'Dearest Jason

This is possibly the last letter you shall receive. My heart runs cold at the idea of me never seeing you again but I feel this is what I am meant to do. I trust you shall excuse the hand, my hand is no doubt tired after the practise hours but tomorrow we go to war, we fight and I fight with you in my heart, my son.

I know this is the life for me and one way or another, I shall return to you but no matter how I return, know I will always love you, forever I shall love you so do not mourn me, I mean it, my son, you must not mourn me even if I lay dead. I have done all this for you and that is all you need understand, my son.

Forgive me for the pain I may have caused you but I need to do this for this is the only way I can secure your future and keep you safe.

Do not hate me for my choices; just understand that you were at the centre of all of them with your best interests in my mind at the time. I will not lose you, son, I cannot lose you but I cannot keep you by my side for I think the time has come to let the boy go and let the man grow.

Do not go to war, my son, instead refuse such disgusting, disgraceful things but instead give yourself hope, let yourself feel the happiness and warmth of a good marriage, a loving marriage. I hope you find happiness, I hope you feel happiness and smile brightly, my son. May you have children, as many as you wish and stand by your wife, able to stand by her for all of eternity and never forget me, your father who loved you enough to fight for you, to fight to help you, to keep you safe and smiling brightly.

Goodbye, my son.

Your father'

"Who is your letter to then, your wife or mistress?" Deimos asked jokingly as he left his blank sheet of paper by his side.

"Neither, it is for my son" Chronos confessed.

"Now I get it, no son should fight for his father; no father should fight for a land. If only the words of wisdom were actually followed, am I right?"

"Did not realise you were into sharing your pearls of wisdom"

"Only that which I learn from the drunkards down in the tavern, hoping they find their answers and their riches at the bottom of a flagon of wine. If only life were that simple, neither you nor I would be sat here, staring at the sky, avoiding the stench of piss from those who have the bladders of an old cow"

"You really are charming" Chronos replied with a hint of sarcasm.

"Please, I just watch the rubbish spew about how we are all equal on the battlefield, mostly because no rich man's sons are here on the battlefield, slumming it out with the rest of us. I suppose they believe their blood is too fine to spill, disgusting. We are treated like their dogs while the few richer men are treated like royalty and spoilt rotten with their little egos pandered to constantly as if they are... little children"

"Come war, we are equal, all of us bleed blood in the mud and the mud becomes soaked with the blood and the memories that shed it. I admit I do not much like the royal family; I dislike anyone who thinks they are above others because of their family's titles or their wealth. Real honour is won, won by going out there and getting your hands dirty, by throwing down the crown or the coin and picking up the sword, by marching into battle with the men you are sending and allowing yourself an equal chance to face death along with all the others. If I were a ruler, I would die a soldier alongside the men I commanded to die, at least then I avoid the guilt and disgust I would feel if I merely sat upon a fancy throne, ignoring it all"

"Then we are two, too bad that is all the king does" Deimos whispered as soldiers marched past. Their commander stopped, towering over the pair. He glared at Chronos with his horrible eyes, his terrible breath lingering by his nose. "You, take the prisoner and scout for clues, do not come back unless you have something useful to report. Is that understood?"

"That makes it sound as if we have a choice" Deimos snapped. Chronos held him back, realising it would do little good for him to fight his commanding officer, even if Chronos himself found himself unfortunately wanting to break the pig's nose, split it in half and watch him scream like a banshee but still he resisted. Deimos and Chronos were like flame and water, Deimos was the fire and Chronos was the only one who could cool him. "Come on, Deimos, we will accept the commands"

"As I said, we do not have a choice" Deimos raged, Chronos still holding him back. He grumbled a little before turning away, his eyes like burning flames. He looked into Chronos's gentle eyes and whispered "you saved his life, next time, he will not be so lucky. When I get my hands around his fat neck, I will choke the life out of him"

"That will not help, you need to cool that temper" Chronos warned.

"I do not care, I want out here, the rest... it is just good business, just what needs to be done, no more than that"

"You make a business out of killing people?"

"I do what I need to do to survive, nothing more or less than that. What I believe in is myself and what I can do, what I will do, to survive. The rest is mere irrelevance, distraction"

Chronos left the conversation there and began carrying out the commander's orders, avoiding the piles and piles of dirt around him made by his fellow soldiers. He was happy to be doing some work, not clean up duty but actual work that made him feel worth a little more than he did. He was aware of his place, he was replaceable, a pawn in a game, the ending always the same as the beginning, blood and loyalty to the country they fought under and for the king who they pledged loyalty to. It would be better for the king if he died, then his bloodline secret, the truth of his royal blood died with him for Jason was never once told the truth and Chronos made sure it was never once hinted. He did not tell his wife for that very reason, to keep her from telling their son or commanding Chronos. He did not want to lose his son to a fight, royal on royal even if the current one was nothing more than an honourless spoilt brat who stole from the people repeatedly, stole needed coins and jewellery for his own despicable pleasure.

"What are we doing here? This place is filled with shit, no men or traces of men here, just mud"

"Try the caves, you know how they enjoy playing their little... hunting games, we hunt them while they hunt us. How typical of them, how sad of them. Just watch the little idiots come out of hiding when they think they are safe... watch them break down in agony"

"You really are filled with anger"

"Anger, yes without remorse but I do not pretend to be a good man, I am who I am and what I am... there is nothing hiding who I am, what I perceive myself to be and I do not pretend there is or try to make one, I am not that stupid"

Chronos stood in silence as he looked into one of the caves but found nothing but darkness as expected, as anticipated. They used their other senses and tried to locate the soldiers. There was evidence of them, ashes from a camp and bits of bone from their food. There was no doubting their presence, if anything it was a little too obvious and yet they were in no position to question orders they were given and told to obey without question. They swore an oath, an oath they had to keep without question or be executed for the refusal, for going against the king they promised to fight for. He took the oath but whispered his son's name, fighting for his son and for his country and not for the king who wanted to grow fatter and fatter on his throne.

"What do you hear?" Chronos asked as Deimos poked his head into a cave. As Chronos looked, he noticed it, it wasn't what Deimos heard but the light he saw but still it felt too easy, far too easy... as if they were being attracted, drawn to the cave... to their deaths. "Be careful, perfect place for an ambush" Deimos warned. He crouched down, barely making a sound as he stepped in, the sound of his feet barely audible to Chronos so hopefully impossible to the men lurking in the cave if there were any. Deimos was better at tracking than Chronos was and just because of his awful mood, he did not want to push into a conversation about it just in case they alerted the enemy. They slowly walked while avoiding anything that could make a sound on the ground, puddles of water.

Deimos lit a small torch, waving it at the floor. Both of them almost gasped, horrified as their eyes and brain worked together to work out and believe what they saw, the rivers of blood so thick, so new it was a bolt of fear in the pair of them, as if the pair had been struck by lightning. "Are you sure we should continue and not report this?" Chronos asked.

"No but we are here now, I doubt we will make it back if this thing is as frightening as it seems. Do not worry, if you need someone to hold your hand and tell you everything is ok... I am not going to so grow up and stop behaving like a child"

Chronos ignored his comment and grabbed the torch off him. What had done this? It could not have been a person because that was impossible, just by looking at the blood, the amount of it... no... not possible. The walls groaned and shook violently, the pieces crashing down on and around the pair as they struggled to stay on their feet. Their escape route blocked, taken from them... were they to meet their fates in the darkness of the cave like the person or animal that had become a long flowing river of blood. Were they to meet their fate and meet death in this horrible place? Was life going to end so soon? Were they soon going to meet the fate that others, that animals and possibly humans had met and become nothing more than a river of blood and a distant memory? All he could think about was his son, Jason which seemed like the decent thing to think about, so close to his death.

To keep hope flowing in their minds, they kept walking. They were not going to go out as sitting ducks, laid there or sat there just waiting to die, no, they were going to keep walking and hopefully walk to some kind of freedom... to know the air on their face again, the smells of nature, not blood... not something's blood. Where was the monstrous animal or thing that seemed so desperate to kill? Nowhere to be seen, nowhere to be found as if it had merely vanished into thin air... completely vanished into thin air without as much as a trace. The cave grew colder and colder and yet there was a light, natural light at the end... was this it? Was this where they were headed and where they were going to finally feel their own freedom at last? Chronos stood by Deimos, watching his back as they hunted the creature, aware of the risks and the likelihood that shot their hearts like arrows. Although they were the hunters, they could also be the hunted... the prey for the creature's delight.

"Take it nice and slow, we are almost there" Deimos whispered as he pointed to the shimmery light.

"I know and I am so glad, I just need to get out of this place... I have a bad feeling about this place" Chronos confessed.

"These caves could be massive, the creature could be anywhere" Deimos whispered as a reply and a word of warning. Both of them watched each other as they drew closer and closer to the light until finally, they were there, out of the hellish place that terrified them, made the hairs on their arms stand straight up.

They climbed down the rocks and away from the place, cheering as they looked around at freedom. The full moon winked at them, the stars shone brightly and the world seemed alive again. Perhaps it was their taste of death that had in turn awakened the world, their taste of fear allowed them to feel happiness as they found their escape. Deimos threw the torch as he ran towards a lake. He threw his hands into the water senselessly, scooping water up in his hands as he tasted the waters of freedom at long last, the taste amazing, as if he had never really lived up until now.

Chronos watched Deimos dance around in the water like a little child, as if he had never before tasted freedom but Chronos could only stand and imagine what killed something in that cave, to create a stream of blood like that? It could not have been something human, that was impossible and yet he knew of no animals that could do that... that could hurt someone like that, rip into them like that. He wondered about what happened, his mind fixed on it, on disbelief, perhaps, something he could not understand or contemplate. How could an animal be so... frightening like that? It was as if it was a theatrical performance, designed to spark fear into the hearts of people, make them shiver and quiver with fear. What was happening to the world? Why was the world changing so much?

As they got back to the campsite, they ate and drank, told their tale and Chronos merely sat and wrote as he struggled still to understand it all, what was happening?

'Dearest Jason

It seems I was wrong. Although we go to war, we are sitting and waiting so it seems. I cannot help but think we are merely sitting ducks, forced to stay here and endure this test from the gods without killing each other for as long as possible.

Today it was strange, petrifying as I found myself coming as close to death as I thought possible. Perhaps I have come face to face with death and have since survived it somehow. How then have I managed to fight back and perhaps win? How then have I managed to understand who I am and what I will be if I come out of this alive? Will I be a changed or will I be lost?

Are the gods smiling at me or laughing at me? Do they have plans for me as a man or do they wish to turn me into a soldier, one that is heartless and evil, without care or conscience? Who I am I now? Am I still a man or will I become like one of the others... heartless, monstrous?

I had hoped writing this to you would bring me some kind of peace and although I feel joy, I do not feel any form of peace... just uncertainty and confusion... a darkness that clouds me, circles my head like a vulture, ready to swoop down at a moment's notice. Where am I headed now? Where will life take me? Where shall life lead me? I do not understand this; I feel as if I am being led up the garden path but led to my death. My only hope is you, is seeing you again. I want to see you smile again, see you happy and filled with life and light, not frightened of what is happening and what will happen to us. My son, I will do anything for you including this, going to meet my maker, meet my death although I am not convinced I shall be.

My son please understand, please realise why I have done this. All of this, everything I have done... all for you so you may survive even if it costs me my life, you will survive, you will thrive and be free, I know it... I know this to be the truth. Forgive me for my choices, I did them all for you so I could be there for you... to love and look after you in one form or another and that is what I will do, my son for a parent should die for their child... this way, you may never have to face war again.

I do not care what you think of me for this; know only that I love you and that I will do what I can for you even if it means fighting in your place, taking an oath to serve the king. I know you will probably not forgive me if I die but I do not see a choice. One day you will understand, one day you shall see the truth and why this has to be this way. Do not think this means I do not love you, far from it, I do but I cannot and will not lose you, my darling son, I cannot and will not sacrifice you so I may live a long life in the arms of your treacherous mother.

Your father.

Chronos'

Deimos handed Chronos a glass of water. "The rest of them get wine, slimy idiots... still we shall be the ones with clear heads tomorrow, mark my words"

"What do you think we would have faced in that cave?"

"Bears, wolves or anything... I do not know. Do not tell me you believe it was something mythical like a god damn Minotaur or something"

"No, not at all... I just wonder, that is all... just thinking"

"Well do not, last thing we need to do is spread fear now go, get some sleep... sharpen your blade and get some sleep" Deimos ordered as he lay his head down on his makeshift bed. Chronos rolled his eyes and sharpened their blades. Being a blacksmith, he was used to it, good at it... able to do it in minutes rather than hours and risk blunting the blade instead. Last thing someone wanted was a blunt, useless blade that was going to be too easy to break or was not going to cut through anything and that was the last thing Chronos, a blacksmith wanted, even if it would be a bitter taste of irony, a blacksmith dying because of a poor quality sword.

He got up before the sun rose to wake them up. He picked up his blade and walked quietly past Deimos and the others. He wanted to see what was in that cave, to see what had happened there. Were there men in there? Did the men kill someone or something to create that much blood? Was there likely to be more than one body in there, another animal or person who met the same fate? He needed to know, he needed answers that sitting and sleeping could not give him. All he needed was to look, to see, all he wanted was to look into the cave and see what he was too fearful to before. What was going to be there waiting for him on the other side? Was it something he wanted to meet or something he would be most anxious to meet? The true question was... was he going to meet death in that cave? Was he finally going to meet with death, face to face?

He marched towards it, his memory telling where it was but the pathway was unclear, strange... blocked even. He could not understand it, why was it blocked for him? What had he done wrong? Did he take a wrong turn? Did he stumble or forget? Did he get confused and walk the wrong way? As he walked closer to where his memory remembered it being, he merely saw a blocked off entry and a tiny hole in the rocks. He stood there for a few minutes, wondering how... why while getting the feeling that he was not alone

"He has returned to us" Lilith whispered as Epimethieus hid in the darkness of the cave. Sunlight threatened him as Chronos turned around.

"Now is not the time... he knows of us, he can sense us. Perhaps my dear, you were right, he is the one we are meant to take but the gods tease me for I cannot reach him... I cannot reach out and grab him and neither can you. I fear if you embrace him, he will be connected to you and not to me, I fear he shall see me, look upon me as no more than a stranger in his eyes. No, I want a son, not a grandson... a son for my bloodline so I may continue to create more of our kind"

"What shall I do, father? Give me an order and I shall follow it!" Lilith begged. He touched her hand as he whispered "lure him to us, my daughter, lure him with those gifts my blood gave you. Tempt him and help him, help me by luring him into the darkness of our trap... let us reach out to him and him to us before he feels my blood and my embrace"

"When, father? I am tired of waiting for a brother, you promised me one and I have been patient until now, now I feel as if I am being teased, I feel as if you are waiting merely to tease me. Failure after failure, your last choice and the choices before him were failures. Until recently you promised me that you would not try to make any again!"

"I know but I have hopes for this one. Did you not feel the same when you saw him? Did you not feel as I do when you saw him?"

"I did but I have not forgotten the problems we have faced"

"I know what we have faced! I have mourned every failed son and daughter! I still mourn them but I fear for this family, Lilith! I thought you would understand me, understand how I feel!"

"Those witches cursed our family and their curse made us only two. I know you hope you can break the curse but I fear it may be a cruel impossibility but I remain as hopeful as you do, father"

"I hope so" he replied before he shut his eyes. Lilith knew she knew what she had to do, even if it was going to be difficult to lure him, him on his own. Epimethieus did not like crowds, he did not want to turn crowds of men and women, just a couple... a family, a big enough family... one he could look after and teach without fear of them being taken away from him so he would be left childless and alone with no one in his life, not even his daughter, Lilith. He loved Lilith but he wanted her to have a family, not just him but a real family with brothers and a sister, people she could teach, learn from, help and get help from if she asked for it was asked for it. She was going to have a family, have friends and a family. She was lonely; unable to have friends for long, a family at all either way because of the curse she had no chances of making one. The witches were her enemies for that reason, the pain they had caused her.

She was alone because of those witches. Day after day, week after week, month after month and year after year she watched him choose more and more people to join her as brothers and sisters, each one of them showing promise and each one of them failing to survive. Some lasted minutes before their system shut down, could not handle the pain of turning. When Lilith turned, there was no pain, no screaming, convulsing and crying. Did the witches care about how her father suffered? No. He managed to turn Lilith and they hated that so they added a pinch of cruelty to their sick deal. Punishing her father with immortality was enough but to stop him from turning others when he turned Lilith and to add her into the mix, into the deal that eventually killed her ability to create her own, to make her own children one way or another. She would never have children, never adopt them either but instead live her life alone forever... never able to be a mother even as she begged the witches to undo the curse, just once lift it... allow her the one chance to be a mother... to make him a grandchild. If only he knew the truth... who was actually cursed, not just him but her too... both of them forever cursed to live alone for nothing, she did nothing wrong and was made to suffer forever.

Chronos pushed a bowl of food under Deimos's nose. "Wake up, come on"

He opened his eyes and looked up at Chronos. "It is the middle of the damn night, not our time to stay awake so what do you want and do not say nothing"

"I went back to the cave... no entrances or exits"

"You woke me up... about the damn cave?!"

"Yes about the cave, I want to see it... I want to see that monster"

Deimos rolled his eyes and finished his early breakfast. He wiped his mouth before he whispered "you are obsessed, why are you so obsessed with the bloody so-called monster? There might be an animal in there and it might have eaten our enemy and you know what? Frankly I am over the moon about that and if I see that animal, person or monster... whatever the hell that thing is... I will send it more of the enemy as a thank you and hope he wipes them out before the war has a chance to really take hold because then it will be over and I can go after serving my shit, trumped up sentence. I hate this place... this sickening, disgusting place that I have to call my sentence... either war or death, I should have taken death!"

"Well you did not so put up with it, simple! I wish I was not here but it was me or my son so I chose to drag myself to war and let him live" Chronos kicked a pile of dirt as he yelled "I WOULD RATHER DIE THAN HIM!"

Deimos rolled his eyes rudely as he walked into the forest, leaving Chronos on his own, just sitting there wondering... did he make the right choice? Did he have another choice that didn't force him to sacrifice his son, send him to slaughter? Was Chronos meant to be the sacrifice, the blood that appeased the gods who liked to witness bloodshed and make women widows or mourn for their lost families, taken by the games the gods played with the humans who they saw as nothing but pawns they could play around with, push and pull around, twist and turn until they broke and could not take any more. He was close, he felt he was close to that breaking point, there was only so many ways he could twist and turn without breaking but the gods did not care less, they just kept twisting and turning Chronos hoping he would soon break under pressure but he attempted to disappoint the damned gods by spitting in their faces as they spat in his and smashed his dreams into pieces while giving him memories of his son, the family he left behind.

He stood up and grabbed his sword. He did not know what he was going to do, where he was going to go but he still wanted to help his fellow man, Deimos. Although Deimos could be as hot-headed as a volcano, he was still a decent man who deserved to be helped when he needed it and even if he did not ask for it, Chronos guessed he needed it. How could Chronos ignore Deimos and ask him for his help when he needed it? He could not, not and feel good, feel human. He needed to help him to expect help or he would be just as bad as the gods or maybe even worse than the gods. Did Deimos fight for a reason or just because he could? Was he rebellious or evil? Was he going to get better or become worse than ever? Was he going to survive or die?

There was one thing Chronos was certain about. Life for him was never going to be the same. Without his son or his mind he was going to forever be stuck, without the life he once knew he was never going to be free from the world of war, the hatred and the bloodshed would permanently scar him and tear him to little pieces, scattering him on the floor. Was he going to know life? Was he going to feel life for once? Was he going to find peace, know peace and feel peace again without it hanging over his head, weighing him down? He felt himself drowning in the quicksand, sinking lower and lower as he tried to fight back and understand what life was going to be like... what was going to happen to him at last but his son, Jason would always know the true feeling and taste of freedom.