Soul Scale

Chapter 7: Tainted Blood

After Verdant vanished, Cadence burst through the arch of the massive wooden doors and sprinted over to Forte. "Are you ok??" She asked frantically as she knelt on the ground, placing his head on her lap.

Forte slowly raised his head towards her, struggling to breathe, and with a weak, pained smile on his face, he spoke, "I've been better... It's almost as painful as the first time you made dinner."

Cadence's expression changed from worried to surprised. "Forte!" she exclaimed as she hit him on the shoulder. She smiled and let out a sigh of relief.

Forte began to laugh, but his laughter quickly turned into coughing and hacking. "GAH!" he exclaimed as black blood began to drip from his mouth.

"Oh my god!" cried Cadence as she held his head up, trying to make it easier for him to breathe.

"How bad does it hurt?" she asked as she gently ran her fingers through Forte's thick black hair.

"It hurts every time I take a breath. My body feels like it has fire running through its veins,"

"That burning you feel isn't fire," said a deep voice from the back right corner of the room.

Cadence turned toward the voice, and there stood a tall and wide figure covered in shadows. As she continued to stare, she saw blue eyes staring back at her. The figure walked out of the darkness until it was in view.

"Apollo?"

He nodded.

Cadence became enraged, and tears started to fall from her eyes. "How long were you there watching?!? How could you just stand there hiding and watching them try and kill each other?!? How could you do nothing?!?"

Apollo stood there expressionless with his hands locked together behind his back. "Because m'lady, it wasn't my fight. Regardless of my status and power, even I know it's not acceptable to offer a man help if he can handle it on his own. It's disrespectful and brings about shame. It also didn't concern me, so there was no reason to intervene."

Forte managed to turn and look at Apollo, and without saying a word, each knew that they mutually respected each other.

"He's right, my love. It's an unspoken rule amongst men. He did what any other man in my position would do. Don't be angry with him."

"Why are men so stupid?? You could have died!"

Still weak from the battle, Forte tightened his grip on her hand and smiled. "But I didn't, did I? I'm still here. A little worse for wear... But I'm here."

"Do you want to try and stand?"

"Yes..."

She gently let go of his head and helped him sit up. Holding out both her hands, she grabbed his and began to pull him up off the floor. Forte managed to slowly rise, letting out gasps of pain and sharp breaths. Once standing, she started walking him over to what was left of his throne. After finally sitting down and trying to catch his breath, he looked at Apollo.

"I'm sorry about that. What were you saying?"

Apollo walked over to him and stood at the bottom of what remained of the steps leading up to the throne. "What you're feeling right now is more than just pain. You have been infected with malice, and it's spreading throughout your entire body."

Forte became confused. "What do you mean I've been infected?"

Apollo began to explain, "Let me try and put this into words that you'll understand."

Forte became slightly annoyed. "Surely this man isn't questioning my intelligence after everything that's happened so far?"

The annoyance went as soon as it came.