Well I'm here whet your appetites for Ashes of Reckoning. I'm going out on a limb and introducing a new character with a tortured past for you all to drool over. I hope you all enjoy a taste of Aston Cineris. Enjoy.
Pompeii,
Italy—August 79 AD
Aston’s heart pounded.
Blood curdling screams rang in his ears like
a wailing alarm while the putrid scent of sulfur and ash burned his lungs. He
couldn’t move.
“Aston, Expergiscere! Expergiscere!”
His mother pleaded in their native Latin tongue for him to wake, but his eyes
wouldn’t budge. The pressure of her tender fingers squeezed his flesh with
horrific urgency, yet he couldn’t respond. He couldn’t move a muscle.
Paralyzed, he lay on a wool-stuffed
mattress atop his marble bed as though something pinned him there, an invisible
force holding him still, helpless in a time of crisis and need.
Could he be trapped in the throes of a
lucid nightmare? How in Jupiter’s name could he jolt himself from such a
catatonic state? Then Aston recalled the lessons in meditation taught to him
and his twin brother, Vulcan. Their father had spent hours stressing the
importance of control and restraint on a level to maintain their abilities
without the interference of their basic nature. Remembering a particular moment
from those same lessons, he envisioned his limbs as long roots, fusing with the
earth until deeply planted into the rich soil. Then he snapped those roots and
freed himself from the grip of the veiled danger with internal screams powerful
enough to deafen the heavens. He willed himself awake with an unparalleled need
to rise and defend his people from a threat he couldn’t yet see.
When his eyes sprang open, he wasn’t prepared
for the sight that matched the sounds. But there was no time to assess, only to
react. With the sleeve of his shirt, he wiped away the sweat beading on his
brow and jumped to his feet.
Heat unlike anything he’d ever felt clung
to the air, threatening his lungs with an infernal kiss. With visibility at a
minimum, he sharpened his gaze and dashed from room to room in search of his
parents.
The unmistakable sound of wheezing and
labored breaths echoed through his house and the place he’d long associated
with comfort was now doused in things he’d only ever seen in nightmares.
“Mater!” He shouted for his mother from
the grand hall with the hope he’d catch a glimpse of her sable hair or sapphire
eyes, but the odds were against him. As though the gods heard his plea, his
mother’s most trusted handmaiden hurriedly crossed his path.
“Master Aston, what is happening?” she
asked then fisted his shirt, a constant track of tears rolling down her cheeks.
He gave a gentle stroke to her arm. “I am
not certain, Mariana. But I will find out, I promise you. Now, have you seen my
mother?” he asked.
Mariana’s rich brown hair framed her
angelic face as she gave a quick nod, but her walnut-colored gaze told a tale
of horrors no one should ever witness. “Your mother made desperate attempts to
wake you, my lord. After those unsuccessful efforts, she fled to the courtyard.
But I fear the worst, my lord. All of those…screams.” Her trembling hands
covered her ears.
He gripped her wrists tight, steadying
her. “Leave this place, Mariana. I fear an attack from an enemy with whom we
are unfamiliar. Run as quickly as you can and head for Rome. Take as many with
you as you are able, and do not delay.” He placed a gentle kiss to back of her
hand. “May the gods be with you this night,” he said then left her in search of
his mother, but doubted he’d ever forget the terror in Mariana’s eyes.
Dashing into the courtyard, through the
thick, choking smog, the image of destruction appeared. Mount Vesuvius burned
in the distance like a beacon where intertwined veins of fire nourished the
landmark with life. The path of flame led straight to Pompeii and threatened
the lives of everyone he knew.
For a fraction of a second, a gust of
wind cleared the air. Just long enough to spot his mother at the far end of the
courtyard, near her treasured rose garden. Flashing to her side, he grabbed
hold of her arm. “Mother!”
Her eyes welled with pink tears. “Aston!
Oh, my son. I feared the worst when my pleas had gone unanswered.”
He pulled her close, as though shielding
her from the terror would spare her further pain. “What is the meaning of all
this? What is happening?”
Despite the chaos, she stood eerily calm.
“A spell had been cast upon you, my son. One I could not lift, even with my ability.
A great evil is at work here, Aston. An evil so powerful, it summoned the fury
of the mountain.” She cast a cold gaze upon the fiery summit, her blue eyes
studying the frightful sight, cursing the assailant beyond her physical reach.
Gripping her shoulders, he freed her from
the distraction and lowered his gaze to hers. “You need to flee the city,
mother. Pompeii will be lost. I will remain to see as many townsfolk as
possible make safe passage to Rome. Find father and leave at once.”
She brought a gentle hand to his face, her
skin as soft as a newborn always bearing a hint of lavender. Even now, in the
wake of an apocalyptic event, he found her touch comforting. “Aston, you are an
honorable man, always eager to fight for Pompeii and your people. That is a
noble trait and I pray it remains with you always. I only wish your brother had
not left with such hatred in his heart. Please tell him how much your father
and I loved him, even when he believed otherwise.”
Realization settled, seeping into his
heart like a painful toxin. His brow creased at what her words meant. She was
saying goodbye. “You mean to stay here and fall with the city. I will not allow
it, mother and as a defender of the city, I will force you to exit if need be,”
he said.
If only Vulcan were there to stand beside
him and talk a lick of sense into her, but his identical twin brother grew
stubborn, bitter, and left his family in anger because of what he couldn’t have…the
ability to walk in daylight.
In Vulcan’s defense, they weren’t completely identical. Yes, they were
each other’s exact physical copy, but while Vulcan was born a vampire, Aston
walked in the sunlight as something else entirely, and he carried the burden
his entire life. He muttered a curse onto the night air. Gods, he could use his
brother’s assistance now, providing a distraction while he carried his mother
out of the city. Instead, Vulcan had a grudge to harbor.
He sensed her hand glide away from his
cheek as she stood evenly beside him, peering out upon the grim horizon. “Aston,
I am not simply remaining behind to fall with the city. I stay to stand beside
the only man I have ever loved. For several millennia I have walked this realm,
cursed with an immortal existence, devoid of emotion. I thought all hope was
lost and prayed for death to take me. Then one day I met your father, a human
who accepted me for everything I am and by some divine intervention, I birthed
his children. When he asked to become vampire so that he could be by my side
for eternity, I refused his request. But in his stubborn nature, he persisted
and I could deny him very little for everything he has given me in return. You
must understand, Aston, I am not giving up. I am dying beside my soul mate.
Because if I had to endure thousands of years without him, the world would suffer
for my loss and I would never recover.”
Shaking his head, his brow creased. He
couldn’t believe his ears. “Are you saying goodbye?” he asked, his eyes blinking
rapidly in an attempt to keep the threat of tears at bay.
She faced him, casting a warm smile. “I
fear this may be the final time we see one another. My only regret is that we
took great care to hone your abilities slowly and you have not yet realized
your potential. You wield great power, Aston and I hope you discover your gifts
over time.” She gripped his hand, placing a gentle kiss to his skin, her hold
so tight, he was certain she meant every word. “But my greatest wish for you is
that you do not have to walk through eternity alone as I had for so long. Once
you find your one true companion, hold on with everything you are and never let
go. That is a rare treasure worth more than all of the gold and gems on earth,”
she said, releasing her grasp.
Last
words. Were these the
wishes of a dying mother? He couldn’t accept that, wouldn’t accept it. Just
then, a gust of searing heat blasted through the city and scorched his skin
with temperatures beyond measure. Crouching low to the ground, he quickly
shielded his mother, sucking a sharp breath through clenched teeth as pain engulfed
him. When the flare passed, his flesh healed and he rose to his feet, searching
for answers. Blood curdling screams echoed for what seemed like miles and they
only intensified with every investigatory step.
Thick showers of ash fluttered from the
sky in resemblance of a snowfall absent winter's chill, blanketing the earth
with its silent treachery. He scanned the area through the smoke and ash, when
out of the dismal conditions, shadowed figures approached. “Something else is
out there, mother. And it swiftly approaches.”
“Yes. This foe is a familiar one, and I
apologize in advance for the actions I must take in the name of all that I hold
dear,” she said.
Amidst the darkness, her eyes grew
bright, glowing like the lava veins of Vesuvius. But as the figure drew near,
her gaze softened. “Daeus, I was infinitely worried, my love.” She wrapped her
arms around the man’s neck.
Grateful to see his father, Aston closed
his eyes tight, thanking the gods. “Father, what do you know?” he asked, staring
into the blue eyes that matched his own. Dark hair framed his father’s youthful
face, but his usually bright eyes grew dark and the melancholy expression made
Aston’s heart sink. “Apologies, my son. But I dare not speak of this sort of
betrayal aloud and chance the whisper of my fears reaching the heavens. I will
stand and fight for as long as I can hold them back, but you must leave, Aston.
The world will speak of this night through the ages as a historic tragedy, recalling
destruction from a terrible act of nature. But you will know the truth of this
moment. You will ensure history is not doomed to repeat.” He placed a firm hand
upon Aston’s shoulder.
Bowing his head in realization of the
moment, at truth he couldn’t escape, Aston looked to his father for advice in a
time of darkness. “Father…I—”
Before he could finish his words, his
father arched backward, eyes widened in horror as the tip of a rival blade
protruded from his chest. “No!” Aston unsheathed his father’s short sword,
gripping the pommel, poised to attack, when Daeus fell to his knees and
revealed the enemy.
Vulcan, the brother he believed long
estranged, stood proud with erupted fangs, possessing an indescribable fire in
his eyes that matched the fury of the mountain. Then, in that moment, he knew
exactly who stood responsible for the destruction plaguing Pompeii. Bending his
arm at the elbow, Aston slashed at his brother with all the strength he
possessed and sliced a deep wound into his forearm.
Vulcan howled with laughter. “Oh little
brother, your fury renders me proud. But I’m here for one thing, and if our
lovely mother refuses to grant me the gift of walking in daylight, I’ll just as
soon take it for myself.” Vulcan then wrapped a hand around Aston’s throat,
raising him from the earth, his feet dangling helplessly beneath him just out
of ground’s reach.
Aston clutched his brother’s wrist,
attempting to free himself from his powerful hold. “Brother,” he choked out.
The lack of oxygen seared his lungs and
the pressure from Vulcan’s strong hold reminded him of the slow pierce of a
thin dagger. Though the pain wouldn’t kill him, it didn’t hurt any less. How
could this monster be the brother he’d once laughed with, loved? They were
raised together, played together, shared joys, sorrows and a secret no one
could ever know. But the man threatening Aston’s life, his family, was
unrecognizable.
In an instant, his brother screamed in
agony, releasing the grip on Aston’s throat, dropping him to the ground with an
audible thud. Eyes widened in terror as his father’s gleaming sword penetrated
Vulcan’s side, his brother hissing between clenched teeth at the obvious pain. Reaching
around to the hilt of the blade buried in his back, Vulcan effortlessly pulled
the sword from his flesh.
Vulcan tossed the blade to the ground and
started for his mother. Aston lunged for the man he no longer knew, but instead
of attacking Vulcan, his mother stepped between them.
With gentle hands, she cradled Aston’s
face. “My son, see me now. Look into the depths of my eyes and know that I have
adored you since before you were born. When life stirred in my womb, I know I’d
protect you both so long as I possessed the power. I will be with you through
the ages, Aston. I promise.” A single pink tear rolled down her cheek.
He shook his head violently. “No. Don’t
do this. Do not take leave and say your goodbyes,” he begged.
She offered a smile then, just as angelic
as he’d always known. “I need for you to do something for me now. Think of
those buildings in Rome. Do you recall the majestic structure erected in the
center of the city? The beautiful creation we set eyes upon when last we
visited? Set thought to that very structure and never return to Pompeii, for it
will never appear the same again,” she said.
Peering into the eyes of his mother, a
sense of calm washed over him. And in an instant, he stood on a busy Roman
street instead of the familiar courtyard in his native city. “No!” he shouted
to the heavens.
Tears burned his eyes and his heart broke
into what seemed like a thousand shards inside his chest as he tried everything
within his power, everything his parents taught him, to return to Pompeii and
offer aid. But despite his efforts, his attempts failed and he feared he’d
never set eyes upon his home or family again.
He muttered a curse then prayed Vulcan
met his end in the fires of Pompeii, because if he discovered his brother
survived the catastrophic event and dared to show his face to threaten anyone
Aston held dear, may the gods help him.
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