Episode 1 (part 2): Prologue

Titus emptied the contents of his young mind. His body moved on its own, no thought behind his actions. He peeled off the fingers of the inquisitor that gripped the gun and unwrapped the tendrils that braced his arm. As soon as his palm made contact with the gun handle, the engravings hue changed from blue to red and the weapon adjusted on its own. The tendrils braced his forearm and the weight felt like an extension of his arm rather than a separate object. With the xiphos in his left hand and the gun on his right, he charged towards the door with all his might.

All three of the inquisitors were caught with their pants down. Two were on either side of the bed and one was sprawled atop his mother. Young Titus knew fury intimately as his eyes briefly gleamed the horror of a sight before him. Instantly his hand pulled the trigger, rapidly emptying each chamber and loading the bullet to penetrate the unprepared men. All three men's body's erupted and tore apart within a minute. Smoke rose from Titus's barrel. The man atop his mother was still squirming. A wild roar rang in the air as Titus charged the man with his mothers sword. 

He repeatedly stabbed him in the back, crying and screaming like a mad beast. After the man stopped moving, Titus struggled to drag his body off of his mother. His tiny frame shook from exhaustion as he rolled the naked corpse over. The entire room was painted red, nothing's original color was recognizable. His mother laid there, unmoving, glazed in crimson fluid, and stiff. Titus jumped into his mothers arms and wept like a baby; he was merely a child, and his soul had been wrecked with perilous experiences. 

Titus: I did it mom… I protected you. I'm not scared anymore.

Sobs escaped his mouth as he reached up to touch his mothers face. The blood that covered it was still warm but her skin was cold. Titus furrowed his brows and concern washed over his weary mind. His trembling fingers scraped the blood away from her face to reveal a gaping hole under her cheek bone. One of the stray bullets had penetrated her skull. Titus's world was shattered in that instant. His sister, his mother, his home were drenched in blood. 

The sound of pouring rain masked the weeping sounds produced by little Titus's mouth and lightning flashed outside the cozy cottage's window as Titus broke down in the embrace of his dead mothers arms. He curled up tightly under the covers and cried himself to sleep, carefully caressing the blown in cheek of Lola before burying his face into her breathless bosom. 

Thunder awoke Titus, and the flash of lighting revealed the silhouette of an inquisitor standing in front above him. One arm was clutching a wound on his neck and the other was holding a glowing mace. A scream escaped Titus's mouth and he whipped out his gun, not hesitating to pull the trigger. The desperate clicks of the hammer striking empty chambers could be heard as the glowing mace was reared back for a vicious blow to soon squish little Titus. 

Another flash of lightning revealed a majestic curvy figure behind the man, holding a finger up to their mouth; signaling Titus to remain quiet. He held his breath as the mace was brought down in full force, but it did not aim for him. The vicious strike was brought down on the groin of the inquisitor who was wielding the weapon. A long silent gasp escaped the mouth of the inquisitor before collapsing on the ground next to the other corpses.

The moonlight glancing off of the beautiful woman that saved Titus, highlighted the perfect proportions of her figure. She stepped up closer into the silver light, revealing her unimaginably gorgeous face. Flawless skin, mesmerizing eyes, soft supple lips, a smile that could smite any living soul and luscious pink hair flowing down to her shoulders. She leaned forward revealing her tight dress that rolled over her perfect frame. The goddess of lust reached out her gentle hand to the frightened child. She opened her palm, revealing a beautiful pendant of a hummingbird.

Lust: You left this in the box by your sister's corpse.

She put on a charming smile as she patiently awaited his response. Titus remained silent as he held his breath in her gaze. He had never seen a being so beautiful, so perfect. He was too young to know lust, but a magnetic attraction rose from his chest when in the presence of her majesty. He slowly reached out his hand and retrieved the pendant. Just grazing her fingers when grabbing the pendant caused a pulse of excitement in his heart. Lust's boundless eyes surveyed the room drenched in velvet fluids.

Lust: I see why I was summoned. Your bravery is cute, little one; but you ultimately failed to protect anyone but yourself. I rarely entertain even the idea of a vessel but I think you'll do. 

She reached down to help adjust the pendant around Titus's neck. A waft of her scent caused him to fidget uncomfortably. Sweet roses, potent flowers of all delights, and a mesmerizing sense of a familiar belonging was the aroma of her aura. A million shades of sparkling colors reflected in her eyes as she studied the awestruck expression on little Titus's face. Rows of pearly white teeth revealed themselves as her luscious lips parted for a tantalizing smile. Titus's cheeks flushed as she leaned in close to his ear.

Lust: I have a special covenant made just for you… one that will assure you great power to match your bravery.

She pulled away from him and turned to leave, beckoning him to follow her with her finger. Titus averted his eyes from the beautiful goddess and his attention was drawn back to his dead mother lying beside him. The small room grew cold during his sleep. The coat of crimson liquid that covered everything made the damp room reek of iron. What the gorgeous goddess said was right, he had failed to protect anyone. Every desire he had to be brave and strong for his family was empty without a family to protect. With the inquisitors dead, his fate was sealed, death would be the only thing that awaited him. He would be ruthlessly hunted down for the murder of not one but four inquisitors; the peak elites would not allow this to go unchecked. Tears streamed down little Titus's cheeks as he fell back into the cold embrace of his dead mothers arms. What good was a goddess if his fate was hell.

Lust: Are you going to keep me waiting? 

A hand rested on her perfect hips as she looked back at the pitiful child. Titus was shivering from the cold blood that he was drenched in. His heart froze from her piercing glare.

Titus: N-no miss. I just don't understand what good can come from this. Am I not as good as dead to you?

Lust hesitated at his words and rolled her eyes before approaching him. A thick fur coat made from a snow leopard formed out of thin air; sparkles trailing behind it as it was effortlessly carried by the goddess. Warmth flowed into Titus as she wrapped the thick coat around him. With a gentle brush from the oversized sleeves of the coat, Lust cleaned off the crusted blood on little Titus's face. Two large emerald eyes, full of fear and doubt peered up at the beautiful goddess.

Lust: Don't look at me like that. You dare doubt me and fear the lowly men in golden armor? Oh, you have no clue about how any of this works do you?

Titus shifted uncomfortably in her condescending gaze. A need for reverence in her presence was felt in that moment and he knelt before the tall demeaning figure. 

Lust: That's much better darling, the view of you from here suits our dynamic just right. Listen carefully sweetie, because I am not repeating myself. Yes, you are dead to me; but that's how us higher gods like to do things. I need you to be born again to forge this covenant between us. Baptized in blood. I will create in you a new purpose, a new heart, and a new being. 

A burning sensation crept along both of Titus's hips and a red glow emanated from under his shirt. The pain was searing but in no comparison to the one in his broken heart. 

Lust: You will have the potential to become the most powerful being just under the gods. Discipline will reward you but the carnal desire for lust will be your curse. For each month that passes without you succumbing to the temptations of lust, your power will double. I will bless you with unimaginable strength in your muscles, unbreakable density within your skin and bones, keen supernatural vision, acute hearing… any and all of your bodily functions will be enhanced, stacking and multiplying by two fold with each passing month. The moment that you give in to lustful pleasure my curse will activate and your body will revert to its original state; inflicting excruciating pain from deteriorating muscle fibers, deficient bones, and shrinking your organs.

The beautiful goddess reached out to Titus, an insignia burning into the top part of her hand. He looked under his shirt where the burning sensation was starting to dim down. An intricate black and white dragon with majestic scales and elegant heads with menacing horns protruding from them were branded on either side of his hips. The white dragon on his right and the black on his left. They were identical and only differing in color. Titus's bronze olive skin created just enough contrast to highlight the features of both dragons. The same dragons were represented on the insignia of the goddesses hand.

Lust: Kiss it and our covenant will be sealed.

Titus shook his head vigorously and pulled his head away from Lust's hand.

Titus: Nah, I'm good.

Lust: W-what? Ummmm… that makes things awkward because I kinda lied to you. The covenant was already sealed with both of our brandings, the kiss was just because I wanted to make it extra.

Titus: Wait, that can't be right. This was supposed to be a choice. Take it back and revert it!

Lust: I made an assumption that this would be an offer that no one would refuse. Was it the curse? If it's too harsh I can compromise and offer a better deal. C'mon little guy, do you have any idea what people are willing to sacrifice for a chance to be my vessel? I am of the four main gods that wields absolute power over the universe. I do not need a vessel, I simply chose to bless you with this incredulous opportunity. Do not insult me.

Titus: Why? You don't need me, and I don't want this. Nothing you've promised came true. Nothing was made new. My heart still aches, my purpose is still missing and although you've granted me power I am still the same being I was before you showed up. A young weakling that can be stomped out by the inquisitors who will arrive shortly. 

Lust: Wow. You're very intuitive for a kid. Well I can't do anything about death, I'm the wrong god for that; but I do know someone from the abyss that will take care of the inquisitors. Think of it this way, child. The only other option is death. What did your mother always teach you about avoiding death?

Titus glared at her in disgust for gas lighting him with his mothers words. After a moment of contemplation he raised his hand to meet hers; but instead of reaching to kiss her hand, he flicked out his middle finger. A laugh escaped the beautiful goddess as she reciprocated a finger of her own; only hers was her pinky. She wrapped her elegant finger around Titus's delicate one, creating an interesting gesture of a "pinky promise"

Lust: Listen, I don't care if you waste the gift I am granting you; but for the sake of your mothers dream, make this covenant official with this gesture. 

Titus looked down at the pendant around his neck. His mothers symbol and his fathers cherished ornament. He was too young to make such a grave decision but something in his heart told him there was divine guidance within this moment. Aside from the literal divine being before him, there was always a sense of divine duty instilled in him from a young age to fill his fathers shoes. 

If his father had just been there, none of this would have happened. He wouldn't have to carry the burden of protecting his family and the coast as a whole. Fury and rage that had been building within the young mind of Titus began to surface. All those years being fed up with his mothers prayers and false promises of assurances only made him more frustrated. He was never meant to be anyone's hero or protector, the evidence was clear in the death of the only ones he cared about. Jude Viktor, the vessel warrior that lived for the worship of gods and glory among men, was no longer his beloved father. He bore the blame of his mother and sisters death.

Titus: I am not your precious vessel to be used for your glory. My father abandoned people for glory. My mother was misguided in thinking that my destiny was to replace my father as a hero protecting the coastal people from the abyssal ghouls. The real enemy that I need to protect people from are the demons above us. Promise me you will aid in toppling the peak elites through me and eventually reach my father so that I may kill him.

Lust: And If I don't? 

Titus: I'll die to the inquisitors. The one vessel that the great goddess of lust decided to ordain, decided death was more welcoming than serving her. How far would that rumor travel among the heavens? Or should I say hell? Demon of Lust. I know you are feared among men. Your counterpart: love, is the angel that men worship. So much for all the glamor you try to veil yourself with. 

Lust: You are… very well spoken for a child with eight years of age, yet so underwhelmingly childish. You blame your father for the death of your loved ones? You claim the right to his death and threaten me with yours? Ha! What a fool to think you have a grasp on deeming someone worthy of such hatred. He is up beyond the peaks and held captive within the islands. These inquisitors you so fear are like ants compared to the giants you must face to meet your father. Are you prepared to wait decades of your life for that promise to be granted?

Titus: Yes. Whatever it takes.

Lust: Such an interesting resolve you have. Fine, I'll entertain your little tantrum. Let's find out if it was worth it.