Trinity Blood: #2: Future Seen in Golden Eyes
Chapter 12: On the Edge of the Past
"How is he?" From where Abel hovered between the bliss of darkness and awareness of the waking world, he could hear voices. "He hasn't woken and it's been over a day," it was Caterina.
"I need to speak with William and Aran," Lilith stated. "You said William knows the most on Crusnik physiology in this time, right?"
"Only from the tests Abel lets him perform," Caterina replied. "Kate isn't allowed to treat Abel. He didn't want too many to discover the truth," she explained.
Lilith sighed. "Very well, I'll find them and speak with them," Abel heard the door open. "Athy, what are you," Lilith's voice dropped so Caterina couldn't hear her, "what are you doing here? No one knows much about Abel's past. Caterina knows his age and the fact he's a crusnik but nothing else."
Athy's reply was just as low, "That doesn't change the fact he's my emperor and my friend. I want to be here for him." There was a pause. "Is something wrong?"
"Just don't..." Lilith sighed, "All right, as long as you don't give away the fact he's our emperor." The next moment the door snapped closed. Lilith's scent lingered in the room but it was starting to fade. Abel's heart sank. The sound of another chair being dragged to the bed followed.
"You're a friend of his from the past?" Caterina asked. "You're name's Athy?"
"No, it's Athina," Athy replied. "Umm, Abel," there was hesitation before Athy said his name, "gave me the nickname Athy the day we meet. It might be hard to believe but he was only in his late forties then."
"You knew back before he joined the Vatican then," Caterina stated.
"If you tell me how you meet him, I'll tell you my story," Athy said and Abel could just imagine the grin on her features.
"It's a deal," Caterina began to tell Athy what had happened thirteen years ago. Her and Abel's struggles against the Orden and Shadow, then how the two of them had started the AX together. It wasn't a short tale, but Abel still listened. He might not be able to awaken but listening to this tale was heartening in someway. It reminded of why he stayed with Caterina. It reminded him of how much she'd grown over the years.
Abel began to drift off as Athy began to tell Caterina about the past. His mind pulled him into those long ago years. Athy had been born at the start of the Mars Civil War, but he hadn't met her until eighteen years later.
Mars colony, 2138:
Bang, bang, bang, Abel stopped at the sound of gun fire. A frown creased his lips. Odd, normally he was the only who here this early. No one else normally bothered with the shooting range. Well not in the middle of the night.
"Damn it!" the scrapping of boots followed the shout of frustration. "Why can't I hit it? I don't understand what I'm doing wrong. I hold the gun like I was told, I aim it, and still miss the dumb target!" Abel moved until a young lady came into view. It was her again, the young Asran girl. He'd seen her here every day since she'd failed her first fire arms test. "I won't go home until I hit the target," she muttered, hoisting the gun. Several gun shot rang through the air. Each time she flinched at the sound. This caused the bullet to strike away from where she'd been aiming. The scent of blood tinged the recycled air of the colony. Her finger dripped with blood. "Damn it!" she screeched. "I might as well stop trying to be a soldier!"
"Your problem is you keep flinching," Abel stated, stepping from the shadows. Recruit Asran jumped. Whipping around, she stared at him before her face turned bright red with embarrassment. "Hold your gun with both hands and ignore the noise," he told her as he walked over to stand beside her. Pulling out his gun, he showed her position. He hadn't used it since he was five but he still knew it. Quickly he let loose several shots. Each one struck the target's center.
"L-Lieutenant-Colonel," Asran bowed her head. "I didn't see you there, sir," she mumbled. "I should go," she turned but Abel caught her shoulder.
"You shouldn't be ashamed," Abel told her, trying to make his normally icy voice kind. "Most people still jump at the sound of a gunshot. You grew up during the war, correct?"
"Yes, sir," she nodded. She didn't turn, she didn't move. She just stood there as shame rolled off her in great waves.
"Hmm, try the position I just showed you," Abel instructed her. Nodding, she moved into the position and fired. Once more she flinched. The bullet stuck the wrong target. "Let me see your finger." The girl stiffened before giving him her finger. Abel wiped some of the blood onto a cloth before wrapping a bandage around the wound.
The rest of the night was spent with Abel trying to help her. He gave her pointers and even managed to get her to wear ear plugs to see if that would help. No matter what he did, her aim just seemed to worsen.
The hours seemed to slip past. "It's hopeless!" the girl shouted, throwing down the weapon. Abel frowned. It might not be the girl who was the problem, but the gun. "It's not that I don't appreciate what you're doing, sir. It's just that, I don't think I can become a soldier." She sat down, hugging her legs to her. "If I can't shoot there's no hope."
"The problem is the gun," Abel told her, picking up the weapon. "Not in the sense the weapon in faulty, but another sense," he was careful not to say she was scared of guns. "Return here tomorrow night. I'll have a solution then."
"But, sir," she was on her feet in a second, "surely you don't want someone like me in your military?"
"Hmm," Abel looked at her in question. "You're Athina Asran, correct?" she nodded. "I see no reason to keep you from the military if it is the life you wish." Athina stared at him, her mouth open. "One more thing: do you mind if I call you Athy?" Athina wasn't a bad name, it was just he had a strange urge to call her Athy and not Athina.
"Wha – of course not!" Athy exclaimed, seeming caught off guard by his request. Abel nodded to her before he left.
The next evening Abel could hear the gunfire clearly. Athy seemed to have arrived here early again. Stopping by the fence, Abel watched the girl for several long moments.
"Athy," at the sound of his voice Athy jumped. The gun clattered to the ground. Abel smiled at her. "Here, try this."
"Isn't that one of the prototypes brought over from Earth?" Athy breathed, staring at the rod Abel held.
"The Sword of Gae Bolg," Abel confirmed. "I added you genetic code to it. The weapon will activate if you wish it to."
"But, I don't even have a rank yet,"Athy stated, gaping at Abel. "Weapons like this are put on reserve for the command staff only. The UN wouldn't—"
"We're Mars military, Athy, not the UN," Abel said with patients. "This means the weapons don't need to be held in reserve any more. Besides, I prefer guns, Cain prefers his sword, Seth her daggers and knives, and Lilith, well Lilith has never really enjoyed fighting."
"But-but," Athy stammered.
"Just try and see if it works for you," Abel pressed. Turning, he activated the weapon. "This is how it's fired." The beam of light lit up the area. In the next instant one of the targets was completely dissolved.
"Not even a sound," Athy breathed.
"Now, you try," Abel deactivated the weapon, passing it to Athy. She swallowed before lifting the weapon. "Don't be scared," Abel urged, "keep your breathing even." The weapon activated. Athy took a deep breath, inhaling through her noise and slowly exhaling through her mouth. As she exhaled, the beam lit up the space again. It flew across the space, slamming into a targets center. The target vanished being replaced by a new one. "I hit it. I really hit it!"
"Well done," Abel stepped out of the safe zone. "Now, hit the target without hitting me." He stopped far enough away from her she could still see the target, but it would be harder to hit it.
"What? But, sir, what if I hit you? I can't do it. It's impossible!"
"You can control the beam, Athy," Abel stated. "Besides: I have faith in you." Athy looked at if she was about to argue before she snapped her mouth shut. Several long moments passed before she fired. The beam shot passed Abel. Several silvery strands of hair were disintegrated. The beam slammed into the target's center. "See?" Can't do it? Why did every say they couldn't do it?
xxx
"He just needs blood?" Athy's question drew Abel back to the present. "Don't crusniks normally keep up with drinking the required blood to live?"
"In the past yes," Aran replied, "but after Lilith died," there a pause in which Aran had no doubt glanced at Lilith, "Abel started to lengthen the time between sating the thirst. If he doesn't get some soon, he will enter another state of hibernation."
"Now wouldn't be a good time for that," Athy stated. "There are two Methuselah in this room and another two outside of it. There's plenty of blood here. How much does he need?"
"Just enough to deaden the thirst," Lilith put in before Aran could reply. "It'll get him out of the danger zone and won't make him drink more than what he needs." There was a grunt from Aran.
Their voiced faded into the background. The taste of sweet blood trickled into Abel's mouth. It wasn't Aran's it didn't taste like ash. If Abel could've moved he would've no doubt attacked Athy. From where he hovered on the verge of unconsciousness Abel wondered if Asthe's blood also tasted this sweet. Athy was first generation Methuselah… no, he couldn't think this way. The blood tasted so good though. It was still blood. It was still wrong! But it tasted so good. The need to drink his fill washed over him. Abel's eyes flew open, bleeding red as his fangs grew. Two strong hands took hold of him. It wasn't a Methuselah. He could've easily over powered one. A growl rose in him. He wanted the blood. He could smell the fresh, sweet scent. He wanted it!
"Abel!" it was Lilith. He shrieked, fighting against her hold. The blood smelled so good. He wanted it! His bloodied teeth flashed, eyes wild with the thirst. One hand moved from him. The next instant it was back. Mind clouded by the need for blood, another scent, a disorienting scent hit him.
"Lilith, wha—" Abel bit down on Lilith's already blood wrist. The bland taste filled his mouth. The blood sent a jolt to his brain. A groan escaped Abel. He released Lilith.
"Better?" Lilith asked, smiling at him. It wasn't the first time he'd bitten her. A terrible feeling washed over him. Abel wanted to hide his face, but he didn't. Damn it, he could've really hurt someone. What had come over him? "No one was hurt," Lilith told him, her voice kind, gentle, and loving.
That didn't really make Abel feel any better about it. If Lilith hadn't been here, he could have easily harmed Athy and his son. That was the last matter Abel wanted to happen.
(Author's Note: Okay thing is going on with the site. If you get several e-mails, I'm sorry. When I first updated this it didn't show up at all, so I deleted the chapter and tried to update again. If it works you'll know and so will I... hopefully.
Poor Abel, he went so long without blood the need for it is making him forget his human part.
A request: if you read this story please, please leave a review or a comment even if you don't have an account for fanfiction. Comments and reviews help me get motivated to write when I am not in the mood do so.)