AU: Tira never kidnapped Pyrrha, and instead stole away Patroklos. How would this have changed things? This story will be very slow paced. I really like to build up to things. The only two POV's I plan on this story being in are Pyrrha's and Patroklos's. Maybe that'll change, i'm a very fickle person. There will be hints of slash later on in this, but thats not what the story focuses on. This chapter will be very short as my prologues usually are.
"Patroklos! Come here!" Tira's deceptively sweet voice rang through our small cottage. I was wary, but I started towards her room anyway. My heart was a steady thrum in my chest as I walked towards the unknown. Recently her moods had gotten more and more erratic, and I was reasonably scared. Her slightly manic happy personality was what I had become used to, and I had never really learned to deal with its frightening counterpart. There were times, yes, late at nights when Tira's voice would suddenly adopt that gravely pitch, and her eyes would lose that playful sparkle. But god, never this much. I approached the ever-locked door to Tira's room with apprehension. She was gone usually, for days at a time, returning at random hours of the day with her blood stained ring of metal, eyes wild and clothes bloody. I never asked where her annual trips were to and she probably wouldn't have elaborated anyway. Her pale skin would dissapear behind the door and hours later she would emerge looking perfectly put together. I was only ever called into her room on ocassion, and it was never for anything good. I gently pulled the door open, not wanting to set her off, and she turned to me from her bed with a wide smile.
"T-Tira...? Did you need something?" She made a gesture for me to come to her, and I settled on her bed. I could never deny Tira was beautiful. Her flawless complexion and bright eyes were always a sight to be seen. While I didn't understand what she did to obtain the outrageous colors in her hair, I still found them pretty, in a unique way.
"Patroklos, I need you to go on a little scavanger hunt for me! I have a wonderful suprise for you but first I need some things from the market."
The village our cottage sat on the edge of was a small closely knit community. Even though Tira had been sending me there since I was small, I was never welcome. They feared Tira, and in turn came to resent me for being in her care. Coming into the town was always an altogether uncomfortable experience. Casual conversations were paused and merchants watched me with guarded stares from behind their stalls. I never had to pay for anything. Even though I offered them the money I saved up they never took it. I had come to assume it was because of threats from Tira, but none of them would speak to me other than to acknowledge my presence so I really had no idea.
"What did you need?" Another reason I hated taking things from the merchants was because I knew that no one in the village had very much money and the ridiculous extravagant things Tira demanded me to acquire probably cost a fortune. I was making these peoples lives harder, and there was nothing I could do about it.
"Very simple things, Patroklos. In fact, you'll only need to stop at one shop!" He let out a small sigh of relief. It was strange, what she was asking for, but he wouldn't complain. "Run down to the seamstress and buy some traditional greek sandals and armlets. And then I need you to get something repaired for me." She held up a familiar white veiled chifton in her gauntlet clad hand, and I paled. He had only ever seen the garment once before, in the worst encounted he had ever had with Tira. He remembered it perfectly. They had been in Tira's room and she had been looking through her closet full of outlandish outfits. She had noticed the chifton under the skintight pants she liked to wear, the pair with sharp shiny metal laced in, and seemed almost suprised to see it. Her curious fixation on it had turned to anger, and I had asked who's it was. I had only asked who's it was. It didn't look like something she would wear. Such a simple question... and Tira had just snapped. Her strong hand wrapped around my small throat and squeezed until black curled at the edge of my vision. Then, as fast as she had begun, she let go. I inhaled deeply, greedily taking in as much air as I could fill my lungs with. I was certain a hand shaped bruise would cover my neck the next day. She spoke, and for the first time in my life I wasn't sure which of her personas she was speaking with. "It was your mother's." Tira never spoke of my mother often, or any of my family really, but I knew what they looked like from Tira's descriptions and that they had all died in a fire.
"See here, the fabric is torn and the accessories are worn. it needs to be in perfect condition for you surprise!" She held the battered robe out to him, and he took it from her with shaking hands. "Who is this for, Tira?" It didn't look like something she would want for herself, he couldn't even imagine her in such simple attire.
"Why you, of course! Don't you want to honor your mother's memory?" She petted his long braided hair afectionately, her fingers carding through the soft strands, and he nodded gently. "I would be proud to don her robes. Were they damaged in a battle?" Tira's pink eyes stared into the blank wall behind me for a what seemed like forever and when she spoke again I realized I was no longer talking to my usual jolly caretaker.
"You could say that. I've grown tired of this conversation. Leave for the village at once, and return as soon as you are able. Come back with everything i've asked of you or I will be very displeased." She turned away from me and began running her hand along her razor sharp ring blade. I took that as my cue to leave and scurried towards the door. Tira said my name a single time as I touched the knob, and I turned to her hesitantly.
"Take care of yourself. My plans have progressed much too far to lose you now." He nodded, robe in hand, and began on his trip to the market.
AN: If you were already able to discern what Tira is attempting, cookies to you. ^-^ And if you weren't currently aware, a chifton is a flowy robe like garment. Sophitia's 1p from SoulCalibur 4 is the one mentioned here. Patroklos's hair isn't kept long for shits n' giggles. Its a plot point of sorts. This is unbeta'd, because i'm not entirely sure what purpose they serve or how one aquires such a person.
