Theseus- Before LManburg

Chapter One

"The thing about this world is that the only universal language...is violence."

There are many things that have been drilled into my head for a long time. Quotes like these are one of them. The need to have sacrifices is another.

"Techno, life isn't all work." A blonde kid nudged me as he sat down next to me. I was doing some research for my Mythology class in the town library, the dust from the old books flooding into my lungs.
"Oh, shut up, Philza. You're only saying that because you don't have a job." I shot back, still not taking my eyes off the pages.
Telemachus- The son of-
"Philza!" He slammed my book shut, blue eyes twinkling.
"Calm down, mate. Look, you need to live a little-"
"Don't have the time." Sighing, I stood up, heading for the door. Ever since the sun had risen, ever since my birthday had begun, I knew today would be different. I'm eighteen now. The Crimson Priest will be expecting me soon.
"Techno-"
"Look, Phil. I'd absolutely love to hang out with you. You know I would. But-"
"It's your birthday?" The blonde threw an arm around my shoulder. I huffed.
"I get it. You're stressed about your service to your bald bod-"
"The Blood God-"
"and you're only focused on that. But that's not good, mate. So we're gonna go somewhere." With that, black wings unfolded from Phil's shoulder blades. I shook my head as we stepped out of the library.
"Dude, the priest is going to be expecting me soo-" I gazed up at him midsentence and his look made me shut up.
"Religion isn't everything. You have to live. Now, let's go fly around somewhere." Phil rubbed his hands together, his gold rings catching the sunlight.
"I can't fly."
"Not with that attitude."
"Phil, I literally-"
"Into the skies!" After interrupting me yet again, Philza picked me up by my shirt and took off.
"Phil! What the-?!" I yelled as he soared into the sky, flying far away from our hometown and into unfamiliar territory. The ground below us faded into different colors, from gold to green to the purple of wildflowers. The wind caught my hair, reminding me that I needed a haircut as pink strands embedded themselves into my eyes.
"Ah man, this is the life!" Philza shouted into the wind, his own untamed hair flowing behind him. Clouds seemed like floating cotton balls that I could reach out and touch. After what seemed like forever, we descended into a small down in the middle of nowhere.
"Phil-" I protested as he dropped me onto a wooden building then looked at him. His blue eyes were a little faded and he looked exhausted.
"Sorry, mate. That took a lot out of me." He collapsed beside me, laying down on the cool wood of the roof.
"Phil...where are we?"
"Don't...know. You can go explore if you want." I put my hair in a quick knot then looked around. Only a few village houses were nearby, and most of the villagers were inside them. I looked at the sky.
"Shit." The sun was already falling. Father will be pissed.
"Phil, we need to go back." I turned back on him, but he was already half asleep, wings folded behind him like he wouldn't use them in a while. I ran over to him and nudged him.
"Phil, we gotta go."
"Not now, dad. I'm hungry." He muttered sleepily as the stars began to show themselves in the sky.
"Phil...oh, god." I was beginning to panic as the moon started to rise. I slowed. It was a beautiful, ruby color, the craters in it casting an eerie glow across the world, turning it a bright red. Filling my sense with an oozing red. My hands began to shake and i could feel my lower fangs grow.
"P̶̰̦̃̓̃́͗͊̆̈́h̸̨̡̼̥̤̖̫̩̞̅̋̓̓͘͘͜i̴̡̛̪̳̙̙͔̟̤͗̅͛̈́̈́̔̀͆̂̌͒̄͜͝ḷ̵̘̣̜̲̫͙̟͛͆̎̐̎̆͛̍̿̍͑̍̚?̷̡̞͔̰̯͚̱̣͓̣̽̍̌" I could feel myself fading as the moon arose. My body was drifting away from Phil and jumping off the building onto the ground below. I felt nothing as I landed, my vision filling more and more with dark, liquid red.
"P̴̧̩̫̼̯͇͈̱̰̮̱̣͍͙͚͙̤̜̻̼̳̈́̄̒̉̀̍͐̽̉͋̈́̂͌̔̚͜͠ḩ̵̣̤̘̳̩͙̤̟͊͊̎̎̉͠î̸̧̨̺̗̰͉̞̺̝̲̩͖̦̲̥͖͚͚̝̣͐͛̾̋́͋̊̏̀͆̇͆̍̾̈́̋́̃̈́͜͜͠͝L̸̟̳̗͚͕̝̤̱̰̒́̾̇̌͆̊͆̐͑̀̈́̚̚͝z̵̙̳͖̺͍͙͔̩̠̺̿̈́͛͗̿͊͂̔͆̑͗̂̄̈́͂̀́̍̓̕͝͝͠Ả̵̢̧̡̼̤̜̦͍̼̳̰̗̱̖̼̀͜?̵̧̨̹̘̳̤̻̤͔̗̆͒̓͐̓̃̃͑͑͂͘͝!̶̢̨̼̮̜̱̤̞̭̭́̓̌̒̄̾̿͌̓̒̅͂͛̂̎͠!" I couldn't see anything anymore. Only red. Only blood. Blood. Blood. B̴̧͓̬̼̍̑̈́̿̚L̸̜͈̬̳̄͑̿Ó̴͈̻̙̯́O̶̠͔̖̾̍Ḑ̵̪̥͈͉̇̅. B̴̧͓̬̼̍̑̈́̿̚L̸̜͈̬̳̄͑̿Ó̴͈̻̙̯́O̶̠͔̖̾̍Ḑ̵̪̥͈͉̇̅.

~~~

When the red had faded, I was being carried by Philza again. Blood stained his clothes and there was a frightened look in his eyes. I was about to ask if he was okay when I looked behind us.
The city we had just been in was no longer. It was burning, its flames a bright orange and yellow and its streets covered in the red that was once covering my vision.
I looked down at my hands, which were covered in the same deep, dark red that covered the cobblestone streets below us.
"Ph-Phil-"
"Let's get you back home, m-mate."