3 Chapter Two

In the deepest part of the ancient castle was a single celled dungeon. The entrance to it had huge steel doors carved with pictures of rose thorns and spider lilies. On the inside of the cell were thick chains spread out, all converging on a single place in the center. In the center of the room were two steps leading to a raised dais. On the dais was the figure of a beautiful man. He had golden tanned skin, black shoulder length hair and deep crimson eyes. With a large black collar of an unknown material, he was chained on his knees with his arms behind his back. The chains connected to his feet and arms, twining around the room and led to the mouths of four serpent statues at each cardinal direction in the room.

The man's face was twisted with various emotions, the more distinct ones being pain, fear, and hatred. He gazed at the dungeon doors with expectancy and longing, waiting for the children he raised to release him from his prison. He shifted around uncomfortably due to the cuffs digging into his flesh.

From a shadow on the wall was a ripple, and as the shadows seemed to come alive another man stepped out of them. He was tall, with pale skin and dark eyes that seemed to carry an endless void. He leisurely walked into the light with a gentle smile on his face, and spoke to the chained man.

"Oho, seems someone's awake again. Where have you been all this time my dear?"

The chained man whipped his head to the side and glared at the incoming figure.

"If you're going to stare and not help you can get the hell out Ezra." The man said dryly with a hint of scorn on his face.

"My dearest you wound me with your terrible words! Ahh, I can feel myself dying of heartbreak at this very moment." He said dramatically, wiping at his eyes like he was crying.

"If you were dying of heartbreak, I would know and you would know. Now! Oh Great Ruler of Death and Keeper of Souls, unchain me before I complain to my sister."

At those words, Ezra, God of Death, surprisingly turned even paler. He made an astonished face at the chained individual and quickly made his way over, muttering "You don't have to bring her into this." to himself. He drew out a jet black key and inserted it into the slot on the collar around the man's neck.

CLICK-

The collar popped open and the shackles around his wrists and ankles vanished without a trace. The snake figures in the room made a clicking sound as they started reeling in the leftover chains. Ezra watched the snakes with mild interest.

"An ingenious device it is, your boy Aramis made. Remarkable craftsmanship."

The man looked at the God with a proud look in his eyes. He snorted and said, "Of course it's good craftsmanship. My son's a genius. All my children are geniuses. In fact my children are probably the most intelligent beings since existence. You know my Karnation is great with people, and my sweet Ember is phenomenal at combat. She could probably go toe-to-toe with War-"

Ezra looked at the still kneeling God of Love with a look of amusement and adoration in his eyes. He chuckled and went to help them up.

"You're doing it again."

The God stopped his rambling and scoffed in his direction, reaching his arms out.

"You just don't understand. They're the greatest beings to be graced into existence." The God said as he was lifted into a princess carry.

Ezra looked at him and laughed aloud.

"Dorn it seems you have a complex. I feel bad for those poor children who you hover around and constantly survey. Ahh, the pains of a mother hen." He said with a sigh.

Dorn looked at him sharply when he said it. His crimson eyes started glowing a dangerous light.

"Hmm? And what do you mean by that Ezra? Why can't I watch my own children's every waking moment? Why shouldn't I know where they are every second of the day? It is my right as their parent, my right as their caretaker. Tell me Ezra, how is it so wrong?"

He spoke quickly, the glowing light in his eyes becoming brighter and sharper. Ezra looked into his eyes unfazed and smiled.

"I'm just saying... they might get angry at you! What if they're planning a surprise party for you and you spoil it for them? They just might come to hate you!" He said with a perfectly serious face.

"EHHH??!"

Dorn's eyes widened in disbelief at his words, the dangerous light in them disappearing.

"What do you mean they'll hate me! I don't look all the time just whenever they leave home! And they're constantly gone, leaving us all alone in this blasted castle! Wait a minute, where are Karnation and Alexander? They always wait for us to wake up and are here when we do! WHAT IF THEY ALREADY HATE ME??!! WHAT DO I DO NOOOW!!? HAVE THEY ABANDONED ME?! He started sobbing at his own assumptions.

Ezra looked at the man in his arms with disbelief sketched over his face. He sighed, summoning a black chaise couch.

Placing the God onto it, he kneeled down and cupped Dorn's face in his hands.

Ezra knew he had gone too far with his teasing.

But…

Dorn looked so cute when he cried.

"Dorn, look, I'm sorry. They won't hate you."

"Then why aren't they here!" He shouted aggressively, glaring at the Death God.

"My dear I sensed them on the way, so I sent them to make you a meal. You have been asleep for quite some time."

Dorn looked at him with critical eyes.

"They're making me a meal?"

Ezra simply nodded his head in confirmation.

"Sniff- You could've told me that bastard! I hate you, friendship over!"

Ezra merely looked at him with a burning gaze.

"If our long-time friendship is over, does that mean I can make you mine?" He said with total honesty and seriousness.

Dorn froze.

"NO!" Dorn screamed in embarrassment.

"Tch. It was worth a shot."

The Death God had a look of mild disappointment on his face that quickly disappeared with a shrug.

He stood from his kneeling position, his expression turning serious.

"Dorn, how is she?"

Dorn, who was muttering to himself in embarrassment froze. His usually crimson eyes darkened and a worried glint took over.

"She's weakening. The injuries that damn bastard left on us never fully healed."

Dorn's rage filled eyes looked up into Ezra's emotionless ones.

"The children. Are they ready?''

Dorn continued to look into the God of Death's eyes, "Only Karnation and Alexander know what I need from them."

"Oho? And how did they find out?"

Dorn's rage filled eyes slowly closed as a smirk filled his face.

"Don't you remember?"

His eyes, once again burning a bright red, opened.

"Our children are geniuses."

At that statement the God of Death cracked a smile.

"You sure you won't be mine?"

*********************

"He's taking too long."

After having met the God of Death in the rift, Karnation and Alexander had exited back in the antechamber.

Alexander, the ever impatient young man he was, was pacing back and forth in front of the grand doors leading in.

"Alex, calm down."

Karnation, finger constantly tapping the table, was staring at the vast array of food spread on the table. Her mouth was in its usual calm and collected smile, but her eyes were cold.

"Lord Death said he'd bring them up after removing the chains. So all we need to do is wait here patiently."

"I. DON'T. CARE. What that damn pervert said! HE'S TAKING TOO LONG!"

Alexander's face was livid. His hands, clenched at his sides, were shaking in fear.

"Alex. Calm. Down."

Her voice was ice cold. The eyes that were staring at the steaming dishes turned to him slowly. The once blue eyes were now ringed with a blood red color around the iris.

Alexander stopped pacing at that.

"We have to remain calm in these situations. Lord Death would not do anything to harm them, you know this. And it is our duties as the eldest to stay calm and rational when all we want to do is rip the world to shreds. Do not forget it."

Karnation, Eldest daughter of the God of Love, had lost her home quite a few millennia ago. Her parents had sold her to a slaver, and she was then resold to a brothel. All before she reached the age of sixteen.

So, when the Love God gave her the chance to be their child she took it. And never regretted the decision.

"Sister, I'm scared. What if he's taking so long for a reason? What if-"

He couldn't finish his questioning as simultaneously, two groups of people emerged.

From a group of shadows in the corner of the room walked out Ezra, holding the Love God in a princess carry, and a suspiciously large slap mark on his face. And just in front of the wide double doors leading in, a young woman stepped out of a shining light, her hair slowly turning back to its original silver color.

"Aeron! You've come back home! Ahh, I've missed you dearest daughter. How have you been? Have you been eating well, you look a little thin? Where are the twins? Are they alright? Why aren't they with you?"

The rapid fire questions hit Aeron in the face, leaving her momentarily stunned. She turned her head to the corner.

"Ah, Lord Father. And Lord Death...Put my Father down now please. It's.. uncomfortable."

As she said that her unseeing eyes somehow became colder, and slowly started emitting a cold blue light, that slowly turned red.

"Ehe. Aeron, dear child of my closest friend, not so secret love, and sibling, please don't do something that might end in the destruction of half the castle."

She slowly blinked her eyes at that.

"Ah, uh, Aeron, honey, love the love, but please don't break the castle again."

Dorn stammered with a fearful expression on his face, hands pushing against Ezra's chest to let him down.

"If you say so Lord Father." Her eyes slowly turned back into their normal white. She walked around the table towards her seat, hand slightly grazing its edge. Once there she sat down, hands folded on her lap, "Well, I suppose we should eat since Lord Father is awake."

Alexander stood there in a daze. He kept staring at his blind sister who was pretending like she wasn't about to destroy their family home.

"Why is everyone like this…" He muttered to himself as he took his seat.

Karnation's eyes had once again returned to their permanently smiling expressen. "Well it seems we have a little bit of catching up to do." She clapped her hands, and from the rotating orb above descended twelve small balls of light.

Each ball landed behind the nine seats at the table, manifesting equally into men and women of different heights and colors. Their attire, flowing gowns of white cloth, trimmed with red and gold. Their faces, clearly attractive in varying ways, were covered with cloths from the nose up.

The last remaining three slo manifested in humans, while two of them began setting out the dishes, the last one conjured a pitch black chair and placed it opposite to the one in front.

Ezra after having placed Dorn in their seat, and getting scathing glares from all three children, he sat at the newly placed chair.

Placing a hand on his chin he started, "So shall we discuss just how much time we have until Genni does not wake up again? Aeron you've seen it haven't you?"

All four of them looked at him with varying degrees of shock, anger, terror, and sorrow.

"Ezra. Now is not the time to be speaking of such things. Can we just eat and talk about this later."

Dorn was looking at him with eyes holding in tears.

"No. We can't talk about this another time. I will not watch my only love die at the hands of hypocritical bastards. Not while I still exist."

His usually vacant and expressionless face was twisted with rage and fear.

The children were looking at him with similar expressions.

Everyone at the table had something to lose if Genesis died.

A mother, a lifetime love, a guardian, a sister.

But most importantly to them.

Their purpose to live.