There are some things in life that need to be addressed. One of those things is how close to edge you are, the edge between Life and Death, you never try to balance on that line. However, I was one of the few that did. Life in the edge is life worth living.
Before me, in the distance, Harvesters approached, ready to use bodies of humans to make new Harvested bodies for the Harvester Eggs within their bodies to hatch and take full control of the soon to be deceased.
Darwin stood behind me, calm and unwavering. To be honest with myself, I envied that of him, an adult. I was still growing and maturing that it was a pain to get a hold of myself. Yet I managed. I gave him the cue, five fingers.
I counted down.
Four.
Three.
His bow string drew back as he aimed at the nearest Harvester, aiming for right in its chest.
Two.
His breathing steadied, just that little bit calmer.
One.
His bow sang.
As it did, I started running towards them, scythe in hand, twirling it for the momentum to build for my new skill. Dark Cutter. I had practised this with fire, often enveloping the scythe blade in flames and using the swing of the scythe to fire it. It would burn through a few obstacles but as it was fire, it went out after a few metres, without any other variables. But with darkness, something that is new to me, I hoped it worked in the way I intended.
I thought back to Ricky's tutoring; well, lecturing to be honest. The annoying Magician, one trained in doing everything with magic, did nothing but talk. He was my teacher, telling me how I should approach magic and how to use certain spells and things. His monotone rang out in my head.
"Magic, and some abilities, relies on thought and knowing what you want. It was a fickle to master and train, Magic, since everyone has their own way to deal with it. Rarely, you will find more than two people that share a similarity in their casting. Some may not need to do much beyond a single thought for one spell, but need to perform gestures or cite an incantation to cast another, and the strongest spells may take a second and the weakest an hour. But they also change over time, with personality, age, preference or repeated use."
By thinking of myself filled with flames, I can, with gestures, control a string of fire, or ropes, or even balls of flame, to do my bidding. I can only use it as a long range attack, or on a smaller scale, to light sparks or to start a camp-fire.
My other spells allow me to Mend, heal internal injuries involving bones and muscles and Grow, where I can quickly ripen fruit by cupping it in my hands. I can also use Sew, to repair garments, a spell I used so often that, instead of whispering "Sew thy stitches and mend thy garment", I am now able to just run my finger over the rip and it will repair.
"Magic is so diverse that one child could destroy a town and a man may be able to do nothing more than conjure music from air. Abilities also factor in Magic, more so when they can clash."
I also have Bleed, the ability where I know the area with the most blood without prior knowledge of the target and strike there to maim it. Hot Blood, where I am basically relying on physique over rational thought. Sharp Eye, able to judge the throw before I make to see if it will make it or kill. Observe, where, thou rarely and if I am lucky to experience it when near magic being cast, I can replicate a spell from memory, as if it were my own. But I kept this a secret, as it happens, I experience a massive head ache. Lastly, something that I try to keep secret besides Observe, Fear. The ability to control Fear in those around me, drawing on it to strengthen or pooling it to weaken who I chose. It is considered a dead Ability with the death of the last Blood Magi. I did not want to start a panic again, as the last Blood Magi was also the last Lord of Night.
As I ran, I assumed thought of myself one with the darkness around me. I feel so comfortable in darkness; I thought embracing the very thing in my mind would work. I didn't feel warmth, like with fire, but I could feel something, tugging at my thought, something to do with Magic. Without thought, but a hope I was right in assuming I Linked with the very night itself.
Five more arrows stopped the Harvesters in their tracks in that time, one arrow imbued with the wind to soar faster and pierce not one, not two, but three Harvesters. As I got to about a close as I thought I would need, I poised to strike. Pivot on right foot. Bring scythe down in a horizontal slash over my right shoulder. Follow through with a turn on the right foot and let loose another slash, again horizontal.
Nothing. Or so I thought.
They kept coming towards the wagons, towards the Wanderers, to Kelly, to us. They approached at the speed of a snake at full speed. Just as Darwin's arrow flew overhead, the Harvesters bodies fell apart where they were cut. The arrow flew into a Harvester head, which came clean off by the cut in its snake like neck.
Fuck. That was not even half of them. And my new move is either delayed by something or I am not thinking of the attack right. I thought these words as I started to use Flame Cutter, my signature fire and scythe move, and the idea behind Dark Cutter.
Darwin's Projected voice calls out to me, "I am nearly spent of all my arrows. Hurry up with that spell before your over-run. Retreat towards the flames if needed. Don't let yourself get too hot headed."
I did a few more Flame Cutters, before starting to back away from the fast approaching Harvesters. With Hot Blood, it was easy to get away. I again turned around let loose a few more Cuts.
Of course, I didn't think my attack right! I was one with the darkness, not the shadows I was thinking to use!
With little time to spare, I bolted towards the flames. I reasoned that I won't need to Link with an element as the shadows are from the fire and thus are voided between the two. If I thought like this, despite not actually understanding myself as to how I came to such a conclusion, I decided to wait for them to come the light where the shadows are strongest. Or I can use plain magic instead of floundering around like a complete fool.
I stood my ground, shooting at the Harvesters that came in front of the main rush. That attempt at Rafela knows what to stop them must have failed, since the boy started to retreat, every now and then turning around to let loose another fire slash of his.
Movement from the left of the main force caught my attention. My only reaction to it was to fire away four Wind imbued arrows towards them. I let loose another quick volley at the main force, this time with Fire imbued. When they connected to a Harvester, it exploded into flames much like a fireball hitting them.
I reached to my quiver for another arrow, and felt nothing. I smiled a grim smile. It was time for Jai-Kai to pick up the work load, since I am now useless.
I did a Projection of my voice, focusing my thought on an anchor point for it to come from, but stopped. The boy was near enough now.
"I'm out of arrows, shows up to you." I told him with grim amusement. I knew his response well enough before he gave it. I knew him well enough that it amused me.
"Fuck. Dammit. Fuck Dammit. This is going to be a pain in the morning. Fuck!" He was tired, and that made his tongue loosen. For such a young man, he did try to grow into the role of a model adult. Such a hard working teenager, trying to fit many roles to live life.
"Maybe if you stopped trying to show off and just do what you did before hand with the Harvested, you may get somewhere." I knew why he wanted to try things his way. Hot Blood. The bane of most adventurers. Useless to argue when their heated for battle.
"Wasn't me that did it. My other me did it all. Then he became bored and left things to me. Fucking KJ."
I sighed a heavy sigh. The Harvesters are nearly on us, and the would-be hero has to deal with a lazy split-persona that shows up rarely enough everyone forgets about him. From a simple Nest Squash Assignment to saving a Caravan, with Harvesters focused on a purpose. Another scar for another mistake or near miss to add to my collection. Or Death itself.
Jai-Kai spoke. "Go and make sure they are gone. I may as well burn everything to cinders."
I looked in alarm to him. They must of meant the Wanderers. Never before has he thought of self sacrifice. Something is new about him. I thought of the girl he was with before his attack on the Harvested. I stopped myself, from making a conclusion that would make the very world I have come to understand with a mutual understanding having to be changed. Jai-Kai was never one for love.
"Don't die."
"I won't. This time, I mean to crush them. They ruined what would have been the last resting place of Halberd's Green. I will crush them."
"Five minute before they get here. Do it then or earlier. We gave the Wanderers ten minutes. You got less then four. Don't die. She won't like it."
The way he said that last sentence made me frown in thought, but I shifted the thought aside and focused on fire. I felt an inferno inside me, warming my body up, making me feel as id\f I'm burning out from the centre.
They were about a step away from my face when I let loose. A long whip of fire erupted around me, slicing and dicing the Harvesters as they screamed in agony. Screams of what was men and snake in one. I paid no attention, standing in the centre of carnage, face down and eye closed. I felt KJ in my mind and I wanted to talk with him about his appearance.
" So your ba-"
"Don't know why you didn't do it earlier. Too soft by talking to one girl, huh?"
"Shut it KJ! You forcefully tried to grab control and that blacked me out! Why now of all time? Why not before, with the Succubus? You always lie low, I should have thought you would never go away. But next time, if you want to do something, finish it."
"Hey, in my defence, you were too shocked to attack the Harvested because they were your friends. When they lived. You amaze me sometimes with your simplicity. I mean, you could of finished this ages ago, yet you got carried away. Idiot.
KJ was basically yelling at me. His mental image was basically myself, but with the right side of his body in shadow. He was pissed off with me yet he always did nothing but laze around, only coming up randomly to remind me of his presence.
"Rafela curse you! KJ, your nothing more than a nuisance. Why am I stuck with you?"
To this, KJ replied with one word, but he also brought up a memory.
"Fear."
It was of a time when I travelled with Ricky for a bit. We were in Triten, some trade town or something. I barely remember the place. We sat in the inn, near the fire with the locals and what not that sat nearby telling yarns and tales.
"So who has ever heard of the 'Last Blood Magi'?" an old man asked the group. Personally, I liked listening to tales, and sometimes telling something that happened to me on the road.
In response to the old man's question, we all agreed. I don't think anyone ever said no.
"Well, as we all now it is a recent tale, about three years old. We all know who is the hero, yes?"
I was the one to reply. "Were-Something-Heroic?" I had no dignity to lose so I didn't care that the laughs were at me, not with me. Besides, it helped to get a few laughs going before a tale, we all knew.
Ricky, when drunk, was a Ricky I can enjoy being with. He was much more easy going and carefree rather than stern and disciplined routine. While everyone laughed, he replied, "My Gawsh, Jai, everyone here is drunk and your too young to drink yet and your being the fool!"
The Bar-keeper's eyes shot up from over the bar. "What? A minor? In here?
I quickly replied. "Someone has to drag this body and then tell him what happened when he sobers" as I indicated to Ricky. Thankfully, Ricky was just slightly sober enough to agree with me, and tell him that I was growing to be a good man. Funny, that. He never praised me before.
"So long he touches no ale with his lips!" replied the Bar-keeper as he wiped away some spilt wine from a table. I decided that if he distrusts me, I may as well let him watch me.
"Bar-keep,' I said, 'Wny not sit with us? You get to hear the epic tale of the 'Last Blood Magi' and watch over me to see that I touch no beverage I am forbidden to drink. Besides, you worked hard, I say we shout you one!"
The others in the group were quick to agree. When you get them to be with your side, you can get them to agree with anything you suggest. So long they are drunk enough.
So with the bar-keeper sitting next to me, with a drink of his finest in the house, we all went into a hush as the old man began retell how the events concerning the Magi Circles decision to eradicate the Blood Magi and any that can Link with the Blood Circle.
Here, thou, is where KJ skips most of the tale, to the bit where the Blood Magi, the last renegade, tells the hero that he has a split personality due to his Ability, called Fear.
"Fear is a skill that takes and controls fear in others. To utilise it properly, it creates a personality, opposite to the users own one. I was a gentle person, so Ravie was aggressive. He was the funnel for Fear. He never felt it himself, as he has no fear. That's what make me an effective Magi, and a Deadly Lord."
With that, the memory dissolved.
I blinked a few times. Around me, nothing remained but ashes. I realised that I hadn't stopped the spell and ended it just by ending the thought of it. The earth was scarred, bodies were burnt and the light of destruction and fire ended. Somewhere in my head, I felt KJ... rummaging my memories.
"What the heck are you doing?"
He looked up at me. He looked pissed off and incredibly angry.
"How does Darwin know about the Reaper?" His eyes screamed outrage. Normally, I can only see one eye, yet his right eye was glowing in the darkness. What alarmed me was that, unlike my green eyes, it was red.
"What are you tal-
"Jai-Kai! Jai-Kai, are you okay?" The voice that screamed out was not the grim Darwin, nor the shocked Kelly that was following him, but the voice of the Mistress, leading the way towards me.
"Dear god boy, I can't even see those cinders you said you'll turn them into." Darwin was amused. I honestly never knew he still felt that emotion, I always assumed he was a grim kind of person.
Now, if you had a split persona, powers you have to hide and knack for troubles of the magical kind, what would be expected of you to do? I for one, ignored KJ, the Mistress and Kelly, and temporally postponing a intense questioning, asked a question that made everyone in earshot more alarmed then they already are.
"Harvesters can Harvest humans, what about human-like creatures? Say, a Succubus?"
Darwin looked at me in the eye, and said one word. What made me alarmed was that he turned towards the ruins of Halberd's Green, which I just realize was where the Harvesters were coming from.
"Shit."
Authors Note: Finally got around to finishing this chapter. Because I am busy and should be revising for my Maths exams tomorrow, I'll just copy and paste a section of my Mini-Blog I have on my FP profile.
"I have decided to write my first revision as a basic draft, and so im kinda rushing it. this way, you get more updates, see what the plots like and maybe help suggest things as I go, then I shall revise, if I feel like I can be better, Ill do one more then publish it. If not, I'll have a few chapters as teasers."
Also, First age is gonna take ages. I am covering Norse, Celtic and other like myths and fables in the first age. So, I need to research.
Second age is about the Catholic Church and its many branches, with holy references. Also, other religions and myths make an appearance.
I won't cover EVERY little myth and religion, since I'd need a necromancer, an idea who to summon and also a longer life span.
Okay, should stop ranting. Check my profile, which itself is long, and click on my blog and favourite it. Please. I want to know how many like my concepts and ideas.
Also, thanks to
SoullessLove, ScarletSparkz, Spiral Architect, Zakemaster, Danzi and HeartOfShadows for reading Dark Wings so far. Also, please review it!