The Son of Hades - Born of Fire

Mackenzie Chapter 43

The son of Hades found himself wandering the forest on a full moon with a bow in his hand along with a stack of arrows hanging on the side of his waist. As he walked through the forest, he stumbled upon a shallow river with a deer's head lying on the sand, as he looked closer he saw limbs on the other side of the bank. He climbed on over and he began following where the pieces took him. He then stumbled upon a half-eaten corpse of an old man with his crossbow still griped tightly in his hand. As he looked closer to the body, he heard growling coming from his far left. When he looked to his left he saw a grey wolf, long and tall with six times the size of a normal one. He stood over the lower half of the corpse while Mackenzie pointed his bow, aiming his arrow toward him. The son of Hades held the bowstring on strain as he noticed the beast stood his ground.

He let loose of his bow string when the creature began running toward him before throwing itself onto him. Mackenzie fell on his back while the creature stood over him, it's paw rested upon his chest. The son of Hades grabs the creature's jaw with one hand, trying his best to keep it shut.

He started punching the wolf in it's mouth, stunning the beast momentarily. Being annoyed, he summoned his red eyes. With one blow he sent the creature flying overhead.
The wolf had fallen on it's back, hitting it's head on one of the trees. As it took it's time getting up, Mackenzie grabs his bow from off the dirt, aiming his arrow toward the ferocious beast. When he releases the arrow, it went and struck the creature in its chest. As it struck he began hearing whimpering coming from the beast. He then lowered his bow as he noticed the creature had lowered his posture and was lowering his head toward the ground.

"So you're the one whose been killing everyone around here?" Mackenzie asked the creature as he knelt. "I never wanted to harm you," he whispered. "I'm here same as you, looking for a meal."

The wolf left him there, as it headed deeper into the forest. Mackenzie remained where he was, looking on as he noticed a scar on the creature's upper back. "It can't be," he whispered to himself.

A few minutes later the wolf returns with the deer's ribs attached to his teeth. He spat it out near Mackenzie's feet and then it laid on the ground as its blood began to flow out from his body. The creature closes his eyes before shedding his fur. Mackenzie watched the creature turn into a man.

"Gideon," Mackenzie muttered, as he stared at his friend bleeding to death. He rushes to his side taking off his shirt to stop the bleeding. Mackenzie grabbed him off the ground and he carried him out the forest. He began walking as fast as he could to reach out into the open. As soon as he stepped out on the field he ran inside his house, taking his friend into his room to lie upon his straw bed. He went to the edge of his room to retrieve his sword. When Mackenzie grabbed the handle, the entire sword became heated. He took the tip of it and places it against the wound. Gideon awoke with a cry as he felt the heat of the sword pressing against his flesh. Mackenzie removes the sword when he saw the blood had stopped pouring out, and the wound was closed.

"Not the way I planned on you finding out," Gideon said out of breath.

"Gideon," Laura cried, as she entered the room.

"I'm fine," Gideon told her. "Mackenzie just saved my life."

"What's going on in here?" Lyra asked, as she came entering in.

Mackenzie went to the left side of his room, grabbing a jug of wine and then pouring a cup filled to its brim. He swallowed the first cup for himself and the second one he took to his friend. "Drink up," he said, handing it over to Gideon. "You need it more than I do."

"It's better if you not know," Mackenzie told her. "You'll get frighten and run away like the time I told you who I was."

"I've come around since then," she replied. "Will you tell me the matter?"

"You cannot tell anyone what I am?" Gideon pleaded.

"Are you a shifter or a..." Mackenzie asked.

"I'm a wolfling," Gideon confessed, "cursed by the Goddess Artemis for killing the most beautiful creature I had ever seen."

"You're what?" Lyra said, confused.

"What creature was it?" Mackenzie wanted to know. "A Pegasus," his friend admitted. "A white horse that carried wings."

"You've been murdering the villagers," Lyra said horrified, she stood behind Mackenzie as she kept her gaze on Gideon.

"You don't need to be afraid Lyra," said Laura. "The beast targets men who lives dishonestly."

"You saw something beautiful and you killed it," Mackenzie said disappointingly. "I believe Artemis made you into the monster she believes you are."

"I don't blame her," Gideon said. "I've learnt from my mistake, but every time when I change into the beast I remember my guilt. It will always be there until I die."

"You've killed people Gideon, so many of them," Lyra interrupted.

"I know," Gideon quickly replied. "but they weren't innocent. The beast can sense guilt and he attacks when fear and guilt are together. I attacked Mackenzie tonight because I sensed his guilt and his fear."

"It's true," the son of Hades told them. "When I pulled my bow at you I had fear. I feared killing a beast that had no control of what he was doing."

"And your guilt?" Gideon asked. "I feel guilty for my mother's death. For a moment I wanted the beast to have his way with me. To rip me into pieces and be done with it."

"You aren't to blame, it was her own heart that gave up on her."

"My father is Hades," Mackenzie confessed. "Rosaline wasn't my real mother but someone whose duty was to take care of me. She died because of who I am."

"If she's not your mother, then who is?" Gideon was curious.

"You should get some rest," Mackenzie told him.

"I guess we're all have secrets," Laura admitted.

"Mackenzie, can you sleep in my room tonight?" Lyra asked him. "I don't feel safe after knowing what he is."

"Alright, but I'm sleeping on the ground."

"Whatever works for you," replied Lyra, as she grabbed his hand and followed behind.

"If you try any funny business I swear I'll leave and have a tent build just up the hill," he promised.

"I make no promises," she replied.