Alistair threw back the sword he had stopped, standing between the intruder and his children.
"Seraph," he spoke low, so only his son could here, "get your sister out of here. For now, forget this castle and everything in it. Get you and her somewhere safe."
The strange man laughed, laughed so hard he grabbed at his side. Seraph stood with his sister, wanting to obey his father, wanting to run away, but he was too scared. Something about this man scared him, more than anything he thought could. He felt nothing but hatred emitting from him. Hatred towards his father, his sister, and him. He knew this man would end his life in a heartbeat, but his legs wouldn't budge.
The man lunged forward, bringing his blade down on Alistair, who brought his own up in kind. The swords collided, the metallic sound ringing in the room, reverberating off the grand walls. Though the strange man appeared weak and frail, a great strength pushed Alistair back a step as he kept the blade from descending further. Alistair could feel his child at his back, and knew he had to get away from them, not wanting to draw them into the fight. With all his might, he threw his opponent back, advancing towards him to distance himself from his children.
Alistair thrust his sword forward as his the stranger finally stopped his backwards momentum. At the last moment, the man parried, circling the blade and pushing it to the side, then with inhuman speed, brought his blade back across Alistair's chest. Alistair threw his body back as the blade sliced cleanly through his shirt and nicked his skin, drawing the faintest line of blood.
The man was upon him in an instant, grabbing at his throat, shoving him on his back onto the floor. Alistair forced his eyes to focus when his head hit the floor, refusing to lose consciousness. He swung his sword towards the man's side, forcing him to release his throat and fall to his left, rolling away from the danger. Alistair sprung to his feet, hoping to regain his footing before his opponent.
The man began laughing again, batting away Alistair's sword as he attacked over and over.
"I didn't think I'd have this much fun again!" the man laughed, a crazed look in his eyes.
Alistair began to feel the weight of his own sword after only a few moments of fighting, which was quite unusual. Confusion ebbed his mind as his muscles wanted nothing more than to rest, his breathing coming in greater heaves. It was then, masked by the adrenaline, he noticed. Drops of blood dripped from his opponent's arm, disappearing into the air before they could hit the floor.
The bastard cast a spell of fatigue on me, Alistair realized.
His jaw clenched, the grip of his fingers on his sword tightened. He knew he wouldn't last much longer with such an ailment. The stranger knew this also, for he smiled menacingly.
"Poor, unfortunate soul," the man said with a grin, "your fight is meaningless. Soon your death will be upon you, and afterwards the children's."
Alistair heard Celestia cry in fear as she clung to her brother, who desperately tried calming his nerves enough to move. Anger boiled within him at the threat of harm befalling his children. He was prepared to give everything to keep them safe.
"I'll not let you touch a hair on their heads," he growled back, taking the moment to catch his breath.
This only seemed to excite the man, though, for his laughing grew louder.
"After your death," he screamed out, "I'll kill them slowly, hearing their pitiful screams as I decorated these halls with their entrails!"
Normally calm and collected, Alistair saw naught but red at those words spoken. Unable to control his emotions, he released the mental binds of his ability, though his precious children would be caught in it. His deep, red eyes faded to gold, a wave of aura emitting from his body, catching the man off guard.
A wave of pure fear washed over Seraph, a glaze over his eyes, as though he were no longer there. Celestia's tiny body shook uncontrollably, her bladder relieving itself down her legs and onto the floor.
A snicker escaped the man's lips, causing Alistair to hesitate.
"Your pathetic mind tricks won't work on me," the man breathed, before lunging towards Alistair.
Seraph found himself somewhere he didn't recognize. He was no longer in the D"Luria castle, no longer heard the clash of metal and distant screams of terror. He was surrounded by white, the white of snow, and heard nothing but the wind, feeling the cold on his skin. He was on a mountain, far away from his home.
It was the first time he's experienced his father's ability, though he had heard about it. He knew his father refused t use it, unless absolutely necessary, for it affected any within its range. Rosett had told him about it once, how it could drive men so mad with fear they would kill themselves. Though, she had said, only those with weak minds would go so far.
But Seraph felt no fear in this place. It was calm, peaceful. His eyes drifted across the snowy landscape, resting on a single building in the distance. Trudging through the snow, he approached it, finding it to be a small log cabin. It appeared cozy, with smoke rising from it chimney. However, it was not smoke from a fire he smelled, but blood.
He looked to the door of the cabin. It was open , but he could see nothing inside, though leading into it was a trail of blood. Seraph's breathing became uneasy as he followed the trail with his eyes. There was more, leading to a small, still form on the ground.
Blood.
Dark, red liquid stained the snow around the small, lifeless child. Tears welled in Seraph's eyes at the sight. His body began to shake.
Blood.
Seraph wanted to look away from her. He brought his hands up to cover his face. He saw the red on them.
Blood.
His hands were bathed in blood. His clothes clung to his body, chilling him as though he were just in a pond of water, though only blood had soaked into them.
Blood.
He could taste it on his tongue.
Blood.
His breathing quickened as he began to hyperventilate.
Blood.
His heart beat faster than he ever imagined it could.
Blood.
He grabbed at his head, wanting the images to disappear. But they never did even when he closed his eyes.
Blood… Blood… Blood... Blood... Blood... Blood... Blood... Blood... Blood... Blood... Blood... Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOOD BLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLLODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOOD
Seraph screamed out, pulling at his hair, clawing at his skin, desperate for it to end. Desperate for the nightmare to be over. He never imagined blood would repulse and terrify him so. Never imagined wanting his life to end, just to end this hell.
Suddenly he saw darkness, the feeling and taste of blood gone. The smell of it remained. He opened his eyes, back in the castle, his home. His body still shook uncontrollably.
He took in a shaky breath, still the smell of blood stayed in his nostrils.
Seraph's breath stuck in his throat as he watched his father fall to the floor, blood pooling around his body. And he watched as his father's head rolled to a stop at his feet.
Seraph's knees weakened, and he crumpled to the ground, staring down at his father's face. He heard a scream of horror and despair in his ears, not realizing the scream came from his own lips.
She heard Seraph cry out; she knew it was him she heard. Racing past the many dead, most of them being her friends, others being the burnt corpses of the creatures, she hurried towards him. What caused such a panful cry, she did not know. Even as she rounded the corner to the main hall, she dug her nails deep into her skin, preparing for the worst.
Seraph's throat grew sore and his voice hoarse, tears streaming down his face. He called to his father over and over, refusing to believe what his eyes were seeing.
A hand grabbed Seraph's hair roughly. Seraph cried out in pain as he was pulled up from the floor. He clawed at the hand which held him up, but soon stopped, frozen in fear. His nose was so close to the strange man's, they were practically touching. He could see his own reflection in the man's black eyes, eyes filled with so much hate.
The man's grip tightened; and his jaw clenching.
"You have his eyes", he whispered darkly.
Seraph trembled violently as the man moved the tip of his sword to Seraph's eye. He was planning to cut them out. Seraph's mouth opened to scream for help, but no sound came out.
A spark appeared on the man's hand, which then burst into a flame. He yelped in surprise, throwing Seraph back to the floor. He slapped his hand against his thigh, extinquishing the fire. Seraph sat stunned, his hair a little singed.
"Bastard!"
Seraph's eyes drifted to his left where the voice came from. A slight feeling of relief entered his mind when he saw her. Rosett.
Her black hair looked a mess, falling from its bun. Her dark skin and dress stained with blood. Rage could be seen in her eyes. She looked upon the body of Alistair, glanced at the children, and finally rested her gaze on the intruder. Fire burned within her.
"Young master," she said, "take your sister get out of here. Worry of nothing but your own safety."
She stepped towards the man, blood dripping from her forearm.
"I'll take care of things here."
The man snickered and moved towards Seraph. Rosett swung her bloodied arm, spraying blood into the air. In the blink of an eye, the blood exploded into bright red flames, cutting off the stranger's access to the children. Rosett ran and quickly grabbed Seraph's arm, throwing him towards Celestia.
"Snap out of it!" she yelled at him, "Get your ass moving!"
Seraph did what he was told. He grabbed Celestia's hand, and ran for the door. Rosett was the most powerful magic user in the clan.
She'll be okay…won't she?
Seraph knew she was strong, but so was his father. He pushed the though from his mind, knowing he might already know the answer. He decided to trust she'd be fine, and would focus only on keeping Celestia safe.
"Well then," an irritated voice called out above the roar of the flames. Rosett turned to him, prepared for her fate, but refusing to go down without a fight. The man brought his blade up, sliced his arm, and pointed towards her as his blood streamed down onto the floor, before speaking once more.
"Just how long will you last?"
Seraph ran. He ran as fast as his legs would allow him, half dragging his sister behind him. His sister. She hadn't made a noise for a while, not since the affect of their father's ability wore off when he…
Seraph didn't want to think about it. If he did, itd be likely he's see the horrible image in his mid. He didn't want to relive that moment.
He choked back tears as they ran down the path. He couldn't hear the flames nor the screams of his clan within the castle anymore, they were too far away.
A thought entered his mind.
Where do we go?
The D'Luria castle resided in the mountains on a small island off the coast of the kingdom of Equist. The was a fishing village at the base of the mountain. Although the people of the village knew of the D'Luria clan, both kept to themselves. In order to leave the island, they'd have to enter the village and board a visiting vessel, if there was one.
Seraph didn't like the thought of being in the village, for he had never been there before and didn't know how the people would react to them. But he'd have to cross that bridge when he came to it.
The siblings ran along the path, coming upon some boulders that must have fallen from that narrowed the path. They have to tread carefully because of it, one false step and they'd plummet down a steep fall off to the side. They rounded the boulders, and Seraph's nearly jumped from his skin. Time seemed to slow, for on the other side of the boulders was the child, the girl he frequently sees. Only this time, as he stared at her, she stared right back at him. She was looking deep into his eyes as he ran by. Seraph felt a chill run down his spine, neither breaking eye contact.
Suddenly, he felt his foot twist on a loose rock, felt his body falling towards the edge. It happened so fast, he hadn't had a chance to let go of Celestia's hand, as he pulled her down with him.
All the while, the little girl stared in his eyes.
Seraph pulled Celestia close to his body, holding her tight as they fell. He twisted his body, so as to prevent her from hitting the ground. He landed hard on an edge, then, unable to stop his momentum, rolled off again. He hit another ledge; swinging his leg out, he tried to stop their continued fall on a small growing on the side of the cliff. He caught for a moment before the sapling snapped, and they fell again. They rolled as the ground began to level briefly. Seraph felt each bump and scrape he received from rocks and branches. The slope suddenly dropped, leaving them free falling.
Seraph sucked in a deep breath, holding Celestia tighter in his arms. He landed on the flat of his back, the air forced from his lungs. His head hit the ground immediately after, and he drifted in and out of consciousness. How he didn't pass out, he did not know, only that it was no less than a miracle.
Seraph felt sick, but forced the bile down. He still needed to get somewhere safe. Looking at his sister, he dared not breathe to make sure she still did, to make sure she was ok. She clung to him, her body shaking with fear. Relieved, he finally breathed in, wincing in pain as he did. He moved to stand, but pain shot through his body, forcing him to remain where he lay.
No, he gasped in pain, we can't stay here. Hurry and heal already!
Seraph tried to remain calm, choking back tears. Would those things find them? Would that strange man? Would they die before then? Seraph knew it wouldn't be long before the night was over, before the sun would begin to rise. He knew that once he recovered enough to move, he'd have to grit and bear the pain.
He closed his eyes, trying to relax as much as possible to allow his body to heal faster. His head throbbed, and he heard the loud pounding of his heart in his ears.
Trying to move once again, Seraph felt sharp pain in his body. He managed to sit up and looked over Celestia more closely. She appeared unarmed outside of a few shallow scratches.
Thank the gods.
Seraph breathed a painful sigh of relief.
His jaw clenched as he stood, trying to ignore the pain. Grabbing Celestia's hand, he led her out away from the cliff face, towards the direction of the fishing village. He walked agonizingly slowly with a heavy limp. Fortunately, Celestia remain silent, though he was sure it was because of shock.
They eventually reached the outskirts of the village while the night sky began to change to dawn. Seraph and Celestia weaved around the buildings, heading towards the docks. They stopped at one of the last buildings, Seraph peaking around to make sure the coast was clear. He saw no one and assumed the fisherman and sailors hadn't woken yet. Spotting a merchant's ship, Seraph moved to board it, all the while making sure none saw them. They slipped onto the ship easily. Cautiously, they moved down to where the cargo should be.
He saw many barrels and crates. Bags had been piled atop one another and strapped down tight with ropes so as to not slide around while sailing on the seas. Seraph maneuvered his way to the back of the room, wanting a place where they would be least likely found. Satisfied, he slumped to the floor, drawing a breath in pain as he did so. Celestia slid down silently beside him, tucking her knees to her chest.
Fatigue overcame Seraph. He struggled to remain awake as his eyelids became heavy. Before long, he drifted off to sleep.