Blessings and Curses

"Oh my, such a cute little kid. Aren't you? Sweetie?" Ahros step closer to them, his eyes locked on the child as he skipped, their eyes stuck at one another.

Michael dashes beside him. His eyes harden as he spoke. "What are you doing?"

Ahros looks back, his smile eerie, "Don't you see!? The girl holds my gift!" He gives his hand to her as Annie takes a step back in anxiety, the unusual situation only aggravated by a question.

"Who are you? Mister?" The little girl, her crimson eyes slowly being dyed pink.

Ahros combs his hair back and gave a charming smile, "The name is Ahros."

Her eyes light up, "You mean God Ahros!" She pulls on her sister as her eyes light up in delight, "Sister, he's the one in the stories!"

Annie gives her a shaky smile, opening her mouth to speak.

Only for Ahros to snatch her out of Annie's arms, in movement so quick almost no one saw it happen, a fact that left the little girl excitedly clapping.

Annie though tense at the action, crimson eyes blazing in fury as her eyes stare at the stranger holding her sister.

Despite the tension, the girl merely giggles, her eyes now pink as she looked at the god before her., her head bowed as she spoke. "Hello, Sir. My name is Felicity Roux."

Ahros' eyes fill with delight and wonder as he whispers, "I know." He cuddles into her as he continues, "I just wish I knew it earlier."

"Hey! Let my sister go!" Annie shouts, her eyes desperately investigating every possible scenario as her two men walk to her side, magic coming to life around them.

Michael laughs, his hand raised, trying to ease the tension. "Calm down, everyone. Let's calm down now." He glances at the god. "Can you let her go, please?"

Ahros cuddles at the giggling girl, their hair turning into an amalgamation of pink. His eyes locking with him as he lowers the girl to his chair, "No, I don't think I will."

Annie fumes, a sword flashing to her side, fire burning in her eyes as the sword lights up in magic, "Let her go this instant! Or consequences be damned."

Ahros, though, turns his back at them. Felicity's eyes closing as sleepiness takes over, "I seem to have gotten attached. " He ruffles her hair with a teasing smile. "Why don't you take her from me?"

Those words were enough for the room to ignite the room. Ethan's hand suddenly erupts in magic as John's finger light up, and swords flash to Annie's side, magic drowning the room in its presence.

Ahros kisses Felicity's forehead, standing before her, hiding her from their sight as he giggled at them, "How cute."

The moment they lost sight of her, Annie to bursts into motion, Ethan and John blasting right after, ready to back her up as the room erupts into a flurry of activity.

The god crosses his arm, giving them a mocking smile as swords and magic inches at his throat, only for everything to shatter. Swords bend as fists and magic hit the ground.

Smoke erupts around them as the room shakes from the force of their magic. The three of them take a step back, their eyes wide as she looks at the scene before them.

Michael stood, hands up, a broken sword in hand as his eyes give a deathly stare, wide eyed and battle ready as he spoke, "Please, let's all calm down. I'm sure we could figure something out."

John steps forward. "Your friend just took one of ours. I don't think negotiations are on the table here." He clicks his finger as tens of piercing magic write itself beside him, each one illuminated in a dangerous green light.

Ethan slams his hand together, his gloves lighting up as his peaceful smile turns into a furious frown, lightning crackling between his fingers. "Please kindly return Lady Felicity."

Annie meanwhile, rages. Her hair standing up as swords bathed in crimson appear on her side. Her hand on one as she spoke in a voice dripping in hot boiling rage, "I will kill you."

Michael wryly smiles at the sight, scratching his cheek as he looked behind him, "Uh, hey, Ahros. Wanna help? Maybe just return the kid?"

Ahros grins in childish glee. "No."

"Well, shit." Michael sighs before he rolls his shoulder. He shakes his arm before his fist raise to his face as he mutters, "I'll ask for a raise later."

With those words, he explodes in movement. Suddenly appearing before Ethan, fist punching at his stomach, forcing the bigger man onto his knees.

The moment he does, magic flies off, and Michael turns his head to the side as it slides across, millimeters from his cheek, piercing to the wall meters away from Felicity.

He ducks and swords flash, Annie dashes to his side, her sword aiming for his throat. The moment it closes in, he grabs her hand and stabs it in Ethan's shoulder, his arm around her waist.

Michael grunts in pain as a sword hisses around his neck. He tilts his head, letting it slide off, before grabbing its hilt as another barrage of magic strikes against him, deflecting it off against the sword's sheen.

"You bastard!" Annie roars in anger, her hand held in his. And so with no option left, she bites his shoulder. He hisses in pain, the moment her teeth sunk in.

Despite the surprise and with no choice left, he throws the sword in his hand, piercing John, before punching Ethan into unconsciousness and looking at the girl suckling on his neck.

A girl now drunk off of her mind.

Michael looks to her in confusion, inspecting her, only to see her cheek now pink and her eyes half lidded, sucking more of his blood as she giggles in his arm.

"What the fuck?" Michael asks.

"Bravo! Bravo!" Ahros claps in delight, standing up as he does so.

...

"Can you tell me what the hell is happening? I mean, why would you do this?" Michael asks as he sits on a chair as he watches the god heal the two men.

"Well, I wanted to see what they're capable of." He remarks, magic in his hand as he pushes his divinity inside him, concealing his presence as he does so.

"Oh, please. You can do that without doing all this." Michael gestures around him, then gestures at Annie on his lap, sucking whatever blood she could taste.

He pushes her off before she slams him back, using strength she never had before. Strength powerful enough to stop him.

"Yes, well. I had to make sure." says Ahros as he stood, his hand over his chest as he watch the wound stich itself together.

"Make sure of what?"

"That my hunch was right. The two of them seem to be blessed by the gods." Ahros stands before walking to Felicity's side, "Two sister bearing a blessing of two different gods."

He sighs, "This isn't normal."

"Then what does it mean?"

Michael jolts at the voice, looking down in his arms to see Annie, eyes locked with his with a glare as she asks them both. "What does it mean?"

Ahros chuckles, "A new shift in the paradigm. The defeated god gaining back their strength. Gods that fought the seven chief gods we ha to day."

She stands from Michael's lap. "Then where do my sister and I stand?"

Ahros tilts his head. "I am unsure. What the fates have given me isn't enough for me to take action, though, if you wish. You can pledge you allegiance to me."

Annie wipes the blood off of her lips as she glares. "Who are you?"

"I believe your sister already knows." Ahros smiles.

She freezes before whispering, "God King Ahros."

"That's me!" He points to himself, his self assure grin, terrifying her.

She then points to herself, "Then who am I!? Whose blessing do I have? My sister's?" She holds her head in rage and confusion as she shouts, "What does this fucking mean!?"

Michael grabs her shoulder. "Calm down, calm down. We can't answer your questions if you scream and rage like this. Just wait and he'll tell you."

"That's!" she roars before sighing, anger leaving her body as she loses all semblance of hope. She then glances at Michael before dashing into his arms.

Michael tries to stop her, "C'mon now. You already took thirty liters! Anymore than this and I'll really fucking die." He tries to push her off to no avail, his eyes begging Ahros for help.

Said god smiles, "Well, obviously your lust for blood, penchant for rage and violence. I'm sure your blessing involves Khraine."

He then taps his chin as he walked, "While your sister holds an unnatural amount of charm, beauty without compare. A blessing from no other than Vishia."

Michael looks to him, half dead as he continues without regard. "Both were gods that stood against me. Each one will desire the end of me and my creation."

He spoke to Annie, "They'll use their influence on the both of you, pushing you to become pawns in their schemes."

Annie takes her mouth of Michael's neck, "Why should I trust you?"

Ahros smiles, book on hand. "Because the fates stand by my side."

"What?"