Chapter 18
When the light shown through the curtain, Stanton groggily opened his eyes. He looked around, on the coffee table, a small analog clock read about 5:58. He didn't feel as much despair as he used to around time pieces since he became the Prince of Night. He twisted. He felt so stiff in his princely wear. He had taken off his torso armor last night before he even laid down. He groaned at the metal clinging to his arms.
As he sat up, and for the first time, grateful that he hadn't grown up as a prince. He couldn't have stood for the clothing discomforts. The breeches and boots were ok, but the torso armor was very uncomfortable. Finally, he remembered what had happened the night before. Removing what was left of the armor to find his regular clothes underneath.
He stood up, and peeked outside the curtain. The sun glared into his face, but in front of him, he saw the roof tops of other apartments, shops, and other buildings. He sighed and a mental picture that came to him every morning took its toll. A large view of a beautiful plain, and not far from that, a sparkling ocean. And this time, he felt his small head turn. He then saw something that he had never seen before.
A little girl with dark brown hair was staring out at the plains. He looked further down to discover that they were holding hands. Realizing it's size, she couldn't have been any older than five. When he looked up, his heart stopped. Her eyes were wide, and a beautiful aqua, like the sea in front of them. Her smile had few teeth in it, but it was the sweetest sight he had ever seen. Her nose was like a little button on her tiny face.
He smiled at the most adorable creature he had ever seen. Just then, his vision turned black. He saw a running woman holding Stanton, and the little girl. It was Vanessa. Their cries could even be heard from the distance he was watching them. Then, Vanessa was alone, spinning into the dark. A bright light illuminated his face.
Then, he was in a dark, damp cave. He turned around to see a blue cloaked figure pouring a pitcher of water into a large bowl. She turned around, her dark face shielded by the lack of light. Then, she lifted the lantern from a hook, and held it in front of her face. It was Hekate. His jaw dropped. "How can I be seeing you again when I'm only standing, and I'm still alive?" He confusingly asked.
She smiled. "How could you see me last night?" His eyes widened. "You?" She nodded. "It was me when I was younger. I drank a potion to make myself youthful. That is the only way I can make the fire, or go into it." She walked over to him, and held his arm, leading him to the large bowl.
"But, what is that fire?" She smiled. "It is my fire. It is an acceptance into the holier dark. I'm sorry, but I thought maybe if I brought you into the fire, and you found one your previous destinies, then you could maybe avoid this one." As they approached the bowl, Stanton turned to her. "What destiny?"
She looked at him sadly. "Well, you see, your real destiny, I already know what it's going to be." She smiled mischievously as she explained, "Your going to love it." He looked at her again. "Then why did you try to...?" She shook her head. "It wasn't that destiny that I was trying to intervene. It was another one. It's path is already laid out, and unfortunately, you've taken it." She sighed.
His brows pinched. "What did I do?" She put a soft hand on his. "When you asked the Atrox what was happening, it knew that it was about to gain something great, it tried to hurry the process by giving you too much strength." She bent, and lifted the pitcher as Stanton took in what she said. What could the Atrox gain from giving him power?
He turned to ask her, but his eyes were drawn to the concoction that she was creating. As she poured in more water, pink steam swirled around it, then green, and then it calmed down. The strange liquid became a bright, blood red as she sprinkled a yellow powder into it. She held up a knife, and pulled back her sleeve, and was about to cut herself before Stanton grabbed her wrist.
"What the hell are you doing?" She lifted his chin with the hand that was holding the shining dagger. "I need it for the potion. It is going to save your life. And besides, I'm a goddess." Before he could protest again, she held the knife above her wrist, cut a small slit that quickly disappeared. The blood dripped into the bowl, causing it to turn a navy blue. She walked off to a small shelf, and pulled off a ladle.
When she came back, she was also holding a flask. She poured the liquid into it, and handed it to him. He drew back in disgust. "Other than your blood, what went into it?" She laughed. "Nothing unholy. You'll need this. When your destiny is at its peak, you must be prepared." He took it, and asked, "What did the Atrox want? And why does my strength matter?"
She put the ladle in the pot as she said, "You don't need to know just yet." And with that, she smiled, and in a blinding flash, he was back in Maggie's apartment. He looked at the clock, it now said, 6:15. He looked around, no one awake. He had to get away and try to find things out. Staying there wouldn't help!
He drew back the curtains, and clenching his fist, he slammed it through the glass. People stirred, but he didn't care. He jumped out. He would figure out what was going on! And NOW! He jumped from rooftop to rooftop. Running to the new found light.
(A/N: Was that too long?)
When the light shown through the curtain, Stanton groggily opened his eyes. He looked around, on the coffee table, a small analog clock read about 5:58. He didn't feel as much despair as he used to around time pieces since he became the Prince of Night. He twisted. He felt so stiff in his princely wear. He had taken off his torso armor last night before he even laid down. He groaned at the metal clinging to his arms.
As he sat up, and for the first time, grateful that he hadn't grown up as a prince. He couldn't have stood for the clothing discomforts. The breeches and boots were ok, but the torso armor was very uncomfortable. Finally, he remembered what had happened the night before. Removing what was left of the armor to find his regular clothes underneath.
He stood up, and peeked outside the curtain. The sun glared into his face, but in front of him, he saw the roof tops of other apartments, shops, and other buildings. He sighed and a mental picture that came to him every morning took its toll. A large view of a beautiful plain, and not far from that, a sparkling ocean. And this time, he felt his small head turn. He then saw something that he had never seen before.
A little girl with dark brown hair was staring out at the plains. He looked further down to discover that they were holding hands. Realizing it's size, she couldn't have been any older than five. When he looked up, his heart stopped. Her eyes were wide, and a beautiful aqua, like the sea in front of them. Her smile had few teeth in it, but it was the sweetest sight he had ever seen. Her nose was like a little button on her tiny face.
He smiled at the most adorable creature he had ever seen. Just then, his vision turned black. He saw a running woman holding Stanton, and the little girl. It was Vanessa. Their cries could even be heard from the distance he was watching them. Then, Vanessa was alone, spinning into the dark. A bright light illuminated his face.
Then, he was in a dark, damp cave. He turned around to see a blue cloaked figure pouring a pitcher of water into a large bowl. She turned around, her dark face shielded by the lack of light. Then, she lifted the lantern from a hook, and held it in front of her face. It was Hekate. His jaw dropped. "How can I be seeing you again when I'm only standing, and I'm still alive?" He confusingly asked.
She smiled. "How could you see me last night?" His eyes widened. "You?" She nodded. "It was me when I was younger. I drank a potion to make myself youthful. That is the only way I can make the fire, or go into it." She walked over to him, and held his arm, leading him to the large bowl.
"But, what is that fire?" She smiled. "It is my fire. It is an acceptance into the holier dark. I'm sorry, but I thought maybe if I brought you into the fire, and you found one your previous destinies, then you could maybe avoid this one." As they approached the bowl, Stanton turned to her. "What destiny?"
She looked at him sadly. "Well, you see, your real destiny, I already know what it's going to be." She smiled mischievously as she explained, "Your going to love it." He looked at her again. "Then why did you try to...?" She shook her head. "It wasn't that destiny that I was trying to intervene. It was another one. It's path is already laid out, and unfortunately, you've taken it." She sighed.
His brows pinched. "What did I do?" She put a soft hand on his. "When you asked the Atrox what was happening, it knew that it was about to gain something great, it tried to hurry the process by giving you too much strength." She bent, and lifted the pitcher as Stanton took in what she said. What could the Atrox gain from giving him power?
He turned to ask her, but his eyes were drawn to the concoction that she was creating. As she poured in more water, pink steam swirled around it, then green, and then it calmed down. The strange liquid became a bright, blood red as she sprinkled a yellow powder into it. She held up a knife, and pulled back her sleeve, and was about to cut herself before Stanton grabbed her wrist.
"What the hell are you doing?" She lifted his chin with the hand that was holding the shining dagger. "I need it for the potion. It is going to save your life. And besides, I'm a goddess." Before he could protest again, she held the knife above her wrist, cut a small slit that quickly disappeared. The blood dripped into the bowl, causing it to turn a navy blue. She walked off to a small shelf, and pulled off a ladle.
When she came back, she was also holding a flask. She poured the liquid into it, and handed it to him. He drew back in disgust. "Other than your blood, what went into it?" She laughed. "Nothing unholy. You'll need this. When your destiny is at its peak, you must be prepared." He took it, and asked, "What did the Atrox want? And why does my strength matter?"
She put the ladle in the pot as she said, "You don't need to know just yet." And with that, she smiled, and in a blinding flash, he was back in Maggie's apartment. He looked at the clock, it now said, 6:15. He looked around, no one awake. He had to get away and try to find things out. Staying there wouldn't help!
He drew back the curtains, and clenching his fist, he slammed it through the glass. People stirred, but he didn't care. He jumped out. He would figure out what was going on! And NOW! He jumped from rooftop to rooftop. Running to the new found light.
(A/N: Was that too long?)