Disclaimer: Very sorry this took so long. This takes place before Isis, Mal, or even Valentina. Prince Devran is just a baby. This is so the sisters not only can come together, come up with a plan to get the baby Devran back, but also so each sister can share what happened to them throughout the centuries. So each can create more depth to their particular sister. if that makes sense. Very sorry for the lateness of this.
The Tenebris {Aurelius Antoninus} sisters were born to Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus and his lover (consort) Livia Tenebris. Each of them had abilities that a few may consider dark. Combination of the abilities from their mother’s ancient bloodline and the political knowledge from the tutors who served their father, the sisters are a force not to be reckoned with. They are the ones that are known to many and yet few have the blessing to meet. For centuries, the sisters have not been together due to fear of capture or even slaughter, and they have been this way since the death of their parents at the hands of their half-brother, Commodus.
Fear of power is a great tool of destruction even within family lines. Heirs do what they must ensure their success even at the downfall of their own flesh and blood. Those who seek power care nothing for anyone that they consider to be a threat. This was what drove the ultimate betrayal of the Tenebris {Aurelius Antoninus} sisters.
Present:
The Eldest out of the Tenebris {Aurelius Antoninus} sisters knew that it would have been a long shot and dangerous for all of them to come together once more. However, Antigone knew in the pit of her stomach that the centuries had past allowing their half brother Commodus and at least his immediate descendants to die out. Though it had been centuries since she had last seen her sisters, Antigone could still feel each of them. The eldest sister has also gone in and out of different countries where they were each located always in the shadows. The current country the eldest sister found herself in was a newly founded empire, the Ottoman Empire.
For a while Antigone stayed in the shadows watching her sister Boudicca fall in love and give birth to a child. A child could pose a risk of safety, but Antigone still stayed in the shadows until she saw the child kidnapped by the hands of the enemies of the Turks. She could feel the pain coming from Boudicca and anger. This made her decide that it was time that they all came together. They were stronger when they were in the same location, and it had been far too long since they were all gathered.
The eldest knew that their parents would understand her decision and hoped the others would as well. Take a deep breath, Antigone came out of the shadows just miles away from the Ottoman’s main castle. She looked around at the land, took out of her right pocket a knife given to her so long ago, and sliced the palm of her left hand. The blood pooled from the flesh of her palm and began to drip onto the ground. She looked up at the sky and threw her blood from her hand towards the sun then swirled her hand around causing dark clouds to form. After a few seconds, the Dark Ancestral Witch turned her focus on the ground moving her blood into a pentagram upon the sand.
Once the pentagram was completed, the Dark Ancestral Witch moved to the middle of the pentagram. “Tempus est. Ishtar et Enki nos defendunt, quia posteri tui sumus” (It is time. Ishtar and Enki protect us, for we are your descendants.) She said in her thick Roman (Ancient Roman) accent. Closing her eyes, the Dark Ancestral Witch took her necklace which the sisters’ mother made for each of them and took it off her neck. She looked down at it for a moment and then threw it up in the air followed by more of her blood. She swirled her blood drench left hand and swirled it around in a circle as the necklace and her own blood came together.
Seeing that the sky above was turning dark with red streaks that looked like crimson red blood and the blood/necklace spinning high in the air, the Dark Ancestral Witch spoke, “Audite me sorores. Tempus est iterum convenire. Per saecula seorsum mansimus et nunc sanguis meus. Praeter suspendemus, sed una iterum Tenebris {Aurelii Antonini} familia iterum erimus” (Sisters hear me. It is time to come together once more. For centuries we have remained apart and now my blood. your blood calls you each forth. Apart we will hang but together we shall once more shall be the Tenebris {Aurelius Antoninus} family once more). The words came from her mouth as if she spoke them in her mind many times before and perhaps she had over the centuries.
Upon the words leaving her mouth, the spinning increased, and the sky turned darker with streaks of red coming forth from the clouds till they united with the necklace/blood. As soon as this happened, a great burst of red light went across to the sky sending a signal to each of the sisters. Antigone continued speaking the words, swirling her hand, allowing the blood to drip upon the ground, and watched as the sky began to storm. The signal still visible high in the sky while chaos began above.
Boudicca knew right away that her sister’s would feel her pain, anguish and fear. She had not had contact with them for years but the reason for that was to keep them all safe. She had no idea what was going on with lives and how they were doing. It had been too long and she missed them dearly and even though she loved all sister’s dearly, she knew that her older sister Antigone would feel her first. Antigone and her have always been close and could always feel when something was going on with each other, so it was no surprise later on that night, after the Sultan and her made their plans that she felt her sister reach out. She couldn’t sleep even if she wanted to. The Sultan was talking to his generals and also her’s, after getting the news of her son, she had called in her Roman General Cornelius. She had been overlooking a map when she felt the first stirring of power, glancing up and catching the Sultan’s eye, she motioned to him that she was stepping out onto the balcony and he nodded slightly. He never questioned her reason’s infront of anyone, he knew that she would tell him anyway.
As she stopped at the edge of the balcony, she felt her necklace grow warm and knew the Antigone had felt her. Raising her head slightly, she watched as red streaks started to appear in the sky and then brightened as she felt her other sister answer the call. An overwhelming feeling of relief entered her body, the calling of blood had gone out and Boudicca was overwhelmed with emotion again, her sister’s were coming. She reached up and touched her necklace before taking it off. She had never taken it off before so it felt weird that it wasn’t around her neck.
“Ishtar and Enki, protect us. I pray that you protect my son also” She opened her palm and let the necklace float into the sky as she withdrew a dagger and sliced open her palm, letting her blood come to the surface before raising it towards the necklace. “Blood of my blood, I hear you and have received your message. Thank you and can’t wait to see you all. I need you now more than ever. My precious son was taken and I need your help.” She would normally speak in her native language but her emotions were beyond that. “ It is time for us to be together and knowing that you have made the call means more to me than you will ever know. I pray that Ishtar and Enki protect us all on our journey and look forward to seeing you. I send my love and protection to you all.” She watched as her blood moved from her hand to the necklace before shooting into the sky to join the other red streak that was there, making it shine even brighter.
She knew that her sister’s would get her message as she watched the streak go back to where it had come from. Taking a deep breath, she let it slowly before looking down at her hand and whispered a spell that would heal her wound. She felt his presence behind her and knew who it was, his hands rested on her shoulders. She never hid anything from him, he knew what she was and he had accepted it willingly. “ We have company coming, my sister’s are going to be joining the fight that is coming.” She leaned slightly against him as she looked up into the dark sky. “ We will get our son back and they will all pay with blood.” Her voice was calm even though on the inside she was falling apart.
sanguis vocat {Blood Calls}Villian in his story: Tenebris {Aurelius Antoninus} Sister storyline
Athlia, being one of the younger sisters still had a lot to learn about their culture it would take time. Her sister Antigone was always there to help in ways she knew her sister had so much on her mind. Athlia was always the curious one of the sisters, trying to find out about anything and everything. She knew she had to be careful, one of these times she could find herself in trouble.
She had in time discovered a new town and new powers she, had that, she was excited to show her sisters. At times she always felt like the younger sister that didn't fit in, sometimes she outgrew that. Her powers at one time brought her to a whole different town and her powers were more than she imagined. she, could here Antigone talking to someone, so she peeked to see who it was.
She was getting that urge inside her once again to travel to sneak away to some town she was at last time. She was, growing up, and knew that would be the wrong thing to do, but it was still in the back of her mind. She stayed close, out of sight listening to Antigone, she then went back to her sisters. This was not a time for her to be snooping into a place or listening to a conversation beside her sister probably knew she was there.
She didn't like the way Antigone was being talked to in such a manner. She was proud of her sister for speaking her mind. Again, Althia got bored, so she snuck, and she did some looking around the palace. It was truly amazing and beautiful to her. Seeing there was a secret door she never saw before, her curiosity was even more now. She opened the door slowly as it squeaked a bit, and she went inside. There were all kinds of things in here, some looking old and older by their condition. Starting to look through what she could, it was rather dusty in here, she was able to see the small items there.
She could at least hear the voices of others. Was that a good thing or not? It was so cold and dusty in this place. She tried looking out the windows had not even a crack in it all it was boarded up. She sat on the very uncomfortable bed, and she still heard the small muttering of people not really close to the room. Still, it was freaking her out, the tears had not stopped, she was frightened. Knows the next time she wants to see things she'll stay close to her sisters.
sanguis vocat {Blood Calls}:Villian in his story: Tenebris {Aurelius Antoninus} Sister storyline
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Signals can come in many ways; just as even though centuries apart from each other siblings can still have a connection. Antigone looked above towards the sky as the necklace mixed with her blood swirled above her. For a moment, Antigone took a deep breath allowing herself to take in the moment. The Dark Ancestral Witch knew that the world had changed over the centuries, however, doesn’t mean that everything had not changed. She knew how stubborn Romans were and being one herself it came naturally to them.
The Dark Ancestral Witch felt a shift within the very air that was for the good of her sisters. For so long they had to be hidden from the world or fear their half-brother’s wrath. Of course, it was unjustified and clearly it was all planned to get them out of the way for the throne. In any case, things would be changing, and it was about time as well. The Dark Ancestral Witch was tired of having to travel around without being able to settle down. She was tired of having to always be on guard about everything and everyone around her.
The consent running towards safety became rather boring. Yes, she understood it and at times allowed others to get close to her. However, there was still an issue of trusting others deep in Antigone’s mind always. The signals that she saw brought her some hope which was something she did not have in what felt like centuries. The Dark Ancestral Witch lowered her hand which was allowing the blood to connect to the necklace swirling in the air. She cut the palm of her hand once more to cause more blood to pool in her hand. Taking a deep breath, Antigone put her hand up once more and swirled it flinging the blood upwards. As she did this, a memory began to form inside her mind. One that she pushed deep in the back of her memory.
Memory: Flashback
Rome: 163 AD Three years into The Roman–Parthian War
The Dark Ancestral Witch who was known as one of the Princesses of Rome. At the age of 16, Antigone knew her place in the world and how to maneuver in the Roman political world. It was common for a woman the age of Antigone to be married but she did not foresee herself marrying any Roman man. Those whom she was around in court were far too close to her or far too old. Many of those that were her age were either on the front line or far they grew up together. Furthermore, she saw that she would be with a man from a distant land.
She knew the hallways like the back of her hand. They were easy to move through even those covered in darkness. From time to time there was an obstacle that blocked the path. Currently as she walked down one of the main hallways, her half-brother Commodus was blocking the way. Antigone rolled her crimson unnatural red eyes as she walked closer not breaking her stride. “frater” (brother), she said with her thick Roman accent looking directly at him and not lowering her gaze. “Soror. aut ego bastardus.” (Sister. Or should I say bastard.) He replied with a cocky look upon his face.
If it had been anyone else, Antigone would have punched them in the face. However, since it was Commodus and she did not want to start a different type of war, Antigone just took a deep breath. “Commodo quid vis?” (What do you want Commodus?) Antigone asked, tilting her head to the left. The Roman princess knew fully that Commodus never thought of herself nor her full-blooded sisters as his siblings. After all, their mother was the true love of Marcus, whereas his mother was just the Empress there for breeding. The Empress did her role, but Liva (the sisters’ mother) was titled the second Empress which legitimized her daughters. Even with all that, Commodus still had hatred for them. Antigone did not wish to fight, though she knew that she could easily take him out of the world of living.
“Cras in acie cum patre fuisses” (I figured you would have been on the battle front with father). Antigone stated with a slight smirk on her face and before he could say anything else she spoke once more. “Tu es heres regni. Tuo nomini tuo gloriam adferre vis.” (Afterall you are the heir to the throne. You would want to bring glory to your name.) The smirk upon her face slightly widen as she stepped closer to him. “ Perditio sperma et ovum es. Perditio tempus es.” (You are a waste of sperm and egg. You are a waste of time). Commodus rolled his eyes slightly. The two siblings both had the same stubbornness when it came to the matter of blood ties. “Et adhuc haeres adhuc sum. Sed tunc adhuc poteras in die ascensurus thronum.” (And yet I'm still the heir. sister. Someone you will have to bow before, or you will watch your siblings feel great pain. But then again you still might upon the day I ascend the throne).
Antigone said nothing for a moment gathering her thoughts to better calculate. Antigone once more took a deep breath and stepped closer. Being a witch, Antigone could see the future even though the future is always changing. There are still some things that are always going to be set in stone. Like everyone dies it is only a matter of time before they meet that fate. “Dies erit ascendendi ad thronum, qui erit dies vere perdis.” (There will be a day you ascend to the throne, however that will be the day you truly lose). The Romans believed in those who could predict the future. They knew there were those who were truly gifted in such, Commodus knew that Antigone, Livia (the mother), and sisters had some abilities. His eyes widened slightly then narrowed. “Diligenter quid loqueris, soror?” (Careful what you speak, sister). Commodus says full of venom particularly on the world of “sister”.
“Minime! Attende quid dicas et facias, frater. Accede sorores meas, et felix ero te de vita depellere.” (No! You be careful what you say and do, brother. Go near my sisters and I will be happy to dethrone you from life). Antigone said looking directly at him. She bowed ever so slightly before turning her back on him. Though this would typically be a death sentence, but Antigone feared nothing especially when it came to Commodus. They both knew they could do nothing against the other. A smirk appeared once again on her face as she walked down the hallway once again. Antigone was only toying with him about the future, but she had seen him ascend to the throne and great devastation happening to him. Though she could not see the whole picture it was enough to cause her to speak with confidence.
Back to the present:
As her blood and necklace swirled overhead, the memory of that day she spoke to Commodus about the future faded from her mind once more. She had not known that what she spoke was partly true. The day he ascended to the throne was the day that he lost everything. At least his truth. Sure, he went down in history but at what cost? Only he and a few others truly know what happened. What the cost of the throne truly was and be assured there is always a cost.
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Disclaimer: This is done in Ishtar’s pov to establish why she did not fully intervene for the sisters.
Background:
The Goddess Ishtar and her husband Enki established the Tenebris line with having one child together named Livia. Of course, Ishtar did have another child named Nanaya and Enki had six other children. Those children they had separately they took as each other’s own. There were no stepchildren with them or anything to that degree and upon together as one there was no disloyalty. It was a sad day for the two of the deities when Livia decided to move to the Roman Empire. It was not something that Ishtar particularly agreed with because she felt a stabbing pain in her gut that nothing good would come from the move.
There was no deterring Livia from her choice on moving and it was not long before Livia had the emperor fall for her and she became pregnant with the first of five daughters. Though Ishtar wanted to be more apart of her daughter’s life and those of the children that Livia began to have; there was little she could do. This was since there were other deities within Rome. This caused those of the old gods, or the old land not be able to go into Rome and it would put her family in danger.
Yes, she watched over all her children no matter where they went, but it was Livia that seemed to be more in danger, and it would be the biggest regret of Ishtar for not stepping into her daughter’s consort life. She had to watch her daughter’s lifeforce drain from her eyes and had to watch as her granddaughters had to lower their mother’s body (her daughter) into the ground. The ground that her daughter was laid to rest was that of the enemy now and neither her nor the five daughters born in Livia could visit. Oh, how she wanted to have the body brought back to the homeland, yet it was like a price within the victor’s land. The Goddess and God had to watch as the five granddaughters had to flee from their homeland due to their half brother’s plot. She had to watch as each one of them had to flee to different parts of the world away from each other and her.
Present: Granddaughters’ call:
Sitting upon her throne high in the Mesopotamian sky and hearing the prayers/worship of her followers a voice began to ring through her mind. Ishtar could not put her finger on it, but the voice sounded familiar and felt familiar. She could sense that the voice was that of her own blood. “Do you hear that?” Enki asked walking from the other side of the room. She nodded, “A voice that had not been hear for centuries.” He said with his deep and soothing voice. The voice they both heard said, Tempus est. Ishtar et Enki nos defendunt, quia posteri tui sumus” (It is time. Ishtar and Enki protect us, for we are your descendants.)” A gut feeling struck Ishtar when she listened to it harder.
“It can’t be?” she asked walking towards her beloved and as he walked towards a gold alter that they had created to watch over their family that had been scattered across the world. Enki and Ishtar took needles and poked one of their fingers on their right hands. Allowing the blood to drip upon the altar a face began to form, and the voice became clear. “It’s Antigone and she is asking for our protection.” She said taking her right hand to place it over her heart. They watched as the necklace with blood got thrown into the air and the picture switched to Isik raising her hand. “My beloved granddaughters. This is why I said we should have stepped in sooner.” She said looking at her beloved husband with a slight anger in her eyes.
” You know why we couldn’t step in.” he replied in a simple tone knowing how he wife was and they both knew it was the truth. She sighed a little and without wasting a second moment dipped her finger that was still dripping blood into the pool that held with vision upon the altar. This sent a bright red streak across the sky. “We are no longer keeping from stepping within our families’ life.” She said looking with her gold right and red left eye directly at her husband. “Ishtar what have you done? Two of them are within the land that falls under the god Allah’s rule.” Enki said with a slightly higher tone filled with anger. “I do not care for this so-called god protects that land our flesh and blood resides in it therefore, we have grounds.” She said shooting lightening across the Mesopotamian sky.
“We will protect our own. Far too long we had to step back due to the gods in the other land. No longer!!”
She knew for a few days that something was wrong, she could feel it in every fiber of her being but she wasn’t sure what it was. She knew that her older sister Boudicca was in turmoil, she could feel the emotions running down the link that attached the sisters when each was born, an invisible bond that would never be broken. Isik put down the parchment that she had been reading and slowly rose to her feet, grabbing her bas suslemesi( head decoration) she slipped it on her head. Walking out of the tent that she had been in, she looked around. Her movement caught the eyes of the men and women moving around the camp and each one bowed as she moved past them. She knew that her husband was nearby, probably checking in with his men but she kept moving. A slight breeze picked up as she slowly made her way up a small sand dune not too far from the camp, reaching the top just as the necklace around her neck grew warm, her hand automatically clasping it in her palm.
The moment her flesh touched the jewel, she heard her older sister Antigone’s voice, to hear her sister’s voice was beautiful to her heart and soul. It had been too long, way too long but she knew why they had been apart and now, after all this time, the calling had come. She knew that Antigone was correct in sending it now. She could feel the unbalance, she knew that something bad was coming but being one of the youngest, she couldn’t make that call unless it was dire, so she had waited. She had missed her sisters dearly, she had missed a lot by being separated from them and even though she had her only family now it still wasn’t the same. Her husband and daughter meant the world to her but when you are a twin and separated from them and the rest of your siblings, it is like missing a part of your soul.
She looked down at the jewel once more in hand before letting it rest against her skin, raising her palm, she used her powers to make a slice in the palm of her hand and waited for the blood to come to the surface before shifting her eyes in the direction that the message had come from to send a message back. “Bu mesaji duyan kiz kardeslerim icin cok uzun zaman oldu. Katiliyorum, birlik olup guclu durmanin zamani geldi. Benim kanim senin kanina sesleniyor ve ben yoluma cikiyorum.” To my sisters who hear this message, it has been way too long. I agree, it’s time together to stand united and strong. My blood calls to your blood and I am on my way.” She watched as her blood floated above her hand as the wound sealed itself and shot through the air joining the calling from her sister Antigone, who she knew would know right away that her message had gotten through.
As she watched, she knew the minute her blood mixed with her sisters, making the red signal light turn brighter. Normally her own signal would be a light color but since this was a blood call, it would turn red but she knew that all her sisters would know that she had received the message. After a few minutes, she turned and slowly made her way back to the camp where her husband stood waiting, she could see in his eyes already that he knew that something had happened. Reaching his side, she placed her hand on his arm before making their way to their tent so she could tell him what was going on and that they needed to change their plans.
