Holding up the polaroid photo the young welder chuckled at the once deemed hero of the coastal people.
He threw it in the air and shot it with his weapon. The revolver had a long musket-like barrel and each time it was drawn, a long stock would unravel latching onto his arm with several tendrils that acted like a brace.
Each chamber had a bullet with intricate gold embroidery similar to the armor and the hammer used to load the weapon needed to be drawn back all the way to his elbow much like a crossbow mechanism.
A hole the size of a fist ate up most of the photo as it floated down but before it reached the ground, hurried footsteps could be heard outside. Tia burst through the door, holding a wrapped gift box in her hands. The barrel of the gun met her gaze and a gasp escaped her lips.
The fear in Titus erupted to anger as he launched himself out and scurried to the xiphos on the ground. The startled welder turned around to face the child but was met with an intense pain erupting from behind his knee.
The small sword felt large in Titus's tiny hands as he gripped it with frightening fury. The blade was shaking as were his hands.
The same fear that drove him to be cowering away had transitioned to fueling his desire to save his mother and sister. That fear distilled inside of Titus's young mind and became a potent lesson for bravery.
The barrel of the gun lowered to meet his head but Tia jumped in front of it before the trigger was pulled. Her head exploded in an instant.
Titus's heart filled with rage as it pumped rapidly, emboldening him to continue to invoke pain on the welder that had just killed his sister.
He gripped the sword with his tiny hands and let out a soul-jerking scream as he twisted it deeper into the welder's knee pit.
The sword's engraving glowed crimson red, much like the color of the blood splatter that erupted out of his sister's headless corpse. It vibrated at frightening speed as little Titus grabbed it tighter and pulled it out.
The welder dropped to the floor, clutching his legs and crying in agony. Terror crept into Titus's veins but instead of driving him to cower in fear, it fueled his purpose: to survive and avenge. He let out a shaky breath as he held up the glowing red sword.
The frequency at which it vibrated was inconceivable, and the slender frame of Titus tensed up like a coiled spring before bringing the weapon down on the welder's naked face.
Tia's body was limp next to the twitching corpse of the welder. The gift box that was carefully wrapped was stained in blood and trampled on.
The distant wails of his mother continued to seep out from under the bedroom door. Titus had no time to register what had happened. No time to mourn his sister. He was still far from safe. His mother was still in hell.
***
I had a sister? My soul aches. My consciousness yearns to detach. As it plays out I don't respond, I try not to register what happens.
I look at death and concentrate on him, trying my best to ignore what's around me.
"Please... I understand now. I get it, I deserve death. Kill me. Just make it stop."
He stares at me blankly with his cold hollow eyes. The nightmare continues.
***
Little Titus emptied the contents of his young mind. His body moved on its own, no thought behind his actions. He peeled off the fingers of the welder that gripped the gun and unwrapped the tendrils that braced his arm.
As soon as his palm made contact with the gun handle, the engravings hue changed from blue to red and the weapon adjusted on its own.
The tendrils braced his forearm and the weight felt like an extension of his arm rather than a separate object. With the xiphos in his left hand and the gun on his right, he charged towards the door with all his might.
All three of the welders were caught with their pants down. Two were on either side of the bed and one was sprawled atop his mother.
Young Titus knew fury intimately as his eyes briefly gleamed the horror of a sight before him. Instantly his hand pulled the trigger, rapidly emptying each chamber and loading the bullet to penetrate the unprepared men.
All three men's body's erupted and tore apart within a minute. Smoke rose from Titus's barrel. The man atop his mother was still squirming. A wild roar rang in the air as Titus charged the man with his mothers sword.
He repeatedly stabbed him in the back, crying and screaming like a mad beast. After the man stopped moving, Titus struggled to drag his body off of his mother.
His tiny frame shook from exhaustion as he rolled the naked corpse over. The entire room was painted red, nothing's original color was recognizable.
His mother laid there, unmoving, glazed in crimson fluid, and stiff. Titus jumped into his mothers arms and wept like a baby; he was merely a child, and his soul had been wrecked with perilous experiences.
"I did it mom… I protected you. I'm not scared anymore."
Sobs escaped his mouth as he reached up to touch his mothers face. The blood that covered it was still warm but her skin was cold.
Titus furrowed his brows and concern washed over his weary mind. His trembling fingers scraped the blood away from her face to reveal a gaping hole under her cheek bone.
One of the stray bullets had penetrated her skull. Titus's world was shattered in that instant. His sister, his mother, his home were drenched in blood.
The sound of pouring rain masked the weeping sounds produced by little Titus's mouth and lightning flashed outside the cozy cottage's window as Titus broke down in the embrace of his dead mothers arms.
He curled up tightly under the covers and cried himself to sleep, carefully caressing the blown in cheek of his mother before burying his face into her breathless bosom.
Thunder awoke Titus, and the flash of lighting revealed the silhouette of a welder standing in front above him. One arm was clutching a wound on his neck and the other was holding a glowing mace.
A scream escaped Titus's mouth and he whipped out his gun, not hesitating to pull the trigger. The desperate clicks of the hammer striking empty chambers could be heard as the glowing mace was reared back for a vicious blow to soon squish little Titus.
Another flash of lightning revealed a majestic curvy figure behind the man, holding a finger up to their mouth; signaling Titus to remain quiet. He held his breath as the mace was brought down in full force, but it did not aim for him.
The vicious strike was brought down on the groin of the welder who was wielding the weapon. A long silent gasp escaped the mouth of the welder before collapsing on the ground next to the other corpses.
The moonlight glancing off of the beautiful woman that saved Titus, highlighted the perfect proportions of her figure. She stepped up closer into the silver light, revealing her unimaginably gorgeous face.
Flawless skin, mesmerizing eyes, soft supple lips, a smile that could smite any living soul and luscious pink hair flowing down to her shoulders.
She leaned forward revealing her tight dress that rolled over her perfect frame. The goddess of lust reached out her gentle hand to the frightened child. She opened her palm, revealing a beautiful pendant of a hummingbird.
"You left this in the box by your sister's corpse."
She put on a charming smile as she patiently awaited his response. Titus remained silent as he held his breath in her gaze.
He had never seen a being so beautiful, so perfect. He was too young to know lust, but a magnetic attraction rose from his chest when in the presence of her majesty.
He slowly reached out his hand and retrieved the pendant. Just grazing her fingers when grabbing the pendant caused a pulse of excitement in his heart. Lust's boundless eyes surveyed the room drenched in velvet fluids.
"I see why I was summoned. Your bravery is cute, little one; but you ultimately failed to protect anyone but yourself. I rarely entertain even the idea of a vessel but I think you'll do."
She reached down to help adjust the pendant around Titus's neck. A waft of her scent caused him to fidget uncomfortably.
Sweet roses, potent flowers of all delights, and a mesmerizing sense of a familiar belonging was the aroma of her aura. A million shades of sparkling colors reflected in her eyes as she studied the awestruck expression on little Titus's face.
Rows of pearly white teeth revealed themselves as her luscious lips parted for a tantalizing smile. Titus's cheeks flushed as she leaned in close to his ear.
"I have a special covenant made just for you… one that will assure you great power to match your bravery."
She pulled away from him and turned to leave, beckoning him to follow her with her finger. Titus averted his eyes from the beautiful goddess and his attention was drawn back to his dead mother lying beside him.
The small room grew cold during his sleep. The coat of crimson liquid that covered everything made the damp room reek of iron. What the gorgeous goddess said was right, he had failed to protect anyone. Every desire he had to be brave and strong for his family was empty without a family to protect.
With the welders dead, his fate was sealed, death would be the only thing that awaited him. He would be ruthlessly hunted down for the murder of not one but four inquisitors; the peak elites would not allow this to go unchecked.