Prologue

"Did you hear that?" The little boy asked. Asher's bottom lip gave a slight quiver, he knew what was about to happen next, it had started since his parents had sent him to live with the homosapien family. Today he was ten years old, meaning he was being sent for.

"Yeah," Asher replied, then huddled under the bed with the boy he shared a room with.

"Maybe it won't be so bad today." the little boy mumbled.

He knew better than to even slightly hope that to be true. It looked like he'd be used to it by now, seeing as they not only did this every year but almost everyday, but the pain still hurt and no matter how much he willed himself not to cry out, it did not help.

"Grab both boys!" The shout roared through out the room as the door banged open. Asher felt the boy beside him flinch, he tried to be strong for both of them as he held his breath. The bed was suddenly flipped up with a load crash against the wall and there was a cry as both boys were jerked up by the hair and slung over hard broad shoulders.

"Let me go!" Asher cried out but he knew it was useless. These people were only fueled further by fear and if he struggled it would only entice them all the more.

They were drug outside into the chilling wind, the snapping light of torches were being brung around by people as they stabbed them into the ground. That's when Asher swallowed hard looking at the woman in the blinding bright dress, her black long hair blowing wildly around her and the soft gray eyes.

"Hang them by their arms from the tree." The woman commanded in a hiss.

This was the part they loved, the part they thrived on, what Asher did not understand was why the other little boy was with him, strapped to the other tree, arms above him tied to the branches, feet cuffed with chains to the ground. Looking over Asher locked eyes with the woman, when he has first met her, he thought she was the most beautiful person alive, she was tall and striking, she bubbled with power until just now Asher had thought her to be a friend for not once had she ever actually talked bad to him.

"Why?" Asher asked betrayal coursing through his young blood.

"You are a monster, therefor you must pay for your sins."She said, then turned to a big burly man, "Take the hooks to the human boy."

Asher gulped down his terror as he watched the man bring out the whip with a dozen razor sharp hooks on it. "No!" he yelled out trying to break free from his binds, as the man walked to where the frozen boy next to him was, his voice went unheard.

The boy was stripped of his clothing, standing there for all the on lookers to watch, not one spoke out in protest. Asher was helpless and alone. He could not do anything but witness himself the horror as the man raised the whip, slinging it down onto the boys naked flesh smoothly. Hooks caught skin as it ripped the meat from the body, the boy cried out in anguish.

"Stop." Asher begged as the man brought the whip up once again. This time the hooks wrapped around the boys face, when the man pulled it back with a flick of his wrist, the boys left eye along with half his cheek was gone. "Please stop!" he sobbed looking at the woman with all the power.

"Why should I stop? I thought you'd prefer us to beat him, rather than you." She remarked, her once soft gray eyes full of hate and resentment.

"He won't heal." Asher whispered brokenly.

The woman put a hand to cup her ear, "What?"

Finding the strength, Asher lifted his chin in determination, tears soaking his small face. "He won't heal back, so beat me instead, but leave the boy alone." he said loudly, only a slight tremor going through his body.

The woman looked at Asher for a moment, then shrugged her shoulders, "Fine, have it your way. We shall beat you, then kill the boy when we're done."

Asher closed his eyes waiting for the first hit, knowing that at least the boy got to live for a little longer. He felt the last of the hooks as they caught him in the chest and ripped out. He gasped for breath, this was not how the beatings usually felt, these burnt worse than they had in the past. Locking eyes with the woman, she must have seen the surprise in Asher's face, because he got a very pleased smile.

"Ah, feels different does it?" She asked and then pulled a vile from her robe, "Liquid from the Elvira root. It won't kill you but it will make sure to mare that pretty skin of yours."

Another lash caught across his rib cage, tearing down his stomach to his hip. Looking down he was surprised to see so much blood, never before had he seen his own blood, usually his injuries healed so fast there was no time for bleeding. The juice from the Elvira root slowed down his healing mechanism. Asher started shaking horribly, the pain was mind numbing, he could not process what was going on with his body.

"Diana, let the boy go!" A deep voice rang clear in the night, Asher looked up with swollen eyes to see a mysterious hooded figure.

"Oh you have come for him after all?" The woman asked smiling sickly, "Then you'll have to take him from me!"

The hooded figure seemed to shrug, "So be it."

Asher was confused one minute he was about to watch a blood bath, then the next he was seeing something else all together. His vision changed, there was a grassy plain along with a beautiful green lake. Standing next to the bank was a small girl, her hair blowing around her and he could smell the violets in the air, then it was gone. Looking around wildly Asher was surprised to see Diana with her neck ripped apart laying on the ground defeated. The only thing he could think about now was the little boy beside him.

" Save the boy." Asher said hoarsely, " Please hurry."

The man paused hesitantly before moving to the boy beside Asher's body. He was motionlessly hanging there. "Sorry Asher but he's gone." The man stated but cut the boy down and set him on the ground gently.

Asher felt the tears come again, warm salty liquid running down his face. The boy had been his only decent friend since he had moved here, and now because of him, that boy was now dead. Self hatred reared up inside him and he shook his head fiercely, "Who are you?" he questioned.

"I'm Xavier, come with me, I'll protect you." he said holding out his hand after he cut the rope from Asher's wrists, freeing him.

There were so many questions fluttering around Asher's mind but at the moment he could not form a coherent thought. All he knew was that he felt like he could trust the man before him completely, he last thing he remembered before passing out was taking the man's hand and vowing to never shed a tear again.