Watch The Thrones

[26] Arch and Arrow

Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned.
Paige rises and looks around for Taker.
"Seth, where'd he go?"
"He? Who? Where did who go?"
"The Undertaker. Where is he?"
"Who's The Undertaker?"
"The guy who saved Liv and Finn. My spirit Father."
"Paige, I have no clue what you're talking about. When we woke up, Liv was healed and so was Finn. It was inexplicably miraculous. I thought you err I thought Mortaquor or The Demon King had something to do with it."
"If you're joking, you better stop."
Seth tries not to laugh.
"Paige, you haven't been able to smile or laugh in a while."
"Now is not the time to talk about this. I have to prepare to take over a kingdom, initiate myself and--"
"You act as if you're alone. I'm here for you. You can trust me."
"Seth, I am alone. No one has ever been there for me and no one ever will. Just let me be."
"I can't do that. Saraya, I lov--
A cold, open palm slide through his face.
"Don't you ever say that name again. She died long ago. She is never coming back. I'm Mor-- I'm Paige now."
Seth touches his cheek, slowly and carefully. He felt the red mark left by the woman. His heart dissolved with an unbelievable amount of agony. His open palms turned into fists, tightly clenched but he held his anger back.
"This isn't fair."
"What's not fair this time, Seth? You're hurt? Heart broken? You didn't get your way? I'm guessing you don't like not being in control? You're not much of a follower... no, a slave. That's what I was. At home, I was their b***h. Now look at me... I'm free. My parents, people I don't even know, everyone has tries to tell me what they want for me. No one cares how I felt or how anything ever affected me. So don't go saying you love me. That's nothing close to truth."
"I've done everything I could to save you. I built an army for Stephanie just so you could have a happy home to come back to. I wanted to save you."
"But I saved myself. I walked through black rain, a blizzard, faced a controlling red machine, went through experiments and flew here just to be told what to do again. You put me through this, Seth. You made one decision that changed my life forever. You can love me all you want but I'll never stop hating you. I will never forgive you."
"Saraya died and Paige faded... congratulations, Mortaquor. You won. But answer this last question, did you-- Paige, did she ever love me?
Paige wanted to nod but Mortaquor shook her head. He put her cheek into his palm and tangled his fingers into her hair then studied it. Without reason, she allowed it. Seth took a moment to let the lie soak in. His fingers slithered away from her. Paige, now taken over by hatred and bitter anger, watched as Seth left with sorrow and a shattered heart.

This is only the beginning of the end.

Lita approached Seth and grabbed his shoulder.
"Where are you going?"
"You know where."
"Is this referring to the talks we had last night? Seth, I explained everything to you. I hid nothing. The experiments, my partnership with Charlotte and even that god damn kiss, you know it all. I cannot afford losing you, neither can she. If anyone knows what you and I know, our lives would be in jeopardy."
"We're already in-- listen, I just... just can't be with her."
"Thank you, Seth. This will all be over soon."
"It needs to be but... can you stop at least stop Charlotte or slow her down?"
"Charlotte is complex. The spells she knows and uses are beyond my abilities. Mortaquor could stop her but I think Mortaquor is turning... heel. She's evil and out for blood, revenge."
"What can the Aztec Tribe do?"
The dead man rises.
"They initiate Paige. Give her a source of power. Without it, Mortaquor could be dangerous and fatal. This is the apocalypse. She is the apocalypse. "
Seth eyes him.
"Why can't you and the ministry initiate her?"
"The Above didn't approve of the ministry."
Lita's eyes widen. They change into a slightly bluish color as she stares at the man. Seth watches her eye color and face shift.
"The Above is the most useless council I know of. Their ways, their rules, worst of all, their control. That is why I'm not allowed to access new powers."
Seth's face personified confusion.
"Who is The Above?"
Taker answers this eloquently.
"They are the souls of men and women who have ascended and now rest deciding the future of the Nocturnals."
Ascension.
This word plays over and over Seth's head as he quits stuttering and questions Taker.
"You mean kings and queens of kingdoms? Only Kings, or heads of royalty, ascend."
"That is utter nonsense. Only the chosen will ascend."
"No, it's said in our ritual. Kings and queens ascend after death."
"They just die. People die. The Above assembles a team of strong leaders to continue the lineage of royalty, power and specialties."
"Our rituals are fake? Vince was an old Bastard."
"That maybe true but he gave you a much more pleasing life. Life, out there, is hard. Almost impossible for anyone to survive. Even if someone survived, they'd come back hard and rigid. They'll say things that get under your skin and make you hate them but deep inside, they're hurt and scared. They don't know who to trust or where to go. They always feel alone. They need someone. Maybe a lover, maybe a friend but they need a companion.
Seth's heart reassembles itself with Undertaker's knowledge.
"That's why she's in so much pain."
Seth walks back into Paige's unsteady tent and prepares to apologize. He slowly walks in, looking down.
"Paige, listen I... Paige?"
He runs out.
"She's gone!"
He rubs his eyes and sees no one. Taker, gone. Lita, gone, Finn, gone.
He hears footsteps and tries to make a run for it but is stopped by them.