No More Tears, Julian (Indignation)

Katana and Longsword (13)

Katana and Longsword

Alyssa stands still. Her heart beat is slowing down as she feels her breathing stop. Her head spins like an awakening tornado. Her eyes don't want to see. Her heart doesn't want to feel the acceptance that she decided to feel. She blinks to clear the scenery in front of her, but it's now stitched in her mind.

"Alyssa, we have to leave." Miranda tugs on her arm, but she shoves her away. She takes a step forward, even if her mind is telling her to do otherwise. The ache in her heart is what's now driving her courage.

She looks directly at Julian. His black eyes bore into hers with no emotion left in them. He doesn't step away from the woman he was kissing not too long ago. The woman, who has beauty beyond mortality, grins mischievously at her. Her dress is gold. It looks like millions of diamonds were placed upon it. Her gold-blonde hair is loose on her side, complementing the pale tone of her skin. Her lips are tainted by an unnatural red color.

"Well, I see the rat has come back from the dead." The beautiful woman stares straight at her with no remorse. "You never mentioned that Julian." She turns to him and runs her perfectly polished finger nails upon the skin of his neck.

Julian's eyes leave Alyssa's and cups the chin of the woman in front of him. "I was... distracted." He smirks.

"Who are you?" She asks the woman.

"My name is Caillech, the Destroyer Goddess of the Underworld."

Miranda lays her hand on her shoulder gently. "Alyssa, let's go now."

"Alyssa? Oh, I think you're mistaken." The woman says. "That's Annalisa. She's the one who took Julian away from me." She raises her eyebrow up at him. "Julian, you'll not leave me again for her. Right?"

"Of course not." Alyssa's heart stops for that second at his answer. She thought him wanting to kill her was cruel, but she didn't know cruelty until now.

"Alyssa, please." Miranda begs beside her.

"No." She shakes her head. Her eyes connect with the Elim's eyes to show her how serious she is. "I'm done running." She turns back to his cold eyes. "I'm done feeling guilty. I'm done mourning over the life I lost. I'm done with everything. I came here to fight." She takes a brave step forward with no fear tainting her stance or eyes. "We end this now, Julian."

"You want to fight me?" Julian smirks, not taking her seriously.

"That deserves a clap." Caillech says with a taunting smile. "You fight against Julian? He will win before you pick up a sword."

"Yes. I want to fight you." She ignores the goddess. "If I win, you leave me and my friends alone."

"And when I win? What do I get?"

"My death."

"No!" Miranda gasps. "Julian you can't agree to that. You love her."

"Miranda it's fine." Alyssa says. "If Julian wants me dead, then he can kill me... if he wins of course."

Julian clearly shows his amusement. His smirk doesn't leave his face. "Deal."

"Julian when she dies can I have her blood?"

"What do you have in mind Caledonia?"

"Soup." There's a sinister glint in her gold eyes.

Caledonia, Caledonia. Alyssa remembers the time in history class where they were going over the minor gods and goddess and what their names meant. Caledonia was another name for Scota which means in Scotland- "Caledonia. Doesn't it mean old hag?" She innocently asks the goddess.