Chapter 14: The Golden Smile
Max had wandered off today.
It's not that he didn't intend on returning to Hiro, because he did.
This mortality should have made him more confident, he thought. The truth was, it only made him feel more alienated and alone.
He sat in the shade of a large oak, and sighed.
"Even though I'm beautiful, it still doesn't matter... It will never matter. Face it max, she loves him! She'll never love you!"
He sat there for a while, plagued with this lonesome grief.
A woman with golden blonde curly hair, and a black runic tattoo sat next to him.
She had the most indescribable smoky crimson eyes.
She trailed her index finger under his chin, a seductive smile playing at her lips.
"Why is someone so delicious as you, moping about at my tree... Shouldn't you be swept up in the arms of a lovely girl...? Or perhaps you don't desire a woman's touch."
Her form changed into a man.
She looked quite young, but at least a year or two older than max...
Well, he now.
Max sighed.
"Well... I wish I was with a certain girl, and yes... She is quite lovely."
She changed back.
"I see... So your heart desires another?" She asked.
"Truly then, for my lust does not seem to draw your eyes. Love makes you blind... Yet, blindness is it's own protection."
She lifted a finger.
"However, one shouldn't run into love. For if one is blind, wouldn't one worry more about the narrowness of the path? Both sides surrounded by an endless abyss, yet they are blind to this bridge."
Her eyes became sad.
"Far too many young souls covet what lies at the end of this path, but most find themselves falling from this blind bridge... They are changed, and the next bridge they find would not be as high... Ne'er be it so, for they fell from the first one."
Max stared at her in awe.
"That was very poetic... And I believe you."
She looked at him, as if she were staring into his very soul.
"Who are you, changed one?" She asked.
He sighed. "My name is max. Max the Leviathan... Or, rather I was a Leviathan. Now I'm just Max the mortal... Who are you?"
She smiled. "I am Thysbe... Pray tell, would you be my Pyramus?"
Most in purgatory wouldn't have caught that. Max, like some of the other Leviathan's, had spent centuries observing history.
He shook his head.
"Sorry, I cannot, if it's romance you want... I can't give it to someone that isn't her... Unless you want something else?"
She grinned. "Well, you see it in fact isn't the romance that I need... Such things bore me, and lack my attention, save calming my... Frustrations. No not at all..."
Her grin broadened.
"Pyramus who laid his life for thisbe... That loyalty is what I seek. Mortality is a cruel curse... A curse that I can lift."
He looked at her warily.
"Really? You just met me, and now we're talking about undying loyalty...? You shouldn't try to manipulate me, I see right through glamours and other hex spells."
She laughed. "Well, aren't you a cute one!"
Her face became serious.
"Face it Max, you don't belong with these mortals. You are catering to those less powerful than you, as if they were some form of royalty."
She gazed through him.
"My name is Nephthys, dark priestess of hell... Your name is Max, a powerful and educated, soul fed Leviathan... I can restore you to more than you were... Oh, and by the way? Thorns of fate was an excellent read, how do you do it!?"
Max grinned. "So it's already gotten that far...? Poor Haku."
She grinned. "Yes, and he should be experiencing some followers fairly soon..."
Max gaped. "You mean... You mean there too!?"
She laughed gleefully to herself.
"Well, when I finished it, I figured why not stir up some trouble? Besides, the child needs a good book now and again..."
Max scratched his head.
"The child...?"
His eyes widened.
"Wait! IT WAS HER!" He yelled.
"She turned me into this... This FLESHY MORTAL SACK!"
She smiled playfully.
"Oh come Max, weren't you just blindly obsessing over a 'fleshy mortal sack'?"
He froze.
"No... I know that there's more too it than that! I feel it..."
She sighed.
"Do what you will, I cannot bottle feed you hopes and lies like the likes of them."
She looked at him.
"If you change your mind..."
She handed him a seed.
"Eat this seed, and I will make you grand... Call me."
She disappeared, and Max stood there frozen.
He saw Emi and Nori being dragged to the tree by a masked man.
The man stopped when he saw him.
"Hey... Are you here for the ritual? Maori said I would have an assistant.
Max heard a whispering in the edge of his mind.
"These friends of yours...? Well, play along. Your name is Toshin Akina... If you follow my guidance, we can make things pretty interesting."
Max nodded.
"Yep, Toshin Akina, at your service."
The man sighed.
"Thank god... Wouldn't want any intruders coming in... It makes Goliath nervous."
Nephthys laughed loudly in his thoughts.
"These mortals think they know me! It's Goliath is, and Goliath that... I'll be glad to be rid of this town."
(This town...? What are you planning.)
"Oh... You will see in good time!"
She continued laughing.
Max nodded. "Yes it does... What do you need me to do?"
The man looked at him with confusion, then shook his head.
"Right, I forgot that ypou were new... Maori said this might happen."
He smiled. "Well, carve the runes into the tree... You know, the holy ones we learned in training? Come ask if you get confused... Goliath's mercy bless you."
"Ha! As if! Those stupid cattle... Pick up the tool, and when he turns his back, I want you to kill him."
(Kill him!?... Well... I suppose he is hurting my friends.)
"Stake him to my tree, and carve the runes on his naked corpse... He has a wife and three children. I want them killed as well."
(What!? No! What do they have to do with this!? I will not involve-!)
"You will do what I say. Oh Hiro... Such a delicate little frame, and such strength... What a fragile little jugular. Yes, that delicate and unarmored throat could easily be-"
(No! NO! Not Hiro!... Why do you want me to do this? I'll kill the man, and carve the runes, but why his family? If my murderous insanity wasn't enough, I will not willingly murder children!)
"Hahaha! Who said it was willing!? I am ordering you to kill them, or your lover will die. The point is to send a message... Don't look now, but that man is getting suspicious. Here, I'll even summon his family for you... Right in the palm of your hand, bound to this tree... I'll even bind the man. I am being very gracious, so you had best respond appropriately."
The family and the man were bound to the tree.
The man looked at max wide eyed, and his children began to cry.
His wife began weeping.
"P-Please spare us! W-We promise we'll repent!"
The man nodded.
"C-Come on Tojin! I... Yeah, I was suspicious of you. I knew you were up to something... Turns out it was in Goliath's grace... Please! Please give us a chance brother!"
Max's breath was shaking.
"M-My name is Max... I am very sorry."
He killed the man, and the children began screaming.
He was about to kill the rest of him, when Nephthys gave him another order.
"Notice how his corpse has remained... Well? Carve in the runes, and then finish the children and mother."
(That's just cruel. We will send the same message if they are all dead... No need to draw it on.)
"Do as I say... Hiro will suffer if you disobey me, or spare any lives... I promise you."
Max began carving the runes into the man.
The woman sobbed.
"Y-You're scared, just like us! Please! I'm begging you, STOP!"
Max sobbed.
"I don't want to kill you... But I have to. I'm sorry!"
"Yes... Now enough with the waterworks, and get on with it!"
She said that aloud.
"SHUT UP!" He screamed.
"I already agreed to do what you've asked, in exchange for Hiro coming to no harm... Deal with my pain."
The woman gave him a soft and hopeless look.
"It's a lie... Isn't it?" She said.
Max nodded.
"Yes... I'm sorry."
The woman laughed darkly.
"Then I also apologize, but I won't give this hag the pleasure!"
The children gave a quick scream, as the mother and the children burst into flames.
They died shortly after.
"No! NO! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?"
Emi and Nori were awake, but sat there frozen.
Nephthys appeared before them.
"I was going to HELP YOU!" She screamed.
"YOU!... Then again... It really wasn't your doing."
She looked at him.
"Come with me boy, you no longer have a choice. Your service will be my merciful penance."
Emi stood.
"Now that's not gonna happen." She said.
"Max... Whatever's goin' on, let us help ya out. You can't be listening to one word she says."
Nori stood. "Emi, be careful."
Nephthys glared at them.
"You two are annoying."
She went to slit both of their throats, and Max stopped both of the knives with his arms.
"Stop this!" He yelled.
"Fine... I'll serve you... If you leave them alone."
She laughed.
"That depends on how fast they can run..."
She disappeared with Max, and the ground shook.
The wall of blackness sped up, and began approaching the town.
Emi's and Nori's eyes went wide.
They ran for town, and hoped that the others would be ready to go.
...
ChiKaKū had taken Fred and the others in the group toward the oak.
"NOW THEN... WE SHOULD BE NEARLY-"
"Go BACK!" Yelled Emi in the distance.
"TURN AROUND!" Nori screamed.
Chikakū saw the wall, and so did the others.
He scooped up Nori and Emi, running toward the town.
They entered town, and Nori jumped down.
She ran to her sisters.
"Come on!" She yelled.
"There's a big wall coming and-!"
A woman grabbed the three children, held them at knife point.
"Don't be so hasty!" She barked.
"Mother!?" She exclaimed.
"You know full well this is Goliath's doing, and all must pass in the reaping."
"Yes, and where were you before then!?" She yelled.
She looked at the impending doom which was the seed wall.
"Give them to me!" She screamed.
They began to cry.
"Just run!" They sobbed.
"Run away!"
"I won't leave you three!" She cried.
"I will never EVER abandon my family!"
The wall came closer.
Nori tried to pull them away, holding on for dear life.
Chikakū swiped her up, pulling her away from her family.
"THERE'S NO TIME! WE HAVE TO GO!" He exclaimed.
"NO!" She screamed.
Chikakū scooped up the rest of the residents and Leviathan's, leaving the town.
Eiji panicked.
"WAIT!? WHERE'S MEI!?"
Satori looked around.
"There! Running from the wall!"
"THERE'S NO TIME!" Chikakū yelled, his voice like booming thunder.
"THEY'LL HAVE TO RUN!"
Mei tripped, and both Navin and her fell to the ground.
Navin had gashed his hand on shattered glass and debris.
His eyes were wide as the wall approached them.
"No! MEI! NAVIN!" Eiji screamed.
Navin closed his eyes, and felt power surge through him.
"STOOOOOP!" He yelled.
He was shaking, and growing faint from loss of blood.
He opened his eyes.
The wall had stopped...
But not just the wall.
Mei sat there frozen, her arms shielding Navin.
Her expression was horrified, and there were the edgings of tears that would have never fallen.
He looked up at the others.
Chikakū was frozen mid run, and the others were frozen as well.
Wind that had been blowing through the trees had stopped in it's trail, shattered branches floating in mid fall.
Navin clutched his hand.
There were pieces of shattered glass in his hand that needed to be removed.
For right now it had to be wrapped.
He took his jacket off, and tied his sleeve around his hand.
A shabby wrapping, but it worked for now.
The best that eleven year old Navin could do.
He grabbed Mei, and dragged her up Chikakū's leg, climbing up his body until they settled in his arms.
He shifted uncomfortably as time remained frozen.
He sighed.
"Um time...? Change back please?" He asked.
Nothing happened.
"Hello?" He asked softly.
"How are you awake?"
Navin jumped.
"Wh-Who's voice is that!?" He exclaimed.
"My voice, of course! You're my doll after all... You should know who I am."
He looked up.
"Sorry ghost girl, but I'm a person. You know, the kind that are alive?"
"I am alive... You are my doll. Hey... You're really cute, are you a prince?"
He laughed. "No! I'm not a prince, but thanks for thinking so!"
"Well, when I'm free, I'll make you a prince... I promise."
His expression was concerned.
"Hey, um... Where are you? Are you in trouble? Maybe I can find you, and free you... Are you really a ghost? Where are you?"
He could hear her crying.
"I wish you could! It's so cold here... You're just a doll, but I bet if you were here you could save me. You're a nice and brave little doll... I'm very tired now, and need to sleep. Here, let me wrap this up, and you keep running okay? I'll make sure my wall doesn't eat you."
Time continued forward, and Eiji did a double take.
Mei jumped back, shocked by the sudden change in setting.
"B-B-But HOW!? Y-You were just-!"
Navin grabbed his arm and cringed.
"Long story, explain it later. Chikakū, keep running."
Chikakū sighed.
"IT SEEMS WE HAVE ANOTHER MAGE FOR THE ROADS..."
Navin shook his head.
"No... It wasn't blood magic, I'm sure I would have known."
Hiro looked at his hand.
"Yeah... It could be blood magic. That gash on your hand could cause you to teleport I guess... It's huge!"
Mei looked at his hand, and the blood that covered the jacket that shabbily wrapped it.
She tore a sleeve off of the jacket, and tied it tighter.
Navin winced.
"Ow! Mom... There's still glass in there."
The wall was slowing down again, and you could hear Nori sobbing in the background.
Eiji stopped.
"Wait... How did you wrap that so fast if you just teleported up here?"
Navin shifted uncomfortably.
"Um... Well, I didn't teleport. I kind of um... Well, you see everything else stopped, and I kept going... I talked to this girl who thought I was a doll, but anyway... Yeah, time stopped."
Hiro shook her head.
"That is a lot to take in..."
She froze.
"Hold on... Max? Where is he?"
Emi and Nori froze as well. They stayed silent.
Hiro looked at them.
"Emi! Nori! Where's Max!?"
Nori sighed, her breath shaking.
"N-Nephthys has him."
Hiro's world stopped.
Not again.
Not this AGAIN!
Max... Was he alive? That wall... He said that only if she dies, he would die.
The wall had the power to sever these bonds.
She slumped forward, and held her head between her knees.
She didn't cry.
She didn't shake.
She didn't speak one word.
She stayed like this, all the way to the blood roads.