The afternoon heat was just settling in when Aira wandered outside. Her mother Elizabeth was tending her garden, her frizzy blonde hair pulled into a messy knot. Donovan, Aira's father was chopping wood with the other husbands of the village, in preparation for the summer bonfire. Aira hummed and started walking through the garden looking for butterflies and other creatures. The young girl loved seeing how the light sparkled off of the butterfly's scaly wings and the funny way that pill bugs rolled into balls. Her violet eyes were scanning the ground when there was an odd whistle near the fence. Aira looked up and glanced around. There was nobody by the fence...
Then, it happened again. A low whistle, one that was beckoning it's listener to follow. Not knowing any better, Aira walked closer to the end of the fence; still looking for what was making the sound. "Aira! Don't wander off too far, love!" Elizabeth called.
"I won't!" She called back as she finally spotted a reddish light flickering between the trees that bordered the nearby forest. Aira glanced back at her mother before climbing over the fence. "I'm not going that far..." Aira justified to herself as she took her first few steps toward the light. As she got closer to the edge of the forest, the light disappeared in a blink. The girl frowned and shook her head before turning back to home when she ran into somebody directly behind her. Aira yelped and fell back, looking up at who knocked her over.
At first glance, she thought it was her father but instead of kind, ruby eyes looking back at her; the man had hard copper eyes that squinted in an annoyed glare. He was shorter than her father and had a waxy mustache that curled around the edges like an evil smile. His smile and voice was even worse. "Hello dearest niece..." The man sneered in a sickly sweet voice. "Why don't we have a little chat?" In an instant, he grabbed a hold of Aira who screamed, and within seconds the pair disappeared in a puff of copper smoke.
When Elizabeth heard her daughter's scream, her heart dropped. Standing upright and dropping her tools, she ran to the fence line and frantically looked for Aira. Panic seeped in as there was no sight of the young girl. Elizabeth hopped the fence when she noticed a ragged paper near the edge of the forest. She ran to pick up the note when Donovan suddenly appeared next to her. "I heard a scream... Where's Aira?" He demanded before seeing the note in his wife's hand. "Elizabeth...?"
Elizabeth looked up with tears running down her face. "Donovan... I-it's your brother..." She stammered as she handed the note to her husband to read. In red ink, the note read:
Dear Brother,
I seemed to have found your dearest half-blood.
If you want her back alive, come to Ragnarok.
We have family business to attend to.
No need to contact any support. Your whore's kin are not allowed in Ragnarok so calling the reapers is useless.
Best hurry... Her soul is quite valuable and I intend on sending pieces of it around the demon realms.
Ares
Donovan growled, crumpling up the note in his fist. "That fucking..." He looked up at his wife, his eyes now steely with anger. "I'll get her back."
"I'm coming with you!" Elizabeth demanded through her tears.
"No, this is my brother. I need to deal with him."
"You need backup. And Aira is my daughter too!"
Donovan sighed, he was not going to win this argument. His wife was too stubborn for that. "Lizzie... Fine. You can come. Keep your scythe hidden. And no blasting him with your magic." He ordered. "That's my job."
Elizabeth gave him a slight smirk, impressed that her husband knew what she was thinking of doing to the man that kidnapped her daughter. "Let's go get Aira." The couple ran off, back to their cottage to gather their weapons before using a transportation spell to travel to the demon realm.
Aira was curled against the stone wall, shivering. Tears were running down her face as she glanced around the large room. A cold wind continued to blow through the open windows but it didn't seem to bother Ares; he was still pacing in the throne room, waiting for his brother's response. The demon did not have to continue waiting long. Pushing through the large wooden doors was Donovan, followed by Elizabeth. "Mommy! Daddy!" Aira shouted as she darted towards her parents. Ares grabbed her arm and wrestled her back.
"Now, now dear niece. Not so fast. Your father and I have business to attend to." Ares sneered, his copper eyes staring down Donovan.
"Let her go, Ares. Whatever it is, just leave Aira out of it." Donovan ordered in an icy tone. "She's just a child."
Ares let out a harsh laugh. "Just a child? This spawn of yours is a True Being! The very thing that can bring the end of the Fallen. I think she is worth quite a bit in the realms..." He traced Aira's cheek. "Imagine how much power I can have if I could control her."
"You can't have her!" Elizabeth spat out, her anger bubbling over. There was a slight rush of energy as her aura flared up.
"Elizabeth, stand down." Donovan told her calmly before facing his brother again. "Ares. What do you want? Surely Father wouldn't like you staging a coup in the middle of his throne room." He glanced around for his elderly father who ruled the kingdom of Ragnarok.
Ares chuckled. "It doesn't matter. Father is dead... Haven't you heard?" Ares sneered. "The stubborn fool did leave you the throne because of course you were his favorite. Oh, Great Swordsman of the North." His grip on Aira tightened, causing her to cry out. Ares then pushed the little girl onto the stone floor. He scoffed as Aira quickly scrambled to her parents waiting arms.
She was bawling into her mother as her father turned back to his brother. "Is that what you want? The throne?" Donovan questioned, agast. "I want nothing to do with it! Take it! I don't care!"
Ares growled. "No. That's too easy. I want to offer you a bargain."
Donovan's eyes narrowed. "A bargain? Kidnapping my daughter just to make a bargain... There has to be more."
"Well, of course brother. There are the stipulations of the bargain." He taunted with a mischievous grin. "We will have a duel. If you win, you can walk away from the responsibilities of being King. You never have to hear from me again and you can live your boring life back in that witch village."
"And if you win?" Donovan pondered with a frown which was met with a wide crazed smile from his brother.
"If I win... I become King, you are banished to collect souls for the rest of your existence and your lovely wife and child are my servants from then on. This castle is in need of cleaning and I heard that witches are quite good at cleaning."
A light blue ball of energy whizzed past Ares' face, leaving a small burn on his cheek. "You fucking jerk!" Elizabeth snapped, aura flaring up again. "I'll fucking take you on, you ungrateful piece of wasted soul!"
Holding his cheek, Ares began to laugh at the woman who was summoning her scythe from the bracelet around her wrist. The pearly scythe glistened in the candlelight and looked imposing. "Quite a fiery response, bitch. And here, I thought reapers were supposed to be level headed."
"I'll show you level headed!" Elizabeth barked angrily as she was being held back by her husband.
"Elizabeth stop." Donovan begged. "You're just feeding into his ego. Stop."
"Let me go! I'll show him to talk shit about my family!" She argued, all while trying to slip out of her husband's arms.
"Lizzie! Stop!" Donovan demanded in a harsher tone.
"Mommy...?" Aira piped up, timidly. She had never seen her mother so angry before and didn't know that she had a weapon like that in her possession.
Elizabeth stopped wrestling with her husband and seemed to deflate when she heard her daughter. She let out a breath and sunk to Aira's level. "I'm sorry... Aira, baby... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." She whispered as she pulled her daughter into a tight hug.
Donovan sighed as he turned back to his brother. "I'll do it. You become king either way. So let's just get this duel out of the way." He pressed as he unsheathed his sword. Ares chuckled and smirked as he withdrew his own sword.
"Let the duel begin then." He sneered before leaping to attack.
Donovan expertly parried the attack and pushed his brother back with a kick to the stomach. Elizabeth meanwhile, had scooped up Aira and scrambled back out of the way. The two demon brothers seemed to move as if in a dance around the throne room, swords clanging against each other with each new attack and thrust. Ares continued to use brute strength with slashing attacks while Donovan calmly defended himself against each assault. There was a reason that Donovan was nicknamed the Swordsman of the North. He was gifted with a sword and had never lost a duel yet. Even though it had been years since he last dueled; the demon moved effortlessly around his brother. With calculated movements here and there, Donovan managed tangle his brother's sword and wrestle it away. He tossed it to the side where it clanged against the grey stone floor.
"You lose brother." Donovan remarked in an even tone. "I don't know why you even bothered."
Ares growled before he disappeared in a puff of smoke. When he appeared, Ares wrestled Aira out of her mother's grasp and pulled out a dagger. Placing it on the girl's throat, he boldly stared down Donovan. "That is where you are wrong. I haven't lost." The demon pressed the dagger slightly down into Aira's throat causing her to give out a terrified scream. "I'm just using my last move..."
"Ares!" Donovan yelled. "Let her go!"
"Drop your weapon!" Ares ordered. "Or you get to watch the blood pour from your spawn's neck. Do it! Now!"
Donovan let out an irritated sound as he dropped his weapon. "Just let her go."
Ares glared at Donovan. "Say I win."
"You didn't." Donovan coldly responded.
Ares let out another growl and moved to cut Aira's throat.
"Stop! Okay..." Donovan shouted, raising his hands up. "You win... Just... Don't hurt my daughter." He begged.
Ares lifted the blade from Aira's neck. A small droplet of blood ran down her neck from the small cut the dagger had made when it was pressed into her skin. The demon began to laugh as he pushed her into her father's awaiting arms. "I did it! I've won!" Ares cackled, watching Elizabeth run to join her husband and daughter. Aira was sobbing hysterically as her parents attempted to calm her.
Donovan finally looked back at his brother, hatred burning in his eyes. "You cheated. Like you always do..." He growled. "I'll get you for this..."
"Doubt it... Because now it's time for the bargain to be held up." Ares sneered gleefully. He snapped his fingers and two large demons entered the room. They grabbed a hold of Donovan and roughly ripped him away from his family. Another pair of demons appeared and seized Elizabeth and Aira tightly. The first pair forced Donovan to kneel before his brother.
"I, Ares Uhtric. The high king of Ragnarok. Now banish you, Donovan Uhtric. To scour the mortal realm as a lowly demon in search of deals and bargains. As long as I live, you shall never set foot near our homeland again and will be tied to a mortal until their deal is met." Ares proclaimed, his hand outreached over Donovan's head. Fire began to spark and cover around Donovan who gave out a yell as fiery chains wrapped around his body and soul. "Now be gone, banished one. May you always remember your defeat and how you left your family to be slaves to me." Ares whispered gleefully as the flames engulfed Donovan and transported him far away.
Smoke danced in the spot where Donovan was. All that could be heard now was Elizabeth's cries as she struggled to be freed from her capture's grasp. Aira stared at where her father was, shocked of what had just transpired. Ares began to laugh again, gleeful that his plan had worked so well. He turned to his prisoners with a sly smirk. "Now to deal with my two new slaves." The demon jeered. He snapped again and another demon brought out a pair of silver manacles. Inscribed into them were runes that drained the wearer of their power and forced them to stay within the kingdom. The manacles were quickly latched onto Elizabeth, who of course was fighting the whole time. She sunk down into the stones and glared up at her capture.
"You will pay for this!" She spat defiantly. Ares smacked her face with the back of his hand, causing her to fall into the floor.
"Mommy!" Aira cried, trying to help her up.
Ares turned his gaze to his niece. "You."
Aira shrinked back, terrified.
"You will listen to my every order. If you attempt to flee, talk back, or fight... I'll kill your mother as punishment. Do you understand me?" Ares growled down at Aira who gave a small, shaky nod. He grabbed Aira's arm and squeezed hard. "I said, do you understand me! I demand an answer!" Ares screamed at the girl.
Ares huffed and threw the girl into her mother. As he turned to take his seat in the throne, he gave an order to his guards. "Send them to the shack outside. Have them report for duty first thing in the morning." The guards roughly got Elizabeth and Aira to their feet and began to escort them out of the throne room.
When they got to the ramshackle shack, they were met by an older woman with a long, white, staff. "Who goes there?" The guards demanded.
"I am the witch mother of the ones you hold so carelessly." The woman replied in an calm, even tone.
"Leave witch! These two belong to King Ares now." One of the guards barked.
"I don't think you understand, young demon." The witch's staff began to glow a bright blue. "I am Rosa Whiteheart. It is my responsibility to take care of those in my coven."
The pair of guards glanced at each other before responding. They had heard rumors about the leader of the Pura Rosa clan. She was a quite powerful witch and it probably didn't help that she was married to the Lord of Death. "Take care of them all you want. But they are slaves to the king and if you attempt to take them away, they will die a horrible death."
A small smile stretched the old woman's mouth. "I understand... We can't have that now. I will simply support them from their new home here. Does that please you?" She calmly responded.
"Whatever." The guards pushed the prisoners toward the woman and left. "Report to the King in the morning."
Elizabeth glared at the departing demons before getting to her feet. "Mother? What are you doing here?" She questioned as Rosa picked up Aira who was now crying again.
"I heard what had happened. The whispers through the realms told me of Ares' treachery." Rosa replied with a sigh. "Elizabeth... I'm so sorry love. Are the whispers about Donovan true?" She asked as she opened the creaky door to the shack.
Tears finally began to fall down Elizabeth's cheeks as the seriousness of their newfound situation hit her. "Y..yes. Mama... He's been banished." Elizabeth stammered. "Oh gods... We're stuck here now!"
Rosa placed Aira on the ragged old bed before pulling her daughter into a hug. "Hush now darlin'... Everything will be okay. I'll help you get set up here and I'll try to bring supplies whenever I can. I just wish I could break that nasty curse he's got on you." Rosa began, looking at the manacles and the runes that glowed an eerie copper. "You still have our support. Your father and I will figure something out."
Elizabeth gave a small nod as she pulled away from her mother. She looked around the shabby shack and sighed deeply. "I can't even use my magic to fix this up..." She lamented.
"Ah, but I can." Rosa replied with a sly smile. With a wave of her staff, blue light fixed the shack's problems with new wood, a not so leaky roof, and a warm fire in the fireplace. Another swoop of the staff decorated the shack to look more like the cottage back home complete with a family picture. Rosa gave a satisfied hum as she summoned a basket of food and placed it on the table. Aira was shocked to see the carrots, cucumbers, and other vegetables from their garden at home.
"Oh Mama... How can I ever thank you...?" Elizabeth remarked, sitting next to Aira on the bed. She could not believe the amount of blessings her mother bestowed on her and her daughter.
Rosa walked over and brushed a stray strand of hair out of her daughter's face. "Keep the faith love. Things will work out. The energies of the realms will reward you for your hard work and Ares will get his punishment in due time." Elizabeth gave a soft nod, looking up at her mother with sorrowful blue eyes. Rosa gave her daughter and granddaughter a departing kiss before leaving with the promise of returning soon.
In the days that followed, Elizabeth and Aira learned of their new roles and what Ares had planned to punish them as well. The pair was tasked with keeping the throne room and Ares' personal rooms clean and stocked with his necessities. Elizabeth had to cook his meals {despite the castle having its own chef}, do his laundry and mending, as well as attend to his every need. Aira was kept on a tight leash. Quite literally. Ares had fashioned a collar that she was forced to wear in his presence complete with a leather leash. The young girl was now his "pet" as well as his personal servant. When he welcomed dignitaries from the other demon kingdoms, Ares forced the girl to perform tricks or just sit and take his abuse. Anytime his back was turned, the other demons looked at Aira with pity and shook their heads. Ares was truly a monstrous demon. They were surprised that he had not fallen himself, the way he tortured the young girl.
As days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, Aira and Elizabeth steeled themselves and learned how best to adapt to Ares' abuse. Though Elizabeth still struggled at keeping her tongue in Ares presence, Aira learned to listen and adopted a blank, unresponsive stance whenever her uncle was near. It was better to be silent than to fight at this point. But Rosa continued to visit, giving supplies, and teaching Aira more spells and magic from their practice. Rosa insisted that this was to help prepare her for when karma finally bit Ares in the ass and Aira could finally fight back against their plight. The older woman also kept the pair updated in what was going on in the realms. Aira did not recognize some of the names that her grandmother mentioned but Elizabeth seemed to and would offer suggestions or comments to the news. She did know that her grandfather was still looking at solutions to break the curse Elizabeth was under and was looking for her father. Aira only hoped that her father was safe and was thinking about them as much as she thought of him.
As a few years passed, the routine became dull and the abuse began to feel like too much. Aira wished that something would happen that would help her and her mother from their awful situation. She had been given a short break from catering to her uncle and decided to walk along the edge of the castle walls when it happened. A purple doorway awash in light appeared. Aira's curiosity was too much to bear and she opened the door. The air ripped around her suddenly and she appeared to travel to a new place. When the transportation was done, she was thrust forward into gravel and rolled a little across the ground. As she shook the dust out of her hair, Aira looked up in shock at the sounds of screams and crazed laughter. It seems that she had stumbled across a terrible thing.
