The Descendant

Chapter 19 ~ Fear

Chapter 19 ~ Fear

Zaressa

I grunted as I felt the hard floor beneath me dig into my left shoulder. I tried to rub it but something was wrapped around my wrists, which were behind my back causing my left arm to be numb. As I slowly came to everything came back to me, the party, my kidnapping and this weirdly realistic dream I just had of Zoë fighting strange creatures with some glowing sword and a guy. The dream was forgotten in my panic.

I looked around to observe my surroundings. I was in some kind of cell, like a prison, but more dungeon-like. It was very dark so I couldn't see much, but I could make out the outline of someone, hiding in the shadows. They weren't moving or snything, just standing there. Even though I'm sure they knew I was awake, they shape didn't move an inch and I questioned whether it really was a person or was I just seeing things. A moment later I heard footsteps, coming from somewhere else though. I turned my head to that direction and soon enough a light above me came on and momentarily blinded me. While I was still trying to adjust to the sudden brightness, I heard metal clang and what sounded like the irritating creak of a door opening, followed by footsteps steadily getting closer to me. Although there wasn't much I could do to prepare myself considering I was tied, I sat up straighter and mentally prepared myself for what was to come.

When I was finally able to see, there was a man towering over me with a smirk and a look of disdain in his eyes. He looked to be around Zoë's age, and was very handsome in a dark way. His eyes were black as the silk-like curls that adorned his head. His skin was nicely tanned and his features infuriating perfect. His build was that of a finely toned beast. He wore a black velvet cloak lined with gold. He was intimidating to say the least.

I couldn't hold his dominating stare for long so I quickly masked my fear by glancing away to the spot where I thought I saw someone earlier. It turned out there was no one there after all. Before I knew it, the man before me crouched down and held my face tightly in his hand. I felt so weak and powerless just by the mere presence of him and I hated it. My blood boiled beneath my skin in simmering anger. I hated more than anything feeling weak before others. I didn't mind putting on a show to appear weak, but actually feeling it was a different matter altogether.

"So, your the Descendant."

I gasped in shock as I realized who this was before me.

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Damian

I breathed heavily as I tried to catch my breath after slashing through the last one. I glanced over at Zoë to see how she was holding up. Man, she didn't even look winded and here I was sweating like a pig. I quickly composed myself and headed over to where she stood with her eyes closed and a frown on her face.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

She didn't move for a few seconds and finally she sighed and looked at me. Everything about her appearance-her stance her face, everything-appeared as if she weren't even bothered by the fact that this whole thing happened, but when I looked into her eyes I saw despair and I could guess who it was for. She had just gotten her family back just to have it ripped away from her. I knew all too well what it was like to feel that way. . .

~20 years ago~

My opponent, a filthy Siren had just lashed her poison-covered at my face. In a way I felt the sting, but I didn't. I was too consumed in my hatred and bloodless for her to even care. We were battling on the beach and we were knee deep in the water. I could tell that she was maneuvering to get me deeper into the water where she would have the advantage. The moonlight gave me enough light to see just where to strike my sword.

Normally, I would never fight like this, like I was going to kill. Before, I knew that if I looked hard enough, there was always an alternative to killing, but this time there was no other way. I would not let any one of these slimy, fanged, creatures have her. I would not stop until she was out of their clutches. I slashed and plunged. Her half-morphed scale-like skin was covered in slashes amd her royal blue blood oozed from her skin in bucketfulls, but she continued to fight. I swore her that I would not let anyone lay a hand on her, that I would always protect her and nothing could ever separate us. Those were my vows and I fully intended on keeping them.

Not long after, I finally ended the last of this clan of Sirens. The Siren's body sunk deep into the raging waters and drifted away. I was completely worn out but I continues to move on as I reached where the Siren had dumped her body on the sand. I fell to my knees by her unconscious body, wrapped in thin, gauze-like scales. I quickly tore through them and put my hands on her cheeks. Her soft green eyes opened and gazed up at me. At first she smiled, until she saw the blood covering my face. She sat up quickly and looked around us to see the multitudes of lifeless Siren corpses all around us. She then looked back at me with a fire and hatred I had never seen her have before. She yelled that she hated me and never wanted to see me again, that I was a murderer and she wanted nothing to do with me. It...broke me. I was too shocked to do anything as she quickly finished unwrapping herself and headed towards the phone booth.

It took me a minute to compose myself and realize what just happened. I ran over to her but once I got to her I had nothing to say. She really did hate me, I could see it in her eyes, so I let her go. Not even a month later I heard that she got into a car crash. That was the end of my search for love. I had just sacrificed everything-my morals, by beliefs, everything so that I could save her, just so she could leave me afterwards and then get in an accident. If there was a god, he wasn't on my side.

Author's Note
Yay! I did it, I finally updated! Thanks for being patient you guys =)