The Blue Eyed Child: Sacrifices and Gifts (4)

G: No . . . He did not . . . It was because of that- *stops abruptly. Starts to half-run up the stairs*

N: Lord Gabriel! *running up stairs after you, trips on my dress and falls. Gets up* Okay, solving the dress problem. *pulls a knife out of my sock, cuts about an inch off of dress, and follows him again. A cut is on my cheek, lightly bleeding*

G: *dashes into the study, slamming the door behind him*

N: *nearly running into the door, stops just short. Tries to open the door*

G: *some drawers heard opening and closing quickly and loudly* What do you want?

N: *stops* I . . . I want to tell you that you are nothing like your father. You don't hurt people because you are mad at others *pulls her sleeve up, showing scars from where she had been cut multiple times*

G: Child, you know not of what you speak! *doors and cabinets are heard being slammed*

N: *worried he is hurting himself, or planning to, tries to open the door again. Locked. Gets out knife again and picks the lock. Hearing a click, opens the door*

G: *runs into the grand master bedroom, closing and locking the door. Places a chair beneath the handle to ensure closure*

N: *pulls at the doorhandle hard* Please, let me in.

G: Child, you know not what you are asking! *another door is heard slamming*

N: *yelling* I know that I am asking you not to keep things from me!

G: Which is a very bad idea, child! *a door slams definetly*

N: *stops pulling on door. Quietly* Please?

G: *pause from inside, then a loud click is heard* Come in if you truly have no fear . . .

N: *opens the door, only scared to see Gabriel hurt*

G: *he stands alone in his chambers. The vaulted ceiling is adorned with images of destruction. The walls  are red and black marble. The large bedding is a brilliant white and gold. The room is noticably empty. Gabriel stands next to his bedstand, his face hard, and in his hands, a book*

N: *looks around room, taking an extra look at the ceiling. Then, looks at Gabriel* Lord Gabriel?

G: Oiu, Madame?

N: What is this place?

G: You are in my personal chambers.

N: Why is it so . . .

G: Morbid? *heaving sigh* There is much you don't know of me yet, child.

N: Then tell me *looks on dresser and sees a statue of Hades* Please.

G: It is a very long story, young one.

N: *finds a chair with carvings of the Titans on it, taking a seat* I have time to listen.

G: But do you have the mind . . .

N: *nods, not scared. Yet*

G: *notices hesitation* I detect fear.

N: No, none, M'Lord.

G: Hmmm . . . *turns away* Listen to my words, so that you may learn.

N: *nods* Yes, M'Lord.

G: My father was a cruel man. Unprincipled and ruthless. He was a very bad man.

N: I know of this from personaly experience *lifts her sleeve up, showing the scars*

G: *inhales sharply* He was very inhumane

N: *covering scars* How so?

G: He . . . *turns away*

N: *patiently silent*

G: *turns back* He did things that no sane person should have.

N: *confused* What did he do?

G: Something I will now have to live with for the rest of my life . . .

N: What did-*remembering earlier, quickly becomes silent*

G: You stopped. Finish your question, Child.

N: *shakes head* You told me not to ask another question of you this evening, M'Lord.

G: *looks at the now setting sun* Well then. Now would be perfect.

N: *nods, but still hesitant* What . . . What did he do that was so bad?

G: Other than scar you physically and mentally?

N: That isn't too bad . . .

G: *thinks carefully of his words* With my mother, they attempted to bare a child. But their many attempts failed.

N: *confused* But, you are here . . . 

G: *looks at her, pain in his eyes*

N: *stands, feeling like she missed something. Places a hand on Gabriel's shoulder*

G: *shrugs her off* Sit.

N: *sits back down*

G: *looking out the window once more* Finally, they bore a child. But, not without a price . . .

N: *thinking she knows* Your mother?

G: Not quite . . .

N: Then what?

G: My father had a black heart . . . and the daemon god, Hades, knew this . . .

N: *stares at Gabriel, not sure what he is saying*

G: Hades came to my father in the middle of the night in the form of an owl, promising him a heir for the cost of two souls. My mother's, and . . .

N: *barely above a whisper* Yours . . .

G: I am the soulless heir to a devil's throne.

N: *stands, trembling in fear* No, No, I do not believe you lack a soul.

G: *grabs a knife from his bedstand* You think not? Well look and see! *pulls the knife quickly across his wrist. Nothing happens*

N: *in disbelief* No. NO! *shakes head quickly* Any person can cut themselves, a soulless person would hurt another . . .

G: The blood that runs through my veins doesn't, because there is none! I have no blood. No SOUL!  *throws the knife out the window, shattering the glass*

N: *gasps, stepping back against the wall. Trying not to sound scared* Then do something soulless to me, for I am just an orphaned handmaiden.

G: Ever noticed my prayers to Hades, MY Lord? They do not go unnoticed.

N: *steps towards Gabriel so she is in between him and the statue on the dresser* Then neither should mine. *turns to the statue, getting on knees, and bends head down* Hades, God of Death! Listen to my Prayer!

G: Do silent, woman! *violently tosses the statue across the room* Do you wish to see the power of the soulless? *stares coldly at the moon*

N: *unfazed* Hades, please listen! I . . . I am willing to trade souls with Lord Gabriel.

G: There is no soul to trade! *picks her up and holds her close to him* Come with me. *sprints to the balcony, jumping over the edge, landing hard on the ground below. He runs into the forest, swerving between the trees*

N: *calmly* If there is no soul to trade, then I shall give.

G: You shall do no such thing . . . *continues calmly, bounding above the forest. The moonlight shines on the meadow before them* Our destination.

N: *carefully climbs down, wincing as left foot hits the ground* Why can't I give you my soul?

G: What ails you, mistress?

N: *tries to walk on foot and inhales sharply* I think I broke my ankle. When you jumped off the balcony, 

my foot hit the edge. But it doesn't matter, why are we here?

G: It matters a great lot. *outstretches arms. Earten clay rises up and forms a cast around the sandaled foot*

N: *gasps and feels cast to make sure it is real* Thank you, M'Lord, but why are we here?

G: So that you may learn te power of the son of a god. *as the moonlight touches the man's foot, the earth begins to tremble and quake. The clouds roll with thunder and lightning strikes around him* Meet Gabriel, the Left Hand of God!

N:*falls to the ground from all the shaking. Winces in pain, staring at Gabriel in Awe* No . . .

G: Accept me. Fear me. It is who I am. *all things stop, including time* I am as close to Immortals anyone can get. But there is a chance . . .

N: *gets on knees* I do not fear you, but hold great respect for someone who has these gifts *bows low while still on knees* But, Powerful Lord, what is there a chance of?

G: Gifts you say? Only when used properly *a ray of light lines on the two* There is a chance of redemption.

N: *looks up* Why should you have to redeem your father's action? *without fear or hesitation* It should be Hades who should redeem himself to what he did to you.

G: Silence! *thunder crashes* Do not speak of him in such a manor. Strong as I am, I cannot catch the souls of man.

N: *flinches at thunder and nods* Yes, Lord Gabriel *stands slowly* How can you redeem yourself?

G: *waves arm and time reclaims it's hold* That, my child, is a story for another day.

N: But - *remembering what happened in the chamber earlier, nods* Of course *walks over towards Gabriel* But as I said before, you are nothing like your father. You have a heart.

G: I have a heart, yes. A dried up, shriveled casing. *walks over to the nearest tree and leans against it*

N: *puts head on his chest and closes eyes* I hear a heartbeat, so it is not dried up. It is in use. *smiles*

G: Carrying the gases of the underworld. *carefully wraps his arms around her*

N: And the affections of those who are now in a warm room with actual beds. *copies Gabriel, looking up*

G: *evaporates into air, reappearing behind to catch her. When Naomi catches her balance, he jumps backwards across the field* My blood and my body are nothing.

N: *turns and faces him* They aren't to me *walks towards you* Just because you were born without a soul does not mean you are worthless.

G: It means I am nothing *evaporates again, reappearing in the igh branch of a nearby tree* In every sense of the word.

N: *turns to faces you again* You are something. You are Lord Gabriel, MY Lord in every sense of the word. You are the man who cares for those who matter not to many *face grows stern* And shall have a soul.

G: I shall have no such thing. I am the Left Hand of God *scoffs* And don't even THINK about giving me yours. You need it too, you know.

N: *smiles slightly* A child of a God should have a soul as oppose to someone who has served their entire life. My life means nothing. Handmaidens are easy to find.

G: Not the quality ones *launches himself into the form of an owl, he flew behind her by ten yards regaining his human form*

N: None the less, you have a purpose in this world. I am here to serve, something I can do in both worlds *walks over and takes his hand. Starts chanting in Greek*

G: Such faith. What do you cant now, woman?

N: *continues chanting. A blue light glows in her hand and starts to move to his. Her hands starts shaking from exhaustion and grips his hand tighter*

G: Woman . . . What are you doing? *holds her up, fear stricken*

N: *blue almost gone from her hand, smiles* Enjoy . . . *all the blue makes one last surge through Gabriel's body, Naomi passing out in his arms*