After a few hours of planning how to break Seth and my teammate out, my door was slammed open. I sprung up to see who had entered, and what I saw was a bit of a shock. The rocker Count Sforzando was storming towards me. He crossed the room faster than I expected and grabbed me. I was slammed against the wall with a hand around my throat. He leaned in while towering over me. He was at least five years older than me, maybe early twenties. With his other hand he pinned my hands over my head. I was working hard to not let panic take over, but that was made harder when he slammed my head into the wall.

“Now how did Aurelio get you, the One Eyed Reaper, to fight for him, or maybe you wanted to fight. To quench your bloodlust?” He spoke these words softly in my ear, but his anger was clear in each R he rolled. “You know how hard it was to find my fighter. I actually quite fancied him. However, after your fight, he will be lucky to swing a sword again, and it is your fault.”

I had enough. I waited long enough out of curiosity, but this was about to go bad. I drew my knees to my chest and kicked hard. The suden force was a shock to the Count, and he let go as he was thrown back.

“The reason for me fighting is my own, and none of your business. Now, leave before I drag you to Aurelio, and tell him you sought out and threatened his fighter behind his back.” I stood over him and glared at him. Without my mask my deadly rage was easier for the Count to see, and his face showed it as he scrambled out of my room.

As soon as I heard his footsteps disappear I deflated and covered my left eye. I had forgotten to put my eyepatch back on after the match, and I was getting a splitting headache. It was such a pain, literally, that my magic eye had heightened vision. This made it so that, unless I had something covering it, both eyes compete for dominance, and I end up with slight vertigo and a severe headache. The only thing my eye can’t see through is my eyelid, the only reprieve from seeing I have. It can even see in the dark! It was cool the first few years I had it, but it quickly got old.

I started towards the mattress in hopes to get a hold on my nausea, but my plans were cut short by a small cough at the door. I slowly turned around to see who it could possibly be this time. It was one of Aurelio’s servants.

“I am sorry to disrupt you my lady, but the party will be starting soon and Aurelio wanted me to get you ready.” I looked at the servant and tried not to snap at her. The headache was making me irritable, and I didn’t want to take it out on someone who was just doing her job. Sighing I replied in a clam, although be it strained, voice.

“I was under the impression that I was going in my fighting outfit. Is this not the case?”

“The mask is the only thing from your previous ensemble that my master wants you to wear tonight. The other articles I will dress you in shortly, but only after I get you cleaned up.” Looking down I realized I was covered in dried sweat, blood, and dirt.

“I see. If you can point me in the direction of the nearest shower, I can clean myself.”

“I am sorry, but I will have to accompany you while you bathe. It is protocol.” With that she closed the door and summoned a steel tub and a changing screen. “The water will be up shortly. Now please undress and put this towel on.”

Stepping behind the screen, I unsummoned my clothes and shivered when the air touched my now bare skin. I hope the water is at least temperate. I thought as I wrapped the towel around my body and stepped out. Luckily the tub was already filled when I started to cross the floor. All of a sudden I felt hands on my shoulders shoving me to the tub. With a quick yank my towel was taken away, and I was pushed into the tub. The water was cold, and I couldn’t help curling in on myself as most of my body heat was sucked away. However my companion had other ideas as she roughly shoved me back and started scrubbing with what felt like the roughest brush ever. It was bearable until she hit the scar over my heart. That was my death scar. The scar that killed my mortal life and started my journey as a demigod. Nearly every demigod has one, unless they died from something like drowning or heart attack, and it is the most sensitive spot on the body. Because of this, I couldn’t help the smallest of gasps when she hit it. She froze with a look of horror.

“I am so sorry my lady. Please forgive me. I didn’t know.” Her head was bowed, and she was slightly shaking. I felt bad for her, with how many scars I had crisscrossing my body, there was no way of knowing which one to avoid.

I placed my hand on her shoulder to get her attention. “It is fine, really, and no need to call me lady. You can call me Algea if you want to.” She nodded in response.

“Okay, Algea. I still need to wash your hair, can you please wet your hair, and I can get to work.” I nodded and dunked my head under water.

With her getting to work on my hair I finally had gotten used to the water and relaxed for the first time in what probably was months, but it was short-lived.

“I am done Algea. If you can rinse your hair and step out I will dry you, and we can get you dressed for tonight.” Once I was dry my helper presented the outfit Aurelio wanted me to wear. I hated it. It was an elegant long sleeved floor length blood red silk dress. I could tell that I wouldn’t be able to move freely in that thing, and I internally cringed. This was going to be a long night.