Since young, we were told 'You shall not murder'.

Yet, my eyes were haughty, and my tongue tasted of lies. My hands smelled of blood, and my thoughts were sullied.

Murderers must be subject to judgment.

'Nefastus' whispered in my ear, and I felt moist droplets tainting my skin.

The constrains of my sight were heavier than they should have been, and as I opened my eyes, I realized I couldn't move my arms and legs. Thick ropes tied me against the throne.

My head pained me greatly, and I looked around confused.

Rexsus rested his back against the sturdy structure, and his pale locks were cascading in the gentle breeze, as his head wobbled back and forth.

Moss grew from beneath the stone of the throne, it swamped over it, sinking between the cracks. The cracks spread all the way to the centre square of the Nest, making way for an abundance of wheat to grow between them. Fractured trees were fallen on the damp surface, nobody was in sight, and the sound of owls and rain drops filled the damp night air.

"I brought some water," Annia's words pained my ears.

Her face was pale, and blood stains marked her garments. She came closer to me, with a small bowl in her hands. She wiped her forehead with the sleave of her cloak, and extended the small ceramic dish towards me.

"Don't touch her," Rexsus' demanded, and his hand quickly grabbed onto her arm.

"It's just water, I simply want to clean her wounds," explained she, squeezing the rag in her other hand. "Those three did some considerable harm to her-"

"We both know nobody here wants her to make it out alive."

I swallowed uncomfortably, and I felt my chest tightening.

Annia frowned at his remark, and gazing at me for a split second, she reached out her had towards my forehead.

"DON'T TOUCH HER!" Rexsus shouted, pushing her away, making the bowl fall onto the ground, shattering. He exhaled sharply.

"Oh, little brother, believe me," Crassus' deep voice echoed between the trees, "Nobody wants to touch your little nymphy goddess."

The older brother came towards the centre of the Nest, his claws roughed against the ground his tail wagging back and forth as he dragged a seemingly passed out child after him. He placed the body in the middle, and sighing he looked back at us.

I felt like throwing up.

"Oh, but look who decided to join the realm of the sane!" he exclaimed.

Rexsus turned around, and we locked eyes. He clenched his jaw, and I could hear his breathing, hard and heavy. He placed his hand on my forehead, and after a few seconds, he exhaled with relief. My heart burned in my chest, and I held my breath.

"Could any of you explain to me, why the hell I am tied up AGAIN?" I questioned, after coming to my senses. I felt my throat burning up. "I thought we got over that..."

"Are you hurting anywhere?" Rexsus asked me, ignoring my own question. He brushed his hands through my hair gently tucking some loose strands behind my ear, and I could feel my cheeks turning crimson.

"Aside from the stupid ropes you decided to tie me up with?" I replied, which made Rexsus abruptly pull his hand away.

No answer.

I wondered where everyone else seemed to have vanished.

The little girl, who offered me the flower crown. The women who danced around the fire before the ceremony. And even Kore, the youngster who seemed to always get into trouble.

Where was everyone?

I was told that following the offering ceremony, the Selenelion ritual will follow. I was scared that they would find out that I was not who they thought. There was no way I was a goddess or whatnot.

But what was going on?

"I said I will do your stupid ritual..." I told them hesitantly. "What more do you want me to do?" My voice trembled, and I attempted to slid my hands away from the rope restrains. "You promised you won't tie me up if I don't try to run away."

"Oh, you got to be kidding me..." mumbled Crassus, his eyes widening. He threw away the pieces of broken wood had gathered from the scattered ones, and turning, he whispered something in Annia's ear.

The three of them exchanged indistinguishable mutters, as the rain pattered down on us. I felt my hands tingle, and the tips of my fingers burned in a weird manner.

The ground seemed to shift under my feet and I was convinced I could hear the wind and trees whispering.

"No..." denied Rexsus. "But I made sure... You-"

"Don't glare at me like that," demanded Crassus, crossing his arms. "I am sure that's the case."

"It can't be..." denied he, once again, and turned around to look at me.

He frowned.

"No."

"I will go talk to the three...maybe they know something," said Annia. "I can't say for sure, but...the magic-" she paused, and shook her head. "I told you this was not going to work."

She bit her lip, and rummaged through the small tattered leather bag tied around her waist. She and Crassus exchanged something in secret.

"She was the perfect vessel," said Crassus. "You said so yourself."

His words echoed in my ears.

'I was the perfect vessel.'

Was?

"She's all yours little brother. The syndicate will deal with things when the time is right." He placed some more ruins and broken wood parts to the small pile he created, and looking back at Rexsus, he added, "Let's just hope she was worth all this."

Rexsus offered no reply, but turned around towards me.

"I-" he attempted to say something, but yet again couldn't bring himself to form two coherent sentences in my regards.

He crumbled the rag he took from Annia tightly in his hand, and picking up the bowl, he rushed towards the woods.

"Aren't you going to untie me?" I shouted after him.

My clothes stuck to my skin, and I felt icky all over. The smell of fresh grass filled the air, and I knew it was hatred that was bubbling up in my head.

Crassus appeared again with another body on his shoulder.

I was sure he could read the disgust on my face.

How easy is it for some to end another life. How can some at a snap of a finger inflict so much calamity, I wondered.

He placed the dead body next to the other. Blood dripped down Crassus' shoulder, down his arm, and I realized it wasn't his own blood.

"You people disgust me..." I said, making sure he heard me.

The man turned his head around the moment the remark left my lips. His eyebrows lowered in an expression of deep displeasure. He ran a hand through his dark locks and to my surprise, he dropped what he was doing, coming my way. His claws were digging in the dirt as he marched towards me, the rain making his features blurry.

"Say that again."

"Oh, you heard me..." I told him. "You disgust me. You have no regard for human life. What did those people ever do to you? Do you even kill your own kind now?"

I glared at him as my chest tightened under its own constriction. I felt my pulse pumping in my temples, and my mouth ran dry as I felt like throwing up.

"Don't glare at me with your all rigorousness, love, this..." he paused, his voice cracking. 

He turned around towards the atrocity that stood before us, and looked back at me. 

"This is all your doing."