Twelve sets of eyes gazed at the clock on the wall before immediately darting toward the teacher. The middle aged man of forty-two, after a minor retreat to the bathroom, returned to his classroom to the disappointment of the children. "Now now, the day is almost finished. While your groaning was on pitch," he paused as everyone provided a small giggle, "I want to end this session with a piece of music that many of you are unable to figure out."
Orpheus rested his lyre on his lap as he thought carefully at what could be the song he was talking about. It frustrated him anytime their teacher referred to any failures as a group.
Sorrento was equally frustrated, "what do you think he's talking about?" he whispered.
The blue-haired Greek shrugged. Typically, when the song was wrong, he would be the one to demonstrate to the other musicians how to properly perform the piece. But being a student himself, there were times when even he didn't know what to do. In which case, the best/second-best musician (determining who you talk to), Sorrento would step up. With both of them on their bottoms and apparently no other stepping up.
Their teacher pulled out a cage with a blue humming bird inside. He then produced two objects, a flower and a bird feeder with sugar water. He raised his hand to signal to the twelve students to prepare their instruments.
Orpheus turned to his instrument. He never imagined the Sanctuary's School of Music to be as advanced as it was. The rest of the world was so behind. Reading notes and assigning each one as a letter, correspond it with a combination of strings, buttons... it was all so primitive. He remembered all the times that he too once used such basic techniques. The most beautiful songs were created from the observations of the cosmos themselves. The cosmos that they study would shift determining the temperament of the one giving it off. He gazed upon the hummingbird. Then he brought his fingers to the string. His hand hovered over it until he found the right spot mimic the cosmos.
The teacher turned his head as the twelve children played their song. He turned his head back and forth, watching the actions of the hummingbird as it flicked first toward flower, than the bird feeder, before returning to the to the flower. He walked by each of the children and their instruments. He then stopped by future Saint of Lyre and waited for the song to end. "Well done, Orpheus. I expected nothing less from a Gold Level Trainee."
Orpheus grinned until Sorrento rolled his eyes at him. He dropped his expression and then provided a humble bow."Thank you. I tried to play the song of the sensations that the bird felt about feeding from the two as a feast rather than the joy the bird felt from tasting the flower and desiring that taste once more once it tried the artificial taste of the feeder."
A church bell rang from afar, signaling the end of the day. "Have a good day," The teacher said as he waved his hand goodbye. The children quickly packed their instruments.
Sorrento gently laid the parts to his flute before he turned and spotted a roll of string beneath Orpheus' empty chair. He picked it up, puzzled as to why he'd leave it there. His rose colored eyes searched the room but the Greek Lyre player was nowhere to be seen. He shut his flute case and hurried toward the window. He poked his head out watched Orpheus run out of the front doors of the School and down the streets of Delphi. "Orpheus!" He called out. He held the string out and pointed downwards. He debated whether to toss it out, but he was sure that such a prestigious school would disapprove of one of their own performing such a juvenile action.
Orpheus bounced in his spot waiting. He couldn't believe he left such a thing in the classroom. The last thing he wanted to happen was to be left playing a broken lyre string with his teeth. He turned to the doors as Sorrento rushed through them. "Sorry about that." Orpheus then gave him a low bow after receiving his string. He then slapped his face. He almost forgot to ask, "Sorrento, are you doing anything next week? I have a concert at a big inn with a stage and everything. The man asked me to play and…" he stopped talking once Sorrento shook his head.
"I can't. I have a few private concerts myself. The Heart of Sasha wants me to play for a couple of nights and a man, a nobleman to be precise, noticed my talents and wants me to give his noble family reunion their own concert. So, sorry… I'm too busy, but would love to go otherwise."
Orpheus could hear bits of jealousy in his voice. Not only that, but Sorrento had an irritating habit of naming all the places he's going to anytime anyone tells them they had a concert. However, it didn't matter, he still knew of others who would come. "Oh okay, well, I'll see you next week." The two leaned over and kissed each other's cheeks before they went their two separate directions.
O|========================== SANCTUARY ==========================|O
He reached the cracked steps of the House of Aries. He swallowed hard, as fear crept into his stomach as he heard the familiar voice of the sculptor with several older women surrounding his stand.
"What is this thing?" the elderly tourist asked as she lifted the object.
Mu plucked it and held it by two fingers. "Ah, this would be a miniature copper replica of the Staff of Nike, one of the fabled symbols of Athena. This marvelous staff not only slayed the vessel of Posidon from the first Holy War but according to the Great Bodyguard of Athena, was used to save the second vessel of Hades during the second. However the chief function of this replica is to be a butterfly-rester."
The women turned to each in confusion. Neither of them had no idea what he was talking about. "What is a butterfly-rester?"
Mu held it out. "A butterfly-rester is exactly what I said it is. It provides the most ideal place for a butterfly to take a break from flying. As you can see this area is nothing but rocks. Just like how a human would rather sit in a nice soft sofa instead of a wooden chair; a butterfly would prefer to rest its feet on the tip of a nice clean staff and not some dirty rock. Watch." He tipped the mini Staff forward just as a light blue butterfly fluttered at the tip. Mu placed his ear next to it. "Ah, you are very tired? What? Do you fear these women? Do not worry my friend, they will not place you in a jar and leave you to suffocate."
"Violet, I really liked that one vase down on that one street. I think we should head back there before it's sold." The other woman gave a fake smile, "thank you," she took her hand and guided the other woman down the stairs.
The sculptor sighed. "Oh Cooooooo, another failed sale," he gasped as his dove friend turned to him with a pair of butterfly wings on each sides of his beak. "Cooooooo, how could you? I thought you two would become great friends!"
"Excuse me?" Orpheus stepped up waving his hand pathetically. "Hello, Mu. I was wondering if you could ask your Master if I could pass through his Temple to reach the House of Taurus," he asked with a slight tremble in his voice. He turned his head toward the doors and back at the Lemurian, "he's not in a bad mood again, is he?"
Mu smiled, "no, not at all. He is a bit ticked that one, whose-name-I-shall-not-mention, ate another one of our potential friends, whose-name-I-didn't-get-a-chance-to-know, therefore such name of who-I-shall-not-mention, will not get the chance to ride my shoulder as I escort you," he turned toward Cooooooo as he dipped his tiny dove head down in shame. "Cooooooo, watch our wares." Mu commanded before opening the doors.
The two crossed through the House of Aries. Immediately after passing through the exit and onto the first step toward the House of Taurus, the ground quaked. Orpheus turned to a loose stone as it wobbled from each blow from inside the House of Taurus. With every step, he made sure he had good footing. The dangerous part was not the tremors themselves, but from falling from the stairs. They reached the front doors of the House of Taurus.
BAM
Orpheus yelped as he felt himself lose his balance before Mu reached over and steadied his shoulders. "Thank you." He looked up. It sounded like a small body slamming into the doors.
Mu knocked to the side of the door before opening it. The two of them walked inside as bits of marble, wall and roof was scattered all over the place. The musician gasped as the Gardener of the House of Taurus was stomping his foot inside a crater. "Big Al… Little Al…" he sang.
Aldebaran stopped and politely waved. "Albiore, come on out, we have guests."
"My legs hurt," cried a pitiful voice from below.
Aldebaran shook his head, "they're probably broke." He walked over and grabbed a set of crutches and tossed them in the hole. "Hurry up." He flinched as one end accidently bonked his student on the head. "Sorry."
As a good little Taurus, the boy crawled out, throwing the crutches in front of him. Orpheus rushed over and helped him out, lifting his body enough so he could get them underneath his arms. Typically, Aldebaran didn't allow it but for today, he let it slide. Albiore steadied himself and thanked him before using the crutches like a set of stilts, allowing his useless legs to swing freely while his arms did all the work. "How are you doing?" He paused. "It's not the third week is it?" he asked, wondering if his memory was still intact.
Orpheus shook his head, "no I came here on my own. That's not until two weeks. But I'm doing good." He looked around the smashed marble, seeing if he could make a little small talk before popping the question "It looks like you had a pretty good practice; you only have two body prints on the wall."
Albiore turned his head, "one actually. The other is from last month, but we haven't had time repair it."
The musician narrowed his eyes, "I think the one on the left is a little bigger."
Albiore hobbled over, "did I?" He used his crutches to head toward a spot on the wall with various slashes.
He leaned against it as Aldebaran took a small pocket knife and made a small etch on it. "Yeah you did, apparently you added a centimeter since last time."
"Nice," the smaller Al went as he looked at the other spots from the past.
With the two Taurus in good spirits, the musician sensed the perfect opportunity. Orpheus came forward to propose his question, "Hey Albiore, guess what, I'm going to be having my first public concert!"
Albiore looked confused, "I thought you played in public all the time outside of school. You had that one spot over on the street where they sell fruit?" He somehow gestured by balancing all his weight on one crutch and motioning with the other. It was clear he was well practiced in the art of moving around while being crippled.
The musician raised a finger, "yeah, that's true but this is different. There's going to be a stage, and chairs, and people…"
Aldebaran stepped up, "oh, your School is having another Spring Concert?"
Orpheus raised a finger. "Hold on, let me finish! The owner of this one inn is letting me play there for a week, possibly more. It's different than the programs at school because it's just me and I get to pick what I want to play. I know Delphi is a little far from here, but I was wondering if you could come see it. It'll be at seven at night on the thirty-first of this month."
Albiore turned his head, "can I? That's an academic night; I promise I'll study it the night before."
Aldebaran watched as Albiore swung freely from his crutches. The other Golds told him he had what was considered a dream trainee who did what he was told and excelled in his studies. However Aldebaran never struggled so much trying to get a student to use their free time for something other than locking himself in his room to study and train. He did like the boy, but even the other Golds like himself and Mu, while growing up took time, would go out and play.
At first he thought Albiore was just a socially challenged child, but he handles strangers just fine. Then he thought perhaps he thought he was traumatized with what happened before he was picked up. He could then give him counseling and work things out. However, he'd keep telling him he's fine, but judging by his fighting, he had reason to not believe him. Then there were his off-days which were a whole different matter.
The only time he really went out was to visit Marin at the Shrine of Delphi. To hear him ask to go out and have fun outside without having to pretend that he lost the keys to his room, was a dream come true. "Don't worry about it, just go out and have a good time."
O================================================================================O
Love You, Kill Me
Part Four: A Better World
Side Story 4: The Lonely Stage
O================================================================================O
TWO WEEKS LATER…
Orpheus stood at the corner of the street. The road itself, like many other roads had a name that no one could remember other than what was sold along the side and in this case, cloths and fabrics. He spotted one of his fellow musicians working the corner with his trumpet. As part of their training, they were expected to fill the streets with city with song. The street was the default area of training however, to be discovered and offered to play at private gatherings was like a honor. Sorrento had no problem doing this with the Solo family hiring him all the time. However, a concert was above that, like a medal upon one's chest.
He turned to his Gold Level Trainee Pin on his white chiton over his nice trainer that wasn't discolored or had any holes in it. He wiped a small fingerprint off of it till it shined like the sun. He held his box containing his lyre and tapped his foot until he spotted to familiar figure. Albiore wore his GLT chiton while Dante, a friend of his from the Gift of Aaron Sanctuary Orphanage, was surprisingly clean with his SLT (silver level trainee) pin on his off-white chiton. They came over to kiss each others' cheeks when suddenly, a chocolate colored miniature toy poodle popped from the fabric.
"Ah, you brought Mr. Noesis!" Orpheus squealed in delight before picking it up and rubbing its soft curls. "Who's the cutest little puppy?" Mr. Noesis the poodle let out a high pitched bark. "YOU ARE!"
Dante reached over and adjusted the oversized red ribbon its neck. "Yeah, I remembered you liked him when you came over."
Orpheus scratched behind its ears before placing it on the ground to allow it to walk. Truthfully aside from being cute, it was the only dog that Dante had that didn't try to bite him.
Albiore peered down the street at the swinging signs hanging on the sides of the buildings. "So where's the Bed of Bacchus at?" He then continued to dart his head around. "You also said Marin would be here."
Orpheus turned to the south side, "it's that way, by the docks at Soldier Square." He paused as his two friends gave him a look of shock. He wasn't surprised, Soldier Square, when it wasn't tourist season, the troops of Athena would gather around as well as any prostitutes looking to ease their loneliness for a few ()%$%*$) . Definitely not the best place for pint sized trainees like themselves. He could see their uneasiness as well as Dante looking as if he regretted toting poodle instead of one the larger beasts in his pack. "I tried to pick her up, but the Gold Saint got delayed and couldn't start her daily treatment on time. Also he told me that he would feel better if two people were escorting her."
The Argentinean raised an eyebrow. "Well if we get there on time, we need to go now, to ensure you have plenty of time. Your concert is in an hour and a half and the Shrine of Delphi is on the other side of the city." He started off with the others following behind him.
Orpheus felt guilty. "I'm sorry guys. I guess if I would've contacted the Gold Saint about what he wanted to do and they could've met over where she was at," he mumbled.
"Meh, don't worry about it," Dante grabbed his poodle and shoved him back in the folds of his chiton, "we still got plenty of time."
The musician widened his eyes. "But I still messed up! I should've thought that with Marin the way she was and where we were going we should have others helping out. She may need time to adjust to her surroundings or what if people brought up her accident?" He stopped as he realized he was rambling, "sorry!" he bowed low before the trio just dropped the subject and continued.
O|=============================================================================|O
Located next to the Heart of Sasha Sanctuary Orphanage, the Shrine of Delphi was a place where trainees who suffer life changing injuries and came there for more focused rehabilitation. An old man sitting by several souvenirs and knick-knacks leaned over toward the three boys, "who are you?"
The trio reached toward their chiton and lifted their Gold and Silver Sun pins. "Nobody," they replied in a uniform fashion. It was an easy password to remember since it was the reply that Odysseus gave to the Cyclops after blinding him.
The old man reached over and with a touch of red cosmos, waved his hand over a crystal, causing a stone slab to open up. "Hurry up," he grumbled as a tour guide and a large group of people were heard outside. The trio immediately descended down the stairs before his cosmos faded and caused the stone to slam shut.
They passed by several crystal torches. They giggled as they took turns pointing at them and watching their cosmos lighting them up. Dante even lit up two torches at once. Once the novelty wore off, they hurried to a small hallway with several rooms on each side. They stopped at the first room and curiously turned to a trainee strapped to his bed.
"Holy shit!" muttered Dante as he pointed toward the metal mask fused on the child's face. He threw his hands over his mouth when Orpheus and Albiore glared at him. Dante turned to the trainee's profile. Apparently he was from Death Queen Island and was to have surgery to have it removed as well as to rehabilitate his desire to stab little blond girls.
"Shhhh, relax…. Marin, everything is going to be fine… you've been through this many times…. Shhhh…" spoke a calming voice. The three kids turned to the last room on the left and silently stood at the doorway. The Gold Saint of Sagittarius sat behind Marin as she laid on the table.
Marin, stripped of the fine thick leather GLT trainer and armor bits was now decked in a painfully thin white trainer and draw string pants. In order to treat her, her gorgeous long fiery red hair that had been her trademark among trainees was shaved off leaving a light red burr that at least hid the five fingered scar of Geist's attack. "I'm so scared…" she muttered through her mask.
The Gold Saint of Sagittarius turned his hooded face downwards. "It's okay. We've done this many times before. All I'm going to do is add a small touch of the Golden Touch and try to heal another layer of your memory. I'll be very gentle, I promise," the Gold Saint said. With his face and hair covered by a tight black, form fitting hood, the gold Cloth and wings, and his gentle tone almost seemed like Marin had an angel cradling her head. "Why are you afraid now?"
"What if you bring up more terrible memories… last time, I saw a woman, who I thought was my mother. Her head was smashed into a wheel. I can't stop thinking of it…. what if there are more memories that I would be better off not remembering? Could you leave those out?" she muttered.
The Gold Saint paused and then turned his head. "Marin, you have been in treatment for three months. In the first week, you were able to crawl."
"In the second, you could speak. You told me the alphabet."
"The third you made your first sentence. By the way, I like fish too."
"After the first month, you had your first conversation over why your hair was red and mine was brown."
"The fifth you were out of your diaper and was able to choose foods you liked. You wanted anything with rice and soy sauce. I was thrilled when you formed a rice ball and said you've had so many of them as a little girl."
"You could walk on your own by the sixth week and before the end of that you ran like the wind. You were sad when you realized that could quickly tire."
"The seventh week, you had enough hair to comb, and wished when you would have enough to style."
"By the end of Month Two, you were picking up books again. I remember, I traveled far and wide to collect things you were interested in the most: Aesop, Japan, and origami."
"In the ninth week, you went outside for the first time. You saw your two former Gold Level classmates. One was kicking and wrestling the other in the ground while the other was standing still. That confused you for a long time too. You asked me if they were friends, why should they fight like they were enemies."
"In the tenth week, you and a Maiden went to the bazaar. You thought you were the cleverest fox in the world when you traded a simple piece of paper for a basket of apples. You also realized you read all your books in the room. You asked for more. We went to a library. You were amazed that despite every book was free, that there were less people over there then at the stores that sold them."
"The eleventh you began to watch others. You mimicked their techniques and their fighting styles to the best of your ability. You cut your hand when blocking a punch and thought it was most disgusting thing in the world. It stopped. It healed and then you went on."
"Now it is the twelfth week. Your friends had come out to visit you. We had progressed a long way. The brain is so difficult to heal. It is delicate and even after people and Lemurians alike had studied it thoroughly it is still a mystery that had yet to be fully understood. Athena has shined on you for the great amount of progress we've made so far. However you still have a long way to go and even then you may never remember certain aspects that you struggle to seek so badly. I cannot choose which memories will return to you and which will not. I just want to see you recover, to become independent so the memories you create in the future are beautiful. I hope you enjoy your friend's concert. You all will make sure she gets there safe and sound, won't you?"
The Gold Saint turned his head to the shock of the trio. They were both so entranced by his words that they didn't realize they were no longer hiding behind the wall but standing right out in the open. The poodle poked his head out of Dante's trainer and barked while Dante stood there stupid. "How did you know? Can Gold Saints really read minds?" the Italian muttered.
To further their shock, the Gold Saint took the edge of the black form fitting hood over his face and lifted it up revealing a friendly blue-eyed man. Gold Saints rarely showed their identities unless they had to or wanted to. "I know, because I have two ears. You three were very loud outside. I've never heard children so entranced with lighting torches in my life. Don't worry about the mind-reading nonsense. That is just a myth to make us, the twelve Men of Athena, more like the twelve Gods of the Pantheon. I always believe we should be a little more humble than that," he winked before sliding his hood back over his face as a passing servant walked by. "Marin, do you remember who these three are?"
The Japanese girl sat up. She raised her head and pointed. "Dante… he is going for the Silver Cloth of Cerberus the Hell Hound. He's easy because he's has a puppy or a dog with him most of the time. "That's Albiore and he's going for the Silver Cloth of Cepheus the King as a Gold-Rank. I remember him, because no one can ever spell or say his name right. Orpheus is a musician also on the path of a Silver Cloth, he Saint of Lyre title with a Gold-Rank. He wants to bring flowers to all corners of the world."
O|=============================================================================|O
Albiore and Dante each held Marin's hand as Orpheus guided them toward the Bed of Bacchus Inn. "This way!" he called out as he clutched his case holding his lyre. Several foot soldiers hung out around sides, drinking at the many outdoor cafes and simply chatting with the local of Delphi.
"That woman looks so pretty," spoke Marin as she turned toward a leather clad blond leaning against a street lamp.
"Marin, that's a prostitute. Don't talk to them, they have diseases," shouted Dante as the Albiore gave the outspoken six-year old a large gasp and a glare.
Albiore pulled the two a little harder. "Come on; let's just get to the inn." The place was definitely seedy. He heard that even Saints who had earned their rank won't walk around at night here. He's heard horrible rumors as well. Before he left, Aldebaran had warned him about Army.
O|=============================================================================|O
Even when the sun is still up, ignore them. You're a trainee vying for a Cloth. They are former trainees who failed to get one. They will not hesitate to enact their jealousy upon you.
O|=============================================================================|O
Albiore reached over for the door handle as Dante struggled to keep the Chocolate Poodle under control in his trainer. "Oh God or Athena up above, please don't let there be more foot soldiers in here," the Argentinean prayed as they all reached the doors. Sure enough, neither deity bothered to hear his prayers. The place was flooded with them.
Orpheus took a few steps forward before a hairy hand reached to him.
"Nice pin."
"HEY!" the musician shouted as he felt someone pull his Gold Pin from his pocket. The short blue haired Greek jumped up and down as the soldier played keep-away with it.
The bartender turned his head while wiping a beer mug clean. "Castor!" The soldier looked up. "Leave the kid alone."
The soldier began to laugh while his friends joined him as he chucked the pin to the dirty floor next to a small yellow puddle of either beer or piss. Orpheus reached down toward it as he attempted to clean it off.
Albiore rolled his eyes. "You should've just broken his fingers. You had the right to condone those actions. We're trainees and part of Athena's army. He shouldn't stain your honor like that." The Argentinean muttered, reciting one of the codes of conduct that everyone must follow.
Orpheus sighed. "Al, don't say such things. He gave me my pin back," he fastened it back on his cloth. "Perhaps we could've fight them, we are easily stronger than everyone combined in this room." His fingers, covered with the dirt that he cleaned it off with streaked against his white trainer, "But it's not worth starting a fight over or hurting another person." Orpheus rubbed his wet eyes for a moment to produce a happier expression on his face. "Besides, I don't want to worry about. I got to get ready."
"Good luck!" waved Dante as he and Albiore guided Marin over to a table in front of the where Orpheus was to play. They relaxed while watching Orpheus ran to a side room to go over his materials one last time.
"I know someone who's getting a threesome!" a voice catcalled at the trio.
Albiore and Dante rolled their eyes as Marin tilted her head in confusion. "Three-some?" she muttered.
"I don't know, look at that hair! She's too ugly to be bangable!"
A burst of laughter erupted on the floor as both boys turned red. Dante in particular, "Pitbulls, Saint Bernard, and every manner of guard dog and tonight of all nights I brought the fucking toy poodle," he muttered. "I'm such an idiot," Dante muttered while the poodle barked a couple of times before the tiny dog began to chase its own tail. He then shifted his eyes and pointed toward the stairs above. Albiore turned and Orpheus, dressed in the brightest white chiton he could find was poking his hand and waving to them. The two boys waved back before Orpheus smiled and returned to his room to prepare.
Albiore folded his arms, "they're going to eat him alive." The Argentinean turned back to the man who stole Orpheus' pin. He took his fingers and buried them in his armpits in an attempt to keep his cool. If Orpheus doesn't want them to fight, he'll do so. It was his night, "we came here to support him. Let's do that. If they shout we cheer louder, if they stomp, we'll clap harder."
Marin shook her head. "I don't like what they said to us. Every person I remember meeting up till now has been so kind. Why do they act rude when they don't even know us?" She touched the red fuzz that was here hair. "Am I as ugly as they say?" she muttered as tears began to fall out from her mask.
Albiore's shook his head. "Marin, they're just saying that to hurt you on purpose. Just ignore it, because it's not true." He reached over for some napkins. "Here," he held them out for her to grab.
"Thanks," Marin spoke as she pulled her mask off. "Here, this will make it easier," she said thinking he was going to wipe her face like the Maidens did. The Argentinean quickly pushed her mask back on, but the damage had already been done. A flood of cat calls and whistles echoed in the room. Marin threw her hand on her mask. "I forgot that was a bad thing. Do I have to Love or Kill you now?"
Albiore threw his hands on his face, "just pretend it never happened."
Marin nodded, "okay."
A waitress walked over toward the table, "what will you three be having tonight?" she asked sweetly.
Dante looked up. "Three beers from the tap."
She smiled sweetly and headed for the counter.
The lights darkened all around as the owner of the Bed of Bacchus stepped right out with a torch in hand. He then lit the others in the back to illuminate the one stool in front. "Tonight and for the rest of the week, we have a guest. A boy so passionate about the art of song that he volunteered into the Army of Athena as a trainee in order to join the elite Sanctuary School of Music. It is there; his natural talents exceed the expectations from his peers and is predicted that he will go on to have a bright wonderful future as a fine battle-hardened soldier of Athena. I present to you, Orpheus."
The three trainees clapped as hard as they could as Orpheus walked down the stairs and waved. "So far, so good," muttered Dante as there was some light clapping in the back as well.
Orpheus smiled before a foot stuck out and tripped him. The boy fell over, causing his lyre to slide beneath the table. A soldier kicked it back to him. "Thank you," he spoke as he brushed the dust off himself before proceeding to the front.
He sat on his stool, grunting a little bit as he felt the floor creak beneath him. "Hi, how is everyone doing tonight?" he nervously asked.
"I'm getting laid!"
Orpheus' eyes widened and his face turned a dark red. "Ummm, that's nice." He blurted out before a roar of laughter filled the room.
"Me too!"
The eight year old swallowed hard a little bit. "Uh, that's good."
Albiore sighed. "We're doing great!" he shouted in an attempt to counter all the embarrassing calls.
"That's because you're going to bang the red head!"
The crowd swelled as Albiore's placed his hand in front of his face. He really wished that napkin incident never happened.
The waitress came by and placed the three trainees their beers on the table. She turned around at the musician. "Don't worry; they act like idiots every night. Just get started, okay?" she winked before she reached over on a plate and tossed a strip of bacon for the poodle.
Orpheus nodded and does so. He takes his finger and plucks each string in succession to create a perfect flow from high to low, immediately causing the soldiers in the back to quiet down. He then proceeds to play his first set of lines. He closes his eyes and finds his rhythm. For a moment it seemed that all would be going well. That perhaps it was just a rough start.
Suddenly an eight ball from the pool table came hurtling at Orpheus. The musician, still holding on to his C string snaps it as he knelt down to dodge the oncoming projectile.
Albiore turned toward to where it came from. "That's the same guy who pulled his Gold Pin," he thought as he saw the soldier leaning against his cue stick while shrugging innocently.
Orpheus looked down at his instrument, "uh, one moment," he muttered as he reached into his pocket for more string to repair it. As he struggled to restring the lyre, the crowd began to erupt into full chatter once more. He gritted his teeth just as he got the new string back into its place. "Alright, it's fixed!" He smiled while the crowd kept going. "Excuse me!" he repeated. "Excuse me!" he shouted louder.
Dante got up, "HEY! HE'S READY SO SHUT UP!"
"YOU SHUT UP YOU FUCKING KINDERGARTENER!"
Dante was about to counter before Albiore pulled him back down, fearing he'll make the situation worse.
Orpheus looked down. "Now now, let's not argue." He went back to finishing the song, but it did not hold the same sway as it did before as people began to chatter back and forth in the background. In fact, as he turned toward the trio, he could tell that none of them were even able to hear one note that came from his instrument without playing it.
The musician could feel the sides of his face perspired with frustration. When it doubt, switch it up. "For this next song, I would like to introduce to you a poem, one that I'm sure all of us can or will attest to in the future, this next song is one that I dedicate to Peaches and Love:
Before they are born, they are beautiful, and when they die, they are beautiful.
From flower, to flesh, and even when their beauty fades, a seed is revealed to bear life once more and thus reveals its true love.
From seedling to tree it will reach out to the sun and the cycle of everlasting love continues.
Orpheus' starts to play the song of Peaches and Love, a melody that started more like a playful rhyme that begins slowly to mature into a deep engrossing flurry of well focused notes before the complex plucks of strings recede and slow down as the song ended. He smiled as he watched his friends and the others clap. Marin, even in her state enjoyed it.
Orpheus himself couldn't help but to smile before moving on. "My next song also has an introduction. This is one that I dedicate to the Moon, the Sun, and the Earth:
Around the sun, they perform an endless waltz.
Despite their size, their strength and power they only exist to coexist.
Two eternal partners dancing together, only in harmony can such a great miracle come about.
Why can't we, mere mortals of flesh attain what these grand objects achieve?
Eternal peace with friends and enemies alike.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" shouted a voice in the back right before Orpheus could play one note.
Orpheus turned toward his instrument before looking up. "It just means that, despite what level of strength we are, whether we are big or small, we should strive to coexist."
"We're soldiers! We fight and kill! Go back to your fucking tree and meditate you fucking Virgo."
Orpheus smiled and attempted to banter, "well actually, I'm a Scorpio but I can be a Virgo if you want me to," and fails miserably in the process.
"Look at his scrawny arms; it looks like he's never held a sword in his life!"
The musician grimaced before unleashing his opinion, "I don't want to wield a sword." He shouted.
Albiore and Dante gasped. It was quite possibly the first time either of them heard Orpheus raise his voice.
But Orpheus wasn't done yet, "I just don't understand the point of killing others. If we are truly Athena's Army and we believe everything has a right to live, doesn't that make us hypocrites by always training to kill others to achieve our goal? Have we forgotten that while Athena stood for battle that she was also the most intelligent of diplomats too that is more than capable of resolve without trading blades in the process?" He spat. Before he knew it, several beer mugs flew at him.
O|=============================================================================|O
Later that night, the three trainees stood by the room that Orpheus had used earlier. Albiore stared at the door. Orpheus hadn't left the room since being booed off of the stage. What made it worse, was that he knew that Orpheus had practiced extra hard in anticipation for this week to come. Two and a half songs later, that week of dreams had come to an end. He stirred as the door handle turned.
Orpheus slowly opened it up. His face had little rashes on his cheeks while his blue hair had faltered in a semi-sweaty mess. He looked up and smiled. "Hi, I guess... tonight didn't go as well I hoped it would..." he muttered shifting his eyes a bit.
"You did well; the songs you did get to play were good and they I think they would've acted like that regardless of what you said," Albiore said.
Dante took a step forward trying to add on, "yeah they were drunk! I bet if played, they wouldn't even care," he felt Albiore slam his elbow into his side. The Italian, realizing how much he made it worse promptly pressed his lips together tightly and stepped back.
Marin came up, "every time you come to play for me, you make me happy. I'm glad that I was here, and I am happier than ever."
Orpheus smiled. "My friends... just seeing you there, was the one thing that kept me from running way after the first comment." He walked up to each one and gave them each of hug with a gentle kiss to their cheeks. Each one in return gave him a good pat on the back and a small kiss back. "Thank you, thank you so much for being here; I'm so sorry how they treated you earlier." He took a step back as he tried to find ways of making the situation a little better, "It was just a rough crowd. In fact, their comments didn't really bother me at all," he lied as he continued to put on a smile for the group.
"Those people should be ashamed for showing that type of behavior while wearing a uniform of Athena." The children all turned as the waitress that had served them their drinks earlier stepped up. She approached the musician and knelt down to him. "In all my centuries, never before had I heard such beautiful music. Every note chained my heart and every word you spoke was filled with such emotion that I can't help but fall into euphoria."
Orpheus looked up, "uh, thank you..." the eight year old stuttered as he held out his hand.
"Eurydice," the woman smiled.
"Thank you, Eurydice." He felt himself choke up. He had received many compliments in the past, but for some reason, her tone and inflection was as delicate and beautiful as anything his lyre could produce. "You, liked my songs?" he muttered stupidly.
She smiled, "I did."
He blinked. "They were the best in the centuries?" he babbled once more.
"Yes," she giggled.
Orpheus wasn't sure what to think. Apparently he found someone who was as quirky as the sculptor and his dove outside the House of Aries. She was quite pretty though, although he wasn't sure why she kept her eyes shut or partially opened.
She looked down the stairs and watched as her boss began to signal to her. "Well, I have to go now. I have to go take care of my chores before I head home." She turned toward the musician. "You know, you never did finish your concert. Is there any way you could..." she spoke.
Orpheus pointed back down to the empty room below. Eurydice smiled and nodded sweetly. "Uh, okay!" He carried his lyre back downstairs. He side stepped the broken glass by his chair and took a spot in front of the empty tables.
"Hey Orpheus, we need to take Marin back to the Shrine," called Albiore.
Orpheus merely waved them off, "no don't worry about it. I know both of you need to get back to your training grounds by tomorrow. I live here, it's no big deal!" he grinned as he turned his instrument. He watched as his friends left the quiet inn and then focused on Eurydice as she sat by his side, picking up the broken glass by his feet. "Uh, so should I start from where I left off?"
She looked up, and pulled a soft lock of bright blond hair, "actually, I was wondering if you could play your Peach song again before you continue."
O================================================================================O
Love You, Kill Me
Part Four: A Better World
Side Story 5: Cure for Love
O================================================================================O
A man gently plucked the strings of his lyre as he gazed upon the flowery field. He watched as petals and pollen were carried around in the wind in gentle swirls like cinnamon rolls upon the sky. He continued to play his song, watching as women danced in a large circle around him, their long silk dresses and flowing hair wafting in their fun before they all collapsed to the ground. Even when their laughter overpowered his music, he simply played a little louder so they could enjoy the perfect melody he brought to them.
He turned to the one nymph that had always stood out for him. Her hair seemed longer, softer, more perfect than the others. Her laughter in itself was a song that he could listen to all day if he could. Her flawless skin glowed with bright white cosmos while each move she made was a dance that enraptured his heart if he had one.
Thanatos gestured his hand, "Eurydice," he muttered, "be by my side once more." The nymph almost glided among the sea of flowers as she obeyed him like all the nymphs of Elysium should. She laid her head upon his hand as it reached out and cupped her cheek. "So perfect… and fit for a God…" he thought as she leaned against his chest, the spot he reserved for her. "Eurydice… tell me you love me…"
The nymph turned her head, her eyes opened. Within her pupils swirled the stars of the heavens. It was a gift from his Lord Hades for his servitude. While Lord Hades had provided them with many nymphs to enact their desires he wished to have a woman by his side that was worthy of him.
She must be pure…
No malice in her heart…
Patience...
Kindness to all…
No vanities for her own beauty…
Humility…
Her chastity maintained…
Hypnos found it to be a strange request simply for the fact that Thanatos desired not to couple with her as he had with the other nymphs. He had asked him many times why he wished to have a woman of his own, but yet refused to claim her.
Thanatos would merely fondle his gift, his perfect nymph, "She will be Love… and nothing more." He would reply before he returned to playing his lyre for Eurydice and the other less-perfect nymphs to dance to.
One day/minute/second/year/century… no one could be sure since time did not exist in Elysium, Eurydice grew curious of the Temple that her love, Thanatos entered. She waited outside for him to come out and brought forward a question, "my love, what is in there?" she asked with her curious eyes of stars.
Thanatos sighed and stroked her perfect hair, "my dear… return to dancing… this place is of no interest to you." He pulled out his lyre and plucked its strings, and for him she danced once more.
As with all myths, this is a cautionary tale. For as you expect, her curiosity grew even stronger.
One day/minute/millennium… whatever… Eurydice entered the building to see what was inside that she would not have any interest for. Inside a room was a large orb… a planet… Earth. She touched the strange shapes and before her eyes as she saw a world of suffering… a world filled with war… with greedy, lustful eyes… a terrible world…
"This world… where are all the flowers… there are some, but they seem wilted and dying… it needs more…," she muttered. She turned around as Thanatos stood in front of her. She reached out a hand, "my love, this world needs more flowers…" she sang to him…
Thanatos simply turned toward the image of a woman and her child. With one blast the two fell. Their bodies rotted the skin that distinguished one from another fell away leaving behind two skeletons before those faded away into dust. "Eurydice, leave this place… what you see is a mere human, a blink of existence and nothing more." But Eurydice stood there horrified. He waved a hand but she would not leave.
"Why did you do that," she closed her eyes and began to cry. She walked over to the world and hugged it. "They looked like us… where is the love that you show me and the others? Will you not show it to them?" She waited for an answer, but alas he remained silent. She tilted her head as she closed her star-lit eyes. "I… I…" She turned toward the imperfect world. She stared at the people's eyes and then back at Thanatos… despite the horrors of it… there was hope… there was mercy… there was love… she turned to the blank eyes of her supposed love and saw the truth for once, "I… I do not love you… anymore…" she muttered.
Thanatos dropped his lyre as her bitter words cut him like a knife. She was made for him, and this was how she responded to him? "How dare you place your love for them above me!" He bitterly raised a hand and blasted her into the globe, casting the nymph to the world below. He listened to her scream as the clothes that Elysium had bestowed upon her faded like a dream. He came closer to the world and watched her fall for what seemed like an eternity.
The God of Death stared at the orb as his brother, Hypnos floated by his side. "What is it, brother?"
Thanatos turned his head, confused. "I… regret that…"
"Regret? But we are above regret…" Hypnos looked upon him. In the eternity that Thanatos watched his gift fall, a strange feeling… NO…. a sickness… had he truly fallen in love? He was unsure what to do. He watched her falling toward the Earth. Hypnos shook his head. He cared not for the nymph, but it would be too cruel that the gift of Hades be destroyed in such an uncivilized manner. He raised his hand.
The nymph finally ready to strike the dark world felt a wind surround her. Before she fell for who knew how long but now she was floating before she was gently placed onto the ground. She turned her head and covered her naked body with her hands.
Hypnos lowered his hand. To be casted away from their glorious pradise was punishment enough. He was about to leave when he noticed his brother simply sitting their in front of the globe.
Thanatos grabbed his brother's wrist. "Come back. Don't go," he muttered as he touched the image of the nymph's face.
Hypnos was unsure of what to say. "Brother… what has come over you?"
Thanatos stared at her as a young couple finds her and hands her clothing. They guide her from the sands of the beach, he sighs in relief as they give her food and shelter.
Hypnos shakes his head and walked away. It was as he feared, his brother was ill. To perform the deed would make his condition worse… as of now… his signs of remorse were strong… regret as well… a terrible thing for the God of Death to be diagnosed with.
Perhaps it was a temporary thing? Only with time… will his brother be cured.
O|=============================EARTH (CENTURIES LATER)==========================|O
A messenger approached the front of the large chateau by the Sanctuary School of Music. "Wow," he muttered. He had heard that because Gold Level Trainees lacked a Temple to call their own, the Sanctuary would grant them a large trust to create their home to reside in. He stared at the tiny waterfalls and well carved bird fountains outside on the lawn while endless rows of flowers were planted on every possible spot of dirt. He could even smell the place from miles away.
He was about to knock on the door when it flung right open. A lovely blond with hair that extended past her shoulders stepped forward. "Welcome, what brings you to our home," she sang as she stood there with her eyes either shut or barely opened. It was difficult to tell due to her eyelashes being so long. "Please come in." The young teen stood there stupid before he felt her warm hand reach out to him and pull him inside. "Would you like some tea? I brewed it myself," she called out as she skipped to the kitchen.
The teen smiled, turning a light shade of pink. "No, but thank you, I have a message from Gigars, one of the Pope's most trusted advisors. He is celebrating his birthday, and desires to hear the songs of Sanctuary's most gifted musician."
"Tell him I'll be there!" The two turned toward the door as the Saint of Lyre entered through the door. The nineteen year old strutted in, carrying his trademark instrument in his arm.
The man bowed his head, "of course, Saint Orpheus of Lyre," he presented the scroll before Orpheus handed over a hefty tip. He took a quick glance of what the man asked for. Apparently he had a few songs that he wanted to hear from him.
He waited until the messenger left before running toward Eurydice and lifting her up in the air, spinning her around before following up with a deep kiss. "Eurydice," he cried.
"Orphee!" she smiled.
"Eurydice!" shouted, louder than the last.
"Orphee!"
"Eurydice!"
"Orphee!" she ended their game by kissing him once more and looking into his eyes. "I've missed you!"
He gasped, "oh but I missed you even more! I swear halfway through my song to the children of the Heart of Sasha that your name escaped my lips in the middle of my song!"
She cupped his cheeks, "That is not true. I believe I missed you even more! So much that I watered all of our plants twice to take away the longing I felt!" The two laughed as she pulled away. She could tell he had a long day whenever he acted as silly as he was. "No, seriously, how was your day," she changed back to her normal tone before she headed to the kitchen to fetch some tea.
He headed toward a chair, layered with several light blue pillows. He hopped right on as he rested his lyre on the table. "Well, just the usual questions from the Sanctuary orphans." He bit his lip, "Every time I play for them, I always see new faces."
She came into the room, carrying a saucer and cup in each hand. "Let me guess, they asked how one can raise their cosmos without hurting anyone?"
He nodded as she handed him a cup. "Yes. Now I feel like I'm repeating the same answer that the cosmos is not mastered through how much blood you spill, but through the usage and how familiar you are with it. You can use the cosmos outside of sparring… for art… for things other than fighting... Those that aren't new keep telling me that they aren't seeing any improvement and I keeping saying that it takes time!" He looked down and sipped it up before placing the cup back on its saucer. "I swear, everything I tell them just flies over them." he looked up, "oh well. How was your day? What did you do?"
She drank a little of hers before she turned her head. "It was quiet, other than the messenger coming over. As said earlier, I watered the plants twice." She turned her close eyes at their living room. "I also cleaned and dusted the chateau." She sighed. "I just… have more free time since I quit the Bed of Bacchus." Even though she enjoyed the work, she could tell that ever since one soldier tried pull her behind an alley way. Luckily for her, the Silvers were a close bunch. Saint Babel saw what was going on, intervened before anything happened and escorted her back. Since then, he was not comfortable about her working in such a dark section of the city. To qualm his nerves, she sadly resigned.
She tapped her lip with her finger, "Although… I wish… I could put my free time to… well… we have so much free space here… and I do get a little lonely when you're out."
He walked up to her as he heard those words. "Well, if you're lonely, why didn't you say so," he lifted her up. "Did you straighten up bed?"
"I do…every morning but…" She laughed as she felt her body being raised up, "hey, are you going to mess it up."
He began to carry her toward the stair case, "we will be messing it up."
O|================================ELYSIUM===============================|O
Hypnos returned back to the Temple and sighed once more. "Are you still staring at that weed that you casted out of Elysium? She is with the humans now."
Thanatos stared blankly at the scene before him. "What does she see in him… I've seen twigs with more girth than what he can provide…"
The God of Sleep turned to their fields, "we have many nymphs around us. I consider Farora a far more superior beauty than your former." He floated forward and turned to image on the globe. "How can you fawn over this? She is polluted. She is no longer the perfect jewel that Hades provided you long ago."
Thanatos reached his hand at her image and rubbed his finger, "she was my first…love… if only… I forgave her… then she would be with me… and I would play for her… and I would hold her…."
Farora, approached Hypnos and kneeled, "My Lord, am I too please your brother tonight?"
"No, his sickness has made a turn for the worse," grumbled the God of Sleep.
The nymph tilted her head as she looked around. "Yes… traces of despair cloud this room… but this cannot be… only humans are capable… how can our God… oh he truly is ill." She turned to the God of Sleep, "you must save him! What if his despair deteriorates into depression… or worse… tears?"
Hypnos did not want to hear such things, "We must be patient, my brother can overcome this… and soon."
O|====================== Orpheus' Home (Delphi)========================|O
Eurydice held the blanket over her bare chest. She shifted her starry eyes around the room. Why does it feel like he's always watching her? Even when she first came to this world, his presence could always be felt. She turned to her side as she gazed upon the bright tuff of sweaty blue hair. She ran her hand through it, adding a small scratch. She felt a cold shudder for a moment and turned to the ceiling.
Perhaps she was being paranoid? Besides she still hadn't been upfront with what she wanted, but she felt so embarrassed. But what was wrong with asking for this? They had known each other for ten years and lived together for the last three. She turned toward the open package and picked it up. She thought that if she was quick enough, he would decide not to put it on for a change during their coupling. However that was not the case. She placed the open package back on the table and turned to him. She hoped that their recent trip to Andromeda Island would be enough of a hint for him.
O|================================ELYSIUM===============================|O
Farora approached her fellow nymphs as they continued to make endless piles of flower bracelets, "he still won't leave the Temple. All he does is mope about how Eurydice clings to that human."
They all stopped. The youngest of the nymphs weaved another set of flower stems together, "Our poor Lord… if I were him… I would smite the human if he is causing so much trouble."
"He cannot for the man that Eurydice couples with is a Saint and therefore is protected from Thanatos' power unless he came here in Elysium, by the order of Zeus." Farora took her spot and began to weave bracelets as well.
The youngest nymph shrugged. "Then if I were Eurydice, I would find a way to crawl back to Thanatos… this human only has so many years on him. Before she knows it, he will be balding, old and wrinkled and before long… dead while she will continue to be youthful and beautiful. It's sad really that in the end, she wastes her time trying to bond with such filth."
Farora laughed. "If you want sad, she desires a child." The other nymphs rolled with laughter.
"I don't know what's more pathetic, her thinking she can have a family or her having a job." Cried one of the nymphs, "I mean, why does she want to raise something that will only die in the end? She truly is naïve and sadly it has infected Lord Thanatos as well."
O|====================== Orpheus' Home (Delphi)========================|O
Eurydice sighed. Perhaps she needs to be a little blunter? "Orphee?"
He turned around, his typically well groomed hair was all on one side, "what is it,Eury-sweetie?" he spoke as he rolled closer and placed an arm over her.
"Can we have a baby?" For extra measure, she cupped his cheek and smiled until a look of fear appeared on his face. "What's wrong?"
He simply smiled until it faded a little bit, "Eurydice, do you realize how much work it is to properly take care of a child?"
"Yes, and that's what makes it wonderful!" Eurydice held her hands. "Our plants need water, sunlight and song. But a child needs far more, love, constant attention, feeding it, cleaning it… and song! Remember when we babysat on Andromeda Island? June was quite a flower, her mother's eyes, her father's hair… at least the part… not quite the hair color… definitely his nose…" She trailed off before refocusing on the topic, "I thought we did a wonderful job that night, don't you?"
Orpheus went silent and sat up, "Eurydice, do you remember how much difficulty we had in trying to stop June's crying and that one private gathering that I had for the Solo family the next day?"
O|======================ANDROMEDA ISLAND (A few weeks ago)=====================|O
"Hey, aren't we hungry… yes we are! Oh yes we are!" Eurydice chimed as she tilted the bottle in one hand, while holding nine month old June in the other. The nymph watched as the little girl suckled the last of the milk before she pulled the empty bottle away from her. She took the baby and began to pat her back until a light burp followed afterwards. She grabbed the bib and dabbed the liquid that seeped from the corners of the child's lips. "Do you want to see Uncle Orphee?"She reached over and placed object in the baby's hands. "Orphee?" She waited until he faced her. "Look who's going to be future musician?"
Orpheus gasped as June held his instrument while suckling one side of the bar with her mouth.
"Careful, she'll break it!" he snapped as he pulled it away. As soon as the shiny lyre had parted the baby's mouth, June began to wail. Orpheus turned toward a pacifier and handed it to her only to see June chuck it across the hut. "June, stop crying! You're mommy and daddy will be here in a couple of hours, shhh shhh!" he raised his hands in the air, trying to calm her down.
Eurydice rocked June a little bit, but the crying wouldn't cease. "Maybe she wants the lyre back?" she asked.
He shook his head, "no, it's not that." He reached out and grabbed June. He stood up, holding her, and gently rocked her. "June, please stop crying!" Orpheus muttered. The only thing he got was a high pitched scream.
O|====================== Orpheus' Home (Delphi)========================|O
Eurydice raised her hands, "Orphee, you did a great job. You should have seen how cute you two looked when you were holding her. She hated it every time you let her go!"
Orpheus continued, "well… the next day… I played for the Solo family. Sorrento was there. Apparently a servant closed a door on his fingers and Sorrento recommended that I come in his place while he received proper treatment to ensure his fingers were as nimble as they were prior to the accident."
He's the only one I know of who can equal my talents...
"But I was so tired. I remember the song too… it was of an eagle eating a fresh fish that it had recently caught. It was very challenging too… the pain of the fish as its flesh was ripped from its body and the thrill of the eagle as it fed on its meat after being without food for several days. I remember their comments too."
Why does the song fluctuate between joy and sorrow? Can't he pick one to focus on or at least blend the two elements into one cohesive piece?
Orpheus leaned his head back. "They called me… average." He began to cry, "I played before the Pope and for all during the Eighty-Eight Knight Festival and I was… average."
"Oh Orphee, don't cry." Eurydice rested his head on her lap. Orpheus was always so conscientious over how he played, especially now with the pressure of being the best musician of all Sanctuary. Any time he made the tiniest of errors, it seemed like the world would ramble at how he was losing his touch. Although there were times when he was perfect and people would somehow find a flaw not present.
He shook his head, "studying the cosmos while playing an instrument at the same time requires so much focus… I don't know if I can raise a baby and keep my music up to everyone's standards."
A great deal of Orpheus' success had stemmed from his passion for the art. "Perhaps we can do both… I can raise our baby… like I want… and you can focus on your music."
He sighed. The thought crossed his mind, but his conscious spoke louder. He touched her hand, "that's not the point of raising a baby together. I want to be there, by your side." The problem with being world famous was just that, he had to travel the world and perform for others. He heard the Pope had an appreciation for his music, perhaps he could think of something.
Orpheus closed his eyes and thought of the last conversation he had with Dal.
O|==========================Andromeda Island (A few weeks ago)======================|O
"All this dirt and not one flower."
Orpheus turned his head to face Al… or Dal as people called him after he changed his name. It was so difficult to switch to his new nickname after calling him Al for the longest time. He rubbed his eyes, "I wanted have a nice ring of flowers around your hut but," he turned to his lyre and shrugged, "it doesn't work." He plucked a few strings to create a daisy. Before it could bloom, the plant withered into dust.
Daidalos sat on his Cepheus Pandora Box while adjusting the knitted pink blanket over baby June to keep her shaded from the sun. "I told you the Curse of Poseidon was strong. The ground was purposely enchanted to prevent people from growing their own food here." The baby reached up and pulled a lock of his blond hair, "ow… Junie… daddy doesn't like that," he said as he carefully peeled her fingers away from it.
The Lyre Saint gazed at the setting. It was the closest thing to a land of death he's ever seen. Even deserts had cactuses. If it weren't for the huts, it almost felt the three of them were the last people on Earth. "Six hundred years is a long time for a curse. Athena's seals only had a general span of two centuries before they turn to dust. Unless Poseidon had a major grudge against this place, he's wasting a lot of power maintaining the enchantment."
"Well, if you ever find him as well as the Siren Mariner, you should tell them to remove it. Athena has long since finished creating her Cloths thus making it pointless to curse my island anymore."
"Will do," Orpheus gave a two finger salute. He yawned for a moment and rubbed his shoulder. He turned to June as she laid against Daidalos' shoulder, "why is she sleeping for you. I tried all night long, but she just kept crying."
The Argentinean turned his head downwards, "I've done it enough times. It's like your lyre, you develop a feel of how you hold it to find the right way of playing notes. With June, you just know how she wants to be positioned and what she wants even if she hasn't said her first word yet."
He liked the small comparison. People didn't realize how carefully he played his song. Even the angle of the sun to him was a factor. He yawned. "I wish I knew that ahead of time. I thought about using Death Trip Serenade just so I could get some sleep." Orpheus chuckled.
Daidalos turned downwards, "I wish I could use Death Trip Serenade."
Orpheus was confused, "that's horrible! I was just joking! Forcing a child to sleep against their will?"
"Having the ability to have a child sleep at a certain time and wake up when you want them to? Do you realize how many parents dream of something like that?"
The two laugh for a moment. It was at that moment; Orpheus noticed that there was touch of joy in his voice. Something he wasn't quite use to hearing from the man he used to simply called Al. It was refreshing. "Time passes by so quickly. Doesn't it?" He was expecting Daidalos to agree but instead, all he received a blank stare.
"(Orpheus, how would you feel about an assassination mission if it meant preventing another great war?)" he asked through his cosmos.
It was an odd change of subject, especially about Holy War. There wasn't a Saint or trainee around who could utter those two words without any sense of dread. But this was worse. Assassination? "(I think you already know, how I feel.)" Orpheus knew Daidalos wasn't stupid or insensitive to ask such a thing. It managed to spark his curiosity, "why?"
Daidalos looked up and spoke to him through the cosmos. "(Typically when Cass has to go back to Ethiopia for a check up, I would stay here. However a Gold Saint asked to meet with me over a mission by the Pope himself. I can't give you any details other than we are going to assassinate someone, to prevent the next Holy War. If successful, it will not only save the lives of millions but prevent other Saints from being forced to fight in it as well. This Gold Saint needs a team that is very… VERY flexible. We may head into sparse towns as well as crowded cities. He chose me because of what I can do, but he wants you as well. However, when were discussing it, both he and I are concerned that your personal beliefs may impede the mission. I told him that I would ask you and see what you say.)" He paused as Orpheus turned to the ground.
"I can't …" he spoke with firm resolution.
The Saint of Cepheus nodded."I figured you would say that." He got up and gave him a pat on the back, "don't worry about it. No hard feelings. I'm sure we can handle it ourselves."
O|====================== Orpheus' Home (Delphi)========================|O
Orpheus opened his eyes as he found himself back in his and Eurydice's bedroom. He carefully pulled away from her sleeping body before he grabbed a robe and put it on. He slowly paced himself down the stairs and toward a small room. Inside, his Pandora's box shined under the moonlight. He looked up through the transparent glass ceiling. Supposedly, it was in that spot where the Lyrids, one of the most famous shooting star phenomenons, was at its best.
He gazed upon the box. He remembered when he was a child of all the tales of the Great Sanctuary School of Music here in Delphi. Back then it was just a dream. The only two ways for one to join it was to either pay your way or for Sanctuary to send you through. He'd never imagine that he qualified for the later. He never had any bills, but he had the obligation that he would serve in Athena's Army for the rest of his life… kill if he must… even if he didn't want to. Orpheus than rested his hand on the box.
Either way, he would have to kill; the only difference was when he did it. If he did go with it, he could save billions of lives. The last Holy War came close to killing everyone if it weren't for the Great Body Guard. Even he fought despite him being a pacifist as well.
He sighed. Before sat on the floor and closed his eyes. No turning back. "Daidalos… " he began to speak through his cosmos about his reconsideration, before Daidalos forwarded him to the Gold Saint in charge. He listened intently at the details. "Yes… yes I understand we're going to be doing…" he than paused. "Three months at a time? But what about Eurydice?" he cringed a little bit as the sound of the Gold Saint of Capricorn roared in his mind, "what about her? Well she'll be so lonely. You know, if I keep her really far from the missions, can I bring her a long?" He flinched, "well maybe she can pretend to be a tourist. Give her a camera and a scrapbook… she'll look cute. She has this nice sun hat too that she'd like to use…." He shifted his eyes. This wasn't going well. What could he say to convince him? "Well… she is a civilian and doesn't have a purchase limit like the rest of us. You did say you needed a team that was very flexible."
He placed his hand on his hips, "you know, a number of my techniques requires another person to sing. Why if Eurydice she'd do it in a heartbeat. She loves it… her voice is lovely… like velvet… how is yours? If you are capable of singing in front of the public than I guess it doesn't matter but... oh what's that?" He smiled, "alright I'll go tell her."
O|===============================JAPAN (Months later)===========================|O
(CONTINUED FROM Side Story Three: Battle for the King)
A terrible earthquake, befell the city,
Tearing the streets and shook the buildings.
The gas lines burst and fires erupted,
With no hope, the people chose to dive,
Through the air, they hit the ground, wondering if they hit,
They'll wake up as if it was only a dream.
Orpheus took his lyre and hooked it on the side of his belt. "There, no one around here should remember the specter or what happened."
Eurydice grabbed his arm, "how was my singing?"
"Simply stunning!" Orpheus turned toward Saint Shura as he was back to the Japanese toddler, throwing another bead of the dried blood of Athena onto him. He stared at him as the Saint of Capricorn fell to his knees. He wondered if he should say something. Everything felt like it was pointing toward this area and those two children. Most of the time, the three Saints would be forced to guess amongst an entire block and once at a school. Their information was just so precise and the Specter flying about almost guaranteed it.
Daidalos turned toward the green haired baby girl. He pulled the back of the girls collar to smell it. He scrunched his nose, before he placing his hand on its bottom. He pressed it once. It definitely was not a case of gas. "She needs to be changed." He spoke aloud.
Eurydice, hearing those words ran to his side. "I can do it!" she asked.
"You're an angel," he complimented just as Eurydice snatched the Japanese baby from his hands and began to tote her toward a bench on the far side of the street. "Hold on!" asked Daidalos as he raised his hand and summoned his box to him. A streak of light appeared in the sky before it landed in front of him. He pulled the lid and pulled out one of June's diapers and a plucked a few baby wipes from a tube. "Here, these were made for a one –year old so they'll be pretty big on her."
The Lyre Saint smiled. Only Eurydice would grow excited over something as changing a baby's diaper. "I'll take them to her," he said as Daidalos reached up and handed over the items. Orpheus walked down the street, passing the large fissure in the center that Saint Shura made from his Excalibur technique. His smile faded as he spotted his love, staring at him with her celestial starry eyes. She gestured for him to come closer. Orpheus could sense something was not right.
She placed the sleeping infant on the bench. "Orphee…oh my goodness…" She took her fingers and revealed the unbuttoned top half to reveal the Silver Star Pendant.
Orpheus quickly pulled the pink collar together as he heard the voices of the two other Saints.
"Quite a shine," muttered Shura as he waved his gauntlet. "Looks better than a night inside my Pandora's Box," he then took the baby wipe and proceeded to do his chest plate.
"They are good. Sometimes if I don't have time to allow my Cloth to rest in my box, I'd pull those out. I'd smell like powder, but no one can tell the difference," Daidalos spoke as he grabbed his head piece and used a wipe to buff the side wings.
Meanwhile, Orpheus' felt lightheaded as he stared at the baby. "This…but it's a baby…" he muttered before turning to the other two Saints again.
Eurydice pulled on his hand. "Orphee, we can't kill it. It's a baby."
The Lyre Saint waved his hands, "I know, I just said that!" He placed his hands over his mouth, "Oh Goddess…." He wasn't prepared for this. "Kill the baby… prevent… the Holy War…no… but we don't even know… but… I…maybe he's not…." He stared at the two Saints playing around with the baby wipes, seeing how shiny they could make their Cloths.
He turned to Eurydice as she shook her head no. Orpheus turned to the baby's peaceful face as it laid there with its arms and legs spread out. "He can't do it. But if called to the others, they would kill it the second that it tested positive if it did. He pulled the Shunrei bib off and opened the one piece to expose its fat belly. "Maybe the baby will test negative if he showed it…" he thought. "But than again…" He sighed. "Let's change her quickly," he muttered as he stepped aside, stood in front of Eurydice while she proceeded to clean the child up.
He knew someday he would be forced to kill. Perhaps today wasn't the day either.
O|================================ELYSIUM===============================|O
Hypnos finished playing his flute and turned to the rows of nymphs around him. He turned to each of their faces, playing for them was never the same without Thanatos. He stood up and floated back to the same stone building. He had grown weary of this. He watched Thanatos sobbed over the blue orb in front. His lyre and head piece laid on the floor while he stared at same nymph who had fallen from Elysium, months/years/ millennium… who knows.
"What has happened to you? How can one nymph render someone as omnipotent as you to this… disgusting heap…"
Thanatos looked up at him. "She walks through the house with her eyes wide open…" he began to sob. "She was to only open them for me… just me… how could she…"
The God of Sleep pulled out his flute and marched to the globe. Perhaps he should've never stepped in. His brother was a complete mess and there was only one way save him from his miserable state. Hypnos raised his flute to his lips. She was a nymph, and to simply put her to sleep will not work due to her immunity toward it. Her being away from his brother was not doing the trick and as long as she breathes, he will only continue to stare at the globe. There was only one choice. All he can do was to make it so quick that she won't even feel the bite. He brought his flute up to his lips and played a song.
The shell of what was the God of Death turned his head, "what… no… don't," Thanatos grabbed his brother's cloak, but still Hypnos continued to play.
Thanatos returned back to the globe and watched as a snake took form and slithered toward the former nymph of Elysium and promptly bit her in the heel. His blank eyes widened as she fell to the floor like a puppet cut from its strings.
Eurydice was dead.
Hypnos took a few steps back. He watched as his brother cried against the globe, banging his hand against the surface. To his delight, the anger faded. Suddenly, Thanatos stood up and turned down toward his tear stained cloak. With a simple wave, his clothes returned back to the perfect state. He gestured over for his Lyre and his head piece. Hypnos took a step back, as the God of Death calmly floated his way out of the temple. "Thanatos, my brother, has love left your heart? Are you better?"
The God of Death turned his head to the globe. The cold corpse laid on the ground. Another pathetic human that he could care less for ran to it. He held it in his hands. How pathetic, what good will crying do when it was already dead? "Yes, I am, better. Thank you, brother."
The two Gods, the eternal brothers who help govern Death, floated side by side back to the fields of Elysium free of the terrible sickness of love.
They lived happily ever after.
O|=============================================================================|O
Coming January 23
Chapter 23: Bumps in the Night
The children grow nervous as there is some suspicious behavior going on with not only the soldiers but outside forces. Shun learns more about his third year test. Meanwhile, the Underworld rejoices as messages from their King are delivered by Pandora.
Have you ever felt the true power of your cosmos?
O|=============================================================================|O
Way back in October, the first part of this story was placed on here, but deleted soon after. It was meant to be a three part side story, but because it takes me about two weeks to complete these, (three parts = six weeks of work) I figured I can dump the Thanatos/Hypnos thing and focus on the Main story. So many people asked for me to finish it and finally caved in and with tweaks to it (since some parts were chopped out and added to the main story) as well as a revamp of the characterization of the children versions of the Silvers (the first time, they acted too much like adults instead of the 7-9 year olds that they were supposed to be) and a couple of added new scenes (A look at the School of Music and more Mu and Cooooooo, and a new Taurus scene where the Master gets his butt kicked).
Another thing that I also took careful precautions was trying to sure that the second half (which is one of the weirder sections I wrote on here) was easy to follow since the scenes changed so quickly. I didn't want to have a confusing mess like in "The True Story of Andromeda" (I'm still trying to figure out how to fix that one since it was hard to follow).
Now in my profile, I mentioned an annoying plot hole. Well now that I think of it, it's not so much a plot hole but rather a very big goof. Right before one of my final checks over the chapter… I realized I mixed Thanatos and Hypnos up. Considering their personalities, I had to rewrite so many sections and dialogue. Considering how much I love this series… I was mortified that it happened. I worked so late trying to correct it that I fell asleep.
If you see any problems, let me know. Reviews are always appreciated.
UPDATE: I corrected that capable/incapable error. The wasn't/was in that one spot as well as fixed Hypnos' characterization. If you see anymore, let me know.
Jenny D
