Ok, I was told that my first chapter started too late and I subsequently did too many flashbacks. So, I did a prologue. I know many of you aren't fans of this . . . But I believe it works for this story. Obviously, my next chapters will be modified. Please give me an honest opinion of my work.
Thanks, Tanya:D
Prologue
Orion gasped as he perched on the edge of the pond and glanced at his reflection only to be confronted by a stranger. He pulled back immediately and looked around wildly but there was no one there but for him. Hesitantly, he leaned back over the water’s surface and he had to admit that the man looking back at him, was himself. With a shaky hand, he reached toward the water, imitated by his reflection and then both paused, stared at the outstretched hand. It was old and wrinkled and covered with brown spots; it wasn’t familiar to him and neither was his left hand, he realised when he glanced down at it.
He pulled his hand back and stared at the pond, stared at his reflection. He had aged so much in so little time! His once sleek black hair was now entirely white and dishevelled, reaching to his waist. His eyes, which had been a vivid electrifying blue, were now pale and washed-out. The face, the face he had worn proudly for centuries, was no longer smooth or fresh looking; it was now wrinkled beyond all recognition and worry lines were visible here and there. How could his wife stand to look at him, stand to be with him? He looked as old as time, which in fact he was, but up until recently, he hadn’t looked it. Suddenly a coughing fit took over his frail body and he bent in two, the pain racking him. He clutched his heaving chest as he gasped for breath, fighting a momentary panic before actually being able to take a full deep breath. “I’m dying.” His mind whispered and he could not deny it any longer.
He was breathing a little easier when he heard, “Brothers! Sisters!” His youngest daughter screamed in delight at the unexpected visit of her older siblings. It was only unexpected to her; Orion had asked them to come. He turned his head to the front of the house where the cries had come from and from a distance he could tell his children, the quadruplets, were coming to join them. Henrietta, affectionately called Rhee, was trailing behind them, chattering happily, while plucking flowers here and there, bringing them to her nose and inhaling deeply before dropping them and running to catch up with her brothers and sisters.
As Orion watched the quadruplets, he could not bring himself to regret the brief but passionate interlude between himself and their mother, Clarissa. She had been charming and witty and he had naively seen in her the perfect candidate to bear his offspring. Alas, she had not taken well to giving birth to what she viciously called ‘his spawn’. Their birth had been difficult and Orion had been in danger of losing all four of them plus their mother. He had made an instantaneous decision that he had never regretted: he had given up the very essence of himself to save them but by doing so, he had lost his Godhood; his immortality.
As his children came closer he studied them carefully, burning the image of them in his brain, for his time with them was very limited. He felt his heart fill with pride as he watched them; they had grown so much, so fast! Technically, the quadruplets were only seven summers old but being the children of a God, their growth was advanced three-fold and they had the bodies of children much older. They were unique, his offspring, to their discontent. He had not –could not- have foreseen that by giving up the very fundamental nature of himself, their own essence would be changed. Although they were quadruplets, four babies from the same womb, they could not be more different or hate each other more for the differences.
The first born, Drake, had ordinary teeth like his siblings, but at times, two of his teeth would grow longer until they bit into his lower lip. When he spoke like this, or yawned, his teeth resembled those of a cat. He was also very strong and fast for his age and controlled the element of water.
His sister Rosalina would look sweet if she wasn’t constantly frowning or snarling. She, more than the other three, seemed to fight all that she was and all that linked her to her siblings. Orion hadn’t noticed anything different about her at first but soon realised that she was able to temper atmospheres and moods, either to quiet or to roust. Also, this summer she had sprouted wings from her back. He had been worried about her reaction to this but she had seemed pleased that she had a way to escape her siblings; she could fly, although not very far because she tired too easily. Her element, of course, was air.
Morgana, unlike Rosalina, was sweet and acted as the peace maker between her siblings. At least, she tried, not always successfully. Her difference lied in the magic that she wielded. She often chanted to herself and things would happen when she did; a plant would grow, a damaged animal would mend. She was a healer. She could also, when the mood struck, play tricks on her siblings like make vines appear that grabbed at her brothers’ legs. The element of earth was hers to control.
Bart was the last born and his difference was the most physical one; he could shape into a wolf. His youngest son loved to play tricks on his siblings but he often seemed to take them too far. Orion wondered if Bart would learn to grow up, to be more responsible or if he’d be mischievous his whole life. The fire element was a big responsibility for someone so young but Orion had faith that Bart would own up to it.
Because he had given up his Godhood, Rhee was a fully mortal child. She was and looked, a little over four summers old. She and the quadruplets were in fact step-siblings but none of them saw it that way. Orion and Meghan, Rhee’s mother, didn’t see it that way either. He wished he could keep all five of his children under the same roof but Clarissa would not permit it.
Orion knew he was rambling in his thoughts but he didn’t care, he didn’t want to forget anything about his family, his loved ones. When a shadow loomed over him, he looked up, startled, and met four pairs of eyes all the same colour as his once were; a vivid blue. Rhee was stooping to a rose bush, inhaling the sweet scent of it. Drake knelt in front of his father, a pained expression on his face. “Father, you are not well.” It wasn’t a question but Orion answered with his mind, too afraid of coughing again if he exerted himself by talking.
“No, son, I am not and that is why I have asked you and your siblings to come to me. We must speak.” He had opened his mind to include his three other children. This gift of talking without words was the only thing that remained of his previous life. That and . . .
When Orion perceived Drake’s intention to scoop him up to carry him in the house, he made an abrupt gesture of his hand to stop his son who fell on his behind in astonishment. Of course, he was still young even if he did not look it, and he sometimes forgot his father could read him. His pride –maybe foolishly- taking over, Orion straightened his spine and regarded his children, one after the other, making sure they understood that their assistance would be insulting to him. He rolled over slowly and carefully got to his knees, leaning on his weakened arms and panting slightly. He tried unsuccessfully to push against the ground with both his arms and legs, straining against the downward pull of his body until finally, he managed to stand. He rose to his full height, a proud smile on his face before folding in two, racked with a violent cough. He had done too much! He felt liquid rising up in his throat and he spit it out. When he saw the blood flying through the air, his shoulders slumped in defeat.
“Daddy?” Rhee walked over to her father, peering at him worriedly. She tugged at his hand and the small gesture brought him to his knees; he was too weak. “Daddy?” He heard her voice quaver and he pulled his tiny daughter to him. As she clung to him, he inhaled deeply; she smelled of flowers and grass, of fresh air and of sun. He had created everything she smelled of, he had created her and now he was dying. Would everything die with him? No, of course not, he was being ridiculous. Never would he smell these perfumes, never feel grass under his bare feet or bathe in the warm sun. He held his daughter tighter until she squealed and he released her immediately.
He raised his weary gaze to Drake’s, silently admitting defeat. Without saying a word, his son effortlessly scooped him up and Morgana hurried forward to open the door. Meghan was rushing for them, having probably heard his heart wrenching coughs.
Meghan pointed to a room down the hall and the siblings silently made their way there, Drake still clutching his father to him. Meghan turned to her daughter who was staring at her with wide, frightened eyes. “Honey, Daddy needs to talk with your brothers and sisters. Mommy needs you to stay here, in this room, until we call for you. Can you do that for me?”
“He doesn’t wanna talk with me?”
“Yes, Rhee, he does but first he must have a talk with your brothers and sisters.”
Meghan kissed her daughter on the forehead before rising and heading for the bedroom her and Orion had shared for the past five summers. When she felt tears threaten to slip over, she paused to give herself time to collect herself. She did not want Orion to see her in this state, not as the last image of her . . . She shivered, rubbing her arms to ward off the chill she felt. She knew she wasn’t actually cold but it was almost as if she could feel the cold presence of Death brushing past her. She suddenly hurried to the bedroom.
Orion’s eyes flicked over to his mate as she entered the room, without Rhee, and he felt his body relax. He wasn’t sure his youngest child would have listened to her mother; she was head-strong, even at four summers old, and she did not like to feel left out but Orion did not want her to see him like this, so weak. Besides, he needed to speak with his quadruplets and Meghan, he needed to tell them . . .
“I have had a vision.” He studied the five of them gravely.
“A vision? I thought the only power of yours that remained was your mind-speaking.” For once, Rosalina wasn’t curt or rude. Orion could feel her genuine fear for him and for losing him.
“I thought so too but this vision came to me a few days ago.” Orion’s voice was raspy and his throat felt raw. He thought about speaking to them with his mind but he was unable to reach Meghan with his mind; only the quadruplets and so he pressed on, his voice getting weaker by the minute.“I need you all to know that you will be well provided for . . . In my absence.” His throat clogged up and he coughed again, his whole body spasming with the effort. Morgana reached for him and leaned a healing hand on his heart. Her eyes widened and her whole body stilled.
“You . . . Are dying,” she whispered, her voice anguished. Of course, he already knew that but to hear it confirmed was terrifying. He didn’t want to die! He had so much to live for! His children, his wife, even his renewed relationship with his brother Magnus. He mentally shook himself; it wasn’t time to think about this. He needed to make them understand his vision.
“I know,” he said softly. “That is why I have asked you to come. But before we say our farewells, I must tell you of my vision.” He spat out more blood as he coughed. He felt his children and his wife agitated, restless. They felt helpless. Didn’t know what to do, wanting to help but unable to.“The vision is a prophecy. What I have seen, some few nights past, is that for several centuries a war will wage between the clans and the Gods. Only a descendant of my last child will be able to bring an end to this war because he or she will have inherited all of my powers, the tremendous powers of the God of Creation.”
Orion began shivering violently and stuttered the last words. Immediately, Meghan rushed forward and piled more blankets on him from a chair near the bed. Morgana nodded to her sister and they both went to the foot of the bed, reached underneath the blankets and began vigorously rubbing Orion’s cold feet. Bart and Drake stood on either side of their father, each of his hands in one of their own. Meghan placed her warm hands of Orion’s cheeks and pressed her lips to his forehead. A tear spilled from her eye and landed on his temple but he did not seem to notice. He was glancing from one of his children to the other.
“You will need to become Rhee’s guardian, her children’s and then their children’s. You will have to keep your guard up, rely on one another, band together for the protection of this prophecy.”
“But Father,” Drake said quietly, “we are not at war with the Gods . . . And who are the clans?”
“You are the clans, all four of you. I believe that is why you are so different, unique.” He coughed, spat and shivered. The shivering would not subside, even with the six blankets and his daughters warming his feet. Bart released his hand and inhaled deeply before turning his hands palm up and concentrating on them. A small flame appeared in both palms, startling Orion who had never seen his son so controlled, but the flames were doused leaving his hands red and smoking. His youngest son pressed both hands on either side of Orion, atop the blankets and immediately he felt a difference in his body and he sighed. The sigh turned into a cough, a cough that wouldn’t abate. His mind was unprotected from the onslaught of his children’s thoughts as he strained to calm his breathing but it simply would not stop. Morgana quit rubbing his feet and rushed over, placing both hands on his chest. He felt her concentrate, summoning the healing magic within her.
“He’s dying!”
“He can’t be! He’s immortal!”
“Not anymore, Rosalina, you know he isn’t.”
“But it isn’t fair!”
“I can’t feel him very strongly, his heart isn’t steady, it’s letting go . . .”
“Morgana, hold on, hang on to him!”
“My fire . . . It’s dying, I can’t keep him warm any longer. . .
”He’s letting go!”
“Father!”
The voices ceased all at once but a tiny one was heard in his mind, one who had never entered there before. “Daddy?”
He turned his head slowly, sluggishly to the door and saw Rhee huddled on the floor, arms wrapped around her legs, eyes huge pools of tears.
All at once, his shivering stopped, his coughing abated and his heart beat slowed, slower, slower still. He kept his eyes locked on his baby’s and he whispered, hoping she would hear him. “Goodbye Rhee, I love you.”
Orion, God of Creation now turned man and father, disappeared into a million tiny stars under his family’s astonished eyes.
“Daddy! No!”
lol
