A/N: I had this idea for a while and after some other people suggested it as well, I decided to go through with it. A rewrite of "Gamer Within" from Crow's point of view! Alex is not afraid to voice her opinion, but what does our favorite avian demon think about their little predicament? Hereby I give you a deeper look in the mind of this troubled minion and his thoughts about life, death, loyalty and certain loudmouthed intruders who just don't seem to give him a break. Knock yourself out, but be warned: this story is considerably darker than its counterpart and it's labeled 'angst' for a reason.
Updates for this one will be slower and irregular, because it's more of a side project while my main focus rests on finishing "Gamer Within" and writing the sequel once it's done. Thanks Voration for the title!
Chapter 1: Honor
A foolish Persian Prince and a bumbling girl from another world. These were the enemies of the Empress of Time and we were to eliminate them at all costs.
I had faced intruders before: bold treasure hunters out for riches and glory, or curious but naive explorers that sought the truth behind the ancient myths and folklore that surrounded the Island of Time. Few of them made it past the Keeper guards, and if they did, it was only to meet their demise at my hands instead.
Yes, I had fought and defeated many invaders, but none of them were quite as… fascinating as this strange duo.
The Prince was truly a master swordsman whom had earned my respect. The Keepers that opposed him were easily disposed of and not even the stronger Raiders, cunning Blade Dancers or lightning fast Silhouettes were a match for his blade.
The girl… well, I had never seen anyone, human or sand creature, have so much luck to the point where it was almost ridiculous. Even more curious was the fact that she was actually one of us. A creature of the sands! Never before had I seen one from outside the Island of Time, and this one had been born a human! It was mind-boggling and I suspected there was a lot more to the loudmouthed girl than first met the eye.
My first encounter was with the royal. I had been summoned from the Garden Tower to guard the Fortress Entrance. Shahdee, the Empress' right-hand, had telepathically commanded me to do so. She and her mistress were the only ones able to establish such a connection, and thus I was unable to report my failure when the Prince struck me down with his sword.
Words could not describe the sheer shock and bewilderment I experienced as I got very first bitter taste of defeat. Wounded, weakened and with shattered pride, I made my retreat to the Garden Tower where I regained my strength and silently vowed that the next time we did battle, victory would be mine.
Shortly after, the Empress contacted me with a warning. I was the guardian of the tower and it was my duty to rid it of any intruders. I first thought I was going to be presented with a second chance, but rather than the Prince himself, she told me a strange girl had somehow appeared and was now making her way to my territory.
To gain her trust and that of her royal companion, my mistress had given her a disguise that would led her to falsely believe her presence would not be detected. However, the fabric was thin and, as the sun began to set, would quickly fail to hide her true identity. The Empress had made sure of that.
I could not answer, but she knew I had heard her and would obey her every command. All of us did.
I waited patiently for the sun to set, and as the sky finally began to color in red and orange hues, I called a flock of birds and send them out to scout the area. They were under my control and did not hesitate to follow my orders. With a loud screech, they flew off and spread across the Tower.
It did not take them long to return: one of them had been killed, but the others fortunately had managed to flee and report back to me. Images of what they had seen flooded my mind, and I was pleased to learn the intruder was close by.
I moved to the edge of the platform I was on and looked down, my eyes scanning for her presence. Suddenly I spotted her, clumsily trying to climb up a ladder. The girl seemed nervous, as if she knew I was watching from above, carefully observing her every move.
However, the bumbling female was not the only thing that caught my eye. A few platforms up, I saw a group of Raiders, Keepers and Blade Dancers hiding in the shadows, under the command of a single Silhouette. Though the idea of an ambush was an effective one, I did not entirely agree with their course of action. The girl would be outnumbered twenty to one and there would be no honor in her demise. I do not know if the Empress had meant to or if it was simply a flaw in my design, but I had been created with a warrior's spirit and would not stand for such a cowardly act.
The intruder slowly made her way up a niche, landed on the platform and did the most peculiar victory dance I had ever seen. However, her triumphant expression quickly fell when the Silhouette made its presence known. I could see her feverishly thinking and knew the penny had dropped when she glanced at her glowing stomach and the blood visibly drained from her face. The minute she realized her cover had been compromised, the others emerged from the shadows and began to advance on her trembling form.
I knew very well what was about to happen. The girl would perish, but her end would not be clean and swift. Especially the Keepers were vicious creatures, their methods brutal and their weapons blunt. To say I had pity on her would be a lie, but I personally found little enjoyment in making a doomed opponent suffer before death.
I silently descended from my post and touched down behind the girl. I could see her twitch slightly, indicating that she had heard me land. However, she did not turn around to investigate, not daring to take her eyes off the threat in front of her.
"S-stay back! I'm dangerous!" she yelled, but her voice was shaky and unconvincing.
"I'm not here to hurt you," one of the Blade Dancers cooed, but the girl was not that easily fooled.
"Watch it lady!" she warned, making threatening hand gestures in an attempt to intimidate the deadly woman. "I'm a gamer on the edge! I could snap at any moment and you seriously do NOT want to be near me when that happens!"
The others were not impressed and continued to stalk closer to the terrified girl, driving her backwards and even closer to her death at my blade.
"She's no match for me!" a Raider boasted, but rather than begging for mercy, the female made one last defiant attempt to scare her assaulters off.
"Oh y-yeah?!" she blurted out while I quietly reached for my weapon. This had gone on long enough and I would be doing the intruder a favor by sparing her from their brutal onslaught. "Well, I-I'm s-stronger than I look! I could totally beat up…eh…eh… THAT guy!"
My hand halted near the handle of my sword, all of us surprised by her bold claim. I quickly realized she had not seen me and thus pointed me out at random, most likely thinking I was just another Raider or Keeper. However, the others were still clearly impressed by her statement and backed off, striking worry into the girl's heart. Though I knew it had not been her intention to do battle with me, I decided to go along and grant the intruder a chance to defend herself. It should not take long…
I immediately felt her tense up as I put a hand on her shoulder and spoke for the first time since I had arrived on the scene.
"Rise up, girl," I warned the female. "I accept your challenge!"
Startled, the girl whirled around and a mix of fear and, oddly, recognition flashed across her face. It was almost as if she had seen me before and her memories were telling her to be wary of my presence. A Seer perhaps?
I awaited a reply, but her mind had gone completely blank and she just stared at me with wide, fearful eyes.
"I accept your challenge," I repeated and the girl suddenly snapped out of her initial shock.
With a startled squeak, she pulled away from my grasp and stumbled backward, accidentally bumping into one of the Keepers. He tried to strike at her, but the female was quick to dodge and the attack almost beheaded one of the Blade Dancers instead.
"Watch it, you idiot!" she yelled and tried to retaliate, elbowing a Raider in the process. Chaos quickly ensued and I was forced to intervene before the Silhouette lost its temper and killed us all.
"Stop fighting each other like children and save your energy for the Prince!" I snapped and fortunately, this seemed to calm them down. The Silhouette was still glaring at the girl, who put her hands on her hips and glared back at the shadowy demon.
"Hey!" she protested, insulted. "What did I do?!"
"You invaded our island," I helped jog her memory and a sweatdrop appeared on her temple.
I drew my blade and her face paled while she furrowed her brown as if lost in deep thought. Her mouth opened and I waited patiently, curious if she perhaps had any last words.
"Hair!"
Well, that was… most unusual…
I shook my head and raised my blade, poised to strike and finally end this foolish standoff.
"WAIT! WAIT! WAIT!!!" she panicked at the very last second. "We can't fight here! It's eh… eh… too crowded!"
I looked around and realized the girl was right. Counting us, there were 22 people on this small platform and it would be extremely difficult to move around.
"Indeed," I nodded, lowering my weapon. "Our current location is not suitable for battle."
The intruder looked at me as if I had lost my mind. Then, hope lit up in her eyes and she turned to me with a sheepish expression on her face.
"Yeah, but what can you do about it, right?" she apologized while slowly trying to back away. "Guess I had better get back on my way and…"
I thought not.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" she shrieked as I grabbed her waist and took off into the sky. "PUT ME DOWN RIGHT NOW YOU FREAKIN' PSYCHO! AMBER ALERT!!! AMBER ALERT!!!"
I clenched my teeth in agony and fought to stay focused and, most importantly, airborne. Unfathomable! How in Empress' name could such a small and frail creature bring forth such noise?! Unable to bear it any longer, I quickly landed and dropped the girl rather ungracefully onto the large terrace I had brought us to.
The others had remained on the smaller platform and were laughing hysterically at the display. The girl on the other hand was not amused and I could see anger flash briefly in her eyes. I was surprised to no longer detect any fear in them and wondered if perhaps I would have my desired glorious battle after all.
"Get back on your feet girl," I urged her. "I want to win with honor!"
I was mildly disappointed when terror returned in her gaze and with a startled yelp, she rolled away from my blade and continued to do everything in her power to stay out of my reach.
I continued to lash out at her with my sword, but the female had the advantage of agility and evaded every blow. I pretended to strike her leg, but changed the trajectory of my blade at the very last second and aimed at her neck instead. However, with lightning speed, she brought up her dagger and blocked my attack. The girl seemed perhaps even more surprised by her abilities than I was, but was quick to adapt to her apparently newfound skill.
Unfortunately for the intruder though, my stamina was far superior to hers. She seemed to realize this as well and, as most intruders had done seconds before meeting their fate at my hands, dropped her defenses and went for broke.
With a loud battle cry and a fire in her eyes I had not seen before, she raised her small dagger above her head and charged at me with breakneck speed.
I sighed at her poorly executed attempt to strike my chest and grabbed her arm, using the girl's own momentum against her. With a pained cry, she plowed into a wall and slumped to the ground in a crumpled heap.
"You're going to have to try harder if you hope to best me," I berated her first brave, yet pathetic attempt to attack.
I had not expect her to be able to get up, but the girl was much more persistent than I had given her credit for. She was injured and knew very well she did not stand a chance. Yet, she refused to give up and send me an angry glare, as if trying to tell me our battle had only just begun. However, it was obvious that she was in great pain and struggling to just stay on her feet. Why she was still determined to resist was beyond me, but I had seen enough. This fight was over.
I gathered every bit of energy I had and focused it in one single finishing strike. I charged at her and struck, but blinked in surprise when I heard my blade clashing with her own. She had blocked my attack! But the girl was injured! Weakened! Without hope! Where in Empress' name had she found the physical, let alone mental strength to do this?! It was hard to believe at first, but as the girl gritted her teeth and tried to push me back, I briefly wondered if perhaps the outcome of our battle had indeed been far from decided.
Very, very briefly.
The intruder gasped as I put more force behind my blade and slowly but surely, gained the upper hand. I could see panic creeping into her eyes as she began to realize her end was near, but strangely she had yet to admit defeat. Suddenly, the corners of her mouth curled up and a most peculiar evil smile appeared on her face, as if she had a dark secret she refused to share.
"I know this is kinda low," she started sheepishly, as if apologizing for something in advance, "but seeing how your weapon is at least three times bigger and sharper than mine, I think I'm entitled to at least one dirty trick."
Before I had a chance to think about her curious statement, she suddenly brought up her knee and I found myself utterly paralyzed and lost in a world of unimaginable pain. In a reflex I doubled over, completely taken by surprise. Now that I was down at her level, the girl seized the brief window of opportunity and grabbed my shoulders.
I immediately knew what she was about to do, seeing as the Prince of Persia had used the very same strategy to defeat me at the Fortress entrance. She pushed down and jumped in an attempt to vault over my stunned form, but as she was in the middle of a handstand on my shoulders, I quickly recovered and shot up, successfully thwarting her plans.
Her hands slipped and the girl lost her balance. With a startled shriek, she fell down, but somehow managed to grab my head and now clung to my back, her legs wrapped tightly around my arms.
I had been caught.
The other sand creatures rolled on the ground and howled with laughter as I spun in circles, furiously struggling to free my trapped limbs.
"Eat dagger, big bird!" the girl yelled defiantly as she briefly weakened her hold to grab her weapon. I used the opportunity to sharply jab her with my right shoulder, causing her to startle and release the blade, which skidded across the terrace and fell over the edge, plummeting into the abyss below.
The laughter increased tenfold as the girl panicked and latched onto me again, this time seizing me by the neck instead.
"Release me now, you little nuisance!" I yelled in outrage as the pressure on my windpipe increased and I slowly but surely began to run out of air.
"Hell no!" she protested loudly. "Just what would happen if I let go, huh?"
"You will not leave this Island alive!" I vowed angrily, and she arched an eyebrow at this.
"You know," she started, her attention slipping away from maintaining her stranglehold, "You could at least try to lure me into a false sense of securi… EEEEEEEK!!!"
Her lapse in concentration cost the girl dearly. I managed to free one of my arms and grabbed those of the little menace that stuck to my back like a leech. Using more force than I had intended, I vented my frustration by throwing the intruder over my shoulder and flinging her into the wall for a second time. This time, however, the impact had been far more violent. Her body slammed into the stone surface and left a cracked dent as it slid down to the ground. For a few seconds, I was not even sure the girl had survived.
"Unfortunate that you have fallen so easily," I said smugly to her fallen form, claiming my victory. Imagine my complete and utter bewilderment when the female cracked one eye open and somehow even found the energy to smile.
"H-hey," she uttered weakly, mocking the Blade Dancers who's attire she had been using as a disguise. "D-don't you k-know not to s-strike a w-woman?"
I was stunned when I noticed the intruder was still moving and nearly dropped my blade in shock as she stubbornly attempted to get back on her feet… and succeeded.
"Stand tall, human!" one of the Raiders jeered, obviously amused by her foolish refusal to stay down. The girl suddenly closed her eyes shut and her legs began to wobble as she fought to keep her balance. Before I even realized it, I had shot forward and caught her upper arm, firmly putting her back on her feet.
In any other case, I would have struck the intruder down and delivered a merciless finishing blow. But her mental strength and seemingly endless determination to live intrigued me, and I was curious to see how much longer she could last on sheer willpower alone.
The girl recovered at an amazing rate and once she was stable, I released my hold and turned around, jamming my sword into a wall, next to a narrow ledge. Though hand-to-hand combat was not one of my strong suits, there was not a weapons rack in sight and I would not stoop as low as to use my blade against an unarmed enemy.
"Let us continue this," I beckoned her, "I'm not finished yet."
The girl gulped, but nodded and shakily got into a fighting stance. Suddenly, our attention was drawn by a startled cry and a loud roar that neither of us had produced. We both turned our heads to the smaller platform and our gaze fell on the most monstrous and vile creature I had ever laid eyes on.
The black demon was easily twice my height and its presence seemed to drain the environment of its color. Jagged tendrils sprouted from its abdomen, seizing an unfortunate Blade Dancer and pulling her into the dark void that surrounded its demonic form. The others furiously attacked the beast, but their weapons seemed incapable of harming it, and one by one they met the same cruel fate.
I turned to the girl, wondering why she had yet to panic, but strangely she seemed more annoyed than afraid.
"Hey buddy!" she shouted at the creature, drawing his attention. "In case you haven't noticed, Prince isn't here! We split up, okay? Go play in the Clock Tower or something!"
The black demon let out a roar and as a creature created from the mystic sands themselves, I was somehow able to understand the furious growls that seemed to be directed at the intruder. This did not bode well.
"It appears he is interested in you," I told the girl who then looked at me as if my head was engulfed in flames.
"Me?! Oh, no, no, no!" she quickly protested as if I had been the one to send the beast after her. "Prince is the one who screwed around with the Hourglass! I didn't even touch the damn thing!"
I had no idea what she was talking about, but the girl seemed to have lost all interest in our battle and kept staring at the hideous creature as it slaughtered the rest of the Empress' soldiers. I will admit the sight was quite disturbing, but I could not be bothered with their demise. Flying to their aid would mean allowing the intruder to escape, and I knew her elimination was of higher importance to the Empress than saving the lives of these lower-class subordinates. They were unintelligent, plentiful and above all… expendable.
"He…he's not leaving… is he…?" the female stammered, clearly in a state of shock. "Back at the Palace… he wasn't after Prince… he was after me! I don't belong here…"
"Indeed you do not," I nodded and prepared to resume our battle, but she ignored me and had probably not even heard my words.
The beast suddenly growled as it flung the last Keeper off the platform and leaped towards our terrace. The girl cried out from fear and attempted to get away, but I swiftly seized her arm and kept her in place. Oh no, little one… you were bold enough to enter the Garden Tower and challenge its guardian, and now you shall have face the consequences of your foolish actions.
I pushed the frightened female behind me and glared at the black demon.
"Stand back," I warned the menacing creature. "I will not allow you to kill the girl. The intruder has challenged me and she will die by my hand alone. Do not interrupt us."
I heard a thud as if she had fallen over, put paid it no heed. The beast looked at me curiously, them let out a loud rumbling sound. It took me a few seconds to realize it was laughing at my threat. How dared it!
I balled my fists and prepared to do battle, but without warning, the demon shot out black tentacles that seized my waist and hoisted me off the ground. I struggled to free myself, but the creature was far too powerful and cackled madly as it started pulling me in.
Realizing that the odds were far from being in my favor, I tried several times to transform into my avian form, but the beast's dark aura somehow prevented me from doing so. I grabbed the jagged tendril and fruitlessly tried to break its grasp, but to no avail. If only I had my blade!
From the corner of my eye, I could see the girl making her way up the wall. She climbed onto the narrow ledge and stopped to eye my sword, as if pondering to take it for herself. I did not blame her: had the tables been turned, I would most likely have done the same. Keep Kerena close to you, little one… For though I may have fallen, others will soon rise to take my place.
As if having heard my silent approval, she grabbed the weapon and yanked it out of the wall. What the intruder did next though, was entirely unexpected.
"CATCH!!!"
It felt as if time itself had crawled to a near halt. The girl looked at me and suddenly flung the blade in my direction. She did not even wait to see if I had caught it, but immediately bolted up the wall and fled, desperate to get away from both me and the hideous creature that seemed to be hunting her.
Why had she done it? What in Empress' name had possessed her to take such a large and unnecessary risk? Did she have pity on me? Why show compassion to someone who's sole desire was to take your life? Perhaps… perhaps the girl did have a sense of honor. A slumbering warrior's spirit which had briefly awoken and decided to aid me so we could finish our battle, rather than stealing my blade and leaving me at the mercy of this demonic beast.
I was in her debt…
"You shall not claim me this day, foul creature!" I declared as I used my sword to slash through the dark tendrils and cut myself loose.
The beast howled in pain and furiously lashed its severed tentacle while I successfully shape shifted into my avian form and flew away, trying to track down the girl. She was severely weakened and could not have gotten very far.
I scouted the area, looking for any signs of the intruder whom I now owed a life debt which I sought to repay. Suddenly, a panicked cry for help (followed by something that sounded like the shrieks and wails of an animal being skinned alive) reached my ears and I quickly flew towards the origin of the noise. The beast had followed the girl as well and held her captive in its dark tentacles. I wasted no time and rushed to her aid, cutting through the tendrils with my blade. With a startled shriek she plummeted into the darkness of the chasm below, but I quickly dived after her and managed to catch the girl before she fell to her death.
"A life for a life," I explained my actions to the dazed female, who closed her tired eyes and lost consciousness in my arms.
This… was the beginning or a most curious chain of events indeed.
