The dirt road lay cold and dark, what little moonlight that was able to penetrate the dense canopy on either side cast a faint silvery glow illuminating the low and heavy fog that hung tightly to the ground. The air smelled of earth and rain, free from any pollutants or the machines of man, yet despite this it was far from quiet. The forest was alive with noise, creatures pawed the ground as they hunted or traveled, crickets sang their harmonies, birds called and cried, and darker, more sinister monsters would occasionally scream and howl causing the forest to briefly fall silent before nature's choir resumed. The forest fell into a sudden silence as creatures sensed oncoming danger, whether that danger was directed at them, however, was yet to be determined. This silence was shattered as a lone set of hoof beats pounded the earth. The woods watched as the horse galloped. The pure black horse had a single lone rider; he rode, on a mission.
Amidst the woods lay a small home bordering a cliff that dropped off steeply into the sea below. The moon, unhindered by trees in the spacious clearing, was allowed to illuminate the scene in an unearthly silvery glow, washing away the dirt and grime and shit that the day and reality brings. As the moon softly fell down from the heavens it illuminated a single woman, eyes unfocused as she stood, staring into the sea. The salty breeze carried her soft voice easily as she sang, even over the rise and fall of the ocean against the rocks below. She gazed off into the distance, her long black hair flowing out behind her while glowing green eyes watched the distant horizon. Her pale flawless skin seemed to absorb the moonlight and her soft white dress did little to reveal her flawless figure.
πρὸς ὀλίγον ἐστὶ τὸ ζῆν,
pros oligon esti to zên,
life exists only for a short while,
τὸ τέλος ὁ xρόνος ἀπαιτεῖ.
to telos ho chronos apaitei.
and time demands its toll."
"Ὅσον ζῇς, φαίνου,
Hoson zês, phainou,
While you live, shine,
μηδὲν ὅλως σὺ λυποῦ·
mêden holôs su lupou;
have no grief at all;
πρὸς ὀλίγον ἐστὶ τὸ ζῆν,
pros oligon esti to zên,
life exists only for a short while,
τὸ τέλος ὁ xρόνος ἀπαιτεῖ.
to telos ho chronos apaitei.
and time demands its toll."
Her beautiful voice echoed around the clearing. The night grew silent as the creatures of the forest listened to her enchanting voice. The wind played with her hair and moved her dress, all while she stared intently at the horizon.
πρὸς ὀλίγον ἐστὶ τὸ ζῆν,
pros oligon esti to zên,
life exists only for a short while,
τὸ τέλος ὁ xρόνος ἀπαιτεῖ.
to telos ho chronos apaitei.
and time demands its toll."
"Ὅσον ζῇς, φαίνου,
Hoson zês, phainou,
While you live, shine,
μηδὲν ὅλως σὺ λυποῦ·
mêden holôs su lupou;
have no grief at all;
πρὸς ὀλίγον ἐστὶ τὸ ζῆν,
pros oligon esti to zên,
life exists only for a short while,
τὸ τέλος ὁ xρόνος ἀπαιτεῖ.
to telos ho chronos apaitei.
and time demands its toll."
She sighed, knowing who was approaching her and what was to happen. This encounter, as unpleasant as it may be, was long overdue.
"You didn't listen to me."
The gruff voice broke the serenity of the night. From the deep shadows of the oaks a man stepped out. He stood, around 6'3", his lean build promised agility and speed despite the suit of dull silver armour he had, his emerald eyes seemed to pulse with power in the darkness.
"How could I?" She asked, her voice bemused despite the man's tense demeanor. "I am what the gods made me after all. I haven't had much of a choice."
The man sighed, running a hand through his short, slightly graying hair. He walked past the woman, joining her in gazing across the water as she stared at him.
They sat, the silence stretching into minutes as they gazed. They were familiar with each other, and maybe in a different life, a better life, they could have been more than what they were damned to be in this existence.
"Do you ever wonder where he is? What he thinks of all… this?" The man asked, his eyes giving away his age and sadness as he absently scratched his well kept beard, breaking the silence the two had shared.
"Why? We are nothing compared to them. After all, we are but playthings to be used for their enjoyment." The woman said bitterly as she moved closer to the man, their shoulders brushing against each other as they gazed across the sea.
The moon shone bright, casting the waves in silver as they lapped softly against the shore. The ocean seemed to stretch forever, far away from the lands they currently inhabited. The waves cresting far out, their white sea foam swirling before being carried into inky water all while the dark clouds floated serenely above. Briefly a cloud passed over the moon, temporarily interrupting the serenity of the view, breaking the idyllic picture around them, as the world became increasingly dark before the cloud passed.
The man sighed before turning towards the woman,
"Lamia, I don't want to do this. Let me help you. There is a way you can coexist." He said, his eyes softening as he looked into her emerald eyes.
"Percy, there is no place for me with them. Maybe once, but that was long ago." She whispered, staring back at the man before her. "We each have our place in this world, we must accept that. I know mine, but do you know yours?" She said, reaching out her hand to gently stroke his cheek while holding his gaze with her own.
Percy stared at her with a blank look, their eyes meeting before reaching up and cupping her hand with his own and slowly removing it from his cheek while returning his gaze back to the sea.
"You know, once I may have found comfort in such a view, but now….." His words died in his throat as he continued to look. It was so easy to get caught up, staring out at the sea. So easy to pretend this existence of theirs was a sadistic fantasy or a hellish dream.
"I don't know what I am doing. This world just isn't the same. It used to be so, I don't know... simple." He spoke slowly, his words well thought out as he continued to stare.
He shook his head bringing himself back to reality before returning his gaze on the beautiful woman before him.
"Percy, there was a time when you stood for something, defended against evil and protected the weak, the ones in need, what do you stand for now?"
"Do we need to stand for something? Isn't just surviving something? Why does each person need to be something more?" Percy spoke, the emotions behind his words practically spilling out as he briefly allowed the hopelessness he truly felt to shine through.
"That is not the point and you know it. You have regressed. You can't just stop being a hero." Lamia practically scoffed, her tone bellaying the uncounted centuries of wisdom her words represented.
With that Percy's gaze resolved itself, hardening before he continued.
"You know I have to do this. This is who I am now, and they won't let you live like this."
Lamia looked at her half brother one more time sadly, before resolving herself for what was to happen.
"Has it ever occurred to you that they may be more monstrous than I?"
Percy paused, his eyes searching hers for something, then his tired gaze dropped from her own before he spoke.
"This must happen. It is their world after all. The only option is to adapt to their wants, their needs."
"Do what you must, as will I." Lamia spoke, her words punctured with conviction as her gaze hardened from pity to conviction.
She let her gown slip low, revealing her full breasts to the chill of the night, the smooth pale skin glowing in the light, blending seamlessly with poison green scales that crawled up her body. As the gown slipped lower her body shimmered before revealing her true form. While her upper body remained the picture of perfection, in place of legs she had a single reptilian trunk covered in scales a similar shade of green as her eyes. Her tail coiled around her briefly, before she rose slightly, bringing her height just above Percy's. Her forked tongue tasted the air quickly as her slitted eyes glowed with power and a new intensity.
"Are you sssure you want to do thisss?" She asked, her voice once more soft despite the situation.
The scraping of metal on leather was her answer as Percy drew his bastard sword from his back sheath, ruins few could read glowing a hellish red before blending back into the blade. He prepared his stance, his right hand gripping the handle above his left as he readied his weapon.
"This is the role I play in this world." His voice was deep and tired, but filled with resolve. "May we meet again; may we all meet again in a place far removed from this plane."
With that she struck faster than lightning, her hands being replaced with long claws that reached towards Percy. Just as fast he arched backwards underneath the blow, before continuing backwards into a roll to try to distance himself from the creature before him. Lamia followed, hoping to take advantage of his movement as she sliced her hand at his face with a powerful blow.
Faster than the mortal eye could follow claws met steel as Percy raised his blade, at the same time side-steeping her other arm that had followed in a blow that would've disemboweled him. With a flick of his wrist the blade hissed towards the exposed body forcing Lamia to scramble around, her body arching unnaturally to avoid the blow.
With a grunt Percy lowered his shoulder and barreled into the side of the unbalanced serpent, driving her towards the ground as his blade arched towards her. Lamia rolled away before her tail circled around Percy's ankle, yanking him towards the ground before he could react.
Percy struggled back on his feet, and his eyes widened as he saw the claws coming. He tried to sidestep it but it caught him across the left eye. As blood filled his vision he stumbled backwards, wiping his blood away before looking at his hand. It had been a long time since he had seen himself bleed.
Lamia tried to push her advantage, dashing towards his blind side, but the sword was already there. The deadly mixture of bronze and steel hissed through the air, catching Lamia in the shoulder as it tore through tendons and bone.
The weight of the blow caused her to stagger to the ground, her arm hung limply at her side, the blade almost severing it.
She hissed in pain as blood ran wildly down her side, spinning around, trying to use her good arm to catch Percy. Instead of dodging, Percy stepped forward, blocking the blow with his forearm as he drove his sword into her stomach with his other hand.
Lamia gasped in surprise and pain as the blade met no resistance, passing through her easily due to her own force as well as the strike itself, falling forward onto Percy, her head resting on his shoulder as he held her tight.
Time seemed to pause as they stayed like that, Lamia's breathing ragged as she struggled to stay conscious, Percy holding her softly against him before he gently laid her on the ground, sliding his blade out of her body as he did.
He sat down next to her, laying her head in his lap, stroking her hair back from her face even as her eyes fluttered, trying to stay conscious despite the blood loss.
"I am sorry I had to do this, sister." He murmured, blood slowly dripping down his cheek as he talked, his voice filled with compassion.
"Don't be, you know I will be back." Lamia coughed, a slight smile adorning her lips as blood trickled down her chin. "Next time I won't be so easy on you."
Percy smiled despite himself, gazing down at his sister with eyes filled with regret. "You don't know that."
"No I suppose I don't." She sighed, returning her gaze to the distant horizon, gazing out at the waves where the moon's light reflecting off the ocean's surface, "But a gal can hope."
They lay there like that, long after she had passed, her dark red blood slowly seeping into the earth around them, her skin becoming an unnatural waxy white. Percy held her as the sun rose on the horizon, it's fiery rays touching the serene moonlit landscape as it brought back the grime and shit of reality.
He ran his hand through his hair, before slowly pushing the corpse off his lap and standing. He grabbed his sword and, before he lost whatever courage he could muster, he severed her head in one quick motion. Trying not to look he grabbed his bag and shoved her head in, her lifeless eyes staring at him hauntingly, holding a judgment only he could see, before he pulled the drawstring close.
As he walked back towards the rough gravel road the sound of hoofs filled the air as a pure black horse cantered towards Percy, the horse's inky wings tucked into its' sides.
As it pulled closer Percy mounted it in one swift motion, tying the bag onto the worn leather saddle horn before patting his horse's neck.
"Come old friend, we have work to be done."
