World of Gods: Blackwater

Chapter 3: Star Born

Gresilda held her sword out in front of her. The tip of the blade pointed at Lucine while the both of them trembled in fear. After a few moments, Saverious burst into the room. The male elf had anger plastered all over his face.

Gresilda's attention swiftly turned to Saverious. "Her energy started leaking out of nowhere!"

"Nowhere? I heard a different story from the servants!" Saverious accused her before he extended his hand towards Gresilda. Bolts of lightning jumped from his fingers and attached themselves to her. The once imperious elf woman began to scream in agony. Her short sword crashed to the ground loudly. Lucine watched in horror as she witnessed Gresilda being electrified.

Gresilda fell to the ground with a deafening crash. "Ahhh! Forgive me!" Gresilda screamed in agony. Her words fell on deaf ears as Saverious brought his other hand up and began to shock her with both hands. It made Gresilda scream even louder. Her skin began to smoke and smolder under the lightning, as her eyes rolled into the back of her head.

"I warned you earlier not to put your filthy hands on her!" Saverious roared. Gresilda's hair began burning off her head, and foam formed around her mouth. It was the most horrifying thing Lucine had ever seen. She could already feel the blood rushing from her face. Someone was being electrocuted to death right before her. The worst part about it wasn't just the sight, but the smell. The scent of burning flesh worked its way up her nose, seeping its way into her skin. Lucine was backing up as far as she could in the tub, mortified.

Finally, Gresilda stopped moving and Saverious stopped his lightning. Gresilda's charred remains lay there on the ground. Lucine couldn't even say a word. Her eyes widened in horror at the dead body laying before her. The whole room had been emptied earlier except for the three of them. Now only two. Saverious would walk over to the bathtub and pull out a plug at the bottom of it. The bath water started to pump out onto the floor and down a nearby drain. As the water began to lower, Lucine covered her body up.

Once all the water was gone, she was left trembling, cold, and naked before Saverious. She didn't even want to look at him. He was a monster. A killer who tortured his own workers to death. Not to mention, she was too embarrassed to look him in the eyes. "Here, dry yourself off with this or you will catch a cold." Saverious said to Lucine.

She turned her head to face him. Saverious wasn't even looking at her. Instead, he held out the cloth in her direction. Lucine took it and began to dry herself off while she sat in the tub. Her body curled up defensively as she dried herself off. Lucine didn't even reply. She just kept a close eye on Saverious. Occasionally glancing towards the door, no one ever came in, nor did Saverious turn around to peek at her.

Now dry, Lucine wrapped the miniscule cloth around herself. It barely covered her small form, even curled up. Saverious could hear she was done and took off his robe. The elf was wearing a purple pair of pants and bright white boots. Once again, he reached out to Lucine and offered his robe to her without looking. Lucine hated it, but she wasn't going to walk around naked. So, she would snatch his robe and wrap it around herself, the fabric nearly drowning the tiny woman. It was far too large for her; unlike the cloth she'd dried off with. Glancing at Saverious, she took notice of his well-toned back before looking away.

"Why are you so kind to me... yet so cruel to others? Are you scared of me like Gresilda was?" Lucine asked. She could see Gresilda's short sword on the ground. How many could she save by taking this elf's life while his back was turned to her?

"I do not fear you, Lady Lucine. In fact, I respect you. I wish you would show me the same respect. I know we come from different worlds. So, you might see me as cruel. Correct me if I'm wrong, but hadn't that woman violated you?" Saverious asked Lucine.

While he spoke, Lucine had slowly reached out of the bathtub and quietly grabbed the sword from the ground. "She did... But I am still pure, like you wanted. You didn't have to kill her." Lucine replied, trying to keep him talking.

"To the contrary, I did. This is the second time someone has been rough with you. If I allowed it to continue, then what would my word mean around here? This world is different from yours. In order to send a message, we must be extreme. Otherwise, nothing will come of your words. Do you understand?" Saverious explained to Lucine, who had stood up and raised the sword above her head.

"I do understand..." She said as she breathed heavily.

"Then do it." Saverious told Lucine, keeping his back to her. "My back is turned; your sword is raised. Bring it down upon me and prove your point just as I did."

"I am not like you!" Lucine spat back.

"No, you are not. I am the only one who has shown you any courtesy since you got here. Yet you raise a blade at me. All for what? Making sure you were protected in the cell? Putting a stop to Gresilda hurting you? Making sure you had warm clothes and a fresh meal ready?" Saverious asked.

Tears started to well up in her eyes at his words. "Don't you dare try to twist what's happening here. I know you were the one who sent them to capture me! You brought me here! It was undoubtedly your order that I be locked up and placed in this position! Just like you have with countless others!" Lucine shouted.

That was when Saverious finally turned around to face Lucine. "You are not like the others. You are a Star Born." He told her even as she pointed the sword in his face.

"I don't even know what the fuck that is!" Lucine shouted, knowing she could still run him through, but the act of taking another's life was difficult to perform.

"Lucine, it means you are a Goddess. This is not the Earth Realm. Ethno is a world of Gods. The realm where you belong." Saverious told her.