls close and the family just drank in the feeling of each other. So much needed to happen, but not now. Now, it was their moment and they would cherish it. So many had lost their lives, but so many had made it back to their beloved kingdom. “Oh Althea…your friends have all made it back. They should be right behind me…go ahead and see them.”

“I…but father…”

“Go ahead…I will see you in the palace.” Althea glanced at her mother who nodded her head. Gathering her skirts, the princess took off and she indeed saw Liam and Honora battered and bruised, but they were alright. They saw her and waved and she tackled them in a strong hug. She had missed them terribly and she never wanted them to leave again.

“I knew that you would be alright! I just knew it!”

“Of course we did! Honora and Duran are monsters on the battlefield. I had nothing to fear.” Liam puffed out his chest and Honora just punched him in the gut. He quickly deflated and Honora hugged Althea again.

“Duran is waiting at the usual spot…” Honora whispered into her ear and Althea felt the butterflies in her stomach start to swarm. She was definitely going to fly back to her room now! Once she made double sure that Liam and Honora were alright, she took to the skies. She was glad that she left her window open. Landing in her room, she didn’t have to look far as Duran appeared and took her into his arms, kissing her deeply and passionately. It felt like heaven to be able to hold him and kiss him again.

They were both breathless when they finally parted and Duran kissed her tears away. She was shaking, but she was also laughing as she touched his face and kissed all over it.

“M-My knight…you came back to me…”

“Always, my princess. Always.” Althea wanted to spend more time with him, but he needed to see his family and she needed to see her own. A celebratory victory would be held in the coming days, but Althea did not find herself caring much for it. She would much rather have something smaller and intimate with her family and friends. She had a lot of time to think about what she wanted in her future, Duran was never far from her mind and it only made sense to her what she wanted to do next.

~~~

It was easier said than done for what she had in mind. The celebratory victory had lasted all week and it was hard to spend time with her friends, espcially with Duran. Her parents were attched at the hips, but Althea gave them their space, and her father made time with her every second he could. Duran had been with his family and was doing patrols around the kingdom. So, she had only seen him a few times since he returned. She was determined to get some time alone with him, and she would have it!

Or else, she would lose her courage and let the moment pass.

In a rare stroke of luck, she finally spotted Duran near the palace gates. He spotted her and waved, she bit her lip gently before approaching him. He raised a brow at her as she leaned against the wall. “Something I could help you with princess?”

“Well…I was wondering if…we could meet at the usual spot?” She whispered low as some knights walked by. Duran made sure they were gone and looked back at her.

“I think I can tonight…”

“Could you stay for awhile?”

“I…yes I probably could…”

“Great! I um…great!” She awkwardly laughed and backed away from him before full sprinitng to the palace. Duran watched his love sprint away with a smile and a shake of his head. She was such a silly girl, but he loved her all the same.

♛

Althea paced around her room as she waited for Duran. She had made some food, but it had gotten cold, and she tried to heat it back up, but she just bruned it.Sighing, she looked over her attire with a wary glance.

“This might be too much…”

“Althea…sorry that I’m…” Duran clmibed into her window and when he looked at her, his breath caught his throat. Althea blushed a deep red as she fiddled with the ruffles on her nightgown. It was a light blue and transparent. She had run a brush through her hair over a hundred times. This was a big moment for her, and she was rightfully nervous. “U-Um…did you want to put on a robe?”

“N-No! I…I did this on purpose…” She bit her lip as Duran looked away from her. Did he not find her appealing? Or was he just being respectful? It was sweet of him…but she wanted him to see her.

“Um…Althea…am I missing something?”

“No Duran…could…could you sit on the bed please?” He quickly sat down and Althea giggled before she took a breath and sat on her bed. “L-Look at me please?”

Duran turned to look at his love and his face burned a bright red. She was wearing so little, but he kept his gaze on her beautiful eyes. She looked like a perfect angel as her face turned redder and she looked nervous. Did she want to…?

“Duran…I…I can’t possibly imagine my life without you in it. It was so clear to me when you were gone and my heart ached. I didn’t know what could have happened to you…and well…tomorrow is nver promised. I don’t want to wait and not love you to the fullest so…I…I…I hope…I want…I…” Althea fisted her hands tightly into her nightgown as she looked down at her hands. “I…I want to…m-make l-love…w-with you…”

She refused to look at his face and he was glad that she wasn’t. His entire face was red, all the way up to his ears. He felt lightheaded hearing her say that. He knew that someday down the line they might make love, but he didn’t think it would be so soon. He wanted to love her, but this was all happening so fast.

“Althea…” He tilted her chin up and her sparkling eyes entranced him. “I want to make love to you…but is now the right time? Are you sure that’s something you want to do now? We can always wait…I’m in no rush.”

“No I…you never know what could happen in the future. What if we never get the chance to show our love for each other? I…I don’t want to wait to love you in that way…”

Duran released a deep breath seeing how serious she was about it. How could he deny his princess when all she wanted to do was love him? She was right…you could never know what would happen. He just never imagined that she would initiate this. “Althea…you know that…being together for the first time…it will hurt…”

“I know, but I trust you more than anyone.”

“If…if it hurts, you have to let me know. I don’t want to hurt you, and let me know if you get uncomfortable! You can hit me if you want! O-Or um…”

“Duran…I trust you…” His face lit up as she touched his cheek. She moved closer to him and he held her close as they kissed. It was a sweet kiss, but it ignited a fire in them both. It was not like their other kisses, this was a kiss filled with desire and passion. She worked off his shirt and she marveled at his tone body. “Oh…wow…”

“Hmm…I’m glad that you approve…” He slowly reached out and touched her waist, she jumped slightly and he quickly backed off. “I’m sorry!”

“No no…your hands are just a bit cold…” He sighed in relief before he held her close and kissed her leaning her down against the bed. He laid kisses down her neck, and her sudden moan turned him right on. He could feel himself getting hard in his pants, he wanted to make sure she really understood what she asked of him. So, holding her waist gently but firmly, he pressed himself against her.

“O-Oh!” Her body jerked in his hands and he smiled as he continued to kiss her neck. “T-That…it felt…g-good…”

“I’ll make you feel even better love…” Althea blushed even more when he pressed himself against her again. It felt good and she wondered how it could possibly feel better than this. Sitting up, she grabbed the straps of her nightgown and slowly pulled it down. Before he could really see them, she held her arms over them.

“I-I’m sorry…s-sorry if they aren’t very…large…” She looked away from him and he gently took her chin to look him in the eyes.

“Althea…I love you for more than your body. I love you for who you are. Our relationship is built on more than just looks. It’s built on love and trust. I don’t care if they are big or small. I care that it is you…” He caressed her cheek as she smiled and he wiped a stray tear. “I love you Althea.”

“I love you more, Duran.”

The young couple joined in a night of bliss and fiery passion. Nothing more mattered to them in that moment than each other. They were together at last, and they would always be together. Love was powerful, love was raw, and for Althea and Duran, it was what kept them going. It was what they hoped to continue for a lifetime. As they laid in each others arms, all doubts and worries for their future evaporated. Duran had the courage to tell the king how he felt about his daughter, no matter the outcome, and Althea would face them right by his side.

For love was strong, love was true, and it was the most powerful thing in their world.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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#Althea #Duran #Queen Hestia #King Kyros #Empress Xiaoli #Empress Liling #Honora #Liam #love #the distant past #royals #original story #original work #oc #writing'#my writing

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