Before the beginning

They say that the Goddess of War Scaliya appeared imposing from the heavens when a simple prayer reached her ears. She was a woman clad in gold; she had with her two glittering swords in her hands; a spear with two sharp points on her back; a crown of seven rings under her head; and wings that beat a thousand winds in the air. She looked at the subjugated humans and wept. The slavery before her eyes ached in her heart and demanded that evil personified rise before her. Daraj-Vzan, the demon king known for absorbing 100 curses and dooming the humans of that precite land, rose from the shadows with his infinite army. 

Goddess Scaliya questioned the demon king:

"Wicked creature... Why do you persecute these poor souls?"

The demon king waved one of his many wrinkled arms in mockery.

"Nonsense from you, Goddess of War. There are no poor souls here. Only sins being atoned for. Go back to the heavens, insolent one. This land already belongs to me."

The Goddess of War, however, did not return a single word to the demon king. The sword in her left hand glittered like the color of the sun, just as the sword in her right hand glittered like the color of the sea.

Scaliya shone in the trembling sky reaching with her sumptuous light every corner of that cursed land. The infinite army attacked her, but they could not touch her. The demon king used his ferocious blade against the Goddess and the two of them engaged in a fight ad aeternum in the eyes of the humans present.

Finally, Scaliya banished all the demons underground with her singular strength, and restrained Daraj-Vzan, keeping him bound to her bare feet. 

Arming herself with her blazing spear, she thrust the weapon into Daraj-Vzan's face. The rough skin was quickly lashed, as if repelling such nobility.

"Why?" Daraj whispered amidst his own blood. "Why do you fight for these humans?"

The Goddess then searched the crowd in amazement for the author of the prayer. She smiled as she recognized from afar a slender, weak, young man with bruised skin. 

The smile caused the demon king to be repulsed.

"I can't ignore an obstinate heart." she replied with her serene eyes.

The demon king cried out in fury, as he saw the Goddess Scalyia being further enveloped in her due glow.

Chapter I. Taken on the Road No. 6

Behind the moon, where the light rises and the darkness fades.

That afternoon should have been like any other for Damian Montgomery. In front of the airport, the young man was waiting for someone. His pose was carefree. A cap covered his head, sunglasses protected his eyes from the afternoon sun. The digital watch on his wrist showed the exact time of his brother's arrival. He didn't want to go inside and face the exaggerated amount of people at the airport, he preferred to wait outside. Even though he thought his presence there was unfounded, he remained quiet in the corner, even more so when he saw a familiar head. 

He was a man with a bright face and golden hair. In part, he looked a lot like Damian, but he was a bit older and out of season. Dressed in a faded, old jeans jacket, his older brother, Elio, was walking calmly out of the airport, carrying a single handbag with him.

Does he really have everything he needs in there? An ironic thought occurred to him.

When Elio got close enough, he hugged his younger brother who accepted the act with a grimace on his face.

"Did you miss me that much? People are watching." Damian complained, walking away. The other smiled broadly.

"You're so tall, Dante." He called him by his affectionate nickname, checking his brother's body from top to bottom. "I can even see some muscles, is that right?"

"Let's get going." he said, after ignoring his brother's comment, "Let's get a cab."

The two walked a bit. Elio raised his arm to a vehicle at the curb.

"I'm hungry. Why don't we stop and have a cup of coffee? You must know the best coffee shops around here. "Damian had his cell phone in his hand when he heard him. About to deny it, he was interrupted before he even started. "Dante, your brother is hungry, let's stop real quick, huh?"

Damian sighed.

"Elio, I can't stay long. I have an appointment. And there is a plenty of food in my house."

"Ah, that's fine." the brother pondered watching the cab park. "You prepare something for me, then?"

Damian blinked in dissatisfaction, watching his brother get into the cab. Then he gave the taxi driver the address of a well-known café nearby.

The image of Elio fervently devouring a simple egg sandwich intrigued him. He even wanted to ask if there was anything like this in England, but he chose not to. He didn't want to enter into a new conversation.

"Why didn't you ask for anything?" He heard his brother speak with his mouth full. 

"I'm not hungry." Damian said, running his finger across the screen of his cell phone. He was talking to someone. The older brother wiped his mouth with a napkin and then said: 

"How is your work on the Internet?"

"Everything is fine" he replied without enthusiasm. "How do you think I support myself?"

He smiled as he listened to Damian.

"You are a well-made adult. Our grandparents did a great job. " Damian frowned upon hearing those words.

"Why did you mention them all of a sudden?"

"And why not? We'll visit them, for sure. I miss them." 

"It's a whole day's drive to them. They're fine, I always send them money. " said Damian without looking at his older brother. "Are you done yet? I really need to go." 

"Oh, yes, of course. " Elio took the rest of his drink in one gulp and then stood up. "I'll pay."

Damian thought about standing by the bill, but saw that he was already far away. He shook his head, concentrating on the contents of the cell phone in his hand. A satisfied smile opened as he read the message.

It hadn't been long since his brother had left, yet the dissatisfaction appearing on his face was clear. Damian really needed to meet someone. He even let his eyes wander around the establishment. It was late afternoon, the coffee shop was quiet, and ambient music broke up the people's voices. He preferred to remain immersed in his cell phone again, not wanting to notice anything around him. He hoped that his date wouldn't be delayed because he had stopped in that coffee shop. 

It was only when his brother touched him on the shoulder that the boy was pulled out of his own world.

"What's so great about that cell phone anyway?" The older brother asked, putting his wallet away in his pants pocket. Elio had sweet eyes when directed at his younger brother, the joking tone was evident. 

"Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand. I'm talking about relationships, have you ever been in one?" Damian tilted his torso keeping his cell phone in his pocket, not wanting to give openings for jokes.

"What are you getting at? Know that I am quite popular with women." He let out as he grabbed the strap of his suitcase. "Aren't you being too mean to your brother who just arrived?"

"I already picked you up at the airport, I was kind enough for a year" he pronounced standing up. "Have you paid?"

"Yes, I have." he replied. "But tell me, when did it turn bitter?" The two began walking side by side toward the cafeteria exit. Damian rolled his eyes under his glasses.

"After being away for so long, wouldn't it be presumptuous to say that I have become a bitter person?"

"Dante!" Elio tried to warn.

"Urgh!" Damian tumbled backwards in fright. "Damn it!"

The cotton jacket worn by Damian was struck. In front of him was a waitress holding an empty tray in her hand. The drink she was carrying had been spilled on Damian as she bumped into him. It was a purple drink that exuded a strong smell. With her other empty hand, the waitress was holding the arm of a child.

"Are you okay?" Elio asked.

"Of course not, look at my jacket!" Damian showed angrily.

"I wasn't talking to you." The older brother corrected.

Damian crossed his frown, forcing himself to look at the waitress. She was stooped over, talking to the child. Not long after, a woman appeared apologizing for her son's carelessness. When they left, the waitress stared at the brothers.

"Now I can apologize properly. I ended up holding the child for a moment to avoid an accident and faltered with the tray. I apologize for what happened. May I offer something?" she explained with her head down, a sign of apology.

"No problem..." Elio began, but was interrupted.

"Do you have any idea how much that jacket costs?" Damian inquired dismissively.

The waitress blinked.

"How?" The boy pointed to the, by then, high-cost clothing. "No, I don't."

"What if it was a hot drink? What if you had hit my face, how would you take responsibility?! You think offering me a sandwich will pay for that?"

"Dante, what are you doing?" Elio grabbed his shoulder, but his brother ignored him.

"If you're not capable of carrying a glass on a tray, do you think that's the right job for you?! Just consider yourself lucky that I'm out of time to talk to your manager."

The waitress listened to everything with a placid countenance.

"I apologize again, I really didn't mean to. " she said once again, lifting her face and quickly meeting Elio's gaze. The waitress blinked a few times.

"Let's go away. I'm never coming back here again. And you can be sure I won't give this establishment five stars."

Damian turned away, leaving the waitress and her brother behind. Elio didn't know how to act. He just shook his head in bewilderment.

"Forgive my younger brother's rudeness, he's not usually like this. I guess."

However, the waitress didn't answer. She just stared at him in a way that not even Elio could understand. The older brother left the cafeteria still under her gaze.

In the cab, the two brothers followed quietly in the back seat. Damian grimaced as the smell of the drink wafted on the wind. He had to open the car window. Elio gave the boy a disapproving look, which didn't seem to have any effect. The boy didn't seem to be shaken by it at all. The older brother evaluated the younger boy's profile and fought with himself thinking: Is it my fault? 

Damian had sharp eyes, a thick facade that Elio might not be able to break. He remembered when they were children, the younger one used to act with affection and innocence. He always envied this loving side of him. In the most difficult moments he tried to remember Damian's friendly face. It brought him peace, it was the only thing that made him want to come home. What exactly had happened? Did he have the right to complain? He couldn't say.

"Why did you act like that?" he asked. "Dante, I'm talking to you."

"Which way?" the boy replied without taking his eyes off the cell phone screen. "What are you talking about?"

"What was the reason for that rudeness? Didn't you see that the girl held the child so that something more serious wouldn't happen?"

"Oh, you mean the waitress?" Damian did not change his features. "She should be fired for her lack of competence."

Elio raised his eyebrows, indulging in the moment.

"Excuse me?!"

"You know, don't you?" Damian turned his body toward his brother, "I work on the Internet, I need my face intact. What if something serious had really happened? These people need to get a reality shock."

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

"These people? How different do you think you are from them? Why are you acting this way?" His words made Damian let out a laugh laden with irony.

"Why do I behave that way? Don't you think you're a few years too late?" The brother loosened the jaw that had previously been clenched. "You've been wandering the world for years, and suddenly you come back wanting to talk about the way I act, as if there's some right to it?"

Elio stopped for a moment to take a breath. He put his hands together, lowering his head. He stared at the shoes he was wearing, trying to distance himself from his brother even though they were side by side. Damian muttered a curse, removing his sunglasses and then putting them away in his coat pocket. He covered his eyes with one hand, speaking:

"Let's not dwell on that subject, why are you taking the pains of someone you don't know? I'm going on a date, but we can have dinner together later."

Elio, however, acted as if he had not listened.

"It's my fault," he spoke suddenly. "I thought I had made the right choice, I thought it would be better.... I shouldn't have left you behind. I shouldn't have left you here."

Damian closed his fists, becoming almost enraged. 

"What on earth are you talking about?! I have never, at any time, felt abandoned. " he replied. His countenance was irritated.

Sadness created itself on the other's face. The cab reduced speed as it turned a corner. The silence remained and the sound of the radio playing eased the tension inside the car. The mood outside changed abruptly. The afternoon sun departed leaving heavy black clouds. A somewhat unusual fog rolled in and took over the road. The driver, an elderly man, was wiping the lenses of the glasses he was wearing when he noticed cars honking their horns and swerving ahead.

"What is that?" he spoke to himself with an eye on Road 6.

Damian was still fiddling with his cell phone when he noticed that the signal had dropped. A quick thought that nothing was going right that day crossed his mind. He huffed, wanting to get out of the vehicle. Elio was not saying anything beside him, it was driving him crazy. He also didn't want to be the first to start a conversation. He wasn't going to give in. And in fact, he didn't have to.

"Dante, we need to talk." As he concluded his sentence, Damian didn't have a chance to respond, as the driver shouted startled:

"There's something on the road!"

The brothers heard him, but there was no time to react. The windshield shattered in shock as a weight destroyed the front of the car. The tires screeched against the asphalt, horns sounded everywhere, the vehicle ran into another joining in a collision. 

Finally, it rolled over and ended up on the curb.

Getting out of an overturned car would not be easy. This is what he thought when he opened his eyes, realizing what had happened and that he was also alive. He was able to catch his older brother, pulling the taxi driver out of the front seat with difficulty. Elio was on the outside, until then bruised, he could see a trail of blood running down his neck. 

Damn, me too? he thought, feeling his head throbbing hard. Why didn't he take me out first?

"Dante! Are you okay? Dante!" Elio's head appeared in the window.

"Stop yelling, I can hear you just fine" Damian was trying to turn around in the back seat. His long body was not adapted for those situations. He was not wearing his belt, he eventually found out what it felt like to be inside a blender. 

"Do you think you can get out?" asked the visibly distressed brother.

"It's not like I want to stay here any longer. It's pretty uncomfortable."

"Come! Give me your hand and I'll pull you" Damian obeyed his brother, being brought out of the vehicle. All he had to be thankful for was that the windows were open.  

The boy managed to stand up with the help of his brother. When he saw the driver passed out on the ground and the chaos that was formed, he was exhausted. His ears were ringing, it was torture inside his head.

"What happened here?!" he spoke loudly, rubbing his eyes. "I'm pretty sure something hit the hood of the car before we turned."

Suddenly, the people around him began to disperse. Damian had been surprised at how quiet his brother was, but he soon forgot this, and focused on the confusion that was occurring. The boy tried in vain to understand. Not only those who had been involved in the accident, but also others had dropped their cars as if they were running away from something. Most were running scared. Some tried to use their cell phones to record, but quickly gave up. 

What was coming in the distance? Ignoring the pain in his head, the boy took a step forward.

"Damian! Elio's voice calling him erupted in his ears like a screech. His older brother stood in front and held his shoulders. "You need to pay attention to what I'm going to say now!"

"Elio, I think there's something going on over there. Aren't you feeling that vibration coming from the ground?!"

"Dante, listen!" The older brother shouted once again, shaking the boy's body with exaggerated force. Damian stared at him.

The ground beneath them shook and an impact filled the air, the younger man felt as if a small earthquake passed through his body. Elio now squeezed his shoulders harder, but he had fallen silent. Damian soon discovered the reason.

First, he thought that afternoon was supposed to be like any other. Second, he wanted to make sure that he was awake or that maybe, just maybe, the accident a few minutes ago had not broken his head for good.

His eyes betrayed him, because what he saw was not possible.

"What's that? What...?"

It was a being that caused repulsion. And so close to them it was. A creature that could not be included in the human species, even though it looked like it. It was tall; its skin resembled that of a snake, it had large muscles and a frightening face. It was barefoot, large and dirty fingernails were present both on its feet and on its hands. His eyes were yellow, much of his green hair was missing, as if he suffered from baldness. His appearance was beaten from head to toe. If Damian could say anything, he would praise the characterization of this cosplay.

After all, it was just cosplay, right? The monstrous gun in his hand was fake, right? Every shapeless atmosphere he felt at the moment was a lie, right?

"Elio, are you seeing what I'm seeing? ARE YOU?!" Surprised to hear his own voice, he shouted to his older brother.

"Did you like the surprise?" A voice they had never heard before, clownish and cynical. The being had spoken to them, and was getting closer. The boy wanted to say something more, but his throat would not allow it. He couldn't.

Elio didn't say a word to the boy. Damian couldn't imagine that his brother was that strong, as he was pushed meters away from him. By the craziness of the moment, he could swear that his brother had put something in his jacket pocket. The boy was thrown hard, and only stopped rolling when he stepped off the asphalt and onto the grass.

He opened the eyes that had gathered without realizing it. The world was still spinning, but the scene in the distance was more important. His older brother was still facing it. His heart was beating hurriedly inside his chest, Damian felt scared like a little puppy.

What is happening? Is it a nightmare? I am inside a dream, is that it?!

The boy's eyes widened at what came next. The enigmatic being fiddled with his belt, causing a long silver chain to fall to the ground. And as if it had a life of its own, the chain flew directly around Elio's neck, wrapping around him several times. A strong light emanated and the older brother glowed along with the adoba. Before it evaporated and disappeared completely, he extended his arm toward Dante.

Run, Elio said.

In response, the boy shouted.

Even if he wanted to, he could not. His legs had no life left in them. 

"What just happened?" he muttered, mesmerized. "That thing... Did it evaporate my brother? Elio?! Where are you?"

Damian didn't know why his brother had disappeared before his eyes. Nothing was real, he wanted to tell himself that it didn't happen. It was part of some joke, it was being recorded, it was going to be on television. Elio would soon be back, laughing and saying: I caught you, you should have seen your face!

However, the chaotic situation surrounding him was too palpable for it all to really be a tasteless invention.

The chain that had been used to evaporate Damian's brother obediently returned to the being's belt. The weapon that the boy had consequently come to fear was about to be used. A rather large and heavy axe with a fertile blade in the shape of a half-moon. The wood that supported it was outlined with sharp spines. The creature's eyes met Dante's and he could feel his body temperature drop. 

Don't come, he thought, don't come, please.

All he could do was wait. He already understood that the being was now walking towards him. All roads in that instant would lead to death.

What a beautiful way to die. I always thought I would be run over.

He thought about his older brother, almost not wanting to believe that Elio was in fact dead. His eyes burned.

"Stop right there!" Damian moved his head hearing a voice. The creature acted the same way. Two policemen were pointing their guns at the unknown being. Of course, there was no disputing that he was the threat there. However, Damian felt an agonizing chill run up his spine.

"Drop the object on the ground and put your hands on your head!" spoke the first cop. 

The creature said nothing, but did as given the order. It crouched slowly, leaving its weapon on the ground.  Damian was numb from the pain, but he could see that this was not going to go any other way. There was nothing the cop could do. 

That's when the boy gathered his strength:

"RUN! GET OUT OF HERE, HE'S GOING TO..." He didn't finish speaking. 

Without deviation, the axe guided itself through the air to the first cop. The boy shrugged his shoulders, watching the man's head hang back. Blood gushed from the terrible cut, and the policeman lay dead on the ground. Shots were fired, coming from the second policeman. The man, also overcome with horror, didn't notice when the axe floated up from behind, hitting him in the back. 

Damian's tearful gaze captured everything. He felt his stomach wrack and his mind turn several times. It felt like he was going to faint.

Merciless, the disgusting being soon called the axe back to himself. He smelled the fresh blood of the men on his weapon, enjoying it in delight. 

"Ah, the smell of this filthy earth is not as bad as I thought. It's a shame that I have to stay for such a short time. I'd love to smell more of it. " he spoke more to himself, laughing triumphantly. "Of course, I hate to do these things unnecessarily, but I need to take the lives of all those who stand in my way. You think I'm wrong, huh?"

Damian swallowed the saliva stored in his mouth, daring himself to say:

"What have you done with my brother?!" The voice came crashing in. "What are you?! Why are you doing such things?!"

The creature smiled sadistically and jumped where it stood.

"Ah, what a delightful, delightful, delightful moment! In front of me, right in front of me, I have Elio's brother! Elio, the hero! Elio, savior! He, who was supposed to save everyone, won't be able to save his own brother!" he laughed cheekily, happiness leaping in the veins of his face. "And even better, little brother doesn't know anything. I wonder if I deserved a present like that, huh?! 

Damian threw everything he heard away, going back to the beginning:

"What have you done with my brother?!" 

"You'll never know," he said, still content. 

The wind played with Damian's hair, the cap that once protected him was gone at some point, as was his cell phone. In the bushes behind him, he could hear crickets singing. There were no more police to appear, no more people passing by. It was a nightmare he could never imagine having or experiencing. He was alone. He would miss the meeting he had promised to show up for. 

Would she forgive him? If she knew what had happened? Would she believe him? 

The axe in the creature's hand was still dripping blood like decoration. The being was too close this time, there was nowhere to go.

Should I start praying now? Isn't it too late for that?

"You are going to die!" the creature declared, raising the axe above the boy's head. "You are going to die without knowing anything!"

The boy, mortified by the moment, closed his eyes and prayed. When he felt nothing, he thought the pain was so great that it had the opposite effect. He was wrong.

"What?!" It was not Damian who had said that, but the creature. 

As he lifted his head, he understood the surprise explicit in the being's shapeless face. Someone had come between them. The axe didn't cut his head off, and now he could see why. A gleaming two-edged spear received every blow. 

The boy opened his mouth slightly when he recognized who was wielding the gun to defend him.

"Who are..." The avowed enemy tried to say something, but the mistress of the spear wouldn't let him. 

She propelled her weapon against the axe and kicked her newest opponent. The thud made itself present in the air, causing a commotion in the room. The being was thrown away from both of them. The girl then turned her body toward Damian, still sitting on the grass. She held the spear vehemently.

"Are you okay?" she asked, getting down on her knees. The boy didn't answer. "Are you hurt? Can you stand up?"

"It's you... The waitress... I'm going crazy..."

She wrinkled her face, watching his confusion. Damian still stared at her in amazement. The girl was wearing the cafeteria uniform, her hair was tied back behind her head, and the spear in her hand did not match her at all.

"You don't seem to be badly hurt. " she said, analyzing him. "Where's your brother?"

His pupils wobbled.

"Elio... My brother, he..."

"He died?"

"No! We were attacked by that thing and it caught him in a shiny chain that made my brother disappear! He can't be dead!"

The waitress pondered for a few seconds.

"That thing I just kicked, is out to kill you. And it doesn't look like it's going to quit until it's done that."

"Why?! Why?! Why does he want to kill me and what did he do to my brother?!"

She made a puzzled face.

"You don't know?" Damian replied with a clear face of one who didn't know. The waitress rethought what to say. "From the yellow eyes, I believe that guy is a hybrid. An ancient race called Halvina... But what the hell is he doing here?"

"A hybrid? What does that mean? Where did he come from? What's going on and you... Why did you..." he was saying a little giddy. The waitress's face changed, her black eyes became cabalistic. 

"He is nothing more than a murderer. What was human about him is long gone. They are hard to kill."

The boy's lung filled with air. 

"Why is this happening?!"

They could not continue. Like a furious bull, her opponent was running back at her in full flight. The girl braced herself for the impact, but the shock was still great. Axe against spear, the rabid being made her go backwards, while growling like an animal.

"How dare you! Who do you think you are to get in my way? No one takes away my pleasure!"

She didn't answer him. Taking advantage of his inconsistency, she tipped him forward, taking the weight of the axe off of him. He came back quickly to try to attack her once more, but the waitress was light on her feet. She defended herself by dragging one of the sharp edges to his face. A cut was made, releasing a thick, greenish blood. 

Her opponent, discredited, ran his finger across her cheek. She stepped back in a defensive position.

"How about I talk a little bit now?" She released to him. "Who are you and what do you want here?"

She is fast, agile. She knows what to do, Damian thought aloofly, with great surprise. Who is she? 

"I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand!" the enemy was saying insanely. The waitress clenched her eyes at him. "There shouldn't be anyone else here, there shouldn't be any of them here! No one should stop me. Did you follow me?" he vociferated.

"Don't you think you're giving yourself too much importance? Why would I follow a murderer like you?!" Damian heard her and wanted to ask her not to say any provocations. He feared it even more at the moment. Could any agreement come out of that conversation?

"You're not one of them, are you? No, you can't be one of them. You're not wearing anything. BUT WHAT ARE YOU, HUH? Why are you carrying that gun?!" The being clutched the axe hard as it screamed.

"My gun? It was a gift. Why? You never got one?" she teased again, moving the spear deftly in the air.

"Damn. I'm going to... cut you..." His eyes pulsed as if they were going to jump. The sense of urgency grew.

"You need to get out of here!" She directed her words to a still paralyzed Damian. "Run and hide somewhere!"

He stood hesitantly.

"I will kill... Cut off all your limbs... I will..." The being called a hybrid raved taking its own time.

"Now! You have to go now!" shouted the girl.

"But what about you?" he shouted in response as well. 

The enemy's horizon cleared. The first drops of rain began to fall. The boy hadn't moved a foot yet.

"I... I already know where I'm going first. " The being moved hungrily, searching for Damian. 

The waitress, anticipating her opponent, joined the hybrid at the same instant he reached the boy. She pulled the boy by the coat, preventing the enemy's sharp blow. The boy staggered dazedly, having no reaction to such a situation. The other two - waitress and hybrid - faced each other. Damian remained between them. The horrid being constantly tried to hurt him, while the waitress defended him, according to the enemy's attacks. 

The opponent continued until it grabbed the boy's torso, as if grabbing a rabbit by the ears. Damian struggled against the touch, hindering the being's action. The waitress released him, reaching with her sharp blade for the disgusting arm of the enemy. She grabbed the boy to herself, pulling away as far as she could.

Without a gap, the hybrid turned red. Anger surging in its yellow eyes.

"Enough!" The powerful shout was not a mere cry of anger but a hidden blow. A thin crack in the floor opened and the waitress was struck by a vile blast, being thrown away close to the boy. 

The two of them were launched into a scramble, disappearing among the trees, leaving behind a trail of soil stirred.