|Morning|97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxXMPXY510
July•4•xxxx
Gabriel tossed and turned in his sleep yet again, unable to look away from the scene in front of him. His mother had received quite a brutal beating, which was followed up with a beating of his own. Though it was a dream, the feeling of his father's knuckles on his skin was engraved so vividly in his memory that he could almost taste the blood that pooled in his mouth with each punch.
"Stop! Please! Father stop it! I'm sorry!" He heard himself cry out pitifully.
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH! This is punishment. You're too weak! What do you think this is? A playground? This family doesn't tolerate weakness." His father had him by his hair, scoffing as he roughly threw him aside. "The only reason I've even bothered to keep you around this long is because of your mother. She might have an unknown lineage but even she is more useful than you! At least she's able to maintain our family's appearance! What have you done for us? NOTHING! All you're good for is causing trouble a whining about it. "
Gabriel sniffled and gasped as he tried to speak through the pain. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'll do better I promise! Just don't hurt mom! Please, I'm begging!"
His father scoffed in disgust. "Again with the begging. Is that all you know how to do? She can only blame that on herself. If she hadn't tried to shield you, this would have never happened. Clean yourself up and come meet me in the courtyard. We have work to do today and I don't need you making us look pathetic."
When his father stomped out of the room Gabriel spat out the blood in his mouth. Whatever pleas he could muster was suffocated by his sobs. The cuts on his face burned when his salty tears ran down his cheeks. He stayed on the ground, hunched over on his knees until he felt a warm hand take hold on his shoulders and pull him up. Through his tears, he could just barely make out the sight of his mother crawling to her knees and cradling him close to her chest. Her soft hums hushed him as he desperately clung to her. The memory of his mother smiling down at him despite her tear-stained face was truly a sight he'd never forget.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•
Gabriel awoke yet again with a pounding heart and sweat-drenched clothes. He wiped away the sweat on his brow and rolled over, staring at the ceiling as he gasped out a breath, oxygen shallowly entering his lungs. His shirt was caught around his neck like he’d tried to wrestle his way out of it in his sleep. When feeling returned to his arms, he ran his hands down his body, trying to make sure he was all in one piece, trying to make sure he hadn’t just dreamt the last twenty-two years of his life. He half expected to feel the body of a little boy and was almost surprised when his hands found the tender skin of his pulsing tattoos. They felt as though they were desperately trying to snake off his body and come to his rescue.
Just a dream. It was just a dream, he had to remind himself. One hell of a dream. A slow stream of memories. After a moment of rest, he crawled out of his hiding spot. Every joint in his body cracked when he stood. He felt weak, like an old man still in the chokehold of the nightmare. He shrugged his shirt back on properly and collected himself before going about setting his plan in motion.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•
Asra went about her morning duties as she would any other day, but the events of the night prior weighed heavily on her mind. The Priestess was one thing but Gabriel was another. He seemed sketchy to her but she chalked it up as a natural reaction to an outsider. After all, she had grown up on the Summer Isle all her life and never once set foot in the outside world. As she set the dishes on the dining table and prepared breakfast for Tah Min and Ea, the sound of Gabriel calling her name echoed in her ears, making them buzz with warmth. She hadn't even noticed when the sound of her name being called in the distance became the smooth sound of her name being called directly into her ear. Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest as she spun around, her hand covering her ear.
Gabriel was standing behind her with a grin plastered on his face. "Morning!"
Asra groaned, stumbling back. "What are you doing! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"
"I was calling you for a while, you just weren't paying attention."
Asra found herself blushing at the realization that it wasn't all in her head.
"Anyway, you free right now?"
Asra glared at him. "No. I'm setting the table for breakfast."
Gabriel peered around her. "Seems pretty set to me."
Asra grumbled, shuffling away from him and trying to busy herself with something else.
"Well...when else are you free?"
Asra turned around and stared at Gabriel for a moment. The look in his eyes meant nothing good but they pulled her in and she couldn't say no. "At lunch...I have a break at lunch..."
Gabriel's grin widened. "Would it be okay if we ate lunch together then?"
"...that's...fine..."
Gabriel waved excitedly. "Alright! See you then! I saw a quiet spot in the far corner of the eastern courtyard, meet me there!"
He scurried out of the dining hall and weaved his way to an empty hallway. After making sure that no one was around, he pulled out a little mirror and chanted a spell over it. Shi began to flutter on the surface of the mirror, swirling rapidly. When they dispersed a face was reflected, but it was not his own.
"What do you want Gabriel?" Li's figure was shown frowning from within the mirror.
"I need a favour, " Gabriel said with haste.
Li blinked slowly, an irritated sigh bellowing out on the tip of her lips. "And why should I help you after your screw up in Solaria?"
"I know I messed up! I'm sorry! It was an honest mistake! But I really need help right now!"
Li was silent for a moment. Her gaze seemed to strip him of all his facades and lies and bore straight through him even from behind a mirror. "Where are you? Why haven't you returned?"
"I'm in the Summer Isle."
Li's eyes went wide for a brief moment. "Why?"
"...do you remember the day Sana brought me to Sindaria? How he told you that my home had been destroyed because of the Qishan clan? Well, it turns out they weren't all wiped out. One of them is still alive. We both know that the only reason Sana took me in was because he wanted a son of his own, a secret heir to his throne that would destroy the Dragon Queen's heirs, but he didn't want the emotional attachment that came with having a child. He told me himself when I was 16 that I was only a pawn but because of his connection to me as a father figure, he would grant me one wish. I want to cash in. My wish is for you to do me this favour."
"The Summer Isle is where that Priestess is from no?... You realize that tensions are already high enough as is between us and Solaria because of what happened at the archery hunt and now you want to purposely go after someone close to the Dragon Queen?"
Gabriel's fist tightened around the mirror. "I have to do it Li. I made a vow to my mother. I'm going to destroy every last trace of the evil that stole her dream of peace."
There was silence and then there was a sigh. "What do you need?"
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