The Riches of Power

Her past

Elaina Pov

Taryn stiffened and her hands were in small frail fists. Most nims were notorious for their short temper and impatience. I guess Karen's question was a sensitive one. She was staring at the ground and through clenched teeth she gave her vague answer "I was betrayed". No one commented, what could we say anyway. All that hung in the air was an uncomfortable silence. Without turning to face us Taryn continued in her strides down the forest. I wondered if she knew where the sanctuary. She was headed in the right direction, and I wasn't going to say anything.

As I walked my mind couldn't help but wonder. My guilty conscious immediately drifted to Semias and Luke who were without a doubt getting a beat down. It wouldn't surprise me if Zaebos had already had them executed. To hope for the best would be foolish, especially when discussing an organization against the Satan because he is too 'humane'. They were probably dead their essence floating in some distant void for the next half of a century. Would they forgive me when they returned, or would they hunt me down for their personal revenge? Before joining the rebellion I'm sure they would have understood that I was doing what I thought was good, but now... now I believe that they despise me. I went against them, the people who cared for me, guided me, and protected me. 'What did I expect? That they would just be completely understanding that i went behind their back knowing they would probably end up dead. Your so stupid!'

'But what else could I have done!' I screamed mentally. 'Follow through with the wretched plan that would result in Zaebos and more than likely Victoria would find her way into a leadership position. Then they would torture and then murder the eight. They wouldn't even need a reason to torture them, but the fact that they were selected by God for his task would make them more than pleased to keep them barely alive.' I fought the lump in my throat and moved my eyes to the blue spaces of sky that could be seen through the green and brown patches of branches. The pink and red hughes had receded. 'No, it is better to sacrifice my happiness and security for the happiness and security of humans.' My mind drifted into my memories. The time when Luke and Semias turned away from the morality.

'We had been living in a log cabin in the middle of a deserted forest. The chestnut logs were made the house have a dark almost maroon tint to it and the large glass windows made it feel open and connected with the natural world around us. The forest that surrounded us was full of tall thin oak trees with this limbs and sparsely covered in leaves during the Spring and Summer months. During autumn those leaves would fall and in winter the forest was often covered in a thick layer of white snow. That forest was my home for many years. We spent our days scouting out criminals for our sustenance and sanity, but otherwise we lived simply. Semias and I often played childish games in the forest such as tag or hide and seek. I remember how Luke would sometimes come and join us, but he was more like a father figure to Semias and I.

But one day Luke had gone into town, searching for our next deserving victim, when he must have met Victoria. I don't know exactly what happened that night but she must have convinced him to murder someone of innocence. Luke had been gone for two weeks which was a little longer than usual. Semias and I were just beginning to become anxious when Luke returned. He was different. The air around him seemed devious and the atmosphere he brought was one of fear and malice. His face was a devilish smirk with dark gleaming eyes. He never enlightened Semias and I to exactly what happened, but he did take Semias into the city. They were gone only for a week, but I was so nervous. Luke didn't even stay in the house for more than two hours before they had packed up and left, leaving me behind in the house.

I tried to subdue by thoughts through drawing, sketching, and painting, but I worried none the less. At first I was relieved when they returned, but then I realized that Semias had changed similarly to the way Luke changed when he first returned. When I questioned them they would only chuckle and tell me to pack a bag.