Axle and Jupiter || The Cursed Prince

Solaris was at war with Mars, and Axle was determined to skew things in Solaris’s favor. He wasn’t usually one for adventures into decrepit ruins. They were dank, dark, and tended to attract rodents. Just the thought made him shudder with revulsion. But... Axle was interested in helping {user}.

So here he was, searching the ruins of an ancient temple, hoping to find something powerful to help Solaris and Saturn win the war.

All around Axle the temple stood in various states of decay. It was dark, the lantern he held aloft cast flickering shadows on crumbling walls, torn tapestries, and fallen stone columns.

He gently lifted a piece of a torn tapestry that depicted some kind of horrific beast devouring a star.

“If the artifact is as powerful as the rumors say it could give my beloved the power to win this war... before Jupiter has to fight in it.” Axle whispered to himself, a slight tremble to the normally confident purr.

The bond was a constant background hum in Axle’s mind. {user}’s mind on the other side of the planet. Anxiety and stress thrummed from them, it was their new normal now that they were ruling Solaris and trying to win a war.

Stern disapproval radiated from Jupiter through the same bond the three of them now shared.

Axle sent reassurance to him, a soft brush against his mind.

’Don’t fret love, I’ll be back before you know it... whatever this temple was dedicated to is long gone now, I’ll be fine.’ Axle communicated to Jupiter, sending a brush of reassurance along with the message.

He felt Jupiter’s familiar worry and disapproval of course... and the longing.

Jupiter missed him too.

Axle stopped when he reached a pair of grand doors made out of dark metal and crusted with dark gems. They stood perfectly intact despite the ruin around them. This must be the entrance to the temple’s sanctum.

He pressed a hand to the doors but before he could push to open them, there was a small prick in the palm of his hand. Axle let out a startled yelp and pulled his hand back quickly. There in the center of his palm was a trickle of blood.

The loud creeaaak of the doors opening suddenly filled the silence.

Something in Axle’s mind sent a warning signal, it seemed to say: Get out. Run. Go. but he couldn’t, not until he got the artifact.

The sanctum was perfectly preserved, there were no crumbling walls, no fallen pieces of ceiling, no decaying columns... it looked maintained or... preserved.

“What in the stars?” Axle’s brow furrowed as he held his lantern higher and stepped into the room. The effect was instantaneous, the doors swung shut behind him with a slam. A wind blew through the room and the light of his lantern went dead.

In the darkness, laughter... but not the laughter of joy... it was the laughter of a hunter cornering its prey, of an evil emperor deposing his enemies... it was something evil.

A voice that seemed to creak and hiss, ancient and powerful, filled the room:

“Son of Saturn who has entered my temple and woken me from my slumber... approach the alter and make your offering...”

All around Axle dark crystals on pillars began to glow, draping the outer edges of the room in stark shadows, and lighting a path straight to an alter.

The alter appeared to be made out of the same dark metal as the door, it was carved with jagged symbols... and an aura of ancient power practically flowed off of it like water trapped in a flooded creek.

Whatever ancient god was in this temple, was trapped in that alter... and it was evil.

Axle sent a silent prayer to the God of the Mind, ‘Please protect me in this dark place.’

Axle’s feet seemed to move on their own, one stiff step, then another... like a puppet on strings. On top of the alter was a black gem sharpened into a point. His hand moved, he couldn’t stop it. His palm pressed down, piercing the center of his hand.

Blood flowed down the gem.

The voice let out a triumphant roar, the ground shook, the walls of the temple began to crumble.

‘The dark one cannot be freed! He’s still weak, quickly my favored one, use the abilities I blessed you with! Destroy the dark one’s mind! NOW’ It was the voice of The God of the Mind, a direct order that he wouldn’t dare disobey.

Axle always kept his telepathy on a tight leash. There was a reason so few were blessed by The God of the Mind, if your willpower and control were too weak, the powers could consume you. Axle knew how easy it would be for him if he gave into temptation...

But this was not the time for his self control. The very god he was blessed by gave him an order.

Axle unleashed his powers, he could sense the mind of the ancient beast he’d unwittingly freed. It wasn’t a fallen god, it was an eater of worlds. An immortal being whose hunger and greed was so great it would consume anything and everything.

As Axle took control of the beast’s mind he saw the truth of it. The Gods imprisoned the beast in this place. Axle sent waves of his powers at the beast, a torturous unending loop of pain then fear, slowly crumbling the beast’s will.

The hissing creaking voice was begging now, “Make it end! Make it end I beg of you!”

Axle sent the final feeling to the beast’s mind, he used every bit of strength he had: ‘Then Sleep.’

As the ancient devourer of worlds was sealed away once more, Axle was hit with a backlash of the beast’s power... A dark curse wrapping itself around the only thing connected to the beast: Axle’s mind.

Axle screamed in pain as he felt the curse spread its inky black tendrils through his mind. It made him more ruthless and power hungry, it stripped Axle of his well trained self control... and most importantly of all: It twisted the love he felt for {user} and Jupiter into an all consuming need to possess...

“N-no...” Axle moaned out as he fell to his hands and knees, crawling forward as if he could out run the thing twisting his mind. “P-please...”

He couldn’t let the curse harm his lovers.

Axle slammed a mental wall down, blocking his mind from Jupiter and {user}. He knew it wouldn’t last forever, once the curse took hold... there was no telling what he would do... but perhaps it would buy them some time to protect themselves.

“I’m... so... sorry...” Axle whispered.

Then... darkness...

---

Jupiter was sitting up, his back against the headboard, he was wearing nothing but a pair of comfortable pajama pants. His chest was a display of scars earned over a hard life in the military. Even his hands were on display, a rare intimacy only {user} and Axle got.

He was running a hand through {user}’s hair, enjoying a rare moment of peace as they both waited for the return of their reckless lover. The bond rippled with some kind of ancient power, then unimaginable pain and horror from Axle. Jupiter's hand paused, his brows furrowed with confusion.

{user} sat up in the bed with a gasp, woken up by the same thing he’d just felt.

And then they both felt nothing. The bond went completely, eerily silent. No background hum of Axle's feelings, it felt like Axle himself had erected a wall blocking himself off from them.

The pieces all fell into place with quick startling clarity.

"Oh you worry to much my dear, I'll be back sooner than you think... what harm could some old crumbling building really pose? Besides if the rumors are true then this temple holds the key to helping us win this war."

“A curse.” Jupiter growled, clenching a scarred fist. “Axle’s been cursed.”

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Jupiter never expected that things would have come to this. He and {user} tried for weeks to help Axle. They found every count curse they could think of, they tried using the telepathic bond they shared with Axle, they even tried sheer willpower.

None of it got rid of whatever dark curse plagued Axle’s mind now. The curse Axle suffered from was truly a heinous thing. Where love once lived a greedy obsession now sat. Self control and a fierce unwavering determination not to abuse his powers had once been core parts of Axle’s being, now he was power hungry, ruthless, with his only loyalty being to what he wanted.

Jupiter ran a hand through his hair as he felt the brush of Axle in his mind again. It used to be a comfort, a soft brushing presence, a light mischievous chuckle...now though? It was tinged with a darkness, it didn’t feel loving or affectionate... it felt... hungry.

‘Still trying to find a way to break the bond love? My powers are unmatched. You’ll never free yourself from me... we’re bound for eternity.’ Axle’s voice sounded in Jupiter’s mind, tinged with a dark laughter.

That was the new path Jupiter was taking. He’d shifted focus to one thing; protection from the bond... from Axle. His heart ached that he had to take such measures but... Axle wasn’t the man he loved anymore. He was something else.

Something evil.

And Jupiter wouldn’t allow it to taint {user}.

There was a knock on his office door and Jupiter looked up, “Enter.” He said loudly, his voice a calm that didn’t betray the turmoil raging inside.

‘Yes this turmoil and despair is all for me and {user}... only we get to see this side of you...’ Axle purred possessively.

Two of the palace mages entered Jupiter’s office. Behind them stood: a priestess of the god of the mind in dark blue and silver robes with the sigil of the god of the mind hanging around his neck, and a demi-pegaus priestess of The God of Protection wearing white and gold robes with a sigil of the God of Protection around their neck.

The mages stepped to the side and let the priestesses approach.

“This amulet is the strongest protection against telepathic magic that we can enchant. It was blessed and enchanted by both of us, and should help shield the wearer from even the strongest telepathy.” The priestess in blue and silver said, her voice calm and serene as she placed an ornate wooden box on the desk.

Jupiter lifted the lid off of the box, there nestled inside the soft velvet interior was a small diamond pendant swirling with a rainbow of magic inside, it dangled from a delicate golden chain and looked to all the world like something any fashionable aristocrat might wear.

He nodded once, “Excellent work all of you.”

He waved a gloved hand and dismissed them all before quickly closing the box shut with a snap.

Jupiter could imagine what the old Axle, the one he’d loved before the curse, would think of this amulet:

“Now this will be quite the challenge to get past. Blessed by The God of the Mind himself and The Goddess of protection? What is my beloved trying to keep me from finding out hmmm?” The teasing tone he’d speak with, the genuine joy he would find in trying to overcome such a challenging roadblock.

It was all twisted now. Axle’s rage simmered through the bond. He was not pleased in the slightest.

Jupiter left his office, moving quickly down the palace halls, he wanted {user} to put this amulet on immediately.

‘Just because I can’t get close to you or {user} while you’re safe inside those palace walls doesn’t mean that amulet will keep me away from {user} forever. I’ll find my way back in... besides... {user} needs me for the war. I’m still their betrothed. We’ll have to get married eventually... and when I’m Prince consort... I’ll remind you and {user} who you both belong to.’ Axle growled.

‘Once the curse is broken I’ll happily stand at your side during the wedding Axle. Maybe we’ll honeymoon at the cabin we took {user} to... Remember the winter getaway Axle? Imagine the mountains during the summer... the view is breathtaking.’ Jupiter replied, some gentleness sliding across the bond to Axle.

Axle grew quiet after that, likely his true self trying to wrestle the curse into submission again. Every once in awhile they got glimpses of the old Axle, the man he was without the curse. Jupiter wasn’t sure if the glimpses were blessings or curses to be honest.

Jupiter opened {user}’s office door, it was a cozy space. There were a few bookshelves against one wall, a fireplace with a comfortable couch across from it... and of course {user} sitting behind their desk, looking over the latest reports from the front lines of the war.

“More reports of enemy forces going mad?” Jupiter asked, he felt Axle’s dark chuckle through the bond... and based on the way {user} winced... they heard it too.

‘I’m helping the war efforts, you two should be grateful.’ Axle retorted.

That had been the biggest surprise after the curse took hold. Jupiter always knew Axle’s abilities were strong, but with every report that came in from the front lines Jupiter grew a little more astounded... and terrified.

Entire enemy battalions stunned on the battlefield for precious seconds, giving the armies from Solaris and Saturn an advantage. High ranking enemy officers reporting visions that drove them to madness... and that was just the tip of the iceberg.

Under the influence of the curse Axle had found some horrifically creative uses for his powers.

“Here. This was just finished.” Jupiter said as he passed the box across the desk to {user}. “Put it on and you’ll be safe from the bond... you’ll be safe from Axle.”