The Goddess' Champion

Thankfully the bastard decided to do his evil deed by night when the town had little to no guards, but there wa always the dangers of creatures lurking, something they didn't seem to care about.

The two caved a small pit where they threw the body, careful to not be seen by the guards of the town during the night.

"How many times have you done this?" She asked as they threw the body inside and covered it with soil, it was obvious that something had happened here, but no one cared, so long as it couldn't be traced to them, crimes happened every day.

"Many..."

"So this isn't the first person you kill..."

"No, let's go back." Constantine wasn't about to answer her every enquiry, he merely pulled her by the hand back into their house, trying with his gaze to see the ground and catch any blood, but there was nothing, then again, it was the night with scarce visibility available.

...

Both mother and son without even regarding one another went back to the house in the darkness, making sure to not be seen.

Once the door was locked Isabella sighed in relief, there was a monster in this house with her, but this monster was her son and ally, it inspired security.

Too much security.

"You have blood all over, I-I will prepare the bath for you." She said, they hadn't finished their dish, but she didn't think that was important now.

Although surprised by her attentiveness, Constantine simply nodded and continued having his dish -which he did believe to be important.

"It is ready..."

He lifted his eyebrows, seeing her covered only in her silk that she regularly took a shower with, it wasn't the first time but it wasn't something she did naturally.

When he stepped into the bath which was merely a bucket filled with warm water, she entered with him, rendering his eyebrows to frown.

"Mother."

"I will wash your back." She frowned, daring him to reject her.

"..."

He didn't disallow her, up until he was 10 she still washed him, after that he had to fend for himself, now he was fourteen and they retook an old custom unexpectedly.

She started by his hair, it was so dirty that it no longer resembled its silver natural lustre, and... it was the same in her face, she too took showers merely twice or thrice a week.

The silence was the norm, shame nonexistent at least on one side... Isabella, found herself blushing, but ignored it... her son had grown up, his height was now less than three inches less than hers and surely in two years maximum, he would surpass her.

His body indicated strife, battles she hadn't wanted him to go through, but in the end, such was life.

"Have you been drawing?" She asked suddenly, feeling interested in his matters, today she realised that she didn't know her son... the MAN that left every morning and came back every night was no longer a boy and she hadn't even noticed... too busy working, preparing the food that he ate in the morning and then in the night before carrying on her own business.

Apparently, she forgot to be a mother and decided that perhaps, there was still a chance.

"No, I left it."

"Why?"

"No one wanted to pay for my paintings, they wanted them for free... or... they wanted something else." He confessed, rather hurt, it had been a hobby he enjoyed, but hunting was starting to become just as interesting.

Her hand clenched in his hair and he noticed it.

"And what do you do to entertain yourself now?" Her question seemed friendly, but there was an undertone to it that Constantine wasn't quite catching.

"I hunt with the guys, Marco..." He said, evasive.

"He died..." She recalled the news of the boy, having been his mother's friend, now no more.

"He taught me how to hunt, so... I decided to do that for a living and we have a small group of kids now that like it too so, we go... around."

Nothing of what he said explained why he knew how to bury bodies, but she had other priorities, jealous and self-centred priorities.

Once his entire body was cleaned there was only one more place to clean, but Constantine took the bar away from her and began cleaning himself before she could even ask, it did nothing but increase her anxiousness.

"Constantine..."

"Hmm?"

"You were having sex with Briane behind her husband's back." It wasn't a question.

"..." His movements stopped for a moment before continuing as if he had thoroughly ignored what she said!

"Yes or no?" She grits her teeth, clenching her hand that was holding his waist, even ignoring to hold her own silk, having it fall on the ground.

"Yes." In the end, he had no reason to lie, and he accepted it. That was like an explosion in Isabella's mind, she gasped with a mind filled with wrath, what she never wanted to believe, made a reality.

"Why? Money?!"

"Yes."

"Constantine!" She couldn't believe he was so natural about it, her issue was, if Briane was the truth, then... several others likely were as well, her son had whored himself in the streets at some point and she just realised!

"I don't do it anymore, that's why she was upset." He explained, noticing that she was getting increasingly upset, his knowledge about women, way broader than it should, told him that he needed to step down, even if this was his mother.

"..." She crossed her arm and tapped her fingers, turning him around to LOOK at her, instead of deviating his gaze, apparently forgetting she was naked or not caring whatsoever.

"I started hunting with the guys and selling leather, making more money... and she was upset, did she say something?" Constantine who so far had his face down lifted it just to be face to face with perfection, or at least... perfection covered in dirt.

His gaze wandered, but he didn't allow his eyes to continue, fiercely refocusing back on her face, something that she noticed.

And choose to ignore.

"She insulted me... she said that you were a 'cheap' scoundrel that goes around whoring yourself, stealing people and overall... someone that should be thrown away from the town, me included... she accused several women in the factory of sleeping with you, who in turn also mentioned her... I had to beat her up just so she shut her mouth, I think she was fired too for her comments even if she was my superior." Isabella explained, feeling a slight itch whenever she recalled that Briane had been her superior.

"..." He couldn't say he was happy with the outcome, Briane was a great lover and rather alluring lady... she wasn't his first, but certainly there were a lot of plays that he did with her 'first', therefore learning quite a bit, at some point that relationship went beyond client and employer, perhaps scrapping the realm of love.

Sadly, she was a possessive one. she paid a lot of money just so he didn't sleep with anyone else, she wanted him 'reserved'... money that her husband delivered... she needed money after all to please her lover, there was already money being paid for his time, then she needed money for gifts... unbeknownst to the dead bastard, he was paying someone to screw his wife... and he never knew, perhaps slight mercy amidst the karma.

The moment that he told Briane 'no'... things stopped being wonderful and lovable, they turned wicked and toxic, this was merely the outcome, one in which he and his mother would have suffered huge consequences, were they harmless or lacking in strength and shrewdness.

...

"Don't do it again." Isabella gripped his shoulders, hard.

"I can't promise that."

"Don't do it again!" She yelled this time and he was forced to look at her eyes, taking in this mock intent of discipline.

"..." Constantine felt himself back to those days for even a second, but then recalled that things were different and his coldness returned.

Seeing that he wasn't convinced, Isabella decided to test.

"I'm going to look for another job, would you like it if did that? whoring myself out there, do you think I haven't been proposed!? then that's what I'm going to do from now on!" She said defiantly.

"No!" He yelled, equally as defiantly, holding her wrist and daring her to do so... naturally, Isabella was no intention to do so, but... she got a nice input.

"T-Then... don't do it yourself, son. We will be alright, I'll figure something out."

"Okay." He wondered how long it had been since she called him son, he knew a lot of prostitutes out there, friends of his even... it wasn't a nice life to live, and the reason he lived it, was so she didn't do it... they say that their lives are prostitutes are way easier than most women, but also, the prize is dignity, and asset that one doesn't recognise how important it is until it is lost... and once it is lost... it never comes back.

He belonged to the streets, one of his best friends, a lady called Odelle... she had been murdered by one of her clients recently... one day they had a rough session in her house, just having some fun and perhaps even relieving stress from both sides afterwards, while laying on his chest, she said words he'd never forget

'In your case, it is different because you're a man... 'whoring yourself out' there is no such a thing... you're hunting and you're even being paid for it when most have to struggle because you're beautiful, strong and desirable... despite being so young, that is not dignity loss, Constantine... unlike us, that shouldn't make you feel that you're worthless, that should shot your dignity to the skies, you're absolutely worth it! I don't know what will be of you, but... I'm sure you will be someone big~' Those words segmented her identity in his heart, not as a lover but as someone important that he would never forget.

For the future Emperor, Constantine, that prostitute, Odelle... had been one of the most important people in his life.

He didn't want to see his mother in Odelle's place... yet unbeknownst to him, it wasn't only the feeling of protectiveness with influenced his mind, but also something else... something that he didn't feel for any other woman regardless of friend, girlfriend or client.

Possessiveness.