Pandora's Curse

The relentless storm had left small rivulets running in tiny streams down the grassy hills. The sky rumbled distantly, a sign of frustration or judgement from an Olympian who bore down his judgmental gaze onto this world. Lightning flickered in the dark, ominous clouds that swallowed up the sun and sky, instead having released its torrents of rain to satisfy the drying lands that lay ahead and behind.

The temperature was low, dropping further as skies darkened further. The smell in the air was powerful and strong. The smell of rain, wet grass and the earth...

And blood.

The hooves dug in deep through the mud easily, stepping up the slope without trouble, grunting softly. He gripped the reigns as he overlooked ahead, eyes piercing through the fog that seemed to follow him. A small house ahead, with a fire and life obvious from the smoke slipping through the chimney. He thought nothing else. He urged the horse forward, facing down the muddy path East in his hunt. But no sooner had he almost passed the small little home than the door burst open and a woman, releasing a desperate cry, suddenly sprinted towards him, holding the skirt of her gown up so she didn’t trip as she ran bare foot towards him through the mud and grass.

“Sas parakaloúme!” She begged as she reached him. He barely glanced at her as she dropped to her knees before him, skin ashen, eyes red, her face weathered with heart-wrenching emotion. He barely looked at her through his armor, eager to move on but he had stopped anyway. His horse snorted aggressively, unhappy with the sudden appearance, pawing the ground roughly. “Sas parakaloúme!” She held her hands together as she cried. “Pray you be sent from Zeus to dispel the beasts on our lands! I beg of you!” He tightened his grip on his horses reigns as he kept looking ahead but could see her still kneeling on the muddy ground, desperate and without a care. He had a feeling he knew what she praying for and he tried to ignore that flicker of tightness in his chest.

I can not feel. I’m not that person.

“The beasts have laid waste to our homes! Killed our flock, our food!” She pressed her hands to her chest as she sobbed out her words. “Our children!”

His eyes unable to help himself, flickered down to the weeping woman who was approached by another mortal, her husband who kneeled with her, clutching her to his chest. He tried to ignore the flitter of something inside his chest as he kept his gaze coldly upon them.

“They came from the sky as we could only watch in horror out here! They came through the roof, took my little boy and...and...” Unable to continue, she broke down in her husbands arms whose gaze was red and wet with unshed tears, his shoulders trembling. He didn’t need their continued words. His eyes lifted up past the house, where his gaze briefly swept over the broken roof, as though huge had crashed right through, and then flown right out, to a mound of dirt raised near the house. His grip tightened on the reigns as the horse snorted aggressively. Again!? His jaw clenched, teeth aching as they grinded harshly beneath his helmet and hood, keeping his gaze turned away as crimson flickered in his vision.

The woman sobbing on the ground raised her head, her eyes fierce and pleading, a fire within unlike mere moments ago as she jumped to her feet, her mud soaked skirt clinging to her legs. She showed no care as she shoved her husbands grip off her and threw herself at his leg, daring to grip on to him as though she was imploring, demanding.

“Find them! Find the monster, the beast who lays waste upon us! Many of us have lost children to this one! They are her prey, she laughs at us! SHE LAUGHS AT OUR PAIN!” She screamed at him, tears pouring down her eyes but she glares up at him, refusing to look away. Her eyes daring him to even glance away for a mere second, for she might just smite him where he stood. “I’ll give you whatever! I have coin!” She held up a small pouch in her hand that clinked with drachma. “Please! I beg of you!”

Please! Please, I’m begging you!

He faltered, hands growing slack on the reigns. For a second, he was back there...many years ago. Chaos...red skies...red running along the dirt and ground. Smoke, chaotic...the screams and terror ran rampant in the air like a stench he could never forget. But it was drowned out by those eyes. Those pure ever-green and oak brown eyes that pleaded up at him, hand outstretched as she cried. Those eyes flittered before him as though she was here instead of a broken woman. Unsettled from the haunting eyes that continued to follow him, he turned away from the woman, tightening his grip on the reigns. His horse snarled, shifting, ready to release the growing power it had coursing within its body.

“Sas parakaloúme! Anything! Help us!” The woman screeched at him, holding her pouch of coin at him desperately. His horse beckoned by the slight kick in its side took off as the woman screamed after him. His heart thundered heavily in his cold, dead chest as he left the weeping woman, who collapsed with her husband, praying and screaming skyward to the God’s who did nothing for her.

He ran from those haunting eyes that followed him wherever he went.

He followed the path through the woods until he saw light ahead in the darkness of the night as it fell over. Rain started to spit around him, growing stronger every few seconds. Pulling up closer, he pulled his horse to a stop as he eyed the obviously open, lively tavern that permitted food and drink and brief warmth until the rain passed.

He rose up off the saddle, swinging a leg over, his boots landing with a clumpy splash on the muddy ground but he had no care or notice for it. Pulling his horse along gently, he tied the reigns around the post, where other horses stood along the post. The other horses shifted nervously at his horses approach, who towered over them all with ease. Patting his horses hide once, he whispered calmly into its ear before pulling off some of his armor and laying over his horses back. Keeping his hood up, he traversed up the wet cobblestone path to the tavern door and was immediately engulfed in up roaring laughter, drunken men and women rushing around to feed the patrons who continued to happily pay for service. Ignoring the singing slurring men around, he took the only vacant table on the other side of the bar, taking his seat with his back to the wall, not likely to turn his back on this raucous crowd. It would be a matter of time before things became violent as it always did when alcohol was involved.

A plate of steaming food and a mug of alcohol was set in front of him and he placed his coin on the corner for the waitress to take. He dug into his food, keeping his eyes away from the crowd so as not to attract attention but able to see all that moved around him. Surveying the lively crowd with his eyes and ears but he found himself distracted still.

It wasn’t good to be distracted.

Terror-stricken eyes flashed in his minds eyes and he clenched his eyes shut, feeling the table edge bend under his grip before it splintered beneath his fingers, pieces of wood, slowly crushing to pulp, dropping like dust on the dirtied floor.

Leave me alone!

He snarled at those eyes as if they stood right across from him but it was just a memory that flared up randomly, every blue moon catching him off guard. Eyes that burned into his very soul...if he had a soul that is. Forking a piece of meat he stuffed the food into his mouth, focusing on the heat of the food as it burned down his throat. He took up his mug of alcohol, taking in a large swallow as the bitter sweetness cooled down his burnt throat. His lips twisted into a heavy scowl as he gazed briefly at the wild crowd.

Men slammed their mugs against each others, wine spilling over causing more drunken laughter and shouts of refills for their spilled drinks. As though they weren’t wasting their money on alcohol they were spilling in their manner. A handful of men crowded around the bar, their clothes, well-kept, rich white colour expressing the height of money they lived in. They were the loudest in the bar, drinking without fear of losing money. The women that passed by them were unsafe from their overly familiar hands and slurred heavy words, despite the obvious flustered despair the women were trying very hard to hide. His jaw clenched, hand remaining atop of the table as he continued to eat and drink. He couldn’t interfere. At least, not now.

The rich men were not alone as one woman seemed more than comfortable in their unruly presence. Her back facing him, her white wrap gown did very little to hide the curvy body she prominently displayed. The eyes in the room followed the movement of her body with lustful appreciation. He took up his mug, watching the woman with detached interest as she laughed aloud, her laugh uncomfortably nasally and high pitched but the men in her company did not seem to care. Her hand ran along one man’s back, running her fingers lasciviously over his shoulder, a couple gems sparkling on her finger, highlighting her obvious station. Her pale golden hair, obviously very long from the couple strands that fell out of the twisted knot at the top of her head, decorated by a couple of sparkling gems. Her rich, white gown swayed slightly around her legs as she moved to stand beside the men, sipping a cup of alcohol, her painted crimson lips curled up in a sly grin.

His jaw clenched, the wooden cup bending slightly under the force of his grip.

As if she could feel his eyes burning on her, her eyes slid over to him beneath her dark lashes and they lit up like a piece of gold in any mans eyes. She smoothly, coolly, bent over the men to lay her cup atop the bar, allowing the men to appreciate her figure more before she straightened up. Her eyes fell on him again, obvious desire within and he felt his lips twitch but he retained the smirk growing.

The fool.

Without a lustful smile she threw at him, she stepped away from the men who watched after her, eyes clouding in lust but turning to disappointment and fury as they fell upon her new piece of meat. He didn't move or look up as she glided towards him, hips swaying hypnotically, garnering the attention of other patrons who even twisted in their seats to watch her in an obvious disrespectful show. She laid her palm on the table, bending over towards him, her eyes glinted warmly and inhumanely yellow within earthy browns.

"These are familiar places to miss a strangers face."

He didn't say anything, uninterested for now. Within moments, things would get a little difficult. The tavern was a little small for this situation. He didn't spare her a glance as she smoothly took a seat beside him, inclining her body against his, chest out giving him permission to view without worry.

"Where do you travel from, stranger?"

"Athens." He sipped his drink and her smile widened.

"Ah, beautiful city indeed. I have not been in a while myself."

Of course you haven't.

She leaned in closer, her lips brushing against his hood where his ear was, her hand running over his arm lightly. He felt his skin crawl, his eyes flickered red but he remained still at her touch, keeping his eyes away from her.

"Why don't you show your face, handsome? Your looks mean nothing to me. I desire a strong man and his touch." Her voice was sultry and tantalizing. He could feel a pull of seduction but he was far from falling for it.

"You wouldn't be able to handle it." Was his only reply. He would've thought she could hear the clenched strain in his voice as a signal for danger but she must hold herself in a higher stance. Untouchable.

"I can handle anything, rider. I desire things the hard way...the rougher way." Her hand drifted across his shoulder to his chest as she whispered in his ears. "If I tell you my name, will you give me yours?"

He laid his drink calmly on the table, feeling a chill settle over him along with a frenzied calm that clouded over him. Briefly those eyes that haunted him fluttered in his vision and he gritted his teeth.

I'm doing a good thing!

"Will you scream it later?" His voice lowered, harsh and gruff but there was a glint of steel in there. Her eyes, unknown to him, lit up like fire, ecstasy burning within.

"As you wish," She whispered in his ear. "I am Aello."

His lips curled upwards and he tilted his head towards her, trailing his mouth away from painted lips that reached for him and laid his mouth next to hers. His vision flickered red, as he felt the metal and steel slide into his palm.

"I am War."