Descendant of Darkness - Chapter One
The first time it happened, Araceli was four. She had gotten away from her caretaker at the park and wound up lost among the trees. She tried to find her way back out, but the sun was setting and she hadn’t been to that particular part of the park before. After falling twice, Araceli sat down, pulling her legs against her and leaning her head on her knees. There was a rustle behind her and she jumped up, whirling around to see a wild dog. Fear gripping her, she opened her mouth and screamed. Nothing came out at first, but then something strange happened. Afraid of being attacked, Araceli glared at the dog, hands shooting out before her.
“Leave me alone!” she shouted. A gust of wind left her palms, knocking the dog off of its feet. Eyes wide, she watched as the dog stood back up and shook his head. He snarled at her before lowering into a crouch. He was going to pounce and the target was her. “D-don't come near me!” Turning, she tried to flee, but the dog pounced before she could get far. He latched onto her jacket and growled low in his throat, pulling at her. “Let go!”
Another snarl before she heard it yelp, the pulling stopping. Turning around, she breathed heavily, hands clasped tightly against her chest. She saw her caretaker standing a few feet away, eyes dark and steely as she glared at the dog. He was whimpering on the ground, his limbs paralyzed.
“Are you okay, Araceli?” she asked, eyes growing softer as she looked upon the small child's face. She held her hand out, beckoning her to her side. “It's okay, child. He won't scare you anymore. He's temporarily paralyzed from the electric shock.” She smiled gently at Araceli. “Let's call it a day, okay?”
Nodding, Araceli finally got her legs to move. She ran and buried her face against her caretaker's coat. “I was so scared, Athena. Why did he attack me? Where did he come from?” She felt tears tail down her cheeks and refused to look up.
Patting Araceli’s head, Athena smiled again. “It's okay, Araceli. He's not going to attack you again. I’m not sure why he did so in the first place. The creatures here are usually very gentle.” Looking around, she frowned. There was a shadowed figure over by another row of trees. Whomever is was, they were most likely the one who turned the dog against Araceli. “Let's go home now, child.”
Taking Athena’s hand, Araceli walked quietly beside her. She kept her face down, not wanting her caretaker to see her tears. Since before she could really remember, she was told that Athena wasn't her mother. Her mother had given her up so she could live happily. She wasn't certain as to why she had to leave her parents, but she knew they were watching over her somehow.
The second incident occurred when Araceli turned twelve. She invited everyone in her class to her birthday party. The other students were making fun of her for not having any parents. She didn’t let it get to her at first, but after the day wore on, she felt more and more saddened by the fact. One of the kids she claimed was her friend even went as far as to say they had abandoned her. It made her feel horrible. She had ran inside while everyone else played and made her way to the attic. It was where Athena kept all of her storybooks. She opened one of them and gazed down at it. It was Zeus, the god of the sky and thunder. Sniffling, she turned the pages until something caught her eye. An entire passage was torn out of the book as if it was never meant to be in there in the first place.
“Araceli, why aren’t you playing with your friends?” Athena asked, coming into the attic. She frowned at seeing the young girl staring intently at the book of the gods and goddesses.
“Athena, why are some of the pages missing? They've been torn out. It seems important,” Araceli replied. She looked up, her dark locks framing her face swaying. “Why are the pages missing?”
Sighing, Athena sat next to Araceli. “Dear child, they've been missing for generations. They were torn out long before I inherited the book. My father's wife ripped them out. My mother had them for some time, but she disappeared and they left with her.”
“Your dad had you out of wedlock?” Araceli’s eyes were bright with anticipation.
Chuckling softly, Athena nodded. “That's one way of putting it, yes.” Ruffling the younger's hair, she smiled. “My parents weren't married, but it doesn't mean they didn’t love each other. They did at one time, but my mother left to make things easier.”
“My friends were making fun of me for not having parents.” Araceli’s confession didn’t even catch Athena off guard. She knew that the girl would share her thoughts with her if she opened up to her about her own past. “They keep saying they abandoned me and it made me sad and angry.” She frowned, looking up at Athena. “They didn’t abandon me, did they?”
“No, child, they didn’t abandon you.” She pulled Araceli into a tight hug. “They wanted you to be happy and whatever their reasons for leaving you in my care were, it was most definitely because they love you. They might not have been in a good position to raise you. They might have been struggling with their own demons and wanted you to live better than they could offer at the time.”
Seeming okay with that explanation, Araceli nodded. “Okay. Thanks, Athena.” Smiling, she hopped up, holding her hand out. “Let's go play, okay?”
Standing, Athena took Araceli’s hand and they left the attic. They headed outside, but something made both of them pause. “Araceli, stay in the house. Something isn't right.”
Shaking her head, Araceli looked toward the back door. “Something's wrong.” She let go of Athena’s hand and darted outside, stopping once she saw the things giving off a bad aura. “What is that thing?”
“Araceli, stay away from it!” Athena appeared by her side, fists clenched tightly into fists. She was ready for a fight if need be, but she was really hoping it wouldn't come to that. Araceli had only seen part of her power that once and she didn’t really see it. She felt it more that witnessed it happening. “Go back inside.”
“Araceli, help us!” a few kids screamed. They were trapped between the monster and whatever he had been eating.
Looking down, Araceli felt her heart stop. Her friend was dead, her lifeless eyes staring in horror back at her. Shaking her head slowly, Araceli felt something surge inside of her. It burned and boiled, threatening to consume her. What she felt was stronger than anger, it was pure rage. Rage for her innocent friend and grief that she would never be able to make up with her. Hands shaking, she took a step forward, ignoring Athena’s protests.
“You killed my friend.” Araceli stared into the creature's eyes as it looked at her. It was black, dark as night and billowy like smoke. It growled and hissed, red eyes gleaming. It's mouth opened revealing the sharpest set of teeth she had ever seen. She should have been terrified, but something inside of her told her she shouldn't be.
“Araceli, get back!” Athena shouted. The shadowy creature growled again before it lunged.
Jumping back, Araceli dodged it, some small part of her wondering how she did so. Pushing the thought aside, she twirled out of its reach before rushing toward it. Something inside of her was guiding her and it felt right. Her short twelve years of life she was unconsciously searching for something, something to make her feel like she belonged. Whatever it was, this was it. She jumped, wind blowing around her as she stared down at the creature.
“Wind blade!” she shouted, hands in front of her. Two sharp blades of air flew out, slashing the creature. It howled in pain as she landed. “You'll pay for hurting my friends!” She turned as it swung at her, blinded by pain. Holding her hands up, she felt another burst of energy. “I call upon the power of the wind. Guide me!” She flew forward, spiraling toward the creature, but she wasn't getting dizzy. “Cyclone!” She entered one side and burst out the other. It squealed and howled before falling to the ground, dead.
“Araceli?” Athena approached her, eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “Where did you learn to do that?”
Looking at Athena, she shrugged before staring down at her hands. “I...don't know. It just sort of happened. Things got weird and I felt angry that it killed my friend.” She looked toward her friend's cold corpse, tears forming in her eyes. “Of all the people it could have killed, why her?”
“Life is cruel, Araceli.” Athena knelt to look her in the eyes. “In this world, there will be even more sorrowful things and things that will make you wish you could be normal.” Taking her hand, Athena held it tightly. “But you're different, Araceli. You aren’t human. Like me, you aren’t of this world. I was going to wait until you were older to tell you this, but I think you're ready.”
“I want everyone to go home.” Araceli looked at her guests. “Please, leave me alone for today. And can someone please call her parents over here? They need to know what happened.”
Athena stood up. “You go on inside, Araceli. I'll take care of things here.”
Araceli did as she was told, going inside and sitting in their living room. She sat there for a few hours, waiting patiently as Athena took care of everything. Her friend's parents came over and got their daughter's body, both sobbing and stating that accidents happened. They wanted to speak with Araceli for killing the monster that had killed their daughter, but Athena admitted that Araceli was on the verge of shock. She refused to eat when she was offered food and she kept staring at the wall. Once everything was settled and all was quiet, Athena entered the living room, sitting across from Araceli.
“What am I?” she asked, voice just above a whisper. “I know that I’m not human, so what am I?”
“You're like me. I was born to immortal parents, as were you. My father is Zeus, god of the sky and thunder. My mother, Metis, disappeared when Hera became fearful that she wanted the throne. No one has seen her for years. The part of the book that is missing, the part you asked about, holds the myth about my mother and I.”
“You're a goddess?” Araceli wanted to shake her head, but after today, she knew it was the truth. “Then, what am I? You said that I’m like you, but am I a goddess, too?”
“Your father, I believe his name is King Seriphus, reigns over darkness. Your mother, Lady Corrine, reigns over the light now. Together, they balance the worlds. King Seriphus had a wife already and two children, but he fell in love with your mother. Because of this, you were born, but neither were in a position to keep you. They fled to a gate and cast you inside. They left a note asking for you to be protected by whomever finds you.”
“And you found me?”
“Yes, I did. You were such a tiny thing. I wasn't sure where you had come from until you were a little older. The sound of the wind always calmed you down. And you've always had this faraway look in your eyes as if you were much wiser than an infant ought to be.”
“Athena, you're the goddess of wisdom, right?” At the elder's nod, she continued. “So, is that how you knew I was wiser than the ordinary infant?”
“Partially. The other part wasn't until you were four. That dog that attacked you, the wind was so strong that day. It led me to you when you wandered off. I thought I would never find you and then, there you were. That dog, it was being controlled by someone. I’m not sure who, but it was evil. It might have been someone from your father's kingdom.”
“My father's kingdom...” Araceli repeated the words, disbelief filling her. Shaking her head, she knew Athena would never lie to her. “Promise me something.” She looked up, eyes seeming to grow even wiser. “Promise me that no matter what happens, you won't let anyone, not even my parents, take me without my wanting to go. I don't want to leave this place unwillingly.”
Athena nodded without hesitation. “I promise that I won't let anyone take you. In return, promise me that if you're ever going to leave in search of your own answers, whether it be now or later, that you'll tell me.”
“I promise.” Araceli stood and walked over to where Athena sat before sitting next to her and curling up into a ball. “You raised me, so you're like my mom, too. And I want to sharpen my abilities, whatever they might be, before I even plan to leave. Will you help me?”
“I sure will, sweetheart. Now, why don't you go get some sleep?” Athena watched as Araceli got up and left the room. She waited until the footsteps overhead stopped and she leaned back against the couch pillows. “Oh, Araceli, I wish I had the power to keep them from taking you. I don't think I possess that kind of power right now. Tomorrow, we'll start your training. I ask that the gods and goddesses of Olympia aid us.”
- Five Years Later -
Araceli sat on the roof, gazing up at the night sky. Athena had gone to the store and wouldn't be back for a good ten minutes more. She hated leaving, but Araceli assured her that everything would be fine. Stargazing always soothed her and made her feel closer to who she really was. She wished to embrace her lineage entirely, but Athena warned her of the dangers it held. To claim yourself as a child of royalty, especially as one of Seriphus's children, would stir up trouble. Since her twelfth birthday, she trained hard. Her sheer determination brought her to where she was now. She was evenly matched against Athena, perhaps even stronger, but she wasn't going to boast. She still loved Athena as the woman who raised her, but they acted more like sisters now. It was to be expected since they looked like sisters rather than a lost child raised by a woman that never aged.
“Tonight, before Athena returns, I have to leave,” she told herself. She hopped off of the roof, landing quietly in the yard. Going inside, she pulled on her backpack and placed the note on the counter. Smiling sadly, she bid her farewells to the home she grew up in, the fond memories swirling around her head as she went to the door. Slipping outside, she rushed off into the night, fighting back tears as she ran. She had to put a decent amount of miles between herself and Athena. If she didn’t, Athena would easily find her and take her home. She wasn't overly sure who was more attached to the other. All she knew is it would hurt them both in the long run. But she wasn't focusing on years from now. She had to focus on the present or she would lose her nerve and just run back home.
Gods and goddesses of Olympia, she thought as tears began to fall. She brushed them away quickly as she ran, hoping to gather strength from the chant Athena always used. Please, protect Athena for me. She's the only family I have ever had. My leaving will break her heart, but she'll be okay. She might be able to join all of you since she won't have to protect me anymore. Aid her, love her, take care of her in my stead.
Athena arrived home fifteen minutes after Araceli departed. She happily entered their home, stopping at seeing the note on the counter. Rushing over to it, tears welled up in her eyes as she read it.
Athena,
Thanks for always looking out for me.
But I have to leave now. I have to figure out
where to go from here. I have to do it alone, too.
I know I promised to tell you when I would leave,
but it would have been too difficult. I’m sorry.
Live a long life and return to Olympia.
~ Araceli
“She left,” Athena whispered. She swallowed around the lump in her throat, someone appearing in the doorway behind her.
“Well, where is she?” they asked, arms crossed over their chest.
Turning to her guest, Athena smiled wryly. “She left, Artemis. She's gone.”
Frowning, Artemis pushed away from the door frame. “Will you be okay, Athena?”
“I will.” Athena nodded once, looking back down at the note. Sighing, she left the bags of groceries on the counter and walked toward Araceli’s bedroom. She frowned at seeing it empty, as if no one had lived in there for years. Continuing on to the attic, she placed Araceli’s note in the same box as the one from Araceli’s parents, placing the lid on it and scooting it back on a higher shelf. “I'll forget about the last seventeen years, Artemis. I think it's about time I return to Olympia.”
“You aren’t going after her?” Artemis sat on the bench near the far wall, crossing one leg over the other. “Athena, she's still important to you. You're still her guardian and her family. You might as well be the only family she has. Don't let her leave like this.”
“What am I supposed to do? Go after her? She learned to conceal her trail a few years ago. It was one of the first things I taught her in case more shadows showed up.” Slumping against the wall, Athena ran a hand over her face. “The only one capable of tracking her is you. And she would freak out if you were to find her.”
“I'll do so without her knowing I’m following her for you. I'll just miraculously appear before her and introduce myself. Perhaps I can get acquainted with her and show her a few of my tricks as well. Besides, she's Lady Corrine’s daughter.”
“Okay, Artemis, go after her.” Athena looked at her, eyes sharp. “Take Apollo with you. He'll be able to protect both of you should the situation ask for it.”
Rolling her eyes, Artemis stood up. Crossing the room, she hugged Athena tightly. “We'll bring her back, this I promise you.” Turning, she jumped from the window, landing softly on her feet. Apollo was already standing there, seemingly attuned to her every move. “Let us hunt, my brother. We must find Araceli and return her to Athena.”
“Let us be off then, my sister,” Apollo answered. They raced off into the night, Athena watching from above.
“Godspeed, you two. I leave everything in your hands.” She turned around, eyes wide as she gasped.
Araceli hurried along the streets, following her instinct over everything else. She wanted to find some sort of portal, a way into another realm on her own. If she could do this, she could find out where her parents were and why they never once came to see her. She wanted to know the answers to everything from why they chose to give her up and why they never came for her. She vaguely remembered speaking with Athena about them, about their reasoning behind throwing her into a gate.
“I have to find out for myself,” she whispered, pushing herself to run faster. She was already two towns over from her home and was anticipating Athena trying to catch up with her. All was quiet, not even the wind spoke. Stopping for a brief moment, she closed her eyes to focus. “Wind, guide me. Where do I go from here?”
A gentle wind swept by, heading north. Smiling, Araceli took off after it, wanting to race it to wherever it might be leading her. It led her to an abandoned factory, one that hadn’t been in use for a little while. Stopping outside, she felt something, some sort of power, drawing her toward the door. Whatever was calling out to her, it wanted her inside that building. Taking cautious steps, she placed her hand on the door and pushed it open. Layers of dust blanketed everything, the once operational machines rusted and broken. There was someone standing in the moonlight right in the center of the room. Taking a step forward, she stopped, breath catching in her throat.
“Who are you?” she asked, wonder filling her. She was well aware that curiosity could be anyone's downfall, but she was cautious enough to stay back.
The boy smiled, laughing at her. “Oh, you should know exactly who I am,” he said. He looked at her, the same color of eyes shining back. “I'm your younger brother, Araceli. My name is Arcadian.”
“My younger brother? I don't have a brother. Even if I did, how could it be you?” She felt herself relax a little.
“We have different mothers, but the same father. King Seriphus. I’m sure you've heard about him by now.” Arcadian nearly snarled, eyes hardening into stones. “For some reason, he admitted to Mother that he loved that commoner. He stated that he wanted you to come live with us and then sent the four of us out to find you, to bring you back.”
Araceli unconsciously took a step back. The venom in Arcadian’s voice, it frightened her. Something about him, though, was familiar. There was a look in his eyes, one of complete evil. Then it hit her. Those eyes that were staring at her in the forest, the dog. When Athena said something might have been controlling it, it was him, Arcadian. It was the same when she was twelve. Those demonic eyes staring at her after that thing killed her friend.
“It was you,” she murmured. Her hands trembled, anger building up, but she managed to keep it contained for the time being. “You're the one who killed my friend! You killed Helen! And when I was four, you used a dog to attack me!”
Smirking, Arcadian sat down in midair. One leg crossed over the other, he leaned on his elbow, his head supported by his hand. “Bravo, Araceli dear. You've finally been able to place a face to the creature. Those shadows, they are lower level demons that the basic person can control. Well, basic as in a child of darkness. But you wouldn't know anything about that. Your stupid mother was an envoy of light. Despicable creature.” He shook his head, obviously displeased by who her mother was.
“Don't insult my mother.” Araceli felt her control slowly slipping. Insulting anyone she loved made things harder for her to keep her emotions in check. That was one of the keys to her power. Emotion was strong by itself, but add an underlying power to it and they became very destructive. “My mother did everything she could for me, even going as far as giving me up so I could be happy!”
“She gave you up because she didn’t want you!” Arcadian straightened his posture, levitating a foot off of the ground. “She hates you, she always has! I don't see what father sees in you, but it doesn't matter. Before our siblings can find you, I'll kill you. I'll burn your body so no one will ever know!”
Flames erupted from his palms, spiraling around his arms. Thinking quickly, Araceli jumped back as a ball of fire hit the spot she had been standing. “Stop, Arcadian! I don't want the stupid throne, if that's what worries you. I want nothing to do with the Dark Kingdom. All I want is to know who I am, who my parents are.”
“Knowing our father will bring you into the kingdom. He never leaves it. He hasn't since he tossed you into that gate seventeen years ago. Whenever we had things to do outside of the kingdom, he remained inside, forever imprisoning himself. He thinks you should be the heir, he thinks you deserve it!”
The flames surrounding him grew stronger, threatening to engulf everything. “I won't go even if they try to force me. I don't want to rule over a kingdom. Things like that, they don't mean anything to me. And as for a family, I have one.” Thinking of Athena brought tears to her eyes.
“It doesn't matter! I'll destroy you!” Arcadian unleashed the flames surrounding him. They ignited quickly with the dust and cobwebs, illuminating everything in a bright orange glow. “I'll kill you and return to my kingdom. Our brother will thank me for getting rid of you so he can ascend to the thrown when father is done.”
I have to get out of here. The entire place is collapsing around us. Looking around, Araceli found the door leading back outside. It would be a long shot, but she could do it with a burst of wind. Casting a glance back toward Arcadian, she smiled sadly.
“It was your greed that bested you. Farewell, Arcadian. May we meet again one day.” Turning toward the door, she concentrated. “I call upon the wind, come to my aid!” She charged, spiraling toward the fire. “Cyclone!”
She closed her eyes as the heat increased. She didn’t want to see anything. It wasn't until she felt the cool breeze of the outside world that she cracked an eye open. Sighing in relief, she peered over her shoulder in time to see the entire building collapse. She moved away from the charred and burning structure, darting off into the night once more.
Arcadian, prince of darkness and my younger brother, I wish you the best until our next fated meeting. It was fate that was pulling me toward you. And you can't cheat fate no matter how hard you try. I will try to understand your anger in order to help you, but I can't promise anything. After all, you tried to kill me.
Artemis was perched on a tree limb, Apollo standing at the foot of the tree. They watched as the old factory burned and crumbled as a lone figure darted out with a gust of strong wind. “That's her, Apollo. That's Araceli,” Artemis stated. “She has more talent than I previously thought.”
“But who was she fighting? The person who conjured that fire is powerful,” he replied. He glanced up at his sister, frowning. “What if he follows her?”
“Then we have to find her first.” Artemis jumped from the tree, landing on her feet before racing off after Araceli. With Apollo on her heels, she was certain they would be able to catch her before anything else happened. “Whatever happens, Apollo, we must keep Araceli safe. For her sake, ours, and above all else, for Athena’s sake. She would ask Zeus to take away her immortality somehow so she could die.”
“That isn't going to happen, Artemis. Don't worry about the future. It is always changing because of our actions now. If you would have told me yesterday that I would be tracking down the daughter of Lady Corrine today, I probably would have laughed at you.”
“Same goes for me. Athena and I ran into each other on the street. She wanted me to meet her.” Artemis smiled, running faster. “She said Araceli looks exactly like her mother when she was young. It gives our world hope.”
“As long as she can fight against her own flesh and blood. If she can't, everything will be consumed in darkness. We can't let that happen.”
“Let's move faster, Apollo. She's getting farther and farther away from us.”
Nodding, Apollo let out a whistle, two wild stallions appearing alongside them. “These two horses, they will let us ride them.” He jumped, landing softly on the darker horse's back. Artemis followed suit, landing gracefully on the other horse. “Godspeed, gentle creatures of the earth. We have to help someone very important.”
They followed after her as quickly as they could, both frowning when the horses whinnied and slowed, any trace of Araceli falling to the wind. “Apollo, where could she have gone?” Artemis looked around her, trying to survey the area.
“I'm not sure. Perhaps we took a wrong turn.” After scanning the area with his sister, he pointed to the north. “The trail should pick up on the other side of the river. We should follow on foot for now.” Hopping off of his horse, he was wading through the water when Artemis landed beside him, splashing water. “We're supposed to be quiet.”
Giggling, Artemis swam rather quickly across the river. “We aren’t even close to Araceli. She won't hear us until we're right behind her. I think we she run ahead of her to cut her off.”
“How would we know where she's going?” Apollo looked up to see his sister's hand in front of him. Taking the help, he hoisted himself from the water. “We won't know where she's headed until we track her. Let's go before we fall too far behind.”
“Without the horses, how do we trace her scent?” Tapping her chin, Artemis grinned. “I've got it!” She whistled, smiling to the night sky as two eagles swooped down and landed on her outstretched arm. “Can you track Araceli's scent for us?”
Cawing in agreement, the eagles flew off, heading north after Araceli’s trail. The twins departed once more, following the soaring birds over the land as they raced to catch up. It wasn't until they arrived in another county that they slowed down. Both were apprehensive of Araceli's desired destination. They were in the territory that belonged to the Dark Kingdom. Why Araceli came here was beyond either of them. They only knew one thing: they had to watch their backs or they wouldn't be around to get Araceli back to Athena safely.