A Different Kind of Love: The Untold Chapters

------------ Life of a Tyrant: Ajax – Part 2 ------------

The thrill had been incredible. Ajax stood over her bloody, misshapen corpse, his chest heaving and his entire body stained with blood. The dog barked at him viciously, the man who had injured it’s master. Ajax turned his murderous gaze on the mutt, which was enough to stop him from making any noise. The dog whimpered and advanced close enough only to nudge his master.

His master. Ajax cursed himself for forgetting about her. She might have family. Friends. Something of the sort. Then he remembered. He was a changeling. Stepping out of the growing puddle of blood, Ajax shifted into an avian and smiled. There would be no trace evidence. Any witnesses, should there be any, would only have seen a woman walking two dogs into her house…The people who discovered her, if there would be any, would only discover a bashed-in head. It had been clean. Clean for a changeling. Ajax grinned wider, the blood gone with his quick shift. He was completely devoid of any spots, even, as he opened the back door to her home and took off from there, arcing through the sky as he returned to the home he and Lily had found.

Trottingham was a little confusing to get used to, but soon enough Ajax found the area they lived in. He spotted a familiar park, swooped in, and followed the street to their new home. Cutting through a nearby alleyway, Ajax shifted back into the man whose place he had taken, and approached his home… Once inside, he removed his jacket and boots before making it to the bathroom. Shifting into the form used for the murder, Ajax turned the water on hot and began cleaning…

The red faded from his skin and circled the drain as he cleaned himself off. He had had the presence of mind to shift without clothes before attacking. He had been nude the entire time.

And he was still aroused. Groaning, Ajax grasped his thick member, rubbing it once. Twice. No. He had to stop. There was someone else to do that for him… Grabbing the soap, he started lathering up, and took a moment to shampoo his hair, even. Feeling refreshed and renewed after such an intense experience, Ajax exited the shower and dried off before shifting into his normal form. Still aroused.

“C’mon, Lily…” He growled, still drying his hair as he exited the bathroom. He was not disappointed. He had only just started setting out what he needed for spaghetti when Lily came in the back door, brushing a fresh bit of snow from her coat. “There you are.” He groaned, grabbing her wrist.

“Ajax, I-“ He cut her off with a deep, rough kiss, pushing her back against the wall. She pushed at him, but couldn’t do anything against his insistent pushing. His tongue speared her mouth open, forced it’s way inside. She was really warm. She wanted this. Her skin was practically begging for it. Just because her fists uselessly impacted his chest didn’t mean she was fighting it…

“Come on.” He pulled his lips away and quickly swept her off her feet, hoisting her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. “Been all fuckin’ day, I need to get laid…” Lily squirmed and fought, but a rough smack to her backside dissuaded her from fighting too hard. She cried out, but was silent as soon as he dumped her onto the bed. Looking up at him with wide eyes, Lily’s arms splayed out. Look at that… Her stomach peeked out underneath the coat, the edge of her simple t-shirt… Ajax was nude, aroused, and eager for her. She looked him up and down, and in those stoic eyes, Ajax saw lust.

“Off.” He growled, his fingers pulling at the button of her jeans. It gave, thankfully enough, and he didn’t even bother with the zipper. Tugging roughly, he pulled them down her long, skinny legs, thrilling at the sight of her pale flesh. Lily didn’t do anything, just laid there. He hit a snag with her boots, which were still on, still wet…

“Off.” He repeated, pulling at her boots. Her foot twisted, and she grimaced. He didn’t undo the laces at all… She quickly scrambled to undo the knots before he broke her ankle, which he very well could have done. Soon enough, her boots were loose enough that he could take them off without hurting her, and she was left in panties, one sock, her shirt and her coat still… Not that Ajax cared. He ripped her panties off with a single yank and flopped over atop her. Her legs spread listlessly as he guided himself in, not even giving her a moment to get wet.

“Hnn…” Her thin whimper drove Ajax on. Made him smile as he started smoothly sliding in and out. He was fulfilling his desire. Hers, too… She’d never say it. She never did. But Lily loved him. He loved Lily. He knew it. She could turn him on with a look. Even as a changeling, when sex really didn’t have much to do with reproduction or anything other than fun… Even then, she could set him off like a damn rocket.

“I love you,” Ajax grunted, flattening himself out atop her. His hips crudely thrust into her, spearing her abused center again and again. She winced, but never cried out. Never gave anything more than a thin whimper of pleasure. It was pleasure. She loved this. She loved him.

And he loved her with all his heart.

His black, twisted, ugly heart.

So they continued. For one more week, Ajax would cut out of research early to explore the city, and to kill people… In one week, he had killed three more. Growing more and more bold with each one. The last one, in fact, the guard had spotted him. He had shifted into a dog, small as he could manage, and ran. Ducking through the bush, Ajax was gone before the guard could really do anything about it. Stupid avians. All they could do was circle. Ajax laid low, slunk underneath two bridges and through some brush, then into a busy street. He had blended smooth and easy, not a single person raising an eyebrow at him.

Now, he was looking at his fourth kill. The man was a little older than forty, in good shape, and was currently jogging. This was his first kill outside of the normal timezone. Promising Lily he was just picking up pizza for an extended research session, which he really did owe her, Ajax had instead taken a short flight. Now, it was seven in the morning, and this man was a mile from anywhere important. Ajax swept in.

“Guh!” The man cried out as Ajax drove both his feet into the small of his back. The man’s head made a sickening crunch as it hit the concrete foot path he had been jogging on. He didn’t move as blood began pooling around his head… Just to be sure, Ajax stomped on his neck until he heard the crunch, then took off. Fifteen seconds. That’s how long it took. That’s how easy it had been… He was thrilled at what Chrysalis would think of his assignment… He left the man’s corpse in the middle of the trail as he flew off fast and far, keeping just a foot above the treetops as he smoothly went back to the library.

“Where’s the pizza?” Lily, shifted into the twin sister to Ajax’s current disguise, her brother, was skimming over two books at the same time.

“They weren’t cooking this early. Might as well save the money.” He said, trying to hide the excitement in his voice… His heart still thundered.

“Hmm. Well, in any case, look at this.” She tapped a passage, making Ajax lean over to read it.

“Hmm… Naga have a biological defense against magical interference built into their systems… Deep within, at the core of their being, they have a miniature diagram grown into their spine…” He looked over the intricate design drawn out in a grid underneath the passage.

“Get it?” Lily asked.

“So… Because they have this symbol grown into their spines, they resist magic?”

“Exactly. The spell-form is from a nullification spell. Kind of complex, but this is it. This is major. This is the reason Chrysalis wanted us to research naga.” Lily pulled the other book over, tapping both pages at the same time. The diagram beneath the passage from the first book was replicated, larger and with more detail, on the other book.

“So… When we shift, we need to do it with this on our spine…”

“Or magic will affect us the same as anything and anyone. That, mixed with the unique blood type, made naga all but immune to the most powerful spells. We need to work on getting this right…”

“Getting WHAT right, might I ask?” The voice made them both spin around. Ajax was ready to kill. Lily’s hand stopped him. The voice of Chrysalis floated to him, reminding him to follow her orders… He growled and sized the man before them up. He was fairly thin and short, and judging by the massive stack of books he held in midair, he was a magi. The field of his magic was purple.

“Eer, this spell…” Lily said. “I… We were studying.”

“Why would my chief papermaker be studying magic? Don’t you just make paper for the library?” He asked, looking Ajax up and down. “I seem to recall you said your sister here was a musician… Why are you studying spells this far down in the archives?” Ajax’s mind scrambled. Thankfully, Lily recovered.

“Right! My brother makes paper for you. Don’t you remember his name?” She spat, acting annoyed.

“Of course I do! It’s…”

“Huh. So I guess you do care. Maybe if you cared more, you would know I was a magi. While I enjoy playing music, it’s not my calling. Ancient spells are. Which is why we’re down here. Mr. Nosy.” In a brilliant display of little-sister-etiquette, she stuck her tongue out at him. Ajax noticed the book about the naga was gone.

“What was that you were saying about naga, though?” The man asked, taking a moment to levitate the books he was carrying to another nearby table.

“Naga?” Ajax took the lead. “We weren’t saying anything about naga. We said saga.”

“Saga?” The man arched an eyebrow. “I’m pretty sure you mentioned a blood type… What importance is that to a saga?”

“Uuh, DUH!” Lily said, scoffing. “The blood type of the ancestor in the series I’m reading! We were talking about a different book.”

“First you’re researching an old spell, and now a fiction series?” He asked, getting more inquisitive. Ajax found it tough to resist killing him then and there. His fist was tightening slightly.

“No, I’M researching an old spell!” Lily sounded like she was starting to get huffy. “HE came and asked me how the series was going! THEN you butted in, being REALLY rude. What do you even want, mister?!” She advanced on him, pointing a finger. “Hmm? Do you listen to conversations people have? Huhn? Are you a gossiper?” She actually had him backing up, his hands raising defensively.

“S-sorry, milady!” He said meekly, backing away. “I run the library here. I was just curious what you two might be researching… It sounded awfully fishy to be talking about sagas and blood types down here in the old archives…” He bowed several times before seizing his books and slipping away. “I apologize. I’m sorry…” He was gone then. Ajax released a sigh of relief as he was gone, leaving them alone once more. He opened his mouth to speak, but Lily held a finger up, stopping him.

“So, as I was saying, the king wasn’t giving birth to any of the heirs… His queen was sleeping around, getting pregnant, then telling him they were his.” She rolled her eyes, flicking her ears with her fingertips. Ajax connected the two. That magi was still eavesdropping on them!

“Huhn. Sounds interesting. I might read it after all, sis. Now come on, I’m late on my shipment. Let’s get home.” Lily’s face betrayed pure, abject terror, but her voice was happy as she slid both books home. She left the spines jutting out just a little, though… When Ajax looked quizzically between her and the books, she shook her head. The next thing she said betrayed her intention exactly.

“Yeah, you’d probably like it a lot. The prince keeps wanting to take the throne, but it’s never the right time. The reader never knows WHEN it’ll be the right time… I’m hungry, what’s for breakfast?”

“You already ATE breakfast…” Ajax understood. She was telling him it’d look suspicious if they took the books now. She made it so they could find them again, if need be. When they had different disguises…

“That was TOO close, Ajax…” Lily breathed as they slipped inside their de-facto base. Ajax stripped his coat off, resumed the same brooding he had been doing the entire walk home from the library… “If he asked any more questions, we’d have been found out. We need new disguises. Dammit, why didn’t I realize it before? Chief papermaker! Fuck!” She kicked a chair, sending it clattering across the floor. Ajax was still brooding.

“We can’t let them live, though.” He said, trying to make the connection.

“So we keep them tied up. It won’t take us much longer than another week to get the pattern right. We can at least return to Chrysalis with that.” Lily was pacing in the kitchen. She did that often.

“But what about the blood type? We can’t return with just a symbol… That would be a failure. No, we need to return with everything we can possibly tell her about naga. We need to keep researching.” Ajax glowered. “We can’t keep these two alive that long, Lily.” He turned towards the door. The door into the basement. Lily was frozen.

“Ajax…” She said. Her word didn’t even stop him.

“Come on.” He said gruffly, pulling the door open. “We need to feed. We need to top off before we move on.” He shifted smoothly into the brother. The stairs creaked under the stress of his descent. Lily and Ajax had tied the brother and sister up in separate areas of the basement. There was no way they would be able to see or hear one another. Ajax pushed into the room with the younger sister. She looked up at him with a weak gaze, but upon seeing her brother, she brightened.

“Mff! Mff!” She struggled past the fabric gag in her mouth. Ajax crouched next to her and untied it, pulling the saliva-soaked fabric out. “Pwah! Brother, what’s happening?” She asked, her voice high with anticipation and fear.

“Shh. Shh.” He said softly, laying a hand on her cheek. “I just broke out, listen, I’m going to get you out of here.” The lie was painful. Painfully funny. He fought the urge to break out in laughter with each passing moment she looked up at him with big eyes. “Just… I love you, okay sis?”

“I love you too.” Ajax felt it with her words. The sensation of feeding off her emotions filled Ajax with the feeling of fulfillment, like he had just eaten a large dinner. It warmed him. He fed off of it for a few more moments before standing.

“Ajax, no!” Lily slipped through the door behind him. The feeling of love and caring was replaced with confusion and fear as the visage of herself tried to stop her brother… Swift and easy, Ajax planted the toe of his boot into her temple. “Damnit, Ajax!” Lily cursed as the poor woman’s head snapped back. Her skull was misshapen and caved in, her features distorted as the bone underneath her skin cracked and broke. She fell over, hitting the floor with a sickening thud. Ajax smiled even as Lily started beating on him with her fists.

“You idiot! Damnit, Ajax!” She cursed and screamed, even as blood began oozing out of the dead woman’s nose and mouth, pooling on the floor.

“She needed to die.” Ajax growled coldly, brushing Lily aside as he started towards the other side of the basement. He left her body behind, not even giving it a second glance. Already, killing was second nature to him. It came easy. Almost as easy as breathing. “And so does her brother.” Ajax continued, grasping Lily’s arm. He pushed her towards the door the elder brother was in, glowering at her. “Either you do it, or I will.”

“B-but…” Lily stammered. “There’s only one of them now. We can feed him. Both of us can feed OFF of him. We’ll go, find someone else, and keep coming back here to feed him-“

“Too much hassle.” Ajax cut her off, crossing his arms. “And what’s going to happen when someone comes searching for him, hmm? Certainly they have friends, somewhere… I know we haven’t met anyone in a week they know, but still. What about that man we met at the library today? What happens when he hasn’t seen his chief papermaker in a week? Then what, Lily?” He shook his head. “We need to kill him. If he lives, they’ll ask questions. Our cover will be blown.” She gnawed on her lip, debating one option or the other. Ajax saw the hesitation in her eyes. She was taking too long.

“Okay. But I’m not killing him. You are.” She said, shuddering. “You’ve already done it… With her…” She pointed with her chin back at the room they had just left. “I can’t… I won’t…”

“I haven’t shifted into his sister yet.” Ajax said with a low tone.

“Then… Fucking… Do it as yourself. Just kill him.” Lily shivered. If only she knew how many Ajax had killed already. With a sigh, Ajax dropped the guise of the elder brother and slid through the door, his taut, muscular body making the man jump.

“Who are you?! Why am I tied up?! Let me go, damn you! I said let me GACK!” His feeble words were cut off as Ajax wrapped two big, meaty hands around his throat. The whole ordeal lasted well over five minutes. Ajax wanted to be sure he was dead. The entire time, Ajax held his throat, never once letting up pressure. His hands cramped, his muscles screamed in protest, but he never let the man go. Not even once. This man needed to die, and he needed to die from asphyxiation. The man made gagging sounds, his legs thumping against the ground in a feeble attempt to get away. Ajax gripped him, kept him in place. He wasn’t going anywhere. Not until he was dead. He twitched a few times, his eyes rolling up into his head…

When all tension had left the man’s body, Ajax started working at pulling the knots on his bonds free. “What now?” Lily asked from behind him. Ajax pulled the rope free, tossing it at Lily.

“Now,” He said gruffly, “We hang him.”

“What? What for?!” Lily asked, holding the rope away from her body like it was some sort of living thing that could hurt her, like a snake.

“So it looks like he killed himself. Right after he killed his sister. Go get a chair.”

“But-“

“DO IT!” Ajax wheeled around, his face red as he screamed at her. He was still high from endorphins, from being so in control of the whole situation. Lily shut her mouth and padded up the stairs, dropping the disguise of the dead man’s sister. Ajax grunted and started dragging the man over to the other room. When he arrived, the sister was laying in a pool of blood, her body still on the floor. Looking up, Ajax spied what he was looking for. An exposed rafter. When Lily returned with the chair and the rope, Ajax got to work…

“Wait…” Lily said, watching Ajax loop the rope over the rafter several times. “Are you…”

“Yep.” Ajax started to tie a crude noose, more of just a simple knot. “Make it look like he killed his sister, then hung himself…” It was smart. It was genius. He knew, because Lily just gave a small ‘hmm’ of acknowledgement before depositing the chair on its side underneath the dead man. Ajax hung him, and they left. Lily had a frown on her face.

Ajax couldn’t stop smiling.