The Daughter Of Night (Original Version)

73- Cai Meets His Grandmother

Cai
It took me another few hours to find the tree, by the time I had located it, the sun had long since set and the night was approaching it's darkest.

I knew the tree the moment that I saw it. It filled me with a sort of warm light that I couldn't quite describe apart from that it felt familiar and safe. But also, it was surrounded by a impenetrable darkness, so extreme that I couldn't see anything within and ten meter radius of the tree.

With this darkness came a strange feeling that I couldn't identify. It caused my heart to race, and my throat to tighten. This, I realised, was fear. The same emotion that I had seen weighing heavily in my mother's eyes when I insisted that I go on this quest to save my birthright. She had known exactly what I would be facing, and her begging me not to go was not just for her own sake, but because she didn't want me getting hurt. I had been so confident that I could face anything that was thrown at me. I had been naïve to think that Nyx would not be prepared.

Stood there, infront of that darkness, filled with a overwhelming sense of dread and fear, I believe was the closest that I will ever come to understanding the fear of impending death.

I swallowed down my fear, and continued to approach the tree, plunging into the darkness. I could sense the tree, though it's aura was shrouded heavily by the darkness, I could also tell that she was here, Nyx was here waiting for me.

As I plunged into the darkness, her face came into view. She was definitely beautiful, and she resembled my mother a great deal, which was quite unsettling to see features that I loved on someone I had been told to hate.

Nyx smiled widely at me, "hello Caius."

I said nothing, simply staring at her.

"Are you not going to greet your grandmother?" Nyx eyed my expression, which clearly was one of disgust.

"I am not going to greet someone to whom I have nothing to say to," I said.

"You have quite the silver tongue," Nyx observed, "a talent I am sure you picked up from your father."

I said nothing. Nyx took my silence as her que to continue speaking.

"You were always my intention Caius, you were the reason for everything. Olympus were in desperate need of allies, I saw my opportunity. Ariadne was married to Apollo within the week. The only thing that I did not anticipate was that she would fall in love with Apollo. I did not think that you would be born so soon, I thought I would have to wait centuries, even eons before Apollo impregnated Ariadne. But here you are," she smiled widley, "and what power you hold Caius. You are not a God, a Titan or a Primoral, yet all will tremble before the power that you hold. You could reduce Olympus to rubble with a single thought. You and me together, my child, we could be-"

"I am not your child, nor will I ever be," I spat, "you took everything from my mother. You destroyed her childhood. The only good thing that you ever did for her was marry her off to Apollo, and that wasn't for her, that was for you. Everything that you do is for yourself, so that you can have more power, so that you can excuse everything you've done and created by saying it was in search of the power that you crave yet still cannot have. I bet you've had all of this planned out from the very start, from the moment that a demigod son of Athena turned up at your mansion."

Nyx hissed as soon as I mentioned my grandfather, "why do you think that Ariadne named you Caius?"

"It was her father's name," I replied abruptly.

"Yes, but why did she name you Caius? It was not out of love for the father who died before she was born," Nyx spoke with malice laced in every word, "it was out of spite and bitterness for me. Because I loved Caius with all that I am, more than I have ever or will ever love anyone. And when he died it hurt me more that you, a mere child can imagine. Ariadne named you after your grandfather because she wanted to hurt me."

I refused to believe this, yet Nyx spoke with such sincerity that it was hard to not believe her.

"No." I said, "no she did it for the man who should have raised her, her would have done so if you hadn't killed him!"

Nyx's eyes narrowed, "I did no such thing. Ariadne is filling your head with lies boy. Come with me and I can show you the truth."

"I will never come with you," I glared right at Nyx, "if I did then you would only use me as a pawn as you do with every other person that you meet."

"Well then," Nyx said cooly, "I think it's time I clear away a few pawns from our chess board, don't you Caius?"

Before I could say anything, Nyx was gone, taking her impenetrable darkness with her.

So Cai has met Nyx!
Where do you think Nyx went?
Remember to vote, comment and be amazing!
~Em xx