"Kid just.... just put down the knife." Elian asks, lifting his hands in a weak defense. "Why? So you can attack me?" I growl. "Delilah." Elian says, his voice suddenly strong. I drop my weapon in shock, the dagger evaporating the moment I let go. "I just need to grab some shit." Elian mutters. But he doesn't get up. He doesn't move. "You... uh.... you threw me into the wall pretty hard there..." he says with an awkward chuckle. "Consider it pay back for what your niece did today. On my birthday of all days." I say with an eye roll. "Huh?" Elian looks at me. Then he notices the scar on my jaw. And the one on my hand. And the one on my ankle where my pajama pants don't quite cover it. "Oh shit..." he mutters. "That's not all. She stabbed me in the gut. Your darling niece nearly killed me." I growl. "Why are you even on their side?! I thought you loved Hera. I thought you thought of the Star Beings as family!"
Elian's eyes grow wide in pain and shock. "You wouldn't understand." "Yeah, you're right. I won't. Mainly because you won't fucking tell me!" I shout. Elian puts a finger over his mouth. "Be quiet. Hera is asleep in the next dorm over and these walls are kinda thin." He whispers. Then he sighs. "Anaideia and Eligio... they're blood. They may be assholes, but they're my primary allegiance. I don't have a choice in this matter." Elian says with a sigh. "Who the hell is Eligio?" Elian gives me an unamused look. "My brother. The asshole in charge." He says with an eye roll. "Just because they're blood doesn't mean you have to be on their side." Elian shakes his head. "You don't understand the consequences of abandoning them." My blood runs cold. For the first time, Elian's scars, his hair, his almost normal appearance... they register.
Elian stands, grabbing a bag from under the coffee table. "How did I not see that?" I mutter. "I've gotta go. They don't know I'm here." Elian says, limping into the kitchen. I follow, my knife appearing back in my hand. "I... I can't just let you leave." Elian turns and sighs. "Sorry kid..." I hear the piece of floor break away before he throws it. And this time, I catch it.
Elian stares at me with genuine fear. I crush the hunk of marble in my hands. "You've been training." Elian says in a squeaky voice. Then he turns and bolts for the balcony. I race after him, my knife still in hand. Elian yanks open the sliding door, leaping up onto the railing. He turns and winks at me. "Happy birthday Delilah." He whistles and then.... he jumps.
"ELIAN!!!!" I yelp, racing over to the railing. Elian looks up at me. He's got a dragon. "See ya kid." He smirks and waves before taking off. "God DAMMIT." I yell, throwing my knife off the cliff. I glance back into the apartment. "I can't believe I let him get away." I mutter. I sigh and teleport back into my room, landing on my bed. Thankfully. I glance over at Nat. She's still asleep. I lay back on the bed and stare at the ceiling. Elian was really here. He was right in front of my face and I let him get away. And now he's back with his "family". My eyes flutter. God I'm exhausted. Slowly, I let myself fall asleep.
After my birthday, the weeks passed easily. No attacks from Anai. Apparently Nat really did a number. And Christmas is a couple of days. Yay. "Hey DJ!" I hear lane yell from the living room. "What?" I poke my head out of my room. "Hera is looking for you. Something about parents?" My heart stops. "Nice to know." I say, bolting out of the dorm. "Wait where is she?" "Her office." "Ok!" I start to bolt out of the dormitories. "Where the hell is that?" I ask, doubling back. "Down the hall, past the medbay, and to the left." "Thank you!"
I burst into Hera's office. Hade is sitting in a chair across from Hera's desk. "Parents?!" "Just your dad for now." Hera says calmly. "Sit. Have some tea. I'll explain." Hera pours me some tea as I sit down. "Hade, we know where both of your parents are. Here's the address and the people you'll be going on the trip with." Hera hands Hade a slip of paper. "Why'd you put Mateo and Karson together?" Hera barley hides her mischievous smirk. "And what about it?" Hade gives her a look of respect and leaves. Hera turns to me. "Sadly, we could only find your father. Your mother seems to move often, so we have no idea where she is. And even your fathers location is just guesswork. Here's the address and the team. Try to be back by the first of the year." Hera says with a nod. I stand to leave. I need to tell her what happened a couple weeks ago. "He came back for his stuff." I mumble. Hera raises an eyebrow. "Who?" "Elian. I couldn't sleep a few weeks ago so I took a walk. When I passed by the teachers dorms, Elian's door was ajar. I peeked in and he was grabbing some shit. I tried to stop him but he managed to get away." Hera looks down at her desk. "He chose his side. I won't abandon everyone like he did."
Lane, Maxine, Damien, and Gabriel are with me. Caleb, Nat, Karson, and Mateo are with Hade. It took all of us about a day to pack everything. And Hera gave us maps. Now we're packing our things into our Saddle bagsI pat Button's head. She purrs. "Good kitty." I whisper. I hear someone knock on the stable door. I turn around. Natalie. "You're sure Hera won't let you come with me?" I ask. Nat shakes her head. "Besides, you need more friends. You barely know Damien. Or Gabriel. And have you even had a full conversation with Maxine?" She asks. I shake my head, defeated. She's right. Button rubs against my arm, wanting more head pats. "You'll get plenty of head pats during the ride, girl." I mutter to my Raven/ Panther cat. "We should probably get going." Nat says. I nod and leap up onto Button's saddle. I ride out of the stable, Nat walking close behind. She runs ahead and leaps up onto her Pegasus. Hera stands in the doorway, her long dark hair falling over her shoulders. Usually it's in a meat bun. Then again, Hera hasn't been as well kept since Elian left. Even the way she acts is less up tight.
Hera walks over to me and hands over a small slip of paper. "You already gave me an address on where to find him." I say with a raised eyebrow. Hera shakes her head. "This is the address of where you will be staying. It's a small cabin in the woods, owned by a wealthy rebellion member. We can't risk a hotel, so you'll be staying there. It's near the address I gave you. And it's heated, so no worrying about the cold winter air." I nod quietly. "Thanks. We better get going if we want to get there by night fall." Hera grabs my arm. "Please be careful Delilah. You can be..." "Reckless? Foolhardy? Rage filled? A downright bitch?" Hera laughs. "The first one. You best get going." I nod and click my tongue. Button perks up. "Lane! Maxine! Damien! Gabriel!" I shout. My team surrounds me. "Ok, Hera gave me a map. Just follow me." Lane grins. Maxine gives me a thumbs up. Damien and Gabriel just nod. "Ok Button... go!"
We got to the "cabin" just before sun down. Though it wasn't really a cabin. More like a fucking mansion. We all raced inside and called rooms. I got a bedroom on the third floor, with Lane deciding on one on the other side of the level. I plop down on the bed and glance out the large window in my room. Button is napping in a tree outside. The sun is beginning to sink low on the horizon. I sigh.
The plan is to go looking for him tonight. But... should we? Or should we wait until tomorrow? What if he dismisses me? What if.... What if he tells me to leave him alone? Someone knocks on my door. "Ready?" I hear Lane yell from the other side. "One minute! I gotta get my boots on!" I yell. I pull on my combat boots and a red flannel. I swing open the door. "Let's go."
"It's a... bar? Really?" I grumble, staring at the building in front of us. "It's more of a pub, really." Maxine says. Someone rushes by us in a hurry. They slam into me. "Woah there dude! You good?" I yelp, nearly toppling over. "Luminis Obumbratio. Their leader is here. Everyone needs to get inside." The person says, getting up and scrambling inside. "Huh?" "They do parades through random Villages. It's a way to show their "power". As if taking over most continents wasn't enough." I hear someone say as they stumble into the bar. An idea pops into my head. I grin mischievously. "Why are you smiling like that?" I hear Maxine ask. "DJ, no." "WHY IS SHE SMILING LIKE THAT???" Maxine asks again, this time louder. "I'm gonna kick him in the balls." I say with an evil laugh. "DJ NO-" "YA CAN'T STOP ME!!!"
I race across the village square. "I'm probably gonna need a weapon." I mutter. I grab a glass bottle off of the street and smash the bottom. "That'll do." I look down the street. The person who said this was a parade wasn't kidding. I'm gonna need a better vantage point. I glance up at the building nearest to me. Then, I launch myself to the roof using the ground beneath me. I roll across the roof, losing my bottle in the process. "Dammit." I grumble. I look around. "I don't know why there's a lead pipe up here, but I ain't complaining." I say with a chuckle, grabbing the pipe. I glance over the side. My guess is the bastard is in the overly decorated carriage. I wait until it rolls right by the building I'm waiting on. Then, I walk to the ledge, say a quick prayer in hopes that I'm right on the trajectory, and leap into action.
I smash into the top of the carriage. A spectator screams. So does the driver. A hatch on the roof slams open. The man from my dreams looks at me with a wild and angry look. And I don't mean "the man from my dreams" in any sort of flattering way. "Brat! Who the hell even are you? An assassin? Because I've taken on plenty and, to be honest..." he climbs out of the cab and stands to his full height. I gulp down a sudden burst of fear. "You look a little young."
Eligio is tall, even more so than his younger brother, with Anai's golden eyes. He's got a single Grey streak going through his slicked back blood red hair. I grip my pipe. "What're you gonna do with that, kid? Hit me with it?" The word kid seems to hit a little too hard. He looks, and talks, a little too much like Elian. Just older. More tired looking. The worst part is he's probably no more than ten years older than Elian.
I shake my head, getting rid of Elian's face from my mind. "Fuck off." I growl, standing up. "Ah, so she can speak. You are a she, right?" He asks in a genuine tone. "Yeah yeah.... NOW EAT PIPE!!!" I swing my weapon at his head. Eligio ducks, swiping his leg under mine. I fall onto my back, the breath getting knocked out of me. Eligio stands over me. "Prepare to die."
He draws a knife from his sheath. How did I not see that? Nevertheless, I smirk. I have him right where I need him. "Hope you don't want any more kids!" I swing my leg upwards, right into his groin. Eligio yelps in pain and doubles over. I stand up and glance over the edge of the carriage. Yeah, I can probably teleport before I hit the pavement. "Well, see you around bitch boy. And tell Anaideia I said hello." I leap off the edge of the carriage with a wave, disappearing in a zap of green lightning before I ever hit the ground.
I open my eyes and look around. I'm back with Lane, Maxine, Damien, and Gabriel, who look at the carriage, then at me, then back at the carriage. "We'd better get inside. He's probably looking for me."
"You actually kicked him in the balls. I mean, you really jumped off a building and kicked him in the balls." Maxine says, a shocked look still on her face as we sit down in the pub. "I'm a woman of my word." I say with a laugh. "DJ, that was badass." Damien says with a respectful nod. I high five him. "You're gonna get us all killed one day." Lane mutters. I wink at her. "Now we split up? Look for your dad?" Gabriel says in his thick accent. I nod and look at my team. "His name is Ethan. Yell for me if you find him."
"It's only been five minutes" I remind myself. "We're gonna find him." I glance around the crowded pub. My worries resurface. What if he doesn't want anything to do with me? What if he's worried I'll cause trouble for him? I'm a Star Being. My existence is illegal. And kicking an evil overlord in the balls doesn't help. "Hey, you good?" Lane asks, grabbing my shoulder and scaring the shit out of me. "Nope. Every insecurity I've ever had about this is swarming my head right now." I squeak. "What if he doesn't want me? He didn't when I was little! And what if he ends up being like every other parental figure I've had?! My moms and asshole, dad never stuck up for me and Elian... Elian fucking left all of us in the dirt for his "real" family." I angrily wipe away a tear. Lane grabs my hand and squeezes it. I feel my face heat up. "He'll be happy to see you. I'm sure of it. Now, let's keep looking."
Lane walks off. I sigh and lean against the wall of the pub. "You!" I hear someone to my left. I jump. "It wasn't me, officer! And even if it was you'd never catch me!" I yelp, starting to bolt. The person grabs my shoulder. "What?" They ask, turning me around. I'm like eight percent sure my heart skips a beat. It's him.
Ethan pauses for a second, registering my face. "Impossible." I hear him mutter. "We left you on earth. It was supposed to keep you safe, how did you..." "The Deity had a bit of a hand in that. I'm Delilah by the way. Most people just call me DJ though." Ethan nods and then raises his eyebrows in shock. "So my kid.... jumped off a building.... and kicked Eligio Timor in the balls...." He says. Then, he starts laughing. I mean, like, completely cracking up. "Holy shit!" He cackles. He freezes, realizing his words. "I mean-" "dude, I curse like a sailor. You're fine." I chuckle. Ethan sighs. "Sorry, I have..." he pauses, his eyes suddenly growing wide. "I need to take you back to my house. There's two people you need to meet." Ethan says with a grin. "Alright...? I have to tell my team first. I'm not gonna just leave 'em here. GUYS!!!" I yell, turning around and cupping my hands over my mouth. Lane, Maxine, and Gabriel all snap to attention. Lane grins excitedly when she sees my dad. I wave. "Come on!"
We step out of the pub, my team and I talking excitedly. Until they go silent and turn around to a gun in my face. "FUCK! Watch where you're pointing that goddamn thing!" I yelp. "Language!" Ethan shouts. "You're under arrest." The person growls. "Ah. L.O. again." I grumble. "Hands up." I raise an eyebrow. "Listen bitch, I just kicked your boss in the balls. I won't hesitate to do damage. Now, let. Me. By." I growl. "I'M NOT PLAYING GAMES!!!" The ground beneath me seems to decide it no longer likes my presence and sends me flying. I slam into the wall of the pub. The brick wall of the pub. I groan as I sit back up, my head spinning. It feels like someone threw my brain into a frying pan and flipped it like a pancake. "BASTARD!!!" I hear a deep voice shout. Was that Ethan? My vision clears just in time to see Ethan blast my attacker with lightning. And I mean sending pure electric rage at this poor dude and sending them flying.
My jaw drops. "I think ya fucking killed them..." I say. "They're not dead. But we'd better go before we are." Ethan says, helping me up. "Yeah..." I mutter. "Lead the way."
We followed Ethan on our mounts. He didn't live very far, but we had to take a couple of detours because of the L.O. We stop at an apartment complex near the edge of the town. Then we go up about three flights of stairs and to the end of the hall. "Home sweet home." Ethan says, unlocking the door. "Thomas! Theo! I'm home! And I have company!" He shouts. A blur rounds the corner, jumping at Ethan. He catches it with ease. Oh wait, that's a kid. A small brown haired brown eyed boy looks back and forth between his dad and I with confusion. "Who are you?" He asks loudly. "Theodore!" Ethan yelps. The boy giggles. "Thomas! Get out here!" Ethan yells, louder this time. I hear the sound of loud footsteps stomping our way. "WHAT?!" Someone yells. It takes me a minute to take in the person in front of me. Brown hair, black clothes, blue eyes, and a leather jacket with a shit load of buttons. Thomas stares at me. "Oh shit." He mutters under his breath. "Language. Anyways... DJ, these are two of your siblings." I feel my heart stop. "Siblings?"
Guess who got onto Art Breeder and made some characters? It's me. In order: Elian, Hera, Hade, Lane, and DJ without the facial scars because I did her a while ago. More to come soon!