#theblightchronicles

[erzaguin]

The Blight Chronicles: Odalia and Alador

Confession

Word Count: 2,174

Odalia was in her room laying in bed thinking about the events of that day. She still couldn't believe it, she was finally free. Over the years she had dreamt many times about this day. Admittedly in all of the possible scenarios she had come up with none of them had included Alador scaring her parents half to death and sweeping her off her feet. She would have never imagined that the quiet boy she had come to know and love would be capable of unleashing such fury on the people that had tormented her all of her life. 

Seeing him be so passionate about her made her happy. Alador rarely showed any emotion; he was more of a man of action than anything. But tonight he hadn’t just shown how much he cared for her. He had actually said it. The thought made her feel butterflies in her stomach. 

After they had arrived home he had clung to her so tightly it was as if he was afraid she would disappear if he let go. She could still feel his embrace even though hours had already passed. Just thinking about it made her face feel warm.

"I thought you had left me too," cried Alador, still clinging to her tightly. 

His words cut right through Odalia and she couldn't hold back her own tears. She knew exactly what he meant. After Alador had told his father about befriending her he had stopped coming home altogether. Alador hadn't thought much about it then since he would still receive messages from him. It wasn't until he had sent his father a message saying they were dating that he realized his father had been slowly distancing himself from him. In response to Alador’s message he responded with his own which only had one word "good." That had been the last message Alador had received from his father over a year ago. It was as if his father had been purposely waiting for the day Alador found someone to look after him to cut all ties. 

"Alador," she started returning his hug.

"I can't lose you, I can lose everything else but not you. I don’t care if you love me or if you are just using me. I’ve always been alone and that’s how I prefer things but ever since I met you I’ve had the need to be with you. I don’t understand why but I don’t like being alone without you. Today was the first time we have been apart since we met and I hated every second of it. All I could do was think about you. I don’t know when I got this way but I just want to be able to be with you.” he whispered in a sad tone.

She knew this was incredibly difficult for him and yet she couldn’t help but smile. How could she? The boy she loved just confessed his love for her for the first time. She pulled away from him so that she could see his face. There was so much chaos in his eyes, so much uncertainty, and a bit of sadness. She placed both of her hands on his face and pulled him into a deep passionate kiss. She felt his body relax around her as he returned the kiss.  

“I love you too,” she whispered, smiling at him.

“Love?” questions Alador. 

“Yes, you just confessed your undying love for me,” teased Odalia. 

Alador considered this for a moment. Odalia could see that his mind was working overtime. Was the fact that he was in love with her such a hard concept for him to understand? Part of her couldn't help to think how cute it was that her boyfriend just realized he loved her. 

“Hmm ok,” he mumbled to himself. 

“What’s ok?” asked Odalia but quickly forgot her question when Alador pulled her face towards his into a kiss just like she had done to him. Though Alador did not stop until they were both out of breath.  

“I love you Odalia,” he said in his normal monotone voice, looking at her intently, leaving her momentarily stunned. It was at times like this that Odalia could not help but think Alador did this sort of thing on purpose. Whether he knew it or not Odalia was sure there was a part of him that loved to tease her. 

“You should get settled,”he said, letting go of her and ordering the abominations to take her things to her room. He then proceeded to follow behind them. 

“Wait…what just happened?” she mumbled to herself. Alador always had a way of surprising her and she doubted there would ever be a day where she would be able to understand how his mind worked. She could never figure out what he was thinking though she could tell that he had gotten an idea by the little glee in his eyes which made her nervous. She would have to stay on guard.

She had spent the past couple of hours unpacking and putting everything in place. Once she had finished she had taken a shower and was now just lounging on her bed. In her room. With her things. She just loved the thought of how now she had her own space. She really was free. 

Just then there was a soft knock on her door “Can I come in,” asked Alador from the other side. 

“Yes, of course, is something the matter?” answered Odalia.  

Alador poked his head into the room and asked “Are you going to sleep already?”

“Oh I hadn’t noticed how late it was,” she said looking at her watch.  “I suppose so it is time to go to bed. Why do you ask?” 

Without answering, Alador walked into the room, closing the door behind him. Odalia quickly noticed that he was wearing his pajamas and had a pillow in one hand and a blanket in the other. Without saying a word he made his way over to the other side of her bed and layed on top of the covers making himself comfortable before falling asleep. 

“Alador?” asked Odalia. For a response, all she got was a soft snoring sound coming from Alador who was now fast asleep. 

“Wait Alador, you can’t sleep here!” she said, trying to shake him awake. She knew her attempts were futile. After being together for so many years Odalia knew how heavy of a sleeper Alador was. 

“Alador wake up or I’ll be forced to go sleep on the couch,”  she groaned. 

Alador opened his eyes and turned on his side so he could look at her, “I tried going to sleep but I kept waking up thinking you were gone,” he mumbled sleepily looking at her through bloodshot eyes. 

That was not the response she had expected to hear from him. She knew that he was being honest. In all of the years that they had known each other she could not recall a single time when Alador had told a lie. Odalia let out a sigh and gave Alador a kiss on his forehead, “Fine but just for tonight,” She then got up to turn off the lights. When she settled back into bed she felt Alador take hold of her hand before his soft snoring started up again. She had to admit that it did feel nice having him there next to her. It gave her a peace of mind that she didn't know she needed. She laid on her side so that she could be facing Alador before falling asleep.  

Alador was awoken by a sound. When he opened his eyes he saw Odalia was there next to him on the bed facing away from him. They were no longer holding hands and he could see that she was shaking. He watched her for a moment as the sound continued. It was coming from her, she was talking. Alador strained his ears trying to make out what she was saying and that’s when he heard it. She was crying. 

“It’s so dark here . . . I’m sorry . . . Alador,” 

At the sound of his name Alador immediately pulled Odalia towards him and wrapped her in a hug “I’m here,” he whispered. He felt her stop shaking. She did not wake up but she had stopped crying. Alador could not help but think how small and fragile she felt in his arms. It was strange to think of Odalia that way. She was always so strong and self-sufficient. She was always the one helping him. At that moment he realized that he wanted to do the same for her however he could. 

When Odalia woke up the first thing she noticed was how dark it was. She was so used to waking up before dawn that even without an alarm her body still woke up out of habit. She was happy that she didn't have to get up at that moment because she felt so comfortable and snug. She buried her face into what she thought was her pillow. It was so nice and warm and it smelled just like Alador.

“Wait,” she thought to herself, opening her eyes for the first time. That’s when she noticed that it wasn’t her pillow that she was burying her face into but Alador’s chest. She felt her face immediately grow warm at the realization. Why was he holding her? 

“Alador,” she whispered.

In response, Alador tightened his hold on her gently and responded “It’s ok Odalia. I’m here, you're safe.” 

‘Why,” she thought to herself but it did not take her long to realize what had happend. She was prone to having night terrors but this was the first time in her life she had someone to comfort her. Alador’s words rang in her head and as she felt the tears start to roll down her face. 

Just like that, it was as if a dam had burst inside of her. No matter what she did she could not hold back her tears. She felt Alador hold her closer to him and she continued to cry into his chest. He did not say a word, he just let her cry and she was grateful for that. One of the many things she loved about Alador was that he did not ask questions, he just accepted things as they were. 

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed but they stayed like that for a long time even after she had stopped crying. She was the one to break the silence. 

“I never did thank you for coming to find me,” she whispered “If you hadn’t come for me I’m not sure what would have happened.”

“You don’t need to thank me,” he mumbled in his usual monotone voice. “I will always come find you.”

Odalia felt Alador tense up. He stayed quiet for a moment before adding “I wanted to hurt them,” he whispered “I’ve never felt so much anger before in my life. When I saw that they had hurt you . . . I wanted them dead. If they hadn’t been your parents, if you hadn’t been there to stop me, I don’t know what I would have done.”

Odalia took a moment to process his words before burying her face in his chest and holding on to him tightly “Thank you.”

 

Alador was not sure what kind of response he had expected from Odalia but he hadn’t expected a thank you for him confessing he wanted to hurt her parents. “For what?” he asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

“For loving me,” she said, still holding on to him tightly. 

Alador did not say anything in response he just held on to her a bit tighter and gave her a kiss on her head. 

“We should get out of bed soon so we can get ready for school,” she said, loosening her grip on Alador.  

In response, Alador tightened his grip on her and mumbled “we're not going to school today.”

He had already made the decision the night before that he would not allow Odalia to go to school today no matter how much she objected. He knew that she would be upset but he didn’t care, she needed a day to rest. Her having spent most of the night crying had only convinced him that this was the best course of action.

“What? No. I already missed one day of school. I am not missing another.” she fumed as she tried to wiggle her way out of his embrace. 

“Today is a rest day. We’ll go to school tonight for Grom,” he mumbled completely undisturbed by her attempts to break free.

He was used to pulling all-nighters yet today he felt a lot more tired. He assumed it was due to all the intense emotions he was not used to feeling. Staying home and sleeping in felt more and more like the right decision. 

“Alador?” questioned Odalia. The only response she received was Alador's snores. 

This week Yuki and I were on the same wavelength with Odalador so I wanted to share. I really recommend you guys checking out their art.

[erzaguin]

The Blight Chronicles: Odalia & Alador 

New series!!!

Cover art used with the permission of the very talented artists Yukifrill and Lencellychan on Twitter and Instagram

Prologue: Before They Met

Alador 

Every day started the same. He would wake up on his desk after falling asleep working on a project.  Most of the time it was still dark out so he would just continue working as soon as he woke up but every now and then he would get up and get himself some food. 

He always made sure to buy foods that did not need to be cooked and had a long shelf life. This way he could buy in bulk, not waste time cooking, plus these foods were also cheaper which meant he had more money to spend on materials. It was very efficient. 

He would spend mornings working on his projects until it was time for him to leave for school. There was a time when he would only shower when he remembered to or when he found it to be extremely necessary. So as to not waste time. This was until Principal Bump started waiting for him in the front of the school. He gave him an ultimatum he either started showering everyday or he would be forced to contact his father. The last thing Alador wanted was for his father to be involved so now he set up an alarm which worked in reminding him most days. Principal Bump found this acceptable.

Alador was an only child who lived with his father although he did not get to see him much. Due to his job he was hardly ever home and when he was home he would spend the day sleeping and the nights out. In all honesty it was hard for Alador to remember what his father looked like. If it wasn’t for one small family portrait in the living room Alador didn’t think he would be able to recognize his father when he did see him. 

It had been this way for as long as he could remember; he didn't remember his mother much and his father did not speak about her.  But it was ok he was used to being alone and he did not really miss his parents. He preferred being by himself anyway; other people were too loud and asked too many questions. He was sure his father preferred being alone too. 

His father would send him a monthly allowance so he could buy himself food and any other things he needed which Alador mainly used for buying materials for his projects. His father tried his best to make sure Alador had everything he needed while he was not around. All he asked in return was that Alador would check in with him often which he assumed was his fathers way of making sure he was still alive. 

Alador’s messages to his father were always the same “I’m ok, nothing to report '' to which his father always responded “Ok” This had been their relationship since Aladro was small and it worked for him. As long as he could work on his projects Alador did not mind much of anything. 

After school he would either go straight home to finish whatever he was working on making sure to look down to not get distracted or he would head to the market to buy new supplies. 

It was in one of his supply runs that he ran into her. The green haired girl with sapphire eyes. She looked familiar. He was sure that she must be one of his classmates although he was not sure what her name was or why she was staring at him so intently. Maybe he had done something to her without realizing it. Not that he cared, he just wanted to get the materials he needed and go home as fast as possible. 

Odalia 

Every day it was the same routine. She would wake up before dawn so she could do her chores before her parents woke up. She had to make sure to stay as quiet as possible so as to not wake them up. Especially her mother, that was one of the many things she did not tolerate and would earn Odalia punishment.  

Apart from cleaning the house and doing laundry, part of Odalia's chores included loading up the family cart with merchandise which her parents would take to sell at the market. Once that was done she would finish up whatever homework she had then get ready for school. 

Odalia was an only child which she hated. She always thought that if she had a sibling then there would be at least one person that would understand and help her. But it was just her and she had to work with what she had. 

Her family wasn't well off. Although they ran their own business her parents weren't the best with managing money. Not when it counted anyways. They would cut as many corners as possible which left them selling poor quality products at the market which they tried selling at inflated prices. At the same time most of the money they made they would spend it gambling or on apple blood. 

If it wasn’t for Odalia setting aside some money they wouldn't have much money left over for food. Her parents were not aware that she did this or that she was setting aside some money for the day she could finally run away. 

She kept that money under the floorboards located under her bed in a small chest with a hidden compartment. On top of it she kept some poems and stories she had made up in hopes that it would keep anyone that found it from looking into the box any further. 

She had to be very careful; she didn't even want to think about what her parents might do to her if they ever found that money. More importantly what her mother might do. 

Her father was a very unremarkable man. No hopes, no dreams, no ambitions. He was nothing more than an empty shell. He spent his entire life in an almost dazed state. He was always either drunk or hungover. Odalia wasn't even sure if the man realized he had a daughter. She always wondered where he had always been like this or if it was the result of being with her mother all this time. She knew that he was a weak wizard and had to drop out of Hexide. So it's possible that he had always been like this.

Her mother on the hand if there was one word to describe her it was evil. She was a selfish woman incapable of love. She saw Odalia as a means of free labor. She was nothing but a tool to be used. Odalia often felt like her mother resented her for being born. This feeling only grew as she got older. With the years she became more cruel towards her. She had started thinking it was due to her being jealous of Odalia. 

Her mother had also dropped out of Hexide because she had become pregnant with Odalia. She had never been good at school and as a witch she was mediocre at best. Odalia on the other hand was one of the top students in her class plus her magic had developed at a young age. 

She had always found joy in not being like her parents. The last thing she wanted to be was to be like them. She liked that her hair and eye color was shades off from either parent. She loved that she was a stronger witch than either of them were at her age. She could not wait for the day she would finally break free of them. Once that day came she would never look back. 

This was the reason she worked so hard at school. Why she tried getting ahead in any way that she could. Why she volunteered to tend to the family post at the market every day after school. She wanted to be better than them and distance herself as much as possible. She just needed to come across the right opportunity and not hesitate to take it.

These were her thoughts as she tended to the post after school that day. That was when she saw the boy with the wild brown hair and golden eyes. He was in her class although they had never really spoken before. Alador never really spoke to anyone. He must have sensed her staring because at that moment he looked at her and their eyes locked. 

Alador had the same bored expression he always had. Nothing was different or out of place yet when their eyes met it triggered a vision. She had been having them at random times unable to control them since her magic started to develop but she had never had one like this one. It was a clear image of what looked like an adult version of herself up on a stage. She was presenting someone it was Alador? Wait ‘the greatest abomination creator of the era?” 

“Looks like I just found my ticket out of here” she thought to herself as she continued to watch Alador who looked to be trying to get away as fast as he could. “That’s ok mark my words Alador come tomorrow I will make you mine.” 

[erzaguin]

It's been a while but holidays are over and The Blight Chronicles are back! The new chapter is up on Wattpad and Ao3. I really missed writing 🥺

[erzaguin]

The Blight Chronicles: Odalia and Alador

Gone

Word Count: 1,910

Odalia had spent most of her morning classes worrying about Alador. Even though she was sure he was fine she still had this nagging feeling in her gut that something was wrong. She kept telling herself that it was because of all the people that kept approaching her to talk about Grom and why she had missed school. It was highly unlikely that others would do the same with Alador. Even if they tried they wouldn't be able to get more than a couple of words out of him. Still that feeling in the pit of her stomach persisted. She kept trying to reassure herself that it was all in her head and that she would feel a lot better once the two met up for lunch in their usual spot. Except that Alador didn’t show up. 

She didn’t think much of it at first. It wasn’t unusual for Alador to be late but he would always turn up eventually. Today was the exception. The lunch period was almost halfway over and Alador had still not shown. This was highly unusual and it made her start to panic. What if he had another run-in with Darius or even with another student? Even though Alador was quite capable of taking care of himself at the moment he was still in a very unstable emotional state. She should know she was the same. At least she could keep a better handle on her emotions. Alador was not used to having to keep himself in check. He also ran on impulse so it was easier for him to do something without considering the consequences. She needed to find him and soon for both of their sakes. 

She immediately gathered her things and left the classroom she had been waiting at. She wasn’t sure where to begin her search since Alador never went anywhere without her. At the moment the best course of action seemed to be to find some of his classmates and check to see if maybe they knew where he had run off to. 

This had to all be in her head. Alador probably got distracted by something. A lot of the people who are going to be participating in the competition kept their projects at school. He must have found some that piqued his curiosity and that's the reason he was late. Right? 

The classroom that they spent their free time in was not far from the Abominations track hallway. It didn’t take her long to find some of Alador’s classmates but to her dismay when they saw her they asked her where he was and why he hadn’t shown up to class. Upon hearing the question Odalia felt like her heart sank to her stomach. She tried her best to hide it and continued speaking with Alador’s classmates to see if she could find a clue as to his whereabouts. During their conversation, one of the students mentioned that Alador had been sent to the principal's office during first period and never returned. That was all she needed. 

She broke away from the conversation as smoothly as possible and rushed towards the principal's office. This would not be the first time Alador had been called in the principal's office so the idea itself did not alarm her. But the fact that Alador was missing after going there was concerning. Did it have something to do with Grom? If it did then more than likely principal Bump had placed Alador in detention. If that was the case then she would make sure to give him an earful and demand Darius get thrown in instead. Alador had done nothing wrong and if anyone deserved to be punished it was Darius for being an idiot.  

By the time she had arrived at Bump’s office Odalia’s nerves had turned into a fire in her stomach and she was ready to unleash hell on the isles in defense of Alador. That was until principal Bump explained that Alador had been banned from that week's competition. 

Upon hearing that, Odalia's heart sank. She felt like the wind had been knocked out of her and she had to take a seat. It was almost as if their future had dissolved right in front of her. This was why Alador had gone missing. 

“Alador won’t get to compete?” she whispered. 

“I’m sorry I know that this is a very important competition for anyone aspiring to join the Abominations coven but I’m sure you out of all people understand why it had to be done,” responded principal Bump trying his best to sound sympathetic. 

“Why?” mumbled Odalia. 

“Well you see he did break another student's nose and…” noted principal Bump but was caught off by Odalia who’s fire had returned to her. 

“No I mean why didn't you call me too?” demanded Odalia. 

Principal Bump was a little taken aback by the question but he answered it honestly “To put it simply it was because there was no need. I understand that the two of you are very close but you were not in any trouble so there was no reason for you to be involved.”

She knew this already but she was just upset. She understood that what principal Bump had done would be better for them in the long run all things considered. He was well within his rights to have expelled Alador especially with parents threatening the school.  Yet he had instead gone out of his way to keep Alador in school and also keep his record clean which would help once he tried applying to join the Abominations coven.   

“I understand,” said Odalia, sounding defeated.  

“Come now I know things seem bad now but they will get better. You are an oracle after all if there is anyone that can see a brighter outcome it would be you,” joked Principle Bump. 

It was a poor attempt at cheering her up but it had worked. She was an oracle. She was able to find a brighter outcome for them. They didn’t need the competition to move forward; all they needed was each other.  

“Thank you, sir,” said Odalia in her most composed tone as she got up from her seat. “You are right this is just a slight bump on the road. It’s nothing we can’t handle.”

“Yeah, now that’s the spirit. I wouldn’t expect anything else from our top student.” beamed principal Bump. 

“I will be taking my leave now although if I may I would like to know the names of the families that stood up for Alador. I am well aware that had they not intervened things could have turned out a lot worse and I would like to be able to thank them properly.” requested Odalia with the sweetest smile she could muster. 

“Of course I understand, I will have my assistant compile a list for you and have it ready by the end of the week,” responded Principal Bump.   

“Thank you,” she said before exiting the room. 

She wasted no time as soon as she thought it was safe to do so she started sprinting down the hall. Now that she had a full understanding of the situation she knew where Alador was and why he was there. This was all her fault. She had put too much pressure on him. How could she have been so blind? Sure winning the competition would have been a great asset but their entire futures did not depend on it. She had pushed Alador too much and this was the consequence. 

She ran all the way home not stopping or slowing down for anything. This was the first time she had willingly skipped class and she could not say she was a fan but it was a necessary evil. Right now the most important thing was getting to Alador as soon as possible. Once she made it home she hurried up the steps and headed towards Alador’s room. She threw the door open, not surprised that he hadn't bothered to lock it, and that’s when she saw him sitting at his desk mindlessly tinkering with some abomination goo.

A flood of relief spread through her body as soon as she saw him. At that moment she thanked the titan that Alador did not know of any other places to run away to other than his room. 

"Alador!" she exclaimed breathlessly. "Thank goodness you're ok. I was so worried about you." She hurried towards him and embraced him. 

Alador did not react to her embrace but Odalia had expected this. If there was one thing that she had learned in the past few days it was that Alador felt things a lot more deeply than others. Unfortunately, it was too much for him to be able to process so he just wouldn't react at all. Her on the other hand needed to let her emotions out. 

It could have been because of the adrenaline finally wearing off but at the moment Odalia felt completely exhausted and all she wanted to do was cry. She clung on to Alador a bit tighter and did her best to hold back any tears.  She was about to apologize to Alador but he got ahead of her. 

He returned her hug and whispered, "I'm sorry I failed you."

Odalia felt stunned by his response. Failed her? She had thought that Alador had been upset about not being able to participate in the competition. It hadn't occurred to her that he would be afraid of letting her down. 

She immediately pulled away from him and placed both of her hands on his face so he would look at her. "Alador you did nothing wrong, I'm the one that failed you. I'm sorry that I placed so much pressure on you that you felt the need to hide from me," she said with an intensity in her eyes.

"You're not mad?" mumbled Alador.

"Don't be silly, I could never be mad at you. Besides the competition was a shortcut and you know what they say there are no shortcuts in life. Even if we can’t participate it doesn’t  set us back in the slightest. It just means that we will do things the right way. The more that I think about it the more silly it seems to have you skip those four years in the abominations track when they could be used to learn and possibly make valuable connections. You might even be able to do an apprenticeship which would build up your reputation in the industry if we can find you the right mentor.”

Alador noded with a hint of a smile in his eyes. He was happy to see Odalia really wasn’t mad at him and that she had already found a solution to their problem. He had been afraid that she would ask him to undo their oath so she could find someone more dependable.

“Also new rule you are not allowed to hide from me without telling me where you are ok?” demanded Odalia. 

“But then I wouldn’t be hiding,” responded Alador. 

“Exactly,” she said with a satisfied smile on her face. "Oh and now that we won’t have to spend time on the competition we can focus on graduation and what comes after.”

“Ok dear,” mumbled Alador with a small smile. He was looking forward to sitting down and going over their plans for their future together. 

[erzaguin]

The Blight Chronicles: Odalia and Alador

The Oath

Word Count: 1,331

"Is your hand ok?" Asked Odalia as they sat at the dining room table drinking tea. She had caught Alador staring at the hand he hit Darius with multiple times since they left the school. She was worried that he might have hurt it with Darius’s thick skull.  

After they had arrived home they both had gotten ready for bed but neither had been able to sleep. Even though they were tired after all the excitement from Grom. They had slept through most of the day so sleep eluded them. Odalia had suggested that maybe a cup of tea would help them relax enough to go to sleep. 

“Yeah, I didn’t feel a thing,” he mumbled, still looking at his hand. “It’s just odd how my body moved on its own.” 

“You think so? I think it’s normal besides he had it coming. Did you see the look on his face? He was so surprised,” said Odalia, smiling as she remembered Darius on the floor fuming and trying to cover his face. “It was great.”

“Normal?” asked Alador as he watched Odalia smiling. He loved seeing her smile even more so now after the previous night. He never wanted to see her hurt so much ever again.

“Of course, normal, you were defending my honor after all,” she said matter of factly with a soft smile on her face. Alador supposed that made sense. There were many things he would be willing to do for Odalia that he would never do for anyone else. At first, it was something that would confuse him but now he just accepted that this was the way things were. This is the way he wanted things to be. Just the two of them alone together forever. 

"Alador?" He was staring at her with a small smile on his face that made her blush. She still wasn't used to this side of him. There was so much warmth in his eyes. He probably didn't know that he was doing it. She wished she knew what he was thinking about but she was afraid to ask. She didn't always know how to react to his honesty.

"Alador? Can you hear me?" She asked again, still blushing at the intensity of his gaze. 

"Hmm, yes" mumbled Alador after being pulled out of his thoughts. 

"Hey…just now… what were you thinking about?" asked Odalia as she played with her now empty cup trying to avoid Alador's eyes. Curiosity got the better of her. She wanted to know what thoughts ran through his mind when he looked at her like that. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to ask.

"Us," as expected Alador did not hesitate to answer honestly. Even though it was just one word she felt her heart start to raise. 

"Oh? What about us?" she asked, trying to pretend she didn't care about the answer but she couldn't keep her hands from fidgeting. 

"I want us to always be together," he responded in a serious tone.

At that moment she felt that Alador's honesty would be the death of her. She could have sworn her heart stopped after hearing those words. She knew Alador loved her; he had just confessed the previous night but still, she wasn't ready.

"Odalia," said Alador, placing one of his hands over hers to make her stop fidgeting with the cup. She stopped but she still didn't want to look at Alador. Even now she already felt her face burning. She didn't think she could handle eye contact. 

Alador let go of her hands and from the corner of her eyes, she saw Alador make a magic circle. Curiosity caught the better of her and she couldn't help but look. She saw Alador's hand was outstretched towards her through the magic circle. 

"An everlasting oath," whispered Odalia. Part of her thought Alador was going to ask her to marry him but this went beyond that. This would bind them together for eternity. 

"Odalia, will you stay by my side forever?" asked Alador in a serious tone.

How was he so calm? He was always so confident. He never doubted himself, he just acted. But she wasn't like him. She wasn't as confident and liked thinking things through. But this was Alador. It has always been Alador. From the first time they met, she knew they would spend their life together. She could never see herself with anyone else. 

"As long as you stay by mine," she responded, placing her hand through the magic circle and holding on to Alador's hands. As soon as she did she felt a warmth run through her hand but it was gone just as soon as it had come.

"The everlasting oath is sealed," mumbled Alador with a smile on his face. "We should go to sleep now." He didn't say anything else before getting up and heading to his room. 

"Huh oh ok? Yeah it is pretty late," mumbled Odalia as she watched him walk away. Just like that Alador had already moved on from the moment. While she was left feeling like the floor had been pulled out from under her. "Together forever," she whispered to herself as she got up.

When she got to her room she threw herself on her bed and looked at the hand she had made the oath with. She could not see anything there but she thought she could still feel a warmth wrapped around her wrist. Maybe it was just in her head but still. She could not help but smile at the thought that they were bound by the most powerful magic on the boiling isles. They would be spending the rest of their lives together. 

Her attention soon went to her bedroom door which slowly creaked open. "Can I come in?" muttered Alador from the other side. 

"Is everything ok?" Asked Odalia. Now, why did this feel so familiar?

He peeked his head in enough for Odalia to be able to see his eyes. Those big golden puppy dog eyes. While the rest of his body was still concealed behind the door. She had to admit some of her cunning was starting to rub off on him. Part of her wanted to say no just to see how he would react but she could never say no to those eyes.  

She let out a sigh before letting him in. Just as the night before he went to the other side of her bed and settled in to go to sleep. 

"Alador, can I ask you something?" she said while Alador was getting comfortable. He turned to look at her and only nodded. "What are you doing?" 

"Going to sleep," he responded in his usual monotone voice. 

"If I recall correctly I thought I said you could sleep here for one night only," she stated matter of factly. 

"You also said that you would stay by my side as long as I stayed by yours," he responded. 

So it seems that Alador had learned something from her after all. She would have never imagined that Alador would ever come up with a scheme like this on his own. That's when a thought occurred to her. 

"You didn't invoke the everlasting oath just so that you could sleep here right?" Probed Odalia while raising an eyebrow.

In response, Alador closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep. Never before had Odalia seen Alador try to lie or keep something from her. She thought it was adorable though. It just goes to show how terrified he was of losing her. He had invoked an everlasting oath so that he could get some peace of mind. He wanted to make sure she would always be there. 

She had to admit that she also felt comfort knowing he would always be there by her side. She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him on his forehead "good night dear," she whispered.

[erzaguin]

This makes me think of a very specific chapter of The Blight Chronicles 😌

[erzaguin]

Awesome art by Yukifrill at Twitter and Instagram

The Blight Chronicles: Odalia and Alador

Grom

Word Count: 2,935

Alador held true to his word, he did not allow her to go to school that day. She was unable to break free of his embrace and ended up falling asleep. By the time she woke up, she assumed it was well past noon judging from the light coming in through her window. Although she could still try to catch some classes it would be pointless. She would have already missed most of them anyway. 

Alador was no longer in bed when she woke up. She must have been extremely tired if she hadn't felt him get out of bed or walk out of the room. She was normally an extremely light sleeper. A small part of her felt sad that he wasn't there when she woke up but there was also the part that was relieved. Had he been there she would have probably scolded him for making her miss school when it had obviously been the right decision. 

She owed a lot to him. If it wasn't for Alador she would probably still be trapped in that dark room. She would still be a slave to her parents. How different would her life have been if she hadn't approached Alador that day in the market? He had given her a new purpose, the prospect of a better future, but more importantly, he made her happy. She was his whole world and he was hers. Nobody else mattered. 

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden smell of something burning. She quickly hopped out of bed and headed to Alador's room. This would not be the first time one of his projects caught fire.

On her way, she saw that there was smoke coming from downstairs. "That's odd," she mumbled to herself as she headed downstairs. 

Once she reached the bottom she saw the smoke was coming from the kitchen. More specifically from a pan that Alador was holding. 

"Alador," she said as she rushed over to him to take the pan. "What happened, are you ok? 

"I'm ok," he muttered as he watched Odalia take the still smoking pan outside. 

"Is there something wrong with the abomibutler?" She asked, concerned as she walked back inside the house. There was so much smoke she had to open up some windows.

"No, I wanted to make you breakfast,” he mumbled. “you needed the rest and I know you don’t like eating the food the abomibutler made so I figured I could do it. Odalia?”

She stopped what she was doing as soon as she heard he wanted to make her breakfast. She was such an idiot. Of course, the only reason Alador would ever even try cooking would be for her. He had gone out of his way to make her something and she had yanked it away from him and taken it outside. Without saying anything she briskly walked back outside to go retrieve the pan. By the time she made it back inside it was no longer smoking. 

She took a seat at the table placing the pan in front of her. Looking at the charred contents she could not make out what it was that Alador had been trying to make. Whatever it was, she was going to eat it. She would not allow his efforts to go to waste. Without saying anything she began to eat. 

Alador just watched as Odalia dug in and ate the scrambled eggs he had made her. She ate everything in the pan and it looked like she was enjoying it. 

“What did you think?” he asked with a little glint in his eyes even though his face remained devoid of emotion. 

Odalia struggled to keep down the food. The food was so burnt that she could not make out a single ingredient that was used to make it. Though she would never say that out loud she would take it to her grave if she had to. “It was delicious,” she said, forcing a smile. 

Alador’s face lit up and that was enough to relieve some of the uneasiness in her stomach. She had eaten worse things; this was nothing. That’s what she kept telling herself. Knowing Alador he had probably spent hours trying to make her this. 

“Odalia?” 

“Yes?” she responded 

“I asked if you wanted to start getting ready for Grom?” said Alador. She stared at him confused.

“Isn’t it a bit early for that? School isn’t even out yet right?” she responded. Sure she had slept in but it couldn't possibly be that late. Could it?

“Actually classes ended about half an hour ago,” responded Alador in his usual monotone. 

Odalia looked at the clock hanging on the wall. He was right, she had slept through the entire day. 

“Grom is in a couple of hours. Why didn’t you wake me?” 

“You were very tired, I don’t think I would have been able to even if I tried,”  responded Alador. 

“You're probably right but we definitely need to start getting ready if we want to be on time,” noted Odalia. With that, the pair headed upstairs to their rooms to get ready. 

Alador finished getting ready first and waited downstairs for Odalia. He had a tailored purple suit on that Odalia had helped him pick out. He had never worn something so extravagant or uncomfortable before. The only reason he was wearing it now was due to Odalia asking him to. Also because of the way her face lit up when she saw him in it. 

He was very curious about her dress. She had made it herself and up until today, she had not allowed him to see it or even the materials he had used. When he would ask, all she would say was that she wanted it to be a surprise. 

“Alador! Are you ready?!” she shouted from upstairs. 

“Yes, did you need help?” he asked, making his way to the stairs. 

“No! Stay there, I'm coming down!” she responded, sounding excited.

Alador stayed at the bottom of the stairs looking up. He didn’t understand what was going on but he didn’t question it. A moment later Odalia appeared at the top of the stairs making Alador’s breath catch in his throat. She looked stunning. His brain stopped working for a moment; he could not process anything else but her. When she noticed him staring she smiled at him making his heart feel like it was melting. 

“Are you ready to go?” she said smiling, placing a hand on his face. She loved the way he was looking at her.  

“Huh?” responded Alador completely taken off guard by the question. “Where?” He heard Odalia let out a laugh that sounded like the most beautiful music he had ever heard.

“Come on, let's go,” she said, locking her arm in his. 

When they got outside Odalia saw an elegant carriage waiting for them. “What is this?” she whispered. 

“I call it the abomicarriage,” said Alador. Holding the door open for them was the abomibutler wearing a bowtie. Pulling the carriage was an abomination. 

“You made it?” she asked. Though she didn't have to ask, everything about the design screamed Alador. The carriage was large, closed, and the same color as an abomination. It had four wheels and a design on the body that made it look like it was abomination goo running down. If she didn't know any better she would have assumed it was made out of wood but it was hardened abomination matter.

  

“You had been working really hard on your dress, so while you were working on that I was working on the carriage. That way we would not have to walk to school and risk ruining your dress,” he muttered. 

She pulled him down towards her and kissed his cheek “have I ever told you how much I love you?” she said, grinning like a fool. She loved that beautiful brain of his. She made a dress so he made her a carriage to make sure it would not get ruined. 

“Yes?” answered Alador a bit confused but he ignored it. All that mattered is that she liked it. “Shall we go?” 

“Yes, let’s go,” she said, clinging a bit more to his arm. She was really starting to look forward to Grom.  

When they arrived on campus all eyes were on them. As they should. They were riding on the most luxurious mode of transportation on the isles. There was nothing else like it. Not to mention they were both dressed as if they were going to a party at the Emperor’s castle. Odalia liked being the center of attention and making long-lasting impressions. Even if the people here were just their classmates today they could be potential business relations in the future. She had promised Alador that she would not be speaking with other people tonight about business dealings. With how they were dressed she would not have to. When they went back to school after Grom people would be approaching her. 

When they made it inside the gymnasium people stopped and stared at them. She could not blame them on top of how they were dressed. Neither one of them had attended school that day and she had been missing for two days. Titan bless the healing coven she did not want to imagine what rumors would have spread if she had come back with the bruise on her face. People really loved their gossip. 

People started approaching them but they just kept walking past them without so much as a glance. Tonight was for them and they were going to enjoy it together. They went and found a good seat away from everyone so that they could watch this year's Grom king take on Grometheus in peace. Neither one of them knew this kid but they definitely did not envy him. 

It took a while but they were finally able to defeat Grometheus. Once the battle was over the boy was taken to the nurse's office and the celebration could finally begin. As soon as the band started playing, students flooded the dance floor. She watched as the other students laughed and danced. Alador did not like to dance, she had tried making him dance during their first Grom but he got frustrated and walked off. Part of her wished they could dance together like the other students but just being by Alador’s side was enough for her. 

“Would you like to dance with me?” whispered Alador pulling her out of her thoughts.

“What?” she asked. Did she hear him right?

Alador leaned in closer and spoke a bit louder thinking she had not heard him due to how loud the music was. “Would you like to dance with me?”

She stared at him for a moment but as always his face did not give anything away. “Of course I would love to, but you don’t dance,” she responded. 

Alador gave her a small smile before getting up and stretching his hand for her to take it. Odalia took it and let him lead her to the dance floor. Was she dreaming? Maybe she was still back in her room sleeping. That would explain everything that had happened that day. Maybe she had passed out after eating Alador’s cooking and this was some sort of hallucination. 

Alador kept on walking until they were right in the middle of the dance floor. He then turned around to face her, took her hand in his, and placed the other on the small of her back before starting to lead her in a waltz. 

“Well aren’t you full of surprises today?” she said smiling. The look Alador gave her in return made her blush. She had never seen him so happy and he was looking at her like she was the only thing in the world. His gaze was too much for her.

“Um, when did you learn how to dance?” she asked, breaking eye contact with him. 

“I learned last year. During our first Grom, you were really excited about dancing together but I couldn't then. I had wanted to surprise you last year but we were both too busy during Grom so I never found the right time to ask you for a dance.” he responded.

“You learned how to dance for me?” she said, unable to hold back a smile. “This is why you had been so insistent we come to Grom this year?” Alador only nodded in response. 

“I do have one question though, who taught you?” She was extremely curious to know who would have been capable of teaching Alador. Whoever it was must have been extremely patient.

“Do you remember Raine?” he asked. 

“You mean Eda Clawthorn's Raine? she responded to which Alador responded with a nod. “Of course I remember them, they graduated a few years ago. How did you get them to teach you?”

“I ran into them and they asked me about you and if we were still together. You always say that we should take advantage of opportunities so I asked them if they would teach me to dance and they agreed after I explained why I wanted to learn.”

That made sense if there was one person with enough patience to teach Alador how to dance it would be Raine Whispers. They were probably the only person on the isles that would be nice enough to do it for the sake of a boy trying to win over a girl. 

“They did a great job,” she said, looking deep into those beautiful eyes of his with a smile. Alador looked away but she could see he was smiling and his face had started to turn red. 

 

They spent the rest of the night dancing together. The only time they left the dance floor was because Odalia had insisted they take a picture together. She wanted something to remember this perfect night forever. The photo was beautiful, their outfits looked great and now she had something that preserved the way Alador was looking at her. There was nothing that could ruin that night. 

“Ew, you two are back? I thought you had finally done the noble thing and dropped out of school,” came an annoying voice behind them. 

“And hello to you too Darius,” responded Odalia, annoyed. Of course, he would show up to try and ruin their fun. She was surprised it had taken him so long to show up. “Don’t you have anything better to do than follow us around?”

“Follow? As if, you're the ones that stepped in front of my line of sight and assaulted my eyes with those tacky outfits. Especially that dress did you find that at a thrift shop.” he snided.

She had to admit that one did sting, she had spent so much time and energy into making that dress that hearing someone speak negatively about it hurt. She was about to respond with her own verbal attack but Alador acted first. Maybe she had let it show that Darius' comment had hurt or just because he knew how hard she had worked on the dress. Either way, she was surprised when she saw Alador punch Darius in the face. 

Darius went down and his group of friends quickly picked him up. Once he was back on his feet they were able to see he was holding his nose and with a rush of blood flooding out of it. He was huffing in rage and was about to speak when Alador moved forward towards him. Darius stopped and took a step back when he saw the look on Alador’s face. 

“You can say whatever you want about me but you can never speak badly about Odalia. Do I make myself clear?” commanded Alador in a cold tone. 

In all the years that they had known each other Alador had never responded to any of Darius' remarks. But the one time he talks bad about his girlfriend he attacks. Darius wanted to confront him but the look in Alador’s eyes stopped him. They were cold. He had never seen him like this before. He was looking at him like he was nothing more than a bug that he could easily squash.  

“Fine, but mark my words Alador you will regret this,” he stammered through the pain still holding on to his nose.  

“Ok, as long as you leave Odalia out of it I don’t care,” responded Alador, looking more like his usual self. It seems that he took Darius at his word that he would leave Odalia alone. 

Darius stormed off with his friends behind him leaving the gymnasium more than likely in the direction of the nurse's office so they could fix his nose.

“Alador, are you ok?” asked Odalia. That had been completely out of character for him. Alador was not the confrontational type. 

“My body just acted on it’s own when I saw he hurt you,” he stated while looking at the hand he had hit Darius with as if it was something foreign to him. 

She understood what he meant. Whenever anyone was nasty to Alador she could not help but get angry. Though tonight what happened with her parents was still fresh in both of their minds. That was not something you can get over in just one day. The amount of rage Alador had felt that night was still lingering. Darius just happened to pick the wrong time to pick a fight with them.

Odalia took Alador’s hand in hers and gave him a kiss on the lips before whispering “Let’s go home.”

[erzaguin]

The Blight Chronicles: Odalia and Alador

Word Count: 2,659

Ultimatum Part 2

Alador 

Alador had come to school by himself for the first time in years. Odalia had not come to his house that morning and she wasn't answering any of his messages or calls. He was afraid maybe she was angry at him but he could not figure out why. He had hoped to fix things once he saw her at school but she wasn't there.

Odalia had never missed a day of school before and now he was really starting to worry. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to leave school to go find her but what if she was just running late? Maybe her parents had needed extra help with their stall at the market? If that was the case she would get mad at him for skipping school. 

He decided to wait in school and kept hoping that she would burst through the classroom door at any moment. Or jump out of nowhere to surprise him but she didn't. He had spent the entire school day just waiting for her to appear and coming up with possible scenarios as to why she hadn't come or why she hadn't messaged him. Nothing made sense and it just made him get more and more frustrated. 

What made things worse was the people around him gossiping. Seeing him alone without Odalia was apparently a big interest for people. Normally he wouldn't even notice people talking about them but today it was incredibly difficult to ignore. He couldn't help but perk up every time someone mentioned Odalia's name and look around to see if she was there. It was exhausting. Thankfully nobody made an attempt to approach him directly to ask him about Odalia. He wasn't sure how he would have reacted to that.

Once the final bell rang he quickly dashed out of class. He wanted to waste no time getting home. Part of him hoped that Odalia was there waiting for him with a perfectly reasonable explanation of why she hadn't come to school. Unfortunately that was not the case. Once he got home the only one waiting for him was his abomibuttler who was holding a letter addressed to him. 

He took the letter from the creature feeling numb. There was nothing written on the outside, it was just a folded up piece of paper and yet a feeling of dread washed over him. His mind began to race at lightning speed trying to understand what was going on. Was this from Odalia? Was she leaving him? Why a letter? Had he done something wrong?

"Breath Alador you won't get any answers if you don't calm down," he mumbled to himself before opening the letter.

To Alador,

I am breaking up with you. I no longer wish to see you therefore I will be transferring to Glandus High where I will finish my last year of school. Don't come looking for me.

Goodbye, Odalia

Alador scrunched up the letter and threw it on the floor. He had never felt so much rage before in his life and he didn't know how to handle it. Someone had Odalia and they wanted to keep her from him. To make things worse he had wasted the entire day in school when he could have been out there looking for her. Even more, the letter felt like it was a personal insult to him. The penmanship couldn't even be compared to Odalia's yet they had expected him to believe the letter was from her. Whoever wrote it must have thought that he was an absolute idiot. Without a second thought, he turned around and ran out of the house. He was going to find her and bring her home.

Odalia 

"It's so dark here." thought Odalia into the void. 

She stayed huddled in one of the corners of the room, unable to tell how much time has passed since her mother locked her in there. She could feel the bruise on her face throbbing from where her mother had slapped her. It was the only sensation she could distinguish in the room devoid of sound and light. The room was small; it was mainly used as a storage closet for her parents' apple blood. It had no windows, no source of light, and a heavy metal door that could only be opened from the outside. She recalled how her mother had mentioned once that they had the heavy door installed when she was a toddler after an apple blood shortage caused an increase in break-ins. They did not live in the most secure area and it was a well-known fact that they always kept an ample supply at all times. Rather than focusing on securing the entire house, they went all out on a single room where their most prized possession was held.

Over time it had also become her mother’s preferred method to discipline Odalia. However, it had been years since she had been forced into the cramped room. This was also the first time her parents had removed the apple blood to put her in.  She could only assume it was their way of preparing to keep her locked in for a long time. But for how long? 

She felt hot tears start rolling down her face. She did not know what her parents' plans were and that worried her. Not for her own sake but for Aladors. What had her mother meant when she said they would never see each other again? Had she done something to him? Was the reason they took the apple blood out of the room to use it as a bribe to get someone to hurt Alador? Considering the type of people her parents referred to as friends that could be a possibility.

She didn't care about being locked up; she didn’t care about the bruise on her face. She could handle that. What she couldn't handle was the thought of Alador getting hurt. About him thinking that she had abandoned him. He had been so excited about going to Grom together and now because of her, they wouldn't get to go. They might never even see each other again and he might even be in danger. 

"I'm so sorry Alador," she mumbled as tears continued to run down her face.

Alador

He had never been here before. Odalia had always made it very clear that her family could never find out about him. There had been an incident some time back where they ran into her mother. He hadn't thought much of it but Odalia had been on edge for the weeks to come. As time went on she eventually relaxed. He didn't know exactly why they shouldn't find out about him and he never questioned it. All that mattered was that it was important to Odalia and he didn't care about meeting them anyway. The only person he cared about was her.

Now he realized that he should have paid more attention. He should have asked questions. It had never occurred to him that they might try coming between them. Nor would he have thought that they would physically take Odalia from him. After this, there was no way he was ever going to let them have her.

He approached the front door and knocked on it casually. After a few moments, a woman answered the door whom he assumed was Odalia's mother. The smell of apple blood was almost unbearable.

"Hello, I'm here for Odalia," he said in his usual stoic manner. He couldn't help but notice just how similar yet how completely different this woman was to Odalia. She was almost like a faded-out copy of her. It occurred to him that she must have been the one who wrote the letter.

"Oh you poor boy, didn't you get her letter? She wants nothing to do with you," she said with a sneer and air of arrogance that sent Alador over the edge. Nobody can say he didn't try to be civil.  

He pushed his way past the woman and into the living room. The smell of apple blood was worse here and he could see several empty bottles on the floor and furniture. Along the wall, he could see several crates filled with full bottles. A man was laying on the sofa seemingly passed out. Was that her father? This was Odalia's home? 

"Hey get out! This is my house and you are not permitted to be in here!" shouted Odalia's mother from behind him. By the way she was slurring her speech it was clear that the woman was heavily intoxicated. 

"Odalia, where are you?!" he yelled desperately wanting to find her and leave this terrible place. 

"Wake up and stop being so useless we have an intruder in the house," he heard the woman shouting but didn't pay attention. 

"Odalia!" he shouted again louder as he made his way through the house and that's when he heard it. Coming from a door that looked to be made out of some sort of metal there was a muffled bang and someone calling out his name. "Odalia," he whispered. 

Odalia

Through the darkness, she heard a familiar voice calling out her name. 

"Alador!!!" she shouted as she banged on the door. The amount of joy she felt at that moment was beyond anything she had ever experienced. 

From the other side of the door, she heard Alador's muffled shout telling her to step back. She quickly took a step back and just a brief moment later she heard the metal door being torn off its hinges. The sudden flash of light blinded her briefly. Once her eyes adjusted she saw an abomination holding the door behind it was Alador with an expression of concern on his face. 

She instinctively ran towards him and wrapped her arms around him burying her face in his chest. She had expected for him to return the hug but instead, he lifted her face so he could look at her with those cool calculating eyes. When he saw the bruise on her face his expression turned dark. She had never seen Alador so upset.

"Ala.."

"Go get your things, we're going home and we're not coming back," he said in the most gentle tone he could muster though the darkness in his eyes remained. 

Odalia placed a hand on his cheek in an attempt to comfort him even though she knew that in the current situation there was not much she could do for that. Right now he was doing everything in his power to keep himself contained for her sake. 

“I’m ok I’ll be back in a few minutes,” she whispered as she let go of him to gather her things. He proceeded to create two abominations to accompany her and help her with her things while he stayed behind. 

Alador

The abomination that had torn down the door followed him back to the living room where Odalia's father was now on his feet with his wife clearly being the one keeping him up. They both froze when they saw him enter the room. 

"You're a fool! Wake up boy she's only using you she doesn't love you!" roared the aggravated woman holding her tongue once she saw the look in Alador's eyes.

With a simple movement of his hand the abomination threw the metal door it was still holding into some stacks of apple blood crates. The action caused the woman to let out a shriek and drop her husband who was now sprawled out on the floor. She quickly ran to the shattered remains trying to salvage whatever she could.

Alador waited for the woman to stop shrieking before answering. "So what?" he said in a frigid tone.

"What?" responded the woman in an almost manic tone. 

"Whether she loves me or not is irrelevant. As long as she wants to be by my side that's all that matters." 

The woman was momentarily stunned but then let out a cackling laugh "You really are a fool! Tell me what do you plan to do?" 

"I plan to continue living my life with her by my side and I'll destroy anyone who tries to come between us" answered Alador with a cool glare. 

The blood drained from the woman’s face and she fell silent at the young man's words and burning gaze. Something about him made her believe that he wasn't making idle threats. If she were to make a move against him now he would not hesitate in killing her. 

"From this moment on you never had a daughter. You will stay away from us. If I ever see either one of you again I swear…"

"Daughter, what daughter? I've never had children," started the woman.'' You'll never see us again." 

Just then Odalia came into the living room with the two abominations carrying suitcases. The first thing she noticed was the metal door that had crushed the crates of apple blood. She then noticed her father laying on the floor while her mother, who looked petrified, was locked eyes with Alador. 

"Look! Look! The girl is here! She has her things now leave!" pleaded Odalia’s mother.  

Alador felt the rage in him start to boil over again but was brought down by Odalia who had taken his hand. He looked into her eyes and saw that there was sadness there. All he wanted to do was tear these people apart but he had to remember these were still her parents. 

"Understand one thing from this moment on every breath you take is thanks to her," stated Alador as he side glanced at the woman who had become as white as a ghost. 

Without another word, Alador ordered the abominations out of the house. While he walked out still holding on to Odalia's hand. 

Odalia

Odalia took one final look at her parents. Her father passed out drunk on the floor. Then her mother who before seemed like an untouchable monster was now nothing more than a terrified ghostly shell. She felt like she should say something but nothing came to mind. She felt no attachment to them. If anything she felt guilty about the joy she felt at seeing them in such a pitiful state and even more so thinking that she would never have to come back here.  

Once they were outside Alador lifted her up and carried her in his arms. She tried protesting but Alador was so deadly serious she decided against it. Instead, she let herself sink into his warmth and let it wash away that terrible day. Still, she could not help but think what an odd sight they must be. A young man carrying a seemingly sleeping girl followed by abominations holding suitcases. At the very least it was dark out so there would not be many people outside staring at them. 

Alador didn't put her down until they arrived home and were inside. Once he did he just stood there for a few moments not saying anything. Odalia assumed he must be mad at her. She had never really shared that part of her life with him before and for him to have had to find out like this must have been an immense shock. She couldn't bear the thought of looking into his eyes and seeing that same furry they held back at her house but she had to make things right. She gathered all of her courage and stared into his eyes to apologize but as soon as she did she felt a tear fall on her face. He was crying.

"Alador," she was caught off by him wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her neck as he proceeded to sob. She immediately felt her face start to burn hot.

"I was so scared I thought I had lost you," he said, taking her by surprise.