Dreamer

18.

Orion.

The scene in front of me horrific and destabilising, staring at blood and bodies sprawled on the walls and floor.

I create a space between the mountain ash circled around Octavius, as if Articus wanted to kill us he would have done so easily, yet, I think he had no intentions of killing Octavius, but I on the hand was saved only by the grace of Atheena.

My back meets the wall, sliding down as a hand goes over my head, with melancholy and frustration filling my space.

We've lost, how do we begin now?

Atheena has sided with Articus and from her words she means every part of it. And why won't she? When the very people who are supposed to be her saviour away from a ruthless monster, are the ones to treat her as though she isn't a living being.

And if I was in her shoes, I probably would do the same. Having everything taken from you, still yet, when you seek revenge or think of it, they make you a bad person.

Yes, I may not be certain that if Atheena was to be left alone with Octavius, she would actually carry out her mission, because those eyes I saw were not one of evil, but hurt.

Now all could be lost, now that she is with Articus.

"Orion..." Octavius calls my name. "Now is not the time for us to sit still." Octavius continues while my gaze rises to meet him.

"Tell me Octavius, what are we supposed to do right now? Just look at the bodies, mother is no where to be found along with my siblings, most of all, how do we explain this to the council in headquarters?" I question Octavius with my voice still low.

"Then, we would do one after the other, but first we have to get Atheena out of Articus's grasp. About your mother, she and your siblings are safe and escaped." Octavius tells me.

"Let me guess, she pushed them all in a portal without them knowing right?" I ask Octavius, where as he nods his head in positivity. Knowing my siblings, especially Ares he would never leave me with such a situation on my hands, but to mother she may feel loosing one child is better than loosing all. After all she's done that before.

If not for the privilege of her being my mother, I wouldn't find her words and act tolerating of any such, because one, her attitude is the number one reason we have Atheena in the enemy hands, not to talk about how you would leave your child confined in a shield not able to protect himself, knowing those warlocks who put it there, were going to have their lives taken.

Not only with her act has she lost her position as chief when placed with the council, because every Bellator luminis do not leave one another behind, you either fight together or flee together, but she has also lost her first son too.

"Where do we start from Octavius? He has won. He has everything he needs to eliminate Cyrus and its people." My tone bitter, but true.

"Don't you say that to me Orion, else what do I say? Here I was, standing powerless when Articus came, I could neither move nor do anything to stop him. I watched him kill my people, and he let me watch by keeping me alive to taunt me of his powers, which can not be confined by a mere mountain ash.

I am a warlock Orion, and not just any warlock, and still yet, I can not take on Articus on my own even if I tried, but I would have died trying if it meant Atheena would be here and this mess would be reversed. So get up and use the guilt and pain you feel to think of something that would  be of help to us." Octavius tells me as his words doesn't come harsh but lecturing.

"Okay, okay." I nod my head before getting up from my position. "Let's work out something." I tell Octavius truing to fade every pain behind.

"First I need to find Ares and Aurelia, and I..." At the mention of Aurelia, I notice the pain in Octavius eyes, but he masks it instantly, and I refuse to say anything, because if this was anything, it is not the time to bring up a love affair.

I still do not know mother's reaction towards their relationship, but I believe she would never accept a man over two hundred years, sleeping with her daughter, either he has good intentions or not.

"Ares has contacts in the east part of Cyrus, and can get us reinforcements before we're able to sought our problem, where as Aurelia...."

"Aurelia has a good relationship with the other supernatural beings, which means we would alert them of what is going on to help us join the fight." Octavius continues my statement making me nod my head at how well he knows Aurelia, because that is a thing not known to many.

"Yes, but before that we would need to speak with the council. Feed them on the plan and if we're given a go ahead or they have another plan that suits us then we go with it." I tell Octavius, while I notice the remaining uninjured bellator luminis, begin to clear the scene.

"I would not be able to come with you on that, Orion." Octavius tells me and that brings me a furrowed eyebrow.

"And why is that?" I ask.

"Don't you see? as long as we fight Articus I remain powerless..."

"That is far from true Octavius, what is this you say?" I ask him in disbelieve.

"Don't deny what you know Orion. I can not help and neither can any warlock here in Cyrus help, at least not until we're immensely fortified. Articus is too strong and that would cost us our lives. You go on with the strategy and when it is time to fight back, I would be back." Octavius says.

"Even if I was to agree to this, how can you get fortified more than this, this is something I have never heard of before." I inform Octavius.

"No, you have heard of it, you just don't know its true." Octavius tells me, while I stare at him dumbfounded. "I'll be going to Forest of the dead." He adds as at his statement my eyes go wide.

----------------

I stare at mother with anger in my eyes, as Ares and Aurelia come with her, with Aurelia running forward to me.

"Thank goodness you're alive. I am so sorry, I am so sorry I left you all alone to defend yourself." Aurelia runs hugging me tight while my hands goes around to do the same. "I want you to know that it wasn't my intention to leave." She adds while she pulls away.

"Its okay Aurelia, I understand." I assure her with a smile.

"Brother...I..."

"Its fine Ares. Its all in the past now, the important thing is I'm alive, aren't i?" I cut Ares off before pulling him into a hug.

"Son," Mother calls, as Ares and I pull apart. "I'm glad you're alive." Mother speaks with her eyes dull with pain.

I don't bother giving her a reply, as I look past her, back to my siblings. "There's work to be done, and I need you two on deck." I tell the both of them.

"Orion..." Mother begins.

"Please mother, as you can see I'm in the middle of a mess that you put us in, so please, I do not need you coming to make things worse, because you of all people know there is nothing you can do once the council calls for your appearance." I tell her straightforward.

"Brother..." Ares calls me with the tone I'm with.

"Don't Ares. Don't you dare take her side again. How much worse can she make this? It wouldn't have gotten this bad if she had just let Atheena be kept here not as a prisoner..."

"And let Octavius be killed?" Ares cuts me off. "Forgive me brother, but if I was in mother's shoes I probably would have done the same." Ares talks and I stare at him in horror. "Didn't you see the look in her eyes? If left alone she would have killed Octavius." Ares continues.

"Because she is hurt Ares! She is f*****g hurt! And no, she wouldn't have, if only you all would have looked deeper. And even if she would have gone that far, did you really think Octavius would let her? Didn't you see that she can not even muster her powers properly, which means Octavius can still tame her." I tell them all.

"Either ways orion, it was a risk I was not ready to let happen." Mother's voice comes through. "As a leader, you have people counting on you. Tell me, if I had let her go with such atrocities and claims, what would the people say? I may have made a wrong call in your eyes, but I did what I did to protect my people." Mother speaks while I only scoff.

"And at protecting your people, you neglected the obvious when it was right in your sight. You delayed an opportunity, by trying to show the power you had on a young and hurt woman who has just lost everything, and had you not have done that, we would have found a way to protect and tame her away from Articus." I speak, my words clear as day.

"Now Articus has her, with the death of over ten warlocks and bellator luminis, while you took your children and fled away, so tell me what kind of a leader is that?" I ask my mother wanting her to see the gravity of her decision.

"But all is done now, and the council would decide the rest. What matters is moving on." I look at each of them. "Ares, you may not know but it is because of this same Atheena, that I and Octavius are alive today, yet you see her as a monster." My gaze stern on Ares.

"Now, we have work to do. Octavius has embarked on a journey, so I'll need you Aurelia to visit your supernatural friends, inform them of the news and speak to their head about joining in on the fight.

Whereas, Ares I would like you to go to the east of Cyrus, brief them on our situation, for us to get reinforcements." I tell them both not wasting any more second for them to reply.

"Where is it Octavius went?" I turm to Aurelia, noticing that all her attention is particularly about Octavius at the moment.

"Forest of the dead." I tell her while I watch her eyes go wide in horror.