Post by Pendragon on Feb 17, 2007 4:22:46 GMT -5
It’s been awhile, hasn't it?
I know. I promised to write every day, but soon you'll understand why it took me so long. Things have changed, I know I say that every time but this time I mean it more than ever.
I feel happy
and yet guilty at the same time. How weird is that? Almost as if I'm betraying her. But I'm not really, am I?
Can you betray someone who's dead?
Sometimes I wonder... what would she say? Would she be glad I was happy? And though I hate to say it... Often I'm too caught up to even think about her. Also, I have to apologise to you. Whoever you are.
I lost the other pages.
Yeah, I know, stupid mistake. But it happened. So when you find this, if anyone finds this, then you'll see this first. I'm going to have to write everything again, I'm sort of glad. It means I can line up all the connections I couldn't see before, now I know the truth. Some of the stuff I wrote before was kinda embarrassing as well, but then...If I don't put down the truth in my journal, then nobody will know what happened. And maybe one day... when this is all over... I can look back, and realise that it did happen, realise I didn't make it all up, and that I'm not insane.
My name is Sion, I don't have a second name. My father didn't know his parents. By now, just by saying "Sion" people will know you mean me. Not for a good reason either. I want to get the true story out, it's important for you to know why the world's so screwed up right now.
First, I have to tell you something I've known since a young age, for reasons you'll understand soon. Its time the rest of the world learns the truth. Some of you may not believe, I know, but this is what was told to me, and through a series of events, I've come to believe it.
A god created this world. Yes, an actual god. I don't know that much about her, only that she somehow made everything. Its kinda hard to get your head round it, how can one person, or one being have that much power? In the end, I guess it makes sense. Look at how complex we are, how can this be created by chance? Anyways, If you don't believe I'm not going to try and make you. Heck, maybe you should put this down right now. No? Still reading? On with the show then. She sealed her powers within a dagger, and gave it to a family, along with a blessing. The blessing invoked power in them, the first signs of intelligence, and insured that every first born in the line would be equipped with the ability to keep the dagger safe. When the time came, these were the people who used the power to change the planet. They wove a path round destruction.
Until now.
My father, Yuri, held the dagger. However, he was wounded retrieving the dagger from a thief.
That’s what he told me anyway.
I was so stupid, I believed him, solely because he was my father. Never questioned, never even wondered how a mere thief took the dagger from such a powerful man, or why the dagger allowed itself to be stolen, when it could never have been taken from an unwilling hand before.
I can't reveal Yuri's secret now, I want you to learn things in the same order I did. That way you'll be able to understand why I did all the crazy things I'm dying to tell you about.
I woke up to another normal day in the Glade. That was what they called it, the huge grounds around our small cottage. Some of it was farmland, but a huge forest took up most of it. My parents had always called it a glade, and so I will too. As usual, the house was empty as I grabbed myself some breakfast. Out the window, I could see two figures in the distances, going at it like they had nothing to lose. I would have been amazed, if I didn't see it every day. Even at his age. Even with his wound, father was still deadly fast.
But his opponent was faster.
Takami fought like a master, probably because he was one. Yuri swung downwards, changing to strike his foes feet at the last moment, but Takami was ready for it. He leaped over the blade, darting in with his weapon to kiss Yuri's neck. A tense moment passed, when I wondered whether Takami would free Yuri, but he did. Yuri patted him on the back, congratulating him, before collapsing against a tree to get his breath. Takami slipped the Dagger through his belt, no wait, Let me write that again.
Takami slipped, the Dagger, through, his belt.
That’s right, I'm not the hero of this story. Takami is the dagger wielder, the great protector, and most of all, my older brother. The dagger goes to the first born; yet I was the second. What does this mean for me? I saw it as an easy life, I won't lie to you, I wasn't fit to do what Takami does, and I’m not a warrior. Its not that simple though, there's another side to it, with Takami holding down the Dagger issue, there wasn't much for me to do.
Yeah, it was an easy life, but a pointless one.
I took a minute to stop by the stables. Our stable girl, Farah, was already there. She lived west of the glade in the city surrounding the elven palace, Ilandror, but she had a small room in the glade for when she needed to stay the night. We made some light conversation, I checked up on my horse, and then I was off to wander the glade. Before long I found myself clambering up the usual tree. From atop its branches I could see my mother, Seline, making her way to Ilandror. She was an elf (my father was human, making me half-elf) with a huge talent for healing, and so every day she travelled to the city to make a little money. I turned on my perch and I could see Takami and father, this time training their magic. They were a mirror image as they gathered up energy, both of them with their long brown hair blowing in the wind. I played with my own blonde hair, thinking that I could not be more different from them. I couldn't fight, I could barely control my magic, and of the four of us, I was the only one without brown hair. I leant towards a nearby tree to grab an apple. Next thing I know I'm hanging upside down, with the branch caught in a death grip by my legs. Maybe I've got something after all. I spent the day on my tree, I was surpassed at what I could do without breaking my neck, but the last jump was just a little too far. I came up short, and landed on my knee. I sat there with my eyes closed, not wanting to look at the damage. If the pain was anything to go by, something was screwed up. Finally I bucked up the courage, turns out it wasn’t so bad. It was bleeding though, so I began to make my way back to the house, leaving the wound for mother to heal.
Big mistake.
It would be wrong to say we were alone in the glade. The place had a few demons hanging around, but hey, what place didn't? Takami used them for training. Apparently he'd missed some, maybe these were the smart ones that stayed out our way, but even smart demons couldn't resist the smell of blood.
One moment I was walking through the glade, the next I was lying on the floor, with this huge wolf demon staring me down. It laid a strong paw on my chest, pinning me down like I was nothing. Probably because I was nothing. Thinking quickly, I wrapped my legs around its head... and did nothing. The demon was too heavy for me to move, especially with my smashed knee. I was dead. Deader than deader. I was like... well, like something dead. Then, out of the jaws of defeat, the wolf removed his paw. Just like that, food one minute, free the other. Not one to hang around and thank him, I rolled out the way and onto my feet. The wolf made a run for it, I'm serious, it started to run. My mind just locked, why, why, why? The predator had become the prey, it had me, had me and I couldn't do a thing about it. I didn't understand.
Until I saw the hunter.
Takami dashed forward, he had a long sword in each hand. One of them was his Midnight, the other was my own Celestial. He ruthlessly kicked the wolf back from its escape. Its weird, but I actually thought that was kinda cruel. Yeah, it was a demon and all, but so what? It was running, he could have let it live. The wolf demon must have figured out it wasn't going to get away so easily, it lashed out at me again. This time I was ready. I dived to the side, taking my position next to Takami. Keeping my eyes on the target, I shot out my arm as Takami threw me Celestial. "Remember the cross maneuverer?" He asked. I nodded, but really I had no clue. Takami had been giving me lessons for a few years. I was picking things up, but slowly. Too slowly. Takami turned back to the wolf "I've got first and right" He proclaimed. In an instant he went from somewhat friendly Takami to the highly trained killer I'd never seen beaten. He leaped up, bringing Midnight above his head. Then he stabbed the blade down, thrusting through the demons right shoulder. It was then that I realised what I had to do. As Takami leaped back I slid under him, extending my arm to its full length. I pushed my weight forward. My body went from sliding to stabbing in one quick move, and my blade shot straight through the left shoulder. Yes! Perfect strike! Well, almost perfect. The monster pulled back, I lost my grip on the hilt. Naturally Takami was one step ahead. He slammed his heel down on to Celestials handle, launching it up through the wolfs shoulder and into the air. I plucked it from its flight, jumping back to leave the kill for Takami. As usual he performed perfectly. The wolf stepped back, but the attack was relentless. Takami ran his blade right inbetween its eyes, all the way down to the hilt. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see the point when life turned to death.
I heard it though.
Takami raised an eyebrow at me "No killer instinct" He decided. "This is why you always lose."
I couldn't stop myself from arguing. "More like murderer instinct" I yelled at him. I wasn't sure if I was angry because of what he said, or because of what he did. Either way I was mad. Takami stopped and turned to me "How can you say I am a murderer? It was a demon, not a person!"
"It didn't need to die!" I shouted back "It was running!"
"It was a problem I eliminated!" He argued "It would only attack again!"
"You don't know that! We have never seen it again" I knew I was losing now, Takami logic was right. That doesn’t mean I had to like it.
"Then why did you follow up the attack?" Takami's calm returned, and for good reason. I didn't have a reply to that, why had I followed up? I guess it was sort of a heat of the moment thing, that and I didn't want Takami to see me chicken out. Wow, I sure had great priorities. Impressing Takami over life. It’s strange to think how much I changed.
We were silent on the way back. Takami didn't even stop to wipe the blood off his blade, and there was a lot of blood. I noticed the dagger was glowing weirdly. I could see it even through his belt sheath, but I was too worked up to say anything. When we finally got back home, Yuri was already there to welcome us.
With his sword drawn.
Yuri charged his opponent, a tall man in a long black cloak that dragged along the floor. He also wore a hood that hid his eyes, so the only exposed part of this stranger was his mouth. He wielded very short wooden weapons in each hand. About the length of my forearm. They were strange weapons, but the stranger used them with incredible power and speed. At first I thought he was on level with father, matching him blow for blow. Something was up though, everytime Yuri went for a killing blow he doubled his speed and whipped him away. Almost as if the stranger was playing with father, but why? I could tell by the look on Yuri's face as he swung his huge blade that this was no practise match. They were playing for keeps. Yuri stabbed forward with his sword, the stranger slid under the extended weapon and swept father's feet out from under him. I drew Celestial, not quite sure what I was going to do, but still intent on something all the same. Takami held his arm out infront to stop me, but I was in no mood to listen. I pushed past with my blade held high, charging the stranger with a downward stroke. With obvious ease he swung round and blocked me with one of his weapons. With the other he slammed me in the stomach, then he uppercut with the first. With just two blows my whole body was on fire, a third blow sent me flying into a tree. Everything was going grey... until... until there was nothing. I woke up at what seemed like seconds after, but for all I knew it could have been hours. I was lying face down, and couldn't quite figure out where I was. Eventually I managed to piece together how much I'd screwed up. Alot. I turned my tortured body over; the strange man was a few meters away. With seven stab wounds. He'd been killed brutally; again I felt a strange sense of guilt for someone who had attacked me. Okay, So I prefer that he died rather than me, but seven? I rolled over, not wanting to see the stab wounds. On the other side was father.
He had thirteen.
I couldn't accept it.
I wouldn’t accept it. It just wouldn't process. No, It was- No. It's so damn wrong. No, just no. Impossible. I remember thinking, maybe even shouting out to the sky, just how screwed up I thought it was. "What the hell is wrong with this world? Everyone dies! What the damn point?" Even to this day, I still feel the same way, but as I crawled over to father I knew I would never know. The pain in my body was nothing compared to that in my heart. No, he had never been much of a father to me, but I still felt anger at his death, even more so than sadness. I lifted his head up. His eyes were moving! There was still a little something there. "Father..." I whispered softly, his lips were parched. I had no water to give him. "Who did this? I swear. I swear with everything I'll kill him." Father slowly raised a finger, pointing east. I tilted my head. Whoa. The forest was on fire! He took my father. He took my home. I'm going to take his life. Slipping my hands behind father, I took his huge sword and strapped it to my back, then started on my way to the forest. I stopped a few feet forward, turning back to Yuri. He was fading fast, but I had one last question. "Where is Takami?" I asked. Once again father raised a weak finger. Once again he pointed to the east. Takami was in the same place as the killer. No wait. Takami was the killer! I shed a single tear.
It would be awhile before I cried again.
I raced through the flames, diving to the side quickly to avoid getting hit by a tree. I had no doubt the fire was Takami's work. Trees came crashing down all around me, I had to whip out father's sword and smash them away. It was heavy work lifting such a big sword. "Sion!" I turned round. Someone had shouted my name. "Sion!" I turned to the side to see Farah. "What’s going on?" She asked.
"Takami... He... He killed Yuri" It took alot of effort to tell her what happened "I'm going to have to fight him.... Mmmm." I nodded, reassuring myself more than her. She took a step back at the news "There's something else..." She whispered, staring at me through teary eyes. "Seline...."
"What!? Where is she!?" I yelled, surely Takami hadn't attacked her too! Farah pointed behind her, I pushed past. Up in the distance I saw mother, trapped under a burning tree. I dashed over; the pain in my heart was unbearable. I felt as if I would burn up on the spot. Even as I sheathed Yuri's sword and hefted the tree off her, I couldn’t feel the flames that licked my body. "Takami..." Mother muttered. I almost dropped the tree. She thought I was Takami? I didn't have the heart to tell her otherwise. Its sad to think the last time my mother talked she thought I was someone else. Depressingly so. "I've been keeping" She stopped to cough "Keeping this for you" She pulled off her necklace and offered it to me. The moment I touched it... Such a difference. It was as if I was seeing for the first time. I could... feel, sense even, sense everything. Every tree, every blade of grass. Just without thinking I knew it was there. I could feel Farah approaching me slowly from behind. I could sense the grass bending as she stepped down, and... When I tried to sense mother. There was nothing. She was already gone. I put the necklace on, it had a wolfs head hanging of it. I remember thinking how wrong it was be wearing it, when mother's last wish was for Takami to have it. I know now I couldn’t have survived without it. I couldn't of... well you'll find that out later. "Farah" I said softly "Get our horses and meet me here" She nodded "We are going to Ilandror"
"What for brother?" Came a voice, it was Takami! "Go now!" I yelled to Farah. She raced off to the stables as I drew celestial. I wanted to talk to him first. "Why did you-" I begun, but he interrupted
"It felt good" He yelled, a murderous glint in his eye. I held my sword high and charged.
So much for negotiations.
I swung Celestial horizontally, but Takami just ducked under. He kicked me back, on to the ground.
"He was our father!" I yelled, "He brought us up. He trained you with the very moves you killed him with! What could bring you to such madness!?"
"He wanted to take it from me!" Takami screamed "It's mine! Mine alone!" He drew the dagger, darting forward to stab at me. My new sense alerted me to the threat. I rolled out the way, climbing to my feet. "So you killed him?" I cried "You took his life for the dagger?" I jumped at him, but he flicked his hand, casting a spell to knock me back. "The dagger is my life! He would have taken it!" He slashed at me, I stepped back but the blade caught my leg all the same. "He said the power had gone to my head! All I did was save him!" Takami screamed again. I was beginning to piece things together. Takami had killed the cloaked man, in such a brutal way Yuri had decided to take the dagger from him...but Takami would not allow it. I stabbed forward, Takami stepped to the side, then slipped in with his own attack. He ran me through, straight through my chest and out the otherside. Its odd, I did not even feel it. I was dying, fifteen years of age and already at my end. A thousand thoughts passed my mind. It was over. I was over. All the things I'd wanted to do... All the things I would never do. Takami kicked Celestial out my hand, but I didn't care. I was dying. Dying! Death was something that had always seemed far off; I was in my own shell, where death did not happen. In one day, I had lost both parents, and as far as I was concerned my Takami was dead too. I fell back against a tree, my hands were soaked in blood, and not just mine either. Takami knelt next to me and pulled his blade from my heart. Blood splattered him, and, and he smiled. Takami sheathed his weapon, turned, and walked away. A thousand thoughts rushed through my head, but only one fought its way to the top.
I was taking him with me.[/b]
((This is very rough, it's a first draft and I wrote a few years back...))
I know. I promised to write every day, but soon you'll understand why it took me so long. Things have changed, I know I say that every time but this time I mean it more than ever.
I feel happy
and yet guilty at the same time. How weird is that? Almost as if I'm betraying her. But I'm not really, am I?
Can you betray someone who's dead?
Sometimes I wonder... what would she say? Would she be glad I was happy? And though I hate to say it... Often I'm too caught up to even think about her. Also, I have to apologise to you. Whoever you are.
I lost the other pages.
Yeah, I know, stupid mistake. But it happened. So when you find this, if anyone finds this, then you'll see this first. I'm going to have to write everything again, I'm sort of glad. It means I can line up all the connections I couldn't see before, now I know the truth. Some of the stuff I wrote before was kinda embarrassing as well, but then...If I don't put down the truth in my journal, then nobody will know what happened. And maybe one day... when this is all over... I can look back, and realise that it did happen, realise I didn't make it all up, and that I'm not insane.
My name is Sion, I don't have a second name. My father didn't know his parents. By now, just by saying "Sion" people will know you mean me. Not for a good reason either. I want to get the true story out, it's important for you to know why the world's so screwed up right now.
First, I have to tell you something I've known since a young age, for reasons you'll understand soon. Its time the rest of the world learns the truth. Some of you may not believe, I know, but this is what was told to me, and through a series of events, I've come to believe it.
A god created this world. Yes, an actual god. I don't know that much about her, only that she somehow made everything. Its kinda hard to get your head round it, how can one person, or one being have that much power? In the end, I guess it makes sense. Look at how complex we are, how can this be created by chance? Anyways, If you don't believe I'm not going to try and make you. Heck, maybe you should put this down right now. No? Still reading? On with the show then. She sealed her powers within a dagger, and gave it to a family, along with a blessing. The blessing invoked power in them, the first signs of intelligence, and insured that every first born in the line would be equipped with the ability to keep the dagger safe. When the time came, these were the people who used the power to change the planet. They wove a path round destruction.
Until now.
My father, Yuri, held the dagger. However, he was wounded retrieving the dagger from a thief.
That’s what he told me anyway.
I was so stupid, I believed him, solely because he was my father. Never questioned, never even wondered how a mere thief took the dagger from such a powerful man, or why the dagger allowed itself to be stolen, when it could never have been taken from an unwilling hand before.
I can't reveal Yuri's secret now, I want you to learn things in the same order I did. That way you'll be able to understand why I did all the crazy things I'm dying to tell you about.
I woke up to another normal day in the Glade. That was what they called it, the huge grounds around our small cottage. Some of it was farmland, but a huge forest took up most of it. My parents had always called it a glade, and so I will too. As usual, the house was empty as I grabbed myself some breakfast. Out the window, I could see two figures in the distances, going at it like they had nothing to lose. I would have been amazed, if I didn't see it every day. Even at his age. Even with his wound, father was still deadly fast.
But his opponent was faster.
Takami fought like a master, probably because he was one. Yuri swung downwards, changing to strike his foes feet at the last moment, but Takami was ready for it. He leaped over the blade, darting in with his weapon to kiss Yuri's neck. A tense moment passed, when I wondered whether Takami would free Yuri, but he did. Yuri patted him on the back, congratulating him, before collapsing against a tree to get his breath. Takami slipped the Dagger through his belt, no wait, Let me write that again.
Takami slipped, the Dagger, through, his belt.
That’s right, I'm not the hero of this story. Takami is the dagger wielder, the great protector, and most of all, my older brother. The dagger goes to the first born; yet I was the second. What does this mean for me? I saw it as an easy life, I won't lie to you, I wasn't fit to do what Takami does, and I’m not a warrior. Its not that simple though, there's another side to it, with Takami holding down the Dagger issue, there wasn't much for me to do.
Yeah, it was an easy life, but a pointless one.
I took a minute to stop by the stables. Our stable girl, Farah, was already there. She lived west of the glade in the city surrounding the elven palace, Ilandror, but she had a small room in the glade for when she needed to stay the night. We made some light conversation, I checked up on my horse, and then I was off to wander the glade. Before long I found myself clambering up the usual tree. From atop its branches I could see my mother, Seline, making her way to Ilandror. She was an elf (my father was human, making me half-elf) with a huge talent for healing, and so every day she travelled to the city to make a little money. I turned on my perch and I could see Takami and father, this time training their magic. They were a mirror image as they gathered up energy, both of them with their long brown hair blowing in the wind. I played with my own blonde hair, thinking that I could not be more different from them. I couldn't fight, I could barely control my magic, and of the four of us, I was the only one without brown hair. I leant towards a nearby tree to grab an apple. Next thing I know I'm hanging upside down, with the branch caught in a death grip by my legs. Maybe I've got something after all. I spent the day on my tree, I was surpassed at what I could do without breaking my neck, but the last jump was just a little too far. I came up short, and landed on my knee. I sat there with my eyes closed, not wanting to look at the damage. If the pain was anything to go by, something was screwed up. Finally I bucked up the courage, turns out it wasn’t so bad. It was bleeding though, so I began to make my way back to the house, leaving the wound for mother to heal.
Big mistake.
It would be wrong to say we were alone in the glade. The place had a few demons hanging around, but hey, what place didn't? Takami used them for training. Apparently he'd missed some, maybe these were the smart ones that stayed out our way, but even smart demons couldn't resist the smell of blood.
One moment I was walking through the glade, the next I was lying on the floor, with this huge wolf demon staring me down. It laid a strong paw on my chest, pinning me down like I was nothing. Probably because I was nothing. Thinking quickly, I wrapped my legs around its head... and did nothing. The demon was too heavy for me to move, especially with my smashed knee. I was dead. Deader than deader. I was like... well, like something dead. Then, out of the jaws of defeat, the wolf removed his paw. Just like that, food one minute, free the other. Not one to hang around and thank him, I rolled out the way and onto my feet. The wolf made a run for it, I'm serious, it started to run. My mind just locked, why, why, why? The predator had become the prey, it had me, had me and I couldn't do a thing about it. I didn't understand.
Until I saw the hunter.
Takami dashed forward, he had a long sword in each hand. One of them was his Midnight, the other was my own Celestial. He ruthlessly kicked the wolf back from its escape. Its weird, but I actually thought that was kinda cruel. Yeah, it was a demon and all, but so what? It was running, he could have let it live. The wolf demon must have figured out it wasn't going to get away so easily, it lashed out at me again. This time I was ready. I dived to the side, taking my position next to Takami. Keeping my eyes on the target, I shot out my arm as Takami threw me Celestial. "Remember the cross maneuverer?" He asked. I nodded, but really I had no clue. Takami had been giving me lessons for a few years. I was picking things up, but slowly. Too slowly. Takami turned back to the wolf "I've got first and right" He proclaimed. In an instant he went from somewhat friendly Takami to the highly trained killer I'd never seen beaten. He leaped up, bringing Midnight above his head. Then he stabbed the blade down, thrusting through the demons right shoulder. It was then that I realised what I had to do. As Takami leaped back I slid under him, extending my arm to its full length. I pushed my weight forward. My body went from sliding to stabbing in one quick move, and my blade shot straight through the left shoulder. Yes! Perfect strike! Well, almost perfect. The monster pulled back, I lost my grip on the hilt. Naturally Takami was one step ahead. He slammed his heel down on to Celestials handle, launching it up through the wolfs shoulder and into the air. I plucked it from its flight, jumping back to leave the kill for Takami. As usual he performed perfectly. The wolf stepped back, but the attack was relentless. Takami ran his blade right inbetween its eyes, all the way down to the hilt. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see the point when life turned to death.
I heard it though.
Takami raised an eyebrow at me "No killer instinct" He decided. "This is why you always lose."
I couldn't stop myself from arguing. "More like murderer instinct" I yelled at him. I wasn't sure if I was angry because of what he said, or because of what he did. Either way I was mad. Takami stopped and turned to me "How can you say I am a murderer? It was a demon, not a person!"
"It didn't need to die!" I shouted back "It was running!"
"It was a problem I eliminated!" He argued "It would only attack again!"
"You don't know that! We have never seen it again" I knew I was losing now, Takami logic was right. That doesn’t mean I had to like it.
"Then why did you follow up the attack?" Takami's calm returned, and for good reason. I didn't have a reply to that, why had I followed up? I guess it was sort of a heat of the moment thing, that and I didn't want Takami to see me chicken out. Wow, I sure had great priorities. Impressing Takami over life. It’s strange to think how much I changed.
We were silent on the way back. Takami didn't even stop to wipe the blood off his blade, and there was a lot of blood. I noticed the dagger was glowing weirdly. I could see it even through his belt sheath, but I was too worked up to say anything. When we finally got back home, Yuri was already there to welcome us.
With his sword drawn.
Yuri charged his opponent, a tall man in a long black cloak that dragged along the floor. He also wore a hood that hid his eyes, so the only exposed part of this stranger was his mouth. He wielded very short wooden weapons in each hand. About the length of my forearm. They were strange weapons, but the stranger used them with incredible power and speed. At first I thought he was on level with father, matching him blow for blow. Something was up though, everytime Yuri went for a killing blow he doubled his speed and whipped him away. Almost as if the stranger was playing with father, but why? I could tell by the look on Yuri's face as he swung his huge blade that this was no practise match. They were playing for keeps. Yuri stabbed forward with his sword, the stranger slid under the extended weapon and swept father's feet out from under him. I drew Celestial, not quite sure what I was going to do, but still intent on something all the same. Takami held his arm out infront to stop me, but I was in no mood to listen. I pushed past with my blade held high, charging the stranger with a downward stroke. With obvious ease he swung round and blocked me with one of his weapons. With the other he slammed me in the stomach, then he uppercut with the first. With just two blows my whole body was on fire, a third blow sent me flying into a tree. Everything was going grey... until... until there was nothing. I woke up at what seemed like seconds after, but for all I knew it could have been hours. I was lying face down, and couldn't quite figure out where I was. Eventually I managed to piece together how much I'd screwed up. Alot. I turned my tortured body over; the strange man was a few meters away. With seven stab wounds. He'd been killed brutally; again I felt a strange sense of guilt for someone who had attacked me. Okay, So I prefer that he died rather than me, but seven? I rolled over, not wanting to see the stab wounds. On the other side was father.
He had thirteen.
I couldn't accept it.
I wouldn’t accept it. It just wouldn't process. No, It was- No. It's so damn wrong. No, just no. Impossible. I remember thinking, maybe even shouting out to the sky, just how screwed up I thought it was. "What the hell is wrong with this world? Everyone dies! What the damn point?" Even to this day, I still feel the same way, but as I crawled over to father I knew I would never know. The pain in my body was nothing compared to that in my heart. No, he had never been much of a father to me, but I still felt anger at his death, even more so than sadness. I lifted his head up. His eyes were moving! There was still a little something there. "Father..." I whispered softly, his lips were parched. I had no water to give him. "Who did this? I swear. I swear with everything I'll kill him." Father slowly raised a finger, pointing east. I tilted my head. Whoa. The forest was on fire! He took my father. He took my home. I'm going to take his life. Slipping my hands behind father, I took his huge sword and strapped it to my back, then started on my way to the forest. I stopped a few feet forward, turning back to Yuri. He was fading fast, but I had one last question. "Where is Takami?" I asked. Once again father raised a weak finger. Once again he pointed to the east. Takami was in the same place as the killer. No wait. Takami was the killer! I shed a single tear.
It would be awhile before I cried again.
I raced through the flames, diving to the side quickly to avoid getting hit by a tree. I had no doubt the fire was Takami's work. Trees came crashing down all around me, I had to whip out father's sword and smash them away. It was heavy work lifting such a big sword. "Sion!" I turned round. Someone had shouted my name. "Sion!" I turned to the side to see Farah. "What’s going on?" She asked.
"Takami... He... He killed Yuri" It took alot of effort to tell her what happened "I'm going to have to fight him.... Mmmm." I nodded, reassuring myself more than her. She took a step back at the news "There's something else..." She whispered, staring at me through teary eyes. "Seline...."
"What!? Where is she!?" I yelled, surely Takami hadn't attacked her too! Farah pointed behind her, I pushed past. Up in the distance I saw mother, trapped under a burning tree. I dashed over; the pain in my heart was unbearable. I felt as if I would burn up on the spot. Even as I sheathed Yuri's sword and hefted the tree off her, I couldn’t feel the flames that licked my body. "Takami..." Mother muttered. I almost dropped the tree. She thought I was Takami? I didn't have the heart to tell her otherwise. Its sad to think the last time my mother talked she thought I was someone else. Depressingly so. "I've been keeping" She stopped to cough "Keeping this for you" She pulled off her necklace and offered it to me. The moment I touched it... Such a difference. It was as if I was seeing for the first time. I could... feel, sense even, sense everything. Every tree, every blade of grass. Just without thinking I knew it was there. I could feel Farah approaching me slowly from behind. I could sense the grass bending as she stepped down, and... When I tried to sense mother. There was nothing. She was already gone. I put the necklace on, it had a wolfs head hanging of it. I remember thinking how wrong it was be wearing it, when mother's last wish was for Takami to have it. I know now I couldn’t have survived without it. I couldn't of... well you'll find that out later. "Farah" I said softly "Get our horses and meet me here" She nodded "We are going to Ilandror"
"What for brother?" Came a voice, it was Takami! "Go now!" I yelled to Farah. She raced off to the stables as I drew celestial. I wanted to talk to him first. "Why did you-" I begun, but he interrupted
"It felt good" He yelled, a murderous glint in his eye. I held my sword high and charged.
So much for negotiations.
I swung Celestial horizontally, but Takami just ducked under. He kicked me back, on to the ground.
"He was our father!" I yelled, "He brought us up. He trained you with the very moves you killed him with! What could bring you to such madness!?"
"He wanted to take it from me!" Takami screamed "It's mine! Mine alone!" He drew the dagger, darting forward to stab at me. My new sense alerted me to the threat. I rolled out the way, climbing to my feet. "So you killed him?" I cried "You took his life for the dagger?" I jumped at him, but he flicked his hand, casting a spell to knock me back. "The dagger is my life! He would have taken it!" He slashed at me, I stepped back but the blade caught my leg all the same. "He said the power had gone to my head! All I did was save him!" Takami screamed again. I was beginning to piece things together. Takami had killed the cloaked man, in such a brutal way Yuri had decided to take the dagger from him...but Takami would not allow it. I stabbed forward, Takami stepped to the side, then slipped in with his own attack. He ran me through, straight through my chest and out the otherside. Its odd, I did not even feel it. I was dying, fifteen years of age and already at my end. A thousand thoughts passed my mind. It was over. I was over. All the things I'd wanted to do... All the things I would never do. Takami kicked Celestial out my hand, but I didn't care. I was dying. Dying! Death was something that had always seemed far off; I was in my own shell, where death did not happen. In one day, I had lost both parents, and as far as I was concerned my Takami was dead too. I fell back against a tree, my hands were soaked in blood, and not just mine either. Takami knelt next to me and pulled his blade from my heart. Blood splattered him, and, and he smiled. Takami sheathed his weapon, turned, and walked away. A thousand thoughts rushed through my head, but only one fought its way to the top.
I was taking him with me.[/b]
((This is very rough, it's a first draft and I wrote a few years back...))