CHAPTER 13

Date: July 31st, 110 P.A. / 2114 C.E. and August 2nd-5th, 110 P.A. / 2114 C.E.

That night marked a change within the both of them. For Abaddon, it was a shift in how he viewed the Priestess…as a creature caught between childish youth and adult yearnings. Which category she fell into, immature or mature, was a matter of much debate within his mind. After finding his body reacting to hers, what he should feel for her when in her presence was something he was uncertain of. To make matter more complex, Arei knew fully the implications of his less than calm departure from her presence…even drugged, she had realized what the flush of his face had meant.

And so, the shift was even more profound with Arei…as though a switch had been flipped, her soul began to veer away from the innocence she'd possessed to the personality of the teenager her body was. The new knowledge she'd gleamed from that night, of her own self, of him. She had a fire inside of her, as did he. Flame that did not belong in the same space as a child's soul. No, in his avoidance of her afterwards, in the change that came over his benevolent exterior, bringing him down from guardian to partner in her mind, she had to change. To grow. Her child's soul was tempered in places, beginning to be worn away. Months would pass as she pursued her intellect, pursued knowledge, grew to comprehend many of the social interaction that had previously escaped her. Even so, she struggled with what she found…and even more with how to deal with her God, who seemed to be changing before her eyes. This, she understood, was a deception…it was not him changing, but her own views of him. And in comprehending this, she knew that she too, was changing.

The shift became even clearer as August came. The flowers of the gardens had wilted, the grass turning dry and brittle, the leaves of the trees turning to the shades of embers. Arei wandered these paths, gazing around…the desire to play within the heaps that were gathering only so intriguing her. With the adjustment to cooler weather came heavier robes, which she clutched about her, sighing, her thoughts quiet, stirring only a she noticed tiny thing that one can only notice when they take the time to show down, to forget about their lives, and just feel. She noticed that the leaves on one maple, who still retained its green color, were pale where the sun never hit. No chlorophyll was needed there. She observed how the sky possessed tiny birds who wheeled at random intervals, create an elaborate aerial dance. She heard the cicadas chirping, felt the breeze flow across her skin. She smelled honey from where the hive collectors were working. She took breaks such as these to ease the stress in her mind…to clear her soul and body of the oily weight.

She had already discovered the benefits of such acts. She felt heather, for one. Her thoughts, within the buildup, became less cluttered. Instead, she fiddled with her amulet, humming a random melody which had little flow. It was soft, though, and slow…quiet as her own heart.

As morning fell, she returned inside after watching the sea for a time, returning to her quarters. She had nothing to do today. No tasks to attend to. Byron had told her that Abaddon was occupied today, with some foreigner he could not admit to knowing much about. He merely left it at it being Abaddon's personal business, and not for her to intervene in. This had irked Arei initially, for she did not seem to have the same soft of regard to her own matters…but it seemed that such was the price of her occupation. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she had little that was hers alone. Even pottery was regulated. Only walks seemed to be her private enjoyment…and she wondered at having everything, but nothing to herself.

All creatures needed something, no matter the lives they lead. Sighing, Arei rose. She did have one thing, though, that no one else could declare their right. She could be close to her God…she could have an intimate conversation with him. She could touch him, gaze into his face without awe or fear. She could be herself around him, when she got the opportunity.

With this thought in mind, she rose from her bed, exiting her quarters, and crossed the large hallway to his door. Keeping in mind he was with an ambassador, she knocked firmly, loudly, calling out to him with her thoughts…but received no response. She stood there, for a moment indecisive…before entering her God's quarters. If he was meeting someone, surely it could do not harm if she appeared—she was his Priestess, after all. She wandered through the room, towards where his bedchamber was, calling out for him…still, no reply. She fell silent. The door to his room was open…the bed creaking….

She peaked into his room and froze, her eyes growing wide. She had not been prepared for the scene that met her, and unconsciously she stepped into the doorway to stare. Abaddon spotted her immediately but did not move…nor did his companion.

"Arei? Arei, what are you doing here? What do you want?"

Her hands clenched and loosened…her heart pounded, racing in sync with her breathing…she was shaking, just barely. "I, um…I just wanted to…I…." She bit her lip, looking a way quickly. "I—I'm sorry for interrupting. Excuse me…."

With that hurried apology, she fled…the image of an ebony-haired, pale, lascivious young woman straddling his hips, her hands to his chest, her mouth at his neck…the seraph's own arms wrapped about her barely clothed form. Almost, emerald eyes peering at her with a mix of hazy enjoyment and coy glee…the smile in her dark lips saying more than words could hope to….

They heard a door slam hurriedly, and the woman curled up to him, whispering in his ear, "She killed the mood, my dear…."

He bristled slightly. "I am not your dear, Kaliesha. There was no mood to be killed."

She laughed into his neck. "Oh? She seemed to think so…and it quite upset her, I think. Will you go after the sweet girl?"

"Later. For now, I need you to complete your task."

She purred, stroking at his form. "Gladly…."

She licked at his neck, finding where his blood pulsed…and sank her teeth into him, her knife-sharp canines opening the artery to her mouth. The blood flowed, and she suckled it eagerly after injecting the wound with the paralyzing venom in her mouth sacs. "As much as I dare. Soon you'll have to find a new source of healing, Abaddon. Over the years, my venom can only do so much good for your body…you're becoming immune."

"I'm aware of this. Yet for now, this treatment will suffice. It may only slow and ease the cycle this body goes through, but it is preferable to the alternative."

By this time, she had drunk a couple pints of blood…she licked at the wound, her saliva sealing the slit, possessing an enzyme to encourage healing. The buzz the blood gave her had begun, sending her body and mind into a pleasant physical high…she was flying…!

"So, what'll you tell the child?"

He ignored how her leg was stroking the inside of his, brushing below his midriff. "I will tell her that this meeting is a political one…a continuance of a truce through mutual benefits to the leader and future leader of two factions of this world. It is the truth, and there is nothing more to it."

She pouted. "So, you'll lie. Or, at least, you won't elaborate on what the truce is. You can't. Because if you reveal the truth about my face, you'll have to hint at things that are a big no-no for the humans to learn. I have heard this before, Abaddon!"

"And you shall likely hear it again. I have no desire to make the benefits of our meetings more than health-related—I will not have her, chimera."

"How strange…you wanted that girl, but you don't want someone by far more like you. Someone grown-up, near immortal…," she murmured, her fingers trailing down to his navel, passing it—

He took her wrist, pulling her hands away from him, rising to sitting position. She draped herself against his back, her arms over his shoulders. "Do you really want me to stop, big boy?"

He withdrew from her grasp, feeling nothing for her sultry form, her sensuous intentions. "Perhaps one day, I shall humor you. But that day is not now. Now I must go to Arei…there is no need to prolong her distress."

"If I may give you some advice before you go?"

He paused, listening.

"We have an eternity, Abaddon. But an eternity without pleasure is a swift, agonizing thing. Without meaning, time erodes the soul, making one go insane with the repetition of years. Enjoy yourself, dear Abaddon…otherwise, what is immortality worth if one refuses to live?"

His eyes narrowed. "We are finished here, Kaliesha. I shall see you again in another few months."

"As you wish."

When he gazed back at his bed, he found it empty…the chimera was gone. Content, stretching out his stiff muscles, regaining his bearings despite how light-headed he felt, he reached out his senses…Arei was at the beach. He followed her there, watching as the twilight began to fall…she had been out here for hours now. Time seemed to slip away when that dark princess came…indeed, her abilities could very well have something to do with that….

For a time, neither spoke, watching the horizon shift from pale blue into purple and crimson, fading into deep blue and orange…then, Arei asked, "So…who was your partner up there?"

"Kaliesha is my therapist, believe it or not."

"Oh? And what precisely was she soothing?"

The girl seemed angry…perhaps even a little jealous, though of what escaped both of them. He sighed. "Arei…I have never had any form of sexual activity with that creature. Do not let her nature fool you into believing that close proximity meant anything."

She snorted. "So, it was just Christina, then?"

"…You know of her?"

"Yes. It's not a well-kept secret."

He would have to discuss that with her later, he knew, but not now. "Do you plan to snipe at me or will you allow me to explain?"

She was quiet…he took that as the consent to continue. "…I am very ill, Arei."

Her head snapped towards him. "…What?"

He stared off into where the sea met sun, seeking to drown the light…and sighed. "You are aware that I am what is called a neo-god. Created from leftover powers of creation as Ai had been. However, this process was a tentative thing…and in the end, Ai died after a few years because of faults in her creation. My body, too, possessed faults…it is erred on the most integral of levels.

"You see, my Priestess, but ever cell in one's body possesses a strand of the person's genome, DNA…it is what runs the body, creating energy and protein so the body can heal and thrive, building up muscle and tissue…however, my base is weak. It has holes. And over time, it erodes…my body attacking itself. This process, had it gone on through its course, would have killed me as it had Ai…but my DNA has traces back to Mew…and so, after exponentially breaking down, leaving me a weak and in anguish, my body considers itself to be in danger…almost dead. It triggers a recovery system that restores my body to its proper functions…healing me over the course of a few hours, in contrast for a degradation that take only two months to complete."

"Two?"

He peered at her. "Indeed…for the first few years of my life, the final breakdown was considered waves of growth for my powers…they were not seen as a condition. As time went on, the constant shifts between the collapse of my body and the regeneration should have been enough to drive me insane…in fact, on the night before I recover, it does. Yet I began to dabble in medicines and poisons alike, seeking a cure that did not include suicide.

"Eventually, I found that certain types of paralyzing snake venom worked the best…it slowed my body's ability to process new proteins, and so hinders the eroding through the use of my DNA. Eventually, I found a solution which slows it down to every fives months instead of two…a blessed reprieve that goes by the name of Kaliesha."

She stared, and he went on, "She can control the form of venom she injects into her victims…she is not human, Arei, but a mistake created during the Apocalypse. As is the rest of her race. They are hybrids, a mix of beast and human genes…they are a group very few people on earth know about, and live in solitude from our world. They, like the Rebels, are outcasts…and to keep peace with them, Kaliesha and I forged a deal—she treats my illness, and I allow her to feed on my blood…the nutrient composition rendering her high and with increased stamina the few days after. What we have, though she likes to tease me, is a business arrangement. Nothing more than that," he finished.

"I…I see."

Arei did, to an extent. But the full implications would not hit her quite so swiftly, as much of what Abaddon had said had holes in it, despite being on a basis of truth. He had needed to lie very little to her, a thing which, to his surprise, seemed to appeal to him….

For a time, they stared at the horizon, before Abaddon spoke once more. "Arei…what that woman gave my body was a small dose to act as an anesthesia…very soon, I will have to withdraw to the Room of Solemnity on our floor. Afterwards, the doors will be locked shut, and not opened again for three days…and when that happens, please…do not go to me, no matter what you may feel. You cannot help me then. If you try, you will likely wind up seriously injured…or dead. What I do when I go mad is out of my control…so for your own sake, stay away from me in those days. Please…."

It was the closest he would eve come to pleading to her…and the truth was, he did not wish to be responsible for her suffering, her death. That he had chosen her as his scapegoat already plagued him enough some nights…he did not want her blood on his hands, not literally. She rose from the dune, stepping towards him, and touched his arms.

"Very well. I promise."

And when the time came, she did….

But for those three days, she stood outside the room, and wept at how he howled in pain….