....in another life, be it in Elysium or this world. I'll find you.
Lucian Storm
I dragged the girl along by her hair. She was kicking, screaming and crying. After just seeing her brother fall of cliff, you would expect her to be in shock. Guess those children of Nyx are tough.
He sat on his throne. Surrounding him were my brothers; his mindless. bloodthirsty servants. I was one of them. Am one of them.
"I recall asking for a boy. This is a girl." He said. "Are you gender-blind?"
"The boy fell off the cliff and fell into the ocean. He's probably dead." I replied. "Allison here however." I shoved the girl forward. "She's just like that Christopher boy, Child of the Goodie-Nyx."
"Not only did you kill Christopher, you got another less dangerous but more vulnerable target?" He beamed. "You have outdone yourself Lucian!"
He came forward and put his arms on my shoulders. "Good job. You deserve a day off today. Go out! Have fun!" He scowled at Allison. "Take her boys."
Raven, the most well built out of all my brothers, grabbed her by her hair and dragged her away. Before he took her away, she shot me a murderous look. I couldn't care less.
"I'll be going." I said. "Do I have...a curfew?" I spat, it was weird to say the word. It was so foreign.
"No go ahead, take as long as you want." He said. "We'll deal with the girl."
His words were followed by laughter by my brothers. I didn't understand them, how they could find such pleasure in pain. I headed to my room, turning my back to the sounds of my brothers.
I made a quick change of clothes, I peeked a look to the mirror before changing. Broad shoulders, muscular chest, pale skin. Those were my traits. All were natural except my snow-white hair, blood-red eyes and the chain-link marks on my chest. Those were consequences of resisting my power, my birthright.
Why do I resist them you ask? Because those marks displayed my status as his equal or the potential to be. If he found out, he would smite me without hesitation.
I shook my head to be rid of the thoughts my imagination had cooked up regarding my torture if he knew. Instead of thinking, I just shadow-travelled to enjoy my night off.
I never understood humans. How they could 'party' all night? How could they devour countless amounts of alcohol that would poison their blood stream?
"Foolish humans. There lives are so short yet they throw it away so easily." I muttered.
"You speak as if you never die." Said a voice from behind me.
There were two of them, both females. They were dressed up in typical teenage-girl type clothing. I wanted to gag at the interaction was going to have to deal with.
"You could say that. I am afterall invincible." Which carried a hint of truth, I was immortal. Only a strike through the heart, neck or right between eyes could kill me.
"Well let's just see about that." One of the girls giggled. Then she changed.
Both of their skins turned whiter than mine, fangs and talons took the place of teeth and nails. And their legs were different, one metal and one animal-like.
"Empousa." I said their name like a cursed. I reached for my weapon and realised I didn't bring it along. "Dang." I said as I was watching the Empousa close in. "A fist-fight it is." I balled my fist and readied myself to fight fist on talons.
The next moments happened in a flash. A blade penetrated through one of the Empousa's stomach and she disintegrated. Her partner turned to attack her assailant. but the blade was already at her neck before she could attack.
I stood there in shock, still trying to process a the fight before me. A girl stood among the dust of the fallen Empousa. She looked around 18 years old, her chestnut coloured hair was tied up in a ponytail. Her hazel eyes stared at me for a good 2 seconds before she moved her attention to sheathing her sword.
"You didn't see anything. You got lost after a night of partying. Go home." She said, then she snapped her fingers.
I knew she was trying to manipulate the mist. If I were any lesser being, I would have fallen for it. I was however, not.
"You can't trick me. I'm not a mortal." I said.
She raised an eyebrow at me. She wasn't a pure blood mortal, I knew that. Her sword was made of celestial bronze, also she could see through the mist. Not only that, she knew how to manipulate it. However, she didn't have the same aura a demigod had.
"What are you?" She asked. "You don't seem like a normal demigod. Yet I sense ichor in your blood."
"I could say the same for you." I countered. "Your not a demigod but have ichor in your blood. Ichor that probably belonged to an ancestor 5.... maybe 6 generations ago?"
"Sort of. One of my ancestors was a demigod. A son of Ares. Fought in the American Revolution. Died in battle." She said. She was quiet suddenly, like she felt she was revealing to much.
"I'd better get going." She said and started walking away.
"Wait." I called after her. She turned around.
"What's your name?" I asked.
She kept quiet. Contemplating whether to reveal her name or not. "Emily. Emily Grey." She answered. "Yours?"
"Lucian."
"Well nice to meet you Lucian. I'll see you around." Emily started walking away. "And stay away from Empousai."
I spent the next night tossing and turning. Everytime I closed my eyes, I remembered Emily.
All the girls I've seen were weak. Easily scared and terrified. Emily...Emily was different. She was strong, she knew how to hold herself. She wasn't even a demigod, she was just a legacy. That fact alone was enough for me to want to know her better. The ichor in her blood had been so diluted with mortal blood, she was like a normal mortal. And those hazel eyes...
I got out of bed. I had to go see her again.
"Where do you think your going?" Eli, one of my brothers, asked.
"Out." I replied simply.
"Master is going to be mad." He said.
I winced at the blind service my brothers had to him.
"I was made leader wasn't I?" I pointed to my ruby necklace, displaying my status as leader of the Forsaken. His personal army. "So listen to me. You tell him and I will rip your throat out."
Eli backed away, realising the legitimacy of my threat. He stepped away, along me passage through.
"Thank you little brother." I mocked.
------------------------------------------
I had no idea where she was.
I thought that thinking about her while shadow travelling would work. However, it only teleported me back to the place I met her.
I explored the area randomly. I tried distinguishing her from the crowd by her demigod aura. Then I realised she didn't have one, the ichor in her blood was too diluted.
I spent nearly a hour trying to find her. I was almost about to give up.
Turns out that she would find me.
"You!" Emily said as she bumped into me.
"Emily." I simply said.
She put her hands to her hips. "Are you following me?"
"No." I replied. "I've been trying to find you for the past hour."
Emily raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yes. Is that wrong?"
"Well, depends on what you what me for." She folded her arms. Today she was wearing glasses. Weird. She didn't seem like someone who was short-sighted.
"I...wanna talk to you." I confessed.
"Well, if that's what you want." She smiled. "How about we talk over coffee?"
"At 10 p.m?"
"Yup." She answered. "Come on."
That was my life pretty much after that. Sneaking out every night to meet her. She lived with her mom. Her dad was a drunkard and abusive. Her mom got rid of the jerk years ago. Luckily, her mom was a strong woman, being a descendant of a demigod made it easier.
Emily never asked about my history. She respected privacy. I wouldn't want her to know my history anyway. If she knew that I've killed innocent people. If she knew that, she would be running in the other direction. And I didn't want that.
"Hello!" Emily snapped my fingers in front of my face. "Earth to Lucian. You there?"
"Sorry." I apologised. "Been thinking a lot."
"About me?" She teased.
"You..Now you. You never leave my mind. So the answer is yes."
I saw her blush. "Lucian?"
"Yeah?"
"Where do we wanna go from here?" She asked.
"I don't understand."
She reached out and grabbed my hand. "I mean....what are we? Friends or?"
"You actually would consider a relantionship with me?"
She blushed. "Maybe."
"You wouldn't want to be with me." I confessed.
"Why?"
"Because I did some things in the past that I'm not proud of."
"I don't care about that." She said.
"You should."
She pulled me to a stop. Her hands went to my face. "I've sphis ent three months with you. I learned who you are as the person. I know you aren't a bad person. Put the past behind you, give the future a chance."
"Are you trying to say you are my future?" I asked.
"I would like to be. Will you give me a chance?"
"Maybe." I pulled her closer to me and our lips met. "I might just give you a chance."
"Great." Emily smiled. "I'm glad this worked out, boyfriend."
"That word sounds so weird."
"Get used to it, because your gonna hear a lot of it." She teased.
We walked away, hand in hand. I felt happiness for the first time, that day I wasn't a servant. I was a freeman. I thought the happiness was going to last. I was wrong.
I felt the cold floor on my cheek. My brothers stood over me, laughing. Raven held Emily by the hair.
I was going to rip his throat out once I got up.
"So you thought you could get away with it?" He said. "You are my servants, you do not need any emotions. Or feelings. You only need to follow my instrustions. Nothing esle!"
"His not a toy! He's a person!" Emily shouted. "You can't-" That's when he slapped her.
I tried to get up to get to her but my brothers put me down again.
"Ah Lucian. Trying to be a hero." He mused. "This is why I didn't allow you to have feelings. They make you weak!"
"Preservation of Life is not weakness!" Emily shouted. He slapped her again.
"It would pay for you to shut up." He said. He walked towards his throne and took a dagger. "Listen girl. We'll let you live if. You be our play thing. How about it boys?"
I heard mummers of enjoyment from my brothers.
"Don't you dare!" I struggled to break free but I was fighting against five of my brothers.
"How about it girl? Life or Death? Your choice."
Emily spat on his face. "That's my choice."
He wiped the spit off. "Well, enjoy death!" He then sank the blade deep into Emily's chest.
"No!" I shouted. I don't remember anything esle. But I remember knocking my brother's aside. Then knocking him aside and running to Emily.
"No.. No..No Please. You were my future. Don't leave me." I said.
"I'm sorry Lucian." Emily said weakly. "I'm glad we had this chance though."
"No. Its not gonna like this." I choked. "I promise to find you again. In another life, be it Elysium or this world. I will find you. And we will have that chance."
She smiled weakly. "I'll be waiting then." Those were her last words before her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her body went limp.
"Emily? Emily.. No." I sobbed. I cursed the fates for her death. Then I realised that the fates weren't to blame for it. I turned to look at him. He was smiling, enjoying the scene.
My sadness turned to rage, rage turned to adreanalin. I picked up my staff and that's when something snapped.
Suddenly I felt power coursing through my body. More than I could after for. For a moment, he' flashed a look of shock. I looked into the mirror and looked at my reflection.
My hair was no longer snow-white nor were my eyes blood-red from resisting my power. My hair was now brown and my eyes were blue, the hair and eye colour I was born with. No more resisting my power.
I charged at him ready to avenge Emily. I didn't get too far.
He simply flicked his hand and I flew backward to the wall.
"Well, well. Looks like someone kept a secret eh?" He said. "That changes things. I was going to destroy you for being defiant but I have something much better for you. Finally, you will be my servant again."
"What will you do?"
"Take away your emotion. That way you will be devouted to our cause just like your brothers." He answered. "Any last words before you lose your mind?"
"Yeah. Go to hell Darius." I spoke his true name.
"Enough out of you!" Darius put his fingers to my skull and I felt like all of my being was being sucked away.
Looking over the hills of Elysium, I've never been more at peace. I've just decided to try for rebirth, for a second chance at life. To do good instead of bad. Then...
"Lucian?" A voice from behind me said.
I turned. A girl stood behind me. Her long curly hair was chestnut brown and her eyes were lovely hazel. Her olive skin stood out from the green fields. I recognised her.
"Emily..." I muttered her name.
She smiled. "I knew I would find you again."
I stood up and pulled her into my arms. "I promised you didn't I?"
"I heard you, you said you'd try for rebirth."
"Yeah." I confessed. "You should do the same."
"But we'll be different people, with different memories. What if.. what if we never meet again?"
I kissed her on the forehead. "I promise to find you again. In another life, be it Elysium or this world. I will find you. No matter what."
Contest Entry! Click here and ....stuff
Christopher Fauns~Arrow of Nyx 20:52, February 2, 2013 (UTC)