Veirka's Story: Love among Half Gods

She walked the king’s garden, looking up at the stars. Her sister made a beautiful bride. She was so glad that was finally over. Her parents really had no idea how hard it had been on Aerys in the last year. There were more than a few days, that Aerys had cried on her shoulder. Cried about how miserable she was over how those princesses had been chasing the man she loved. That loved her. But in the end, Aerys had won out. She had her lover finally, despite the princesses.
Veirka slowly sat down on the stone bench. “And me? When will I find that love?” She laughed softly, “This would be the perfect time for my mother to come put her arms around me and say it will take time.” She shook her head sadly. “Well I have the time.”
:Yes, you do. We both do.:
Veirka turned in surprise to see who had said that. Gently, before she could see anything, she felt a hand with a soft cloth go over her face. :Gently, now. Breath deep.:
She found herself doing as she was told, as the smell from the cloth made her fuzzy headed. The last thing she saw was a tall figure leaning over her, as she passed out.
:So beautiful.:
Slowly, Veirka woke up to the light touch of someone gently brushing back her hair. Her eyes fluttered open, squinting against the light.
:It’s going to be okay, now. I promise to take good care of you.:
She pulled back at the sight of the man leaning over her. She could feel her heart beating quickly in fear. Trying not to panic, Veirka tried to calm herself down. When that didn’t work, she started to shake some more in fear.
:I’m sorry. I had no other choice.:
Veirka could feel the bonds on herself. All of them physical, magical and mental. She wanted to scream, but couldn’t because of the gag in her mouth. All she could do was close her eyes, and think about the possible things that could have and might still happen to her.
:I won’t hurt you I promise.:
Veirka flinched back, as he gently kissed her forehead. She watched as the man slowly got up from the bed she was on, and walked to the other side of the room. He picked up the tray of food and brought it over to the bed. Resting it next to her, he gently removed the gag. :Hungry?:
“No,” she answered softly. “Who are you?”
:My name is Orryck.:
“Where am I?”
:In my chambers. I took you here,: he answered, as he took a bite of food.
Slowly, Veirka tried to sit up. She flinched back again, as he reached over and helped her to sit up. “What... What did you do to me?”
:What do you mean?:
“Why can’t I use my powers? I should be able to do so. I have gods’ blood in me,” she answered.
He nodded in understanding. :Ah, that. Well, I have gods’ blood in me too. And we are in my home. I control what happens here. And I wished to limit you as much as possible. Are you sure you aren’t hungry?:
Veirka looked away from him, tears trailing down her cheeks. “No. I am not hungry,” she answered softly. “You do realize who my family is right?”
:Yes.:
“You do realize that they will kill you when they find you, yes?” She felt the mental sigh.
:Yes.:
“Then please, let me go,” she begged.
:No. That I will not do,: he stated firmly.
She closed her eyes, crying. “Why not? What have I done that you would do this to me? What has my family done?”
Gently, he turned her to face him. :Nothing. I just wished to no longer be alone. And I felt your pain and sadness. Your desire to not be alone either. It was almost equal to my own.:
She looked into his dark brown eyes, reading the truth of what he said. “So, you would rather die?!”
:Then I die. My life isn’t worth much anyway,: he replied. :I have been alone for a long time. And I was accepting the fact that I would always be alone.:
“Yes, well it’s worth even less now. My family will kill you quickly for taking me.” She glared at him in anger. “Now that you have me, what are you going to do with me? Rape me?”
He flinched back, startled. :I would never do that!:
“Why not?” she snapped “You have me at your mercy. Tied to what is obviously, your bed. I can’t fight you off. I am just as bound mentally and physically. I can’t call on my uncles for help. That is why you took me, isn’t? For your pleasure?”
He quickly got off the bed, standing by the side. :That is not why I took you! I took you because I didn’t want to be alone any more! I wanted to be with someone! To love someone!:
Veirka struggled against her bonds. “This is not how you go about it!”
:What do you want me to do?: he asked, desperately.
“Let me go!” she ordered. “Let me go, so I can go back to my family.”
:No,: he answered softly. :If I let you go, I will surely die. You would make sure your uncles saw to that.:
Veirka laid back in defeat. “Please,” she begged. “Let me go.”
:No,: he repeated. :You will stay and keep me company.: Slowly, Orryck picked up the tray of food. :If you need anything, just let me know.:
“I want my freedom!” she cried some more.
:That I cannot give you.: He walked over to the table putting the tray down. Then, he walked over to a window and stood there, staring out at the void.
Veirka turned away from her captor, still crying. All she could think about was how worried her parents and the rest of her family would be, when they finally realized she was missing. Thinking about this, she slowly drifted off to sleep.
She woke up with a start to someone gently breathing in her ear. She felt the arm around her middle. Veirka turned her head slightly to look over her shoulder. She could see her captor sound asleep next to her. She turned away in disgust and despair. All she wanted to do was go home to her family.
:Are you okay?: he asked gently.
“You have the nerve to ask me that?!” she demanded incredulously. She felt him flinch back. “What’s the matter? Is the kidnapper afraid of his victim?”
:No! I just was startled by your anger. That is all,: he replied.
Veirka chuckled humorlessly, “I would think that I have every right and reason to be angry.”
She felt the mental sigh again. :Beloved, please...:
Veirka did her best, despite her bonds, to pull away form him. “I am not your beloved! Never that! I am your prisoner. You stole me. Deal! I have every right to be angry.”
He roughly turned her to face him. :That is right! I stole you! I stole you because there was no other way!:
Veirka tried to shake his hand off her chin. “What are you talking about?”
:Look at me?!: he demanded. :I’m ugly! I can’t talk! All my life, I have been told that no woman would ever have me. That I am worthless. That the only way I would get a lover or find love was if I kidnapped her.:
She glared at him in anger. “So, you believed this so much, that you decided to prove it right?!” she demanded. “Look! There are other people out there! So, you aren’t the best looking half-god out there! Looks don’t mean everything. It’s what you do that counts. And right now, what you did counts to you being killed when my uncles get a hold of you.”
He gently released the physical bonds on her. :Well then, if it’s what I do that counts...: He grabbed her, as she tried to run away from him.
Veirka struggled fiercely as he pulled her in for a long passionate kiss. She slapped him, when he was done. “I thought you weren’t going to rape me?” she asked snidely.
:I don’t have too. You will be willing enough.:
Veirka’s eyes opened wide in terror as she realized the implication of what he said. Especially, when his hands started to gently stroke the wings on her back. She tried to fight the sensation that he was inducing in her, but she knew the curse that were on her wings. She could feel herself slowly enjoying his touch. Veirka closed her eyes, hating herself for giving in, as he kissed her again, and she responded just as passionately as him.
When they were done, she curled up in a ball, sobbing. “You bastard,” she whispered softly. “I hope my uncles gut you slowly.”
Orryck slowly climbed out of the bed, pulling some clothes on. :I will leave you alone now.: She totally ignored him, as he left her alone in the room.
It was her hunger for food that finally got her to leave the bed. She wandered the room listlessly, not caring any more. Slowly, she ate some of the food on the table. When she was done, she sat down on the floor, watching the flames in the fireplace. She couldn’t bring herself to look at the bed. Never mind even climbing into it to relax.
She gently rubbed her hands on her arms, shivering. “Please... Please... Find me,” she whispered.
Orryck returned to the room. He stood behind her, watching her. He hated himself for being this cruel to her. But, he couldn’t let her go. Not after what he had done. What he had felt.
“Are you going to let me go?” she asked softly.
:No,: he answered.
She curled up in a ball on the floor, wrapping her wings around herself. “I want to die!” she wailed in despair.
He rushed to her, holding her. :What?!:
She fought him off, hysterical, “Get away from me! I don’t want you touching me!”
:But I love you!: he protested.
“Well, I don’t love you!” She continued to hit and slap him, until he finally let go of her. “And, I can’t wait until my uncles find us and kill you. I will enjoy watching you die slowly,” she sobbed.
He walked across the room, confused and at a loss. :I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to fix this.:
“Then let me go!” she demanded.
He whirled to face her. :If I let you go, will you stop your uncles from coming after me?:
She slowly stood up, glaring at him. “After what you did before? What do you think?”
He sighed resignedly, :So, no matter what, I am dead.:
Veirka smiled sweetly, “Why, yes.”
:Then since I am a worthless ugly dead man,: he walked over to her, taking her into his arms, kissing her again. :I love you.:
Veirka struggled against him, until his hands found the wings. She trembled in his arms. Much to her dismay, she slowly started to return his touches, touch for touch. “Oh gods,” she protested softly.
He picked her up gently, carrying her to the bed. :There are no gods here, my love. Just us.:
She looked up at him. Without a thought, she gently brushed his brown hair out of the way, so she could look at him better. “Please let me go?” she whispered.
:Will you lead your uncles back to me, if I do?: he asked.
She looked away from him. “Yes,” she whispered.
:Then, no. I will not let you go. If I am going to die, I refuse to die alone.:
“Then, I have to try to escape. It is the only option that you have left me with.”
:There is another option,: he offered.
Veirka closed her eyes, already knowing the option. “And that is?”
:You could always stay here with me? Do you really want to be alone, Veirka?:
She opened them, glaring at him. “And what makes you think that I will be alone?” she demanded. “I already have someone! And he is not you! He would not use me like this!”
:But he will die. Won’t he?: Orryck asked gently.
Veirka turned away from her captor. “That is cruel, bringing that up.” She pulled away from him in anger. “Is that all you know? Cruelty?”
:I did not intend to be cruel, Beloved. I was just asking an honest question. This person, he will die, won’t he?:
Veirka put her head in her hands. “Yes, he will die.”
:Beloved, do you love this person?:
Veirka turned quickly, slapping him. “Don’t call me that! I don’t love you!”
Orryck grabbed her hand, kissing it gently. :I did not ask if you loved me. I asked if you loved this person that one day will die and leave you alone.:
Veirka hung her head in shame. “No,” she whispered softly. “I don’t.”
:So, you will be alone. Do you really want that?: he asked.
“No. I don’t,” she whispered.
He gently brushed the tears from her cheek. :Veirka, I would never leave you alone. Like you, I have gods’ blood in me. I am as immortal as you. We would be together forever. And you would be loved.:
“Please, let me go home to my family?” she pleaded.
:If I let you go, will you bring your uncles here to kill me?:
She looked at him, seeing his pain for the first time. “No,” she answered.
:If I let you go, would you come back to me?: he asked.
Veirka sighed gently. “No. I would leave and never come back.”
:And then we would both be alone, yes?:
“Yes.”
:I can’t do that, beloved. I can’t allow you to leave. Not if it meant that we would both be alone.:
Veirka curled up once again, crying.
Orryck gently kissed her forehead, then climbed out of the bed. He walked over to the door of the room. :I will leave you be for a while. The room will take care of your needs.: He walked through the door, closing it.
Veirka sat up, surprised. Much to her horror and dismay, she saw the outline of the door faded away until there was no more door into the room. She looked around her prison, and all she could think of was to keep on crying.
Veirka lost track of how long she was alone in her prison. Orryck wasn’t wrong about the room providing for her. Every morning she would wake up to see a meal on the table. The bathtub in the corner of the room, was always ready for her to use it to clean herself up. What few clothes she had, were always clean, when she went to put them on. Even the fireplace was cleaned of it’s ashes and soot. She wasn’t sure how this was accomplished, and eventually, she didn’t care to know. All she cared about was living day to day in her lonely prison, waiting for her uncles to come rescue her.
When she realized that it was going to take a while for this to happen, she tried to find ways to escape. Veirka totally explored the room she was in. She looked under the bed, behind the wardrobe, she even looked under the rug on the stone floor. When she couldn’t find a single way out of the room, Veirka collapsed in the chair by the fireplace, giving into despair. When her evening meal appeared on the table, she just couldn’t bring herself to eat it. She was beginning to think that starving to death was preferable to imprisonment.
:Gently love.:
She slowly woke up to Orryck sitting next to her, offering her food. She took a bite of the food. :That’s better. Feeling better?:
She sighed, “No. All I want to do is go home.”
He hung his head, sighing. :Love. I can’t let you go. You are all I want. Can’t you see that?:
“And all I want is to do is go home. Can’t you see that?” she protested.
Orryck looked at her, sighing again. :Very well. I will let you go. Once you are well again, I will bring you back.:
She laid back in the bed, sighing in relief. “Thank you.”
As gently as possible, Orryck took care of Veirka, keeping her company. She gently woke up to the sound of music in the room. Veirka stared at him in surprise, as he sat by the window playing a lute. “That’s...that’s beautiful,” she whispered.
He chuckled mentally. :Thank you.:
“You really can’t speak can you?”
:No. I can’t,: he answered.
“Are you really going to send me home?” Veirka asked.
He closed his eyes, looking towards the window at the void, :Yes.:
Veirka walked over to him, “Are you crying?”
Orryck wiped at his face, :No.:
She gently turned him to face her, “Yes, you are. You’re crying. Why?”
:Because, I am letting you go. You are right, I have to let you go. What is the point of having you here with me, if you don’t love me?: He looked down at the lute picking at the strings.
“I’m sorry Orryck. Honest. But keeping me here will not make me love you.”
:Once I let you go, do you think that maybe then you could love me?: He glanced at her quickly, then looked back down at the lute.
“I don’t know. All I do know is that keeping me here will only make me hate you,” she replied.
:I realize that now. Just as I realize that I will live alone after all. My father is right. I am ugly and worthless. So worthless, I can’t get some one to love me. So worthless, that the woman I love, doesn’t want me.:
Veirka wrapped her arms around him gently. “I’m sorry Orryck. Really. You aren’t as worthless as you think.”
She heard the humorless mental laugh. :You can say that, after what I did?:
“Orryck, I,” she stared at him unsure what to say.
:Exactly. I am worthless.” He looked over at the door. :Oh boy...this is not good. Hide!:
“What?”
:Hide. Quickly!: He gently pushed her towards the wardrobe. :Please! Hide in here and whatever you do, don’t make any noise. Of any kind. If you are discovered, whatever you do, don’t show those!: He pointed at the wings, as he closed the door to the wardrobe.
Veirka concentrated on hiding her wings and making herself as unobtrusive as possible.
Orryck sat back down by the window. He glanced quickly around the room, making sure that there wasn’t any evidence of Veirka being in the room. He jumped as the door to the room slammed open.
The god walked in, staring at his son. “Well?”
Orryck quickly knelt before his father, head bowed down.
“That’s better,” the god chuckled. He reached down lifting his son’s head cruelly by the hair to make him look up. “What, no greeting for your loving father?”
:He...Hello Fa...Father,: Orryck whispered.
“Even without vocal chords, you still manage to stutter.” The god pushed him away in disgust, “Pathetic.”
Orryck fell back, :I’m so...sorry fa...father. Hon...honest.:
The god looked around the room sneering. “I see that your room is as disgusting as always. How can you live in this pig sty?”
Orryck scrambled quickly to present his father a chair to sit on. :He...Here y...you go Si...sir,: kneeling in front of his father.
“So, what stupid endeavor are you doing now?” He looked over at the lute. He reached out to it, making it fly across the room. “Still playing your pathetic music? What can it possibly do for you? Nothing.” The god slowly picked at the strings of the lute.
Orryck winced at the pain of the sour notes, as his father detuned each string. :Fa...father. Pl...Please..: He put his hands over his ears, trying to block out the sound.
After breaking the lute, the god of twilight gently put the pieces next to his son. “That’s better. Now you have nothing to play your worthless music on.” He stood up slowly, kicking his son and the broken lute aside. Twilight looked around the room. “Ah,” He walked over to the wardrobe. “What do we have here?”
Orryck looked up in fright.
Twilight yanked the door open. Veirka fell out, sprawling at his feet. “Well, well. Something I never expected to see here.” He reached down lifting her chin up to make her look at him. “And pretty too.” He looked over at his son. “Have you forced her into your bed yet?”
Orryck looked away in shame.
Twilight dropped Veirka, to stride over to his son. He slapped Orryck hard, sending him sliding across the floor. “You know better than that! Answer me, you little piece of filth! Did you force her into your bed?”
Orryck sobbed silently, :Ye...Yes Fath...Father.:
“You are pathetic. I knew that the only way you would get a woman was if you forced her,” He chuckled, looking Veirka over.
She slowly inched back towards the wardrobe.
“Don’t worry wench. My son had his pleasure of you. You aren’t even worth my attention now.” The god of Twilight kicked at his son as he left the room, slamming the door shut.
Veirka run to Orryck’s side, “Are you okay?”
He pulled away from her, :Don’t touch me!:
Veirka sat there staring at him, “What?”
:My father is right, I forced you. I hurt you. I am not worthy enough to be with you. I am nothing. And when your uncles find me, I will gladly accept the death they will offer me.: He curled up in a ball, sobbing, :You are free. Go home to your family. To the family that loves you.:
Veirka sat there staring at him. She gently smoothed back his hair. “You didn’t force me, Orryck. It was the wings. They have that affect on all of my family.”
:But I still used them against you,: he protested.
“Do you still love me?” she asked softly.
:Yes.:
“Then I forgive you.”
He looked up at her startled, :Are you sure?:
Veirka smiled down at him gently, “Yes.”
Orryck wrapped his arms around her, crying in her lap, :Tha...Thank y...you.:
Veirka wrapped herself around him, including her wings. “You did what you did, because it was all you knew. Didn’t you?”
Orryck miserably nodded, eyes closed.
Gently, Veirka placed one of Orryck’s hands on her wings.
He pulled back, alarmed, :I couldn’t!:
“Yes, you can. You’ve done it before. What is so different now?” Veirka smiled at him in encouragement.
Hesitantly, he touched them, then drew his hand back. :I can’t. I used them against you.:
She put his hand back on the wing. “It is okay, Orryck. Honest.”
He pulled away from her, :No. If I do this, I will never let you leave. Ever.:
Veirka sighed, “Then I don’t leave.”
:Veirka, you will never see your family again,: he protested. :Once we do this, I can’t let you leave. We will have to stay hidden, because of your uncles. If they find me, they will kill me!:
Veirka closed her eyes, accepting her fate, “I understand.”
:Do you? Do you really understand?: Orryck asked, making her look at him.
Veirka looked at him sadly, “Yes, Orryck, I do understand. I understand that I will never see my mother or my father, or my siblings again. I also understand that I will never be alone again. You will never be alone again.” She kissed him gently, “And most important of all, I will be loved.”
:But you will still hate me!: He pulled back again. :I don’t want you to hate me, Veirka!:
“Orryck, I accept this. I will stay with you willingly. I will not hate you.”
:But you won’t love me either, will you?: he asked, looking down.
She smiled gently. “Who knows? Give me time.”
He smiled at her. :Of course I will give you time. After all, you have time. We both do.:
“Yes, we do,” holding him, once again wrapping her wings around them. “Yes, we do.”
Orryck watched her in amazement as she cleaned the room. He was tempted to let the room make a mess or two, just so she would clean some more. Just to make her happy. He would do anything to make his love happy. He knew she missed her family. There was no doubt about that.
Veirka chuckled as she sat on the floor, picking up her sewing. “You are thinking again. Stop it.”
:I can’t help it. You make me think. Why?: he asked.
“Why what?” Veirka measured off a piece of thread, then put it through the needle.
:Why have you accepted being here so easily?: Orryck was almost fascinated by the movement of the needle through the piece of clothing she was repairing. :Veirka, I kidnapped you. You should want to escape.:
“We’ve been over this before, I agreed to stay. You said that once I agree to stay, I could never go back,” Veirka answered softly.
:But don’t you miss your family?: he asked mystified by this woman now in his life.
Veirka put the clothes down, with a heavy sigh. “Yes,” she answered softly. “There are days, when I wish you could send me home. Days when I wake up, thinking that today would be that day.”
Orryck looked away from her. :I can’t. I just can’t. If I did, your family would kill me. Even if you told them that you agreed to this. It does not excuse the fact that I did kidnap you.:
“No, it doesn’t,” she whispered. “Even if my mother was reasonable about it, I don’t know if my father would be.” She chuckled humorlessly, “Actually, I don’t know which one of them would be reasonable about it. All they would see was that their daughter was taken from them.”
:I’m sorry.:
She picked up her sewing again, “I know.”
He looked out the window at the void. He was really starting to hate himself for what he was doing to her. All he could think of what his father had told him. Maybe he was worthless. Maybe he didn’t deserve her. He caught a brief glimpse of his ugly reflection. Closing his eyes, he took a ragged breath, hating himself even more.
Orryck startled slightly, as he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see her reflection in the window as well. Standing there, understanding in her eyes. He tried his best to smile for her. But, to his eyes, it looked like he was leering at her.
Veirka turned her lover to face her. She gently brushed her lips against his. “It’s all right, love. Honest.”
He pulled back startled. He couldn’t believe what he had just heard. :What did you just say?:
Veirka blinked in confusion. “What?”
:What did you just call me?:
She gently wrapped his arms around her, making sure that his hands were resting on her wings. “I believe I called you ‘love’. Is there something wrong with that?”
:Veirka, do you mean it? Do you love me?: He held her gently, still startled by this declaration.
Veirka stared at him, just as startled by her reaction to his question. She felt her cheeks flush. “I...I...” She pulled him down for a long kiss. “Yes,” she whispered softly. “I do.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “I love you. Amazing as that may seem, all things considered. I really do.”
Orryck brushed the tears away from her eyes, :Then why are you crying?:
“Oh love, these aren’t angry or sad tears.” She wiped at them as well, holding out her hands, which were shaking. “They are happy tears,” smiling.
Gently, almost hesitantly, Orryck brushed his fingers along her wings. He couldn’t believe that this forgiving woman in his arms really truly loved him. It was a dream for him. A dream, that he didn’t want to wake up from.
Veirka lead her lover away from his solitary place by the window. She lead him across the room to their bed, sitting down on it.
For a moment, the half-god hesitated, but his lover pulled him gently down next to her. “It’s okay,” she whispered softly. He took in the wonder of it all. The wonder of the sight of her, the wonder of her touch. The wonder of her love, and smiled.
Veirka snuggled closer to her lover. For the first time since she was brought here, she was finally happy. Finally willing to admit that this strange sad half-god was the one she loved. She looked down at him, resting on her, and played with his hair gently. She shifted a little bit so that she could wrap them in her wings. She remembered stolen moments when she was growing up, where she and her sister would sneak to the door of the library to see their parents wrapped around each other like this. Her father in her mother’s arms with her mother’s wings wrapped around them. Veirka sighed in contentment, feeling Orryck’s love for her.
Her eyes flew open in shock. “Oh!”
:What’s wrong love?: Orryck asked, concerned.
“I do love you,” she whispered. She felt the soft mental chuckle from her lover. :I think we’ve established that. You did say that earlier.:
“No! Orryck, I love you.”
Orryck shifted slightly, so he could look at her better. :Veirka, what are you trying to say? You are confusing me.:
“I don’t know how to explain it. But I know there is a difference. Something is different. And it has to do with my love for you.” Veirka looked searchingly at him. “I wish I knew what it was. But I don’t.”
:It’s okay, love. We’ll work it out. I am sure that in time, we can figure out what the difference is. Honest.: He kissed her gently, trying to soothe her. He looked up, alarmed. :Oh no! Veirka, I have to go. He’s calling.:
She kissed him in reassurance. “It’s okay love. I will be here. I promise.”
He looked at her sadly. :That’s not enough. And you know it. You know what he demands.:
“Must you?” she whispered.
:He is my father. And if we are to remain together...: He couldn’t bring himself to look at her.
“Then you must.” She looked away, defeated. She had been so happy a few moments before. “I hate your father,” she softly growled. “I hate him so much. I hate what he does to you. And what he has you do to me.”
Resignedly, Orryck climbed off the bed, walking over to the chest at the foot of the bed. :I know. Come here, Veirka.:
Blinking back tears, she walked over to him, kneeling before him. She concentrated on hiding her wings, before moving her hair out of the way.
Orryck swallowed convulsively, as he placed the collar around her neck. :We have to go. The sooner we leave, the sooner we get back. And the sooner this thing is taken off of you.:
“Yes Orryck,” she whispered. She felt the room shift. She glanced up briefly, to see the God of Twilight sitting on his throne.
“Took you long enough,” he growled. “Come here Filth.”
Orryck walked up to his father, kneeling before him, waiting. He didn’t even dodge the blow as it came. “You took too long getting here. What’s the matter, can’t keep your slut in line long enough to answer your father when he calls you?”
:I’m...so...sorry fa...father. It was ...was my fault.:
Rovan looked at his son, sneering. “It’s always your fault. Enough of your excuses.” He roughly waved him away, to stare at the girl before him. “Well slut? Anything to say?”
“No, milord,” she answered softly.
“Do you enjoy my son’s attentions? Having him take his pleasure of you?” He chuckled grossly.
Veirka just sat there, shaking.
“Orryck, she isn’t answering. I think you aren’t doing a good enough job.” He glared at his son, in outrage. “Show me what you are doing,” he ordered. “Maybe, then we will know what you are doing wrong, and then we can correct it.”
Veirka closed her eyes, trying not to cry.
Orryck stared at his father in outraged horror, :No!:
Rovan stared at his son, “What was that?”
:I will not do that to her. She deserves better than that! Better than me! Better than what you make me do to her.: Slowly, he stood up, facing his father. :I won’t do that to her.:
Rovan slammed his son to the floor for his disobedience. “How dare you?!” He hit him again, sending him sliding across the floor, crashing into Veirka. “You are my son! You will do as you are told!”
Orryck pushed himself away from Veirka. :No. Not this time.:
Veirka felt herself slammed into the floor, as the God of Twilight grabbed his son. “I will teach you to defy me,” he growled. Veirka tried to look away, as Orryck’s father chained his son up. She finally did look away, as Rovan brought a whip down on Orryck’s back.
When she felt the sting of the whip on her back, she looked up, startled. Much to her amazement, Rovan was still standing over Orryck. From the intensity of the sting, she had felt, she had surely thought that Rovan was whipping her too. When the whip descended again on Orryck’s back, and she felt a companion sting on her back, she realized what was going on.
She bit back the cry of pain. Anything, so that Orryck’s father didn’t realize he was punishing both of them at the same time. She flinched as she heard Orryck’s mental scream of anguish. “Stop it,” she whispered.
Rovan continued to ignore the girl on the floor, beating on his son with the whip. He hated this ugly child of his. Hated him so much. Hated his ugliness. Hated his excuses. Hated it all. When he finally finished he released his son, not even bothering to catch him as he fell from the chains.
Veirka crawled over to Orryck. Trying not to injure him more, she put his head in her lap. “Why? Why do you torture him so?” she whispered.
Rovan laughed, tossing the whip in the air. As he caught it, he looked with satisfaction at his son’s blood dripping from it. “Because he is nothing. Worthless. Just like any half god.”
She couldn’t pull away, as the god grabbed her by the hair cruelly. “Oh I know you have gods blood in you. It sings to me. You are just as worthless as he is. As any with gods blood in them. Worthless little slaves to amuse us gods.”
Veirka looked up at him in horror. “I am not a slave!” she protested.
Rovan licked her cheek, enjoying her shiver of repulsion. “Oh but you are. That’s why Ninrath spawned the first half-gods. He wanted a new toy to play with. Imagine his frustration when his hell spawn didn’t want to go along with it. He tried to cover it up. But, the rest of us suddenly realized that we could all do this. Take mortals and use them to produce the perfect slaves to serve us. Malleable. Immortal. With just enough power for the gods to use to their benefit.”
Veirka continued to shake, tears falling as she tried to grasp the truth of the horror that this mad being was telling her. “No. It couldn’t be true,” she whispered, shaking her head.
“Oh but it is, slave.” He took a deep breath, taking in her terror and anguish. He sat back down on his throne. With a slight gesture, he created a chain that attached to the collar around the heart broken girl’s neck.
Veirka looked at the chain absently as it made it’s way from her to the base of the dais that Rovan’s throne was on. She collapsed in despair as a similar chain and collar appeared around Orryck’s neck, imprisoning him too.
After a while Rovan walked away, leaving the girl to her tears and his son.
Orryck finally woke up to Veirka’s gentle touch on his cheek. All he had to do was look at her face and he knew that his father wasn’t done with them yet. He started to sit up.
Veirka quickly and gently pushed him back down, as she saw him wince in pain from the beating his father gave him. “Don’t move. Your back is all open from the whipping.”
He reached out, touching the chain. :What...:
“He has us chained up next to his throne. He said we are slaves. His to do with as he pleases.”
Orryck swallowed, trying to remain calm. He knew he shouldn’t have defied his father earlier. But what was being asked of him, he couldn’t do to this sweet girl. Not after telling him... :I did this to you. If I hadn’t been so selfish and ...:
Veirka gently placed two slender fingers on his lips. “Shhh. Don’t blame yourself, like this. I agreed to stay, remember? You warned me that things like this would happen. Remember?”
:Veirka, you don’t deserve this. This is my fault! I stole you! If I hadn’t done that, you wouldn’t be a plaything for my father. Like I am.: He looked away from her, not caring that his back was screaming in pain every time he moved.
“Don’t do this to yourself, Love. Please. I agreed to stay.”

 

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