Breccan's Spirit
This is Part Eleven in a series.
Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine, Part Ten
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That day, Egan certainly used me thoroughly. He took my permission to do anything he wanted seriously, and he barely let me rest between rounds. I didn't mind, though. What he did felt good, especially when I got to see looks of pure bliss on his flawless face. The god was always gorgeous, but he looked particularly amazing when he was in ecstasy.
All that intimacy meant both of us rested well. While Egan didn't need to sleep, he seemed to enjoy it nonetheless. I did, however, wake up in the middle of the night desperately thirsty, so I went downstairs to the water pump. My journey was cut short when I spotted Maris and Finbar on the couch in the sitting room. She had her arm around his shoulders. Despite everything, I felt a pang in my chest.
Finbar and I had never been truly in love, but it hurt to see him so close to Maris. I prepared to sneak by them when I noticed how Finbar's shoulder shook. He was crying.
He sobbed, “It - it wasn't supposed to be this way!”
His words froze me to the floor. I didn't want them to catch me while they were in such a state.
Maris said, “No, no it shouldn't have been this way at all.”
“Breccan might as well be dead,” Finbar declared.
That wasn't fair! Or was it?
“Don't say that.” Maris pulled him closer.
“Why not?” he asked. “Egan's all but destroyed his soul. He's - he's...frozen.”
Frozen? What did that mean, exactly? Did Finbar say that simply because I was at peace with Egan?
Maris wondered, “What do you mean by 'frozen?'”
“His spirit's almost gone. He's - he's dulled. It's like he's not even human anymore, just some all-but-mindless plaything for Egan to enjoy.”
She nodded. “I see what you mean.” Her voice was somber.
Peaceful didn't mean frozen. Did it? If Finbar didn't want me anymore, if he believed I had never loved him, why did he seem so sad about the state of my spirit? And there wasn't anything wrong with my spirit anyway!
“He shouldn't be like that! Breccan was supposed to be my lover! Why couldn't he stand up to Egan? Why didn't he love me enough?” Finbar shook yet harder. I couldn't see his face, but I imaged it to be streaked with tears.
My chest hurt. Hearing all this made breathing difficult.
Maris sighed. “It's not so easy, Finbar. Gods are powerful beings.”
“But - but you know what Egan said, about true love.” Finbar's voice cracked.
“Your relationship was too new when that slimy creature interrupted it. Perhaps Breccan doesn't love you enough now, but he would have if he had been given time. The man was probably still shaken from losing his magic and thus especially vulnerable to Egan's twisted charms,” she explained.
Could that be true? Was it possible I might have loved Finbar enough? But I was too weak! And it was too late, now.
Finbar said, “I suppose you might be right, but it's too late. Breccan's firmly in his clutches. There's nothing to be done for it. And I - I don't know if I can take him back, if I can still want him after seeing him betray me.”
Maris removed her arm from around him. “You're wrong. There is something that can be done. Something that needs to be done. I just really didn't want to do it.”
What could possibly be done?
Finbar wondered the same thing. “What can you possibly do to stop him?”
She sighed. “I have to contact the only beings capable of overpowering Egan. I'll have to contact the gods and get them to do something about him.”
“You can do that? They'll listen to you? Has Egan even done anything against their rules?”
She said, “Destroying mortal relationships is technically against their rules, but most of the time the gods don't care. In my experience, divine beings don't pay attention unless you make a lot of noise. Maybe if I make enough noise about Egan's manipulations, they'll do something about it.”
Maris reverberated with resolve. She had such courage even to think about her foolish plan. Perhaps she might lend me some of her strength. I shouldn't even think about refusing Egan, but maybe, just maybe, Maris could protect me from him if I asked her. Why was I even considering that when I felt such peace with Egan? Seeing Finbar so distraught had awakened something within me. While the god provided me with a sort of serenity, it wasn't worth seeing Finbar cry.
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written for 500themes prompt #475 - "Frozen Fire"
Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine, Part Ten
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That day, Egan certainly used me thoroughly. He took my permission to do anything he wanted seriously, and he barely let me rest between rounds. I didn't mind, though. What he did felt good, especially when I got to see looks of pure bliss on his flawless face. The god was always gorgeous, but he looked particularly amazing when he was in ecstasy.
All that intimacy meant both of us rested well. While Egan didn't need to sleep, he seemed to enjoy it nonetheless. I did, however, wake up in the middle of the night desperately thirsty, so I went downstairs to the water pump. My journey was cut short when I spotted Maris and Finbar on the couch in the sitting room. She had her arm around his shoulders. Despite everything, I felt a pang in my chest.
Finbar and I had never been truly in love, but it hurt to see him so close to Maris. I prepared to sneak by them when I noticed how Finbar's shoulder shook. He was crying.
He sobbed, “It - it wasn't supposed to be this way!”
His words froze me to the floor. I didn't want them to catch me while they were in such a state.
Maris said, “No, no it shouldn't have been this way at all.”
“Breccan might as well be dead,” Finbar declared.
That wasn't fair! Or was it?
“Don't say that.” Maris pulled him closer.
“Why not?” he asked. “Egan's all but destroyed his soul. He's - he's...frozen.”
Frozen? What did that mean, exactly? Did Finbar say that simply because I was at peace with Egan?
Maris wondered, “What do you mean by 'frozen?'”
“His spirit's almost gone. He's - he's dulled. It's like he's not even human anymore, just some all-but-mindless plaything for Egan to enjoy.”
She nodded. “I see what you mean.” Her voice was somber.
Peaceful didn't mean frozen. Did it? If Finbar didn't want me anymore, if he believed I had never loved him, why did he seem so sad about the state of my spirit? And there wasn't anything wrong with my spirit anyway!
“He shouldn't be like that! Breccan was supposed to be my lover! Why couldn't he stand up to Egan? Why didn't he love me enough?” Finbar shook yet harder. I couldn't see his face, but I imaged it to be streaked with tears.
My chest hurt. Hearing all this made breathing difficult.
Maris sighed. “It's not so easy, Finbar. Gods are powerful beings.”
“But - but you know what Egan said, about true love.” Finbar's voice cracked.
“Your relationship was too new when that slimy creature interrupted it. Perhaps Breccan doesn't love you enough now, but he would have if he had been given time. The man was probably still shaken from losing his magic and thus especially vulnerable to Egan's twisted charms,” she explained.
Could that be true? Was it possible I might have loved Finbar enough? But I was too weak! And it was too late, now.
Finbar said, “I suppose you might be right, but it's too late. Breccan's firmly in his clutches. There's nothing to be done for it. And I - I don't know if I can take him back, if I can still want him after seeing him betray me.”
Maris removed her arm from around him. “You're wrong. There is something that can be done. Something that needs to be done. I just really didn't want to do it.”
What could possibly be done?
Finbar wondered the same thing. “What can you possibly do to stop him?”
She sighed. “I have to contact the only beings capable of overpowering Egan. I'll have to contact the gods and get them to do something about him.”
“You can do that? They'll listen to you? Has Egan even done anything against their rules?”
She said, “Destroying mortal relationships is technically against their rules, but most of the time the gods don't care. In my experience, divine beings don't pay attention unless you make a lot of noise. Maybe if I make enough noise about Egan's manipulations, they'll do something about it.”
Maris reverberated with resolve. She had such courage even to think about her foolish plan. Perhaps she might lend me some of her strength. I shouldn't even think about refusing Egan, but maybe, just maybe, Maris could protect me from him if I asked her. Why was I even considering that when I felt such peace with Egan? Seeing Finbar so distraught had awakened something within me. While the god provided me with a sort of serenity, it wasn't worth seeing Finbar cry.
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written for 500themes prompt #475 - "Frozen Fire"