Chev Lousky
11-03-2008, 12:04 AM
A sword in darkness gleams in the glow of a campfire. Crimson liquid flows down the fuller of the blade, moving in runnels through the middle of the chipped, aged weapon. Like a broken mirror, the cracked surface reflects the visage of a man in despair. In the midst of torments both physical and mental. He looks down at his blade
(tool)
(friend)
and crystalline tears fall to mingle with the red impurity. The man ignores this fluid dance even as it becomes an ever-growing puddle on the ground. He ignores his lifeblood seeping out beneath him. He ignores his own misery. He ignores his own death.
* * * * *
“So I see you’ve come back.”
“…”
“After all those years of wandering; all that exploring, all that…killing…Was it worth it?”
“…”
“You left us to defend ourselves, you know. One day, it might not have been just a gang of bandits. It might’ve been an army sent to destroy our village, Shinu.”
“…”
“Dammit, boy, will you say nothing to your elder?”
“There is nothing for me to say. You are all alive, down to the smallest child.”
“It might not have been –“
“But it is that way. My departure caused no harm.”
“…What has happened to you, Shinu? What has happened to our greatest pride? What has changed you from that little boy who swore that he would never go off on such a foolish, selfish errand?”
“…He changed.”
“He lied, that’s what he did! He lied to the whole village! He left us alone in a period of evil and shadows!”
Shinu stared levelly at the old man. Only a tiny shimmer at the corner of his eyes betrayed his heart. The elder met his gaze and heaved a great sigh, letting his ancient eyes fall to the carpet. Silence stretched between them, seeping into their souls and pushing the two old friends farther apart.
“…What did you expect to find here, Shinu? Another group of friends to die for you?”
“…”
“They lost faith in you long ago, boy. Even I have.”
“…”
“Go. Leave the village. If you’re not gone by sunrise tomorrow, I’ll throw you out myself.”
The main road had been trod upon thousands of times before, and tiny swirls of dust leapt into the free air as Shinu strode along it. His wooden sandals, weather-worn and splintered, clicked dully on the tiny pebbles that littered the path. The sound was alone in the still air, other than the soft swish of Shinu’s robe swirling in the slight breeze. The double-crescent-moon crest over his heart reminded all that watched from the shelter of their homes that he was their sworn protector. Their banished guardian.
Carried by the spirit of the town, Shinu found himself at the entrance to his old school. He stopped in front of the stairway, closed his eyes, and –
-Walking up the steps of the school, Shinu Soyuzo grinned the wide grin of a child. His 16-year-old body, so pure and safe, moved casually through the doorway and into the main room. Here was the chalkboard, where countless numbers, letters, and diagrams found and lost life within short minutes. Here were the small tables, where endless streams of calculations and conjugations were created. Here was his own spot, among his best friends, where thousands of jokes were rewarded with reprimands, where imperative conversations about Leona, the smartest and most beautiful girl in class, were carried on in hushed whispers. Here was Leona’s place, where her long, delicate legs rested, where her dark, ivory hair flowed beyond her shoulders, where her heart beat beneath robes that were self-made, but always the best. Here was Shinu’s haven.
But it was empty.
There were no children, no teachers, no books. Nothing but shadows and the stench of something unworldly. Something that lurked in those shadows. Something from a different plane. Something evil.
With a chill now running throughout his veins, Shinu turned to a door that was no longer there. As the shadows drew closer around him, the boy closed-
-opened his eyes again. There was no trace of any smile beneath the bandages that wrapped around the lower half of his face. No boyish glint of glee in his gray eyes, one of which was a milky white. No body that was free from the scars of a hundred battles, from the aches of a million miles. No heart that was untainted by sin.
Without another sound, Shinu turned and walked along the main road, little eddies of dust churning in the air behind him.
By sunset, Shinu was in the outskirts of Inubay, his Village of Two Moons. As the light faded from the sky, moving into the west with flares of deep oranges and purples, the man found a spot below the shade of a tall tree and settled into it, tipping his wide hat over his eyes. Seabirds floated on the lake across from the road, calling softly. Fish jumped and splashed, mingling their sound with the distant laughter of children swimming in the water. A vague whisper of a breeze rustled the grass and leaves, making sweet, soothing music. It was an orchestra of nature; an ensemble of the earth; a band of life…Swishhhhhhh….Swishhhhhh….Swis hhhhh…swishhhh….shhhhh-
-hahahah…Shinu laughed raucously as his friend Hito swung off the rope and into the lake in a clumsy dive, floundering around as he came up for air. Kyruga laughed along with them as he made a graceful, elegant plunge into the water. He had always been the best swimmer among them, and it was very plain to see this as he made powerfully delicate strokes across the surface. Kyruga got about halfway back to the shore before he suddenly stopped, staring at the beach with a dumbstruck gaze on his tanned face. Shinu looked at his friend quizzically, a leftover laugh still on his face, and called out, “What’s wrong, Kyruga? Are you seeing that ghost again?”
Chuckling softly, he turned to the spot where Kyruga was still staring and-
All thought froze in his brain.
Leona, her sable locks now flowing out in the gentle wind, stood on the beach. Her body, curvaceous and slinky as an elegant carp, shimmered in and out of view as the sun shone behind it. She was clad in a dark purple robe, accentuating the myriad of colors that winked in and out of the sunset. Her eyes, piercingly soft, saw into Shinu’s soul and chilled what was there. In that moment, Shinu realized that he loved her, and that she was more than happy to counter the emotion. She was a perfect angel, and she would be his. He
(She)
(They)
Knew it.
The boy took a step towards his seraph and-
The world blinked out of existence. He was alone in the darkness once more, clad only in his cloth underwear. The shadow was here again, creeping ever closer in his mind. Shinu felt a claw close over his shoulder and-
-shhhhhh…shhhhh….
Shinu woke with tears in his eyes. The salty liquid flowed freely down his cheeks, yet he felt nothing in his heart. The weeping was now automatic, he knew, and would subside eventually. He settled back against the tree and looked out across a now-dark sky.
Dark, like that night, so many years ago.
Dark, like the shadow that stalked him even now.
Dark, like his soul that had lost all childish notions.
Dark.
Click, click, click. One more road under Shinu’s feet. One more town left to fester like an open sore behind him. One more group of people to leave defenseless. One more connection, one more dream, one more nightmare. One more mile for the warrior to walk on his journey of a thousand miles. One more fight.
One last battle.
Click, click, click.
A flower crunched lightly under Shinu’s foot, and he looked down with boyish curiosity. It was a withered cherry blossom. So simple, yet so beautiful in its uncomplicated splendor. The heartless swordsman stooped to pick up the flower and-
-“Shinu, what are you thinking about?”
The boy turned slowly to face his interrogator, a soft smile on his unscarred face. Long tresses of that stunning sable hair cascaded like a waterfall down across her shoulders. Her long eyelashes curled delicately above eyes of a pure, sylvan hue. Eyes that set his soul ablaze while turning his mind to ice. Lips, full of crimson life, curved upward in a slinky, minx-like smile. Who could ask for more? Who would ask for more?
The cherry tree above them blew in the breeze created by these two young lovers. Lovers who didn’t realize how many countless others had lain together under the same tree, whispering the same sweet words. Lovers who could never fully appreciate the impartiality of such a beautiful tree. Such a beautiful guardian. A sentinel for their young love.
Shinu was in tune with at least part of this ancient adoration, though, and thanked the tree from the bottom of his heart, drawing strength from it as he gave his answer.
“Nothing but you.”
“How sweet. Such a love you feel. Too bad you killed her.”
“What…No…No, you’re wrong! YOU killed her!”
“Admirable, passing the blame. Was it I who let her come along?”
“I-“
“Was it I who practically begged her?”
“I did no-“
“Was it I who was not strong enough to save-“
“NO! IT WAS YOU, YOU DEMON! You...You bastard...You killed them all...”
Shinu fell to his knees on the rough dirt as his voice faltered. A fresh wave of tears splattered on the ground, nourishing small plants beneath the soil with pain.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Minutes passed into hours, and finally Shinu got to his feet. He swayed drunkenly as he continued, but he kept going. His brain may not have known where his destination lay, but his feet had enough experience to carry on without any upper management.
And so he walked.
Days died beneath the warrior’s feet. The sun rose to the sky with hope and fell back with despair every time. A dance of depression, but it was of no concern to Shinu. Nothing was.
Nothing, until the sun set over the temple.
In days long past, the temple was a shining beacon to the swordsmen of the land. In those days, it was a hall of boasting, a place of healing, and a center of training for warriors across the land. The order of monks that kept the temple clean would never refuse one who had the fighting spirit, and it was this that allowed such a place to grow and become diverse. Hundreds of different fighting styles could be honed in a single location.
It was a paradise, in those days.
If there was any connection to that gleaming perfection now, it was only to serve as a stark contrast. The red pillars that once guarded the entrance now lay on their sides across the road, their color drained to an ashen gray. A garden that had grown well beyond its own boundaries in old times was a rotten husk, exuding the putrid stench of decay. Proud, old trees had been stripped of their foliage and felled, their bark marred by long, ugly gouges. The temple itself seemed to be a gloom-infested ruin, its walls sagging under the weight of the evil that now inhabited it.
Shinu stood at the entryway, his robe flapping softly against his skin in the still air. Air that was tainted by the breath of a demon. A demon that must be slain. –
-“Shinu, we need to turn back!”
The boy twisted around, his sandals clicking on the cobbled path, and stared at Leona with eyes that could no longer contain love for her. Oblivion lurked within those orbs, and Leona knew that it could never be healed. Shinu had become nothing but a creature of purpose on this journey, and would not rest until that purpose was completed in full, gory perfection. He was a shell, a being without emotion or soul.
He was a shadow.
“Leona, there’s no way we’re going to turn back now. We’re so close.”
“It’s impossible!”
“We have to try! We have to avenge Hito and Kyruga! It’s what they would have wanted!”
“What they would have wanted?! They would’ve wanted us to live, Shinu! What’s happened to you?!”
“…”
“…Please, Shinu…for me…”
“…”
“…Fine…I’m leaving…”
She turned slowly, her face damp with hot tears. She had always loved Shinu, and still did even now…but this was not Shinu. This was not her love, and she would not throw her life away for him. She could not-
A gasp escaped from her lips. Leona looked down, her head shaking, and saw a blade protruding from her chest. Blood
(my blood my blood)
dripped slowly from the edge of the sword.
Split.
Split.
Split.
“…We’ve come too far, Leona…I’m sorry, but we made a pact…We would hunt this creature until death…We would avenge the town…”
The steel was withdrawn steadily from Leona’s body, and she felt blood seep out between her open lips. Sinking to her knees, the woman looked up to the sky. Clouds swirled across a crescent moon. Night-birds chirped quietly in the trees. Grass rustled in the breeze.
As it always did, life went on.
“I killed her, did I?”
“…You came to the village…You killed so many…”
“And it was great fun, you know. You would know, having ki-“
“Be quiet, demon.”
“Temper, boy. I see that I’ll have to do something about that insolence…”
Dark, shadowy fire burned across Shinu’s face, ravaging his features, blinding his left eye. He screamed-
-in pain as he fell to the ground, clawing at his face in an attempt to make the anguish
(my eye my face my body my heart)
cease.
He stopped suddenly, realizing that the pain was only in his memory. It was only remembrance of that night. That night, when his “skill” amounted to nothing. That night, and the morning after, when he had sworn that he would avenge his fallen friends at whatever cost.
For ten long years, he had wandered the land, cutting down all who had impeded his path. He had trained under hundreds of masters and had become the best swordsman in the land.
Shinu knew it wouldn’t be enough.
It would never be enough, but he would try.
For Hito.
For Kyruga.
For Leona.
No sound as Shinu’s feet padded across the dojo floor. No sound as he unsheathed Zariwane, the sword of his village. No sound as the gleaming steel cut through the air in small motions. No sound as the shadows of the room came together, forming a humanoid shape in front of the warrior. No sound as the creature’s yellow eyes turned to Shinu, the saffron orbs radiating a hungry luminescence. No sound as the swordsman discarded his hat to the side, revealing a messy mane of white hair.
No sound as the battle commenced.
Shinu rushed forward, his feet almost invisible as Zariwane was thrust ahead. A sudden gust of wind exploded outward, but the Razinam was untouched. Its eyes glowed momentarily before a shadowy claw sliced through the air. Rolling around to the side of the creature, the warrior slashed again and again at the beast, faster and faster. Finally, small wisps of darkness began to fall from the Razinam. It let out a rumbling growl that shook the temple but could only try to dodge Shinu’s raging flurry as it was driven against a wall. With a loud yell, the warrior plunged his sword deep into the abyss that was the creature’s midsection. The Razinam let out a piercing howl and thrashed around wildly, its death throes rattling the sword. A look of astonishment flitted-
Shinu gasped.
He felt a wetness soak through his robes and flow down his body. The sound of dripping liquid pounded through the stillness.
Split.
Shinu gripped his sword tighter and sliced through left side of the creature, freeing both the blade and the Razinam, which slowly seeped into the floorboards.
Split.
Shinu limped away from the temple, his face growing steadily paler as he made his way to his camp in the forest.
Split.
* * * * *
A sword in darkness gleams in the glow of a campfire. The man slowly lets out a long sigh as he leans back against a tree. He looks to the sky, watching as clouds drift across a crescent moon.
He closes his eyes as birds
(children)
laugh in the night air.
He hears the sound of blood
(water)
slowly running off his hands.
He breathes in the deep scent of the fire
(woman)
as it warms his body.
A sword in darkness gleams alone in the glow of a campfire, reflecting the visage of a man at peace.
(tool)
(friend)
and crystalline tears fall to mingle with the red impurity. The man ignores this fluid dance even as it becomes an ever-growing puddle on the ground. He ignores his lifeblood seeping out beneath him. He ignores his own misery. He ignores his own death.
* * * * *
“So I see you’ve come back.”
“…”
“After all those years of wandering; all that exploring, all that…killing…Was it worth it?”
“…”
“You left us to defend ourselves, you know. One day, it might not have been just a gang of bandits. It might’ve been an army sent to destroy our village, Shinu.”
“…”
“Dammit, boy, will you say nothing to your elder?”
“There is nothing for me to say. You are all alive, down to the smallest child.”
“It might not have been –“
“But it is that way. My departure caused no harm.”
“…What has happened to you, Shinu? What has happened to our greatest pride? What has changed you from that little boy who swore that he would never go off on such a foolish, selfish errand?”
“…He changed.”
“He lied, that’s what he did! He lied to the whole village! He left us alone in a period of evil and shadows!”
Shinu stared levelly at the old man. Only a tiny shimmer at the corner of his eyes betrayed his heart. The elder met his gaze and heaved a great sigh, letting his ancient eyes fall to the carpet. Silence stretched between them, seeping into their souls and pushing the two old friends farther apart.
“…What did you expect to find here, Shinu? Another group of friends to die for you?”
“…”
“They lost faith in you long ago, boy. Even I have.”
“…”
“Go. Leave the village. If you’re not gone by sunrise tomorrow, I’ll throw you out myself.”
The main road had been trod upon thousands of times before, and tiny swirls of dust leapt into the free air as Shinu strode along it. His wooden sandals, weather-worn and splintered, clicked dully on the tiny pebbles that littered the path. The sound was alone in the still air, other than the soft swish of Shinu’s robe swirling in the slight breeze. The double-crescent-moon crest over his heart reminded all that watched from the shelter of their homes that he was their sworn protector. Their banished guardian.
Carried by the spirit of the town, Shinu found himself at the entrance to his old school. He stopped in front of the stairway, closed his eyes, and –
-Walking up the steps of the school, Shinu Soyuzo grinned the wide grin of a child. His 16-year-old body, so pure and safe, moved casually through the doorway and into the main room. Here was the chalkboard, where countless numbers, letters, and diagrams found and lost life within short minutes. Here were the small tables, where endless streams of calculations and conjugations were created. Here was his own spot, among his best friends, where thousands of jokes were rewarded with reprimands, where imperative conversations about Leona, the smartest and most beautiful girl in class, were carried on in hushed whispers. Here was Leona’s place, where her long, delicate legs rested, where her dark, ivory hair flowed beyond her shoulders, where her heart beat beneath robes that were self-made, but always the best. Here was Shinu’s haven.
But it was empty.
There were no children, no teachers, no books. Nothing but shadows and the stench of something unworldly. Something that lurked in those shadows. Something from a different plane. Something evil.
With a chill now running throughout his veins, Shinu turned to a door that was no longer there. As the shadows drew closer around him, the boy closed-
-opened his eyes again. There was no trace of any smile beneath the bandages that wrapped around the lower half of his face. No boyish glint of glee in his gray eyes, one of which was a milky white. No body that was free from the scars of a hundred battles, from the aches of a million miles. No heart that was untainted by sin.
Without another sound, Shinu turned and walked along the main road, little eddies of dust churning in the air behind him.
By sunset, Shinu was in the outskirts of Inubay, his Village of Two Moons. As the light faded from the sky, moving into the west with flares of deep oranges and purples, the man found a spot below the shade of a tall tree and settled into it, tipping his wide hat over his eyes. Seabirds floated on the lake across from the road, calling softly. Fish jumped and splashed, mingling their sound with the distant laughter of children swimming in the water. A vague whisper of a breeze rustled the grass and leaves, making sweet, soothing music. It was an orchestra of nature; an ensemble of the earth; a band of life…Swishhhhhhh….Swishhhhhh….Swis hhhhh…swishhhh….shhhhh-
-hahahah…Shinu laughed raucously as his friend Hito swung off the rope and into the lake in a clumsy dive, floundering around as he came up for air. Kyruga laughed along with them as he made a graceful, elegant plunge into the water. He had always been the best swimmer among them, and it was very plain to see this as he made powerfully delicate strokes across the surface. Kyruga got about halfway back to the shore before he suddenly stopped, staring at the beach with a dumbstruck gaze on his tanned face. Shinu looked at his friend quizzically, a leftover laugh still on his face, and called out, “What’s wrong, Kyruga? Are you seeing that ghost again?”
Chuckling softly, he turned to the spot where Kyruga was still staring and-
All thought froze in his brain.
Leona, her sable locks now flowing out in the gentle wind, stood on the beach. Her body, curvaceous and slinky as an elegant carp, shimmered in and out of view as the sun shone behind it. She was clad in a dark purple robe, accentuating the myriad of colors that winked in and out of the sunset. Her eyes, piercingly soft, saw into Shinu’s soul and chilled what was there. In that moment, Shinu realized that he loved her, and that she was more than happy to counter the emotion. She was a perfect angel, and she would be his. He
(She)
(They)
Knew it.
The boy took a step towards his seraph and-
The world blinked out of existence. He was alone in the darkness once more, clad only in his cloth underwear. The shadow was here again, creeping ever closer in his mind. Shinu felt a claw close over his shoulder and-
-shhhhhh…shhhhh….
Shinu woke with tears in his eyes. The salty liquid flowed freely down his cheeks, yet he felt nothing in his heart. The weeping was now automatic, he knew, and would subside eventually. He settled back against the tree and looked out across a now-dark sky.
Dark, like that night, so many years ago.
Dark, like the shadow that stalked him even now.
Dark, like his soul that had lost all childish notions.
Dark.
Click, click, click. One more road under Shinu’s feet. One more town left to fester like an open sore behind him. One more group of people to leave defenseless. One more connection, one more dream, one more nightmare. One more mile for the warrior to walk on his journey of a thousand miles. One more fight.
One last battle.
Click, click, click.
A flower crunched lightly under Shinu’s foot, and he looked down with boyish curiosity. It was a withered cherry blossom. So simple, yet so beautiful in its uncomplicated splendor. The heartless swordsman stooped to pick up the flower and-
-“Shinu, what are you thinking about?”
The boy turned slowly to face his interrogator, a soft smile on his unscarred face. Long tresses of that stunning sable hair cascaded like a waterfall down across her shoulders. Her long eyelashes curled delicately above eyes of a pure, sylvan hue. Eyes that set his soul ablaze while turning his mind to ice. Lips, full of crimson life, curved upward in a slinky, minx-like smile. Who could ask for more? Who would ask for more?
The cherry tree above them blew in the breeze created by these two young lovers. Lovers who didn’t realize how many countless others had lain together under the same tree, whispering the same sweet words. Lovers who could never fully appreciate the impartiality of such a beautiful tree. Such a beautiful guardian. A sentinel for their young love.
Shinu was in tune with at least part of this ancient adoration, though, and thanked the tree from the bottom of his heart, drawing strength from it as he gave his answer.
“Nothing but you.”
“How sweet. Such a love you feel. Too bad you killed her.”
“What…No…No, you’re wrong! YOU killed her!”
“Admirable, passing the blame. Was it I who let her come along?”
“I-“
“Was it I who practically begged her?”
“I did no-“
“Was it I who was not strong enough to save-“
“NO! IT WAS YOU, YOU DEMON! You...You bastard...You killed them all...”
Shinu fell to his knees on the rough dirt as his voice faltered. A fresh wave of tears splattered on the ground, nourishing small plants beneath the soil with pain.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Minutes passed into hours, and finally Shinu got to his feet. He swayed drunkenly as he continued, but he kept going. His brain may not have known where his destination lay, but his feet had enough experience to carry on without any upper management.
And so he walked.
Days died beneath the warrior’s feet. The sun rose to the sky with hope and fell back with despair every time. A dance of depression, but it was of no concern to Shinu. Nothing was.
Nothing, until the sun set over the temple.
In days long past, the temple was a shining beacon to the swordsmen of the land. In those days, it was a hall of boasting, a place of healing, and a center of training for warriors across the land. The order of monks that kept the temple clean would never refuse one who had the fighting spirit, and it was this that allowed such a place to grow and become diverse. Hundreds of different fighting styles could be honed in a single location.
It was a paradise, in those days.
If there was any connection to that gleaming perfection now, it was only to serve as a stark contrast. The red pillars that once guarded the entrance now lay on their sides across the road, their color drained to an ashen gray. A garden that had grown well beyond its own boundaries in old times was a rotten husk, exuding the putrid stench of decay. Proud, old trees had been stripped of their foliage and felled, their bark marred by long, ugly gouges. The temple itself seemed to be a gloom-infested ruin, its walls sagging under the weight of the evil that now inhabited it.
Shinu stood at the entryway, his robe flapping softly against his skin in the still air. Air that was tainted by the breath of a demon. A demon that must be slain. –
-“Shinu, we need to turn back!”
The boy twisted around, his sandals clicking on the cobbled path, and stared at Leona with eyes that could no longer contain love for her. Oblivion lurked within those orbs, and Leona knew that it could never be healed. Shinu had become nothing but a creature of purpose on this journey, and would not rest until that purpose was completed in full, gory perfection. He was a shell, a being without emotion or soul.
He was a shadow.
“Leona, there’s no way we’re going to turn back now. We’re so close.”
“It’s impossible!”
“We have to try! We have to avenge Hito and Kyruga! It’s what they would have wanted!”
“What they would have wanted?! They would’ve wanted us to live, Shinu! What’s happened to you?!”
“…”
“…Please, Shinu…for me…”
“…”
“…Fine…I’m leaving…”
She turned slowly, her face damp with hot tears. She had always loved Shinu, and still did even now…but this was not Shinu. This was not her love, and she would not throw her life away for him. She could not-
A gasp escaped from her lips. Leona looked down, her head shaking, and saw a blade protruding from her chest. Blood
(my blood my blood)
dripped slowly from the edge of the sword.
Split.
Split.
Split.
“…We’ve come too far, Leona…I’m sorry, but we made a pact…We would hunt this creature until death…We would avenge the town…”
The steel was withdrawn steadily from Leona’s body, and she felt blood seep out between her open lips. Sinking to her knees, the woman looked up to the sky. Clouds swirled across a crescent moon. Night-birds chirped quietly in the trees. Grass rustled in the breeze.
As it always did, life went on.
“I killed her, did I?”
“…You came to the village…You killed so many…”
“And it was great fun, you know. You would know, having ki-“
“Be quiet, demon.”
“Temper, boy. I see that I’ll have to do something about that insolence…”
Dark, shadowy fire burned across Shinu’s face, ravaging his features, blinding his left eye. He screamed-
-in pain as he fell to the ground, clawing at his face in an attempt to make the anguish
(my eye my face my body my heart)
cease.
He stopped suddenly, realizing that the pain was only in his memory. It was only remembrance of that night. That night, when his “skill” amounted to nothing. That night, and the morning after, when he had sworn that he would avenge his fallen friends at whatever cost.
For ten long years, he had wandered the land, cutting down all who had impeded his path. He had trained under hundreds of masters and had become the best swordsman in the land.
Shinu knew it wouldn’t be enough.
It would never be enough, but he would try.
For Hito.
For Kyruga.
For Leona.
No sound as Shinu’s feet padded across the dojo floor. No sound as he unsheathed Zariwane, the sword of his village. No sound as the gleaming steel cut through the air in small motions. No sound as the shadows of the room came together, forming a humanoid shape in front of the warrior. No sound as the creature’s yellow eyes turned to Shinu, the saffron orbs radiating a hungry luminescence. No sound as the swordsman discarded his hat to the side, revealing a messy mane of white hair.
No sound as the battle commenced.
Shinu rushed forward, his feet almost invisible as Zariwane was thrust ahead. A sudden gust of wind exploded outward, but the Razinam was untouched. Its eyes glowed momentarily before a shadowy claw sliced through the air. Rolling around to the side of the creature, the warrior slashed again and again at the beast, faster and faster. Finally, small wisps of darkness began to fall from the Razinam. It let out a rumbling growl that shook the temple but could only try to dodge Shinu’s raging flurry as it was driven against a wall. With a loud yell, the warrior plunged his sword deep into the abyss that was the creature’s midsection. The Razinam let out a piercing howl and thrashed around wildly, its death throes rattling the sword. A look of astonishment flitted-
Shinu gasped.
He felt a wetness soak through his robes and flow down his body. The sound of dripping liquid pounded through the stillness.
Split.
Shinu gripped his sword tighter and sliced through left side of the creature, freeing both the blade and the Razinam, which slowly seeped into the floorboards.
Split.
Shinu limped away from the temple, his face growing steadily paler as he made his way to his camp in the forest.
Split.
* * * * *
A sword in darkness gleams in the glow of a campfire. The man slowly lets out a long sigh as he leans back against a tree. He looks to the sky, watching as clouds drift across a crescent moon.
He closes his eyes as birds
(children)
laugh in the night air.
He hears the sound of blood
(water)
slowly running off his hands.
He breathes in the deep scent of the fire
(woman)
as it warms his body.
A sword in darkness gleams alone in the glow of a campfire, reflecting the visage of a man at peace.