I raise my eyebrow and when I am sure he is not looking ahead of him, I grabbed his wrist. I twisted his arm until he would release the sword, yet he hung on even when his hands rotated into an unnatural shape. "Let go of the dagger! I don't want to snap your arm."
"You can try," he growled as he held fast onto the silver blade. He cackled behind me and I do not want to imagine his expression at this moment. "As Cithen's god, I also have magic in my blood. I can heal myself instantly."
"Why didn't your wounds heal themselves, then?" I hear him suck in a breath and although I hesitated, I called my sword to me using my blood. I turn around, careful with the dagger at my neck. "You said you will kill me, why are you hesitating now? Come, slit my throat!"
"You are very confident," he muttered and I knew he lost his confidence. His eyes narrowed and he pulled his hand away before I needed to use my weapon. He recognized one thing to make his eyes dim. "You cannot die? Are you one of them?"
"Yes, I am one of them. You should know the only way to kill me and so, I suggest you stop fantasizing about harming me. Why do you think I am a God of War?" I pushed my face into his, smiling once his eyes widened and he stepped back.
I stepped forward, hands behind my back. "I never die by the blade."
"Yet you die when a loved one betrays you in any way? What an easy task, I will go find someone you love. Your family's name is Valerius, not very common in Vales." His smile twisted into a smirk. His golden eyes glared in the light. "I'll use them."
"You're overlooking one piece of crucial information. Your plan will fail because even if my family is alive, I hate them all." I tilt my head to challenge him and I knew I succeeded when his nose flared. "Sebastian had been kidnapped dozens of times on the battlefield over the last eight months. I don't love him enough for him to be my weakness."
"No one can kill you? Not even the gods?" The Krasean dissolved his dagger and stood there in all his naked glory. He raised an arm to run a hand through his sunny curls. Despite his skinny look in clothing, his toned chest looked hard and his torso was firm. His legs were long and powerful. If it wasn't for his beautiful face, he looked like an athlete from the Empire's Games.
"No one, not even the gods who may or may not exist." I crossed my arms and grabbed the pile of clothes, thrusting it into his arms. I glared up at him although my head was still down. "Do not try that again."
"I know your secret, are you not going to kill me? They usually try to keep their immortality a secret. How old are you?" The tanned man clutched the clothes tightly, the muscles in his arms flexed and caught me off guard more than his legs did. "Hello, my eyes are up here."
"Everyone knows my secret and those others are cowards because they know their weaknesses are easy to find. No one can use anyone to kill me so I can easily spill my secrets." I grin and turned it into a smile. I wonder how much longer the Krasean could stay naked in front of me. "I'm twenty-four."
"You now know my name and age, yet I only know a few things about you." I watch the man carefully slip on the tunic and sandals I brought him. Before he could finish, I started for the triclinium. I parted a silver curtain to peek into the tablinum. "You are a God of Sun and Peace. You are a priest, but what are your name and age? You look too young to be a cleric."
"The people of Cithen named me Zoticus and I am around seventeen or eighteen. I was given title of Head Priest two years ago." Zoticus sighed and tightened a belt around his waist, adjusting the tunic until he sees fit. "Anyone can be a priest or priestess in Cithen, as long as they are willing to devote themselves to the gods."
"How interesting," I stepped backwards, through the curtain and into my study room. I waited for Zoticus as I leaned against a wooden desk painted gold. Emperor Utar must have given me his old desk, but I know I will never use it. After coming so close to losing my patience, I hear a splash from the gardens. "Zoticus!"
I rushed back to the peristylium, throwing myself through the curtains and jumping through small cypress trees to reach the pool. Without thinking, I threw off my clothes to jump into the bloody and bubbling waters. I searched the surface, but I cannot see a single golden hair. "Zoticus! This is not funny."
I shake my head and planted my feet onto the bottom of the pool, wincing when bloody water flowed over to my waist to settle around me like quicksand. I held my hands out before my face and muttered spells until the blood on the water collected in a ball at my hands. The liquid sphere grew and grew while the water turned pink.
I waded through the pool to collect more blood. Then, I saw a new bubble form at the farthest corner and that was when I started taking bigger and more powerful strides in the water. Slowly, the water turned clear and I absorbed Zoticus' blood. His blood is quite sweet.
Zoticus was leaning onto a wall, having fully submerged himself into the water with an eerily serene expression on his face. His hair flowed around his face like a golden halo and when he did not move, refracted light painted bright streaks on his face. His white clothes fluttered like butterfly wings.
Why was he in there?
I kicked through the pool, my only goal was to reach him. After absorbing his blood I have gained more strength to wade through the pool faster. I thought he had perished, but his hand moved to pinch his nose and now I knew his goal. "Zoticus, stop that right now! Get out of there!"
I grunted as I grab the collar of his tunic and pulled him up with both hands. He stared at me with wide eyes and when I chucked him out of the pool, I angrily leapt out with him. I slapped his cheek, watching his head whip from side to side as I continue to hit his delicate face. I growled, "Spit it out! Spit it out I said!"
Zoticus glared at me and coughed up water, spraying hot liquid onto my chest. He tore my hands off his chest and leapt to his feet. I stared up at the man, not understanding why he looks more irritated than me. He shook the water out of his curls. "Why are you doing this to me?"
"What, making sure you don't kill yourself?" I shouted back at him and our voices echoed through the large garden. I put a hand to my heart and slid it down to get rid of the water from his mouth. "I am a warrior, why do you think I would let you live?"
"I have no way to know your damned thoughts!" Zoticus was so livid he had switched to speaking Cithenian, which I understood enough. He shook his hands in the air, exasperated. "If a man wishes to kill himself, let him! Even the gods would not step in."
"Why?" I looked up, feeling absolutely lost. "Why would you, a priest, want to end his own life?"
"I was a priest," his head drooped and a long moment of silence passed before he could bring himself to speak again. Water dripped from his fingers to the floor, making loud splashing noises. "My mission was to avenge Cithen and my gods by killing you. I promised my people I would help their friends' and families' souls rest in peace.
Zoticus sneered down at me. His golden eyes blazed furiously, "I failed before I could even start because you are one of those! In our traditions, a priest who fails to keep his promise must pay by suicide."
"What is this bullshit I'm supposed to understand?" I push myself off the floor and dust my wet legs. I nod curtly, "Sure, I do not have anyone I love to betray me. Sure, I may be an unbearable bastard, but you still have a chance. Do you know how?"
Of course, he was slightly interested in hearing my words. The problem is that I have blurted whatever came to mind and I needed to find a plausible option in order for him to stay alive. Why I felt the need to keep him alive, I don't know. His eyes waited for my answer.
"You," I pointed at his chest and paused to stall for more time. He noticed my bluff and a silver dagger appeared in his hand. I panicked, having forgotten he could summon weapons like me. "You can try to become my love! If I love you and you stab me right here, your mission will be fulfilled. The gods and your people will be happy, right?"
I pointed to where my heart should be. "Or you can start stabbing me every day which could be the equivalent of dying every day. Choose your poison."
"I'd rather die than pick one of those options." Zoticus sighed and brought the knife to his throat, eyes threatening to spill salty tears. In his eyes was a strange look, a look of desperation perhaps. What is he truly asking for?
I hold up my hand and tugged at the dagger's spirit until it escaped Zoticus' hand. I snatched its warm handle, pulling my arm back to throw it into an empty plot of soil far away from him. I blew strands of hair out of my mouth, getting tired of dealing with someone who should be my slave. "You are not going to die. Not as long as I'm alive."
"I'm not immortal like you. I'll rub dirt onto this and get a violent infection." Zoticus pointed at his healing earlobe with his right hand while he bent down to grasp a handful of soil. Tears streamed down his radiant cheeks and although he was close to doing what he threatened to do, he collapsed onto the ground.
I stepped back due to shock, but I recovered soon. I crawled over to him and turned him over to see his eyes stared vacantly into the sky. He looked more broken than a shattered crystal goblet. Like crystal goblets, he is beautiful and I think he is delicate. Having had enough of his antics, I sealed his ear wound for good.
I should have done this earlier.
"If you claim to heal quickly, why are you still injured?" I pulled his head onto my lap and stared down at his dull eyes. I knew he could hear me, but he must be exhausted after almost drowning. Above us, rain poured onto the light blue glass dome. "Answer me!"
"I cannot heal if they use dark blood magic. It blocks all my channels so you saw me struggle to heal myself." Zoticus closed his eyes, his lips quivering as he spoke. "I failed Cithen."
"No, Cithen failed you." I brushed wet hair off his forehead and I knew he wanted to move. He did not. "When did I see you using magic? I don't recall anything."
"You saw the weak wisps of light around my waist and shoulders, didn't you?" He paused and nodded when I did not answer. "If I could have used my powers, that would not be all you saw. I would have healed myself easily if they used anything other than dark blood magic!"
"Well, I can use and manipulate dark blood magic. I can steal the magic from your body and then, you will be able to heal yourself. But before that, explain to me the odd gashes on your back." I don't understand why I recalled seeing the deep gashes and I cannot understand why I asked. Was I interested? Maybe a little.
"Wings, they said. I have not seen it myself but those slave handlers thought it would be fun to carve wings into my back. To mock my title as a god, I suppose." Zoticus squirmed, making the dirt under him damp. "Will it take long to remove the magic?"
"How brutal," I muttered to myself. The man in my lap nodded to agree with my words.
"No, I don't think so. Would you like to try?" I tilt my head although his eyes were closed. His breathing was uneven and I wonder if he is still recovering from his attempt. I scratched an itchy area on my arm. "It will be a little painful, but you'll be able to heal yourself right after."
"I'd like to try. I'm sure it wouldn't be as painful as the wings or earrings." Zoticus held up two fingers, the Valesian signal to go ahead with any plan. He was telling me to take the dark blood magic out of him.
I bite my cheeks to keep myself from cackling as I reached out to slam my palm onto his breasts. My eyes widened, magic flowed through my arms and Zoticus looked up at me with wider eyes. I find myself straddling him although his head was on my lap just moments ago. "Stop moaning like that! It sounds disgusting."
"Your voice tells me you don't think so," the man held a hand to his mouth and after tilting his head to the side, he coughed his guts. He groaned and struggled to push me off. "Enough, it hurts! That is enough for me to regain my powers."
"No, I need to get every last drop," I breathed heavily into his face. I felt dizzy, excited and vicious. My hands squeezed and a frightening shriek brings me out of madness. Dazed, I looked around and I see Zoticus stared up at me with frightened eyes.
He blinked and a single tear fell down his right cheek. He brought his hands to his face, but he did not move.
I realized what I have done and as quickly as possible, I removed myself from him. I held out my hands to see black lightning bolts ran up my veins. I have gained some weak dark blood magic, but I did something terrible. "I'm sorry, I lost my head. Oh, I've committed a deadly sin. What do I do?"
I leapt to my feet and repeatedly slapped my cheeks with two hands. I turned around, frightened by the sight of broken eyes and I could still hear his desperate pleas in my ears. I should not have reacted in such a way, yet I did!
Suddenly, the garden was washed with light while rain poured outside. Thunder rumbled above us and I started to believe in the gods. They must be furious with what I have just done to a former priest. I might have committed the worst sin ever committed by a human.
I stood facing silver curtains, scratching my neck. I did not know what to do.
Behind me, the Krasean sniffed and rose to his feet. The air around us hummed with energy, yet I could not see what Zoticus was doing. Was he using magic to heal himself?
"You can turn around now," Zoticus called to me, but I refused to move. He sighed and I heard him settle down on the stone bench. "I understand instincts can sometimes push people to the edge. Nothing too sinful occurred and if you thought I was afraid of you, I was not."
"I've been assaulted before, yet your eyes were different. Your only goal was to take out all dark blood magic." The man paused and hummed as he searched for his following words. "It felt like my throat was constricting and my heart would burst but I am unharmed. Master, turn around so I can see your face."
I quickly spin on my heel. "Do not call me Master, or Owner, or My Lord. My name- as you already know -is Marik. I'm sorry for harming you."
"I knew you were different." Zoticus raked his damp hair with his hands and he used the back of his hand to wipe his face. When he had finished, he made an 'aghh' sound. "Don't worry, I'm tougher than I look."
"Do you feel better?" I see that his ear had fully healed, showing no sign of ever being damaged. I'm sure his back was the same. I released a sigh of relief when Zoticus nodded. "Removing dark blood magic was the riskiest thing I've ever done. I killed two people and I thought you might be the third."
"Third time's the charm?" He piped up to lighten the mood.
"I'd rather believe you are stronger than most priestly men. Now that everything seems to be settled, should we go to the market for a late morning meal?" I rolled my eyes, seeing his face. I nodded, "Yes, you need to eat something too. You must be tired after attempting a murder, suicide and magic removal, all during the time span of the morning."
"I was not worried about being able to eat with you," the man pointed upwards. Above us, water slid down the blue dome. Off in the distance, lightning struck the ground. "I do not think it is safe to go outside during this weather. The lightning bolt just burned the pile of trash outside Orotica."
"How do you know?" I did not know there was a trash pile anywhere in Orotica! Did Zoticus have supernatural eyesight as I have super hearing? "Do you hear that noise? Is a baby crying out there?"
"I have a third eye that can reach anywhere man has travelled. I do see a small baby had been abandoned at the burning garbage pile. How cruel is Vales?" He hid his shock by covering his mouth. "Do you really leave unwanted female babies to die out there?"
"I haven't seen it happen with my eyes, but I've heard gossip. I've lost interest after hearing so many disgusting people defending the practice." I see Zoticus had risen to his feet. He looked at me and I stared back. "I'll go check it out."
"I will go with you!" The Krasean followed me out of my house and I didn't try to throw him off my trail. Like a puppy, he followed me over the walls and together we made our way to the edge of the city.
On the dark streets, it was just us. Not even a stray dog would be out in this weather, but I am chasing a baby girl! I gripped Zoticus' wrist to keep him from using my distraction as an opportunity to flee or do something harmful to himself. I let him struggle to leave my hold.
"The crying stopped," I paused in my tracks but Zoticus continued to march through the muddy street. I see his furrowed brows and his eyes were narrowed. "I'm assuming you still see the baby? Whatever, it's not only my job to lead. I don't even know why I'm out here, running to a stranger's abandoned baby."
We fly over Orotica's walls to land in front of a stinky pile of waste. The area reeked of sickness and filth, I would be surprised to find a baby amongst the dark garbage. I find my hands were clasped together and I was sincerely praying to Valesian gods. I didn't wish to find a dead baby.
"Over here!" Zoticus had already set out to wade through the dangerous sea of waste. His hands had been scratched, embedded with splinters and torn, yet he continued to make a path towards the center of the pile. "Why would anyone put the baby right in the middle? How can they without injuring themselves?"
"Dropping her from the sky?" I suggested, but he glared at me. I shrugged sheepishly, holding up my hands. "It is a possibility! Unless the person truly risked their health to place the baby at the heart of disease and death. The poor thing is ridden with disease!"
Thunder rolled above us and the loud booming of nature made the baby girl cry. I winced, not liking the fact that thousands of sounds were currently amplified by my strong ears.
I hear Zoticus' shouts, the baby's shrieks, thunder, burning garbage and loud rain. I covered my ears and watched as Zoticus bent over the trash. I held my breath as he drew out a small object from the pile. "What is it?"