The Coming From the Shadows Series
Coming From the Shadows: Lydia
Warning Notice: The Following Content contains content not suitable for a younger audience; this content is for +18 – Sexual and Violent Content is present within this Story
Content Updated as of 29.06.2025
Previous Instalments:
- T.I.C: The Crete Disaster – Surviving the Imperium: Morgan’s Escape and Redemption
- Coming From the Shadows T.I.C: Aftermath – Dreadnought and Betrayal: The War Against the Imperium
- Thomas’ Love – Santorini Secrets: Passion and Pain in 1911
- The Imperium Chronicles: The Scars of Crete – The Rise and Fall of the Cult of the Minotaur in Crete
- T.I.C: The Dying Flame – The Dying Flame: A Tale of the Imperium
- T.I.C: William’s War – The Rise of William Smythe: A Dreadnought’s Fury
Coming From the Shadows
The Dark Chronicles:
The Reaper’s Return
Background:
For the first 15 Years of Lydia’s life, she found herself born into the controlling environment of the Cult of the Minotaur; born on December the 21st of 1890 as the second twin of Cathryn Langdon, the older twin; Elizabeth ‘Smythe’ born on December the 20th of 1890 hour before Lydia.
The Cult of the Minotaur, led by its Sadistic Leader; George Smythe, was a controlling and evil man – a man with power provided by both his position and his families Business Empire, Cathryn, who at the time of a forced marriage following George’s manipulation of Cathryn’s infatuation had at one time been raised as an Anti-Imperium ‘Hunter’ – even used by George to ensure his rise to power within the Imperium which acted as the unifying voice of the Cultists for their shared goal of finding their Ancient Celestial Master sealed away within an Ancient Prison.
Cathryn Langdon – she had found herself orphaned and adopted by a caring and loving woman named Anne, George’s cousin; but was left at the mercy of George while Anne was unaware of his true intentions; Cathryn through her 10-Year Marriage would suffer horribly as George sought to turn her into a domestic slave, suffering mental, physical, psychological and sexual violence – experiencing a miscarriage only months before she would become pregnant a second time with her twin daughters.
December 1890 marked the change – with the birth of Elizabeth and Lydia, Cathryn felt a rebirth of her need to reconnect to her heritage.
While Elizabeth Smythe would grow to be the ‘Loyal Daughter’ – adopting her father’s cruelty and malic, taking pleasure in the brutal education they would experience; Lydia retained her mother’s moral compass, her first 10-Years of life was nothing short of a nightmare, her mental scars from forced observation of animal torture and death to the torturing of men and women would leave Lydia screaming at night into the silence of the Smythe’s Family manor hallways without anyone to comfort, her mother Cathryn unable to intervene – in 1900, Cathryn would be forcibly removed from the Estate leaving Lydia with no source of warmth or comfort.
Between 1900 and 1905 Lydia struggled to survive, forcing herself to adapt to emotional suppression, learning to move within the darkness to remain unseen and learning the basics of self-defence, but always retained the care and compassion she inherited from her mother – making her a symbol of weakness to her older twin sister and much older half-brother; William.
In 1905 William would break from his father completely during a meeting William would overhear George’s intention to use Lydia as a sacrificial lamb for slaughter; despite holding no true love for his sister, the very idea George could kill his own children broke his already strained loyalties, it led to William’s rebellion.
The destruction of the Smythe Estate soon followed; William barely survived a confrontation with his father, managed to burn down the Manor and escape, leaving an opening for Lydia to also escape.
After escaping the burning of the manor, Lydia would travel alone to London, reuniting with herm mother in a heart-warming reunion.
Though peace wouldn’t last; Cathryn and Lydia would be forced to escape to France after an attack by Cultists, then, escaping through France to Spain were Cathryn would connect to her old allies.
In Spain; Lydia would willingly begin training under her mother and an enigmatic figure simply known as ‘The Monk’ – Lydia would learn to move unseen amongst crowds, strengthen her emotional control, learn to fight with a blend of Eastern and Western fighting styles, from pressure-point fighting to joint-locking; Lydia moved from the ‘Timid Child’ to a Weapon.
Between 1905 to 1907 Lydia would continue learning; never missing a chance to add more knowledge to her skills; learning Italian in 1906 due to the inclusion of the orphaned Norina Fiorito who became Lydia’s adopted younger sibling after Cathryn and Lydia rescued her from a Cultist attack on the Fiorito Vineyard, learned Serbian from the Serbian Ex-Soldier; Damir, adopted various words and phrases from the Manchu National from the Great Qing; a man named; Xian – demonstrating an ever-growing desire to learn.
In 1907 though the group consisting of; Cathryn, her daughter; Lydia, adopted daughter; Norina, along with the Serbian Ex-Soldier; Damir alongside the Manchu; Xian and the mysterious ‘Monk’ would have an encounter with a British Regiment led by Wilson – the soldiers finding themselves caught in the middle of a trap set up by Cathryn’s group, Lydia’s intervention allowed them to get through without harm.
This encounter though led to Lydia’s first interaction with Thomas Davidson – though because of her upbringing, and knowledge of how the Imperium has influenced King’s and Queen’s throughout history, and their so often use of manipulation of Armies to their advantage; Lydia distrusted Thomas, who had taken a liking to Lydia.
It wouldn’t be until 1908 in Egypt that their relationship would begin to ease after Thomas rescued her following her encounter with Elizabeth after a hostile reunion between the sisters.
Thomas, along with his Kenyan-born comrade of the British army a man named; Miquel would join Cathryn’s group, Thomas becoming an ever-constant companion even for a short-duration initially, parting ways after Elizabeth found herself being easily cast-aside by her father now joined her sister and mother.
The twin-sisters found themselves learning to work together as they missioned together in Australia; Elizabeth would at one stage rescue Lydia, and Lydia would repay that rescue by saving Elizabeth from a vengeful Japanese woman.
In 1909 the group would retreat from Australia to Siam where the Imperium continued to hunt them, leading to an ambush that would break the group apart sending them into flight; here, Lydia would be captured by a British Cultist named; Albert who revealed her father’s intention to forcefully marry her to him – during her transportation from Siam to Burma, a French Cultist attack would lead to Lydia falling and nearly drowning in a river, but would be rescued by Thomas – marking the real shift between them, Lydia would witness Thomas’ fight on her behalf against Albert, and later would promise to join Lydia at the end of her time in Burma.
Later in 1909; Lydia would encounter Albert again who would attempt to physically dominate and try to assault her; though she would defend herself and escape, later killing Albert with her Jian Sword.
In 1910 it would see Thomas’ officially joining Lydia alongside the Kenyan; Miquel adding Military experiences to Cathryn’s group, providing even more to their arsenal – it was this period that began the development of Lydia’s relationship with Thomas who remained a constant companion by her side.
Though in 1911; Cathryn’s group would make an attempt to stop George from accessing an Ancient Temple in Crete, but would be ambushed by William Smythe who would use his connections to use a bombardment of the area and leading to the supposed death of Cathryn Langdon.
With the group broken; Lydia would flee to Santorini with Thomas following to ensure her safety.
Introduction:
The 24th of December, 1911 A.D.
The Island of Thera (Santorini)
Seeking to escape what happened as Lydia’s emotional walls come crumbling down, despite the years of mastering her emotional exterior, the supposed death of her mother broke it; flipping back and forth between various different emotional states from being calm to an instant rage; Thomas remained a calming presence, having followed but maintained a respective distance, ensuring her safety – their stopping at an ancient ruin would begin the shift.
During Lydia’s outbursts; Thomas manoeuvred carefully, chose his words with caution – Lydia would reveal she can hear voices whispering all the time to her, then impulsively, she kissed Thomas, taking him by surprise, but he would kiss her back, the action would lead to Lydia’s first sexual interaction her inexperience leaving Thomas to take the lead.
By the end of the interaction, Lydia desperately clung to Thomas until she finally requested she be put down, Thomas supporting her and guiding her down to the ground to let her fall asleep against him.
Chapter 1:
The 25th of December, 1911 A.D.
The Island of Thera (Santorini)
By the time Lydia began to stir it was dark – she found herself in the same position she had previously fallen asleep in, still curled up close to Thomas, is arms gently holding her close, offering her that sense of safety, it had worked; she felt comfortable, safe – the last time she had felt so safe and protected was in the presence of her mother when she had been a scared youngster, it made her somewhat sad as he mind returned to the events at Crete, William’s act of betrayal.
Being much smaller than Thomas, she felt pretty well against him in a loving embrace; her Long Raven-Dark hair cascaded about her back and shoulders, her fringe falling across the front of her face, partially obscuring her usually deceptively-angelic features, her Silvery-Grey eyes usually sharp, were still filed with the shroud of pain, the memories fresh.
Though, a new sensation started to draw her back into the present situation; the throbbing pains within her body, reminding her of her recent physical interaction; her first sexual encounter – her eyes drifted downwards, she had liked it, but, now something else was beginning to finally process, what she little education on the subject she had been given made her suddenly aware of what she may have done as her eyes drifted towards her stomach; at the same time, she was beginning to feel confusion bubbling up, more questions ‘Should she want this?’ or ‘What if it is a mistake’
“I know what you’re thinking Lydia” Thomas’ voice whispered
Lydia tilted her head a little; she maintained contact with her, her head resting against his shoulder, she looked towards his face – his eyes were closed “Really?” she said, her tone disbelieving, a frown present on her face
“Yeah” he answered simply “First…, don’t be scared about the possibility, if it has happened, we’ll cross that bridge if it comes to it; second, your not sure about your feelings, your confused about whether you should be wanting this” he said – he kept his eyes closed as he remained stationary, he had no intention of moving unless Lydia wanted too
A loo of surprised formed on Lydia’s face “Wait…, how?” she questioned, her surprised voice clear with confusion raising her tone a pitch higher; How did he know?
“I’ve spent a lot of time trying to work you out, to understand you, I never made my promise ignorantly, I promised to be there, to protect you, to care for you; I intend to keep it, I knew exactly what I was getting into when I made my promise, and I will never abandon you” he tells her, opening his eyes finally to look at her “When I said earlier; ‘I Love You’ did you think it was a spur of the moment, or, do you believe me?” slowly, he moved his left hand upwards, gently stroking his fingers against her cheek “Because I really do love you”
As he looked into her eyes, he could see she was processing things, processing his question; the subtle changes were visible in her face – it indicated just how much she was thinking.
She was silent for quite a while, the silence stretched as she simply stared, her face softening, and within that moment – the usual, remorseless killer exterior she always had, the person everyone else would normally see, disappeared entirely, just an innocent looking young woman; there was a subtle tremble present as she stared at him “I don’t want to do this anymore” she whispered
He watched her carefully; there was a brief second he thought she was referring to them, but there was something else to her tone, he kept watching her – their eyes locked.
“I want to live a normal life; I don’t want to keep doing all this” she told him, her bottom lip trembling as she took in a deep breath “I don’t want to go back; but…” she hesitated
“Your scared?” Thomas said gently “I made a promise to you; I intend to keep it, tell me what is scaring you and I will put that at ease right here and now”
“How do I know you wont end up like everyone else?” she kept looking into his eyes “What if…, what if what you said earlier, I don’t need to worry; what if I do…, what if…”
“Lydia” he said softly “I love you; I mean that, I really love you; I have spent so long trying to learn everything I could, and if you discovered you had become pregnant from our actions last night; I would not abandon you, I would marry you; I would do the right and proper thing, provided that is what you would want, I know how independent you are, and I will not undermine that”
Lydia thought carefully, she didn’t see any hints of deception; he was telling the truth, slowly, she nodded “I want to be with you; I want to live normally”
Nodding his head “Okay” he said “Then we’ll go back to Britain, we’ll find somewhere and settle” he thought for a moment “I’ll find us a place to live, I know I can ask my family for help once we return to Britain”
It took a moment longer then he finally let go as she began trying to move, though it was obvious she was have some difficulty as he also stood up, raising his eyebrow a moment he waited – knowing how determined she would be to try moving without help until it was obvious she couldn’t.
Her expressions made it clear how uncomfortable she was; all of the new sensations she had experience leaving a painful aftereffect “This is going to be difficult” she commented as she took in a deep breath
“Here” Thomas said with a smile, kneeling down in front of her “I’ll be easier if you just let me carry you Lydia” he says softly as he positioned himself in front of her “Besides, you still look tired” he added; Lydia looked at him with reddening cheeks, her embarrassment obvious in her expression as she quickly glanced about to make sure they wasn’t being watched before leaning over onto his back and putting her arms around his neck.
As Thomas stood upwards again, she hung onto him, feeling him lifting her legs up beneath his arms to support her against his back
“I am not sure about this” she said quietly; clearly uncertain, she believed it was going a little too far
“You’ll be fine” Thomas said with a light chuckle
“You’re just doing this because you find it funny” she said, her tone somewhat irritated
“Maybe” he replied whimsically; he then began to walk, they had a long walk ahead before they would even reach the nearest town; from there, they could travel by ship to England.
Chapter 2:
The 4th of January, 1912 A.D.
Lancaster, England
Since leaving Santorini for England; Thomas remained a constant calming presence for Lydia while she continued to struggle emotionally, and when finally arriving to his family home in Lancaster, Thomas introduced Lydia to his family – Kattie Davidson immediately welcomed Lydia with open arms, excited to meet the young woman that her son had fallen for, though she was unaware just how overwhelming her presence had become to Lydia.
Lydia’s lack of interactions with someone as friendly and warm as Kattie just overwhelmed her – Lydia was just not able to process things fast enough, making conversations awkward, Kattie simply put it down to Lydia being shy.
In an attempt to try and ease things, Thomas quietly pulled his mother aside, making her aware Lydia had lost both parents recently, skilling over details regarding the Imperium and the Anti-Cultist’s, providing a little lie to simply get a little space for Lydia to adjust “The poor girl” Kattie commented
“Just…, be a little less…, you” he said with a slight chuckle; Kattie narrowed her eyes before hitting him on the shoulder
Lydia would also encounter Thomas’ siblings; his sister Nealie and two brothers; Josiah and Charles, the interactions led to a lot of questions being thrown at her, particularly the Jian Sword – across her body, strapped from her left shoulder, a bag hung down against her right hip, tied to it was her treasured Jian Sword; a gift provided by her Mentor ‘The Monk’ – Thomas’ sister quickly declared how much she liked Lydia when her brother made an appearance.
Though Thomas’ younger brother; Charles just simply overwhelmed Lydia with hundreds of different questions, her expressions made it painfully obvious she wasn’t sure how to respond to most of them.
Thomas’ father though; Solomon – he was mostly quiet during the first encounter with Lydia, he merely observed how she reacted and responded, most of her responses typically strained as she displayed difficulties, the initial period of time Thomas and Lydia spent living amongst Thomas’ family, Lydia would seek out solitude at a nearby park.
During one of those trips, she encountered Solomon sat on a bench feeding ducks, tilting her head, Lydia slowly approached, her movements quiet as she got closer “Hello Lydia” he said without looking towards her, surprising her
“Hello Mister Davidson” she replied; her tone uncertain as she watched him, her eyes drifting towards the ducks he was feeding
“Sit down love” he smiled, finally glancing towards her a moment “You look awkward just standing like that” Lydia fidgeted a moment before planting herself down on the edge of the bench, a silence settling between them was she simply watched the ducks, she was enjoying the quiet; Solomon noticed and smiled, finally finishing with feeding them he leaned back and looked upwards “It can be difficult in an environment you aren’t use too” he said
Lydia looked towards him, slowly nodding her head “Yeah” she added quietly
“You’re doing well though; despite how overwhelmed you’ve been getting” he smiled, a slight chuckle escaping his lips “But I know there is more to you than what Thomas is telling us; so does Kattie” he tells her, his eyes drifting towards her carefully; Lydia felt a surge of panic as she looked towards him
“What.., do you mean?” she queried, her tone laced with concern
“When we look at you; on the surface you look as innocent as any young woman, but, looking into your eyes, they tell a far different tory” he tells her “Like they’ve bore witness to things.., things that Thomas has seen, that you are no stranger to death” he watches her carefully
“Uh…” Lydia was unsure how to respond, wondering if he was hinting towards something, making her worried he did not want her near Thomas “I…”
“You’re jacket also has that Serbian Royal Crest” he said, gesturing towards her – the Serbian crest present on the lapel of her worn jacket “You don’t sound Serbian though; you blend various accents when speaking with Thomas, sounds more rough; but, when speaking with myself or Kattie, or even Thomas’ siblings, you sound more…, refined…, posh even” he said slowly
An awkward silence seemed to settle between them; Solomon though, again looked towards her carefully “Thomas loves you; but do you really love him?” he questioned; watching her expression carefully, the look change in expression was immediate – Lydia looked as though she had been insulted, that was enough; he knew exactly what her answer was going to be solely from her expression
“Of course I love him” she said honestly; her voice trembling “You can question anything about me if you want, but that…, that question…, don’t; there is no lie there, nothing to misinterpret; I feel things I have never felt before when it comes to Thomas” Solomon simply smiled at her in response
The 26th of January, 1912 A.D.
The Smythe Estate, Mouth of the River Thames
To the south of the country; Elizabeth Smythe – had been at the old Estate, due to the lack of family seeking to reclaim it in the wake of George Smythe’s death, Elizabeth had had no opposition, Elizabeth was the polar opposite to her younger twin – where Lydia closely resembled their mother, with dark hair and silver-eyes; Elizabeth looked much more like the female version of their father – Elizabeth’s long Blonde Hair elegantly styled, maintaining a ‘prim and proper’ appearance and those eyes; icy-blue, like glacial ice.
Elizabeth presented herself as she also had done; with ain air of authority, employing the same tactics to display power that she had grown up learning from her father when she had been the ‘Loyal’ daughter of the sadistic Cult Leader – even now as she took up her mothers Anti-Cultist stance, the methods provided Elizabeth with a presence that would benefit her and her intended goals.
Since he return to the Estate; she has wasted little time in searching the various ledgers and documents to gain insights into the Cult of the Minotaur’s operations that her father had been running, though with his death, she suspected many of them would have fractured, and many more are more than likely seeking to branch out into independence from the previously constrained approach her father would have had them follow.
The long-time, loyal butler; ‘Jacob’ had now become Elizabeth’s best support, while she focused on her new fight, Jacob ensured the Estate was free of the Cultists influence.
Chapter 3:
Lancaster, England
As time progressed; Thomas finally found a small home that he and Lydia could move into, with some support from his parents – Thomas acquired the house to move into, while its space was limiting, it provided them something to call their own.
Lydia; she fell in love with it very quickly; being able to finally call somewhere home, and with Thomas; she felt as though she could finally have her own life.
Life would quickly settle into a normal routine that Lydia loved; discovering a skill for cooking, Lydia found something she would usually go overboard with when experimenting various different recipes, usually making far too much, at a suggestion by Thomas; she began providing the extra meals to young children at a shelter not that far from where they lived – small payments where given to her as a thank you, though Lydia simply enjoyed her new hobby and seeing children happy was all the more of a reward.
As interactions with neighbours became more common; Lydia observed couples carefully, taking notice of behaviours that to her was very alien; aware of his male-dominant society was, to observe it became a struggle for her at times, often being a voice that other men found frightening, some commenting on her similarities to the ever growing suffrage movement – though Lydia’s often fiery spirit also encourage other women to adopt some of her fiery temperament.
During one evening though; she found Thomas sat near the window reading a book, thinking, she slowly approached him, behind her back, she held her journal; coming to a stop in front of Thomas, he lowered the book and raised an eyebrow “Are you okay Lydia?” he queries, a tone of concern present
She hesitated a moment before raising her left hand, gesturing ‘two’ with her fingers, Thomas simply rose his eyebrow with some confusion “First; Do…, you want me to be more like that…”
Thomas just stared, clearly confused at what she was asking “I need a bit more clarification” he chuckled
“Like…, how those other women are with their partners…, do you want me to be like them?; I have overheard some of those men comment about things, questioning how you keep ‘control’ when I am so ‘fiery’ and how you need to put your foot down” she watches him carefully
“Lydia” he began closing his book; leaning forwards, reaching his left, he gently pulled Lydia towards him until she moved onto his lap, settling comfortably “I want you to be you; I don’t care if your ‘fiery’ and ‘boisterous’ as some have described you; okay, you can be very vocal”
He thought for a moment “Besides, you’re not exactly use to what everyone else considers to be ‘normal’ society; you’ve come from a background of violence, being on the run and so often have been fighting to survive; I love you because you are you, your not apologetic for being who you are, and I respect your independence”
Lydia listened carefully before bringing her journal in front of her and looking at it then towards Thomas gesturing it towards him; with a raised eyebrow, Thomas looked towards it then back to her face, locking eyes with her.
“Lydia?” Thomas tilted his head very slightly to the left
“It has been…, my safe place for so very long…, I have written in it since I was a little girl…” he told him softly her eyes drifting down to the journal then back towards Thomas “I’ll.., let you read it”
Thomas thought for a moment; smiling he shook his head “And it will remain your safe space” his lips gently curved up to a warm smile
Lydia simply smiled softly at him “Can I ask about you then?” she queried gently; Thomas just smiled, but gestured for her to ask “Why did you decide to join the army”
“Ah…” he smile widening “I wanted to be a hero” he said simply “Lied about my age, signed up when I was Fifteen, got sent to South Africa with Wilson’s Regiment; I joined with really poor timing, Wilson’s regiment was being sent to South Africa to fight against the South African Republic and the Free State, came to quickly regret my decision when I found myself in an active warzone” he thought for a moment, getting a distant look for a moment “Was horrible to experience”
Lydia remained quiet as Thomas described things he had witnessed, before telling her about other situations he found himself in during her service, including the reason behind being in India in 1907 at the time of the initial meeting when encountering her in the Himalayan mountains – smiling as he reminded her of how much she distrusted him, Lydia also smiling in response.
A few days later; Lydia would have an encounter with a jealous ex-fiancée of Thomas while attending a pub with him and his family; raising her eyebrow, Lydia was more less surprised by the hostility, not really understanding it – though when she proceeded to slap Lydia, Lydia herself looked more bewildered by the outcome, essentially sitting quietly even when more slaps landed against her face until she finally decided to respond.
It turned into a brief struggle when one of Thomas’ brothers held her wrists back in an attempt to stop her from getting into a fight allowing Thomas’ ex to continue slapping her util Lydia finally yanked herself free and responded with a single blow that knocked the woman to the ground.
Though all happiness and normal living would eventually meet its end, unaware of Lydia’s presence within Lancaster; a disorganised and scrambling group of Cultists arrived into the historic town – with the Cult of the Minotaur fractured by their leader; George Smythe’s death.
Arriving into Lancaster, a man by the name of Walter Parlow, looked to see the bustling activity of the town centre, people moved to-and-fro with purpose – Walter, in his long black coat, swept through the street, he held an unsettling smile that sent shivers down the spines of those that encountered him.
While there in those bustling streets, there could be the odd bit of trouble here and there, like anywhere; but Walter’s arrival felt different, something far more sinister followed him.
As he wandered; Walter’s eyes fixed on a group of youths across the street from him, hanging about at a café, they were clearly bored by their expressions; most likely unemployed and eagerly looking for some kind of excitement in life – Walter would provide them that opportunity.
With suave char, he approached them “Hello there friends” he greeted “Would you like to hear a proposal; to join something bigger than you could ever imagine, to have a future and earn a fortune beyond anything anywhere else can offer you?” his voice was smooth; inviting
One young lad; barely past his twenties looked towards Walter with a curious expression; his name was Harper, he was the sort of lad craving adventure, and this offer sparked his interest “What do ya mean mate?” he asked, his tone intrigued
Moving to sit down with them; he looked at the group carefully “I can show you something that can change your lives; something powerful and influential; play your cards right lads, and you can own this town, make Lancaster yours, turn it into something greater…, or worse; depending on what you would want, but, we would need to gather more like-minded individuals” Walter said with a grin
The group already taken in by Walter’s smooth voice, and the offer which no one else seemed to provide; the prospect of having a say or turning Lancaster into something they would want, having control; it was quite the proposition, they all looked to one another carefully questioningly – only one lad refused to join whatever it was Walter was offering, a young lad named; Vernie – he knew of people in Lancaster that would certainly not take kindly to potential trouble, one woman in particular sprang to mind, one he had encountered during a break-in attempt he had made – Lydia Langdon.
While Vernie would leave the group; the rest went along with what Walter offered – providing him exactly what he needed; a Starting point, a position to begin growing the Cultist influence in Lancaster, and once they found a place to set up shop, it would begin.
Chapter 4:
The 2nd of February, 1912 A.D.
The Lodging House, South of Heraklion
Since December the 18th; Cathryn who had nearly been killed by her Step-Son’s actions during the bombardment, an event that had sent Lydia in a mental breakdown after the perceived death of Cathryn – Cathryn had in fact, survived and since her narrow-escape from death, had been slowly recovering at the Lodging house that she had been brought to by Morgan Mason.
Morgan Mason had originally encountered Cathryn in 1909 in Lombardy; where he had rescued Cathryn from a Cultist ambush, but, due to her beauty; he had immediately become smitten by her, even despite the 10-Year age gap between them; Morgan at 28 and Cathryn at 39 – unfortunately, Morgan reverted back to his own Cultist upbringing, being raised within the American ‘Brothers and Sisters of Liberty’ he had been raised with a typical Imperium-orientated education, and attempted to turn Cathryn into passive-dependency, if it had not been for Lydia, Cathryn would have more than likely succumbed due to her previous 10-Years of Domestic-Slavery to George Smythe.
In the intervening years of 1909 to 1911; Morgan had found himself imprisoned within a French-Controlled Imperium Prison, enduring two years of torture; but, his fascination and genuine care for Cathryn remained present; and upon encountering her at her most vulnerable, he rescued her – since then, their relationship has slowly been rebuilt, with Morgan’s changed behaviour evident in how he treats her with respect.
Now, as Cathryn’s injured shoulder was on the mend, and the bond firmly on an equal footing, with Morgan’s continued promises to help her track down her daughters; Cathryn finds him in the small living space of the Lodging house, approaching quietly, she eased herself down beside him looking at what he had been working on – Morgan shifted his attention briefly and smiled before gesturing “I met a Kenyan coming by the other day” he told her “He made mention of the events in the mountains back in December, I am assuming he was present when you was believed to have died, I decided it would be best not to say anything, I wasn’t sure if he would be a threat or not”
“A Kenyan; was his name Miquel?” Cathryn queried
Slowly, Morgan nodded “Yeah; I believe so, his accent was a little hard to understand” he leaned back a moment crossing his arms as he looked at Cathryn
“He’s a British soldier that joined my group; did…, he say anything about why he came back here?” she asked
“No; he simply said about needing to scout the area before returning to meet with someone; he didn’t say much more than that” Morgan thought carefully “He was on his own though”
“Hmm” Cathryn thought “I suspect the group may have broken apart, I know Lydia would have been quite heavily impacted by it; I need to track her down, I need to…” she paused a moment, gently rubbing her stomach as she winced; drawing Morgan’s full attention
“Are you okay?” he queried, his tone concerned
“Just feel sickly” she told him, taking a deep breath in she shifted her attention back to the paperwork scattered on the table “I need to find Lydia and Norina first, they will have been effected most strongly at my supposed death, Elizabeth…, as much as it saddens me, will more than likely just move on without much care” there was a saddened expression present as she said it
“I promised to help you find them; I will do just that” he said, a gentle smile curving his lips “I will see if I can track that Kenyan again, what was his name…, you said ‘Miquel’ right?”
Cathryn nodded as she looked at him “I shall see if he is still scouting about the mountain, do you want me to make mention of you?” he asked her
“If you find him, yes; let him know I am alive” Cathryn thought carefully “Though I really should be the one going to find him”
“It’s entirely up to you Cathryn; if your unwell though, wouldn’t it be a better idea to rest?” he raise’s his eyebrow, wanting to avoid appearing to be controlling her, he knew there was still hesitancy about their developing relationship, and he wasn’t wanting to risk ruining things
Cathryn could see in his expression he wasn’t sure how to suggest things without coming across as sounding controlling; she simply smiled at him, he had already proven himself over and over again; the trust, while fragile, was there “I’ll rest” she said softly; leaning forwards to kiss him “I trust you” she told him – Morgan smiled in response
Lancaster, England
With a place to set up; Walter formally inducted his first Lancastrian recruits into the Cult of the Minotaur, and with the arrival Jack; a Cultist that had, alongside his brother, become the ‘right-hand’ of George Smythe arrived; Walter introduced his recruits to jack.
Jack, heavily scarred and radiated aura of intimidation; his experiences including the events at Crete – was a dangerous ma; and with the changes currently underway within the Cult of the Minotaur and with the Imperium cracking down now that George Smythe was dead; the elected leader of the Imperium; Victor, had begun to exercise his unrestricted power for the first time – such things had caused alarm, if Walter hadn’t have been organising in Lancaster, Jack would have already joined his brother in New York, now though, he opted to remain behind.
Jack now intended to travel at a later date to New York, only after though; he had finished in helping Walter and his recruits.
When Jack was finally pleased with Walter’s progress; and crime had begun to rise, spreading across Lancaster, the Cultists began attracting more unemployed youths to their banner; and to the surprise of many of the lads, the Cult showed little hesitation in recruiting older and younger women, despite usual societal norma – the Cult, following the usual practise of the Imperium looked for talent regardless of the gender of the individual.
It was simply gender though; the Cultist’s also sought out people ostracised due to personal choices, fostering a space, regardless of the crimes they were committing where men and women intermingled, regardless of same-sex relationships that also began to become visible amongst the Cultist ranks.
Due to the nature of the Cultists; it attracted attention from those seeking safety or a place to fit in, a place offering a means to survive.
When the first murders began it tested the loyalties of their recruits and also sent a shockwave across Lancaster.
Chapter 5:
The 20th of February, 1912 A.D.
Attending the shelter as usual; Lydia, this time accompanied by Thomas as he helps her bring in meals she had prepared, navigate their way through the doorway and down along the hallways; though as they made their way further in they happened upon someone threatening the owner of the building “Oi!” she snapped immediately “There are children in here!”
Glancing towards Lydia; the young lad raised his eyebrow, he looked almost bewildered by her decision to snap at him, his eyes flicking momentarily to Thomas before back to Lydia “Keep out of it” he shouted, adding a derogatory comment while telling her to get back to a kitchen – the comments immediately infuriating Lydia, Thomas, knowing she wanted to do something, but with her hands full, he decided to respond for her – moving forwards, Lydia shifting her gaze with some surprise
“Oi; care to repeat that mate?” he questioned, his tone confrontational – the younger lad, turning back to look at Thomas felt a sudden surge of unease; Thomas, being much taller and physically more intimidating that the younger lad and his leaner frame, he knew Thomas would be able to back up his tone with violence if he wanted, it indicated clearly that he would not be capable of fighting a fight “Apologies to my partner” he ordered
Despite the difference; the youth decided to take the risk; drawing a knife, he swung out quickly and as fast as he could towards Thomas; surprising him and causing Thomas to jerk back, at the same time throwing his hand out instinctively to grab the lad along the wrist – with a sudden twist as he turned, he forced the younger lad to lock his arm as he followed Thomas’ movement until he was down to his knee’s dropping the knife “What the hell is wrong with you!” Thomas snapped
Lydia watched carefully – Thomas simply applied more pressure until the younger lad submitted desperately needing his arm to be released; he started shouting, begging to be let go; slowly, Thomas relented bringing the ad up before shoving him back against the wall and pinning him by the throat, gesturing back towards Lydia “Apologies; now” he instructed
Having little choice; the younger lad would do so, being kept in place until an officer was eventually brought in; while Thomas kept the lad restrained, Lydia, handed out food and interacted with the children, keeping them distracted until Thomas came up to her, looking at him, she tilted her head carefully before smiling softly at him “What?” Thomas said with a smile
“I just find you marvellous” she said with a smile “I am thankful you didn’t just give up when I wasn’t exactly nice to you”
Gently hugging her he maintained a smile “Eh…, I never give up easily”
It wouldn’t take long for word to reach Jack and Walter about what had happened in the shelter, sparking curiosity for Jack – at the same time, Thomas and Lydia would also discover the youth’s connection to the Cultists, the news of their presence greatly upsetting her – having hoped to escape that part of her life and had been enjoying living life as normal for once, but once again; it would be disrupted.
It wouldn’t be much longer after that word reach Elizabeth – but more specifically, she had now discovered her sister was closer than she realised, setting off from the Smythe Estate; Elizabeth travelled to the north, finding her sister for the first time since Lydia had vanished in Crete following their mother’s supposed death, tracking down her sister’s home, she approached and began banging her fist against the door.
When Lydia opened the door, she looked at her older twin with surprise “What the hell are you doing?” Elizabeth snapped
“Trying to live a normal life” Lydia answered simply; watching Elizabeth carefully
“We can’t!” Elizabeth snapped again; her voice rising “Once your part of this life, you can’t escape it, it just follows you!” she states firmly
“I don’t want to live like this anymore!” Lydia snapped back
“Grow up Lydia!; we aren’t like…., ‘these people’…., you can’t escape, you know that, the Cultists are here right now in Lan…” Elizabeth paused, noticing something in Lydias expression “But you knew that already”
“I am not getting involved in this again” Lydia told her sister; though she sounded defeated
“Who will stop them?” Elizabeth questioned “These servile little people don’t even know that the Imperium and it’s Cultists exist” Elizabeth hisses angrily “Wherever the Imperium goes, their poison spreads”
“I have had enough Elizabeth; I am tired of all this” Lydia simply looked broken, Elizabeth could see it
“Fine” Elizabeth said, shaking her head “I will continue our mothers legacy, keep her mission alive while you sit in solitude and watch as people around you die, you can return to your roots as the wea and timid child you use to be; a failure” Elizabeth spat, her expression of disgust simply made Lydia feel worse, when Elizabeth left; Lydia stood quietly at the door for a moment before finally retreating inside and closing the door.
Chapter 6:
Later into the evening; Thomas would return to find Lydia sat in a chair in silence – he could see she was upset about something, he approached slowly, easing down beside the chair and looking at her carefully “Lydia?”
She raised her head; looking at him carefully, she didn’t speak immediately, just stared quietly before finally telling him about her sister’s visit; how their interaction had gone, as she looked away, she went quiet for a moment before beginning to ask him if she had failed her mother – Elizabeth’s words had stung painfully, cut deeper than even Elizabeth had realised, Lydia questioned if she is anything but a disappointment.
“No” he told her simply – Lydia shifted her attention towards him, then he got an idea, tracing his fingers lightly against her face, he made a suggestion that could perhaps honour her mother while also maintaining the life she wanted
“We let more in” he said carefully “We build up our own support system, trusted individuals, we can build something, organise against these Cultists” he told her “You mother wanted to stop them, right?; when we met, you only had a small group, what if we took that idea, and built on it, build a movement” Thomas suggested
“But…, it’s been attempted before” she answered, looking towards him “My mum told me about how my Grandmother and Grandfather fled a farmland East of here, it was once a safe haven for a group of people calling themselves ‘The Hunters’ the Imperium destroyed them”
“So…, we learn from their mistakes” he says “And I know where we can start” he said, Lydia raised her eyebrow a moment, a look of confusion present “Wilson and my old regiment; we’ve been willing to support you and your mum in the past, we did so without hesitation, true; the Imperium may very well have influence over Kings and Queens, but, remember, it is possible that those kinds of people of power may also want to strike back; how else would your older brother have gained access to a Dreadnought”
Lydia thought carefully for a moment then slowly nodded.
After further discussion the two would move from their living room to the kitchen, Lydia beginning to prepare a meal that they would be able to enjoy together in the small kitchen – the overall mood had once again become happier, Lydia once again smiling, and as time ticked away and the evening drew later – Thomas finished with clearing and cleaning the table.
Moving over, he approached Lydia from behind as she too finished with cleaning the plates and cutlery, putting his hands onto her hips he leaned in and gently kissed along her neck – instinctively she tilted her head, a smile forming as she partially closed her eyes, she felt a strange warmth build up as she felt him kissing along her neck and as he eased her away from the sink, she felt that strange vulnerability resurfacing again – she still wasn’t quite use to it, but there was also something different.
Moving from the kitchen to their bedroom; she looked at Thomas as he leaned into kiss her; she felt his lips against hers, they felt warm, soft – her eyes closed as she reached her arms up and around his neck, she pushed herself upwards onto the tips of her toes, a slight giggle escaping her lips.
Like how most of their intimate moments go; Lydia gives way for Thomas’ more experienced control in the moment as he eased her back towards the bed, their clothing some coming away before finding themselves intertwined in a passionate dance of love.
The bed creaked against the movement as Lydia laid back, Thomas coming above her – she simply smiled
All Thomas could see before him was unparallelled beauty; Lydia was just a vision of sensuality, her dark hair cascading around her shoulder framing her delicate features; once would never suspect her of being so capable of dealing in death; those silvery-grey eyes drew him in – they had a desire that was growing, she was simply fixated upon Thomas – her partner, in this dance of passion, her lips, full and inviting, they curved into a seductive smile as she felt Thomas’ hands roam her body, his touch was like electric, sending waves of pleasure through her.
As Thomas’ hands explored her body, he did notice some differences present from previous encounters – tracing the curves of her waist, the swell of the breasts and softness of her thighs; his fingers found her most sensitive areas which would elicit gasps of pleasure from Lydia; again, it was more so than usual, once again, his lips found hers in a deep and passionate kiss, tongues danced in rhythm that mirrored their lovemaking.
Bodies moved in sync; their lovemaking a symphony of sighs and moans, they loved every minute of their interaction, Lydia was not as idle as normal either; she would explore Thomas’ body, tracing the lines of his muscle, the curves of his hips, she would find scars; tracing her fingers carefully along them, taking mental notes – the darkness of their room mostly hid their bodies though from one another, reliance came from touch and feeling – she wasn’t able to focus for long though, in fact, there wasn’t anything she could focus on once she felt Thomas penetrate; the sensations simply made her mind go blank.
Lydia’s body tensed up; her breath hitching – he’d entered much easier than previous encounters, and she could feel the building of pleasure; it felt like a wave that was about to crash over her, she let out a cry, surrendering to the sensation as she clung to him, Thomas could feel her body shaking as she found release.
Following the climax of their lovemaking; they simply led their in the afterglow, Thomas shifting his eyes as he could make her face out in the dim light, smiling at her, all he could think was how beautiful she looked as she led their – Lydia, found it difficult to keep herself awake as she stared towards Thomas, gently stroking her fingers against his face, when she finally did succumb to the drowsiness that followed their lovemaking, Thomas shifted his position slowly and with great care – Lydia’s movement seemed by instinct even in sleep as she positioned against him, Thomas smiled as he fell asleep beside her, her head now resting against his shoulder.
Away from the passions and love between Thomas and Lydia; Jack and Walter had finalised a plan that Jack believed would ensure the Cult of the Minotaur’s grip over Lancaster would be secure, and would also ensure Lydia would be deal with.
Because or urgent demands though, Jack was required to leave Lancaster to begin travelling down south, he wouldn’t be able to delay much longer, he needed to get to London and begin arranging for his planned trip to New York.
Chapter 7:
Walter now needing to get things in motion begins getting to work; sending out his new recruits, crimes beginning to rise; from simple muggings to burglary and an increase in murder; it didn’t matter, the goal was to create as much fear and panic as possible – the Imperium thrived upon chaos, and there was no better way than destabilising the peaceful lives of ordinary people.
The 28th of February, 1912 A.D.
On the morning of the 28th; Thomas and Lydia found themselves being visited by Kattie – in a panic she revealed that Solomon had been attacked during the night, that a doctor who had visited was not certain if he would survive his injuries, and she wanted Thomas at the house in the event Solomon passed away.
This news nearly sank Thomas’ world, but he still had hope present; nothing was actually confirmed and there was still that chance everything would turn out fine – Thomas and Lydia would accompany Kattie back to the Davidson house, upon getting a look at Solomon, Lydia recognised how much violence Solomon had suffered, and upon learning who had attacked him; it sent a wave of guilt crashing over her – she had brought this onto Thomas’ family.
While most of their visits Lydia would remain present, she simply felt more and more guilty; during moments she would sit alone, she began putting blame onto herself, telling herself it was her fault, during one of those visits; Thomas’ sister would find her sat alone out in the front of the house, head hung low clearly lost in deep though “Lydia?” Nealie she asked softly; it drew Lydia’s attention up and towards her
“Hm?” Lydia murmured softly “Yes Nealie?”
“Are you okay?” she queried softly; sensing some distress ; Lydia just nodded quicky, though the look in her eyes said otherwise “He’ll survive; my dad is a strong man, the doctor is wrong”
Lydia thought carefully and again nodded slowly – awhile longer though, while Thomas’ attention was preoccupied, Lydia just continued feeling a sense of shame and guilt; she slipped away, Nealie however, noticing and observing as she left – deciding to tell Thomas.
Lydia returned back to their own home; sitting in the small kitchen, her head resting in her hands as she let everything go through her head; she went over everything, her childhood, her escape when William had burned down the manor, the training she endured, the events in Crete, Elizabeth’s words and now; Solomon’s current state – a dark expression formed on her face, her eyes narrowed, straightening up, her eyes drifted around her kitchen; collecting various glass jars she deliberately smashed them – then left the kitchen, going to her and Thomas’ bedroom she began going through her belongings – pulling out her old bag and her Jian sword.
The Jian sword was her most prized possession; drawing it from its scabbard she looked at the blade carefully before sliding it back in and getting back up to her feet emptying the contents of the bag onto her bed; various tools ranging from throwing knives to tools for picking locks, old glass bottles and water skins, medical supplies – her journal and, the strange little puzzle box that had been a constant companion since 1905 when she had originally escaped her father’s Estate – it had no clear signs of how to open it, but, an eerie whispering subtly began as it fell out onto the bed.
Narrowing her eyes, she listened to the strange and subtle whispering before checking everything else; once she was satisfied everything she needed was there; she put everything back into the bag, then took it all downstairs – in the kitchen she began scanning around a moment – searching; then, her eyes landed onto were eggs had been placed.
She thought carefully; they would be fragile enough for what she needed, even if they wasn’t same type she was accustom too; poking holes carefully through the shell, she spent some time emptying the contents, then her eyes drifted to the broken glass scattered about, placing the emptied shells aside, she moved.
Collecting the shards scattered about, ignoring the small cuts she got as she did so; she brought it all to the table; using a Pestle and Mortar she began to grind the glass, she spent a considerable amount of time heavily focused on what she was doing – so heavily focused, she never even realised Thomas had returned and was watching her.
By the time she was done; it looked much like a fine powder, though it glinted in the light, she was careful as she began to fill the shells before fixing the hole to keep the new contents secure – then, she finally noticed him as she stood up “Here” he said, holding a revolver out towards her “I know what your intending to do”
Lydia hesitated a moment.
“I would rather go with you though; keep you safe” he told her “You’re not to blame for what happened to my father Lydia; and if you think I would let you go alone, you’ve another thing coming, we’re and we should work together”
“But.., you need to be there for your dad” Lydia said softly
“Indeed I do; but, you need me as well; my dad will survive, you going after the Cultists alone, not knowing what you’re up against, if something happened to you, I wouldn’t ever get over that, if I lost you, I don’t know what I would do Lydia”
Lydia slowly nodded; the two would set off together and they went in search of the Cultists and where they had set up, it wouldn’t take them long to track them down either; they had since stopped hiding the presence, a growing confidence had emboldened them.
Observing; Lydia and Thomas quietly made plans on what to do, though Lydia suggested just going for a straight approach, Thomas, while confused simply nodded – hearing movement though, Lydia twisted sharply, pulling a throwing knife free from inside of her jacket – it was sheer luck that it would miss its mark, striking the wooden beam inches away from her sisters throat.
Elizabeth simply froze in place; her eyes drifting down to the wooden beam she was about to duck under when the knife had struck it – had it not been there, it certainly would have killed her “Do you not bloody check first?” Elizabeth hissed
“You snuck up on us!” Lydia quietly snapped back “What did you think I was going to do; why are you here anyway?”
“Because, I have been trying to deal with this issue while you was living in you imaginative little world” Elizabeth said sourly, irritatingly Lydia greatly, as Elizabeth drew closer, her expression softened “Sorry” Elizabeth said after a moment, kneeling down with her sister and Thomas, she could see the pain in Lydia’s expression
“For what?” Lydia question; her attention shifting back to observe the Cultists – she watched the younger recruits carefully with some clearly more hardened Cultists going about their routines within and around the warehouse; they simply needed to be careful gaining entry, normally, Lydia could have relied on the darkness, but that would be an issue in broad daylight
“I know how much you hate this life” she said; Thomas shifting his attention towards Elizabeth a moment “I know you want to live normally Lydia; and all respect to this man, but…” she paused a moment, looking to Lydia carefully “Mother tried to escape this life; she couldn’t, she was drawn back in, just like your being drawn back in right now”
“Yes…, well; Thomas has given me an idea” Lydia said; looking towards her sister before standing up, to the surprise of both Elizabeth and Thomas, Lydia started moving; walking directly towards the warehouse openly
“What are you doing!” Elizabeth snapped
“We’re wasting time” Lydia answered; purposely drawing attention, Lydia approached a rather large man standing in the way of the door leading inside the warehouse, unlike the younger recruits that were baffled by Lydia’s approach, the more experienced Cultists immediately recognised her
“Oh…, this isn’t going to go well” Elizabeth comments, her eyes drifting to Thomas
“Come on..” Thomas said; moving to follow
As Lydia finally reached the Cultists in front of the door; she already had her hand within her jacket, the large burly man came forwards to halt her – gripping the fragile shell within her hand, she felt it pop, pulling her hand free from her jacket she threw her hand out, spreading the powdery substance of crushed glass as the wind helped propel it forwards.
Chapter 8:
The Large Cultist standing in front of the door felt something hitting his eyes – the pain each time he blinked simply making it worse, the sensation was just overwhelming, like tiny scrapes against the inside of his eyes, he started to scream out painfully, frantically rubbing his eyes and unfortunately, making things worse – crimson simply oozed from his eyes, the younger recruits simply looked at the scene unfolding and were left horrified, not understanding what Lydia had just done – the larger Cultist simply clawed desperately at his eyes, his screams of pain rippling.
Lydia, moving her hand across to the Jian Sword tied to her back, wrapped her fingers around the hilt and drew it; the blade cutting through the air with a sharp ‘whisp’ as she made a quick and sudden spinning motion, before thrusting it on an angle upwards – spearing the larger man at the base of his throat, it silenced him instantly, shifting her eyes to the younger cultist – there was a darkness in her eyes as she felt her anger bubbling – she hated what she was doing, what she had been raised to become, and now, being drawn back into it simply infuriated her, the look of rage she possessed simply terrified the youngster into running away.
Lydia pulled her sword back as she quicky repositioned; the heavy thudding of a body hitting the ground soon following, Thomas moved up behind her, glancing towards Lydia carefully before following her inside the building – Elizabeth though, she stood stock still a moment, she knew her sister was angry, but she was now wondering just how much anger was bubbling up to the surface – she quickly set off to follow Lydia and Thomas.
Inside the warehouse; people had already heard the pained screams from the man at the door, and as Lydia entered, making her presence known inside the narrow corridors, some made attempts to grab at her as she just walked determinedly to find the one in control – whenever attempts to grab her were made, she or Thomas responded quickly.
Lydia switched from her sword; returning it to its sheath to a knife – using it in a reverse-grip as she reacted to anyone trying to grab at her, her movements were fast; fluid and graceful, Thomas, he used brute strength when getting into a fight.
While Lydia was pursing a more violent approach – her attacks were not always aimed to kill, she recognised that the younger recruits present would have just been innocent youths easily swayed by a promise of adventure, they lacked experience and Lydia had no desire to kill those that didn’t understand what it was they had gotten into.
Eventually Elizabeth caught up to Lydia and Thomas and quickly stopped them “Your going to go round in circles at this rate; we need to go up to the main office” Elizabeth suggested “Walter is the one in charge of this operation, and he doesn’t normally like to put himself out if he had people to do his bidding”
Lydia looked at her sister carefully “I am doing this on purpose; I am trying to get people to run on purpose, to get them to abandon this”
“Your partner there can do that surely” Elizabeth gestured to Thomas; Thomas simply raised his eyebrow
“We could all just go” Thomas looked at Elizabeth with a little confusion
“He might be more likely to underestimate if it is just me and Lydia that go and confront him; you should get these younger fools out of here, instead of keeping my sister safe” Elizabeth said as she looked towards Thomas
After a little more back and forth; they finally came to an agreement, Thomas trusting in Lydia more than Elizabeth; the twins simply going up to find Walter in the offer while Thomas continued to deal with the younger Cultist recruits “The Smythe Twins” Walter greets when the two entered his office “You two have come directly to me, saves me a lot f effort in having to track you down”
“I don’t use my father’s name” Lydia shot, her tone irritated “I use my mother’s surname ‘Langdon” she tells him coldly
“But that is who you are Lydia; a Smythe; the daughter of George” he said leaning forwards against his desk
“No; it isn’t!” she snapped – Elizabeth though, she was looking for something else entirely, she cared little for the back and forth over a surname; she already understood her sister hated their father, she however was much more interested in gathering information, and from what she could see, there was plenty present in that very office – she more or less ignored the whole exchange.
Lydia had also stopped paying attention to what Walter was saying, her eyes drifting towards the small window behind Walter; she could see the warehouse’s shop floor out below, and it didn’t look like there was anything out past that window, meaning it would possibly be a sheer drop from their current position “Lydia!” she heard Elizabeth shout before feeling something shoving her with the sound of a loud bang going off
Lydia found herself crashing into a cabinet, her hand punching through the glass panes in the middle of its wooden frame causing her to wince as it cut deeply along her hand, she then shifted to look over at Elizabeth nursing an injury on her shoulder – her eyes then drifted to see Walter holding a revolver towards her, slowly she raised her hands “Come here Lydia” Walter said with a grin “Let me get a better look at you, I have never had a chance to really see you up close before”
Raising her eyebrow, she slowly approached – her hands raised above her head as she reached his desk, he seemed to be taking her in entirely, it clearly distracted him “Uh,,,”
“You are a proper beauty are ya” he comments “It’s a shame I am going to be killing you”
“Must you really look at me like that; it is rather uncomfortable” she told him, her tone irritated
Walter went quiet for a moment; his eyes wandering towards her chest, he simply stared causing Lydia to raise her eyebrow “You know…, I could be convinced you let you live” he commented slyly
“Oi; eyes are up here” she snapped, Walter raised his eyes upwards to meet her gaze, a rather sick smile present on his face
“I am the one in control here Lydia” he tells her “I don’t need to threaten you with this revolver, I could simply overpower you; you know that right?”
“We can test that if you want too” Lydia said; locking her eyes onto his, her eyes narrowed – she kept her hands raised, she just needed him to put the gun down
“Challenge accepted” Walter said with a chuckle; he was much larger than Lydia, physically, he knew he could overpower her, and she that as well – she had to really rely on everything she had been taught over the years if he was to get a hold of her, it would more than likely lead to a desperate struggle on her part; but, she preferred those odds to him keeping the revolver in is hand – as soon as he put the revolver down, Lydia shifted her body quickly, catching his attention as he raised his eyebrow
The very moment his hand had withdrawn from the revolver; Lydia kicked her foot against the desk, causing it to slide forwards towards him and forcing Walter backwards into a stumble; as he did, she moved her hand into her jacket, withdrawing one of the fragile egg shells and breaking it purposely in her hand just like earlier as Walter adjusted his position she had already thrown her hand forwards, releasing the powdery substance into his face – Walter felt the sensation of pain in his eyes as he his shot up to his face.
In a frantic effort; Walter was beginning to rub his eyes in desperation – Lydia, now shifting her position drew her Jian sword free and made a sudden thrusting movement towards him.
Barely getting just enough vision into his left eye, he saw her movement and barely had a chance to react, his hands moved frantically from his face and tried to grab the sword to stop it striking his throat, the blade sliced directly through his palm, barely managing to stop the deadly strike “You’ll regret that!” he shouted in a rage surging forwards and forcing Lydia to back up quickly, yanking her sword back and away from him, cutting two of his fingers off in the process and causing Walter to scream out painfully – but in his rage, charged at Lydia.
Chapter 9:
It was a moment of pure adrenaline as Walter rushed at Lydia – Lydia’s eyes widened as he suddenly surged forwards upon her, barely giving her any room to manoeuvre, in a panic, she managed to stab her sword through his chest as he rushed her, as she crashed backwards through the doorway with a charging Walter knocking her off her feet, she let out a scream as she went tumbling backwards down a flight of stairs, crashing back against each step as she fell.
By the end of the it all; she found herself laying at the bottom of the stairs staring upwards, barely conscious as she felt something wet against the back of her head, her breaths short but painful as he body just ached from the experience of falling down the stairs, slowly, she shifted at last, forcing herself to move as Thomas came rushing over towards her, kneeling down and stopping her from trying to get up “Wait; wait…, do not move” he told her
Lydia remained still as she felt Thomas beginning to check her over; slowly though he picked her up as Elizabeth finally joined them – Elizabeth would collect Lydia’s sword, before following Thomas as he carried Lydia away from the scene as she found herself in a state between consciousness and unconsciousness – not even really acknowledging anything until much later when Thomas had already tended to her injuries.
Around Mid-March though, Elizabeth would once again return to visit her sister and Thomas – the three sitting in the Small living room of the house.
It had become a more of a regular occurrence for Elizabeth to visit, though this visit in particular was different, during this meeting between the siblings, Elizabeth requested Lydia’s help in dealing with Bartholomew and Jack.
Though after her recent actions, Lydia had become hesitant – as of late, she had begun growing more fatigued – her body had begun to feel somewhat heavier, she had begun putting it down to her injuries, then there was the slight nausea and a shift in her eating habit – she felt more vulnerable than before.
Elizabeth didn’t relent though; she simply saw a need to encourage her sister to rejoin the fight, pointing out the suggestion she claimed Thomas had made, then adding her own, claiming that the three of them could build something new, follow in their mothers footsteps – Lydia though decided she wanted Thomas’ opinion first before deciding anything. Something Elizabeth found to be unusual.
A plan would be made though for them to travel to New York, though something would change forcing Thomas to have to remain behind when the eventual trip would come around.
During one evening though, despite an increasing feeling of illness and ever growing sense of vulnerability; Lydia would leave the house with Thomas, seeking fresh air – together, Thomas and Lydia would find themselves wandering the forest together, unknown to Lydia, he had purposely picked out a place to go, a place Lydia had so often described to him as a place she loved; a spot along the river.
When they eventually came to a stop, Lydia felt a sense of emotion bubbling, threatening to overwhelm her as they sat down on a log, the water seemed to sparkle with an orange glow from the setting sun, the sounds of chirping birds as they sang in the trees.
He looked at Lydia carefully – he could sense her emotions bubbling. But, she also seemed content with their little venture out into the woods, she was clearly happy, though Lydia had noticed him watching her a lot, looking towards him, she smiled and he simply smiled in return before reaching into his pocket retrieving something “Lydia” he said warmly “Will you do me a great honour and marry me?” he asked, shifting his position as he knelt down in front of her, producing the ring he had kept hidden until now
Lydia simply stared in stunned silence – her eyes wider than normal, she was clearly processing what was happening, but at the same time, completely confused; when it finally flicked, she smiled, nodding her head “Yes” she whispered
At the back of her mind though, a darkness had been reawakened, even in this moment of happiness, the inability to escape the Imperium was all to clear, her Sister had unfortunately dragged er back into the life and the Reaper’s shadow loomed larger even in Lydia’s happiest moment.
Written By: Westley H.
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