The Spawn Point was beautiful, despite its lone tree resident, just as Tucker had once described it. The grass grew tall and wild, varying in shades and types, yet somehow rippling together like one solid wave of life. The field was overlooked by a massive cliff that curved partially around it like a natural wall, leaving the valley partially covered in its shadowy embrace. However, there was also an unatural light that eminated from the cliff face. Beam of blue and red stared from out of the darkness, watching over the wild fields of Mianite. They were eyes, surrounded by faces so strange and twisted they could only belong to the gods. Though they seemed to flow naturally from the rock, Tucker had told him that champions like themselves had carved them millenia ago. In the middle of the shadowy region, the beams of light met together over a small pile of rubble, the light overlapping into a soft violet.

However, the scenery wasn't what held his attention now.

Jordan's sword dropped, his arms suddenly feeling like they had been weighted with lead.

It didn't take long for him to make the connection. He could be annoyingly slow at times, but with the whole demon getup and Tom's sudden remembrance of manners, it wasn't hard to identify the smirking god.

He felt his hands shake, whether from fear or anger, he couldn't tell. His feelings were racous and confusing, bouncing about uncertainly in his chest.

This...this was the man, the god, the thing, that had ruined his life.

He wanted to scream, curse him, cut hin up until there was nothing left.

However the word "Daddy" threw him completely off and all he felt leaving his lips was-

"Uhhhhh?"

He wanted to hit himself as Dianite turned to him, grinning as if he had said the smartest thing in the world. Jordan felt a thrum of energy around him and almost against his will, stepped back.

Jordan felt a flicker of fear at the forced action, the emotion momentarily consuming any anger.

This, however, seemed to disappoint Dianite, as if he were expecting a different reaction entirely.

Jordan heard a growl from behind him and looked down as he remembered the female captain. For a second he feared she had taken advantage of the distraction and run off, but she hadn't moved, her eyes narrowed into slits at Dianite, radiating fury far greater than what she had directed at him.

Next to him, Sonja and Tucker looked similarly enraged, though at the same time, a flicker of confusion and fear stood out in their faces

Tom, however, looked up at Dianite in childish awe.

"What brings you here, my Lord?"

This too threw him off. Hearing Tom speak so meekly and respectfully almost made Jordan nauseous.

Dianite reached down and ruffled Tom's hair affectionately. Jordan watched as Tom flinched under the touch of his god. It was such a small reaction that Jordan almost didn't notice it.

"Syndicate." Dianite's voice was low.

Tom let out a sharp gasp as he was suddenly yanked upwards, Dianite's hand gripped tightly in the green man's hair.

Dianite's smile contorted, turning into a demented grin that sent shivers down Jordan's spine.

"Oh how you've disappointed me, my boy."

Tom cried out again, this time in pain as he was lifted off the ground by his hair. His face a visage of horror at his god's words. Jordan felt a sudden urgency to help his friend, but whatever Dianite had done had left him rooted in place, forcing him to watch the scene unfold before him.

One glance at Tucker and Sonja told him that they too were facing a similar predicament.

Dianite suddenly released the struggling blonde and Tom fell ungracefully to the ground.

Jordan heard a growl escape Tucker's lips, but there was still no way to move.

"I'm sorry, my Lord! F-forgive me!"

An apologetic Tom was a Tom Jordan never wanted to see. With that in mind, Jordan struggled harder. He was quickly rewarded as he felt the enchantment around him shatter. Before he could regret it, he raced forward, placing himself between his friend and the demon.

Now, this was probably the stupidest thing Jordan had ever done, but it was the only thing he felt he could do. He reached for the sword at his side, only to remember that he had dropped it earlier afrer the initial suprise.

He felt a shudder rack his body as the golden irisis shifted onto him, an amused gleam flickering through them.

"Ah, yes. You are the Sparkly boy, I presume?"

On any other occasion, Jordan may have been slightly perturbed (purge-turbed, one may say) by the use of the nickname, but this time he said nothing, acting only as a defensive measure for his best friend.

Jordan wasnt sure how it happened, but he had grown closer to the residents of Mianite than anyone he'd ever met. Sure, that didn't say much since he practically grew up in the middle of a forest alone, but with only a few months with these people he felt more at home than he ever had.

Jordan grinned.

"You've presumed correctly."

Dianite raised an eyebrow at the boy's cockiness, clearly surprised.

However, that surprise quickly turned into something cold and calculating. Dianite grinned. Jordan gulped.

"How brave you must think you are." He purred, narrowing the gap between them until he was towering over Jordan. He was so close Jordan would have felt his breath if he had had any.

Jordan didnt feel brave as he looked up at the god's smoldering skin and glistening golden irisis, but he stood tall for his friend behind him.

Jordan felt his throat constrict and tighten, his breath suddenly being choked from his body. It would be obtuse of him to say he didn't expect this to happen, but even then, there was no way he could have prevented it.

He heard the others call out as he was lifted from the ground, his eyes squeezed shut in pain. He peeled one eye open slightly to find the god staring up at him in mild amusement, his hand gripped around Jordan's neck, holding him up like a prize turkey.

He kicked uselessly at the god as his vision began to fill with spots, his hands desperately pulling at the crimson hand, but his grip was like iton. Jordan's chest felt ready to explode as his lungs burned from the lack of oxygen. He opened his mouth weakly, desperate, but nothing got past his crushed windpipe.

It pained Jordan at how easily he was going to die. He always figured he'd go down fighting, but this was something so one sided that all of Jordan's training meant nothing.

Just as his vision was going dark, the vise-like grip released him, sending him tumbling to the hard earth gasping as the little air left in his body was knocked out of him at the impact. He struggled to stay conscious, sucking in precious oxygen as he felt hands under his armpits, dragging him upwards.

As he tried to regain his lost oxygen, he realized that the area was silent. Cautiously, he opened his eyes, ignoring the sting of sunlight as he beheld the scene before him.

Dianite still stood there, however, his face was frozen in mild shock, staring down at his chest. Jordan watched, horrified, as a familiar gleaming tip pulled itself back through the god's chest with a sickening wet noise. Dianite shuddered, letting out a bark of laughter before his body dissolved, leaving a pile of burning ashes and a shocked Capsize, still brandishing Jordan's dropped sword.

Jordan grabbed the hands of his helper, allowing himself to be pulled upwards. He looked at Tucker for confirmation of what just happened, but he looked just as lost as Jordan felt.

Jordan glanced at Tom, who was still laying on the ground behind him. Jordan didn't know what he was expecting to find, but he wasn't prepared for the terrified look that adorned the green man's face.

Sonja stood behind Tom, looking conflicted as to what to do.

"I-I killed..."

Jordan spun back towards the female captain who was still frozen in place, Jordan's sword threatening to slip from her trembling fingers.

Jordan didn't know what to do. He wasn't an emotional person, having lived alone most of his life. So instead, he stepped forward, gently taking the sword from the girl's hands. She released it without protest, her eyes still staring blankly down at the still smoldering ashes.

Jordan rubbed his throat subconsciously with his free hand, wincing at the pain.

He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. People had always confused him and using what he'd want someone to say to him in the situation was a poor tactic. His throat burned in agony as he tried to comfort her, his voice coming out a harsh croak.

"Capsise-"

"Jordan, look out!"

Jordan ducked instinctively just in the nick of time as he heard the unmistakable sound of a blade slicing the air he had occupied only miliseconds ago. Startled, Jordan ran forward, creating a distance between himself and his assailant before turning to face them, sword at the ready.

However, he wasn't expecting to see Tom rushing at him with a sword in his hands that definitely hadn't been there before. He quickly blocked the surprise before it could register in his brain as he parried the heavy blow.

"Tom!" Jordan gasped out hoarsely, looking into the blonde's eyes as their blades screeched against each other, his arms burning with the effort of pushing back.

Tom didn't reply, pushing against Jordan's sword one more time, springing himself backwards. He crouched, his body tensed to spring once again.

"What the Mianite are you doing, Tom?" Tucker yelled, suddenly beside Jordan.

Tom hesitated at Tucker's call, his eyes flickering over to where he and Sonja stood, horrified and confused looks on their faces.

That was all it took to make him break.

"I-I have to!" He cried, his voice breaking as though he was trying to convince himself more than anything.

"Have to what?" Jordan spoke slowly.

Tom looked at him then, really looked at him as though it was the last time. Jordan knew the answer before he opened his mouth.

Tom laughed, a hollow sound.

"I have to kill you."

He felt his blood freeze at Tom's words, despite knowing what was coming.

Tom lunged at Jordan again, his swings wild. They were poorly planned and Jordan dodged with ease. The blows the blonde had been subject to over the past hour had left him weakened and sluggish. However, his swings had enough power behind them to easily kill him should they hit.

"Why?" Jordan asked as he barely dodged a sweep to his face.

He knew it was stupid to ask questions at this point, but couldn't hold back his curiousity even in this life or death situation.

"Because I told him to."

The air seemed to thicken around Jordan.

The voice that echoed about the clearing was unmistakable.

"You!" Tucker shouted up into the air "We just saw you die!"

A dark chuckle echoed from all around.

"Are all of my brothers followers so idiotic? As if some sea wretch could kill me. I am chaos! I am immortal!"

Jordan was so distracted by the voice that he had no time to react as Tom's sword connected with his hip.

With a speed only developed by years of practice, Jordan pushed his chest back, making what was almost a killing stroke into a deep cut.

It still hurt like all nether though.

With a hiss of pain, Jordan staggered backwards, the amount of blood soaking his shirt looking lethal, even if the cut wasn't.

It was enough to convince Tom, however, as his eyes widened in horror, his hands trembling and threatening to drop their sharp cargo.

Jordan heard Tucker call his name from a distance, but he had no time to focus on him. Before anyone could react, Jordan's blade swung out in an arch, slamming the flat of his sword into the side of the green man's head, sending him toppling, unconscious.

Jordan winced. Whether from the sound of the blow or the raging pain in his chest, he wasn't sure.

Finally, Jordan allowed himself to fall to his knees, no longer having the strength to stand. Slowly, he allowed the events of the day to sink in.

The day had been a rollercoaster of weird.

From pirates to wizards to betrayal all in a matter of hours.

And Jordan was exhausted.

He was so exhausted, he barely even stirred when a pair of golden irises met his. They roamed about, studying him from head to foot as if he were a specimen upon a lab table. Jordan was sure he looked fabulous kneeling there in the dirt, coated in blood, sweat, sand, and still smelling like the ocean.

Jordan's vision blurred, his hands falling limply to his sides.

After what seemed like several minutes of this, Jordan let out a sigh.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer." He muttered, his former fear replaced by tired annoyance. His voice came out as a rasp, the marks on his neck burning bruises into his skin.

Rather than smiting him into the dirt, the god only seemed amused, as if he actually found Jordan's quip at him funny.

"Ah, still so smug even when in the face of death."

Jordan didn't know whether or not this was meant to be a compliment, so he said nothing, focusing instead on keeping his breathing steady. He could feel his wound slowly healing itself, a blessing from his patron.

Dianite leaned in close, and Jordan flinched at the searing heat that radiated off him.

"I like you, Sparkles."

Jordan's eyes snapped wide open in surprise, suddenly fully conscious. He could feel his face heating up at the god's whisper.

"Wh-"

"You should feel honored to have captured my interest, boy." Dianite continued on, seemingly oblivious to Jordan's discomfort.

"I don't understand." Jordan stammered out, his uncaring facade crumbling.

He straightened himself, dusting off some invisible dust from his shoulder.

"It's quite simple, really."

Dianite grinned.

"I want you on my side."

A/N

WHAT?
THAT'S IT?

Yes, yes I'm aware of how short this chapter is

Put down your chainsaws, please.
You're disturbing the peace

But geez it's been so long since I've updated I felt it bad not to give you guys something.

So um, here's something?

Sorry, life's been hectic.

Work, art, AP work, Overwatch, wedding planning, family problems, general drama, and a whole crap ton of procrastination.

But hey, I did warn you guys that updates were going to be slow.

Even so, I give you permission to complain and curse me for all of eternity.

...

Why are you guys actually still reading this?

No seriously, get out

Ciao!
~Turtle