Alright... We're still not done with this "arc", for lack of a better term. Hopefully, we will be by the next chapter.
EDIT: 3/16/21 Fixed the stupid mistake.
Ilias had lived for many thousands of years. In that time, she'd seen all kinds of heroes rise and fall. While nobody ever quite compared to Heinrich (Damn fool that he was), there had still been some impressively powerful humans over the years.
Edward Vincenzo had been one of the mightiest of his generation. He wasn't the most pious of men, but she could overlook that in favor of his seething hatred towards monsters. He'd been an uncompromising butcher, slaying any abomination that crossed his path. He definitely wasn't as strong as some who came before him, but that didn't mean he was a pushover.
So, it had come as a surprise when the man had been felled by a mere human child. The fact that the child had been his son was even more shocking. From what she'd been told by the cupid that spied on the fight, it had been a brutal death. The child, Alex, had torn his father's throat out with his teeth, and drank the dying hero's blood.
That was... just bizarre. The boy had been human, so why had he acted so...savage? It was as if he'd gone completely feral, reverting to more animalistic tendencies. It was quite frankly repulsive behavior, but the child had potential...
She'd be keeping her eye on him. He was a potential pawn, one that she felt could be used very effectively, as long as she kept him under control. Of course, this was assuming that he continued to grow more powerful. She had no use for him now, but maybe when he grew of age...
Still, it was hard to imagine what she'd have to do to get him over to her side. His... "Mother" was a monster, and she had probably already poisoned his mind against her. Sure, she could just force him, but a pawn was more effective when it was willing. Perhaps she could play into his lust for blood? He seemed to love the stuff, so if she guaranteed a steady supply of the stuff, then maybe he'd be more agreeable.
Perhaps she could try and influence him through a dream. She was admittedly curious as to what a conversation with him would be like. She never did get to talk to children...
Yes! That's what she would do! Before deciding anything, she needed to judge him in person. After all, the only things she knew about him were relayed to her by a cupid. They weren't typically the smartest of angels, so it was possible that she missed something.
Well, she'd find out soon, wouldn't she? The day had gradually made way to dusk, covering the world in a soft, orange sunset. It was quite nice to look at, but she'd seen it all before, so she paid no heed to it. After being around for as long as she had, she'd witnessed about everything there was to see.
As darkness slowly blanketed the world, she watched as the child flopped down into bed. He didn't go to sleep immediately, the excitement from the day still somewhat affecting him. That was annoying, but there wasn't much she could do about that. When his mind finally did slip into unconsciousness, she took a moment to steel herself with patience. No doubt the boy would be difficult to talk to, at first. He'd likely been fed all kinds of lies, so a bit of hostility would be expected.
Had the poor boy been...defiled by his caregiver, then she might've just smote them both. It would've been a mercy, honestly. However, after continued observation, she realized that the monster which kept him was rather protective. Furthermore, she didn't seem lewd at all, which was just downright strange. Her personality didn't excuse her for being the abomination she was, but it did help convince her that the child was still able to be turned.
After a while of lying in bed, the boy's mind finally began to fade. Within minutes, he was deeply asleep, the exhaustion from the day finally taking its toll on him. Swiftly, she made her move, entering his mind with the practiced ease of someone who'd invaded people's dreams for years. That was something she'd done quite a few times throughout the many centuries that had passed, mostly to stir the more powerful humans into action. Usually people thought that a visit from her was special. It was, in some regard, but not nearly to the degree they thought.
Anyways, this upcoming conversation would be interesting, to say the least.
*LINEBREAK*
I awoke suddenly, jolting upwards as I surveyed my surroundings. From what I could see (which wasn't much, let me tell you.) I was in the clouds. That was... weird. Normally, I'd say it was impossible, but magic likes to bend physics over a table and fuck it like a cheap whore, so something like this was just par for the course in this world.
Of course, the question of why I was here popped up into my mind rather swiftly. I'd just been in bed a moment ago, and suddenly I wasn't. That was annoying, honestly. I wanted to go back to the comfy pillows and blankets, but instead, I was stuck in this stupid... cloud thing.
There was a strange, glowing light that seemed to float above me. Actually, it was starting to get a little closer...
Suddenly, as the light touched the ground, it dimmed somewhat, revealing a person I really didn't want to see.
I felt a sudden surge of fear in my heart, causing me to freeze as I beheld the form of Ilias. There was a lump in my throat, which made it hard to even breathe.
"Fear not, young one." Her angelic voice rang out, echoing throughout the area. "I only wish to speak with you."
Her voice was a beautiful sound. She'd make a lovely singer, that was for sure. Still, it's beauty was marred by her disgusting personality. Looking at her, it was hard to believe that she was actually a genocidal maniac. I suppose that was part of her image. She'd had years to perfect her acting, after all.
"Uhh... Okay." I muttered, the fear I felt dispersing somewhat. "I'm not sure why you'd wanna do that, but it's fine, I guess."
Why in the ever-loving FUCK did she want to talk to me? I wasn't a hero. Hell, I'd killed several of those bastards, so I was honestly surprised that she hadn't struck me with lightning yet. She wanted something. That was obvious, of course, but what was she trying to achieve?
"Child, I feel like you have the potential to become a great hero. You are already stronger than most humans, and you're not even thirteen." She stated, a warm smile on her face. "You could do great things with your power."
I shook my head forcefully, causing her to raise an eyebrow. That was not something I wanted to get involved with. I wanted to tell her to fuck off, but that wouldn't get me anywhere except six feet underground. I had to phrase this carefully...
"I'm afraid you're mistaken." I timidly declared, wincing as her gaze became just a tad bit hardened. "I'm not fit to be a hero. I'm simply a coward and a fool. Surely, there are better candidates out there than me."
She shook her head, her smile never dimming. She looked like the kindest person in the world, but I knew the truth. She planned to carry out the mass killing of everything that wasn't angelic. Obviously, I didn't want to involve myself with that. Honestly, I didn't really want to get into the plot whatsoever. When chapter three of the main storyline began, I wanted to run for cover. I wasn't about to get involved with all that shit.
"Nonsense!" She said. "We both know that a peaceful life wouldn't work out for you. Why don't you put your abilities to good use?"
...What the hell did she mean by that? Those last two sentences made me incredibly uneasy. She knew about the red, didn't she. If that was the case, then I didn't really have an excuse.
"Your... condition is nothing to be ashamed of." She continued on, confirming my thoughts. "It's not something you can help. I can understand your hesitance, considering the rather... unsavory connotations of enjoying blood, but I have faith that you could overcome it."
She really wanted me to be a hero. I wasn't sure why, because in the grand scheme of things, I was insignificant. I just wanted to stay out of this madness, so why the hell was I getting dragged into this? Fuck, man, I had a good thing going in Enrika. I didn't want to leave now!
"I appreciate your words." I said slowly, trying not to offend the all-powerful being in front of me. "But I cannot simply leave now. I'm... like twelve, at most."
Ilias seemed to chuckle at that. I knew she was faking it to try and make me relax, but damn it would've been pretty convincing had I been just a normal child. I would not fall for her tricks, however.
"Of course, not now." She laughed lightly. "I meant when you're older. You're still far too young for that kind of life."
I cringed. So she was going to make me leave later? That was better, but still not great. At least I had time to prepare...
"Uh, ma'am." I cut in, trying one last time to abort this insanity. "I don't wish to be rude, but I don't really want to be a hero. That kind of life just isn't for me."
I braced myself for the inevitable shock of electricity, but it never came. After a moment, I cautiously opened one eye. Ilias hadn't moved. Her expression had changed into a sad one, however.
"Child, you don't need to fear me." She softly said, her voice carrying a comforting tone. "I'm not sure what horrible things you've heard about me, but I can assure you that they're not true."
...She was assuming that Yuri fed me bad information? I mean, that wasn't true, but I guess that was really the only logical explanation in her mind.
Also, why wasn't she killing me yet? I wasn't complaining, but I felt like I should've been dead by this point. Maybe it was because she thought I was a child?
"It's not that." I said, shaking my head. "I have no doubt that you are as wonderful as most humans say. I just don't really wish to be a hero."
I nearly gagged at the false compliment, but I managed to keep my composure. Fuck, I really hated this chick. It would be a good day when she died, let me tell you.
Ilias sighed, shaking her head at my comment.
"You have time to think about it." She declared. "Just give it some thought, is all."
I nodded, not at all intending to follow through with that. I didn't like it, but I had to be polite until she left. I knew that mouthing off would only get me into trouble, and I didn't really want to die yet.
After saying her piece, she slowly began to fly back upwards. My vision began to darken, which was... concerning.
"Farewell, young one." She said. "I hope you'll make the right choice when the time comes..."
With that, my vision went black. My mind swiftly followed, dumping me back into blissful sleep.
*LINEBREAK*
I bolted upright, gasping as I awoke suddenly. My heart was beating like a jackhammer, and my breath was ragged. I felt a pit in my stomach (which, at this point, was more like a black hole.), and it just didn't want to go away, no matter how long I waited.
I peered out the window, cursing as I realized that it wasn't even light outside yet. Still, there was no way I was going back to sleep after that fiasco. So, I was stuck doing nothing until the sun came up.
I needed to take a walk. Normally, I would consider such a thing to be really, really stupid, but right now, I didn't care. I needed some alone time. Still, I wasn't about to go out there unarmed, so I grabbed one of the many kitchen knives that Yuri owned. In all the chaos of the day before, we'd forgotten my short-sword, leaving it in that place where Yuri fought that red-haired bastard.
Oh, by the way, Yuri was fine now. Micaela had healed her as soon as she felt it safe to do so. Of course, she fed us some bullshit excuse, but I knew the real reason why she didn't deal with it immediately. I didn't blame her, but it still pissed me off a little bit. She had waited until I went off to take a leak, so that probably meant that there was an angel stalking me. Neat.
I grabbed one of Yuri's coats (which absolutely dwarfed me, by the way), and stepped outside, knife in hand. The air was brisk, but it wasn't as bone-chilling as the freezing winter gusts that plagued the later part of the year. I'd estimate it to have been about 40 degrees. (Fahrenheit)
The sound of crickets seemed to permeate the late-night air. It made me sigh, a sudden feeling of nostalgia washing over me. That was a noise I was intimately familiar with, having lived most of my life in a rural, isolated area. Those little bastards were everywhere, it seemed.
It was dark, but not overly so. The moon helped a bit, so I could at least see where I was going. I didn't plan to go far, so it wouldn't have been a problem anyways. Lightly, I trudged across the gravel path, every step I took eliciting a slight crunch from the pebbles beneath my feet. I wasn't exactly being stealthy, but that was fine. I didn't have much to hide, and honestly, anyone who attacked me was a fool.
I wasn't sure what my destination was. I just wanted to be by myself for a bit. If that dream had taught me anything, it was that I needed to seriously think about my future, and I preferred to do that in solitude.
After a couple minutes of walking, I found myself at the edge of the village. Figuring that this was as good a place as any, I slumped against one of the many trees that bordered the town, sighing as I slowly slid into a seated position.
Okay, so I was probably going to be a... hero in the future. I say that word with as much disdain as humanly possible, because almost all of those guys are sad sacks of shit. Luka was the exception, obviously, but he was an outlier, and thus couldn't be counted.
Since I was probably going to be forced into such a journey, I debated whether or not I should go with Luka. I didn't want to be involved with the plot, but was that really much more dangerous than what I was going to do?
Of course, there was still a lot of time between now and when I'd be forced to go. It was entirely possible that Ilias would simply lose interest in me. I mean, when Luka grew up, she'd be almost entirely focused on him, so why would she pay attention to a random guy like me?
That was the best I could hope for, I supposed. I know she tried to make it seem like I had a choice, but I knew that wasn't the case. If I continued to decline her orders, she'd kill me on the spot, or worse.
"Fuuuck." I growled lowly, idly beginning to scratch at one of my arms. This whole thing pissed me off. I wanted to turn that bitch's face into hamburger meat, but that wasn't an option. All I could do was sit here, and wait until I calmed down.
"Something wrong?" An unfamiliar voice asked, startling me out of my thoughts. I whipped around, brandishing the knife as I turned to see who had decided to approach me.
It was one of the many elves that lived in the village. I'd seen her around town before, on those rare days where I went to the market with Yuri. She'd never tried anything, but that didn't mean I trusted her. Plenty of the town's inhabitants had avoided me, but that didn't mean they would restrain themselves if I was perceived to be alone and helpless.
She had blue hair, which was... just kind of strange, to be honest. Her eyes were a normal grey color, and the rest of her was rather unremarkable. At least, unremarkable by elf standards. By human standards, she was smokin' hot. It seemed that, as a rule, all elves were pretty. It was bullshit, but I wasn't gonna complain at the amount of eye-candy in the village. I mean, I couldn't really appreciate it now, but later...
Heh. Hormones.
The woman raised her hands, backing away slowly as she saw that I was armed. That was the smart move, but it also made me a little disappointed. Part of me was hoping that she'd attack, just so I could spill her red without consequence. The mere thought of the wonderful liquid made my throat itch with desire, but I forced such impulses down for now. She wasn't hostile yet, so killing her would only get me into trouble.
"Woah." She said, frowning as she slowly made distance between us. "I'm not gonna hurt you, kid. You can put that away."
I raised an eyebrow. This was new. She wasn't flirting with me, and she also hadn't attacked. It was a strange change of pace, but I wasn't going to complain, as long as she was truthful. However, she could've easily been lying to me. It was possible that, once I disarmed myself, she'd "go in for the kill", so to speak. It was a definite possibility, and even if she wasn't lying, there was no way in hell I was going to let go of that knife.
"Keep your distance." I called out, glaring at her in a somewhat threatening manner. "I don't want you getting near me, alright."
The elf crossed her arms, pouting in a way that was... kind of cute. Honestly, she wasn't bad-looking, if you know what I mean. My eyes trai-
NOPE! Not doing that today. I would not be swayed by her attractive body. I was still far too young for such a thing. Thankfully, my hormones hadn't kicked in all the way yet, so ignoring such things wasn't as hard as it would normally be. Though, things would probably start to get more awkward once I hit puberty.
Eh, that was a problem for future Alex.
"I just wanted to know what was wrong." She deadpanned. "You looked kind of down, and it got me a little worried, is all."
I couldn't tell if she was lying or not. I wasn't great at reading people, so this wasn't a surprise. Still, I had thought that her intentions would be at least a little clear, but I had no clue. She obviously wasn't trying to seduce me, so what was her angle here?
"I'm going to be honest with you." I grunted, staring her down. "That sounds like complete horseshit. I don't even know you, so why would you give a damn?"
She gave me a sort of confused look. It was as if she was trying to figure something out, but I wasn't sure what.
"...Because I felt the need to?" She muttered, never taking her eyes off of me. "It's just the right thing to do."
...That was... interesting. Sure, "doing the right thing" is something that motivates plenty of people. However, to this point, I hadn't met a single monster (other than Yuri, of course) that gave a damn about my health. So, I think I can be excused for being more than a little suspicious of her.
"You're... not gonna try and rape me?" I asked, tilting my head. "I mean, it's nice that you're just trying to talk to me, but I was actually kind of expecting you to jump me."
She chuckled at that, shaking her head.
"I don't mess around with kids." She stated. "I prefer those who are actually a little more grown up. Also, if I tried anything, Yuri would kill me."
...Was this lady the only other decent monster in the village? Like, It was refreshing to meet someone who wasn't a complete piece of shit for once. Still, part of me screamed that this could all be an elaborate ruse, so I kept my guard up.
"Good." I grunted, still refusing to take my eyes off of her. "I'm glad that you're not like plenty of the freaks that live here."
She frowned at my words. I wasn't sure why, because anyone desperate enough to go after children firmly earned the title of "freak". Though, I could think of plenty more words that were less savory.
"So, what's wrong?" She asked again, crossing her arms as she leaned against a tree. "You still haven't told me that."
I sighed, feeling one of my eyes begin to twitch. I really didn't want to talk to her, but she probably wouldn't leave me alone until I did. If I did take a minute to converse with her, then I'd have to be pretty vague. It was obvious that I couldn't just tell this random stranger what was going on. I'm not THAT dumb.
With one hand, I motioned for her to come closer. I kept a firm grip on my weapon, making it perfectly visible that I still didn't trust her. However, It was kind of annoying to speak to someone who was standing more than seven feet away. She slowly walked over, but still kept a little out of arm's length. That was fine, I supposed. It just made it harder for her to attack me, had she wanted to.
"Well, there's not much to really talk about..." I shrugged, sagging somewhat. "I'd just had a weird dream is all, and now I'm thinking about my future."
The elf nodded, slowly taking a seated position in front of me. She motioned for me to do the same, but I wasn't that comfortable with her presence. Still, such a gesture did help to relieve me at least somewhat, as the position she was in left her vulnerable to a sudden attack.
"Well, it's never too early to figure out what you want in life." The elf supplied. "Though, thoughts like that can get a little heavy, so I could see that bumming you out."
Unconsciously, I relaxed somewhat, letting out a breath I didn't know I was holding. Honestly, it felt nice to talk to someone new for a change, especially when they weren't trying to abduct and/or violate me. Looking back, maybe that was why I dragged the conversation out somewhat.
"I've figured out what I want in life." I grunted. "It's just that I'm not sure if that's entirely possible."
As soon as those words came out, I knew I'd said too much. I kicked myself mentally for such a stupid mistake, cursing silently as I fought the urge to plunge the knife into her skull, just so I could keep my secrets.
"Well, what's stopping it from happening?" She asked, wincing somewhat, as if debating whether or not she should say something. "Is it your... disorder?"
I froze, gripping the knife tight enough that I thought the handle might give way under my fingers. Why in the fuck did she know that? Had she been spying on me? If so, that was unacceptable. I felt my hand begin to shake as my mind started to wander towards violence. It seemed I'd have to teach her to respect people's privacy...
She seemed to notice my sudden hostility, as she quickly scrabbled to her feet, taking a defensive pose. She eyed me warily, putting one hand on a blade that was strapped to her waist.
"Why do you know about that?" I growled, pointing the knife at her. "Have you been stalking me?"
The elf's eyes widened. Hastily, she took a step back, frowning nervously.
"I have done no such thing." She declared, giving me a hard look. "Micaela informed all the guards about your condition when if first appeared. We've known about it for months now."
...Son of a bitch. I'd have to speak with Micaela later then, because that shit pissed me off.
I sighed, and took a moment to calm myself. After about ten seconds of silence, I finally spoke.
"...Sorry about getting mad." I muttered sheepishly. "I just wanted that to be kept private, is all. You can probably guess what most people would think of me if my... issues were common knowledge."
The elf relaxed somewhat, but still didn't let go of her sword. That was understandable, I supposed. I still hadn't let go of my knife, after all.
"I suppose that's understandable." She agreed. "But, going back to my earlier question, is it your... fixation that's keeping you from your goals?"
...Well, that's a convenient excuse to use. Great, now I don't have to make up some horseshit story, because she'd just done it for me.
"I suppose you could say that." I shrugged again. "I just want a peaceful life, but I'm not sure if that's something I can really have."
The elf hummed, stroking her chin. After a moment of thinking, I could see her eyes soften with pity. That annoyed me, mostly because I'm a prideful shithead that doesn't like when people look at me with pity or sympathy.
What? We've all got our flaws. Just because I can admit them, doesn't mean that I can ignore their effects.
"Well, the only advice I can give is to just be the best person you can be." The elf eventually said. "Try to live your best life, even if it isn't the one you want."
I nodded. That was pretty sound advice, even if it was kind of obvious. Really, I was just still a little glad to have some friendly interaction with someone who wasn't Yuri or Micaela. Since most of the people in this village were horrible, I didn't really have much of a social life. So, I was more than a little starved for conversation.
"...So, you want to talk about that dream?" She asked suddenly.
...shit.
I shook my head, hoping she wouldn't press the issue. She didn't, thankfully.
"Sorry." I mumbled. "I'm just not comfortable talking about that."
She nodded understandingly, allowing me to avoid that subject.
We talked for a while, just about life in general. It turned out that she was one of the town guards, and that she was on duty right then, which was why she was awake at such an ungodly hour. Apparently, it was a boring job, because nothing usually happened. These past few months had been unusually busy, but after the death of the heroes' leader, that was expected to change. Most of the small-fry heroes had either been killed or captured in the battle, and many of the townspeople were clamoring for the deaths of the prisoners. Of course, considering how lewd everyone in this town was, it had been nearly unanimously decided that the prisoners would be fucked to death. I thought that was a bit too nice, but whatever, I guess.
We had probably been speaking for a couple of hours when I realized that the sun was about to come up.
"My shift ends soon." The elf said suddenly. "You should probably head home."
...Shit, she was right. That was a shame, because I had been enjoying the conversation. Still, Yuri would freak out if she woke up and I wasn't in the house, so I bade the guard farewell, and trudged on home.
As I was walking, I felt like I was being watched. Tightly, I clenched the knife in one hand, scanning the area around me with my eyes. I couldn't see anything, which honestly just made the whole thing even more tense.
Suddenly, a hand clapped onto my shoulder. With a yelp, I turned to face my foe, ready to thrust my blade into my heart. However, I froze when I saw just who it was.
Yuri towered over me, an ominous frown on her face. Her eyes practically bored into me, and I could almost feel how annoyed she was.
"So, you're sneaking out now, huh?" She asked, her voice flat in that typical "Angered Yuri" kind of way.
She was not happy, to say the least.
A/N: So, Alex has attracted attention from the mad goddess. This can only go poorly.
I'm gonna try my best not to write myself into a corner. That's what happened in my last story, and I don't want this one to share its fate.
Though, on the bright side, Alex made a friend. Yuri's pissed at him though, so... oof. I mean, I'd be pretty mad if my kid decided to up and leave the house in the middle of the night.
Also, on an unrelated note, I just watched the animated film "Wizards" with my dad for the first time. It was a movie that he really enjoyed as a kid, and he wanted to watch it with me. It was good. You should totally watch it, if you get the chance.
