Ebony Wings: Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Aidan

He had to force himself to keep walking. He wanted to run out of here.

There was one thing in the world that Aidan didn't like and that was the dead. Aidan couldn't do funerals, he just couldn't.

There was a lot of things Aidan could handle. Getting hurt, being bullied, being insulted and discriminated- all of those he could take. Paying last respects; Aidan couldn't do that. He would rather die himself.

Even when Aaira passed away, he- he couldn't even face her. He sat out in the rain as they said their prayers for her in church-

Frikkin- stupid 'sister' Candace and her stupid imposing religion onto others. Aidan had fought long and hard so that Candace didn't get her way. He lost and Aaira was 'sainted'.

After that, the whole orphanage turned into a religious stronghold under Candace's iron fist, spouting nonsense about upholding Aaira's memory. If she truly wanted to honour Aaira's she would've allowed all children to be allowed to live in the orphanage; not just Christians-

Heck, born Christians.

-and for the old children that stayed in the orphanage; they shouldn't have Bibles shoved down their throats.

Christopher. That's what they called him because they didn't like his name.

If it had been the Christian name Aidan, the same name for a saint; it would've been fine. But Aidan, arabic meaning perpetuity, was a no-no.

He wasn't the only one. The problem with the children that Aaira raised was that they didn't like to follow. Mainly the 6 of them, the most troublesome- now Aidan realised that they were demigods, they were raised by Aaira to fight.

Aaira trained them in her own special way. She let them fight their own battles, heal their own wounds and allowed them to make more mistakes than any other kid in the orphanage. She had also taught them not to be looked down upon any anybody.

So it was only normal that they caused trouble for Candace.

Aidan shook his head to rid of those thoughts. Right now, he needed to find the right pyre.

There were 15 untouched pyres, 2 currently burning and 3 ash piles. Aidan prayed that the one he was looking forward hadn't been burned yet. That also meant that 20 demigods fell last night-

When Aaira passed- Aidan ran. He ran like he always did. He wasn't going to do that now.

Aidan searched for the biggest group of rough and tough looking demigods, he would find Zed's pyre that way. Finally- he found it.

Zed was laid flat, motionless on the pyre. He was dressed in a clean shirt and pants and the blood had been cleaned off him. Surprisingly the person that was going to burn the laurel wasn't Zed's siblings but Cecelia.

The laurel was decorated with a bloodied spear and shield and was completely blood-red in colour. Aidan didn't like that; there was more to Zed than just being a child of Ares.

He only watched silently as Cecelia raised the torch and burned the cloth then turned the torch towards Zed's pyre. Aidan watched as the flames licked and nipped as Zed's corpse, the fires starting to claim his flesh.

Aidan lost his footing, taking a step back. He thought he was strong enough. He thought-

That's when Cecelia noticed him standing there. She tried to call after him but Aidan was already running.

Aidan blinked hard to get rid the tears out of his eyes. He hadn't cried in a long time, he wasn't going to now. That's the reason why he didn't like funerals- he hated crying. He hated feeling weak.

A surefire way to make sure of that is to make him face a person he loved with the thought that he could never see them smile again or hear them laugh-

So he did what he always did- he turned his sadness into anger. He needed something to hit.

Aidan ran; he ran like he always did. He ran till his lungs burned and his feet couldn't push off anymore. He reached a tree and leaned on it to catch his breath-  Looks like his superior stamina only worked at night.

Why did he feel so weak? Wasn't he supposed to be some kind of crazy, powerful demigod? He was the son of Nyx wasn't he? He was some kind of special even though he didn't know what that was about.

Aidan took a step back from the tree. He remembered his strength last night, smacking Forsaken around with his strength. Cleaving straight through them with his Glaive.

In comparison to that- a tree should be child's play, right?

Aidan pulled his leg back, aiming for the middle of the trunk. He kicked the tree as hard as he could-

The tree was completely unharmed.

Aidan grit his teeth, pulling his leg back and then kicked it again. Still no luck.

He kept kicking the tree, over and over again. He was getting no closer to bringing it down.

"Why won't you break?" Aidan hissed through his teeth.

He kicked until something gave way; that something being his leg.

Aidan shouted and dropped his leg, clutching it in pain. Fortunately for him, pain he could handle.

He limped to his feet and cletched his fists. He pulled his fist back and punched the tree hard-. Managed to splinter the bark but also puncturing pieces of wood into his knuckles.

Aidan grit his teeth, anger hissing through his very being; taking place of his sadness.

His fists started to burn really badly, his fists were pulsing with pain but he was no closer to knocking tree down.

"Why won't you break? Why won't you break?!" Aidan exclaimed as he furiously striked the tree.

If he was so powerful then why the heck couldn't he break this tree? It was just a tree! He was supposed to be somekind of child of a primordial goddess, in comparison the tree should be nothing!

Break. Break. Break. Break. Break. BREAK!

"Aidan!" Cecelia came up from behind him, pulling him away from the tree.

"Let me go!" Aidan twisted out of her grip, rolling away and getting to his feet.

"What the heck was that?" Cecelia frowned. "Are you a glutton for pain?"

Aidan wiped his face, which in turned covered his face with blood due to his bleeding knuckles. "Leave me alone Cecelia."

"No, I'm not!" Cecelia countered. "I know what you're doing Aidan. You don't want to be sad so you're getting mad. You can't do that!"

"There's nothing wrong with anger."

"There is if you're going to do that." Cecelia pointed to the blood stained tree. "There's nothing wrong with being sad either Aidan."

"Whatever." Aidan pushed past her, facing the tree again.

"No, not whatever!" Cecelia forced him to turn around. "You're not the only one who is sad Aidan. I'm sad too! Zed was my friend too. I know what you're going through."

"Don't claim like you know me!"

"Then help me understand!" Cecelia shouted back. "Why are you mutilating yourself like this?"

"Because anything is better than crying okay?"

Cecelia frowned. "So that's it? Stupid male bravado, that's your reason?"

"Yes- what, no!"

"What? If you bleed and get mad at things, it'll make yourself feel powerful; make you feel like a man? Well news flash Aidan, it doesn't."

"You don't understand-"

"Oh I think I understand." Cecelia shoved Aidan so his back collided with the tree. "You're pathetic. I thought you were more Aidan. More than just a boy that throws his punches to show supremacy, that beats up the weak because it makes him feel powerful. I realise now that I was wrong!"

"Stop assuming things-" Aidan hissed.

"Alright then Aidan, what is your problem? Why don't you want to cry? Because it makes you feel weak? Because you have to- for once- be human?"

Aidan grit his teeth. "I don't want to cry because I know if I do, I won't be able to stop!"

And that was it- a crack in the dam, a chink in the armour. Tears spilled from his eyes as his hand covered his face in an attempt to stop them from spilling. Aidan leaned on the tree and slowly slid down to the floor. He could stop his cries of sadness and his whimpering that sounded like a little child.

The truth was, whoever he was was just a mask to cover up who he really was- a broken child.

A child that had no family or friends. The only person that knew about the child that was hiding behind the mask had passed away months ago- Now, that child was all alone.

But even as he thought that, a pair of arms circled him and held him close. Cecelia pulled the crying and broken form of Aidan towards her, letting the child cry into her shoulder.

Aidan cried. He cried for a very long time, making up for all the years he hadn't. He cried for Zed, a loyal friend he had lost. He cried for Aaira, the closest thing to a mother he had ever had. He cried for the Child-Aidan, who was forced to create that mask to protect himself.

He cried for himself, for he did not bear enough strength to even do what he did best- run.

Aaron

The child of Hepheastus tended to the fire, waiting for it to consume his friend until there was nothing left.

Aaron himself had placed the drachma in his hands; payment for Charon, kissed the top of Zed's forehead as a finally goodbye.

Cecelia had run off to follow Aidan, Aaron didn't follow because he had to keep Zed company.

Zed was always a black sheep. Too tame to be part of the Ares cabin and too violent to fit everyone else.

That's probably the reason why the three of them got along so well. They were outcasts, they were different.

Aaron who could only forge weapons and nothing mechanic, Cecelia who rode horses and actually learned to fight unlike other children of Aphrodite, Aidan-

And Aidan. Who fought for everyone and was selfless without reward, yet he was hated by most.

Speaking off, Aaron had to go find the two of them. Both were on edge; he didn't want them to kill each other or anything.

The child of the forge god found them just before the forest, leaning on a tree. Cecelia was sitting down leaning against it while Aidan laid on her lap.

Cecelia looked up as her boyfriend reached her. "He cried himself to sleep."

Aaron nodded, he couldn't blame him. Aaron wanted more to grieve for his friend but right not he had to make sure everyone around him was safe.

"Let's get him back to his room." Aaron knelt down and picked the child of Nyx up, giving him a piggyback ride.

"I'm worried about him." Cecelia admitted as they walked, Aidan still asleep.

"He's fine. Our boy here is a child of Nyx after all."

"Everyone has their limits Aaron." Cecelia reminded him. "Even children of powerful primordial goddesses."

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For the stronger the Light; the thicker the shadows that fall.  17:33, October 17, 2014 (UTC)