Mechanical pencil, HB leads. Yes, I'm masochistic. It just happened that way.

[edit: here's a decent scan and a print of this]

[Acheron and Simi copyright Sherrilyn Kenyon]

I couldn't possibly describe Acheron in the way he should be described. Nor explain who Simi is and why there is such a bond of love between them. So I got to do it for me:

"Though he appears at most times to be a young man of barely twenty, Acheron Parthenopaeus is anything but young. He’s not even a man.

He is a god.

Standing six-feet-eight without the four-inch platform Goth boots he generally can be seen wearing, Acheron would introduce himself as “Ash”…if he bothered with an introduction. Born over eleven thousand years ago, Ash is an Atlantean, one of the last of the deities of the Lost Continent. (Though technically it’s not “lost”; Ash could tell you exactly where it is, however he won’t even reveal his true hair color, so good luck getting anything else out of him.)

Acheron is the leader of the Dark-Hunters; immortal warriors that protect the human race from the Daimons.

Vampires.

Though these vampires don’t suck your blood.

They take your soul, prolonging their unnatural lives by preying on others.

For thousands of years, Acheron alone stood between the Daimons and humans. Now, he leads thousands of Dark-Hunters, the army created by the Olympian goddess Artemis, to whom Ash is bound and enslaved along with the other Dark-Hunters.

Simi, a symbiotic being irrevocably bonded to his consciousness, is his only true companion, and for all intents and purposes, his daughter. She is a Charonte demon, one of the former guardians of Atlantis. Given to Ash as a hatchling, she and Ash have essentially grown up together. Her name means “baby” or “little one” in Atlantean. Simi can make Ash do just about anything she wants, and he almost never denies her, indulging her to the point of insanity. She refers to him as many things, but most often calls him “Akri”, the Atlantean term for “Lord and Master”.

However, to Simi, it means “Daddy”.

She protects him just as fiercely as he protects her, and he loves her beyond reason.

When Ash isn’t saving the world (which he does thanklessly on a just about nightly basis, so be grateful, you pitiful little mortals!), he can be found at his home trying to catch a few hours sleep through the incessant ringing of his cell phone, watching his multiple-screen television constantly tuned to Cartoon Network (Simi’s is always on QVC) while he strums his guitar.

Acheron is an omniscient god of fate, and his burdens weigh heavily upon his shoulders, as he must always speak the truth. Or a form of it. Anything he says becomes destiny, so most of the time he refrains from speaking entirely.

Aside from cartoons and comic books, Ash enjoys movies and music of all types. He has seen many styles come and go through the centuries, and in the Twenty-first century he prefers to outfit himself in Goth regalia. He is fond of black leather and hair of various shades. He constantly wears a pair of sunglasses, even at night, though those are mostly to both protect and hide his disconcerting eyes.

Silver eyes. Eyes that swirl and dance with both his mood and the power within him that he can disguise, but never hide. Power that bleeds from his every pore. He exudes a raw animal magnetism that promises the best sexual experience of your life. He is acutely aware of it, and extremely uncomfortable with it.

For all his sexual attraction, Ash hates to be touched in any way by anyone but Simi, and rarely allows anyone proximity enough to take the chance. To be in Ash’s presence is an experience one never forgets. Unless, of course, he makes you forget you ever saw him.

He does that quite a lot.

Though, if you’re ever in New Orleans, you might catch a glimpse of him at Mardi Gras. You might also spot him at Dragon*Con every Labor Day weekend in Atlanta. He’s the tall Goth boy accompanied by a winged demon pestering him for another “plastic card”, because the ones she has are broken. He can be found in Goth clubs, in various parts of the world, anywhere, anytime.

Unlike the other Dark-Hunters, Acheron Parthenopaeus can walk in the daylight. You really could see him anytime, anywhere. Give him a wide berth and don’t ask him any question you don’t want a truthful answer to. He has a faint scar in the form of a handprint at his throat. If you see him, keep your eyes on his face, and pretend you don’t see anything else.

Of course, when Ash in the vicinity, it’s damn near impossible to pretend you don’t see anything else.

Even if you’re an Immortal."


Photo reference used: [link] by