02-14-2017, 09:04 AM
The wild rage almost flared back to life. The bastard touched her. But he was too consumed just then to make him pay for it, too busy laying himself at her little feet like a starving, beaten dog eager and whimpering for her affection.
But she'd rather be in the arms of the enemy.
The very bastard that abandoned her mother.
Father, she whispered, finally turning toward him. He stiffened, jerked his had back up. Already, her answer was there, settled into that endearment only she had claim to. Angry and bitter tears streamed down a hard, chiseled face. His jaw clenched so tightly he thought his teeth might shatter. Knives slid down his tightened throat, blades dulled and dragging as more clung to his breaking heart.
He looked at that little face and saw Cerva; her life, her love, her happiness. His, too. His life. His love. His happiness. The last bit that hadn't died with Cerva, living through her instead. Now shattered and thrown to the side like nothing.
He looked at that little face and saw lives wasted.
Wasted.
His back was to them before she even finished speaking, her perfect voice forced from his mind. Each step was solid and steady despite the life draining from his heart, his every rigid line screaming hurt and disappointment. He never turned back, didn't look at any of them as he became the weapon once again. The magician's lethal tool. His path took him away from Ischia, because Tephra lay between it and the rest of the world. And he wasn't setting foot in this living Hell again unless it was for a bloody massacre, for bodies ripping apart and flesh tearing. For the melody of screams and the echoing pain in every last beat of his heart.
His own child callously scraped away every last remnant of everything that ever mattered to him.
He was born of the mountain. Immediately placed into Cerva's life when she had no one, he'd never even spoken to another creature. She was everything, and he was too. Everything to each other. He knew no other way of being, only at her side. Until he sacrificed his life, his love, to train so he could always protect her. Always shield her from those that would bring her more pain. Sacrificed his memories, his body to brutal pain and ruthless instruction. Sacrificed, even, the one -the only- happiness he'd found in that dark time. Sacrificed his love again.
All for nothing.
But she'd rather be in the arms of the enemy.
The very bastard that abandoned her mother.
Father, she whispered, finally turning toward him. He stiffened, jerked his had back up. Already, her answer was there, settled into that endearment only she had claim to. Angry and bitter tears streamed down a hard, chiseled face. His jaw clenched so tightly he thought his teeth might shatter. Knives slid down his tightened throat, blades dulled and dragging as more clung to his breaking heart.
He looked at that little face and saw Cerva; her life, her love, her happiness. His, too. His life. His love. His happiness. The last bit that hadn't died with Cerva, living through her instead. Now shattered and thrown to the side like nothing.
He looked at that little face and saw lives wasted.
Wasted.
His back was to them before she even finished speaking, her perfect voice forced from his mind. Each step was solid and steady despite the life draining from his heart, his every rigid line screaming hurt and disappointment. He never turned back, didn't look at any of them as he became the weapon once again. The magician's lethal tool. His path took him away from Ischia, because Tephra lay between it and the rest of the world. And he wasn't setting foot in this living Hell again unless it was for a bloody massacre, for bodies ripping apart and flesh tearing. For the melody of screams and the echoing pain in every last beat of his heart.
His own child callously scraped away every last remnant of everything that ever mattered to him.
He was born of the mountain. Immediately placed into Cerva's life when she had no one, he'd never even spoken to another creature. She was everything, and he was too. Everything to each other. He knew no other way of being, only at her side. Until he sacrificed his life, his love, to train so he could always protect her. Always shield her from those that would bring her more pain. Sacrificed his memories, his body to brutal pain and ruthless instruction. Sacrificed, even, the one -the only- happiness he'd found in that dark time. Sacrificed his love again.
All for nothing.
