Whoo! My exams end tomorrow! :D Hmm, judging from the time that I post this fic up, it might already be tomorrow by the time most people read it. Anyway, my EOYs are finally over, and it's freedom, here I come! At least until my results come out. :X
-runs to the basketball court and stands there hugging the basketball like a retard-
Ahem, you never saw that. -smiles innocently- (:
Okay, I wrote this for Part B of my own challenge, but relax, I won't give myself the first prize or anything. :X I've actually planned this fic from a long time ago, but only got down to completing it as an exam de-stressing method.
Without further ado, read, review, and enjoy, as always! :D
Mercy(n): An act of compassion, kindness, or favour.
--
What is mercy? Something that brings you joy and pain at the same time, something that fills you with warmth, yet leaves you empty and hollow inside? They say in death, everything becomes clear, but this is something I don't comprehend. All my life, I've been told that mercy begets mercy, yet now, when I do show it, I end up like this. Why…?
--
Colourful banners adorned the town of Aquarium, the normally cheerful town even more radiant than usual. People were out in the streets, celebrating the return of their hero from his dangerous quest. He had succeeded where those before him had failed, triumphing over the dreaded god of the sea.
Down below, in the murky depths of the Grave of Wrecked Ship, a single soul lay dying, alone, hidden from plain view in a cave. The invincible god of the sea rested on the ground, breathing his last few breaths heavily, knowing full well that his suffering would not be over. The curse would reincarnate him in a matter of time, and implant the memories fresh into his mind; he could already feel them burning in.
He was invincible, yet had been defeated by nothing more than an act he chose to do, an act he never did before in his life: a simple act of mercy.
As he pondered on, life energy draining away like trickles of water from a leaky tap, tears began to fall, tinkling to the blood-stained ground as ice crystals, frozen by both the cold magic that surrounded him and the empty coldness that occupied him.
-0-
"Deliah the sea witch," he murmured eagerly, under his breath, reading the lines of text on the page. "The one capable of granting deepest desires, but at a price…"
"Aww, come on, Pianus," his friend teased, eyes still fixed on his own book. "You already top our class in everything. You're probably going to make your third job advancement way before any of us, anyway. What else could you possibly want?"
"I don't know, Philedius," he laughed, placing the book back onto the Ludibrium Library shelf. "It just seemed like an interesting fact to know."
Pianus Oakenn was the pride and joy of the school: he mastered the skills for his level of advancement faster than anyone, and was destined for great things, the elders concluded. But somehow, the speed at which he advanced was far greater than anything else, and soon, his thirst for power overwhelmed him. He delved deeper and deeper into necromancy, further beyond anyone else had done before. The side effects had no influence on him and the more he learnt, the more his hunger refused to be satisfied.
The boy that once had everyone's respect now derived nothing but fear from them. Those that grew up with him were disturbed; gone was the one that was sure to bring hope for the future, replaced by one who brought endless fear: fear of what he could do and what he had not done yet.
Pianus was nearly invincible, nearly, but not invincible-yet. He strived to attain that level of immortality, and nothing would stand in his way.
The legend he had stumbled across by accident when he was much younger was the key to it all: after all, he had lived in the town of Aquarium his whole life and was more than qualified to brave the ocean's dungeons in search of the witch.
"Pianus, you can't be serious…" his best friend, Philedius, now a fresh crusader many levels below him, pleaded, trying to get him to change his mind.
"I am. Nothing or no one will stop me in my quest," the ice mage answered quietly, a sense of menace radiating threateningly from his voice. His wand was raised, streaks of black and grey swirling lazily around it. "Either you're with me, or you're against me. Which one will it be?"
"I can't just let you go like this… you might do something wrong or-"
"So that's your choice, huh? It won't do you any good to stand against me."
The wand's owner made no sound, but the magic responded to the mental command it had been given, and began to swirl uneasily around the mage's companion.
"You have got to be kidding me…"
"Actually, no. You made your choice, now leave me alone."
The ice mage, with his heart as cold and hard as his element, began to walk towards the dungeon entrance, never looking back, leaving the crusader in the outskirts of the town, dark energy enveloping him. The former ignored all the cries for help, proceeding forward into the darkness.
Succeeding all that had come before him, he discovered the location of the sea witch's cave with ease: the monstrous atrocities that guarded her cave were hardly a match for him.
He entered, boldly, unafraid of what he would face; the mage felt that he deserved the right to have his desire granted.
"Who dares disturb me?" the witch's voice suddenly boomed throughout the cave as Pianus's eyes began to adjust to the cave's dim lighting.
"I, Pianus, seek your help," he responded, choosing his words carefully, not wanting to provoke the witch. "I wish for my deepest desire to be granted."
"You wish to be immortal, no doubt," Deliah began, suddenly materializing into the empty chair in front of him. "I can sense it in you. But my powers come at a price, a price that many are unable to pay."
"State your request; I shall not fail in my quest."
"Very well. I demand a human sacrifice: a girl whom I have had my eye on for quite awhile."
"Who is she?"
"Her name is Phelicadus, and I trust that you are familiar with her. I do believe you live near her, no?"
He could make out a faint smile on the witch's face as she said the last sentence, waiting to hear his response. Silence ensued for awhile as he bit his lip, hoping that she would not notice. Phelicadus was Philedius's only sister, a mere couple of years younger than he was. The two had been virtually inseparable since their parents' deaths, and he knew full well how protective the crusader was towards his younger sister.
"What's wrong, this simple task too daunting for you?" she mocked, a wry smile find its way onto her pale face.
"No… not at all," he muttered masking his worry. "I'll be back."
With that, he turned around and left the cave, Deliah suppressing her laughter as she watched him leaving.
--
"Philedius?" the girl whispered, groggily, rubbing her eyes as she roused from slumber, woken by the rustling sounds that seemed to grow louder with each passing moment.
"Phil-!" a hand covered her mouth, muffling her speech. She struggled, clamping down hard on the gloved hand. A blow from a wand was dealt to her head, rendering her unconscious. While she slumped down, a string of profanities followed thereafter, as the intruder pulled off his glove to examine the damage she had done.
"Phelicadus?" the other occupant of the house called out, heavy footsteps rushing up the wooden staircase with a sense of urgency. The intruder reacted fast; a flash of light illuminated the whole house, blinding the crusader for a split second. He burst into his sister's room a moment later but it was too late: she was gone. He pounded a fist against the wall, leaving a dent, before surveying the room. Whoever had been here was very careless: he had dropped his glove. Picking it up, Philedius's eyes widened as shock washed over him. The black glove was custom-made, designed to enhance its wearer's powers even further than they had originally been. He knew the owner, for he had been the very one who accompanied him to the glove maker's; it belonged to no one but Pianus.
--
"Pianus? But… but why?" the frightened girl asked, voice quivering as he dragged her along, bound in chains of magic.
Refusing to reply, the dark mage continued forward, leaving the poor girl in a state of pure fear and confusion.
"Nothing will stop me," he thought, pushing his screaming conscience to a side.
"Deliah!" he shouted, pushing Phelicadus roughly into the cave. "Here's your sacrifice."
"Interesting…" she commented, appearing mysteriously out of the dark mist that seemed to loom in the cave. She approached the girl, nodding her head slowly. "Very interesting…"
"Pianus, save me!" Phelicadus pleaded, eyes watering. He chose to look away instead, as a fierce scream resounded round the dank, enclosed area. When his gaze reverted back to the same spot, Phelicadus was gone, only the bonds remained on the floor.
"Now, for my reward?"
"Ah yes. I was just getting to that," the sea witch replied, with a sudden change of tone as she turned to face the mage. "You wish for immortality, and you shall get just that!"
Her eyes were glowing with a fury he had never seen before as she shrieked, levitating towards him, "You despicable creature, willing to sacrifice even the life of an innocent girl to achieve your selfish goal! In order to quench your unending thirst for power, you willingly forsook the bonds you had with anyone; you don't even deserve to be human! Your desire shall be fulfilled no doubt, if that is what you truly want!"
Deliah floated around him, the trails of energy emitting behind her slowly wrapped themselves around Pianus, blinding him. Her power infused into him, enveloping him in a mass of energy. It was as though he was in a trance; he was completely unaware as to what was happening to him.
When he could see again, his surroundings had changed, to that of another cave, a much bigger one. His body felt bigger, heavier, but he was indeed more powerful.
The witch's voice sounded again, "You don't deserve to be human so live out your immortality as a fish! You will never be able to move on from the realm of the living, no matter how many times you die, and this cave shall forever be your prison!"
Her laughter echoed through the cave as Pianus felt as though his skin was on fire; the curse was branding its mark onto him, burning their ancient symbols as physical reminders.
--
The news spread fast through the sea town: Philedius's sister, Phelicadus had been kidnapped, killed by Pianus as a sacrifice to the legendary sea god, who had been wrecking havoc on the ships for the past few days in the form of a giant fish. The ice mage himself had disappeared, said to be killed by the god himself. Many ships had been sunk to the murky depths of the dungeons by the mysterious powers at work, forces that had caused disastrous storms and un-understandable freak weather. The normally passive Aquarium monsters had changed for the worse too, attacking even innocently travelers as the waters around town were declared unsafe.
Though the lives of all the citizens were drastically affected by the restricted access they now had of Aqua Road, one was particularly hit the hardest. His heart was torn grief, hate, and betrayal, vowing to exact revenge.
Some time after the sea god had started attacking Aquarium, word came out: Deliah the sea witch was offering a reward to whomsoever that could defeat the legendary fish. Should anyone manage the daunting task, she would grant him any wish, no strings attached.
Naturally, there were those that doubted the authenticity of the rumours and out of the minority that tried, not one had returned alive. But one hero, who had been training just for this purpose, took up the challenge, refusing to be deterred. The townsfolk were stunned even further, when the elders actually wished him luck, instead of attempting to dissuade him.
Others had tried before him, none successful, littering the cave with their remains. The bones were the first thing he registered upon his entrance into the cave, and he was determined not to join them in their watery grave.
"Show yourself!" he hollered, unsheathing his sword and readying himself, brow furrowed in pure concentration.
A pair of eyes glowed in the cave's innermost chamber, and beams of energy shot out at him, missing the hero by mere centimeters. He dashed nimbly past the beams, headed straight towards the creature, dodging the lasers.
The attacks ceased, however, when the adventurer came into full view of the monster. The latter's eyes displayed utter shock as he registered the figure of his old friend.
"Philedius?"
"How… how do you know my name?" he demanded, hands tightening their grip on the weapon.
"I'm Pianus…"
Philedius's expression softened for a moment, before he covered it, eyes displaying no hint of emotions. He then took up his stance, beginning his attack.
Pianus allowed blow after blow to hit him, refusing to counter the damage dealt. He bore the pain of it all, not wanting to kill another innocent soul. During the time he had spent all alone in the secluded cave, his conscience had been released from its chains, tormenting him with the weight of his actions. How many innocent lives had he taken through the countless fights and how many more had he affected due to the catastrophic consequences his magic attacks had on Aqua Road?
"Phil, listen to me, I'm sorry, I got all caught up-"
"Apologies won't bring her back!" he retorted fiercely, continuing his barrage of skills. "Don't go easy on me Oakenn, nor call me 'Philedius' ever again! To me, my friend Pianus has long been considered dead!"
"We're no longer on first name terms," Pianus realized, sinking into despair. Guilt, something he had never experienced, and would never have, if not for his curse, began to fill him.
As Philedius casted his final skill, the fish let out a hoarse cry, feeling his energy drain out of him. The fish collapsed onto the ground, panting as heavily as the one who had just defeated him.
"Rot in hell, Oakenn. Time for you to die," the hero spat, sheathing his sword, preparing to leave.
"Pity he can't die," a familiar voice cut in, suddenly; the witch had appeared. "He wished to be immortal, and his wish was granted. Now then, you who have succeeded in the quest: state your request."
"I want my sister back," came the unfaltering reply.
"I'm afraid that won't be possible, her soul has been bond to something else. I cannot release her. Choose something else."
The hero looked around, taking in the sight of the blood-stained cave, his predecessors' remains and the body of his ex-best friend, wheezing and begging with his eyes for mercy.
"I want you to make sure that throughout his entire life as an immortal, he will never forget what he did."
Pianus's eyes widened. Philedius had just condemned him to a fate that was far worse than that which the curse had already ensured him. The hero displayed no reaction whatsoever, however, as he spun around and departed.
"As you wish."
Deliah closed her eyes and summoned her magic, chanting ancient words that materialized out of thin air and etched themselves onto the fish's scales, burning him like before. He stared, eyes filled with remorse, at Philedius's shadow, leaving the cave and never looking back.
-0-
"Cold Tears," Deliah suddenly spoke, cutting through his thoughts and alerting him of her presence, "Have the power to reverse any curse. But they aren't just formed like that; they require one to experience deep remorse and guilt in order to produce them."
"So why do you need them for?" he questioned, half-heartedly, not really caring as she gathered the Tears.
"To reverse my own curse."
"What curse?"
"I wasn't always a sea witch you know," she answered quietly. "Like Phelicadus, I was selected by the previous witch to take her place, only being able to free myself this way."
"Why you self centered-"
"Aren't you like that too? Willing to sacrifice the lives others for your own personal gain?"
Pianus fell silent as Deliah took her leave, emptying the cave of all its Tears.
"Ah yes, I think someone would like to see you," she mentioned, pausing in her movement for a brief moment.
"Who?"
The witch didn't respond, instead, she turned her head and smiled mysteriously, before disappearing.
"Pianus?" an unsure voice tried, as a girl faded into the cave, walking towards him.
"Phelicadus?"
"Yeah, it's me. But the witch changed my name to Cadus. Are you okay?"
"I'll live, unfortunately," he said, diverting his eyes away from her. "You're the next sea witch, huh? I'm sorry, for everything I put you through."
"I guess so… But it's alright. What about you? You're going to be here for the rest of your life?"
He nodded, regret and sorrow building up inside him as a solitary Cold Tear squeezed its way out of his eye and into her hands.
"Pianus, a Tear…" she began, unable to complete her sentence as she lightly fingered the beautiful ice crystal.
"Use it," he responded, immediately, without a doubt in his mind.
"I… I can't."
"Why not?"
"Because my brother hasn't forgiven you yet, and his curse hasn't been lifted. If I use the Tear, I will be free from the burden of being the next sea witch. Your guilt will then disappear, and the curse will be rendered ineffective. I'm sorry. No matter how many Tears you cry, I can't use a single one of them."
She stood up from her kneeling position and heaved a sigh. Dropping the Tear in front in him, she faded away as quickly as she had appeared.
His renewed spirit that had filled with hope at being granted peace had just been shattered again; he allowed his emotions to overwhelm him, Cold Tears streaming onto the ground relentlessly.
Till this day, if you visit Aqua Road, you can still find Cadus residing in that very cave, bound to the job of being the sea witch. As for Pianus, he still lives too, unable to move on and find peace in the realms of the undead. He continues to shed Cold Tears for Cadus, forever hoping that she will use them one day, and free him from the load of his sins. If you find a Cold Tear in the depths of the ocean dungeon, remember his story: a story of unquenchable greed, aggrieved revenge, and a simple act of mercy.
Mercy is bitter, indeed.
A/N: Okay, if anyone wants them, cookies are on the table to your left, right next to the tissue paper. :D Okay, those are for those that cry while reading my fics, though I don't think anyone would cry for this one.
Bright side: I give good service! :D