My isolated soul, seeks, hunts, stalks,
For a beautiful soul to ruin.
My primal urges burns within,
The lust, to hard to ignore.
Embrace me let me destroy you.
~Kshipa
Screams were heard from the king's chambers and then it stopped. Kshipa had been in a bad mood after he came back from Superbia, and no one knew why. He ordered for 6 maidens to be brought to his chamber and that was when the screams began. And now, we all knew what the silence meant--they were no more.
Reaching out, Kshipa tapped the gold-plated bell by his bedside. 'So weak, they couldn't even last a day before their souls got eviscerated,' he thought. Kshipa walked to the balcony while reaching out to his pocket, pulling out a lighter, he lit it to the end of his cigarette, and inhaled the smoke deeply, his eyes narrowing in satisfaction. Lately, his primal urges were getting stronger and he knew how dangerous it was. Only the ritual could help him at this time but he wasn't willing to share the powers that came with it. He wanted it for himself only. But he knew it would be hard to do it alone, he had to form an alliance with one of his brothers and then stab him at the back once his services were no longer needed. And he knew the perfect brother to use.
"Lek." He called out as he inhaled more smoke in satisfaction.
"Yes your lordship," A thin green man materialized and knelt down in respect.
"How's your hand?"
"It's getting better your highness."
"Good--he threw what's left of the cigarette and lit another one--we leave tomorrow."
"Yes you highness." Lek's head was still bowed low as he left.
Back in Invidia....
"Cian!" Lir spoke with gritted teeth. 'He must have been on drugs when he chose Cian,' he thought. But of course, he was already here he couldn't possibly leave without an answer so he unwillingly put on a smile so fake even a blind person could tell.
"Cian, He called out in fake flattery, I would like to drink herbal tea please."
Quickly putting the berries in his hands back on the fruits platter, Cian clapped his hands in delight, "Brother you should have said so from the beginning, now what would you like to talk about?"
Closing his eyes, Lir once again chanted to himself on why he shouldn't attack his brother, opening he smiled and said, "Cian in twenty year's time our lives would change, the choices we make now are the factors that determines if our lives would change for good or for bad,so, will you work with me?"
"What do I gain from all this?" Cian asked with a bewitching smile.
"Power, what else do you want to gain?" Lir asked confused.
Taking two more berries into his mouth, Cian expression changed to a sad one, even his back was a little bit hunched, his regal aura was no where to be seen and all that was left was a lonely aura.
"What use is power when I can't afford to survive for it?" Cian asked with a sigh.
"What do you mean, brother?" Lir's mind was foggy with confusion trying to understand Cian's words.
"What I mean to say is--he bent to the left side of the chair putting his elbow under his chin while pouting his red lips that was still munching the berries--Im poor."
Lir opened his mouth wide, bewildered, he asked, "Poor as in you out of cash?"
Cian have him a thumbs up and said, "Correct," with a smile.
Lir looked up at the huge chandelier hanging in the ceilings, he then looked around. He was here four days ago and most of the things in the room had been changed, including the chandelier, he looked at Cian once more and said, "Cian when you call someone poor it means the person has no hope of survival in this life, well, except the person gets rich."
Cian rolled his eyes, "I'm not stupid brother, I know what I said."
"How.... how exactly are you poor?" Lir almost shouted the words out.
Cian threw a berry into his mouth, " Well, I figured out that I quite like Eros way of living and I want to do that as well. Means I have to quit spending cash for a while and save up while looking at all my wealth but then I feel like my wealth is too small, then it means I'm poor, no?"
"So you," Lir said, his voice laced with incredulity, "who live in the lap of luxury, surrounded by wealth and privilege, is 'poor' because you've decided to live simply like Eros? I think we need a new dictionary, brother, because clearly we aren't speaking the same language."
"Lir brother I feel sad about the lack of understanding we share?" Cian exclaimed in sadness so fake a fool could tell.
"What do you want then?" Lir gritted his teeth barely keeping his temper in.
Cian sat upright with a smile, "Finally it has reached the part where I get to make a wish, it's my favorite part if I must say. I want--He returned to his original position while holding his berries--something shiny from you."
"Huh?"
"I mean I want gold, lots of it's." Cian eyes sparkled as he said so.
And just when Lir was about to agree he said, "but of course I want a different gold everyday."
Cian's request for a variety of gold colors left Lir perplexed, until the realization dawned upon him like a thunderous crack. Squatting in disbelief, Lir's fingers yanked at his hair in consternation, as his gaze darkened with a simmering rage. Straightening up, his composure regained yet eyes afire, Lir spoke in a measured, razor-sharp tone, "Since when did gold come in colors, brother?"
Putting on an expression of grief, he said in an exciting voice, "Hearing you say this makes me wonder if you know what gold is. Where do--Cian took his handkerchief and dabbed his eyes--I begin? How do I start?" His excited voice contrasting to his expression of grief.
'I need my brother's help, I can't kill him, I can't hurt him, I shouldn't speak angrily as well, I can do this , don't take his words to heart Lir, you can do this.'
Lir's mind echoed with the mantra of patience, a war waged between his calm facade and the volcanic rage erupting within. 'How could fate have cursed him with such a brother? '
Just as he was about to relent, Cian, ever the opportunist, proposed a deal. "Three favors for three instances of help, Lir," he said, his greed unabated. "And if you find that arrangement wanting, perhaps you could provide me with different gold each day."