The Saints Have Fallen: Chapter 16

Yuri.

Perhaps it was a bit cruel but her presence was quite distracting. It was for her own safety anyway. “I must admit, you are quite adorable this way.” I smiled while she followed behind awkwardly. I pretended for a while that I did not understand what she was saying and it did for a few moments bring peace through a silence between us but alas it was short-lived. The feisty little thing found a way to be even more annoying by constantly meowing just for the sole benefit of causing me trouble. I did perhaps contemplate whether to turn her back but dismissed the thought smugly.

“My paws.” She began through a pained meow, “It burns.”

I frowned in disapproval. She wasn’t wearing shoes, the asphalt must have been burning beneath her paws. I was about to pick her up when suddenly she climbed onto me. “You are quite shameless,” I stated dryly. She found herself onto my shoulders and hung luxuriously there.

“You turned me into a stupid cat, so the least you can do is carry me.” she meowed while I felt her rub her head playfully at my neck. She stopped and stared at my face as I walked further along. Her thoughts were quite confused. At the corner of my eye, I wanted to flick her off so terribly but I maintained my strength to not do so. I felt a sudden wet feeling across my cheek.

Did she just…

Did she just lick me?

I stopped. Turning my face slightly towards her, she was chewing on my hair.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I growled, in irritation.

 “I’m sorry.” She purred wickedly, “It’s like I have no control of this feline body.” A flush of confusion flowed through her thoughts. It didn’t seem like she was lying nor did it seem like she was completely against these instincts.

Maybe turning her into a cat wasn’t the best idea after all. However, her being in her human form was also such a huge inconvenience with her useless and weak body. The brothel was just before me. I quickly grabbed her off my shoulders and tucked her inside the pocket of my coat. “Stay there and behave yourself,” I instructed whilst walking in.

The slithery silver-blue snake which followed me made himself turn back into its ‘human’ form. With a wicked grin, he walked up to me whilst rubbing his elbow. “That was quite a toss, my lord.” He chuckled. “And might I ask where the woman is?”

“Save your breath, snake. I already ate her.” I brushed past him and walked towards the room where Madam Lasce first guided me to. This time, I didn’t wait. I was about to knock when she opened the door with a sly smile.

“So, you’ve made it. Come in.” She stepped aside and allowed me to sit. I placed her request for the bag before her and sat.

“I sense a deep trouble within your heart, Demon-God.”

“I assure you, there is none.”

Madam Lasce softly laughed. “Have my previous answers not sufficed?”

“It was enough.”

She stood and placed a glass turned upside down before me. “If you look inside, there will be a small flame. Use it and control it to aid this pain of yours in your desired direction.”

I stared into the glass. There was no harm in doing so. After a few moments, a small flame emerged and grew stronger as the seconds passed.

“What a tormented soul,” she spoke in a chuckle. “I shall be outside. I do hope you stay a little longer. My children are so very fond of you.”

I felt unable to look away. My breaths became uneasy as I fell and succumbed to the poison of the flame. It led me to a memory. Many memories. It was as if my mind was being ripped apart with agony. I wanted to stand but my body felt unable to. I tried my best to keep myself aware of my surrounding but I was unable to speak. This bloody snake sorceress. The seconds felt like an eternity.

“Yuri.” A soft concerned voice called to me. It held a softness much like the times my brother called my name except this voice was much more like the soft petal of a flower. “Yuri,” it called again, this time I felt the warmness against my chest. The human.

The flame was sucking my energy out of me. I had to move. I couldn’t. I closed my eyes to focus my energy when suddenly I heard the glass shatter and felt its hold on my release. My breath came back to me all at once as I gasped and stood, holding myself to balance on the edge of the table. Upon the table, she sat in her cat form where the candle was while licking her paw and looking at me. She had tossed it over. “This is why you don’t trust snakes.” I growled, picked her up, and stuck her back into my coat, “We’re leaving.”

The air was damp and humid as I walked out of the dark brothel. “Do come again, Demon-God.” Madam Lasce waved behind. Filthy woman. I walked and stopped along the path towards the Syren-filled lake from which I entered when I felt sharp claws scratch at me from inside my coat. Perhaps, I should change her back. Grabbing the creature out, I smiled wickedly and scratched her head. She hissed. Her body morphed back into her human form. With my hand still on her face, I pushed her away. She stumbled back and fell in irritation.

“How dare you.” She iced at me, pushing herself up from the dirt ground, “You turned me into a cat!”

“Did I?”

“Of all things, a man could do to me.” she continued in vexation as she followed behind.

“Be grateful I didn’t turn you into a rat. The snakes would have loved that.”

“Be grateful.” She scoffed and stopped. “Are we headed back to the lake with the mermaid monsters?”

Mermaid monsters? Reptile man? Where does she get these names from?

“They’re called Syrens.” I turned to her.

“When I came after you I fell into that Lake and one, well,” she rubbed her hands anxiously together, “I thought I was going to die.”

Her heartbeats traveled through the air rapidly and unevenly. The scent of fear lingered through her body. She shouldn’t have come after me. Why was she so stupid to do so? Byron should have been keeping a closer eye on her. I should have been more aware. Now she’s here and injured. I only hope I had restored enough of her vitality. I tried to soften my expression, “You have nothing to be afraid of now.” I assured her and turned back to continue walking. “Just stay close to my side.”

“In fairytales mermaids are beautiful.” She spoke alongside me.

“You humans have a habit of romanticizing everything.”

“Why do you speak of humans in such a scornful way? I understand that you might be a higher being but must you be so hateful and treat us like such lesser creatures?”

I turned and grasped her by the arm, “Because you are. I despise you all. Weak creatures pretending to be superior beings. You are nothing but an ant that lives amongst Gods and monsters, unaware. You all think of yourself as Godly. The Gods you pray to do not even give a damn. You don’t know them as I do. They use you like pawns just to satisfy their egos.”

“That’s not true,” she pulled away, “Not all of them are like that.” “That’s not true.” She repeated in a soft whisper.

Her eyes looked tormented. Perhaps I went too far. It was the harshest truth after all. I took a tired breath, “We should keep going.” She remained silent most of the walk but her mood seemed to take a lighter turn as we continued. “We’re almost to the lake,” I announced.

“Tell me about your days as a God.”

“Better than my days here on Earth.”

“How long were you on Earth for?”

“Two hundred years.”

She stopped. “What? Wait, how old are you?”

“Old enough.”

“Enough for what?”

“To be done with your questions.”

“What’s wrong with my questions?”

“Of all my punishments, brother.” I muttered to myself, “She is by far the worse.”

“Who are you talking to?”

“Shut up before I turn you into a toad.”

“You will not dare,” She iced.

“You, my dear, do not know me and what I am capable of.”

“No need to boast.”

I stopped suddenly causing the girl to bump into me. “Must you walk so near?” I scowled.

“You told me to.”

I sighed. “Keep your voice low. The syrens are before us.”

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