Venomous Memories bite harder than any snake.
The company. An organization in its prime. The name is Jamco, an all powerful supercorp, who works in weapon manufacturing, drug producing, and people sales. Their actions can be described as nothing but evil. Strong words rightfully sworn. Their infamy has spread across the globe, their tracks left in many crimes. Assassination, robbery, cartel related violence, as far as sprouting rebellions in foreign nations. The greed of leaders often leads into their pockets. But where does that take us observers in this ruthless game?
Leo was too young to remember his father in any more than an outline, a loose thought that feels like it can be snuffed out by some strong wind. His mother was nothing more than a concept, he knew he had one, but much more is philosophy. His father was killed by a man named Lazaros Antony, leader of the Lion company. A fury of a beast who belongs more to the wild than any true animal. Leo in some stumbling buffoonery found himself under this not so human's employ. With the Lion company which is a mercenary company under direct control of Jamco. They rank fifth in the world, number one in the United States. One might say their power gives Jamco power.
One fateful day Leo is given the opportunity to join the prestigious Lion company, all he was instructed to do is one just one horrid job. To kill a kid who was snooping his nose where it doesn't belong.
Leo found himself in a dingy forest. Overgrown weeds, skyscraping grass and thick brushes of old pine. His feet are filled with fervor, his eyes stocked with greed. Each step bubbles up anticipation. His soles are lifted in zealous arches.
Before him the thick undergrowth opens to a majestic field. A house that looked to be older than himself stood sternly, as if to condemn his eager thoughts. Leo looked past this, all of it, soon it will be over, soon he won't have to struggle. Leo with the brazen stride of a soon to be killer marched to the door that was crudely painted red.
Leo took a deep breath, his emotions silenced in that moment. From inside a crack of thunder resounded its fury echoed through the woods. The noise was clear, unmistakably the sound of striking a whip on soft malleable flesh. It was almost horrific, the verbiration, the grunt, the lack of words. It felt personal, it felt wrong. Leo looked at his hands, they stood strong filled with calluses and scars. He thought for a moment he could see his hands shake, but only for a moment. With ruthless efficiency Leo grabbed the nob. With a twist the door pushed itself open, as if the house was welcoming him.
The thunderest cracking sound ended due to the creaking cry of the old wooden door. On the wall a woof welcomed him with eyes of terror, the moment before its death etched into horrific glory by some amateur painter.
Leo grasped his will to push forward. Down the hall he met him. "William Jade." A kid no older than eighteen. His family belongs to long dead precursors who showed prominence in the human monster war. Now he is a boy with a back filled with scars, as well as open wounds leaking fresh blood.
William didn't turn around; he just spoke in a somber empty tone. "You've come to finish me off too?" It was a question, yet not a question. To the boy it was just an affirmation. "Get it over with."
Leo stood there, a twisted expression eating at his face. This was not right, was it? He grasped a knife deep within his pocket. Nothing special, just an antique. The blade popped open with that nostalgic click, conforming that it has in fact locked into place.
Leo didn't know the most efficient way to kill someone. So little did he want to make him suffer. That he stood there waiting for some idea to fill his mind, but gruesomely his head stayed blank. The boy refused to look at him or even give the courtesy to put up a fight. It was as if he was waiting for this. This, whatever this is. Leo looked past the boy onto the messy room. There are bottles covering the floor, half touched food stains the carpet, and blood is splattered on all the walls, with some loose attempts to clean it up causing smudges.
William grabbed his whip once more, as if inpatient he beat himself more vigorously than ever. When the whip hits, a hushed grunt cries out, like he was embarrassed to let anyone know he's in pain.
The knife clanged on the floor, as Leo grabbed hold of the whip leaving a cut down the length of his hand.
"Fight me!" A pleading scream escapes Leo's mouth.
William for the first time turned to glare Leo in the eyes. His face was strikingly handsome, as if sculpted by the Greeks themselves .
"Fuck you." Two words but they ate at Leo.
He felt the need to defend himself, but all Leo managed to get out was a mumble. "I, you, this."
The boy stood his muscular body releasing a vibe of strength. However Leo did nothing more than let go of the whip pleased. Like a monkey he grinned showing off his fangs.
William took a step back, his hands shaking. With the eyes of a righteous man he unleashed the whip in a downward arch. The whip collided with Leo's shoulder creating a horrid crunch. There was no reaction on Leo's face as he raised his fists in a smooth motion. A small smile creased William's lips as he let loose his magic. Slowly a blue smoky haze surrounded his whole body. This got a reaction out of Leo, with wide eyes he rushed at the boy who was doing something incredible.
In this world magic is the key to martial arts, being the fundamental backbone of most teachings. Thus making it a sought after ability. Some spend most of their youth chasing this unachievable dream. That being said, the ability to use magic is not that unique. If you have a good teacher and a lot of meditation, almost everyone can use it. The difference is William's age which puts him among the lesser geniuses.
William repeating the same action as before, an action he must have repeated a thousand times, sent his whip plummeting to the ground. The whip ate at the house devouring each and every inch that it touched, severing the whole house in half, leaving bits of beams held together by strings of wood. All Leo did was take a side step, his experience reacting before he could.
William stood there eyes agape he expected to slice the annoying man in two. Then he spots the carnage he caused, and something happened he never expected to happen again. He cried wet salty tears. Now he wanted to kill this demon of a man more than ever. His rightful peace severed the same as the house. William felt something crack inside of him, something shattering into a million pieces. His mind went black his eyes lost their righteous gleam turning soft, broken.
With less passion than ever he sliced in a horizontal sweep. The whip cut through the air whistling cheerfully till it met where Leo should have been. "CRACK!"
The thunderstorm of sound made William think he was going deaf. But Leo wasn't there, like a runner entering his sprinting stance; he stood gripping the floor, ears leaking thick crimson blood falling silently on the soft ground. The goliath of a man bolted at William like a falling star. His feet beat against the floor the closer he got the louder the symphony became. William felt his body give in, falling slack like a puppet with its strings cut. The last thing keeping him here is a deep wish. A wish to live, something so ingrained in every living creature, he couldn't bear to do it himself. But now he has a partner in this ballroom dance. He could finally see his grandfather again. A useless memory slips into his head.
The memory of that day flashed before William's eyes. His grandpa used to talk about leaving to find his son. Most of the time William let it off as drunken ramblings. But the day he left he didn't even say goodbye. All he told William was "I'll be back with that bastard son of mine."
William couldn't help but wonder where his father had gone. Now this was it, he will just never find out. That ate at him worse than the darkness ever could.
"I don't want to die." He screamed in a battle cry of a shout.
It was too late, the man's fist smacked into William's face, the wet sound crawled the air. He slumped back on his feet, his eyes as white as snow. With a thump William fell lifelessly to the floor.
Leo scoffed, he couldn't hear anything let alone what the boy said, but he had a guess. With stumbling ease he found the knife within the rubble. The world is slipping in and out, yet he must finish the job. With trembling hands he grasped it, he lifted it with all his might just for it to slide out of his fingers falling on the ground. Leo grunted bending and picking it up once again for it to slip clanging against the floor. This time he reached with care, smoothly grabbing with the palm of his hand. It rested there like a sharp souvenir waiting for the giver to gift it to the anxious friend. Unceremoniously he marched to the boy whose unconscious face can be compared to a statue. Leo held the blade as hard as he could, plunging it down on the boy's throat. Williams eyes shot open in what can only be described as terror.
For a second the air became the ground as Leo thumped onto the floor. The puke he was barely holding in became a nasty dye on his shirt.
The boy's skin turns as pale as snow, his eyes shut tight, and his thick black hair turns white like frost sticking to a windshield. William's handsome face grimaces, the boy's veins look as though they want to burst.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"
The boy's heart wrenching scream seeps into the soul itself. A fin foam leaks from his mouth.
5
The boy's eyes shot open, his dead fish-like gaze sent a shiver down Leo's spine.
"Ki, Kid. This. You." Again All Leo could do was mumble.
Leo has heard of many awakeners, but the only one he's ever seen is Lazaros Antony, his face forever etched in his mind. This thought made Leo tremble.
William shot to his feet. His body emitted a cool breeze. In any other scenario one would call it refreshing, but with the boy's icy eyes it only makes you want to shiver. Innately as drinking water, or perhaps as mechanically as a machine the boy lifts his hand. following it a gust of wind hit Leo's face. The boy's lips move Κόλαση πάγου.
"It's a spell!" Leo fell onto his butt.
Ice crystals form on the ground, the long strands of grass shiver up, flowers welt, and water droplets fall like hale. The speed of the freeze slowed the further it got until it made a perfect circle 25 feet in diameter.
As backing away, Leo noticed something. On the boy's arm frost rises up his skin.This realization did nothing to quench his fear.
"Die you fucking bastard!" William screams.
Ice approaches at a growing speed.
"Wait, kid just wait!" Leo throws his hands in the air in a desperate plea.
However the ice didn't stop, if anything it started to increase in speed.
Dread, fear, and self pity rush over Leo. How did he get here, what misshapen road did he take?. He was blinded by greed. Leo told himself he would never become like him. He can see it now a tombstone with his name, no one visits, no one even grieves for his death. How sad. He couldn't tell if it's the coming freeze or a natural reaction, but A chill runs down his spine.
6
Grasping at straws and speaking out of his ass he says "Please, I know your father." He didn't know where it came from but it felt like the right answer. The ice completely stopped in its tracks. The boy looks at Leo with questioning eyes.
"What?" The boy asked quizzically.
"I know it sounds insane but I do. He told me that if I were to ever meet you to give you some advice." Leo spoke like a babbling fool.
William looked suspicious, in fact he looked like he didn't believe any of it. "How do you know him, then?" A simple question, that is if you did know.
"I, oh," There was a long pause. "We were friends at one point. The thing is he didn't tell me his last name, and I guess, well I guess I just realized you look just like him."
For a second the boy's eyes wavered. "You tried to kill me?" A point that shattered Leo's argument.
"Well, you see, that was just a test. I had to make sure you're worthy." Leo didn't even know what he was saying any more.
"Worthy of what?" A question that will fill the holes.
William's face looked as if it's never heard a lie. His innocence makes Leo feel queasy.
"Worthy to become my disciple." Leo clears his throat in embarrassment.
The boy released the spell. The temp shot up and the ice began to melt unnaturally instantly.
"Where is my foolish dad now?" Was the question William needed to ask.The boy looked as if hope finally returned to him, like his suffering can finally end.
"No idea. But I believe he said he had to hunt some monster."
Lies lies lies. Leo knew he was too deep to get out.
The boy's face darkens, as if he was ready to kill once more. "You don't know?"
"Sorry." Leo apologizes full heartedly.
''I accept. I officially swear to be your disciple. However, I need you to promise one condition." William's eyes quivered.
"What's the condition?" Leo asks relieved.
"As my dads friend and as a favor for me, help me find him." An unfulfillable request.
"Sure" Leo replies with glee.