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Nova: Children of Gods - Chapter 02

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Chapter 02



Levi had just reached his home, a small two story house with a small front and backyard further away from the large bustling district of the lower city. The sun had just begun to set casting a deep orange yet he simply remained where he stood, staring at the door to his home.

Tulla looked at him with slight confusion. “What’s the matter Mr. Levi?”

“It’s been three weeks…” he said after a moment.

“Huh?”

“Three weeks since we’ve been back home.”

She titled her head slightly. “And?” when he said nothing she realized what he meant by those words. “Oh… right, I forgot. Your whole cleanliness thing…”

He gave her a sideways glance. “And that’s a problem with you?”

Tulla quickly shook her head as she waved her hands in front of herself. “Nothing! Nothing, I didn’t mean anything by that it was just a vocal observation. I mean your right it has been a while since we’ve been home and…” she trailed off realizing that he wasn’t going to say anything, she lowered her head and arms then. “Shutting up now…” she looked to the house once more. “Do you want my assistance?”

“Last time I accepted your assistance you had flowers growing on the ceiling upside down. Besides, you’re probably exhausted from using your magic.”

She looked almost broken hearted as she stood on his shoulder once more. “Yeah but…”

He glanced at her before reaching out and placing his index finger on the top of her head, rubbing her rose pink hair. “Its fine Tulla, when we’re inside I’ll clean where you sleep so you can rest and when I’m done I’ll make us tea.”

She pouted like a child but seemed happy at Levi’s way of affection. “Okay,” she pointed at him. “But you have to promise if you need my help you’ll ask me!”

Levi gave a slight shrug in response before pulling of his key from underneath his shirt and unlocking the door. Opening it he could already smell the staleness in the air, with a slight look of agitation Levi traversed through the house opening all of the windows to let in both the remaining sunlight and fresh air before dropping his bag and leather coat on to the bed. Rolled up his sleeves grabbed a white cloth and tied it around his face before reaching for the broom that was just behind the door.

He then went and gathered supplies to clean the first and second floors of the house, once he had everything he went to his room first and cleaned it at a quick and thorough cleaning before moving on to the other rooms of the second floor which consisted of another room, which was empty, and a toilet. Before meticulously cleaning the window, the hallway and stairs before going through the first floor which had a bath, a kitchen connected to a small dining area and a room where Levi kept many books.

A normal person would have hired someone to come and clean their house while they were away for so long but Levi was never comfortable with that. Not that he had anything of true value; well there were the books, but nothing of a lot of money that could have been stolen. No it was because of how they would clean and the horrible job that they would do, and ask so much for payment.

There was no way in hell he would hire someone when clearly they really didn’t know the difference between a mop and a broom. It was almost deplorable.

Because of this those that he worked with, depending on the job he did, he was known as a clean-freak. So he liked to keep things organized and clean, there was no need for labelling. Then again he didn’t really care; he’d just ignore the comments and carry on.

Once everything was back in its proper place Levi sat down on the sofa, his right calf propped on top of his left knee and he titled his head back towards the ceiling.

Three weeks since he and Tulla had been home yet none of it seemed to have changed in the city since they were gone. Not that it was bad but there were times where he would wish for something different would happen, nothing dangerous, but at least some kind of change within the city walls.

A knock at the front door drew him back from his thoughts, lifting his head he looked to the window, which was still open allowing fresh air to enter.

“Windows open.”

The person who knocked on the door came over to the window; it was a young woman in her late teens with long light brown hair that stopped just past her chest and chestnut colored eyes. “Oh good you are home.” she said with a smile. “I heard that your escort team returned today so I’d thought I would come by and see you.”

“Ah,” was what he said in response.

The young woman held up a basket of food. “And I brought food, if you’d like I can make good use of your kitchen and make you something since you just got home.”

He shook his head. “No it’s alright; I don’t need you to do anything for now I’m just taking a breather.” When he saw the look of disappointment on the girl’s face he added. “But thank you Cynthia, for the offer. I’m sure many a man would be happy for the food.”

Cynthia smiled at him. “Then I’ll at least leave the food for you.” she said as she placed it on a bench in the house, bending down through the window to reach it. Then looking up at him and asking. “Unless you don’t want it that is.”

“You can leave it; it’d be a waste for you to bring it back after taking all the trouble to bring it here.”

Cynthia looked at him, trying to see if he meant it or not, Levi merely looked at her, his elbows resting on his knees as he leaned forwards eyeing her with his piercing gaze.
“Before you go though, do you want something to drink?”

A smile stretched across her face as she folded her arms behind her back. “Sure, I’d love too.”


“I still don’t get why you asked her to stay for a drink, and yet nothing came of it.” Tulla muttered as she sat on his right shoulder hugging one knee as the other leg rested against the cool leather of Levi’s jacket.

“We talked.” Levi said. “Did you expect more to come from me offering her a drink?”

“Yes!” she said bluntly. “You’re a really good guy Mr. Levi; you should at least be with a woman by now.”

Levi glanced at Tulla before looking back through the busy streets of the marketplace. “You know by now I’ve never been interested in that.”

“And you know you’re not getting any younger,” she declared before folding her arms across her chest. “You should at least think about settling down with someone at some point in your life.”

Levi let out a sigh but said nothing in response as he kept walking through the marketplace, people of different ages and skin color calling out for those to buy what they sold, be it food, spices and wares that you wouldn’t find at any regular store.

The only reason he was walking through the market was to reach the head office and speak to the commander in charge about his pay. He was supposed to receive it on the day of his return but with all the commotion with the Rayths there was no time to get it from him. Or so the man said when Levi was there.

He never liked the commander, a man who only seemed interested in lining his own pockets rather than helping the people who truly needed it, and there had been many times where Levi just wanted to kick the man’s front teeth in.

“Once we get our money,” he said, changing the topic. “We’ll go home and make some Black Tea, alright?”

Tulla arched a brow at him but didn’t ask why he changed the subject, she knew him well enough to know when he didn’t want to talk about something.

“Levi!” Allen’s voice ceased his fast steps to a slower pace as the man waved at him through the crowd.

“Allen, what is it?” he asked when the man caught up to him.

But instead of saying something he wrapped his arm around Levi’s shoulder and grinned. “Want to get a drink?”

Tulla had to make a quick getaway when Allen rested his hand on Levi’s shoulder where she had been sitting, if she hadn’t moved when she did she would have been swatted away, or worse, squished under that man’s hand. “Hey watch where you put your hand!” Tulla shouted while waving her fist in the air. “You could have squished me you know!”

You still say that even though you know he can’t hear you. “No thanks Allen,” he said as he removed the man’s arm from his shoulder. “I have business I need to take care of.”

Allen looked puzzled. “Like what?”

Levi glanced off to the side, not ignoring Allen’s question, he felt like someone was watching him.

“Levi?” Allen spoke drawing his attention back. “Is something wrong?”

“No,” he said. “It’s nothing, anyway Allen I have to go. Depending on how things go I might make my way over to the tavern.”

Allen looked almost surprised by his words. “Really?”

He glanced at the man. “Is there something wrong with that?”

Quickly Allen shook his head. “No, no. I just didn’t know if you’d agree. But that’s good that you’ve decided to go. I’ll meet you there later on.”

When Allen said his goodbyes and Levi carried on his way was when Tulla spoke up. “Why did you choose to go? Normally you’d avoid that kind of thing, being around people I mean.”

Levi was quite as he placed his hands in his coat pockets. “Even after some time, a person like me needs to at least have some form of human contact and interaction. Even if it’s with people I don’t like. It’s what keeps many people in this city sane.”

“Including you?”

He didn’t answer. “Let’s hurry alright? The sooner we get this done, the sooner this whole thing with the tavern can be put to rest.”

Tulla watched as Levi went on a head before laughing slightly. It’s good to know that he still cares. She thought before flying after him.

Yet back in the distance, in the deep shadows of the marketplace, a person crept by, watching the man vanish into the crowd, strange markings that glowed adorned skin slowly beginning to fade before disappearing further into the darkness of the city.


It was later in the evening when he went to the tavern; the events that he hoped to resolve did not go through for the commander wasn’t even at his post like how he was supposed to be. Part of him wanted to beat the crap out of the man but he knew if he did that he’d be thrown in prison for assaulting a man of high rank.

“What the heck is that guy’s problem?” Tulla muttered as she folded her arms across her chest. “He’s supposed to pay you for the work you did, and yet he’s off playing at some broth… broth…”

“Brothel,” Levi finished for her.

“Yeah that, I mean it’s his job right? If you’re not going to work then don’t go and spend the money of others you jerk.”

Levi raised a glass in agreement as Allen came back over with a tray of food. “You know I do realize you’re not enjoying yourself.” He said as he sat down and handed over a roll of bread.

“What makes you say that?” he asked as he took a sip of his drink. The alcohol burned as it went down his throat, the feeling felt both forging and welcoming, it had been well over a month sink he last drank something like this.

Allen offered him a half smile. “You look like your scowling.”

“I’m not.” He sighed. “I always look like this.”

He snorted. “You mean pissed off?”

He eyed the man, pausing in the next sip of his drink. “You have a problem with that?”

Allen leaned back in his chair and laughed. “Sounded like a threat, no, no I don’t.  I’m just saying you should lighten up a bit, I mean we’re home after all. Relax take a load off and have some fun. ”

Levi said nothing as he tore a drumstick off of the small roasted hen.

“Say…” Allen said after a long moment of silence. “What do you think… those Rayths are exactly?”

Levi looked at him but didn’t say anything in response.

“Hear me out,” he said as he tapped the side of his cup with his index finger. “Those things are like animals right? I mean some, if not many, are almost animal shape-like. On all fours, have fangs and tails; even howl depending on the time of day or night. And then there are those that say they were created through magic…” his dark brown eyes looked to Levi with honesty. “Do you think that’s what they are? Actual animals under some kind of magic spell or curse? Or do you think they are not from this world?”

Levi glanced down to Tulla who was now sitting on the edge of his cup, her tiny feet resting atop the handle before answering.  “Do I think those monsters were animals put under a spell or were cursed? Honestly, I know it’s been told in books as to where they might have come from but I just don’t know. Creatures and humans alike all try to do just one thing live and survive till the next day and so on and so forth.”

“But do you think it’s magic?”

Once again Levi looked down at Tulla, who was munching on a tiny piece of hen, when she saw him look at her she smiled at him.

“In a way I do,” he said. “Though it’s rather complicated.”

Allen frowned. “What do you mean?”

After cleaning off the bone of any meat Levi let it fall back on to the plate before cleaning his hands. Leaning back he crossed his legs while resting an arm on the back of the chair. “It’s not like saying I believe in magic means something unless you truly witness the strange and unheard of things first hand.”

“So does that mean you have?” Allen’s voice was now filled with curiosity and shock.

“Yes,” Levi admitted. “I have, but again it is more complicated than that.”

“Isn’t it always?”

“It is, if you truly don’t believe in what you see with all that you have you’ll never again see it. You will become blind to it, even if it’s staring you right in the face, you won’t know. Like Rayths, many see them but there are those who can’t or won’t for their ignorance blinds them until something happens. And when that something dose, then and only then, will fear be a driving force to make them see what they couldn’t before.”

Allen stared at him for a moment. “So you believe?”

Levi looked down to the small pendent that he wore, normally he’d keep it underneath his shirt, but as he stared at it, it would always be that reminder, that reminder that he should never turn his back on something many do not believe. As he looked at it, he recalled the incident, recalling the monsters that had destroyed so much. “I do, I’ve lived in this world long enough to know that you turn your back on something, something that might seem trivial like magic and the unknown, you will lose your life. Or you will see it and fight, fight to live even if the odds are against you, even if you yourself can’t do any magic.”

“I never expected for you to believe in that kind of stuff.”

“Normal people don’t.”

“Levi, do you think you might ever go back? Back to where you came from?”

“No,” Levi felt Tulla’s tiny hands resting on the back of his hand that held the pendent. “I will never go back, I have no reason too.”

Allen looked as if he wanted to say more but shook his head to stop himself, then noticed that Levi was looking in a direction across from their table to three men looking uneasy, and carrying black robes. “So you’ve noticed them huh?”

“They’ve been wandering frantically all around the city since we came back.” Since walking to collect his earnings he had noticed many of those in black robes looking both worried and searching frantically for something. It was s Old Man Owen had said that it was a girl, but it didn’t make sense why that would be the case.

“Wondering what they’re looking for so desperately.”

“Probably their missing brains.” Levi glanced over his shoulder to see Cynthia walking over to them with a smile. “So what are you talking about?”

“I didn’t think you’d be working today.” Levi said to her as he went to take another sip of his drink.

“Are you kidding? Look at the business going on here, since you all returned that taverns and pubs have been filled with you lot. There’s no way in hell I’m missing this.”

“She has a point.” Allen said as he gulped back the rest of his drink.

“So? What were you talking about?” she asked as she rested both of her hands on the table while standing next to Levi.

“Oh you know, boring stuff, this and that.” Allen stated with a flick of his wrist.

“Magic.” Levi said drawing Cynthia’s attention to him. “We were talking about magic and the connection it might have with the Rayths.”

“Oh that sounds interesting,”

“What about you?” Levi asked. “Do you believe in magic?”

“Of course I do!” she said with a beaming smile. “I mean, the walls have those markings and then there are the Rayths too, who wouldn’t?”

“She’s lying…” Tulla said softly as she sat on Levi’s shoulder, gripping the collar of his leather jacket while leaning into the nape of his neck. Her voice was now soft and brimming on the edge of tears. “She can’t see me… when you and Cynthia were talking last night I flew around the room but she didn’t look at me once…”

Finishing off the rest of his drink Levi stood and tossed some coins on the table, Allen frowned when he saw this. “You’re leaving already Levi? You only just got here.”

“It’s late as it is,” he said before turning to the door. “Besides I still have a few things to take care of at home.”

“Oh, I see that’s too bad, maybe next time then.”

Levi gave a flick of the wrist as a wave goodbye as he walked out the saloon doors, when he was gone Allen turned to Cynthia.

“You say something to tick him off?”

She shook her head. “No, I have no idea.”

Allen then shrugged. “Well he’s always been a bit of a conundrum even with our job. But then I guess he’s always like that.”


The night air was cool as many of the shops began closing up for the night, those that stayed open lit oil lamps that were over the signs on their doors to let those who were still out and about that they were open for business.

“I couldn’t help but notice that you didn’t ask Allen if he believed in magic.” Tulla said; now back to her normal self.

“It wouldn’t have made a difference.” He looked at Tulla. “He couldn’t see you after all.”

She gave a bitter sweet smile. “You’d think by now I’d be used to that kind of thing. Not being able to be seen.”

“It comes in handy you know.”

“I know it dose. It’s just… I wish there were others. Magic users notwithstanding, but there are so few in this world now I just…” she closed her eyes and shook her head. “Sorry, I’ll stop; I’ve talked about it to death.”

“It’s alright,” he said. “You can talk about it as much as you want Tulla, you don’t ever have to apologize for something like that. But you also have to remember, there are many advantages for not being seen.”

Later on in the dead of night Levi awoke to the sudden sensation, someone was inside the house, in his home. eyes open he reached for the knife that he kept underneath his pillow and silently crept downstairs, while Tulla remained sleeping undisturbed in her own tiny bed, he moved through the dark and once he was on the first floor he pressed his back to the wall near the door to the main entrance of his home.

He could hear the sound of muffled movements, he glanced in and saw how the intruder got in, a window, which had been closed and locked from the inside, was now open wide allowing the nighttime air come in blowing the curtains out whenever a breeze came through. When he had a visual on the shadowy figure of the intruder he rushed in, grabbing the person by the back of their neck and slamming the person to the ground before mounting them while keeping a firm hold on the intruders throat, the blade pointed directly in between the eyes to make them see the knife and know that there would be no getting out of this.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” he demanded in a calm voice. “Trespassing in my home at such an ungodly hour, you do I have the right kill you for doing this don’t you?”

But the person did not speak; only silence came from the one being pinned down to the floor. It was in that silence that he realized the person did not shake in fear, nor seemed even aware of what was happening.

Is he drunk? Levi thought with a frown but did a quick glance to the window, the latch clearly being undone. No, if that were true he would have tried to break through the glass then jimmying the lock. Just how the hell did this guy even get in?

“Ah…” the voice was soft as a hand reached up to the one grasping at the throat. Levi looked down and as moonlight spilled into the room he realized that the so-called burglar he was straddling wasn’t a man but a woman.

A woman wearing nothing but the blanket that was barely covering her, strange colored hair and grey eyes, yet what stood out more than the odd hair color was the fact that her forehead was completely drenched in dried blood.

He lowered the knife and loosened his grip on her throat as he looked into her confused grey eyes. “What in the hell happened to you?”
So!
Here's chapter 2 of Nova: Children of Gods :la:
And yes it's a bit long, but you can get a grasp a bit more of what these Rayths may or may not be. along with the fact that those who truly don't believe in magic wont see everything in front of them. Rayths is one thing, but other magical creatures and beings and normally only those who have magical powers can see it (obvious reason not withstanding) and for Tulla it can be both useful and rather sad and lonely. Since not many can see her.
And there's the strange girl with a bloody head who can't seem speak. nothing much to say about that but, you'll get to see what happens in the coming chapter :)


Chapter 01: Right Here


Prologue: Here
© 2014 - 2024 suyuku-san
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JotePaine's avatar
So Levi isn't from that world, with what he's implying?
Curious.