Love... it is a powerful thing... it can change a person's heart... or grind the gears of war... Love is not patient. It powers patience... but that makes it all the worse when the waiting has been in vain. Love is not kind... it merely forces one to act kind. Love envies. To gain love one will vaunt himself. Love forces people to behave unseemly... Love seeks only her own... For the sake of love, one will be easily provoked. Love forces one to bear much, believe much, and endure much. Love is cruel. Love compromises all. To wield love is to wield absolute power...All other emotions are secondary, for all can be caused by love. Love must be controlled within oneself in order to fully reach one's potential, it must be disregarded and forced to work for you.Love is the anathema of life...
But... Love, like all other emotions can be controlled... One can turn their love to other things... and that's where things get interesting.
Love of pain. It grants a whole new dimension to the concept of rage. Once pain can be loved, it can be welcomed. And once pain can be welcomed, it not longer becomes a detriment. Pain can be an ally. Love is pain...
All these things the masked man mused on while sitting in his high-backed leather armchair.
~ 14 Years in the Past ~
A war raged across the face of the earth. The bodies of both demigods and mortals watered the earth with their blood.
~ Line Break ~
Tartarus. That name alone brought unpleasant memories to mind. 14 years, no, 14 millenia he had spent in that hell. Cursed with immortality. the clink of chains had become a grim reality. Assuming that reality meant something.
~ Back to the Present ~
A demigod walked. Escorted by Ares and Athena up the marble streets of Olympus. The winds were unforgiving and chilly. The marble, cold and dead. He was shoved ruthlessly by the two patrons of war. The boy's eyes were lifeless, yet his body moved all the same. the skies around the home of the gods were unusually stormy and for once in 14 years, Olympus was experiencing Night. Just as the trio reached the doors. an Overwhelming clap of thunder sounded and an extremely powerful wave of force washed over the trio and all three were knocked down. As the two Olympians got to their feet, they looked between them to find the demigod gone. There was no trace of him. There wasnt even any evidence that he had even existed at that point in time.
~ Line Break ~
The masked man slowly got up from his chair. Hands briefly touching his mask. He had not removed it in a long time. It was a part of him. an Immovable barrier between who he was, and who he had once been. Bu it was not good to think of darker things. For 14 years he had been amassng an army. He hadbuilt his great fortress of Despair high in the mountains far to the north in the land beyond the gods. Now was the time to set his plan in motion.
~ Line Break ~
A lone huntress walked through the woods. She was close to her prey, she knew it. But she had to be wary. her prey had led her all the way from New York to alaska and things were wild here. An elder Hellhound, her mistress had expressed the utmost urgency when giving her the mission. This mission would prove that she was indeed a competent hunter. She could not fail her mistress. She had not failed her mistress in years and she would not do so now. The demigodess held her bow at the ready, an arrow notched. She stopped, a slight noise alerted her ears. She turned to her left with her bow up but not before she could be tackled by a black blur. The demigodess rolled away but before she could do anything, eight more hellhounds surronded her, and she could hear the howls of more fast approaching. She shot two arrows nto two of the hounds before one leaped at her and she had to bat it aside with her bow. She then dropped the now useless weapon and drew her two silver hunting knives. She got in a battle-ready stance but she knew it was hopeless. She was preparing to die for her mistress when a whimper of pain came from one of the dogs. She was ruthlessly slammed to the ground as her prey resolved itself on top of her but she couldnt help but notice that all of her other enemies had dissappeared. Just as she thought that she was going to die, she looked up only to find a thin blade point coming through the chest. The hound dissolved into black dust leaving only its pelt. She looked up the blade of the rapier onto a gloved hand, then her gazed followed up the coated arm and onto a blank white mask over what seemed to be dark skin. The man spoke in a deep melodious voice "Are you alright?"
The girl answered "Y-yes sir."
The man turned and started walking away. His cape flapping in the oncoming snow.
"Wait!" said the girl
The man stopped
"Who shall I tell them saved me?" she asked.
"You shall tell them..." He paused, He turned away again and started walking
"...that you were saved by the count."
