Umbra Concera

 

Sometimes we walk in darkness. We shake and shudder in fear,

and in the shadow of our surroundings, we are afraid of what is near.

Horror-struck that pain and death approach all that we hold dear,

we tremble and we cry out and pray we were not here.

Sometimes we walk in darkness. The trees reach out and the clouds hang low,

but ailment may only take bodies. Our souls we keep as we go.

But sometimes the darkness walks in us...

Orkhan brought his sword down hard at his opponent, but a light parry from her blade caused his to spark against the ground. He didn't understand it. She was strong. He pulled back quickly causing her sword to stop just short of the eye slit in his helmet. She was strong in body. This did not bother him. He had seen a great many mages perform more than equal feats at just the slightest whim.

He slashed upward with his blade, only to find hers underneath his raising it far higher than he intended. She was strong in mind, and this was difficult to comprehend. He found himself forced to heave his body backwards as in a fluid motion she had turned her sword toward him in a swift cut. The kind expression and wide-eyed curiosity that normally inhabited her young face was gone, and there was not a trace to be found.

He blocked deftly as her blade came down from on high to strike him. Her eyes stared hollowly forward, as if fixed off in the distance at eternity. He raised his sword to waist height and thrust towards her. Her face had no expression and made no change, even as she grabbed his blade with a bare hand. No, not bare. A blue shimmer, there was a blue shimmer. He pulled back on his blade, but let go as hers came savagely towards his wrists.

He lurched forward for his sword, and ended up with hers neatly running through his midsection and out his back. It was nearly as tall as she was, and a thin, cruel thing from ages past. He endured it. He grabbed it with both gauntlets and pulled her in. He could feel the blood running warm and wet down the inside of his armor. As he went for her head with his, she laid a hand on his chest. A white flash sat him hard on the floor.

His vision cleared to her half-gloved hand coming down swiftly at his face, a whitish glow building around it. His helmet flew off, and his head hit the ground with a resounding clack. She was kneeling on his chest, sword in both hands, blade and hilt, unwavering above his exposed throat. "Vivi, enough!" he heard her brother call breathlessly as the world darkened.

"Hear me, Vivi. Listen to my voice.

Here me, Vivi. I have for you a choice.

You remember, oh, that fateful day.

You remember your father taken away.

How can you live with that man? (the one who is here now.)

You know you should be without him. (We both know you know how.)

Take the dagger, unsheathe the knife.

Take the dagger, and end his murderous life."

"Who are you to remind me of such strife?

Who are you to call for my brother's life?"

"I am the darkness. In the night I come alive.

I am the darkness. By you hatred I survive."

"Deceiver! I hate him not.

Deceiver, do not speak such rot."

"I am the darkness. I am the desire that you hide.

I am the darkness. I am the shadow deep inside."

"Be gone devil! Get away from my soul!

Be gone devil! Lay off your vile goal!"

"See me. Free me. Be me. I'm the devil that you are."

"Never, demon. Never! I'm not like you at all."

"See me. Free me. Be me. I'm the devil that you are."

"Never, demon. Never. You know I shall not fall."

"See me. Free me. Be me. I'm never very far..."