VERMILLION: The fall of Zaleon

Chapter 15

Keron found himself living an extraordinary life for the next few years of his life. The murders, the deception, the lack of love and a leadership that he really didn’t contribute much too. It was all too overwhelming for the man who, with time, had gotten used to the grim way of life he had been thrown into. His nightly mating sessions with his terrible wife had landed them with a son: Liem Vermoca, after which he spent the majority of his time looking after his child as a distraction from his insane wife. 

Though even then Josita had refused to leave the man in peace, and chose to raise her child in anger and hate, the way she had been raised. Despite not having enjoyed it, there really was not much choice in the matter, and she brought up her heir in the harsh manner that had turned him into the freak he turned out to be. Training started at the age of 8 -like his mother’s- and had ended never. She would force the man to transform as a little boy even though it would physically hurt him to do so, and would sit him down in front of a fire for hours on edge, forcing him to look at it when she had initially discovered his fear of fire. 

Her husband had watched from the sidelines. He had not uttered a word in fear of getting hurt himself, and though he often felt bad for his own son there was nothing he could do to change anything. It would hurt him to watch, though his fear beat any other feeling in the world. Liem had noticed the lack of contribution his father had upon his upbringing, and had automatically assumed that his father did not love, and neither did his mother. 

At the age of 13 Liem was sent on his first mission: to infiltrate any quarter of the Vermoca and get any information at all about the people inside. It didn’t necessarily contribute to anything at all, though Liem went for it anyway, in the fear that his mother would beat him again. He had already received enough beatings from her, and he wished not for any more. He remembered vaguely choosing a random quarter, and trembling as he began taking the shape and form of objects around him for infiltration. He had done it before, but his mother would catch him out every time, and would use her dagger to cause him to turn back after spotting him. By now he was covered in scars that would stay with him for life, but those scars were nothing compared to the psychological damage his mother had done upon not only her child but her husband. 

He took the form of small objects, ignoring larger things such as walls and doors, knowing that was his weak spot, as he made his way into the chambers of the random person he was instructed to infiltrate. The task had turned harder as he noticed an individual inside, and she sensed his presence immediately, which made him even more nervous and cause him to glitch only slightly. 

The person inside had been a girl, roughly Liem’s age, and she stopped folding her clothes, looking around wearily, understanding that she was not alone. 

‘I know you’re here. Show yourself’ she said, and the poor, panicked Liem had no choice but to transform, shaking out of worry. If his mother found out he had failed she would surely give him a hard time, and so he had to think fast. ‘Who are you? Why are you here?’ She asked, and the panicked man remained stationary in his spot. 

‘I’m Liem Vermoca. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to intrude, I just got lost, please don’t tell anyone I was here, I beg you’ he spoke, his voice trembling ever so slightly. 

‘Liem Vermoca, you’re the leader’s son. You don’t look like it. What’s wrong with you?’ The girl had questioned, and she moved closer to him, causing him to flinch. Noticing this, her curiosity got the better of her and she stopped right in front of him, looking down at the several scars that covered his arms. ‘You’re hurt’ she spoke gently, tracing the scars with her fingers boldly. Liem watched the girl in amusement, feeling better at her touch immediately. Who was this girl? And why was she being nice to him? 

‘Who are you?’ He found himself asking absentmindedly. He felt a certain sense of regret upon asking, though her smile and response made everything so much better. 

‘Im Yana’ she responded brightly, still hanging on to his hand. ‘Liem, do you want to be my friend?’ She asked, and he looked stunned and puzzled. 

‘You want to be my friend?’ He asked, surprised. He didn’t have any friends, and he wasn’t sure he was allowed a friend. Nevertheless, he liked Yana, and he wanted the experience, so when the girl nodded at his question, he managed to smile for the first time, feeling things he had never felt before. ‘I would like to be your friend’ he responded excitedly, and she dragged him inside her chambers. 

‘Do you get beaten a lot?’ She asked him as they sat down together. He wondered whether he should tell her the truth, and in the end, settled for it as she was now, after all, his friend. 

‘My mother beats me. That’s why I’m here. My mother is training me, and when I do something wrong she beats me’ he confessed, and the smile dropped off her face instantly. Looking at the scars again, she began retracing them, and Liem only sat there, enjoying her touch on his skin. Soon though, the image of his mother came into his head, and he remembered the task he had originally come for, springing out of his seat immediately. ‘I have to go, my mother sent me on a mission here’ he said, and she hung onto him as he was about to leave. 

‘Will you come to see me again?’ She asked him, and he nodded, having taken an interest in her. With a smile exchanged, he was off, resuming the taking of objects until he returned to his mother’s office to deliver a lie. He had never once lied to his mother before in fear of getting hurt, and his mother would never suspect a thing if he lied now as she was too used to his truth and feared nature. 

‘What did you find out?’ She asked from her seat, without even lifting an eye or batting an eyelash. 

‘There was a girl, she was folding her clothes, then her mother came to check on her and told her that food was ready. She put up a fight and her mother had to force her out. That was it’ he responded, making up a story in the hopes that she would believe it, and she most certainly did. 

‘Very well, we will go again tomorrow. Get some rest’ she replied without looking at him. He merely nodded and strutted away, excited to see his new friend the next day. 

As it happened, the next day his mother instructed him to tail the same girl, and get to know more about her life, which he found the best way to get to know her in a way different to what his mother had expected. He shifted and jumped around, arriving in her chambers in no time, and she caught him once again, gleaming as he transformed back. 

‘You really need to get better at that’ she told him, and he agreed, allowing her to teach him instead of his mother for once. By the end of their play date he had learnt more than he ever had with his mother, not only about shifting, but about their kind and about Yana’s personal life. He had filled her in on his task, and she agreed to helping him out and making life easier for him. 

When he returned that night, his mother had seen his improvements, and had nodded in approval at him, not suspecting a thing about the new girl. Had she known, she would have been furious, and would have taken the wrong steps to correct her son's mistake. 

After a couple of years Liem had begun enjoying his time with Yana, and would sneak around to meet her from time to time, even when his tasks ended. His mother had sent him on several tasks since, and he would do so with her, finding every opportunity he could to be around her and spend time with her. It was no doubt that he had fancied the girl, and it was only a matter of time before he would want more. Though how was he supposed to make things work when his crazy mother would ban him from existing properly. He had no idea what her problem had been, and hoped that his father would one day respond to him, but life went on as normal for them, and eventually he had a decision to make: whether or not to stop seeing Yana permanently. 

No matter how hard he tried, there was something about her that he wanted so badly, and even though he tried to get her out of his mind, he couldn’t. It wouldn’t be an easy fight with his mother, but in the end he decided to try things his way, and ease her into his life, and into his mother’s life. 

Sneaking out to see her one day, he had decided to confront her about his feelings to see if she felt the same way, and just like the first time, he trekked into her chambers, and shivered around, trying the right words to use to say things to her. 

‘You look shaky, are you alright Liem?’ She asked him, noticing this. She approached him quickly, examining him for wounds, and stepped back when she was satisfied. ‘She’s not beating you again is she?’ Added the girl in concern, and her concern only made Liem more desperate. Forgetting his words, he brought his mouth straight down on hers, and engulfed her in his arms immediately. Lucky for him she did not pull away, and instead eased into him, grabbing him by the collar to pull him closer. After a few minutes they parted, and looked into each other’s eyes. 

‘I take it you like me too then?’ He finally asked, and she chuckled, pulling him in for another kiss. 

‘I have waited a long time for you to do that’ she confessed, and he rejoiced, returning home that night with the brightest of smiles. 

Josita Vermoca had yet to find out about her son’s mischief, but the look on his face had made things very obvious for Keron Vermoca, who decided for the first time in his life to have a man to man chat with his son. Ushering him into a quiet room, they made sure Josita was nowhere around before he began talking. 

‘Got a female, have you?’ He asked, and a panic stricken Liem’s eyes widened in surprise. Had his father followed him? How did he know? Was he going to tell his mother? ‘Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell your mother. She’s an evil hag, I despise her’ he confessed, feeling great about unloading his feelings for the first time in his life. The words came as a shock to Liem, who had always believed his father was against him like his mother, seeing the same expression on his fathers face now made it obvious that he too, was scared of her. 

‘You’re scared of her too?’ He asked to confirm, and Keron nodded. ‘That’s why we’ve never talked like this? All this time, I just thought you hated me’ he expressed, and Keron shook his head immediately. 

‘Absolutely not. She’s just insane, your mother, I hate her’ he explained, and suddenly it all made sense. A couple of laughs later Liem decided to confide in his father for once. 

‘I do have someone. She’s lovely. I just don’t know what to do’ he expressed his concerns, and Keron understood, for once deciding to be brave for his son. 

‘You do what you have to. I’ll help you cover it up. I’ll support you’ he responded, and a grateful Liem embraced his father in a hug. 

‘Thank you father, I am grateful for this’ he responded, trekking outside, where they carried on with their disguises as usual. 

The support of his father had made it easier for Liem to sneak out of the house whenever necessary, and he met his new woman more times in the coming years, mating with her and coming to a point of needing more.

‘I want to marry you’ he blurted one day randomly as they mated, and she froze, pulling away for a brief second. 

‘What?’ She asked in shock, unsure if she had heard him correctly. She had always wanted to marry him, she loved him, after all, but there was no way anything would be happening between them until his mother would pass away. 

‘I want to marry you’ he repeated, and she cleared her throat, unsure of what to say. 

‘So do I, but your mother-’

‘I’ve had enough of my mother’ he interrupted, absolutely and utterly exhausted from the act. ‘She can’t boss me around forever. At some point I will have to tell her and she is just going to have to deal with it’ he mentioned, thoughts coming into his head as he began scheming a way to introduce her to his mother. 

For years Josita had remained clueless about this, though how would she react when she got to know that her son had a woman in his life. She had always considered love a weakness, and no doubt she would let her son love anyone if she herself had never loved her own husband. 

‘I understand that Liem, but your mother is… different’ responded the woman, not wanting to insult the woman to her man’s face. 

‘She’s crazy, I know. But what else can I do?’ He asked, huffing and puffing in misery.

‘We wait, until she passes away. She’s getting older anyways, when she does we can get married’ stated Yana as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. There was only one issue. 

‘What if she forces me to marry?’ He posed, and the woman evaded it as if she had already thought about it. 

‘Obviously none of us want that, but if she does, then just get married. You don’t have to sleep with the woman, just marry her. When your mother passes I will take place next to you, and we can start a family then. I love you Liem but your mother is not someone I want to mess with, for your sake and mine’ said Yana, terrified of her partner’s mother. He very much disliked the idea of marrying someone else, and he would not marry anyone unless it was Yana, he knew that much. 

His words had travelled along the walls into the brain of his mother, who the very next morning had brought up the topic of marriage to her son over breakfast. 

‘You must get married, I will find you a woman, and in the next week we will set up the ceremony. Then the leadership will be passed down to you. That’s what my father did with me, and that is what I will do with you’ she obliged imperatively, and Liem’s food almost came tumbling out his mouth. ‘Something the issue, Liem?’ She asked, and he plucked up the courage to go against her. 

‘Mother, why do I have to get married right now? Can’t I wait? Can’t I take a wife after getting the leadership?’ He asked nicely, and in doing so he gave away the one thing he wished not to to his mother. It was in that instant that Josita Vermoca knew her son had someone in his life, and that was absolutely unacceptable. Though she decided to mask it and deal with it in her own way. 

‘Of course’ she responded, and both Keron and Liem were taken aback by how easy that had been. 

That evening she had used her disguises to follow her son around, eventually ending up in the chambers of Yana, watching her only son mate with her in absolute disgust. She knew that he loved her from how many times he had told her, and decided that it was time to end -what she believed to be- her son’s infatuation. 

She had waited for him to return of course, grinning as he did, and returned contently to his room, all the while his mother snuck away to the very chambers she had caught her son in, and murdered the girl in her sleep, disposing of her body and feeling a certain satisfaction flutter within her. 

Though her son had known his mother long enough, and at the disappearance of the girl the heartbroken, raging man returned to his mother’s office, banging the door open, ready for a confrontation. 

‘You killed her!’ He began with tears streaming down her face. ‘You knew that I was in love with her, the one woman in my life I truly loved, and you killed her!’ He accused, and she looked up from her papers, her expression neutral as ever. 

‘I have no idea what you’re talking about’ she denied, and he saw right through her lies. 

‘Don’t you dare try and lie to me you evil woman! You killed the woman I love! Why? Why are you so hell bent on making our lives miserable eh? What happened mother, not a soul on this planet could love you, so now you want to make sure we can’t love anyone?’ He spat, and it hit a nerve. Within seconds she was in front of her son’s face. 

‘Watch your-’

‘I won’t, what are you going to do, kill me? Go ahead mother, I have no reason to exist anymore anyways’ he interrupted, and she was absolutely livid. ‘From now on you are nothing to me. I don’t want your leadership, I don’t want anything from you. I hope the flame keeps you living a long and miserable life, and I hope you don’t die until you have felt the pain of every single life you have ever taken. You lost a son tonight, and you are never getting him back. Enjoy your lonely life mother’ he had snapped, and he walked right out of sight. 

The man had soon taken the initiative, and he and Keron had left the mansion of the Vermoca, taking shelter at the Doirekh’s where they were welcomed with open arms.

Though life for Liem Vermoca had taken a turn when the war arrived, and the trio were forced to reunite and live together once more. He had avoided his mother at all costs, and never found love again, and was a fairly normal man who merely hated his mother, until the day of Elize’s parents' deaths. That was the day Josita Vermoca had seen right through Elize, and known that she had been responsible for her parents death. She had revealed the truth to Liem and Keron, and in her moment of insanity, decided that Keron no longer had a use in her life, and she wanted Liem to surrender to her. 

So it was that the woman murdered Keron right in front of Keron’s eyes, bringing out the side of her he had never seen in person. Though it hadn’t had quite the effect on him that she wished, and so the man ended his own mother’s life, giving away his own sanity the very same day. 

From that day Liem Vermoca had gotten rid of the curse in his life, but in doing so it had turned him into the crazy man that he had become, lonely, lost and full of hatred. 

He hated the flame for the cursed life he had been given, and even more he hated the flame for not only taking away Yana from him, but for keeping him imprisoned in Crest, not being able to get out in anyways. 

Being locked up with another bunch of crazy people and a broken family had not done him any well, and if anything sent him down a path of misery, knowing that the last survivors of the Vermillion were nothing but lonely messes, ones that maybe were powerful, but in no way truly enjoyed each other's company. There was no feeling of love and family left in his life, and the only thing he could blame for that was the flame. 

He often thought of Yana, and despite the regret he felt at letting his mother know, he knew he would take revenge against the flame for having done him wrong. One way or another.