Octavian.
Octavian studied the spellbook he had stolen out of Dawn's room months before. The Book of Shades and Shadows flickered its pages and he started to read.
'To summon Khaos...'
If he could placate her, amuse her, something... he could ask her to bring Demetria back.
At dusk, Octavian stood in the center of a circle and called out the words of the spell. His hands were red with blood of the black goat kid he'd sacrificed as per the summoning. All the most powerful spells were sealed with blood.
"Khaos! One who would be yours calls to thee!"
Khaos
Khaos appeared in a flash of light and looked around, in amusement.
"Greetings, young one."
Octavian.
Octavian bowed elegantly.
"Greetings, milady."
Khaos
"And why have you summoned me?"
Khaos smiled slightly, wings fluttering.
Octavian.
"To request your assistance, milday Khaos."
Octavian looked her in the eyes.
"Of course, I do not expect to get such powerful help without doing something in return."
Khaos
Khaos looked back at him, golden eyes thoughtful.
"Perhaps an agreement can be made."
She circled him slowly, eyes never leaving him.
"What is it that you would ask for?"
Octavian.
Octavian turned his head slightly, watching her.
"To regain my twin, my sister and to make sure that the one who has her can never touch a student of this school again."
Khaos
"The King of Spades."
Khaos nodded thoughtfully.
"I do not usually make it my business to interfere directly, you know that, yes?"
Octavian.
"I know," Octavian said steadily.
"But you do, milady. Sometimes. I would ask you to make this one of those times. I would do anything to gain your aid in this."
Khaos
"You know about me. I am impressed."
Khaos almost preened as she stopped walking.
"I like you, Octavian Felix Edgerton Smythe, but this alone is not enough. I have set three tasks for you to complete. You must succeed at all three by the end of this month for me to grant you your wish."
Octavian.
Octavian almost smiled.
"Name them, milady."
Khaos
"The first test is a test of skill."
Khaos clicked and the scenary around them changed. They were now standing at the entrance of a maze. She clicked again.
"I have disabled your power. Make it to the middle and retrieve the box you find. Once you have the box, you must learn how to use it."
Octavian.
Octavian bowed to her slightly.
"Thank you for at least listening to me, milady."
He set off through the maze. Thank od they'd had one at the estate, so he knew how to explore an unfamilair maze. He started to work through to the middle.
Khaos
Khaos flew up into the air and watched him thoughtfully.
She'd seen him before, with his twin. They were cute.
Octavian.
Everything had been fairly normal...Octavian started and whirled as he heard a threatening growl.
An immense black dog with red eyes snarled at him, drool dripping from its jaws.
"Well."
Octavian tensed slightly, waiting for it to spring. He didn't have to wait long. When it did, he leapt over the top of it, foot resting on its back for a moment to give him more momentum. He leapt to the top of the hedge, then dropped down on the other side.
Khaos
Khaos almost laughed.
~*~*~*~
A hedge rustled slightly, almost unnoticeable, as a spider came crawling out.
Octavian.
Octavian shuddered almost imperecipately. He hated spiders.
The spider's legs clacked as it moved towards him. He turned and ran. It gave chase. When he got to a crossways, he turned and dived under its belly. The spider looked confused for enough moments for him to get away clean.
He really needed some sort of weapon.
Khaos
Khaos narrowed her eyes and a matchstick appeared next to Octavian.
Octavian.
Octavian picked up the matchstick and shrugged slightly, putting it in a safe pocket. As he started making his way through to the center of the maze again, he began to make a torch that he could fire.
Khaos
Khaos cocked her head thoughtfully, hearing the Gods laugh and clap from Olympus.
He was doing rather well.
Octavian.
Octavian let out a startled yelp as the gournd beneath his feet shook, then caved in. He leapt backwards, landing on safer ground. Ok. Unexpected.
He surveyed it thoughtfully, then took a few more steps backwards.
He ran towards it and leapt at the last minute. He hit the ground on the other side and rolled away from the gaping pit.
Khaos
Interesting... even without his powers, he was doing rather well.
Khaos clicked and a circle of fire surrounded him.
Octavian.
Octavian threw his arm up over his face, and then looked at the flames. Not so thick, really. He gritted his teeth and leapt through them. The torch in his hand caught on fire as he did so and he laughed shortly, feeling the burns on his face pull slightly, then kept going.
He still had that match too.
Khaos
Khaos decided to heal him after all was said and done.
He was very cute for doing this.
Octavian.
Octavian entered the center of the maze and put the torch in a holder that was standing there. He surveyed the box carefully. Hmm. He broke off a long length of stick from the maze hedge and flipped its lid with that.
Khaos
Khaos smiled and clicked, healing any damage Octavian may have had come to him in the course of the maze. She flicked a hand and the maze dissolved and disappeared, and she appeared in front of him.
"Read it," she said, indicating the piece of paper.
'Rec Room. 1am.'
Octavian.
Octavian read the brief wording and then looked up.
"Anything I should bring with me?"
Khaos
Khaos shook her head and teleported him to the rec room, where most of the students were having a party.
"Focus is the key."
Octavian.
"On what?" Octavian asked, looking around.
Hmm. Distractions, distractions everywhere.
Khaos and Bobby
"You know."
Khaos disappeared.
Bobby came up to Octavian, shirtless and holding a drink.
"Oh man, you're finally here!"
He kissed him gently.
Octavian.
"Not now, Bobby," Octavian said gently, disentangling himself.
Think of Dem, think of Dem...
He walked over to the wall and leant against it, looking over the students and keeping his thoughts resolutely on Dem and saving her.
Bobby and Rebekah
Bobby pouted and followed him.
"Don't you like me anymore?"
Rebekah came over, grinning cheekily.
"Hey Tavvie, wanna play?"
Octavian & Jonothon.
Octavian closed his eyes, ignoring them both.
Demetria.
Jonothon snarled slightly, getting up out of his seat.
Bobby and Rebekah
"Octavian!" Bobby exclaimed, stamping his foot.
Rebekah's lip quivered.
"Jono, he... he tried to hurt me!"
Octavian & Jonothon.
Octavian hissed slightly in pain, jerking his foot up.
Demetria.
JOnothon came over, looking mean.
"What happened?"
Rebekah and Bobby
"He... he..."
Rebekah's eyes filled with tears.
"He hit me... and he said things about... about Ian."
Bobby nodded.
"I saw it all."
Octavian.
Octavian gritted his teeth and tensed his muscles for the hit that was sure to come. Thinking about Demetria stubbornly.
Jonothon snarled at that and sank his fist into Octavian's stomach.
Rebekah
"And then... then he said stuff about you..."
Rebekah thought of the meanest things she could and sent the thought to Jono.
Jonothon & Octavian.
"Oh, that's it, mate."
Jonothon started to punch Octavian viciously.
Pain, pain...Demetria, think about Demetria, Octavian chanted to himself as he sank down the wall and curled up.
Khaos
Khaos whistled and the room froze.
"Very well done."
She clapped once, and took Octavian to a place he feared.
His father's house.
"The final test, is that of courage."
Octavian.
"Oh god," Octavian whispered to himself.
"What, exactly, do I have to do here?"
Khaos
"Face your fear."
Khaos touched his head gently.
"I cannot make this in real life. Once you conquer your fear in this reality, I have no promise that it will work in your world."
She kissed his forehead.
"And for that, I am sorry."
Octavian.
"I'm used to it," Octavian said softly.
"Face my fear..."
He headed out into the house, actually looking for his father for once. Feeling the dread and sick feeling in his stomach increasing with every step.
Khaos
Khaos wondered briefly if it would be considered interfering by cutting his fathers balls off.
Octavian.
Octavian found his father, or the simulcrum of his father in his study. Not real, not real, not real, he chanted to himself. He still took half a step backwards when Bryce looked at him.
He thought about Demetria and stood firm.
"Hello, Father."
"Octavian..." Bryce purred, getting up from his seat.
"Come in, close the door and strip."
Octavian swallowed.
"No."
"What?" Bryce hissed.
Khaos
Khaos watched, almost feeling sorry for Octavian.
Octavian.
Octavian tensed himself and ducked when his father's fist came towards him. Bryce stumbled slightly.
"I said no," Octavian repeated in a quiet voice.
Think about Dem. Think about her...
He flew against the wall and slid down it, blood trickling from a split lip down his chin.
Khaos
Khaos watched quietly.
He was better than she'd thought.
Octavian.
Octavian threw his arms up over his head as his father yelled at him and tried to beat him into unconsciousness.
He started to fade in and out, barely registering when he was jerked to his feet and laid face down across the table. He mumbled a protest.
"How dare you defy me?" Bryce said in an angry voice.
He glanced at the door. Closed. Curtains on the windows, also closed.
Khaos
Khaos frowned slightly and clapped, dissolving the scene around them.
"You have failed in your task."
Octavian.
Octavian stared up at her, hurting.
"How did I fail? Oh god, Dem...I'm so sorry..."
Khaos
Khaos flicked her finger and he was instantly healed.
"You did not face your fear. You merely subdued it."
She smiled slightly.
"However..."
Octavian.
Octavian stared at her, hardly daring to hope.
"However?"
Khaos
"I like you."
Khaos nodded.
"And I like your twin. And so, I shall bring her to you."
Octavian.
"Thank you, milady," Octavian said softly.
"You didn't have to do it. I failed."
Khaos
"Perhaps. You did prove your love for your twin, and that, in itself, is worth more than any test I could give you."
Khaos nodded and sent him back to the mansion, words ringing in his ears.
"By sunrise, she will be there."
Octavian & Demetria.
Octavian watched the horizon from his window. Demetria appeared looking confused, bloody and beaten. HE enfolded her in his arms, whispering words of comfort as she clung to him and cried in relief.
"Thank you, Khaos," Octavian said softly.
"Come one, Dem. You'll need to go down to the medlabs. Come on."