"YOU'RE NO MOTHER OF MINE!" Spat Albus.
Astrid looked between Albus and his mother. He had never spoken much about his family and she never pushed the subject, but seeing this, she suddenly understood why.
Nasmira shrugged. "I come all this way because I miss you and this is the kind of warm welcome I receive. Such a shame...." Nasmira looked Astrid up and down. A crooked smile broke out across her face. "You've married a princess....a princess of the most powerful woman in the world...and had a beautiful daughter. Is this where you live now? You've done well for yourself son."
Albus scowled. "You have no right to speak of them! Stop beating around the bush. What business do you have with us? Here to scam more people out of their lifeblood?"
Nasmira's smile vanished. "Not exactly how I'd put it."
•~•~•~•~•~•~•
|19 years ago|
"It's yours."
A tall, intense looking man glared down at the people in front of him. His skin was grey, covered in delicate luminous markings that glowed against the darkness of the wallpaper behind him. A five year old Albus cowered behind his mother's legs only for her to yank him forward by roots of his hair. She pulled his head back, allowing the man to get a good look at his face.
Stormy green eyes watched them carefully. A voice like distant thunder rumbled from his lips, making Albus wish he could look away. "So?"
Nasmira kissed her teeth. "You expect to leave a mother and her child here in poverty like this? What does that say about that honour your so proud of?"
The man scoffed. "What would mere human know of honour. Do not mistake my actions. I impregnated you as per your request because I wanted to see the look on your face when I denied you a place in my mansion."
Nasmira's jaw dropped. "What?"
"You think I wouldn't know? That all you can fit in that primitive mind of yours are greed filled wants? You talked all this time about giving humans a chance, that not all of them are the same and yet here you are proving my point. Human's are filthy creatures only fueled by their own greedy desires. You will not have any of my hard earned wealth and that half bred child of yours is the price you pay for lusting after that which you do not deserve."
Nasmira stepped forward, as if to chase after the man. "Julian! You can't just leave us! He's your child! If you turn us away now I promise you will regret it!"
Julian glanced back at the pair as he turned to leave. "Seems like you wanted him more than I did. Why don't you keep him then?" Julian began walking up the stairs. "Throw them out, " he commanded.
Nasmira and Albus were promptly forced out of the mansion. The inside was impressive enough but the outside was truly astounding. Tall pillars lined the path to the front doors. Elaborate carvings decorated the walls that rose high into the sky. The Deroutér residence was a masterpiece within the Noblesse Empire. It was an estate carved and crafted solely by the Derouter gargoyles. They were exceedingly talented in craft. Their skills and contribution in warding off evil spirits for generations, cemented the Derouter's as high nobility within the empire.
Nasmira, a greedy woman who would do just about anything to survive, coveted their wealth. She was born into poverty and made a living by trapping wealthy men in relationships with her. It always ended the same though. They'd all leave once they got bored of her. At least that was until she met Julian, the head of the Derouter family. She fell head over heels for him long before she knew he was a Derouter. It was probably the first and only time she had ever felt actual affection for someone other than herself. He had fallen for her too, but when she found out the truth, something in her changed. Old habits die hard supposedly.
When Nasmira told him she was pregnant, he was ecstatic. All he ever had for humans was hatred. Humans and his kind had a long history of strained relations. He had watched many of his friends and family be enslaved by humans for their own selfish desires. After watching so many of his people suffer at their hands, he couldn't quite let that go. Nasmira came very close to changing his mind, but then be noticed the change in her personality. She was suddenly demanding things of him, demanding a certain lifestyle and it wasn't long before her true colours became apparent. It broke his heart when he looked into the eyes if the woman he loved so dearly and realized that she didn't love him, she only had room in her heart for his wealth.
He had to make a choice. His family, or the woman he thought he loved and he chose his family. He kicked her out and by the time he was looking his five year old son in the eyes and throwing them out for a second time, his heart had already numbed to the pain.
Outside, Nasmira was wild with rage. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO NOW!" Is what she'd scream as she dragged Albus along.
She had raised him long enough thinking she wouldn't have to worry about it once she was part of the Derouter family, but now that, that plan fell through, she had to find a way to get rid of him. Ever the opportunist, she wouldn't just kill him. She figured she'd at least make some profit off of him. She called it "payment" for raising him this long. When she sold him off into the slave trade, she hadn't a sad bone in her body and Albus though young, knew that the one person he counted on had just thrown him away like he was worthless trash.
Albus spent six years of his life working as a slave. He was beaten, overworked to the point he'd pass out due to exhaustion only to wake up and be beaten again, threatened on the daily, and treated like some animal that would carry out tasks "too filthy" for others to do. His half human heritage was a stain on his existence as it caused a rift between him and his own kind, leaving him unable to make friends even among his fellow slaves. By the time he was eleven his body was worn and covered in scars. So much so that when a travelling circus wandered into town, they'd paid to recruit him as part of their freak show.
Unfortunately, conditions weren't any better in the circus. He was tortured and kept in a small cage, only let out when they had a show. When he wasn't sleeping next to his own feces, he was getting beaten into submission. Years of abuse instilled a rage in him that only boiled and simmered. He had become a poor, miserable, emaciated shell of who he once was.
If there was one thing being thrown away by his mother taught him, it was that someone should be prepared to do any and everything if it meant survival.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwoKiMjVCLV
