Pandora's Curse
Chapter 13

3000 years ago

The cold chilled hands ran seductively over his shoulder, nails dragging up his cloak as she leaned in close to him. His face still hidden beneath his hood, which her hands danced on the edge of and he smirked inwardly when her painted nails drew back his hood, revealing his face to her. Her blood-red lips stretched out into a wicked smile, her glinting eyes hungry with lust and hunger.

“Will you scream it later?” He lowered his voice, harsh from disuse but there was a glint of steel in his voice. Her eyes, which did not recognize him, lit up like gold treasure decorated by firelight, the bloodlust burning within.

“As you wish,” She leaned in, tilting her head as whispered in his ear. “I am Aello.” His lips curled upwards and he tilted his head towards her, trailing his mouth away from her dangerous painted lips that reached for him and laid his mouth next to her ears. His vision flickered red, as he felt the metal and steel slide into his palm.

“I am War.”

His words brought a hush around their little bubble. The hush was broken as her body tensed like a viper and his grip on her forearm tightened as he hissed in her ear.

"You've been waiting for me." Time slowed as she drew back, her golden eyes cold and wicked but once gold met red, the hush broke.

The table crashed backwards, knocking the plate and mug of food and drink onto the floor with a loud clatter that drew all attention. Aello stumbled back from him, skirt fluttering her legs in her frantic act as she cried desperately, hand pressed delicately to her chest. She stumbled towards the group of men who had taken fancy of her previously, clinging to them as if her life depended on it, crying crocodile tears. They were already on their feet, glaring at War who slowly stood up from his seat.

"Help! Help me! He's going to kill me!" Aello cried a shrill as she pointed at War frantically. "Please help me!" One drunken patron, at her incense, eyes glazed but angry and full of desire for the harpy, stormed towards War.

"Bastard! You dare come into our bar and take what isn't yours!" He swung the first punch.

Crack

The man was thrown aside from the simple backhand, War not bothering to care for the victims around the damn harpies circle. War met Aello's eyes through her 'saviors' who circled around her protectively. Despite her fearful face, lips trembling, her eyes glimmered wickedly, arrogant and delighted. He smirked internally. Very well. His smirk he allowed to cross his face drew in the fight.

They came for him at once, but drunk and off balance, they were too easy to dispel, but there were still a few too many around. Gritting his jaw, he slammed his elbow in one mans throat, making him falter as he struggled for air but War wrapped his forearm around the mans neck and faced the growing, angry mob of men.

"Bring the war out." War drew deep into his fury and bloodlust, the energy whispering out like a wicked wind and the mans eyes glazed, turning away from War. The other patrons affected by whispered words, stumbling or glowering at one, the furious tension rising rapidly until someone took the first knock. Then the first punch. The first slap and shove and kick. Until the bar was a furious fight club. Men and even women attacking each other, distracting themselves from War who faced Aello who faced back at him, mobs of men fighting between them.

War's eyes narrowed as Aello's expression changed cold and eerie to a wicked smirk. His blood ran cold. Her smirk did not pose anything good and through the violent mob, her smile stretched from ear to ear, the gold spreading through her eyes and his heart stopped.

NO!

With a shriek that shattered glass and eardrums, a tear of skin and muscle and fabric as a pair of wings exploded out of Aello's back, creating a violent gale within the bar that threw War back until he hit the wall with a ruthless crack. Slamming onto the floor, he heard screams of horror and fury and battle cries before the shriek of a harpy in lust drowned out the room along with the sound of wet tears and gurgled cries of pain and shock.

War slowly climbed back to his feet, eyes falling on the scene before him and the fire grew cold. Within seconds, a lively bar of fighting patrons who War only used a mere distraction to push Aello back...was now a dead space.

A dead, bloody space. Nobody moved or breathed. Bodies laid around, thrown from the violent gale that Aello's wings had created, killing them instantly. Or dead by Aello's engineered demise. War clenched his jaw in fury, angry and furious. What had he done? Aello met his height, her gown shredded and around her long, taloned feet. Her pure white body, of muscle and feathers stained stark, bright red over her body, her ear-to-ear grin smiling at him.

"The War Horseman." She hissed, her eyes fluttering eagerly around her face. "I didn't expect to see you anytime soon."

"You know very well I was going to come for you." War straightened, arms tensed and faced the harpy with a steely gaze. "It's time to end this." Aello snarled and her wings flared back and War, realizing only too late what she was planning started to run at her. But her wings, threw themselves forward. A violent gust of wind straight at War that threw him off his feet and into the wall which crack and broke behind him, throwing him outside the bar on to the wet, muddied ground. Growling deeply, War quickly clambered to his knees when suddenly with a crash of wood and stone, something white streaked straight out of the roof into the night sky until Aello floated above him.

"Is this the war horseman, truly? How pathetic! If I'd known how easy this was, I would've hunted you myself."

"Don't hold your breath." War smirked and drew his knife and with a furious shriek, Aello dove towards him, her taloned feet outstretched for him, the nails digging in painfully into his chest and shoulders. With a snarl, War gripped her ankles, throwing her off until she hit the ground with a whump. She rolled back onto her feet quickly. War lunged forward, slamming his shoulder into her chest, stunning Aello and throwing her back. With a snarl, she lashed out with her nails and wings. Her blocked her blows as they grew in fury and violence. Her grip on his wrist, knocking the knife from his grip which she smoothly caught and quickly cut across. A searing burn ran across his chest as he stared down at the cut running across his upper chest. Eyes burning coldly, he backed up as she swiped the knife at him again. Her strikes quick and cutting like a snake, she was far from slow despite the heavy wings that flared and even swiped across to him.

Her wings elbow slammed into his chest, making him stumble back. With a wicked cry, Aello ran at him and leaped towards him, foot outstretched eagerly-

War barely evaded the strike. Instead he threw his arm outward, slamming his fist into her stomach. The force of his punch slamming Aello into the ground with a thunderous thump. She gargled a cry but instantly lashed out at him, rolling out the way, her taloned foot cutting towards him-

"AARGH!" War snarled, stumbling back, dropping to one knee as the burn tear hit his every nerve, his body flinching at the deep cut she drew down his chest and stomach.

"You think you can destroy me, horseman?" Aello shrieked, eyes blazing furiously as she swept her arms and wings out around her. "I am the first Harpy! I am the Storm! You are nothing but a mere copy of natural order!" War clenched his jaw, glaring darkly at Aello as she leaned forward, crouching before she pounced at him. "And the storm merely washes away all that is left of war." She lunged at him.

"Not if the storm is a product of war." He caught her fist in his slamming up against her, throwing them off balance and they stumbled back over the even mounds. The rain grew heavier, thunder crackling overhead and War slammed his foot against her back as she stumbled forward. Grabbing the knife quickly from the ground, he straightened up only to be slammed into Aello as she flew straight at him, teeth barred and eyes yellowed. He slammed into the ground but the wind whistled around him as Aello flew up higher. "Oh no you don't!" Before she could get too high from him, he gripped the tip of his knife and throwing his arm forward, he flung the dagger up to Aello. He saw the glint of steel fade as it disappear closer to Aello.

Aello jolted. Her scream breaking through the rain and distant thunder and she was swaying closer to the ground. War was already running towards her, not eager to let her get away this time. The thundering of hooves behind him drew his attention and the dark shadow and shape of his horse drew beside him, red eyes blazing like his own. War quickly latched onto Adam's mane and easily drew up onto his back. He heard Aello scream in fury and saw her white form still fluttering away, fortunately for him she was low to the ground. Reaching into his pack, he drew out a long, thin chain and dropping most of it, letting it uncoil until he drew back his arm, swiping it through the night air and straight at Aello. He felt a latch as it caught her and Adam pulled to a stop, slipping over mud and grass. The chain yanked as Aello was roughly pulled back to a sudden stop and crashed to the ground with a cry.

Panting, his body throbbing from the sharp cuts adorned over his body, he followed the chain to where Aello crashed into the earth. Only to find the end of the chain and Aello-

"KIILLL YOU!" Aello's scream pierced his ear from above and he barely managed to jump away, rolling up to his feet once again. Aello didn't hesitate, lunging straight at him. Aello slammed his fist against her arm, knocking her back but she continued to persist against him. "HOW DARE YOU!?" She screamed and snarled at him. War clenched his jaw, his mind darkening and Aello lunged aside, avoiding the dagger. Crouching on a mound before him, eyes glimmering deadly at him as she hissed her wings flared out, a visible ominous silhouette. "You fight me to stop the bloodlust, horseman! But how can you stop me when you, yourself are much the same."

"Because I don't kill like you." With an irritated howl, Aello lunged. A snarl from behind Aello as Adam suddenly suddenly lunged from the shadows, running straight into Aello without care, crushing her under his hooves. Aello howled in fury, jumping him, but her wings flared straight for him to blow him down. Adam was blown aside with a shrill cry but War lunged into Aello, slamming her into the earth, slamming his fist against her.

Aello writhed and twisted beneath him, trying to claw out of his grip but War held her down, rolling her over so she laid on her front. She howled and shrieked furiously at him, cursing him aloud.

"YOU CANNOT DO THIS! I AM AELLO! THE FIRST HARPY!"

"I know who you are." War stared down at the broken form of Aello, his breath heavy, the rain softening and the smell of damp wet earth filling his scent. "I know what you've done." Aello tried to crawl away, her tired, injured wings dragging heavily behind her on the ground. "I've been offered coin to end you, Aello." Aello spat at him, glaring at him over her shoulder as she hissed.

"This is about money! You fool, I'll give you anything you desire, easy! I have plenty-"

"I never took any of it. I stopped after I sent you my first warning, Aello." War smiled but a chilling smile that drew terror in Aello's eyes for once. "And then you killed me. But you didn't realize I was a harbinger. And now...you can't rid of me. Not until I break you." With a terrified furious shriek, Aello started to scramble away but War slammed his foot against her back. Her wings fluttered pathetically, the dagger still embedded just beneath the joint of her right wing. Reaching down, he pulled her wing up and brutally tore the knife out, slight spurts of blood pouring out. Aello snarled, writhing angrily and desperate as she started to beg.

"Please, please! Please War! Please don't! I'll give you anything!" Her begs grew frenzied and desperate as War leaned in, closing down around her, knife dropping against her neck. "Please, please, please..." She continued to chant and War frowned darkly at Aello.

"You want to live. Very well." Aello tensed but War pulled away. And before Aello could take a breath of relief, War slammed his knee against her back and grabbed her wing arm, bending the bone slightly. Aello screamed and shrieked, her panic frenzied and desperate as she cursed and snarled. "You can live. But you can live knowing you were broken."

"NO! PLEASE NO! PLEEAASSSEE!" Her voice rising as his heart thundered lowly in his chest and he clenched his jaw, the anger, the despair and fury driving him. Eyes of dead children staring up at him, the shrieking laugh as Aello disappeared into the night air. "YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO THIS TO ME!"

"I do." Gripping her right wing in his hand, tightening his grip while her screams didn't fade. And with a deep breath, and his eyes blazing a red storm as he smirked coldly down at her. "For every child you broke." And twisted his hand.

The fire and ice faded from Warren's voice as he drew back and I was staring blankly at the wall and the black screen of the T.V. my mind following all that War had just told me.

"I broke her wings. And then I cut them off." War finished darkly, his eyes far away and his jaw tightened. "And then I left her." I turned to War, reading him but he met my gaze without answers. "And I believed I did right. But, I wish I had rather killed her."

"Maybe." I murmur, sipping my glass of water I just got from the kitchen. "You and Aello encountered one another more than once after that?"

"Yes. And I made her remember everything. She was always so close to doing more bloodshed and I just seemed to be there until she could do nothing more but cower upon sight of me." Warren gave me a disgusted smile as his jaw clenched. "And I liked being feared. Disgusting and wretched but I enjoyed the fear. Because that's what I am, Pan. A being who incites all the bad feelings. I feed on it. It drives me. And I love it. Even to this day..." The hardness in his voice did little to disguise the self-loathing and shifting closer, I clasped his clenched fist in my hand, resting my head against his shoulder.

"But you despise yourself for it. You still blame yourself for war and all bad things." I shook my head against his shoulder. "You said you see the good in me and I don't see it completely and you might not see it but I see the good in you War." I snorted softly. "You're dangerous but you're dangerous so you can keep those you care about safe." War tilted his head to look at me and I gave him a faint smile. "If you were evil, you wouldn't feel hatred for yourself."

"If I killed Aello straight away though," War sighed, glancing down at our hands, lips pursed. "A lot of things might not have happened."

"And they have and I guess..." I trailed off briefly as I struggle to accept even my words. "It's the past and nothing can be done to change the past. We can only look forward to fix what's ahead of us." Warren's gaze bore into me while I sat there staring back and he suddenly let out a soft laugh.

"When did you become the wise one?"

"Since I became me." War smiled softly and rested his forehead against mine. "And I like me, I guess. I still have a lot to learn about myself. But, I know the basics. And I'm so sorry, Warren." Warren pulled away slightly to look at me. "I'm sorry for what I said to you. I was hurt. I am still hurt, over what you said." Warren's face lowered as he glanced away regretfully. "And I'm sorry for keeping something from you because a part of me always doubted my own trusting ways but I know I can't really prove anything about how much I trust you, just saying I do trust you might not cut it but I do mean it." Warren glanced away, staring at the fire and with a sigh, he stood up but was pulling me up alongside him. "And, I don't want us to fight anymore." I murmur, staring up at him, pain and hope racking through me and I hoped he understood. "Because, you're..."

"I know." Warren's voice was soft. "And I'm sorry for what I said to you. It was low, it was cruel to say and I didn't mean it. But I was hurt and angry, I..." He hesitated slightly and he took my hand in his suddenly, rolling it over until the scar that crossed my palm was facing up at us. His finger softly tracing the raised, irregular skin with a gentle caress that rose goosebumps down my arm. "There's not nothing between us, Pandora."

Oh. Oh dear Hera. My heart jumped at his words and he gave me a faint smile.

"But I don't know what to say-"

"Then let me." I closed my hand around his, smiling lightly but my neck craning up to his and I sighed. "In a sec, I just have to," Keeping a grip on his hand, I stepped onto the couch, standing on it until I was eye level with Warren who quirked a brow at me. "Don't judge me. You're the giant here." Balancing on the couch, my hands on his shoulders as Warren watches me while I shuffle nervously, a shaky breath escaping me. "There's not nothing for me. I mean, there is something between us, or at least, that's what I feel. You're...I've never had one but you're, my best friend." Warren's brow quirked but he smiled softly and I smiled back bashfully.

"But I'd be a liar if I said I had no feelings and I do for you, Warren. From the moment I swung a poker at you," Warren's lips twitched, amusement flickering at the memory. "To every stance you've taken by my side. But," Licking my lips nervously, my fingers gripping onto his shirt as I meet his gaze evenly. "I'm not asking for anything from you. And I don't know if I want to ask for anything right now because as much it sucks, we have bigger things to focus on and if you wanted me, then I want you to want me when I'm me." I leant my head against his forehead. "But I don't want to go headlong into whatever is going to happen without saying that it's real for me. That's all."

Warren kept my forehead pressed to his, and his hands rested lightly on my sides. With a sigh, he tilted his head, kissing my forehead lightly.

"Whatever happens Pan, in these coming days," He draws back to meet my eyes, our faces an inch or two apart. "I'll protect you with my life like you'll protect me no matter what." He raises his right close to our faces, his pinky sticking out and a smile crosses my face and I hook my pinky around his. "As Deus bellum, I promise." Our smiles meet and he leans in pressing his mouth against my forehead as I wrap my arm around him. I tilt my head up a little, brushing my lips against his. The spark as our lips catch is heady and intoxicating. His hand in my hair, making tangles within. His free hand gripping the back of my shirt as he groans against my mouth pulling me away as we clung to each desperately, eagerly, the inferno driving us on. My body hauled off the couch as Warren grips me tightly to his, his body like warm marble against my own, the drive of our mouth on each others driving us through the room, along the stairs, our shadows following after us. Our shadows dancing a soft sensual sway and movement. It's hard to breathe but it's drowning, seductive, and I can't get enough of it. Nor would I want to.

My body is already comfortable and desiring Warren in ways I would never be used to. His lips travelling the length of my bare skin as our clothes dropped in a sigh at our feet. The bed creaking was we dropped into the sheets. Warren's eyes dark and stormy watching every passing expression on my face as he laid himself over me, following his trail from his hands down south. My breath hitched, fingers intertwining into the sheets, gripping onto them as his mouth, his hands trailed the length of my body, setting me alight with a building crescendo. The fireplace may be downstairs, but I was encased in the touch of fire and ecstasy. Soon, we would be out in the cold, facing a coming storm and risking it all for many lives at stake. I was both terrified and determined. I would face whatever I had to and I would do whatever it took survive. But for now, while a storm was growing in the horizon, I buried myself in the sheets with Warren, our bare skin burning hotly, flushed and our voices mingled as firelight danced over us. For now, we could sink into the inferno until it would just pass.

But as I clung to Warren after night drifted by, my voice echoing sensually, my heart slowing to a soft drum, drifting to sleep, I knew this inferno between us would never pass.

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