Abraxas, Abraxas

the great creator

the great destroyer

Abraxas, Abraxas

tells us the

weak are the true traitor.

The old song from your childhood ran through your head. All of the children knew the silly rhyme and often sang it on the playground. Sometimes in accompaniment to some sort of game, and sometimes to single out the traitors.

"Abraxas?" you finally asked the Piper.

He lagged slightly behind, each step looked as if it pained him. You looked up at him, his hair still sweaty and clinging to his forehead. Despite, his somewhat sickly appearance, he insisted on carrying you out of the forest to prevent anymore issues.

His odd moments of strength puzzled you. He seemed nearly oblivious to his own suffering and you couldn't help but pity this new form of the Piper.

"What about him?" the Piper asked, picking up his pace.

"That's who you're taking me to? I never thought he was real. I just thought that was some fairy tale our parents told us."

"Yes," the Piper said. "He's real. Now, come along, we must get to the Meadow before sun down."

xXx

You were surprised your wounds weren't slowing you down. Blood seeped from the wounds and onto your feet. You felt the warm liquid on your skin, but you never felt the pain of the aggravated wound. It was as if the pain had been left among the trees that inflicted it.

"Oh, your feet," the Piper said, looking back at the trail of blood among the dirt path. "Come on, let me help you."

You sat down against the trunk of a tree. The Piper lifted your right foot into his lap and began to clean off the blood and bandage the wounds around your ankles.

He was gentle not to put too much pressure on the wounds. You didn't want to tell him you couldn't feel the pain anyway.

The Piper seemed in more pain than you due to your wounds. You noticed how when he placed the wet rag to your wound he winced. It was subtle, if you had not been with the Piper for two days now, you weren't sure you would've noticed.

"You know, there's a lot of similarities with your forms," you said, smiling as the Piper looked up at you. He dropped your right foot onto the ground.

"Yeah?" he asked picking up your left foot and resting it on his thigh. You couldn't help, but notice the muscle definition you felt beneath your heel. This form was strong, much stronger than the previous forms.

"You all have things you don't want to talk about," you said. "You don't seem to talk much at all." Other than when you asked him about Abraxas, this was the first conversation you'd had with this new form of the Piper. The last form was also quiet, but this form's quiet was different. It wasn't the chilling quiet of the last Piper, but a hesitant quiet, like he was a shy little boy that didn't know how to talk to other children.

The Piper didn't answer.

xXx

You reached the Meadow just before dusk. It was just as the name suggested, a meadow. Surrounded on all four sides by the forest, the twilight sprinkled over the space causing it too look like something out of a fairy tale.

"The Meadow," the Piper said. "The first trial."

"Trial?" you asked, now looking at the meadow with hesitance.

"Abraxas requires tributes to attempt three trials, but to prove your weakness, you must fail all of them. If you manage to pass one or multiple of the trials, I'm supposed to--kill you."

You stood in shock for a moment.

"Tribute? That makes it sound like I volunteered," you said, ignoring the obviously more important information. You had no doubt you would fail whatever was thrown your way. "So, what's the first trial?"

"The meadow. It makes you relive memories."

xXx

"No!" you shouted, barreling through the crowd, attempting to get to the stage. "Taehyung! Don't do this!"

Taehyung was already on his knees, his shirt off his back and shoulders, hanging on by his forearms. He looked down at you. His eyes were soft, knowing the scenes you mind was flooding back to.

"It's all right," he said. "It's just a few lashes. I'll be okay." He attempted to comfort you, but it didn't work. It was all your fault, if only he hadn't helped you in the market that day. If only you were stronger, this wouldn't be happening. Those lashes were supposed to be yours, but he insisted on taking them.

He came and found you after he was bandaged up. He knew where you'd be. In your tree. You knew the climbing had to hurt, maybe re-opened the wounds, you knew he didn't care. But, it only made your tears fall faster.

"You need to stop helping me, Tae," you said. "I could've taken those lashes myself."

"But, you shouldn't have to! You aren't weak and I wish they would see that."

"Tae, you need to stay away from me. I'm tired of the people I care about getting hurt because of me." You hid your face from him as the tears continued to fall.

"I didn't get hurt because of you. I chose to take the lashings."

That didn't console you. You dug your face into your knees and tried to suppress your sobs, but you knew Tae heard them based on the way his fingers lightly brushed your spine.

"Stay away from me," you said, stronger this time. "Leave me alone!"

You pushed him away, causing the branch supporting the two of you to creak and shake underneath the weight.

Taehyung looked at you. His eyes wide, slightly surprised.

"Is that really what you want?"

"Yes."

"Okay," he said, beginning to climb back down the tree.

You looked down at him, paused for a moment, his eyes begging you to change your mind.

"Tae," you said. "I love you." It came out among stifled sobs.

"I love you, too."

That was the last time you saw Taehyung.

xXx

Despite the painful memory, you felt numb. Not numb in the bad way, but the pleasant way, like when its just below a comfortable temperature and your toes tingle.

You glanced over at the Piper who appeared to be in more pain than you. He was on he ground, his eyes glazed and his forehead sweaty. He was panicking like you should've been.

It was then you realized; he'd been experiencing your pain. Not purposely, as he probably would've held off on the trials otherwise. Before you could reach him, a gold light emitted from his body and he once again changed forms.

This form was taller with peach colored hair. A detail that made you smile. He opened his eyes almost immediately and smiled at you.

"You passed," he said, a chill in his voice.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Sorry, this one is a little sad, but I promise we'll get happier chapters soon.

Follow the sound of the flute~

-FarFromSuga