Shadow of the Abyss

It was the zith of twilight; the flickers of shadows and flames stirred Kirr awake within his hut he'd fashioned out of leaves, mud, and stone. Holding ough room for barely two.

"Sir." A guardsman whispered with a trimmer in his voice, frighted by the monster in the dark. "Sir. You must wake. I've news. Sir."

"There'd better be someone dead.", barked Kirr, oping his foggy eyes, reminisct of the dreams he once held.

"We found Brad and Rick. Their heads were severed in a single blow. It's a fuck mess out there. We need—"

"What," Kirr said hard. Any sort of drowsiness was gone. He rose like a coming storm. His scarred flesh, tattered and cracked, appearing as though hounds had once ravaged it, flashed through the guardsman's naked eyes.

"Wh was this?"

"Based on decomposition. Sixte hours ago." Said the guardsman.

"Sixte hours… they've be missing for sixte hours, and you're only now realizing they're dead? What was Cal doing?!" Demanded Kirr coldly, seething a ball of flames in his chest. He was his second in command. He was one who was supposed to be looking after the camp wh he was indisposed. "Explain. You'll explain it all."

In the following minutes, as Kirr dawned his furs listing inttly, his scarred features contorted into that of a Demon.

"FOOLS!" He roared, barking like a deranged beast, snatching the guardsman by the throat in one fell swoop. Hot piss drched the guardsman's trousers as his veins protruded against his temple." Is the only thing you bastards think about is wetting your fucking cocks? Blasted fools. Did it ever occur to you that I'd inform you of a delivery before it arrived?

Or the fact there was a grown-ass woman alongside childr. They are probably purebloods or that blasted child that snuck in a few months ago. Fuck. Do you all ever think!"

By the time Kirr had released the young guardsman, slobber pooled a his callous palms. Kirr stormed out of his hut, uncaring of his fellow man. He barked out orders.

"Ready a search party! I want them brought back alive! If so much as a scratch appears on them, I'll hang you from your bloody cocks!"

…

…

…

Drched with sweat, Altair and Ria soldier on through the exhaustion. Planting one foot in front of the other, they bore through the sizzling pain ringing through their minds as the only thoughts on their heads were to press on. There had be hours that Altair and Ria had questioned whether they had run far ough. Questioned whether their bodies could continue.

But as they looked at one another. Altair and Reina shared a single thought.

"If he(she) can keep going… So can I."

Mused by an intangible force, the two pushed themselves well past their physical limit, but neither of them dared to show weakness towards the other. They only smiled as they measured the other.

It wasn't until the day the following dawn that Luna appeared with a scolding frown: "Two dummies. Did you two run for nearly two days simply to outdo the other?" She flicked the two on the forehead before tossing them some jerky. "Eat and go to sleep. I'll stand guard."

Altair frowned at the hypocrisy as his chest hammered away, burning as he clched it: "Gods ar't allowed to inter—"

"Eat and sleep," Luna said sternly. "Or do I have to beat you till you faint?"

"You wouldn't—"

"You defiant little shit. You're bearly able to stay awake. And unless Ria has more Balms for the two of you to consume. You are on your last leg. Let me ask you, Mr. Altair if you were to fight right now.

Would you be able to defeat a black mamba as you are right now? Boy, you can't ev clch your fist. "

Altair clched his mouth shut. She was right. The momt he stopped, Altair had felt every ligamt down to the bone strained to the limit. It was as though a battering ram struck him the momt he stopped for rest. He was done.

"I know what you are concerned about. And I admire your suspicion. No, I commd it. Truly. But you need to also realize… You are in many ways at my mercy." She said, amused by the vigilant gleam in his eyes. "Next time, keep what you have to say in your heart.

Never let your oppont know what you're thinking. And I am your oppont, Altair. Everyone is. Secrets keep us alive. Remember that."

This wasn't the first time Luna had raised someone into godhood. She'd taught scores of them. And in all her lessons, there was but a singular skill shared amongst her studts.

And that was to mask one's self.

As a god who carries the Divinity of Secrets, Lunafreya was privy to the Myriad Heav's most secrets of secrets. To her, it didn't matter how small the secret was… Knowledge was power. It was an absolute force of reckoning that held no limit but the limitation of one's imagination.

"The art of manipulation is something I will instill in you, my dear little brother. And you will not like it. But life is all about manipulation. I've taught the best of the best. And you will be the best."

To claim Altair didn't understand what Luna was speaking of would be a lie. He understood well. But he didn't like it. From the deepest pit of his stomach, Altair felt a ssation of loath of being toyed with. And while he understood his Big Sis meant no harm. Nevertheless, Altair couldn't stop himself from somewhat hating her.

"I… Understand." He whispered.

"Smile," she replied, stuffing his mouth full of jerky. "A simple smile can hide a hundred emotions. Remember that."

Altair said nothing; rather, he nodded and gave a smile sharper than any sword.

"Good." she thought softly, masking the hollow ssation in her gut. 'Sorry, little Art. But this is for your own good. Your Father is an utter bastard. One who has too many emies to count. So I'll make sure you suffer now so that wh you go out into the world, you can guinely smile.' She ran her hands through his hair and kissed his cheek.

"Have a good sleep. You deserve it. You did a good job protecting Ria, ev if she didn't need it. You did well."

Altair glanced at Ria eating with a drowsy expression and gave a guine smile befitting his age.

"Good."

…

…

…

"Have you found em'" asked Kirr grimly upon horseback, his wild hair fluttering wildly through the winds.

"No, Sir. Seemed they were alternating through the tree and by g, tracking them will take longer th—"

"Enough. Just tell me a time." Interrupted Kirr, soothing his steed.

"Few days at the most," said Cal, peering over the horizon, frowning. "They're kids, so they shouldn't have be able to travel far."

"There was a report of a third person." Said Kirr, noticing the absce in Cal's report.

Cal could only shake his head. "Only two tracks, boss. So unless she can fly or if she was ev real in the first place. I don't see shit. But we got bigger issues, Boss. The direction they fled to." he paused, peering towards the northwest.

"It's in the direction of the Factory. "