Second Chances are not all that good
Second Chances
Certain circumstances left him to conclude that his impending death was near. If this was a jest, he would have laughed it off however the numbing cold spreading over his body while his life blood leakin
Everything had happened too fast. But
His abductors had caught him unawares, bound him and took him to their lair to which they proceeded to threaten, abuse and did unspeakable things to him. After all, his father happened to be a very prosperous merchant. The ransom would be worth his weight in gold. Greed was the fuel that motivated his abductors but jealously ruled behind it. He felt tears in his eyes as he recalled his abductors conversation before they threw him out. They thought he was unconscious, beaten to oblivion and through the long days of torment. They were wrong. He was only pretending to be asleep. He hoped they would stop beating him once they knew he was out cold. Then he heard a familiar voice. Inside his mind, he rejoiced. 'It is brother Viktor to come rescue me!' He also heard the rest of his brothers voices, he could have almost wept with joy. 'I am saved!'
"How pathetic. Already dead?" Viktor's voice came loud and clear.
"There's still a bit of life in him, I reckon. But his time's up and not even the greatest healer in the world can save him." The leader of my abductor's spoke.
"Throw him somewhere deep in the forest. The animals will take care of the rest."
"Why not bury him instead?" Vedan's voice filtered in his shocked mind. He was betrayed by his own brothers?
"No, I favor the idea of animals tearing apart his rotting flesh. He deserves it." He heard Vasir harsh laugh nearby.
The leader coughed. "Now that I've met our end of the bargain, I would ask you to do the same."
"Of course. Five hundred gold coins as we agreed." He heard coins clinking and the satisfied grunt of the leader.
"And a little something extra to keep your mouths shut." Vasir spoke.
"An excellent bribe, thank you for your kindness, mi lords."
Somewhere beyond a twig snapped, dimly alerting him of an arrival. A figure appeared, wearing a hooded cloak and carrying a long cane.
"Oh, what a delight! To see such a mortal in pain." The newcomer giggled as the hood was thrown back, revealing a young man's pale elven features. His eyes were coal black and it gazed at the dying man with (like it wanted to eat him alive) The strange elf crouched near the man, studying the wounds and making approval sounds.
"Your soul is already heading towards death's bosom, only mere minutes away but what's this?" He bent his head against the dying man's chest and let out a sigh of pleasure.
"Your heart cries out for vengeance to the ones who wronged you and so much of it I feel." The elf giggled again.
"What is your name?"
"Vane Ferion Piazzerio." Came the whispered reply.
"Mr. Piazzerio, I see a great potential in you so I've decided to help you. I'm no ordinary man you see. I'm actually a god!" He whispered the last part loudly.
"I'll grant you your life back but in return you must swear loyalty to me. A great bargain, wouldn't you say?" The god giggled, the hint of madness slowly creeping in.
"No." Vane heard stories about gods and their bargain. Nothing good ever came out of it. He wasn't going to make a deal with a strange god much less a mad one.
The elf frowned, unwilling to be denied.
"You are but still a young man. There's so much more possibilities out there if you would survive this night. Say perhaps, exact vengeance on those who wronged you?" Vane stiffened and narrowed his eyes on the grinning elf.
"Wouldn't it be such a great pleasure to watch those who tormented you suffer the same as you did? Better yet because they think you are already dead, they would never anticipate your miraculous arrival and would never see the cold steel of your sword strike at their very hearts. Wouldn't you say this is a great bargain?"
The elf hummed merrily.
Thoughts raced through Vane's head. It would be a great satisfaction to watch fear run through his brother's faces. Watch it as he plunged his sword in their bodies. Over and over and over again. Head filled with hate and vengeance, he spoke.
"If it will grant me vengeance against my brothers then I'll accept your deal."
The elf laughed. "Brothers? You seek vengeance against your own blood? Oh, my sweet mortal. You are more than I could ever hope for. Done."
A sudden strong gust of wind blew in the forest and when Vane opened his eyes, the strange elf was already gone. He looked down at his body and discovered his wounds have healed. No scars were left on him at all. Amazed, he looked around and saw a sword plunged halfway on the ground. A dark stone was embedded on the hilt of the stone, reminding Vane of the mad god's coal black eyes. He pulled the sword out of the ground with ease. The blade felt light and comfortable under his grip. He swung it around a few times, hearing the (zing) of the sword's sharp edge. Satisfied, he set out for his brothers.
Vane came to his father's manor where inside, a festive mood was in the air. He could hear his brother's voices, boisterous and merry. Hate surged within him. Sword in hand, he went straight inside, ignoring the surprised looks of the guests and few others who tried to get his attention. In the upraised platform, all three brothers were there, each with a beautiful lady in his arms along with a cup of wine. It was clear they were drunk. But as soon as they saw Vane, their faces were surprised and went pale. One of them dropped his wine cup. However, Viktor, the second eldest stood up and smiled at Vane. His sharp eyes observed Vane carefully.
"Vane dear brother! What a surprise, come join us in our merry."
"You will understand dear brother when I decline such an invitation. You know why I am here and I've come to bear judgment." Vane said harshly.
"Judgment? I do not understand, what's this about Vane." Viktor feigned innocence but Vane saw the cunning behind those eyes. Never will he be fooled again.
"Don't mock me Viktor! I have heard from those thieves mouth just who it was that ordered my capture and torment the past few days. They might have done the act but it was all of you who plotted against me."
The music stopped and the gathering crowd began to murmur.
Vedan, the third youngest, said anxiously. "Please brother let us take this somewhere more private."
Vane shook his head. "This has passed the point of reasoning brother Vedan. What you have all done is unforgivable. So you see I'm in no mood to listen to your excuses." Vane said, raising his sword toward his brothers. "I've come for vengeance."
Vasir, the eldest, threw his cup away in outrage. "And what if we did! You were always father's favorite, his golden boy. While we toiled in our efforts to gain father's attention, he gave you everything you wanted! Guards!"
Guards appeared and tried to capture Vane but Vane was already moving, sword raised he swung his sword and slashed his way towards his brothers. Everything erupted into chaos as the crowd tried to get away. The sword hummed merrily as Vane swung his sword against anybody who tried to approach him. Power filled his entire being and Vane found he liked it. Nobody was a match for him. He was invincible. He broke through the guards armor effortlessly, piercing through soft flesh and into their bleeding hearts. The guards screamed as some unholy force began to burn inside them, eating their life force away. It all happened very fast that Vasir could only stare at surprise. Taking advantage of that, Vane plunged his sword deep in Vasir's belly.
Vane found Vedan crouching against the corner, trembling in fear.
"Mercy! Please!" Vane swung his sword and cleanly cut off his head. It rolled away somewhere on the ground.
Vane looked around the surroundings, searching for Viktor. The manor was empty, the ground littered with dead guards and blood. Vane narrowed his eyes.Viktor was the smartest among his brothers so it was possible he had fled during the confusion. Letting him go now while he was weak would be foolish. Then Vane smelled something familiar. He did not know how he knew, but deep within himself, he knew it was Viktor. He was still hiding in the manor. Smiling, he followed the scent. His sword hummed hungrily. The scent led him to the kitchen where it was empty.
"Come out, Viktor. We are brother's are we not? We can put this past misunderstanding behind us. You are the smartest of us and surely you can come up with a comfortable solution." Vane said loudly, sword poised in hand.
"I agree with you, brother." Viktor's voice came from behind. Vane quickly turned but Viktor's own sword was already plunged deep within Vane's body. Vane felt his strength fled as Viktor pressed his sword more deeply and groaned loudly when he twisted it sharply. His black sword fell on the floor with a clank.
"You should have died in the forest?!" Viktor snarled. Lost was his cool mask, fury behind his eyes.
Vane gurgled as blood dripped down his mouth.
"How can you still walk after those blokes broke your legs?!"
"Go to hell."
Viktor's eyes narrowed and pulled his sword out. Vane fell slump on the floor, blood pooling. Viktor stood over him.
"Goodbye forever, brother." Viktor raised his sword and prepared for the killing blow.
As Vane stared at the hatred in Viktor's eyes, a passing realization flitter in his mind. Vane felt something inside him shatter and die, a cold wind blowing the remains into the darkness. Vane was now certain he was truly alone. Quickly reaching out for his sword Vane grabbed the dark gilded hilt and cleanly cut his brother in half. His brother stared at Vane in surprise as guts and blood splattered on the ground.
"Y-you..." Viktor stammered before the life flickered out of his eyes and dropped dead on the ground.
Vane dropped to the ground also, the temporary strength leaving him. Vane heaved a few breaths and relized there was no pain from the previous wound anymore. He looked at his wound in surprise and found it had already healed itself.
Vane stared at the burning ruins of his father's manor. His brothers were dead. He had slain them with a cursed sword belonging to a mysterious god and surprisingly felt no remorse. They had tried to kill him after all. It would be right to give back the favor. He felt a presence beside him and did not need to turn to see who it was. He had already signed his fate.
"What is to become of me?" Vane spoke, his voice empty and hollow.
"You, my dear mortal, will become my knight and my sword. I gave you my sword for a reason and it has proven me you were the right choice. See how effortlessly you killed your own kin. Swear your allegiance to me and I will mold you into the greatest warrior the world has ever known. I will give you gifts no mortal man has ever received."
Vane grunted. "Sounds too good to be true. If I strike you here and now, will I be cursed then?"
The elven god laughed. "Nothing can harm me. What choice do you have but to say yes. You've nothing left in this world. Swear allegiance and loyalty to me and I'll see your every need fulfilled. You will become a great giant among men."
Vane remained silent then spoke. "Just who are you exactly to be offering me all these promises?"
The god smiled, his elven features changing into something more darker, earthier and bigger than Vane had ever seen a mortal. Glowing black eyes stared back at him and sharp teeth curled into a smile. Horns protruded from the sides of his head.
"I am the Hades, ruler of the underworld. Bow down to your new master."
Certain circumstances left him to conclude that his impending death was near. If this was a jest, he would have laughed it off however the numbing cold spreading over his body while his life blood leakin
Everything had happened too fast. But
His abductors had caught him unawares, bound him and took him to their lair to which they proceeded to threaten, abuse and did unspeakable things to him. After all, his father happened to be a very prosperous merchant. The ransom would be worth his weight in gold. Greed was the fuel that motivated his abductors but jealously ruled behind it. He felt tears in his eyes as he recalled his abductors conversation before they threw him out. They thought he was unconscious, beaten to oblivion and through the long days of torment. They were wrong. He was only pretending to be asleep. He hoped they would stop beating him once they knew he was out cold. Then he heard a familiar voice. Inside his mind, he rejoiced. 'It is brother Viktor to come rescue me!' He also heard the rest of his brothers voices, he could have almost wept with joy. 'I am saved!'
"How pathetic. Already dead?" Viktor's voice came loud and clear.
"There's still a bit of life in him, I reckon. But his time's up and not even the greatest healer in the world can save him." The leader of my abductor's spoke.
"Throw him somewhere deep in the forest. The animals will take care of the rest."
"Why not bury him instead?" Vedan's voice filtered in his shocked mind. He was betrayed by his own brothers?
"No, I favor the idea of animals tearing apart his rotting flesh. He deserves it." He heard Vasir harsh laugh nearby.
The leader coughed. "Now that I've met our end of the bargain, I would ask you to do the same."
"Of course. Five hundred gold coins as we agreed." He heard coins clinking and the satisfied grunt of the leader.
"And a little something extra to keep your mouths shut." Vasir spoke.
"An excellent bribe, thank you for your kindness, mi lords."
Somewhere beyond a twig snapped, dimly alerting him of an arrival. A figure appeared, wearing a hooded cloak and carrying a long cane.
"Oh, what a delight! To see such a mortal in pain." The newcomer giggled as the hood was thrown back, revealing a young man's pale elven features. His eyes were coal black and it gazed at the dying man with (like it wanted to eat him alive) The strange elf crouched near the man, studying the wounds and making approval sounds.
"Your soul is already heading towards death's bosom, only mere minutes away but what's this?" He bent his head against the dying man's chest and let out a sigh of pleasure.
"Your heart cries out for vengeance to the ones who wronged you and so much of it I feel." The elf giggled again.
"What is your name?"
"Vane Ferion Piazzerio." Came the whispered reply.
"Mr. Piazzerio, I see a great potential in you so I've decided to help you. I'm no ordinary man you see. I'm actually a god!" He whispered the last part loudly.
"I'll grant you your life back but in return you must swear loyalty to me. A great bargain, wouldn't you say?" The god giggled, the hint of madness slowly creeping in.
"No." Vane heard stories about gods and their bargain. Nothing good ever came out of it. He wasn't going to make a deal with a strange god much less a mad one.
The elf frowned, unwilling to be denied.
"You are but still a young man. There's so much more possibilities out there if you would survive this night. Say perhaps, exact vengeance on those who wronged you?" Vane stiffened and narrowed his eyes on the grinning elf.
"Wouldn't it be such a great pleasure to watch those who tormented you suffer the same as you did? Better yet because they think you are already dead, they would never anticipate your miraculous arrival and would never see the cold steel of your sword strike at their very hearts. Wouldn't you say this is a great bargain?"
The elf hummed merrily.
Thoughts raced through Vane's head. It would be a great satisfaction to watch fear run through his brother's faces. Watch it as he plunged his sword in their bodies. Over and over and over again. Head filled with hate and vengeance, he spoke.
"If it will grant me vengeance against my brothers then I'll accept your deal."
The elf laughed. "Brothers? You seek vengeance against your own blood? Oh, my sweet mortal. You are more than I could ever hope for. Done."
A sudden strong gust of wind blew in the forest and when Vane opened his eyes, the strange elf was already gone. He looked down at his body and discovered his wounds have healed. No scars were left on him at all. Amazed, he looked around and saw a sword plunged halfway on the ground. A dark stone was embedded on the hilt of the stone, reminding Vane of the mad god's coal black eyes. He pulled the sword out of the ground with ease. The blade felt light and comfortable under his grip. He swung it around a few times, hearing the (zing) of the sword's sharp edge. Satisfied, he set out for his brothers.
Vane came to his father's manor where inside, a festive mood was in the air. He could hear his brother's voices, boisterous and merry. Hate surged within him. Sword in hand, he went straight inside, ignoring the surprised looks of the guests and few others who tried to get his attention. In the upraised platform, all three brothers were there, each with a beautiful lady in his arms along with a cup of wine. It was clear they were drunk. But as soon as they saw Vane, their faces were surprised and went pale. One of them dropped his wine cup. However, Viktor, the second eldest stood up and smiled at Vane. His sharp eyes observed Vane carefully.
"Vane dear brother! What a surprise, come join us in our merry."
"You will understand dear brother when I decline such an invitation. You know why I am here and I've come to bear judgment." Vane said harshly.
"Judgment? I do not understand, what's this about Vane." Viktor feigned innocence but Vane saw the cunning behind those eyes. Never will he be fooled again.
"Don't mock me Viktor! I have heard from those thieves mouth just who it was that ordered my capture and torment the past few days. They might have done the act but it was all of you who plotted against me."
The music stopped and the gathering crowd began to murmur.
Vedan, the third youngest, said anxiously. "Please brother let us take this somewhere more private."
Vane shook his head. "This has passed the point of reasoning brother Vedan. What you have all done is unforgivable. So you see I'm in no mood to listen to your excuses." Vane said, raising his sword toward his brothers. "I've come for vengeance."
Vasir, the eldest, threw his cup away in outrage. "And what if we did! You were always father's favorite, his golden boy. While we toiled in our efforts to gain father's attention, he gave you everything you wanted! Guards!"
Guards appeared and tried to capture Vane but Vane was already moving, sword raised he swung his sword and slashed his way towards his brothers. Everything erupted into chaos as the crowd tried to get away. The sword hummed merrily as Vane swung his sword against anybody who tried to approach him. Power filled his entire being and Vane found he liked it. Nobody was a match for him. He was invincible. He broke through the guards armor effortlessly, piercing through soft flesh and into their bleeding hearts. The guards screamed as some unholy force began to burn inside them, eating their life force away. It all happened very fast that Vasir could only stare at surprise. Taking advantage of that, Vane plunged his sword deep in Vasir's belly.
Vane found Vedan crouching against the corner, trembling in fear.
"Mercy! Please!" Vane swung his sword and cleanly cut off his head. It rolled away somewhere on the ground.
Vane looked around the surroundings, searching for Viktor. The manor was empty, the ground littered with dead guards and blood. Vane narrowed his eyes.Viktor was the smartest among his brothers so it was possible he had fled during the confusion. Letting him go now while he was weak would be foolish. Then Vane smelled something familiar. He did not know how he knew, but deep within himself, he knew it was Viktor. He was still hiding in the manor. Smiling, he followed the scent. His sword hummed hungrily. The scent led him to the kitchen where it was empty.
"Come out, Viktor. We are brother's are we not? We can put this past misunderstanding behind us. You are the smartest of us and surely you can come up with a comfortable solution." Vane said loudly, sword poised in hand.
"I agree with you, brother." Viktor's voice came from behind. Vane quickly turned but Viktor's own sword was already plunged deep within Vane's body. Vane felt his strength fled as Viktor pressed his sword more deeply and groaned loudly when he twisted it sharply. His black sword fell on the floor with a clank.
"You should have died in the forest?!" Viktor snarled. Lost was his cool mask, fury behind his eyes.
Vane gurgled as blood dripped down his mouth.
"How can you still walk after those blokes broke your legs?!"
"Go to hell."
Viktor's eyes narrowed and pulled his sword out. Vane fell slump on the floor, blood pooling. Viktor stood over him.
"Goodbye forever, brother." Viktor raised his sword and prepared for the killing blow.
As Vane stared at the hatred in Viktor's eyes, a passing realization flitter in his mind. Vane felt something inside him shatter and die, a cold wind blowing the remains into the darkness. Vane was now certain he was truly alone. Quickly reaching out for his sword Vane grabbed the dark gilded hilt and cleanly cut his brother in half. His brother stared at Vane in surprise as guts and blood splattered on the ground.
"Y-you..." Viktor stammered before the life flickered out of his eyes and dropped dead on the ground.
Vane dropped to the ground also, the temporary strength leaving him. Vane heaved a few breaths and relized there was no pain from the previous wound anymore. He looked at his wound in surprise and found it had already healed itself.
Vane stared at the burning ruins of his father's manor. His brothers were dead. He had slain them with a cursed sword belonging to a mysterious god and surprisingly felt no remorse. They had tried to kill him after all. It would be right to give back the favor. He felt a presence beside him and did not need to turn to see who it was. He had already signed his fate.
"What is to become of me?" Vane spoke, his voice empty and hollow.
"You, my dear mortal, will become my knight and my sword. I gave you my sword for a reason and it has proven me you were the right choice. See how effortlessly you killed your own kin. Swear your allegiance to me and I will mold you into the greatest warrior the world has ever known. I will give you gifts no mortal man has ever received."
Vane grunted. "Sounds too good to be true. If I strike you here and now, will I be cursed then?"
The elven god laughed. "Nothing can harm me. What choice do you have but to say yes. You've nothing left in this world. Swear allegiance and loyalty to me and I'll see your every need fulfilled. You will become a great giant among men."
Vane remained silent then spoke. "Just who are you exactly to be offering me all these promises?"
The god smiled, his elven features changing into something more darker, earthier and bigger than Vane had ever seen a mortal. Glowing black eyes stared back at him and sharp teeth curled into a smile. Horns protruded from the sides of his head.
"I am the Hades, ruler of the underworld. Bow down to your new master."
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