A God's Admiration.

Interlude I -

Cold. It was cold, or rather that was an understatement. Snow blanketed the streets, and breaths were in puffs of air. Normally, this time of year meant celebrations and gift-giving, but not today.

A woman, no, girl, walked through the streets, two heavy bags of food in her hands. It seemed to weigh her down as she trekked a path to her home. Her eyes were a sharp Emerald Green that almost seemed illuminated in the glow of lanterns that decorated the dark, icy cold streets and the chill in her bones.

She reached home, using her elbow to unlock the door and reach inside. This was normal for her, a routine. But what wasn't a routine, was the sharp tang of metal to invade her senses.

The girl feared the worse, dropping her load and stumbling into the main room.

Now, this girl did not live alone. She was the eldest of three orphans. A younger sibling, and a younger brother. She was their caretaker, their parent after their father had died.

And as she reached the room, she nearly passed out from horror. Blood, everywhere. It coated the walls and floors, making her want to vomit from the stench alone. Two blades lay in her siblings chests, her youngest brother having an extra one to his throat. She grabbed them, checking frantically for a heartbeat, but to no avail. They were gone. As good as dead.

The girl hauled their corpses out of the room, each body with one arm, like she did when they were alive. Playing stupid games and huddling together to keep warm in the Winter months. The girl stumbled frequently, both from the horror of the situation making her legs weak and her fragile form having to carry her two younger siblings. She dragged them to their backyard, quite a small thing honestly, most of it taken up by a large shrine stood, coated in a dusting of snow from the Winter. A shrine to the God of Stars, Hesper.

She laid down their bodies, praying to the God to save her siblings. To bring the joys of her life back. She cried and cried, sobbing until she had no tears left and then some. But a hand on her head made her look up, bleary-eyed, and she could just barely make out the outline of a broad, strong form kneeling infront of her.

"Oh, child... what has humanity done to you? You poor, poor things. A crime unjustified," The voice whispered softly, fingers gently caressing over tangled brown locks of hair.

"My siblings... ca-can you save them, please? I beg of you, My God, save them!" Her voice was scratchy; hoarse and thick with tears as she pleaded.

"I can, my dear. I will. But I have only one way to save them. Become an immortal, take my hand, and all three of you shall get a better chance at life. You will no longer be burdened and chained to this domain. I will save you all, make you my children, if you'll let me, young one." He offered his hand, and the girl grabbed it without question or the slightest glimpse of hesitation. Anything for her siblings. Her vision began to swim before descending into a pool of black, but she heard a whisper before it did.

"Rest easy, now. Your time has come, My Child."

.

.

.

The girl jolted upwards, Green Eyes scanning every corner of her surroundings. Her breath was labored as her mind returned, body shaking in a mix of excitement and dread. There was an odd pulsing feeling on her face, like throbbing flesh, and when she ghosted her fingers over it, she gasped. A sharp line was etched into her skin, spanning the entirety of the left side of her face. But she found that it didn't hurt, no, it felt... nice? Warm to the touch, a comforting feeling. Like when she tucked her siblings to her body and sang them lullabies in the dead of night.

She slipped out of the bed she was laying in, noting the silken sheets that were the softest thing she'd felt in years. Her feet were bare, but she found that the wooden planks were soothing to step on. Unlike the scratchy ones from the shabby cabin she'd lived in for so many years.

The girl cautiously surveyed her surroundings, hesitant and nervous but eager to figure out just what had happened. It certainly hadn't been a hallucination, that she could easily work out. She wasn't stupid, though. If what had happened was a reality, then who she'd presumed to be Hesper would want some kind of payment. A trade for her and her siblings immortality. Cautious was something she'd been since she was a child. Having to raise your two younger siblings would do that to anyone.

There was a large window on the far wall, that showed a garden. It was elegant, filled with flowers of purple, pink, red, peach and amber. There was also a looming cherry tree that was filled with blossoms, the lush grass around it dappled with the baby pink-hued petals. It was idealistic, like from the fairytales she'd read back when she had the time. Well, if she was in the residence of the King of Gods, it made sense that the place would be more lavish than she'd ever seen in her entire life.

There was a door, thank God. If she'd been locked in that room for hours on end until Hesper decided to take pity on her, she'd have been there for hours on end. Infact, how long had it even been? How many hours had she slept, what day was it? Oh dear, were her siblings okay?! With dread welling up in her chest, she swung the door open with no hesitance and bolted down the long, winding hallways, shoving her way through unlocked doors and running until she'd physically exhausted herself and then some. Heart pounding, she slumped against one of the walls to try and catch her breath.

But that idea of trying to calm down went out the window when she heard a soft, familiar laugh that always made her smile. Her baby brother. He was the youngest of the three, had always been thinner than his sibling and sister. All of them had been suffering with malnutrition, yes, but he'd been so unnaturally thin and pale that the girl had always worried about him. But it was his voice. That slightly rough but sweet tone that was ever-filled with gentle rebukes and remarks to joking insults that their sibling would throw.

And back she was to running, desperately chasing the faint but ever-nearing voices she'd heard. Soon, she reached a massive, curved door that looked to be made of marble. The girl grunted as she shoved it open, but managed it anyways out of pure determination and need. She was going to see her siblings again, she didn't care what she'd have to face. The girl would gladly trek through hell just to get to hug them again, put her face into their hair and hold the both of them close to her chest.

And that she did. Sat underneath a massive oak tree was a man. With hair of shining silver, and eyes reminiscent of the hues when dusk would coat the skies, a swirling pool of gold and blue. A broad form with pale skin, adorned in a toga made of white silk. Leaning on the man's chest were two oh-so-familiar forms.

One was a boy. A few years younger than herself, with unnervingly pale skin, a fragile form that made him look as if he were made of nothing but skin and bone. Black hair that once brushed his shoulders was tied up on the base of his skull, finally not hanging infront of Ebony-hued irises. There was a large scar on his jugular, one that made the girl want to wince at the sight of. He was clothed in black, a similar shade to his hair and eyes that was always a striking contrast against his skin.

The second was a kid about her own age. They had shaggy blonde hair that never stayed down, no matter how damp she'd try and get it whilst washing their hair. With slightly tanned skin, and their figure being less thin than she'd remembered, Blue Eyes were caught onto her and tears welled up in those crystallized eyes. They wore the same kind of toga that Hesper[?] wore, just a more casual-looking version. Before she even knew it, the two had crashed into her, knocking her to the ground as they hugged her tightly. She could feel tears soaking into her clothes, and hiccuped sobs wracking the shoulders of both of her siblings.

"VIDA!"

A/N

Wordcount - 1448

So, erm, okay. This chapter was SUPPOSED to be out by Tuesday, but I kinda had no clue how to continue from the section I'd already written back in July. But uh, yup, this Story is no longer on Hiatus! [Aka this story is no longer suffering at the wrath of my procastination-] But, yeah! Feel free to drop fun theories in the comments! I genuinely do love hearing others P.O.V's on my own stories, and constructive criticism is much welcomed.

But I just speedran writing this Chapter, so I think I'm gonna go take a quick break and grab myself a drink and a snack.

With all my love,

Eris, Signing off.

- <3