Unlucky Charm

Aziash strode confidently through the crowded plaza, head held high. It was a a market day, and the smell of fish filled the air. Aziash grimaced. There would be no more of these common smells to assail him after today. The press of the crowd and their stink of sweat. The eyes of the merchants on him, hungry, wanting to take his hard earned coin. He would be beyond that after today. Above it. He practically glowed with a confidence that, while his body found strange, he found suited him indeed.

The merchants, shoppers and even the city guard watched him warily. By now, word would have spread of the incident last night and his newfound abilities. He had single-handily taken out the entire gambling den that held his markers, guards included. He smiled inwardly. It was about time that people respected him.

He glanced casually at the glowing stones that marked the border of the marketplace. Even here in the daylight giving off their strange luminescence. They ran in lines along the cities structure, acting like a guide or map. They seemed to sense when someone was looking for a direction, and glowed brighter on the path that they sought as they approached them. His were practically on fire, a blazing cobalt that indicated direct purpose and clear resolve. There was no room for interpretation here.

He had been wanting to try it for a week. He had felt himself growing stronger and stronger after each treatment, and there were people that needed to be...put in their place. Debts had already been settled. Now, it was time to acquire a station.

His stride carried him right to the steps of the palace itself, seamless white veined marble set with glowing blue stones in geometrical designs at their sides, each stone gilded in fine veined gold. His intention was a challenge. A challenge to the greatest person in the realm. Once he won that, his status would be set for life.

"There are no citizens allowed into the palace proper", the guard at the top of the steps called down to him. He regarded Aziash like a pig that had suddenly wandered into a banquet. Aziash grinned. This would be entertaining.

"Oh, I am no ordinary citizen," he answered, his voice carrying. "But I can hardly blame you for thinking so. I am here to cement my legacy, you see. And today is the day that I do it. On the back of that overstuffed primping fool in there that currently sits upon the throne."

The guard looked at his partner and frowned deeply. He slapped his faceplate down, a silvery mask that looked intricate and decorative. But Aziash, well, all Atlantians knew, this was the steel of the Gods themselves. Thin as paper, and harder than tempered plate. It was said nothing could break it. The pair began to walk down the steps towards Aziash, in perfect synchronization, hands on sword hilts. Aziash cocked his head, waiting.

They reached the step just above him, looming over his head and looking down.

"Citizen, did you just threaten the court?", the first guard asked, his voice a low rumble. "You realize the penalty for that, of course?"

Aziash grinned back wickedly. "You are welcome to try," he replied, his smile twisting to the side, mocking and uncaring.

There was a flash as the guards drew their swords. The air itself hummed as the Atlantian steel glowed in the air. The blades were also legendary. They could cut anything; stone, steel, it didn't matter. Infused with the power of Atlantis as they were, they were a force beyond nature.

Aziash yawned and grinned lazily, looking back at the rather sizable crowd that had now gathered behind him. He gave them a wink and turned back around. He shrugged at the guards.

"I'm waiting," he said, gesturing with his thumb behind him. "They are as well. You know your duty."

The guard squinted at him, his fingers tightening on his sword pommel, knuckles turning white. "You wish to die?", he asked, incredulously. Aziash saw sweat breaking out on his temple. The guards were not used to being challenged. It didn't mean that they were untrained or unprepared, however. They sensed there was something off about this encounter. The not knowing what it was was making them more than nervous.

"I'll make it easier for you," Aziash said, his gaze lowering and his smile disappearing. "I am going to walk up those steps, enter that palace, and kill the new emperor." He shrugged. "Perhaps everyone else in there as well if you don't stop me, that is." He met their eyes, unblinking.

"And here I go..."

He took a step forward, brushing the swords aside lazily with his arm. The guards, as one, grabbed him by the shoulders, attempting to pull him back.

He stopped.

"Now, we can begin," he whispered.

His left hand flashed to the neck of the guard to his right, grabbing him around the throat. The movement was faster than the guard could follow, judging by the look of shock in his eyes behind the faceplate. Aziash flexed his shoulder and lifted the guard into the air. The sight must have been extraordinary, as Aziash himself was a slight, slender man. He heard a gasp from the crowd as the guard began to struggle, his plated boots kicking into empty space.

The second guard grabbed Aziash's arm, trying to force him to let go, but his eyes widened in shock as he began to realize that he couldn't move it. He stared in disbelief at Aziash, who smiled back. The guard let go, stumbling back a step. He looked up at his partner, then slashed his sword down viciously towards Aziash's shoulder, looking to separate it from his very body.

In another flash of movement, Aziash shot out his free hand and caught the sword in mid-swing. He raised his eyebrows at the guard, and, with a flick of his wrist, broke the Atlantian steel in two, holding the broken tip firm in his hand.

There was a burst of blue light and a ringing in the air as the destroyed weapon clattered to the ground. The crowd let out a gasp in awe and there were actually more than a few screams of panic. Aziash glanced up and saw more guards rushing out of the palace. He dropped the one that he had been holding in the air, his strangled and lifeless corpse tumbling down the last few stairs. In the same moment, he slammed the shard of the Atlantian blade into the top of the head of the second guard.

As his body fell, the dozen or so palace guard on the steps above him hesitated, their eyes wide in fear. Aziash looked down at his arms and saw that his body was glowing in a cool blue light. Not the light of Atlantis, something else. Something more powerful. He closed his eyes and pulled in a deep breath, feeling the power surge through him.

He rushed up the stairs to meet them.

The emperor of Atlantis heard the clash and commotion outside and raised his eyes from the ledger, cocking an eyebrow.

Curious, he thought, closing the book slowly and rising. I wonder what this could be about...

A figure pushed the large doors open and walked into the court, confident, purposefully. He was covered in blood, and it didn't appear to be his own. He leveled his gaze at the emperor, and rushed forward.

The emperor held out a hand, calmly.

"Stop, " he said simply. His voice was calm, relaxed. The man slowed, almost by reflex. He stopped, chest heaving.

"Are you going to plead for your life, now?", Aziash asked.

"Not really," the emperor replied cooly. "I am...curious as to your motivation here, citizen. Why exactly do you wish to try to depose me?"

Aziash hesitated. "Isn't it obvious?", he answered, exasperated. "I'm simply doing what you did just over a week ago. I am entering the palace, and taking the throne. By force." He took another threatening step forward. "If it's good enough for you, it's good enough for me."

The emperor smiled evilly. Aziash felt his blood run cold. "And? Citizen? Do you really think that you're good enough?"

"Well, I guess we're about to find out," Aziash growled back, charging towards the throne.

Well, that could have gone a lot better... Aziash groaned to himself as he stumbled into his house, grasping his ribs, which he was sure were shattered. He bled from a dozen other wounds and the room spun. He had to reach his basement. He needed the magic...What manner of creature is the emperor anyway?, he thought as he grimaced and threw open the door to the steps leading down. He began to descend slowly, carefully.

He shook his head as he reached the bottom, squinting to let his eyes adjust to the darkness. A groan from the center of the room assured him that his captive was still there.

"Let me go..." the voice from the darkness rasped.

Aziash smiled wanly and lit a lamp, the soft glow showing the creature tied to the chair, exhausted, pale. He looked up at Aziash with weary eyes and squinted.

"What...what happened to you?", the creature asked warily.

"Silence Djinn!", Aziash snapped back. He didn't feel the need to converse with this thing any more than he had to. He just needed its' power. "You will need to heal me, as you have before."

"That was before you imprisoned me," the creature growled back. "Back before I knew what kind of a man you are..."

Aziash scowled. "Do no cast dispersions on me, Djinn, you are an unholy Demon, and have no right to judge me."

"I am not a Djinn...I have told you that. Repeatedly. I am..."

Aziash held up a hand. "I know, you claim to be an Angel. But I know what you truly are." He examined the chains around the creature's arms and feet, chains that he had inherited from his father, a man of great renown. A Hunter of all things dark and evil. They could hold anything not from the mortal coil, so it really didn't matter if the creature was lying or not.

Aziash had decided that it was a Djinn, due to it's supposedly inexhaustible energy and the ability to take human form. It kept claiming to be an Angel. An Angel named Castiel. Aziash had found him washed up half dead on the shores of Atlantis a week ago after stumbling over a rock while crab hunting. He had slashed open his foot rather badly. The Djinn was kind, and stupid enough, to demonstrate his power by healing him. He had lured him back to his house and captured him. A treasure indeed.

"Heal me, Djinn," Aziash growled, leaning closer. "And then I will need more of your power. The creature that sits upon the throne is more powerful than I imagined."

The Djinn raised his steely blue eyes to Aziash's own. "No," he replied firmly.

Aziash sighed. "Do I have to remind you again who is in charge here, Djinn?" The creature glared back, defiant.

"Very well."

Aziash walked slowly to the wall and pulled down a needle forged of pure Atlantian steel. The Djinn's eyes went wide. Aziash walked forward slowly. A barely audible "no" escaped the Djinn's lips.

"Allright," the creature finally said, shoulder's slumping. "Allright, I'll do it. Just...put that thing away."

Aziash smiled. "I knew that we could come to an agreement."

The Djinn placed two fingers on Aziash's forehead. He felt a cool rush of energy throughout his body, the pain vanishing. He breathed out in relief. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes. The Djinn was still glaring at him.

"We'll make it fast, Djinn", Aziash grinned. "No need to make you suffer needlessly." He went to a small stone alcove in the wall and pulled out a surgical knife. He strode quickly over to the creature and pulled back his head, finding the small scar on his neck where he had been working.

"I certainly don't want to accidentally kill you, that's a truth," he said, smiling. He sliced in...and blue light began to slowly leak out. He breathed it quickly into his lungs, feeling it's pure, raging power bond with him. Aziash was careful not to let it all out, removing the knife quickly and holding a cloth over the wound until the bleeding stopped. He removed the cloth and smiled.

"That wasn't so bad now, was it?", Aziash asked, smiling, condescending.

"You...you have no idea what you're doing. A human can't keep absorbing pure..."

"Hush," Aziash said, smiling, feeling the power raging inside. "I know what I can handle, creature. I know exactly what I'm doing."

He walked confidently back to the stairs. He would pay that demon emperor a second visit. And this time...

He stopped in the middle of the stairs. He felt ...he felt as if his insides were burning. He grabbed at his stomach, trying to force it down. It kept building, an inferno of fire. He tried to go back down the steps and stumbled. He fell onto his face and held up his hands in front of him. His eyes went wide with fear as he saw the pale blue magical light leaking from it, his skin cracking, burning.

"Help...help me..." he stammered, looking up in terror at the creature in the chair.

Aziash's entire body ignited in blue flame and burned away. The blue light hovered in the air and rushed back to the figure chained in the chair, flying into his mouth. He squeezed his eyes shut and breathed out slowly, his skin becoming less pale, his eyes steady.

He looked around him in the empty basement, the last few ashes of Aziash spinning lazily in the air. He raised his manacled hands in front of his eyes and let them fall heavily back into his lap.

"Great...," Castiel murmured to himself as the lamp in the basement flickered and went out.