*Drip*
*Drip*
*Drip*
The irritant grew louder and louder as Archer came to. She groaned scratchily and tried to roll over but something caught her at her wrists. Archer opened her eyes slowly only to be rewarded with a flash of pain shoot behind her eye sockets. When she finally got them open without causing herself massive annoyance, she glanced down at her wrists.
They were bound by rope to the arms of a small wooden chair, "W-what the Hell?" she whispered, or tried to whisper. For some reason her voice was scratchy, as if she'd been screaming or yelling. She swallowed, winced, and looked up at the rest of her prison. She noticed a few things straight away. One, there were no windows. Two, that there was a busted pipe not three feet above and to the right of her, which explained the dripping. And three, that she wasn't alone.
The man was slumped in a similar chair to hers with his wrists also bound to the arms. She couldn't see his face but she could tell he was out cold by the just barely audible snoring. Archer also noticed the small trickle of blood that ran down his left pant leg and into a small puddle at his feet.
This didn't look good. They were both tied to chairs in the middle of a cold damp cellar, or basement, with a busted pipe and no windows. Not to mention she had no idea how she got here. Archer sighed and lent back in her chair to get a better look at the place, to see if she could find any clues perhaps.
With a closer look and a minute for her eyes to adjust, she found sigils painted all over the floor and walls. And on what looked like a small table in the corner behind the other prisoner, was a tray of various sharp objects, the longest being about the length of Archer's forearm. Most of knives and other sharp things were dark near the tips, and she could guess what that dark stuff probably was when she glanced back at the small puddle of blood on the floor.
Alright, she thought, I think I've seen enough. She tugged at the ropes with no luck and huffed. Whatever those sigils were, they were keeping her from using any of her powers. No matter, she had other resources. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure there was enough space and took a breath.
Archer lent forward as far as she could then with all the strength she could muster she threw herself against the back of the chair. The chair tilted back on two legs and teetered just before falling backwards. She yelped when she hit the ground hard and groaned.
"What part of you thought that was going to be a good idea," said a pained voice.
Archer sighed heavily, "I was hoping the chair would break or at least something. It's worked before anyway," she answered.
The voice chuckled then stopped as if in pain, "So if you've been in this situation before…you obviously got out somehow…why don't you stop fooling around down there and get us out of here?"
Archer huffed a laugh, "Because last time there weren't sigils…and the chair broke." She bumped her head back on the floor and sighed.
The voice was silent for a moment before quietly taking a breath, "That's not what I hoped you'd say."
She hummed and lay there awkwardly for a few minutes before there was a sound behind her. She looked up to see who walked into the room but only saw a dark figure with a hood covering their face. The hooded figure lifted her chair up and set it back down on all fours no problem, then without another word, the figure left through the door behind her.
Archer sat quietly a moment before looking up at the stranger across from her, "So…that was awkward."
The injured man narrowed his eyes at her, "Yeah…awkward. Who are you?"
Archer shook her head, "We'll get to that later. For now I need to know how long you've been in here and what you know about this place."
The man raised a brow and sat straighter, well as straight as he could. He was obviously hurt elsewhere besides his leg. He pursed his lips then nodded, "I've been here maybe two weeks now, and as for knowing anything about this place…I've got nothing. The guy comes in once a day to give me dirty water and to let me piss in a bucket. I haven't seen anything you haven't seen already."
Archer bit her lip and glanced around, "Well there has to be something here." She focused on the sigils, "He obviously knows I'm not human, but I don't think he knows exactly what I am, and I don't think he wants us dead otherwise he wouldn't give you water," she looked up at him then, "Has he said anything to you, anything at all?"
He shook his head, "Nothing that gave away his plan no. I mean he's tried getting information out of me, but he's got the wrong guy…I don't know anything about heaven's plans to take over earth. Hell, I'm just a bartender from Manhattan."
Archer narrowed her eyes, "Wait, heaven's plans to what?"
He shrugged, "Exactly, I don't know. He keeps asking me about their plans. Their plans to take over the world or destroy all demons or releasing some old gods. I don't know!"
Archer's eyes widened, "What!? Take over the world? Old gods? That's ridiculous. They wouldn't d-…" she paused and thought about how bad it had gotten up there, "Well, I don't know about the old gods thing anyway. Angels trying to destroy demons is old news. And as for taking over the world…the idea doesn't seem too farfetched for them lately."
The man frowned, "So…you can answer this guy's questions and get us out of here?"
Archer looked up at him and after a moment shook her head slowly, "I don't think he's gonna let us go even if I do give him all the right answers…sorry."
He stared at her a moment before huffing and looking away, "Nah, don't worry about it. It's not your fault," he said quietly.
Archer chewed her lip, "I'm Archer," she said finally.
He looked at her suddenly and a corner of his mouth lifted, "Varon. Nice to meet ya, Archer,"
She smiled and shook her head, "You realize your name means protection right?"
Varon's chuckle was short and full of pain, "Yeah, I should get my name changed, huh?"
"No, no it's a cool name. It suits you. You've just not had very good luck lately," she said raising a brow and tilting her head.
Varon sighed, "Yeah, right. Bad luck doesn't even begin to cover it."
"What has he done to you?" she asked after a moment.
Varon was quiet a minute before finally taking a pained breath and looking up, "You've seen the tray of knives right? Well I told you he's tried to get information out of me…but he's used things…things I can't explain…things that aren't even things I could see. The pain just came out of nowhere, like he was doing it with his mind," he looked down at his lap and shook his head, "I can't really say what he's done to me because I've passed out after most of it."
Archer watched him quietly. His breaths were shallow and quick, and she could now see burn marks just peeking out from under the top of his shirt collar. The puddle of blood was small enough she knew he wouldn't die from loss of blood, but to think about the possible internal damage he might have. If she didn't get him out of here soon, he'd die for sure.
"Have you ever seen his face?" she asked hopeful. If Varon could give her any details as to who this torturer might be, maybe she can use her knowledge to get out of here.
Varon looked up slowly, "Huh? His face? Um…not really. I mean it's always so dark when he comes in. And he wears that hood all the time."
Archer sighed and started to look away when he raised his head further, "Oh well wait, there was the one time I knocked him on his ass. This was before he started tying my feet down. I gave him a nice kick to the chest and he fell back, knocking the hood off. But he looked normal I guess…just…extra good looking, and he had bright blue eyes and really blond hair. Oh and a jawline you'd probably fall for," he said that last part with a half grin.
Archer raised a brow, "Well, okay then…so he's normal looking for the most part. Great. That doesn't really help."
Varon shrugged lightly and looked away.
Okay so he was extra good looking, with bright blue eyes and really blond hair…that doesn't help narrow it down. But he knows about sigils and runes, and for some reason wants to know about heavens plans. He could be any number of things. Like for instance a demon, which would explain the extra good looks, knowledge of runes, and desire to know heavens plans. But why capture a regular Joe from a bar in Manhattan. Varon didn't know anything…or so he said. It could be a trick for all she knew. She hadn't actually seen the guy hurt Varon.
Archer watched him quietly as she thought. What about a witch? But why would a witch want to know heavens plans? They've never really bothered with heavenly things before, but witches weren't to be crossed off her list yet.
She sniffed the air just once so it sounded as if she might have a sniffle, but she caught nothing. No sulfur, herbs, or wet dog. All she could smell was the damp concrete and what might have been the remnants of Varon's aftershave. She looked at his skin and noticed the lack of stubble. If he'd truly been in here two weeks, he'd have a mini beard by now.
She narrowed his eyes and looked away before he could catch her staring. She looked down and shut her eyes to think.
Alright so one: she was trapped in a cellar (she figured it wasn't a basement since she couldn't hear and movement above her) with a so called bartender from New York. Two: there captor was neither demon, witch (witches don't use sigils and runes, they use dirty blood spells and she didn't have a scratch), or werewolf. Three: either their captor was nice enough to give Varon a clean shave, or Varon was in on it and was faking the wounds and pain (she was kind of hoping on the former because she really hated being duked). Four: they want to know plans she had no clue about.
She wasn't part of the group anymore, not really. She spent most of her time on earth these days. She hadn't been informed of any plans that involved taking over the world, destroying all demons, or releasing some old gods. Archer didn't really like the sound of any of it really. She had some really good demon friends she couldn't stand to lose. And she quiet liked the world the way it was without angelic intervention. And why in hell would the angels need to let lose some old dusty gods? None of it made sense anymore.
When she opened her eyes and looked up Varon was watching her. Archer raised a brow, "Sorry, just trying to think. It helps when I go to 'my mind palace'," she said with a small smile. After a second her eyes widened, "No? You didn't get the reference? Oh geeze," she rolled her eyes, "Now you think I'm a nutter."
Varon raised a brow and chuckled, "No…not a nutter, but maybe just a bit crazy. But hey, aren't we all?"
Archer smiled and shrugged, "Some more than others though."
He smiled back and nodded in agreement, "So what were you thinking about?"
"Oh…nothing. Just why none of this is making sense," she replied, leaning back in her chair.
Varon huffed, "Yeah, well join the club."
Archer pursed her lips, "For instance…why you? Why not some other average Joe from down the street? Or even an average Jane?"
Varon raised both brows, "Whoa, you think I know? I don't have a clue! I was in the middle of a shift when I was serving this dude a cheap whiskey and BLAM! I'm in the middle of this crap hole tied to a chair. I know just about as much as you do lady."
Archer nodded but didn't even think about letting him lose. But she changed directions anyway, "So…what do you know about supernaturals?"
Varon shook his head and glanced away as if he had no other answer.
Archer paused and bit her lip, "Sorry, you must feel like you're being interrogated again…but I'm actually trying to help. The more I know the better. Okay?"
Varon looked back up at her with tired eyes, "Sure, ask whatever you need."
Archer nodded once and licked her lips, "Alright so…our captor, how hard was it to knock him over?" When he looked at her confused she added, "Because I need to know how strong he is. If he's easy to knock over he'll be easy in a fight."
Varon raised his head a bit further as if in understanding and sat up a bit straighter, "I didn't even kick him that hard. He just…fell over like I'd caught him off guard. But I don't think that means he's weak. I mean, see that pipe? It wasn't broken until a few days ago. He punched it and it burst. So he's stronger than you think."
Archer hummed, "I see, well then he won't be that easy in a fight…" She thought about this a second and frowned. Who could have that kind of strength and not be a demon? She pursed her lips again and thought of her next question, "Did he happen to…have and markings or tattoos maybe?"
Varon shook his head, "Not that I could see. He always keeps covered with that hoodie."
Archer sighed and was about to ask another when he asked one of his own, "What are you? I mean, I'm not trying to rude or anything, but…you're asking a lot of questions and seem to know a lot about those symbols and stuff? So what are you?"
Archer stared for a moment before thinking up an answer, "Well…um, I'm actually a witch," she lied.
Varon's eyes widened, "A witch? Really? You don't look like a witch."
Archer laughed, "You mean I'm not creepy and covered in warts? No, actually witches look just like humans. And well, are basically humans with a few extra abilities. Which also makes this situation a bit more confusing, because I don't know anything about any plans."
Varon chewed his lip, "Well, we have to be here for a reason. I just haven't figured it out yet."
Archer shook her head, "Me neither." She glanced around the room looking for any clues and yawned, "Ugh, do you happen to know what time it is?"
Varon raised a brow and only stared, "No. I'm not allowed anything. The only reason I know it's night is because when he came in to fix your chair it was dark outside the door."
Archer looked up, "So this room…it's not attached to a house or anything? So like a cellar or shed?"
Varon nodded, "I can see a small backyard then a large white house just about a hundred feet that way," he nodded his head behind her, "I think this is like you said, a cellar or shed."
Archer smiled wide, "Great! So he wants to keep us close. That's brilliant."
Varon narrowed his eyes, "Isn't that usually a bad thing?"
Archer shrugged, "Better than being out in the middle of nowhere. At least if we do get out we can run to the house and steal a car or something."
Varon huffed, "I hadn't thought of that."
Archer laughed, "Then it's a good thing you've got me around. To be honest…this isn't my first rodeo."
Varon nodded, "I can tell…you're really calm."
Archer shrugged again and opened her mouth to reply when the door behind her opened. She shut her mouth quick and her whole body went tense as she could feel the captor step close behind her.
His steps made no sound but she could feel his energy raise the hairs on the back of her neck as he came closer. He stopped and she could see Varon swallow and stared just above and behind her.
Archer took a small breath, "Hi there…uh…guy. Do you mind if I call you Guy? Since I don't know your name or even what you are?"
She waited a few seconds and nodded, "Alright well I'm just gonna take that silence as a yes so…listen Guy, judging by what cutie over here has told me, you're wanting to know some things about heaven's plans, am I right?"
Varon glanced at her then quickly looked back up at the hooded figure.
"Actually," said a strong voice, "I'd like to know a little bit more about you Archer."
Shivers rushed down Archer's spine and she caught Varon's eyes widen as he watched the figure walk around and pull a chair from the corner. The figure placed the chair backwards besides them both then sat with his arms leaning on the back.
Archer and Varon both glanced at each other then looked back at Guy. Archer cleared her throat, "What do you mean…what's there to know about me? I'm just a witch."
Guy shook his head and made a tutting sound, "Ah ah Archer, you may have, what'd you call him? Cutie? You may have Cutie here fooled, but I know what you really are…Seraphim."
Archer's eyes widened slightly but the rest of her stayed calm. Damn, she lifted her chin slightly and continued to watch the figure, "Alright then, since you know what I am, I think it's only fair if you show me your face at least."
The figure sighed and lowered his head to pull the hood back. Varon was right, he was extra good looking with bright blue eyes and really blond hair. Archer nearly dropped her chin when he lent back under the light and his really blond hair shone brighter. It'd been a very long time since she'd seen anyone so…well, beautiful. He looked like the kind of guy you'd find in magazine modeling underwear or jeans. Or better yet…painted on the ceiling of churches depicting ancient scenes from the bible.
"There, better? Do you have an idea who I am now?" he said in his beautiful voice. Archer realized now, that even though it was a strong voice, it was still very soft and full of energy.
Archer shook her head after a moment, "No…not really. So you got a handsome looking vessel…that doesn't tell me anything exactly."
He chuckled and she could swear she heard church bells ringing, "Oh sweetheart, this isn't a vessel…"
Archer's eyes widened a bit more and her chin finally dropped, "So…that's it! You're not any of those things…you're a…you're a god!?"
Varon scoffed a laugh and looked at her, "You've got to be kidding me. Really? He's not a god," he said rolling his eyes.
When he looked back up, they were both looking at him, Archer with a sad expression and the guy with a smirk.
Varon stopped smiling and stared, "Oh…you're serious." He swallowed hard and looked down.
Archer sighed. So he really wasn't a part of all this. Varon really was just an average Joe. Picked at random by some ass hole of a god for a bit of torture. This whole time a god has been picking on an innocent human and for what? Archer was determined to find out.
She glared at the god suddenly, "Hey! What's your problem huh? Picking on him, torturing him even. He's just a human. He's got nothing to do with any of this."
The god turned his icy gaze on her and his smirk grew, "Oh on the contrary my dear…the past two weeks say otherwise. He's not human anymore. He just didn't know that until now." He glanced at Varon and winked, "How do you feel about that Varon? You're not human."
Before Varon could reply (though he had no reply, he was just going to stare wide eyed and confused at him), Archer growled, "What? What did you do?"
The god grinned and turned back to her, "I fed him blood…a special kind of blood. But he won't remember because I wiped his memory of it. Don't worry. He's fine. Aren't you Varon? Now that I think about it look…his wounds are still healing. The transformation should be complete in a matter of hours now."
Archer looked quickly at the base of Varon's throat were she could see the burn marks before. He was right, Varon was healing. The burn marks had almost completely faded, and he seemed to be breathing just fine. In fact he looked to be hyperventilating slightly, "Varon…? Are you okay?" asked Archer worriedly.
Varon's breathing was quick but not in the same kind of quick. It was almost as if he was remembering something and didn't like it. His eyes were wide and blank, and he was staring straight through Archer.
"See now, look what you have done. You made him remember and I tell you it wasn't nice," said the god with a smirk as he watched Varon's face change to horror.
"Varon, look at me. Hey, cutie, look," he just kept staring straight ahead, "Varon. Stop. You're alright. You're safe. You hear me? He's not hurting you."
"You're right," Varon's lips moved, but his voice was different. Stronger, less afraid, "I'm fine…but you're not," his eyes snapped to hers and he no longer saw past her, but more like he could see into her.
This sent more shivers down her spine as she stared at Varon. His eyes were filled with hunger. Hunger for what she didn't care. She wasn't willing to give it up.
The god chuckled and clapped his hands making, Archer jump, "Brilliant! He's almost ready."
"R-ready for what?" asked Archer looking between them. Varon sat up straight in his chair and turned his hands to fists. She could see his muscles tighten under his shirt and swallowed.
Varon suddenly threw his head back and screamed. It made Archer want to cover her ears, but her hands were tied so she just flinched instead. The scream was like a loud and painful roar that exploded from Varon's lungs.
It lasted only a few seconds but felt like forever until Varon's head finally flopped forward and his body slumped back into the chair. All the while the god grinned and lent on the back of the chair like a prick, watching his creation finally come to.
Archer was frozen in her seat, her hands gripping the arms of the chair as she watched in fear.
Varon raised his head slowly, and when his eyes finally snapped open, they were a brighter blue than Archer had ever seen. His eyes darted to the god who sat there quietly, finally his grin was gone as he watched with wonder. Then his eyes darted back to Archer and she flinched. They were so pale, they were almost a white blue and it made her shiver.
"A-Archer? What happened to you…? You're…skin's so bright," said Varon quietly, so quiet she could barely hear him.
Archer raised a brow, "What? My skin…?" She glanced down at her hands then back up at him, "There's nothing wrong with my skin."
Varon looked her over, his eyes lingering over every inch of bare skin. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably and looked to the prick, "What is he?"
The god looked back at her and half smiled, "He's a new beginning. A new species of man. He's going to bring down heaven and enslave all of mankind. And I will be their king."
Varon's eyes snapped back up at Archer in surprise then glued onto the god, "Sutekh…that's what they call you isn't it?"
Archer frowned wondering why that name was so familiar.
Sutekh's head jerked in Varon's direction, "How did you know that?"
Varon's face stayed calm as he answered, "I can hear your thoughts…as if you're speaking to me." His brow furrowed in confusion, "I don't get it…you're pissed because I know your real name?"
Sutekh stood suddenly, "Stop it."
Varon narrowed his eyes, "What happened to Osiris, Sutekh? Or can I call you Sutti?"
The chair Sutekh had been sat on suddenly found itself in a pile of sticks on the floor by the wall behind him and Sutekh's hands were at Varon's shoulders, "One more word…even a thought about my name or what happened and you'll find out personally what happened to Osiris."
Archer gasped when she finally remembered why the name was familiar, "Oh…"
Varon nodded once and looked ahead while Sutekh released his shoulders and took a step back, "Finally figure it out feathers?" he asked turning to Archer.
Archer watched him quietly and nodded, "Yeah…I think so." (Sutekh was the name of an ancient Egyptian god. He was the brother to both Osiris and Isis who ended up killing Osiris and spreading his remains all around. Sutekh, sometimes called Seth, Set, Setekh or even Sutti, was the god of chaos, storms, darkness, and the desert. He was also sometimes called 'the one who dazzles', which would explain the extra good looks with bright blue eyes and really blond hair.)
"Good, less work for me then. Now, I should probably explain why you're here shouldn't I?" asked Sutekh with a dark grin.
Archer shrugged, "Well, I suppose, but if you're just gonna kill me…why bother?"
"Oh mon cheri, I'm not going to kill you, no, you're not getting off that easy," he chuckled and moved behind her to place his hands on her shoulders, "I have an even better plan for you."
And he was gone. Sutekh walked out the door leaving Archer alone with Varon who sat quietly in his chair with his new bright blue eyes.
They sat there in silence for about ten minutes before Varon finally broke the silence with a chuckle, "You're awfully quiet. Is it something I said?"
Archer narrowed her eyes, "More like something HE did. Do you know what he's done to you?"
Varon smirked, "He made me a god," he said confidently.
Archer shook her head and huffed, "No…he made you his bitch. You're not gonna have a choice but to listen to him now. He's gonna order you around and make you do stuff you'd never had done before. Varon you may think this is a good thing…hell, a fucking fantastic thing, but in reality…he's gonna make your life hell. You're gonna be the fucking coffee boy for the rest of your existence because guess what? You're not human anymore. You're not going to age or even get sick. You're gonna be stuck living in his shadow…forever."
As she spoke, Varon's smirk grew smaller and smaller, so when she finished he was just staring at her. She waited for it all to sink in before she finally added, "Unless…we get out of here and find a way to stop him…for good."
Varon looked back up at her and frowned, "Do you really think he'll let me go with you now? And what about you? He said he has a plan for you. I doubt we'll even make it to the house," he said sounding almost like defeat had started to settle. All the confidence was gone now.
Archer chewed her lip, "If you can get out of those ropes you could break the circle and I'll take care of the rest."
Varon looked around then looked back at her confused, "What circle?"
Archer noticed it earlier when Sutekh sat down. He sat far enough for there to be something, she just couldn't see it. The only way to keep an angel trapped was to use a circle of fire. But there wasn't any fire obviously. Sutekh must have hidden it somehow and made it so he could walk through it freely.
She nodded at the spot where Sutekh's chair used to be, "There's an invisible circle around us. Mostly used to hold me in. It'll be made of fire or something so be careful."
Varon frowned, "Okay but…I can't get out of these ropes."
"Of course you can," she said nodding, "You're stronger now and even have powers. You just need to use them. Focus on the ropes not being there. Like they were never there in the first place."
Varon looked down at his wrist and furrowed his brow, "Okay…" He stared at his wrists for a few moments before the ropes finally slid away. His eyes widened and he looked up at her, "I did it!" he said raising his arms up from the chair.
Archer laughed and nodded at his ankles, "I know. Great! Now do those and break the circle."
Varon made the ropes on his ankles disappear then moved to the edge of the invisible circle, "But…how am I supposed to make something disappear if I don't see it?" he asked looking to her again.
"Imagine you can see it first okay. Get a feel for what it would look like. Close your eyes and feel its energy, its heat…and extinguish it," she said giving him an encouraging smile.
Varon nodded and tried to do as she said. When he wasn't getting it he knelt on the ground and shut his eyes, reaching his hands out slightly to feel its heat and energy. After a few moments his eyes snapped open and Archer felt a weight lift off her shoulders. She grinned and the ropes were gone from her wrists and ankles, "You did it," she said standing and stretching, "Breaking a fire circle isn't easy…especially if you can't see it. You're a natural," she joked.
"Now, we need to get out of here," she held out a hand for him and when he just looked at it she chuckled, "Come on, take it."
When he did she winked and they were gone.
When they appeared again, they were in Archer's small new house just outside of town. Varon, being not used to teleportation, released her hand immediately and jumped back, "W-whoa…what was that? How…? How'd you do that?"
Archer raised a brow, "I thought you teleported before?"
Varon raised both brows and shook his head, "No…well, not like that. That was…different…"
Archer laughed and shook her head, "Okay, well…you'll be safe here anyway. I had wards and protection sigils burned into the wood frame of the house when I had it built, and some more laid into the concrete foundation. All the nails, screws, brackets, knobs, and hinges are made of either silver or iron. There's not a single grave or burial site within six miles. I don't collect haunted things. The house is powered by me. All the wood furniture has been inlayed with silver or iron. No chimneys. No basement. No attic. No garage. No tool shed. Fridge and cabinets are always full, including the liquor cabinet. The pantry is full of various herbs, ingredients, and weapons. Annnd each window sill, door sill, and threshold has a thin pipe of salt under the floorboards or within the wall…" she said crossing her arms over her chest. She was very proud of this house. It only took her a year to finish the plans and get it put together. It was her safe haven, and until she stopped Sutekh, she was willing to share it with Varon.
Varon blinked and looked around, "So…um…powered by you?" he asked, his attention caught by an impossible fireplace. He stuck his head in to look for a chimney and found none. There was a stack of wood in the center that had obviously burnt but there was nowhere for the smoke to exit. He chewed his lip and glanced at the objects on the mantle.
Archer nodded and took a seat, pulling her legs up underneath her on the couch, "Yep, I make the appliances work, give the lights…well…light, the TV has unlimited channels, unlimited Wi-Fi, no bills, the smoke by the way…I don't need it so there isn't any. And that…" she pointed at the golden orb he just picked up, "Is very old, like Hernán Cortés old, so be careful."
He raised a brow and set it back down carefully, "Oh…is everything in this house old?" He moved on down the fireplace.
Archer narrowed her eyes, "No…just…over the years I've collected things."
He glanced at her as he picked up a bright red crystal, "Over the years huh? What's this?"
Archer tilted her head, "A blood crystal, it was used to summon a very powerful dragon to slaughter an entire village back in the 1200's. And yeah, I'm…old," she said squaring her shoulders.
Varon quickly put the crystal down and moved on, "How old?" He got to the end of the mantle and leaned close to look at a small dagger. It had an inscription on the blade in a language he didn't understand and it looked as if it was stained.
Archer huffed and looked away, "Well, I used to think I was 605…but now I'm not sure."
Varon reached up to touch the tip of the blade, but when she said that he quickly looked up and dropped his hand, "Six hundred and what?"
She shrugged, "605ish, it's not that old."
Varon rolled his eyes and looked back to the blade, "I used to think I was getting old...but I guess twenty-eight isn't that old," he chuckled, finally touching his finger to the tip of the blade. The sharp point pricked his finger, though he barely touched it. He pulled back quickly and did what anyone with a pricked finger would do, stuck it to his lips to suck the blood off, "Damn, I hardly touched it!"
Archer looked back up at him then and frowned. She saw him stick his finger tip to his lips then looked to the fireplace to see what he'd cut himself on. When she saw the dagger she jumped up, "You fool! Get that away from your mouth," she pulled his hand away and looked at it, but already black lines spread across his hand from the wound.
Varon's eyes widened, "What is that?"
Archer ignored him and touched the tip of his finger lightly. A light shown between their hands and the black veins vanished. When she was done she looked up at him and dropped his hand to prod him in the chest, "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to touch sharp things? Ugh, never mind, don't touch anything from now on, understand?" She turned away before he could reply and disappeared around the corner.
Varon stared down at his finger where the prick had been and blinked, "How…What? What just happened?" He followed her around the corner and found a large entrance hall with stairs going up to his left and a pair of French doors to his right. She was halfway up the stairs when he entered the hall, "Hey."
Archer continued up the stairs knowing he'd follow. She took a right as soon as she made the landing and opened a door. She walked in and opened the curtains then turned to open the closet doors. Varon walked in just as she pulled a box off the top shelf of the closet, "This is where you'll stay. We'll go to your place to get some clothes in a minute, but I need to find a new home for this. Be right back," and she was gone.
Varon stared at the placed she'd just stood before looking around the large room. Well…not large, just bigger than his back at his apartment.
He walked up to the window and raised a brow. The view was of nothing but trees and a long gravel driveway. There was only a small yard before the trees started, "Not much of a view," he said absently.
"Well it's better than nothing," said Archer reappearing behind him.
He spun around and frowned, "Oh I didn't…never mind, wait-" he stuck out a hand to stop her as she took a step forward, "Can we not do that teleport thing? It makes my stomach spin…"
Archer smirked, "Sorry bud…no car, besides, It'll take seconds to get there this way as compared to hours if I did have a car."
Varon chewed his lip and nodded, "Fine, just…go easy on me?"
Archer rolled her eyes and grabbed his outreached hand.
They appeared in a cramped room with a futon looking thing against one wall with a stained coffee table beside it. It looked like it should be a living room but she found no TV and there was a stove and fridge against the opposite wall to the futon, "Is this your room?"
Varon moved to a large black trunk that lent beside the small window looking out to the street, "No…this is my place. Just this room and a bathroom down the hall," he glanced at her over his shoulder as he stuffed things in the trunk, "Rents cheap and it's a roof over my head so I'm not complaining." He continued to shove random things into his trunk.
Archer watched as he took a single coffee mug from the empty cupboard and grabbed a few shirts from the foot of the futon, "Oh…need help?" she asked looking around.
Varon stuffed the shirts in sort of neatly and wrapped the mug in a pair of jeans, "Yeah, grab my guitar will you?"
Archer raised a brow and looked around for it. It was lent against the fridge with a jacket hanging off it. She slung the jacket over her shoulder and grabbed the stem of the guitar. Archer always wanted to learn the guitar but never actually tried. She eyed it carefully before looking up at Varon, "Are you any good?"
He was snapping the clasps of the trunk and shrugged, "I like to think so." He reached out a hand, but instead of handing him the guitar, she took his hand and took him back to the house.
Varon swayed lightly, "Wh-Hey." When he regained his balance he narrowed his eyes at her and held his hand out again, "I wish you'd stop."
Archer smirked and handed him the guitar, "Not sorry though."
He took it and lent it against the wall beside his trunk then glanced around, "How long do I have to stay hidden?"
Archer sighed and lent against the doorframe, "Just until we figure out what to do with Goldilocks. But who knows how long that will take."
Varon nodded and finally noticed the jacket slung over her shoulder. He glanced at the empty closet then gestured to the jacket, "Looks like I'll finally have a proper place to hang that for now at least."
Archer smiled lightly and handed it to him to hang, "Make yourself comfortable. I'll be down in the kitchen if you need me." She disappeared a second later.
Varon chewed his lip and looked down at the jacket in his hands quietly. He looked up at the closet and walked up to it slowly, hanging his jacket in the middle of the closet. He took a step back to look at the sole item and his frown grew. He wasn't used to being in such large places. It felt alien to him. All his life, he carried his belongings in a big black trunk and hung his jacket on his guitar. A small part of him didn't want them to figure out what to do with Sutekh, but the other part knew he couldn't stay here forever. Eventually he'd be kicked out just like every other place he thought he could call home.
He came down when it started getting dark and Archer had a sandwich ready. She told him everything she knew about the Egyptian god who had held him captive for the past two weeks as they ate. An hour after they finished he made his way back to his room and Archer hung around to wave away the mess.
She was just taking the first step to the stairs when she heard the light tune coming from above. She raised a brow and walked closer to the sound. She stopped just outside Varon's door, where the tune was coming from, and listened. He was playing his guitar she realized.
The tune was familiar but right when she thought she had the title, the tune changed. She listened quietly before she recognized the song as a classic by The Eagles. She smiled lightly and made her way to her own room.
Even though her room was near the end of the hall and on the other side she could still hear as his playing transitioned from Journey to something she didn't recognize. She lay on her back in bed and listened.
It started slow with a few notes repeating gently then picked up speed a moment later. The tune changed only slightly but enough to tell his mood had changed. It sounded almost sad at some points but changed to anticipative she thought. As the notes came to an end she shut her eyes and drifted to sleep.
Days went by, and each night ended with Varon's unknown tune. Each morning started with Archer waking just before ten to come down for a large cup of coffee and Varon coming down fifteen minutes later with his single coffee mug. They'd sit quietly for ten minutes before she would ask how he slept. He'd say "Fine" and she'd nod before rinsing her cup and placing it back on the counter. She'd say she was going out to find some info about Sutekh and be back in an hour or so and he'd wander around the house looking, not touching, at all the strange artifacts she kept around.
Archer expected today to be no different when she opened her bedroom door that morning. She shuffled down the wooden steps in a pair of plaid pajama pants and an old tee to the kitchen. But when she entered the bright room, Varon was already sat at the table and fully dressed.
She blinked away sleep and raised a brow, "Oh…morning," she said grabbing her large cup.
Varon looked up with eyes that looked like they'd been up nearly an hour already and smiled, "Morning."
Archer looked him over while her coffee cup filled then sat in her usual spot. He was in a mood, she could tell, but she couldn't tell what kind of mood.
He looked out the window while he waited for her to drink at least half her cup before trying to make conversation, "So…I was hoping you'd let me out for an hour or so today?"
Archer, though she was now awake enough to speak, only looked at him. After a moment she raised a brow, "You're serious?"
Varon nodded, "Why not? Just an hour at most. I need to get out of the house Archer. I've run out of things to look at. I know that I'm hidden in this house and if I leave for too long Sutekh will find me, but seriously. I'm suffocating in here. At least let me walk around the woods for a minute?" he breathed, trying to keep her from interrupting.
But she didn't try to interrupt and when he finished she sighed and looked down at her cup. A second later she nodded, "Okay," she looked back up suddenly, "But nowhere near here, and no longer than an hour. I can keep you hidden for an hour but no longer than that and even then I can't promise anything so somewhere far enough away from here so he can't track you here."
Varon's eyes widened, "Really? I expected more of a fight. I-I had a whole argument prepared and everything."
Archer laughed, "Sorry to disappoint. But I know what it feels like so why the hell not right? Just give me a minute to change and I'll be right back," she said before downing the remnants of her coffee and heading back upstairs.
Varon huffed and rinsed his cup. He was about to head back upstairs with it before he paused. He glanced at her cup on the counter then at his own in his hand. After a moment he glanced out the doorway then set the cup on the counter near hers. He smiled slightly and made his way for the bottom of the stairs.
When asked where he wanted to go, Varon froze. He hadn't really thought of that. "Anywhere in the world" she'd said. He chewed his lip and stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets, "I uh…" he glanced around for inspiration and spotted the old painting of a map he'd found on the second day of exploring the house. A symbol caught his eye and he smiled, "How about Bermuda?" Archer raised a brow but took his hand anyway.
They spent the next hour on the beach. Archer sat idly by as Varon took off his jacket to soak in the sun. He ordered a cool beer from a nearby bar and sat on an abandoned towel near the water.
When his hour was nearly over she sat in the sand beside him and watched the waves, "We'll have to go soon Varon," she warned.
Varon visibly sighed and finished his drink before nodding and looking around at all the men, women, and children enjoying their day in the sand. He turned back to look at the ocean one more time before setting the empty bottle in the sand and standing. Archer stood and touched his shoulder before the two disappeared from the beach.
A child playing in the sand nearby was the only one to notice the sound of wings, but when he looked up expecting a bird he saw only an abandoned towel.
Things went back to normal for a few more days before Archer noticed his mood change again. She first noticed when he started playing his unknown tune again. The days after his trip to the beach, he played songs a bit more energetic.
The next morning she came down expecting him to be waiting for her like the other day, but he wasn't in the kitchen. She shrugged and made a coffee as usual for herself and prepped his for when he came down. Ever since he left it on the counter, she'd prepare it knowing he'd come down fifteen minutes later.
She sat and noticed something wasn't right when she finished her cup and he still wasn't up. She brushed it off and made her way upstairs to ready for the day, but still carried an uneasy feeling.
As she walked past his door she paused to listen for his breathing. She heard nothing and her unease grew.
Archer chewed her lip before finally knocking once then twice when there was no answer, "Varon? Are you up?"
No answer.
She hummed and glanced in the direction of the bathroom just a few feet away. The door was wide open so not there. She tried his door again and when there was still no answer she tried the handle cautiously.
It opened a crack before coming to a stop against something blocking the way.
Her unease grew to panic instantly as she tried shoving the door open wider, "Varon? What's going on?"
The door wouldn't budge.
Oh please don't be naked or anything, she thought before flitting into the room. The room was trashed. His trunk was the thing blocking the door but it was wide open and his clothes and things were everywhere. His guitar was even lying face down on the floor.
She looked around in shock but still found no Varon, "Dammit!" She picked up a random object of his and was about to do a tracker spell when the door opened and Varon stepped through.
Varon frowned, "What are you doing?" He looked at the pair of boxers in her hand then back up at her.
Archer looked at the object she grabbed and gasped before tossing it back down, "I-I uh…not what it looks like I swear. I was going to do a tracker spell and needed an object of yours…I just grabbed something random I swear." She wiped her hands on her jeans and looked up at him, "Anyway, where the hell were you?"
Varon raised a brow, "On the front porch…"
Archer frowned, "Oh…you…you didn't hear me call for you?"
He shook his head and took off his jacket, "I was just cooling off."
She chewed her lip and gestured at the mess, "And uh…what happened?"
Varon took a slow breath and shrugged, "I was looking for…something." He looked away and at the mess, not looking back up at her.
Archer blinked, "So did you find it?"
Varon shook his head and avoided looking up as he set his jacket down, "Nope. I must have left it back at the apartment."
She narrowed her eyes and watched him, "Varon…is something wrong?"
He looked up finally and tried a smile, "Yeah, fine. Why?"
"You're just…never mind," she rubbed the back of her neck and started towards the door but paused at the threshold, "Did you need to check the apartment for it?"
Varon glanced up from picking up his clothes, "Huh? Oh…no it's fine. I don't need it anyway. Honestly."
Archer sighed and nodded, "Okay then…well. I'll be off then I guess. Be back in an hour." As she walked away she heard him hum a reply and drag the trunk away from blocking the door.
An hour or so later, Varon left his room to make another cup of coffee. He was on his third one today. He'd finished cleaning his room up a while ago, and then played a few notes on his guitar.
He hadn't noticed what time Archer had left so gave it no thought. She always came back an hour after leaving.
He made his coffee and returned to his room.
Another hour and a half later he came down to refill his cup. This time when he looked at the clock he froze. No way had she been gone that long.
A feeling of dread started in the pit of his stomach and crept up his spine to the base of his neck. Where was she?
He looked around, even checking all the rooms and out on the front porch but found no Archer.
He sat at the kitchen table and tried to think where she might have gone. He racked his brain, not able to think of anything. Finally when he lent back in his chair he remembered her asking if he needed to check the apartment for the lost item.
His eyes widened and he groaned. She must have gone to his old apartment to look for whatever he'd lost. She would have been careful, but Sutekh probably had eyes on the place and captured her.
Varon shut his eyes and rubbed his temples. She was taken again, and this time he wasn't there to use his new powers.
His eyes snapped open and he stood quickly. That's it, he thought suddenly. He'd use his powers to find her and break her free again.
He could try to teleport but the thought of popping up somewhere like the middle of the ocean made him think against it. Instead he'd have to let Sutekh take him to her.
Varon walked up to the only door that led outside and took a breath before stepping over the threshold and onto the porch. Once he set foot off the porch he set off into a run through the trees.
He ran a good hour into the woods before coming to a river. He stopped expecting to collapse from exhaustion but felt fine. Whatever he was now, he didn't tire as easy. The trees stood tall above him, their branches blocking out the sun. He lent against one of them and waited.
Several minutes went by and Varon's dread started to return when the sky began to darken, a strong wind picking up. Why wasn't he coming for him? Surly it had been over an hour.
He sat down at the base of the tree he lent against and glanced around the woods as branches swayed in the increasing wind. He was lost. He'd run an hour's worth of distance away from the house and was still deep within the trees. How big was this forest?
As he thought and looked down to pick at a fallen leaf, he didn't notice that he wasn't alone anymore or even that the wind suddenly stopped.
When he looked back up, something red caught his peripheral. His head snapped around and he crawled over quickly, "Archer!?"
She lay face down in the dirt and when he moved closer, he saw the blood staining her shirt. Parts of her hair were matted together with what Varon could only think of as more blood. Her arms were covered in small cuts and bruises that weren't there when she left over three hours ago.
He touched her shoulder gently, cautious that if he moved her, he could cause more damage, "Archer? Archer can you hear me?"
She was motionless. He couldn't even see the rise and fall that meant she was breathing. Varon reached to brush her hair from her face. Her eyes were shut and her lips were parted slightly.
He chewed his lip before finally rolling her onto her back. The dread grew even further, making him take a sharp breath. The blood stains on the front of her shirt were even darker and looked to be spreading.
Varon feared the worst and sat back. His eyes staring into nothing until they couldn't see through the haze that engulfed him.
There's no way she was dead. He blinked away the haze and focused on her.
Varon sat forward once more and tapped her on the shoulder, "Archer open your eyes. Come on, open your eyes for me. Come on…" he glanced back over her bloodied body. "Please," he said placing his hands over the center of the biggest blood stain. He shut his eyes and remembered when she healed his tiny cut. He remembered her telling him to feel the energy of the fire ring trapping her. He remembered her telling him to imagine the ropes tying him down to be gone.
He remembered her taking his hand the first time and bringing him to her safe house, knowing Sutekh would be looking for him. The first moment he felt like he was welcome in her home. The first cup of coffee that would become a morning routine for them both as they sat in comfortable silence trying to wake for the day. The moment he realized he wanted to have more of those comfortable silences. When he realized he hated when she left for an hour each day, exposing herself to danger while she tried to find a solution for him.
Varon didn't want her to die. Not now. Not ever. And definitely not because of him. He concentrated hard and imagined the wounds gone. Imagined her chest rising and falling like normal. He imagined them sitting at the kitchen table tomorrow morning having their cups of coffee and everything being okay.
He didn't stop concentrating, not even when a hot tear rolled down his cheek. He wasn't going to give up. Not yet.
A moment went by and his eyes stayed shut tight as he remembered and imagined.
Another moment went by and he stopped remembering and imagining. He stopped everything completely and opened his eyes.
It had worked. Well…the blood stains were gone as well as her wounds. But she still wasn't breathing.
He shut his eyes once more and raised his face to the sky. Why, he thought. Why did all of this happen? What had he done that deserved all of this? What had he done that deserved Archer her death?
He kept his face towards the sky as another hot tear ran down his chin to the base of his throat, "Please…"
Seconds went by as he sat in silence before a hand gently wiped his tears.
His eyes snapped open and he lowered his face from the sky.
There she knelt before him with a light smile on her lips. The pad of her thumb wiped a tear frozen halfway to his throat. She was alive, and breathing. There were no cuts, bruises, or, blood stains anywhere. Even her hair was clear of the blood from before.
Varon stared, his jaw dropping slightly. This made Archer laugh, "Now that's just rude Varon. If you're going to look, at least restrain yourself from gaping openly."
Varon blinked, "But…how? Y-you were dead."
Archer nodded, "Yeah, for a little bit…but…you remembered didn't you? And imagined?"
Varon nodded slowly, still not believing what he was seeing.
Archer smiled and held the side of his face in her hand, "And what did you imagine?" she asked quietly.
Varon continued to stare at her, but was starting to realize this was no dream. He swallowed and thought about what he imagined. All he could see was her kneeling in front of him with that smile playing across her lips. And that's all he needed.
After a moment he slowly wrapped his hand behind her neck and pulled her to his lips. Her own hands wrapping behind his neck to hold him close.
Varon broke this kiss to catch his breath and get a good look at her, making sure he was truly seeing and feeling this.
Archer grinned and began to stand, holding her hand down for him, "Come on. We've got something to talk about."
Varon took the hand and stood but didn't let go and neither did she, "Talk about what?"
Archer tilted her head, "Like what we're going to do now that Sutekh is dead."
His eyes widened, "What? Y-Did you?"
Archer nodded and squeezed his hand gently, "Now come on home. We'll talk over coffee."
Varon smiled slowly and nodded, squeezing her hand back before they disappeared.
Varon's unknown tune: Jesus Christ – Brand New – The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me
Title: Virgin – Manchester Orchestra – Simple Math