This is the second instalment of Omen’s life as Leonardo da Vinci. All in all, it’s rather short, though it does give fascinating insight into the life of da Vinci and things da Vinci valued most.
da Vinci: Adult Life Through Death
I was apprenticed to a well-known artist and educated in many fields of craftsmanship. My mentor was so sharp and harsh at times, yet so gentle and encouraging at other times; that I still wonder what he thought of me. It seemed he [Devil] saw more than just my art, one of those few individuals to be able to look into my eyes and practically make me cower inside. I could swear he saw straight through into me, judging all of my deeds. I always wished to please him for some reason. I certainly respected him [Devil] and valued his ideals, as a pilgrim would hang on their gurus every word. In a way, I sought to emulate him at first, as he was the perfect example of success (which I was somewhat hell bent on achieving in any form for my teenage years, at the least) but over time even he [Devil] seemed to think that I surpassed him.
Even after my tuition was finished with him, I still visited him at every chance I got and we grew closer as time went by. We went from student and teacher, to colleagues and finally to brothers as I slipped into my adulthood and our appalling age gap closed swiftly. I would have been his lover had he not insinuated many times that he did not favor men particularly. I’m not ashamed to say I would have legitimately done anything for him, I was indebted to him after all.
All in all, much was said between us…but I still wonder at what was never said. It seems when meeting such inspiring individuals, there is always so much left unfinished. Such is the nature of human mortality.
My early adult years were extremely busy, to say the least. Up until middle age both Devil and I had to fulfil all of our wants and needs. We were not sure how long we would live so it seemed like a race almost, to see who could stuff themselves with as much knowledge and skill and experience as quickly as possible. Devil focused on mathematics, scientific laws, mechanics, physics and architecture. I still have yet to understand why he was interested in such, of all things, as I have absolutely no grasp on such things at all to this day…but I let him because that was our agreement. Meanwhile I studied nature, philosophy, sculpture, painting and (with a bit of help from Devil) mechanical arts (as I was infatuated with weaponry and torture devices…..still am actually). We spent so much time studying that we’d almost forgotten to make a living (as honestly we’d been basically mooching off of the family name and helping with mentor’s projects up until that point) and we hadn’t spoken a whit about Devil getting his own skin for years. It quickly dawned on me that it was as though were just caught up in the creative and exploratory current of the world and had lost our sense of direction. I quickly got to work on commissioned work of my own, and a few years later at the ripe age of almost 40, I found someone for Devil to have, a boy who was to be my student and assistant (or so everyone thought).
Life got in the way of us both, I gained a following of fellow upper class and Devil took a likening to some of the individuals involved and I let him work for and with them when I had nothing extra for him to do (which in other words was whenever he or they wanted to). I traveled wherever I was required and even when war got in the way of some of my efforts, I was never perturbed. I felt that I had all the time in the world to finish my artworks and studies, what is more I had long decided that I had both the looks and the charm to please others regardless. However, before I knew it age had caught up to me, as it does (and as I often do not expect for some reason) and I could not do the demanding physical tasks I once required to be painting fresco’s and the like. Of course I was always strong and healthy, but one cannot undo the natural wear of oneself over time.
Knowing this, and after years of moving between cities and estates, I settled into a home alone at the behest of a land keeper who offered me a plot on his grounds and eventually I died there in my 60’s. I had no living heirs and I never married. I would hope everything I had went to Devil, but that would be a farce and I know it. It was not in keeping with status to leave everything to a servant who had moved on in the world to greater things, so I left him [Devil] all I could and then threw the rest at my avid followers.
The next time I saw the little Devil was when he was hired to kill me decades later. He was always greedy and always attempted to overcompensate for everything. I’m sure you can guess how his efforts rewarded him. Regardless, for all the times he [Devil] was an irrefutable asshole with a lust for all the finer things in existence, he was also an honest friend and always kept his word. I will always respect him.